Brother Ali planning Day of Dignity

You could tell just how serious Brother Ali was about his upcoming Twin Cities Day of Dignity concert by the fact that he was passing out fliers for it outside the sold-out Sept. 9 First Avenue show by Prof. And no, I don't mean the internationally known Minneapolis rap star had a street team handling fliers for the Oct. 1 block party -- he was working the doors himself.

"This is right up there with my own First Ave shows and Soundset as one of the most important events I've ever been involved with," Ali confirmed last week during a lengthy conversation about the one-of-kind charity concert.

How unique is this thing? For starters, the free performances by Ali, fellow Rhymesayers rapper Freeway "and maybe friends" are happening outside a mosque. That's right, a Muslim place of worship, the Masjid An-Nur in north Minneapolis, which counts both Ali and Rep. Keith Ellison among its members. The concept of a big music bash outside a holy place certainly isn't foreign in this town (see: Basilica Block Party), but even Ali admitted, "There aren't too many mosques out there that would host a hip-hop concert."

As important as the social ramifications could be on the religious end, Ali said the two things he thinks are most relevant about Day of Dignity are: a) It will bring outsiders into north Minneapolis "and prove to them that it's not a scary place, but a great community," and b) Instead of raising money to hand out later to a charity, the do-gooder work will actually be taking place right there at the party. There will be free health-care services on hand, along with free meals, winter clothing, health and hygiene kits, school supplies and a lot more for needy residents. That side of the party is being organized by Al-Maa'uun Community Outreach and Islamic Relief USA.

Ali made a pretty moving pitch for his big day out: "Minnesotans love music, and they love to take care of each other. That's why so many people come here from Somalia or Michigan or South Dakota. This will be a day we celebrate both of those trademarks of our great community."

Chris Riemenschneider

Film examines gay-marriage debate

In August 2009, New York documentary maker Joe Fox pulled up stakes and moved to Maine to gather footage about that state's battle over a gay-marriage ballot measure. His movie, "Question One," will be screened 9:30 p.m. Thu. and 10:45 p.m. Sat. during the Twin Cities Film Fest (www.twincitiesfilmfest.org). It's sure to spark interest here, where sides are being drawn for a yearlong fight over gay marriage leading up to next year's Minnesota referendum. Fox embedded himself in both the "yes" and "no" campaigns for three months. The movie gives a fairly evenhanded account, which may be surprising, since Fox, gay himself, supports the right of gays to marry. "It's not like I had never experienced antigay rhetoric," Fox said, "but some of what I encountered during filming was shocking even to me." Fox will be on hand for talks at both screenings at the ShowPlace Icon theaters in St. Louis Park.

Claude Peck

Cedar rips U.S. visa policies

After two international acts canceled shows due to visa problems, including London-based Somali singer Aar Maanta, Cedar Cultural Center director Rob Simonds wrote a blog post lambasting U.S. embassies' handling of such matters. Four of the five members of Aar Maanta's band were approved, except the one Muslim from Somalia, said Simonds, who stressed the value these shows have "to provide positive role models, particularly young males who embody tolerance and the successful integration of Somali immigrants" (i.e., Aar Maanta). Read the rest at www.thecedar.org.

Chris Riemenschneider

City Center gets Rosa Mexicano

The corner of 6th and Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis isn't looking so drab anymore. The swanky 12,000-square-foot Rosa Mexicano is set to open Thursday with a big splash in City Center. The New York-based chain of upscale Mexican restaurants is famous for its tableside guacamole, frozen pomegranate margaritas and dramatic look. CEO Howard Greenstone said the City Center restaurant will be the company's largest yet.

The multi-room layout is flush with a color scheme of pinks, reds and deep purples. It's very nightclub-ish. The menu is filled with items you'd expect, such as hearty plates of steak tacos and enchiladas, but Rosa is also known for its short ribs and seafood. Greenstone seemed particularly proud of their mole sauces. Entree prices range from about $15 to $27. There's a list of high-end tequilas and some adventurous cocktails.

The weather may be cooling, but the streetside patio should be good for at least a couple more months. The 100-seat patio fits snugly against the restaurant's glass interior. They've added large "super heaters" to keep diners warm out there -- a sure way to any Minnesotan's heart.

Tom Horgen

Communist Daughter relaunches

After spending the past year smoothing out his personal life -- he closed his restaurant, regained his sobriety and got engaged -- Johnny Solomon finally seems poised to jump into the deep end with Communist Daughter. His band's headlining set Friday at Amsterdam Bar & Hall isn't just the kickoff for the new St. Paul rock 'n' beer haven's grand opening weekend, nor is it just a release party for a new EP, "Something Wicked This Way Comes." It also marks the beginning of an ambitious fall schedule that includes dates opening for alt-country darlings Deer Tick, a trek to the CMJ fest in New York and a national re-release of the group's 2009 debut album, "Soundtrack to the End."

The new edition was remastered and remixed with Brad Kern, who produced Semisonic's radio hits. New part-time drummer Ian Prince rerecorded drums on several tracks because Solomon lost his tapes of some of the original drum parts. "I wasn't in the clearest state of mind," Solomon admitted of the original recordings. "I'll always think of the original as the album that I put out in my basement, but a lot of people wanted to hear it cleaned up so they could use it [on the radio]. So this is like 'Soundtrack 2.0' to me."

The new six-song EP features three newbies, plus covers of the Beatles, the Hold Steady and the Mountain Goats.

Chris Riemenschneider

Hole drummer to headline Sound Unseen

Former Hole drummer Patty Schemel was near ground zero for Kurt Cobain's death, Courtney Love's ascent and downward spiral, alt-rock's overblown commercialization and female rockers' long-overdue acceptance. All these subjects are addressed in her autobiographical documentary "Hit So Hard," which will be the centerpiece of the 12th annual Sound Unseen film festival (Oct. 12-16, www.soundunseen.com). Schemel will be on hand for the screening Oct. 14 at the Ritz Theater. The other big local premiere is Oct 15: "The Other 'F' Word," a documentary on famous punk-rock dads, including Flea, Mark Hoppus (Blink-182), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) and Tony Hawk. Other films will include "Sid & Nancy," "Better Than Something: Jay Reatard," the Pulp documentary "The Beat Is the Law," another on Split Lip Rayfield titled "Never Make It Home," and one called "A Drummer's Dream" that sounds like a drum nerd's answer to "It Might Get Loud."

Chris Riemenschneider

Mallman's ode to Minneapolis

A few weeks ago when a Twitter campaign started up to get Mayor R.T. Rybak to name Atmosphere's "Shhh" the official song of Minneapolis, Mark Mallman piped in with a tweet suggesting his upcoming single might also be a good candidate. The track, "Minneapolis," is quite a loving tribute. Newly available at iTunes, the operatic, epic rock anthem references Mallman's arrival on the scene ("On 26th Street, I was 20 years old/I dreamed about my first First Avenue show"). It then describes his urge to always return here from the road. Not sure if it's deserving of official-song status at City Hall, but the song should at least be good for some Target Field rotation and Current airplay.

Chris Riemenschneider

Modern Cafe adds cocktails

Here's a quick way to make a good restaurant even better: Get a full liquor license. For its new endeavor, the Modern Cafe in northeast Minneapolis is treating its drink list just like its famous pot roast: It's keeping it classic. Most of the nine cocktails on its menu hail from the pre-Prohibition era, including the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Negroni, Martini, French 75, Sidecar, Gimlet, plus a champagne cocktail and a margarita. The classic cocktails fit right into the restaurant's penchant for old-school cool.

Tom Horgen

Actor recovering from onstage cardiac arrest

Actor Warren Bowles, who suffered cardiac arrest on the stage of Mixed Blood Theatre Friday night, was reported to be "conscious and conversant" Monday morning. Mixed Blood artistic director Jack Reuler said he talked with Bowles, who remained in intensive care at Hennepin County Medical Center. Reuler said doctors upgraded Bowles' condition to serious, from critical. According to Bowles' CaringBridge site, the veteran actor was awake and physically responsive Sunday evening.

Bowles was delivering a monologue Friday during the opening-night performance of "Neighbors" at Mixed Blood when he collapsed. He was admitted to HCMC and kept in a coma Saturday.

Bowles' Twin Cities theater career stretches back to the mid-1970s. He is known to thousands of students for his portrayals of historic African-American heroes in Mixed Blood educational shows. Also a writer and director, Bowles has worked at many Twin Cities theaters.