Local-scene snapshots from the year that was

WINTER

The all-local fifth anniversary celebration for 89.3 the Current at First Avenue on Jan. 29 immediately sold out and left attendees with a warm winter feeling. P.O.S. arrived after a day of snowboarding, Mason Jennings wore flannel, Solid Gold covered "Minnesoter," and Prince even showed up. So Minnesotan.

A record 7,000 people packed the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Feb. 18 to see "Foot in the Door 4," a once-in-a-decade opportunity for Minnesota artists. Basically, any artwork that could fit inside a 12-inch wooden cube was included in the 5,000-object show.

SPRING

Not sure if you heard, but the Twins got a new ballpark. Various facets of the Twin Cities music scene played the field around Target Field. First Avenue opened the Depot Tavern to make money off fans. Kieran's Irish Pub moved to Block E. G.B. Leighton wrote a song for Fox Sports broadcasts, but it was pretty much declared a foul ball. Hold Steady singer Craig Finn knocked the would-be anthem "Don't Call Them Twinkies" outta the park in time for the playoffs.

It was the year several media bigwigs hung up their hats: Don Shelby at WCCO-TV, Eric Eskola at WCCO-AM, Robyne Robinson at KMSP-TV and Bill Kling at Minnesota Public Radio. Robinson wouldn't fade away, however. The day after her last broadcast in May, she said she was running for lieutenant governor.

The opening of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill was a hit in the Shops at West End. With the neighboring Cooper and Crave, the 15,000-square-foot bar helped solidify the shopping center as a new nightlife hotbed. The sprawling honky-tonk has been packed with cowboys and cowgirls from the northern and southern 'burbs who like to meet in the middle: St. Louis Park.

SUMMER

Walker Art Center's decision to put its popular Monday-night Summer Music & Movies in Loring Park on "hiatus," and instead stage talkathons in its lobby and field sports on its hill, showed how clueless the Walker is about summer fun. Others tried to pick up what the Walker dropped, but none drew as big a crowd.

Capping a year that saw the Guthrie Theater open its doors to hip-hop, Mos Def delivered a stunning live show Aug. 23 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. The theatrically minded Brooklyn MC, who does more acting than rapping these days, commanded the audience from atop the set of the Guthrie's "A Streetcar Named Desire" -- at one point yelling out "Stella!

Part pop opera, part gay-pride rally, part self-help seminar, Lady Gaga's two-night Monster Ball at sold-out Xcel Energy Center Aug. 30-31 was a ridiculously ambitious, delightfully decadent and lovably confusing evening of performance art. After her second show, Gaga dropped in at St. Paul's Turf Club to play pinball and pose with clubgoers in the bar's photo booth.

FALL

After nearly half a century at the helm, Al Milgrom, the godfather of local art cinema, kinda-sorta took a step back from the daily grind of running Minnesota Film Arts. He will stay on as an adviser to the organization, rechristened the Film Society of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and remain as impresario of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.

Before he left the stage in front of 10,000-plus cheering fans at the Soundset festival in May, St. Paul rapper/poet/rocker Eyedea had flippantly asked the crowd, "Who's coming back next year?" Alas, the real-life Micheal Larsen, 28, died of an accidental drug overdose Oct. 16. His funeral drew musicians from numerous genres as well as throngs of teenage fans. The first of several musical tributes sold out First Avenue.

• Mary Abbe, Jon Bream, Colin Covert, Neal Justin, Tom Horgen, Chris Riemenschneider

Maz-y Christmas

A familiar face is returning to the Twin Cities club scene for one night only. After making a name for himself as one of our top club DJs, Joe Maz packed his bags last year and left for the big leagues in Miami. Our local-boy-made-good is home for the holidays and will spin Christmas night at his old club, Aqua (10 p.m.). What's the major difference between Miami and Minneapolis? "The whole trick to being a DJ in Miami is keeping the crowd in the club," Maz said. "My night gets started at midnight and goes 'til 5 a.m. Trying to keep them out 'til 5 a.m. is a big task." Maz recently released the song "Outta My Mind" on the New York label Nervous Records. Listen to it at www.djjoemaz.com.

• Tom Horgen

Groveland hearts the Nook

An early-morning fire gutted the Nook last week in St. Paul, but its supporters haven't left the burger joint behind. Another neighborhood bar, Groveland Tap, held a benefit Dec. 18 with the sales of wings and Summit pints going directly to displaced Nook employees. The turnout was fatter than a cheesy-stuffed Juicy Lucy. Groveland co-owner Stephanie Shimp reports that the bar set an all-time one-day sales record. Pints of Summit sold: 2,186. Kegs of Summit: more than 20. Wings sold: 476 orders. In all, Groveland and its bargoers donated $6,691 to the Nook employee fund. The Nook's owners have said they hope to have the restaurant rebuilt within a couple months. Cheers to that.

• Tom Horgen

Chef changes

After a two-year tenure, Solera chef J.P. Samuelson is moving on. But his departure isn't timed to the restaurant's recent sale. "A great opportunity fell into my lap," he said. So far, few details, but here's what we do know: Samuelson will be cooking Italian -- a return to his D'Amico Cucina days -- and he's not an owner. "It's not my money, so I'm really excited about that," he said with a laugh, referring to the financial hit he took when his jP American Bistro closed in 2008. "Everyone is always asking me, 'When are you going to open another place?' and I'm always like, 'Never.' But this opportunity is really exciting."

Location? Nothing more specific than "the metro area" and "a quick turnover of an existing space." OK. Samuelson says he will reveal more details soon.

• Rick Nelson

Old Pub to no pub

Since moving his namesake bar to Block E, Kieran Folliard has mostly kept its former home -- the aptly titled Old Pub -- as a no-frills daytime operation. That spot, at the corner of 4th Street and 2nd Avenue S. in Minneapolis, was home to Kieran's Irish Pub for 16 years. Folliard had planned to keep the Old Pub chugging along to fulfill his lease obligations, but he's changed his mind. The Old Pub closed its doors for good this week.

• Tom Horgen