Co-conspirators, for art's sake Standing in the middle of his crew's massive new gallery in an old northeast Minneapolis factory, Mike Davis looked like a guy who'd been given the keys to the design kingdom. "We've been trapped down in the basement," said Davis of poster-design group Burlesque of North America, whose clients include Arcade Fire, the Melvins and Rhymesayers. The new first-floor place -- with exposed brick and 20-foot, art-ready white walls -- is upstairs from Burlesque's screen-printing studio, where the group hosted a series of successful art exhibitions. "That was kind of batting practice," Davis said. "Now it's time to play ball." CO Exhibitions is a partnership with Joseph Belk and his crew at the new art-and-design agency Permanent. The first exhibit, "Wings & Teeth: The Art of Doomtree," opens Saturday with a party featuring performances by members of the Twin Cities rap crew. (7 p.m. Sat., 1101 NE. Stinson Blvd., Mpls. Free. www.burlesquedesign.com.)
Co-conspirators, for art's sake
TOM HORGEN
Give the drummer some The Twin Cities lost another member of punk rock's Greatest Generation when Bobby Meide, hard-pounding drummer for the Flamin' Oh's, died Sunday at 59 from a neurological disorder called Korsakoff's syndrome. I.W. heard the news from his old pal Curtiss A. "Everybody loved Bob Meide, and even when you didn't, you still did," said Curt. "He was a lovable cuss. We first met in 1970 but wound up being friends years later when [Oh's frontman Robert] Wilkinson was living in Tommy Ramone's girlfriend's mother's house. This was maybe 1975 or '76. Bob came over and one of the first things he asked me was: 'Would you superglue my tooth in?'" Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday (June 25) at Washburn-McReavy, 5125 W. Broadway, Crystal.
TIM CAMPBELL
A critic with funding? Everyone has opinions of shows. But theater folks nationwide really want to know what Ralph Remington thinks. The former Minneapolis City Council member and Pillsbury House Theatre founder became director of theater and musical theater at the National Endowment for the Arts in March. He breezed into town over the weekend to see friends and a few shows, including Rebecca Gilman's "Dollhouse" at the Guthrie ("sharply and imaginatively directed," he opined) and Cori Thomas' "Pa's Hat" at Pillsbury House ("deft and powerful"). No doubt some theater leaders are wondering: Might dollars flow behind such praise?
ROHAN PRESTON
Ramblin' Jack lives up to his name At a Ramblin' Jack Elliott concert, you know you'll get a lot of between-song stories along with a few story-songs. The folk-music legend, 78, did not disappoint on either front Saturday at his first Twin Cities concert in 13 years. The Cedar Cultural Center crowd heard about working in the rodeo, playing at an open-mike in Elliott's hometown of New York City ("Peter and Paul were there; Mary was out shopping") and hanging out with Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964. Jack and Bob were sitting in Bob's blue Ford station wagon and Bob turned on the radio. They heard the Animals' version of "House of the Rising Sun" and "at the same time we said: 'That's my version.'"
JON BREAM
Tiki mixology In May, Psycho Suzi's owner Leslie Bock shook the waters in northeast Minneapolis when she announced plans to move her tiki motor lounge into the current Gabby's location. Her big news just got a little bigger. Twin Cities cocktail gurus Johnny Michaels (of La Belle Vie) and Pip Hanson (of Cafe Maude) say they have signed on to create the new location's cocktail program. The duo will help design not only the drink list but also the actual layout of the cocktail bars inside Gabby's large building. "Prepare for the reemergence and evolution of the blended cocktail," Michaels said. Bock is still planning an October opening. It's unclear if Gabby's will reopen elsewhere or simply cease to exist when Psycho Suzi's relocates.
TOM HORGEN
New blood at Music Box The Directors LLP has taken over management of the Music Box Theatre, best known over the past decade as headquarters for "Triple Espresso." Producer Steve Barberio said his group hopes to work this deal into eventual ownership of the 450-seat space. In the meantime, he'll book music, comedy, theater and some film, put "Triple Espresso" into the holiday slot and use the place as a launching pad for the company's original touring productions. A new play by Allison Moore, "The Love Knot," is slated for a two-week run in September. Barberio said he's assembling a blues series and is negotiating with comic Tig Notaro for a July 17 gig. "We're just trying to discover what's possible in there," he said. "We know the neighborhood is primed for gentrification once the economy turns around."
GRAYDON ROYCE
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Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.