Urning a place in rock history
Motörhead's legions of Twin Cities fans were there in spirit Sunday when frontman Lemmy Kilmister's funeral streamed live from Hollywood, but one local entrepreneur was there in person and played an intimate role: Pete Saari of the Eden Prairie-based company Foreverence hand-delivered a custom-made urn that Kilmister's family enlisted him to make for the rock legend's ashes. He died Dec. 28 at 70. Customized with 3-D printing technology (typical cost: $2,500-$3,000), the urn was pure Lemmy, with all-black ceramic-like material shaped like his trademark black cavalry hat, with his Ace of Spades tattoo underneath and the lyrics, "Born to lose, live to win." Foreverence got the call thanks to a previous client, Devo guitarist Bob Casale, for whom the company made a — you guessed it — red energy dome hat a la the "Whip It" video. "As a music fan, it's an honor to do this for any musician like this, but especially musicians as distinctive and iconic as Lemmy," said Saari, who proudly noted that the urn will be on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Denton in demand
James Denton may have officially moved to Chanhassen a few years ago, but he's finding it hard to spend much time there due to his continuing demand on television. Denton told I.W. in L.A. that as soon as he wraps up a new season of "The Good Witch," he'll be heading to Atlanta to shoot seven episodes of Lifetime's "Devious Maids." Eva Longoria, the show's executive producer and his former "Desperate Housewives" castmate, will also appear in the upcoming season.
Neal Justin
Stuck in the Cabooze
As headliner for the all-star 16th annual Cash Only: A Tribute to the Man in Black at the Cabooze last weekend, veteran Minnesota country singer Sherwin Linton told the well-lubricated clubgoers to imagine that they're in Folsom Prison. "I'm Johnny Cash," he announced in his deep baritone, "and you're the convicts." Then he pointed to one fellow near the front of the stage and declared, "You can be Denny Hecker."
Jon Bream
Hoofing in Havana
Minneapolis dance company Zenon is being given the star treatment in Havana, Cuba, where this weekend it will be the first U.S. dance company to perform at the historic Teatro Marti, a beautiful 19th-century theater that was left to crumble for 30 years until a recent renovation. "They don't see a lot of American choreography here," artistic director Linda Z. Andrews told I.W. "We're getting a lot of TV and print media coverage." Andrews and the company's dancers, who worked with Cuban choreographer Osnel Delgado when he did a residency in Minneapolis as a McKnight International Artist, will perform their own work as well as a piece Delgados created especially for Zenon called "Coming Home." The work uses movements from a national passion shared by both countries — baseball.
KRISTIN TILLOTSON
Bulc Frut eht ta gig gib
We hear good things about this mysterious band Luos Mulysa just announced for the Turf Club on Tuesday (8 p.m., $15). The buzz from the ever-reliable Pitchfork says it's a Guatemalan quartet whose hits include "Tren Desbocado," "Oro Negro" and "La Miseria Incorporado." Also, rumor has it the singer once dated Salma Hayek. Music lovers are urged to take a good look in the mirror before attending.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Rosy outlook
Rosy Simas Danse is gearing up for a big year, with major national funders showing their support for Twin Cities choreographer Rosy Simas' new work, "skin(s)." The piece, which examines native identity through the sensorial properties of skin, is heading to Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis in October. She has brought studies of the piece to Vancouver and Santa Fe, and this year plans to tour the full piece in arts spaces in Oakland and Berkeley, Calif. The project got a boost with a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship, and has since been funded by the National Performance Network Creation Fund and a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant. Most recently, the New England Foundation for the Arts selected Rosy Simas Danse as a $35,000 recipient of a National Dance Project tour grant. Audiences outside of Minnesota will get to know the caliber of new dance making we have coming out of the state.
Sheila Regan
