Item World: Diana Krall fans clamor for Elvis Costello, Zombie Pub Crawl resurrects Aaron Carter, more

Diana Krall seemed discombobulated Friday night at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. The jazz star blew a lyric in the second verse of the first song and the boogie-woogie piano intro to her closing encore number. In between, she had a couple of other oops moments, but all these gaffes brought out her personality. She was friendly and funny, two characteristics never revealed in abundance in her previous Twin Cities concerts. Between songs, she sparred with rude fans who shouted out things like, "Elvis Costello!" She retorted, "He's onstage somewhere else tonight." She did acknowledge they're still married. Later, she mused: "I wonder if people yell 'Diana Krall!' at Elvis Costello concerts?"

Jon Bream

If you've had a hard time making heads or tails or entrails of the Zombie Pub Crawl, this year's installment probably won't clear anything up. The music lineup for the Oct. 17 ghouls night out was announced this week with what is easily the weirdest mishmash of acts yet in the event's 11 years. Late-'90s pop-punk band Sum 41, former teen-throb idol Aaron Carter, one of the two singing sisters from Swedish one-hit wonder Ace of Base (Jenny Berggren), dubstep DJ Seven Lions, collegiate hip-hop act Outasight and "Crank That" rapper Soulja Boy will all perform along with logical headliner, party-sparking mash-up dance king Girl Talk. Local acts will include Tickle Torture, the 4onthefloor, Dumpster Juice and must-have shock-rockers Impaler. A crosstown affair in past years, this year's will be centered around the Minneapolis Warehouse District with an outdoor stage at 5th St. and 1st Av. N. and shows inside the Fine Line, Mill City Nights and other nearby watering holes.

Chris Riemenschneider

After blowing out the candles for his 96th birthday, St. Paul sax man Irv Williams surprised fans Sunday at the Dakota Jazz Club by singing "St. James Infirmary." Well, he sang a verse and then ended up scatting because "I don't know the words." After winding up the song with some French-sounding gibberish, he said: "You didn't know I could sing, did you? You still don't know it." He played a sweet and hopeful instrumental treatment of "Someone to Watch over Me," then smiled. "I'm just about done," he said. "We've played all your requests and I blew my lungs out. Playing for you is what I was born for. I'm going to do it as long as the Lord doesn't cut me off." Williams still had enough lung power for an encore of an extended "Summer Wind." Then he announced, "I'll be around for my 100th. It's not long. Five years." OK, we'll cut the birthday boy some slack when it comes to math.

Jon Bream

Al Milgrom, the tireless force who has brought cinema from around the world to the Twin Cities for 35 years for the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, is the revered eminence grise of the local film community. After a fall and hospital stay in Berlin two years ago while attending a film fest there, Milgrom, 92, incurred some hefty bills. So a fundraiser was held last week at the home of Sam and Sylvia Kaplan in Minneapolis. Benefit organizer Tim Grady of Adopt Films recalled the time he brought Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkish director of the Palme d' Or winner "Winter Sleep," to town for a dinner and a screening. After being cornered by Milgrom, Ceylan asked Grady who the old guy was: "He knows more about Turkish cinema than anyone in Turkey!" Milgrom said he appreciated everyone turning out, but he had to get home because "I'm writing a grant for Legacy funds to get a film about a Czech polka band from New Prague off the ground and the deadline is tomorrow. Now I have to come up with all the reasons we need to keep Czech culture going."

The contemporary-art department at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is in flux after the departure this month of Christopher Atkins, who coordinated the museum's Minnesota Artists Exhibitions Program (MAEP) for six years. He is heading to St. Paul, where he will be curator of exhibitions and public programs at the Minnesota Museum of American Art starting Sept. 1. "I'm looking forward to wearing a lot of hats," Atkins told I.W. His departure follows that of Elizabeth Armstrong, who, as the institute's first curator of contemporary art, raised $4 million to buy contemporary work and regularly mixed it into traditional galleries. She left in January to become executive director of the Palm Springs Art Museum in California. Interviews for that position are "going extremely well, and we will have someone in place quite soon," said institute spokeswoman Tammy Pleshek.

Mary Abbe

The worlds of media, entertainment and politics came together seamlessly last weekend as the National Association of Black Journalists held its 40th anniversary convention in Minneapolis. Speakers included Luther Campbell — aka Luke of 2 Live Crew fame — who was hawking his free-speech-themed memoir, "The Book of Luke." There also were plenty of media celebrities, including ESPN's Michael Wilbon, NPR's Allison Keyes, MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid and the New Yorker's Jelani Cobb, plus such bona fide celebs as Louis Gossett Jr.

Rohan Preston

"Survivor" may not be the red-hot show it once was, but the chance to contend on the CBS show should convince a few fans to spend a few sweat glands getting over to the Mall of America on Saturday for a chance to contend. Potential contestants should show up at the MOA's rotunda between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Aug. 15 with proof of U.S. residency, verification that you're 18 or older and a one-minute presentation on why you should be part of the show. Casting call producers will be on hand, but — sorry! — no Jeff Probst. For more info, go to mallofamerica.com/events/view/1206.