Item World: Jon Hamm poses with Franken supporters; Arcade Fire turns to Groupon, more

Last week's snowstorm couldn't keep Jon Hamm from charming the Uggs off everyone he met at Sam and Sylvia Kaplan's Mississippi River-front home on Friday. The occasion, dubbed "FrankenHamm," was a fundraiser for Sen. Al Franken's re-election campaign. Was Hamm, who effortlessly melts hearts even when playing tortured cad Don Draper on "Mad Men," as amiable and preternaturally handsome in real life as you might expect? Yep. By all accounts, he patiently posed for photos with attendees who donated between $1,000 and $5,200 (more modest amounts still got you into the reception), and never stopped smiling even when smartphones had been pushed into that famously appealing mug for two hours. Affable as Hamm was (including petting the Kaplans' dog), no one could loosen his lips about the seventh and final season of "Mad Men," beginning in April. A self-described "Mad Men" addict, Kaplan, ambassador to Morocco during President Obama's first term, tried to wheedle a few hints. How many did he get? "Zero," he told I.W.

Kristin Tillotson

Maybe it was the dress code, in which they politely asked that fans wear semiformal attire to the shows. Maybe it was the sprawling, disco-flavored new double album, which didn't really have one would-be radio hit among its 13 mostly lengthy songs. Or maybe Twin Cities indie-rock fans really just don't want to see concerts at Target Center. Maybe a band that played 5,000-capacity Roy Wilkins Auditorium isn't ready to jump to a thrice as big basketball arena. Whatever the reason, Canadian indie-rock darlings Arcade Fire have surprised a lot of fans but not a lot of concert-biz professionals and turned to Groupon to sell tickets to their March 8 concert at Minneapolis' arena. The online coupon deal offers $64.51 tickets for $32 and $40.74 tickets for $22. Those prices even include fees. Proof they're not your average arena-rock act anyway, Arcade Fire traveled to co-leader Regine Chassagne's native Haiti last weekend to play a concert in Jecmal as part of the earthquake-ravaged country's reviving Kanaval celebrations. Minnesota videographer Dan Huiting accompanied the band to film the event.

Chris Riemenschneider

Molly Broder wants to sell you a nice bottle of wine. Without getting in trouble for it. The matriarch of Broders' Pasta Bar and Terzo Vino Bar in Minneapolis is leading a charge to lift a city charter mandate that alcohol sales at certain neighborhood restaurants constitute no more than 30 percent of their revenue. Broder contends that the so-called "70/ 30 rule," designed to keep troublesome saloons out of neighborhoods, is outdated in an era of elevated palates. "When I get a couple who wants to buy a $100 bottle of wine because they're really wine aficionados, I've got to worry about how many teetotalers I have to have to make up for that," said Broder. A charter change requires unanimous City Council approval or a referendum, so she and other restaurateurs — including Steven Brown (Tilia), Peter Ireland (Lynn on Bryant), Harvey McLain (Turtle Bread/Tosca/Cafe Levain) and Frederico Navarro (George & the Dragon) — have started a petition to put the issue on the ballot.

MICHAEL RIETMULDER

Twin Cities twang king Erik Koskinen, the Real Phonic Radio Hour house-band leader who was receiving his one-and-only headline slot on the monthly all-star show, claims he was the only one who showed up Thursday of last week for the scheduled performance in St. Paul. Apparently, he didn't get the e-mail that the show had been postponed due to the snownami. Luckily, Real Phonic was able to move the event — co-starring Chastity Brown — to Saturday because of a cancellation at the J..J. Hill Library, the hallowed home to Real Phonic. "It's very rare that this would happen," said Katie Benson, events director for the library. "We're booked every Saturday in 2014 and into 2015." Real Phonic host Thom Middlebrook told I.W. they got a break because a wedding had been called off for Saturday. Actually, Benson said, it was a fundraiser, which had changed dates months ago. Those Real Phonic folks sure know how to stretch the truth for a good line; after all, their cool little "Radio Hour" is really just a live show and webcast.

Besides buildings, architects are known for bowties, round glasses and acronyms. A thicket of the latter accompanied the announcement that four Minnesota architects have been named to the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) prestigious College of Fellows. They are Michael J. Bjornberg, NCARB, project manager HGA; Ted Davis, IIDA, LEED AP, design principal RSP; Chip Lindeke, president RRTL; and Julia Williams Robinson, School of Architecture, University of Minnesota. Out of 80,000 AIA members, only about 3,000 are "Fellows," an honor that requires at least 10 years of distinguished work and entitles them to fluff up their résumés by inserting FAIA after their names. In June, they'll also get an investiture ceremony at the 2014 National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Chicago.

MARY ABBE