Hair raising TV
Note to screwed-up small businesses: If you're not willing to change for the better, don't go on "Tabatha Takes Over." One Minneapolis business, H Design hair salon, found that out the hard way Tuesday night. The salon's owner, Brian Honn, endured the full wrath of Bravo TV's foul-mouthed fixer, Tabatha Coffey. As she does in every episode, the former "Shear Genius" star took over the failing business and put a butt-whipping on its owner. In the end, Honn didn't take the style maven's advice, resulting in the business looking even worse than when the episode started. Apparently, the salon held a viewing party at Stella's in Uptown the same night. MyTalk 107.1 FM radio personality Alexis Thompson was on the scene and tweeted: "Sat next to salon owner as @tabathacoffey ripped him a new one!!! One word: AWKWARD!" -TOM HORGEN
Striking out
Ch. 11 anchor Mike Pomeranz took a new job this week: Pre-game and post-game TV host for San Diego Padres games. We know about the unbeatable weather in San Diego but I.W. was a little surprised that Pomeranz is leaving a high-profile gig for a chance to be the Robby Incmikoski in America's finest city. Turns out Pomeranz is a former Twins minor-league pitcher who didn't immediately jump to the press box after an injury ended his big-league dreams. "For me personally, it would have been difficult. It gave me a chance to get some separation and not be thinking if I could still make it," he told I.W. "When I went back to school, I realized there would be more opportunities in news. It wasn't like ESPN was going to hire me because I was some big-shot baseball player. I mean, I wasn't that good anyways, and the shoulder injury made me flat-out worthless." -NEAL JUSTIN
Sleeping on floor 'Mats
Despite the weather this week, reunited 1980s Boston rockers the Del Fuegos certainly have a warm spot for Minneapolis. At the Varsity Theater Tuesday, frontman Dan Zanes reminisced about the band's first trip to Minneapolis, home of their friends the Replacements: "Some of us slept on the Stinsons' floor [guitarist Bob and bassist Tom] and some on [manager] Peter Jesperson's floor." Zanes appreciated the hospitality of Tuesday's opening act, Jeff Arundel and the Bahama Boys, who took them to the Aster Cafe the night before. But he was frustrated when the openers wouldn't hit the dance floor near the end of the Del Fuegos' Varsity set. Said Zanes: "That's them sitting back at the bar judging us." -JON BREAM
National finalist
"On the Spectrum," which had its world premiere last fall at Mixed Blood Theatre, is a finalist for the Steinberg/American Critics Association new play award. The play by Ken LaZebnik was one of three short works presented in Mixed Blood's "Center of the Margins" festival in November. As I.W. recalls, it was head and shoulders the highlight. The play dealt with a young man with Asperger's who connects online with a woman on the far spectrum of autism. LaZebnik has written for Mixed Blood for many years. His "Vestibular Sense" won the 2006 Elizabeth Osborn Award. The Steinberg winner will be announced March 31 at the Humana Festival in Louisville. It carries a $25,000 prize. -GRAYDON ROYCE