California gurl
At times at Xcel Energy Center, it seemed as if Katy Perry was doing more talking than singing. At least she was singing live (no lip syncing like other pop tarts do). But sometimes her motormouth ways went into unplanned directions. For instance, when she mentioned Canada on Tuesday, she drew boos. Taken aback, she chided the sell-out crowd for being "not cool" and explained her newfound fondness for the Great White North: "When I cut my leg and had to get 17 stitches, I got them for free in Canada. They like hockey just like you." She could have quit there, but she went on (and on): "You're not all ice hockey and 'Fargo.' You're different. St. Paul is different than Minneapolis, and Minneapolis is different from St. Paul." Perry even knew that we were called the Twin Cities. Those California gurls sure are smart -- even the ones with Smurf-blue hair.
- JON BREAM
Chasing Minneapolis
Adele also showed a sense of place when she showed up Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center. After hanging her No. 21 Minnesota Wild jersey on a microphone stand ("I'm going to sleep in this. Is it too hot?"), she apologized profusely about canceling two shows at First Avenue, gave a shout-out to Minneapolis songwriter Dan Wilson, who co-wrote three songs on her blockbuster "21" album, and mentioned how singing Bob Dylan's "Let Me Feel Your Love" in Minneapolis gives her chills. She even gushed about her previous night's meal at 112 Eatery: "Quail with white truffles and honey. I went all out and had three cranberry juices. Rock 'n' roll!"
- JON BREAM
Three for the show
It's suddenly hot for Minnesotans to get "real." Minneapolis' Danielle Everine, who is participating in the ninth season of "Project Runway," will soon be joined by the Minneapolis gospel group Messiah's Men, which earned a spot on NBC's "The Sing-Off," and Edina's Keith Tollefson, a 26-year-old water treatment tech who will compete on "Survivor: South Pacific" despite the fact that he's on his third pacemaker. If this trend continues, we might find Garrison Keillor on "Dancing With the Stars."
- NEAL JUSTIN
One Moore thing
It's I.W.'s duty to know every little piece of trivia about "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." But here's a tale we've never heard before. It comes on the heels of Saturday's death of Reza Badiyi, who directed 430 television episodes, more than anyone else in TV history. His credits include the opening sequence of "MTM," shot in 1970 on the Nicollet Mall. According to Mediaweek, the hat that Moore flings into the air belonged to Badiyi's stepdaughter, Jennifer Jason Leigh.