Cake In 15

On Saturday evening, the graduating Seniors of the University of Minnesota Apparel Design Program showed off their final academic works in what was one of the most cohesive and well-constructed shows of a young year that has already seen some quality design. Hosted by Anna Lee of MNFashion, the show was titled “Insight”, and promised to give a look into the workings of each of the students. The sets by each designer invariably contained a dress, a skirt a blouse and trousers in some combination to show the versatility of the designer and the overall quality of construction showed that they had paid great attention to the practical application portions of their coursework. If these designers continue to work independently and in collaboration (as some already are doing, getting a real-time education as well) then we should look for some exciting design in our boutiques and on our catwalks soon.

Carey Magnus opened the evening with a summery vision of khakis and pastel aquatic blues and lilacs, cut in tank tops, shorts, jackets and dresses, appropriate for drinks in St. Barts or golf-clapping business casual. The pieces were well cut and set a precedent for the next few designers of a well constructed set of clothes that offered a more sensible and demure vision thank one might expect from a young set.

Emily Bryngelson, who has recently launched her own line, Tender Cuts, offered a line that although it incoprotated some bold colors and origami designs, seemed less effervescent than the works she showed at the Cliché “Avoid the Grey” showcase. However, the construction of the pieces and the eye for detail continued to show promise for the young designer. Particularly astute was an outfit consisting of a white blouse with a light grey whorl print paired with a two-tone red skirt with a diamond panel front and peek-a-boo pockets lined with the same whorl pattern in red.

Amanda Brossard offered up the first real outré taste of the evening with her crocheted pieces worn over slim cut trousers, blouses and dresses. With their loose brown yarn, the jackets and singlets were a nod to the contemporary craft renaissance and the simple dress whose knitted bolero coat gave the impression of butterfly wings was elegant statement.

Inspired by the architecture of Los Angeles, Cassie Hanson brought a series in creams and rich brown wool patterned in both over-sized and micro-check wools. The cuts gave generous folds and collars that draped structurally to reveal touches of royal blue in the linings, a welcome luxurious touch. At this point in the show, though, it was not without irony that I noticed the coupon for 25% off Banana Republic on the back of my ticket.

Then, to the bouncing strains of “Jump in the Line (Shake Senora)” Dee Bayley sent out a four models in Reebok flats and sunglasses, dressed in a line of sportswear that channeled summer in the Hamptons. A buoyant mix of navy blue, tan and mustard yellow, the shorts, culottes and jackets were a confident vision of summer fun that added some verve to the proceedings. The models too, seemed to be enjoying the confidence of the clothes and the whole line was ready-to-wear hit.

The evening’s lone male designer, Lee Jackson was a direct counterpoint to Bayley’s summer fun, presenting a line of austere black and white numbers whose cited “abstract expressionism” influence was much more Robert Motherwell than Jackson Pollock. Jackson’s balanced but asymmetrical designs could definitely be an addition to the little black cocktail dress/80s party girl collection, and done up with a well-chosen accessory.

Judy Bender’s line that followed, I say pretty emphatically, was one of the best things I have seen in the Twin Cities, not just in this young year, but for a good while. Bender’s bio started with the Coco Chanel quote that “A girl should be two things, classy and fabulous”, which is a lot to live up to, but the chess-inspired looks were ravishing. The bold patterns and classic lines of the dresses, high-waisted trousers and jackets, trimmed with pencil-thin coils of patent leather and exquisitely sculpted ruff pleats were not only exactingly cut and sewn, but imperially poised. The whole line felt like it belonged in a ’66 Alfa Romeo, on the way to Cinecittà to lunch with Marcello and Sophia, and then look over the Federico’s rushes.

It was no mean feat following Bender, but Dawn Charbonneau’s over-the-top line based off the fairy tale of Alaeddin was far enough afield not to warrant any comparisons. Charbonneau deserves credit for going all out with the Vivienne Westwood-esque line and although two of the four looks (“Alaeddin” and “The Magician”) felt hodge-podge and incomplete, the cut-out cape effect that swirled like smoke around the feet of “Princess Badr al-Badur” and gold trussed and crinoline dress of the “Jinni” were well-concieved, constructed and wild enough to promise us an interesting ride.

Jennafer Crammer’s Rococco line had it’s charms, especially with it’s use of silks and floral brocade touches on dresses and chemises that recalled mid-century designs from Oleg Cassini. The quality of the clothes, however, was offset by the hair and makeup of the models- the pouty geisha lipstick and off-grey matted gel in the hair did nothing to complement the aristocratic bent of the clothes. Take it as one last lesson.

As soon as Shirley Schlievert’s first look, a white chemise with charcoal trousers and a metallic grey shawl, I thought to myself that this was something that Dame Judi Dench might wear out. With gossamer petal shoulders on a Payne’s grey dress, the elegantly minimal line focusing on silvers and metallic greys seemed more restrained than your average undergrad, and when Schlievert took the stage, her simple black slip dress and long silver hair fit right in.

After some more restrained lines, even the relatively demure palette of Christina Armstrong’s roses, teals, grey, royal blue and gold thread seemed a riot on stage. Armstrong had hand silk-screened details, as well as taken the challenging step of hand burning velvet to create patterns that provided an embellishment on her looks and had partnered with BMF Jewelry to create custom bracelets and earrings in the form of linked gold cogs to emphasize her steam-punk inspiration. All these embellishments were well-executed, however, layered on top of eachother they all fought for focus, returning to the axiom to always take one thing off before you leave the house.

It’s amazing that we got this far into the evening without someone playing Lady Gaga, but Carmen Tsang finally buckled down and did it. Gaga, of course, now comes with certain sartorial expectations and although Tsang’s black-based with a shot of neon color looks was certainly not as outré as Ms. Germanotta’s wardrobe, they did hold their own independently. Fond of swooping drapes, such as the crossed hood of the dark cerulean jacket or the acid yellow chiffon punctuating a dark pencil skirt and high-necked jacket, the clothes were one big punch, as opposed to death by a thousand angles or hula-hoops.

The line of long flowing dresses shown by Carol Berger would have been right at home in a Tennyson poem, or maybe an artist colony in Laguna Beach. Her hand dyed fabrics in blues and greens definitely recalled Monet’s “Waterlilies,” as was her stated intention and she had full panels of shimmering burnt velvet, and the execution was all there, even if the design of the clothes felt more rote by classics than inspired by contemporaries.

The final designer of the night, Mae Rodgers, ended the night with explosions of organza and lace, tumbling out from under the structures of hoop skirts, bursting around necklines. This added a light and playful feel to her elegance that counter-pointed the somewhat Victorian inspiration and slate grey flannel suiting, a delicate balance that Rodgers struck well. The patchwork and stitching used as detailing on her looks were an appropriate nod to the craft of tailoring that she, along with the rest of her class, seem to have taken mastery.

Before the Seniors went out, the Junior and Sophomore classes each had the opportunity to show a look, and there were some names and looks there are a good omen for the future of the program. Of particular interest were the unisex, hooded jersey slip of Nick Ruffalo, Laura Heslin’s large-paneled camelhair peacoat as well as a quartet of corsets, of which, Kelly Ver Duin’s wide-whaled herringbone number stood out. Sophomore Sara Lopez also stood out with a long-sleeved, electric chartreuse mini-dress that would kill out on the town. The kids are going to be alright indeed.

See all of Staciaann’s photographs of the event here!

Tuesday last, well-dressed and good-looking people gathered in the live/work loft of Vision Management Inc. honcho Teqen Zéa Aida for a preview of this April’s Voltage! Fashion Amplified designers, and get a chance to order the goods. The evening had all Voltage! participants showing; the perpetually well-styled Raul Osorio, Frances Zerr (who also showed as part of the La Nouvelle Femme show last fall), Kelson, clubwear from Elena Mercurio, a very Katherine Hepburn line from Danielle Everine, a breakout selection from Carmichael Claith (more on that later), Voltage! vet George Moskal, a menswear line from Kevin Kramp, taking his oversize knitwear to a body-swaddling end, deliciously painted silks from PFT Couture and elegantly cut works from MPLSART doyenne Emma Berg. All of it made for an exciting look at what to expect, as Voltage! and parent group MNFashion continue to push for high standards of concept and construction amongst local designers. You can see Staciaann’s full set of photos here.

On Thursday, Uptown boutique and outlet for local fashion Cliché hosted their annual “Avoid The Grey” fashion show at the Old Arizona Theater. Pulling in from the freezing wind, a man in a dark suit and wolf mask pulling off a large silver flask held the door open, suitably setting the tone for the fairy-tale-gone-dark evening. A total of 16 designers showed 5 works apiece, complimented by 9 accessories designers, with some highlights, lowlights and recurring themes. Little Red Riding Hood made an appearance in Arwyn Birch’s athletic and functional riot grrl inspired line, as well as in a diaphanous and flattering vision from Amanda Christine. Kelson, Red Shoe Clothing Co. (Kerry Riley) and Dawson all showed dresses or skirts with the hips cut out on the diagonal, ostensibly to create a more flattering form and volume and in Kelson and Red Shoe’s case, a bold geometric contrast. Speaking of volume, one of the favorite looks from the night came from Jenny Carle: a simple empire babydoll with black top, grey and black bottom held aloft by black lace crinoline, a lovely example of how fabric can shape if given something to work against.

Well established designers continued to show strong work, Amanda Christine expanded her airy vocabulary and Ivan Idland’s Art Deco constructions continue to flatter, although Kjurek’s summery dresses felt a little underdone in the dead of winter. The strongest lines overall were ones that were driven by force of personality and had cohesion of practicality and couture. Niki English, known for her handbags, showed a line of form-fitting party dresses whose flourished shoulders and severe cuts owed a debt to the Italian excesses of the 80s, but made a ravishing statement. Carmichael Claith’s designs were the most revelatory and bold- although she has always shown a firm grasp of construction and tailoring, her previous all-tartan, all-Scottish lines seemed overly twee and conceptually contrived. Not so anymore- her five looks were distinct and differentiated, but a wonderfully balanced blend of patterns, bold cuts and restrained ornamentation that nailed not only high concept but practical wearability, the best a boutique can offer. Coupled with some strong looks from Sydney Ilten, sexy librarians from Kathryn Sterner and the youth of Tender Cuts, Cliche should be a fun place to shop this spring. Just remember to try before you buy, and that all the designers are local and looking for work! You can see Staciaann’s full set from the evening here.

Gorram end of year, stupid list making end-of the-decade hoo-hah, makes this curmudgeon sit and spit and spin large yarns and look back in reminiscences, adhering to the tyranny of the Julians and journalistic fabrications that make years easily delineated into digestible decades and here we are again and what the cuss have we learned from the years past to get over staring into the darkness of the future? Who knows? Since Staciaann did her year in pictures (and whatever else you want to say about 2009, she did make it look good) here are a dozen stories that were important or most interesting or most fun to write. When going through the lists there was a lot of stuff that I wrote for other people, City Pages and The A.V. Club and I am happy to have done that and grateful for the opportunity, but here are my favorite writings done because they needed to be did. Drive safe tonight, this year shouldn’t end without you.

The Revolution’s in the Details: Rauschenberg at the MIA
“This is a feat of concept and perspective that re-invents the readymade as representation and re-establishes the place of the artists as both revealer and creator of mystery in everyday life; a self-contained explosion on the artists’ continuum.”

Rock Photog Bob Gruen at the Current’s Fakebook
“It’s not all unassuming. When Paul Simonon of the Clash warns you that “we’re cunts” and you tell them that well, they look like cunts, you’ve got some chutzpah going for you.”

Laura Fulk: “Suffocate”
Rock Dreams for High Fashion or Sewing on the Edge

The Alarmists: Disclosures For The Hollow Men
“They played like they didn’t give a fuck. Like it was alright to get hurt and live to tell about it. ”

Michael Jackson 1958-2009
21 Sequined Glove Salute or Let’s Hope Brutus and Antony Were Both Wrong

Phoenix
“Phoenix are a pretty ok band from France mostly notable for making jaunty pop-rock, being named for a city in Arizona and the lead singer’s romantic involvement with Sofia Coppola (mostly notable for ruining Godfather III, redeeming herself via Bill Murray’s sad sack routine and making wine that comes in soda cans.)”

Rejected from ARP!
“I have told my girlfriend that I will be writing this, a verbal warning. “Baby,” I say, “I’m going to write this thing because there ideas flying around and there is a deadline and it may take me stomping around and smoking cigarettes and shouting and listening to Dylan to shake these thoughts out.””

Basilica Block Party: Crisis of Faith
Catholicism WOW! or Hanginaround the Holy Water with my Little Hoodrat Friends

Tornado
“But the actual event demands some retelling, in some hard-boiled form, like a Raymond Chandler bit.”

This Is Not For You
“To fully describe the event would be to undercut it’s secrets and as unfulfilling as the cliff-notes to House of Leaves. ”

Love Is Blind…And Furry
“But, there might be nothing funnier, I suspect,
Than Jon Mac Cole, fully erect.”

The Mountain Goats + Final Fantasy
“Any Fantasies You May Have After This You May Disregard as Fallacious” or “Their Perfection is Absolute and Everlasting”

Since 2006 I’ve kept track of the shows I go and see – whether they be music, fashion, or theater. I keep track because my brain will not remember from year to year which shows were when, and it’s an easy way to index my comings and goings.

In 2009 I was lucky enough to attend around 140 shows. This includes full days at SXSW in Austin, TX, Coachella in Indio, CA & the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, IL. Oddly enough that’s less than 2008, but I feel like the opportunities I’ve had (going to Coachella with Cloud Cult!) have been more interesting & I hope that 2010 can bring me even more travel & excitement.

So without further ado, here’s Staciaann’s 2009 shows list (shows in red were my favorites):

1/4/09 Spirits of the Red City, Nona & Marshall - Bryant Lake Bowl
1/10/09 Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps, Best Friends Forever, Jeremy Messersmith - The Entry
1/14/09 Best New Bands: Look Book, Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps, Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles, The Dynamiters - First Avenue
1/17/09 Chad Weiss Benefit: The Pines, Haley Bonar, Trampled By Turtles, Cloud Cult, Mason Jennings - First Avenue
1/24/09 The Alarmists, Sick of Sarah (early show) – The Entry
1/24/09 Soviet Machines, The Alarmists (late show) - The Entry
1/29/09 Cliché: Avoid the Grey Fashion Show - Old Arizona Theater
2/1/09 Art Shanties on Medicine Lake - Medicine Lake
2/6/09 Solid Gold, Wild Light, Tapes ‘N Tapes - First Avenue
2/13/09 Dawes, Other Lives, Delta Spirit - The Entry
2/14/09 Fuck You I Love Me: A Fundraiser for Lamb Lays with Lion - The Sound Gallery
2/18/09 Alela Diane, Blitzen Trapper - First Avenue
2/20/09 Sweet Colleens, Beausoleil - Cedar Cultural Center
2/27/09 The Airborne Toxic Event - Triple Rock
2/28/09 The Wapsipinicon - 331 Club
3/8/09 2nd Sunday Gospel Brunch: Eliza Blue, A Night in the Box - 331 Club
3/18/09 SXSW: Greg Laswell, Samantha Crain, Shout Out Out Out Out, Loney Dear, The Thermals, Wild Light, M. Ward, Janelle Monae, Ladyhawke, Heartless Bastards, The Avett Brothers, The Decemberists, Black Diamond Heavies, Delta Spirit Austin, TX
3/19/09 SXSW: The Hard Lessons, Lucero, The Hold Steady, Kaiser Cartel, I Self Divine, Amanda Palmer, Elvis Perkins in Dearland Austin, TX
3/20/09 SXSW: The Wrens, Bishop Allen, Passion Pit, The Chemical Brothers, Hot Leg, Solid Gold, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Glasvegas, Echo & the Bunnymen, Jeremy Messersmith, Mark Mallman, Me & My Arrow, The Airborne Toxic Event, Devo Austin, TX
3/21/09 SXSW: Efterklang, An Horse, Voxtrot, Silversun Pickups Austin, TX
3/29/09 Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (LLwL) - Bedlam Theater
3/30/09 Bob Mould - Varsity Theater
4/4/09 Good Old War, Heartless Bastards - Varsity Theater
4/7/09 Von Iva, Glasvegas - Varsity Theater
4/11/09 Andrew Bird - MPR’s UBS Forum
4/12/09 Black Kids, Mates of State - Varsity Theater
4/17/09 Beirut, Paul McCartney - Coachella
4/18/09 P.O.S., Cloud Cult, Fleet Foxes, M.I.A., Atmosphere - Coachella
4/19/09 The Knux, Okkervil River, Gaslight Anthem, Murder City Devils, Antony and the Johnsons, Yeah Yeah Yeahs,Lucent Dossier Experience, Public Enemy, The Cure - Coachella
4/21/09 Laura Fulk’s Suffocate - Black Box Theater
4/24/09 Voltage! Fashion Amplified: Mercurial Rage, First Communion Afterparty, Gospel Gossip, Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles, Maria Isa - First Avenue
4/30/09 Making Music with Dan Wilson - The Whole Music Club
5/2/09 Ice Palace, Maps & Atlases, Cloud Cult – First Avenue
5/2/09 Elvis Perkins in Dearland - 400 Bar
5/11/09 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Xcel Energy Center
5/13/09 10-Minute Play Festival - Bedlam Theater
5/17/09 10-Minute Play Festival - Bedlam Theater
5/17/09 Fall Out Boy - Roy Wilkins
5/28/09 Wild Light, Doves - Varsity Theater
5/29/09 Ssion, Fischerspooner - First Avenue
5/30/09 Grand Ole Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs - First Avenue
6/3/09 kite&mountain - Red Eye Theater
6/6/09 To Kill A Petty Bourguoise, Lookbook, Dearling Physique - Intermedia Arts
6/7/09 Works In Progress plays - Red Eye Theater
6/7/09 Here We Go Magic, Grizzly Bear - Cedar Cultural Center
6/11/09 Cliché’s 5ive Years of Love Fashion Show - Plaza Verde
6/12/09 The Idle Hands - First Avenue
6/12/09 757s, The (new) Alarmists - Varsity Theater
6/12/09 HWTS 7th Anniversary Party: Dave Campbell is in Big Trouble - Turf Club
6/13/09 Metric - First Avenue
6/14/09 Living Things, Patrick Wolf - The Fine Line
6/18/09 Vita.mn Poolside Fashion Show - Calhoun Beach Club
6/19/09 Hootenanny: A Community (Photos by Tony Nelson) - Fox Tax
6/20/09 Stone Arch Festival of the Arts - St. Anthony Main
6/21/09 Stone Arch Festival of the Arts - St. Anthony Main
6/23/09 Amazing Baby, Phoenix - Varsity Theater
6/26/09 Mute Era, Black Horse, Lookbook, Gospel Gossip (CD Release) - Turf Club
6/27/09 Samantha Craine & the Midnight Shivers, The Avett Brothers - MN Zoo
6/28/09 The Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism & Socialism with a Key to the Scriputures - Guthrie
6/29/09 White Rabbits - 400 Bar
7/3/09 City on the Make - Bedlam Theater
7/4/09 Haley Bonar - Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
7/5/09 No Doubt - Xcel Energy Center
7/7/09 Jon Auer (Posies), Fountains of Wayne - Cedar Cultural Center
7/9/09 Jeremy Messersmith - Mill City Museum
7/10/09 Serena Ryder, Matt Kearney, Jayhawks, Black Crowes - Basilica Block Party
7/11/09 Tapes ‘N Tapes, The Hold Steady - Basilica Block Party
7/12/09 Romantica, Halloween,Alaska, Le Sans Coulettes Bastille Day – Café Barbette
7/15/09 Dan Wilson (Twitter event) - Mill City Museum
7/18/09 Cymbals Eat Guitars, Disappears, Plants & Animals, Fucked Up, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Bowerbirds, Final Fantasy, Yeasayer, Doom, Beirut, The National - Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
7/19/09 The Mae Shi, Frightened Rabbit, Blitzen Trapper, Killer Whales, Women, The Thermals , The Walkmen, Japandroids, M83, The Flaming Lips, The Very Best - Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
7/23/09 Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps - Mill City Museum
7/24/09 Artery 24 – Carl’s piece - Soap Factory
7/25/09 Brass Kings – One Day in July street festival - Warehouse District
7/31/09 Fringe: Love Me Or Die! - UofM Rarig Xperimental Theater
8/2/09 Fringe: Hogg & the Humors, Best Little Crackhouse in Philly (…or Crackwhore: The Musical!) - Intermedia Arts, Southern Theater
8/3/09 Gospel Gossip - Loring Park
8/6/09 Fringe: Storm Still - Waldorf School
8/8/09 Fringe: Like A Virgin, Love Me Or Die! - Mixed Blood Theater, UofM Rarig Xperimental Theater
8/8/09 Save Canvas: Vacant Spaces Become Art - 10th & Marquette, Downtown Mpls
8/9/09 Fleet Foxes, Dungen - First Avenue
8/10/09 Silversun Pickups - State Theater
8/16/09 Mad Men Party - Jax Café
8/23/09 Cloud Cult - Cabooze
8/29/09 After Juliet - St. Louis Park Jewish Community Center
9/5/09 Clapperclaw Festival: No Bird Sing, Kristoff Krane, El Guante, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Free Energy - Intermedia Arts
9/11/09 Regina Spektor - State Theater
9/12/09 Music & Movies: Low, Jaws – Lake Harriet Bandshell
9/12/09 Jayber Crow- Java Jacks
9/17/09 Making Music with Roma di Luna - The Whole
9/18/09 La Nouvelle Femme: Bella Koshka, Calpurnia Peach, Hilder Victoria - Varsity Theater
9/19/09 Muisc & Movies: One for the Team, Bottle Rocket - Lake Harriet Bandshell
9/19/09 Jeremy Messersmith, Chris Koza - First Avenue
9/20/09 Daredevil Christopher Wright, Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps - Nomad 9/20/09 Ani DiFranco - First Avenue
9/26/09 Music & Movies: Dosh, Time Bandits - Lake Harriet Bandshell
9/27/09 Cliché in-house fashion show - Cliché
9/27/09 Suede & Luxe for Less Fashion Shows - Blessings Salon
9/28/09 Rock N Bowl – Sound Unseen - Memory Lanes
10/1/09 Beatles are in Big Trouble - Turf Club
10/2/09 AFI - Epic
10/2/09 Jeremy Messersmith, Tapes N Tapes - Music Box
10/3/09 Frank Turner, The Loved Ones, Murder By Death, Gaslight Anthem - Cabooze
10/7/09 So You Think You Can Dance - Target Center
10/8/09 Peter Wolf Crier - Secret House Location
10/12/09 Red Chord, Gwar - First Avenue
10/14/09 Pezzettino – The Cake Shop
10/17/09 Alarmists, Two Cow Garage, The Hold Steady - St. Olaf
10/20/09 Ruby Suns, The Dodos - Turf Club
10/23/09 Spaghetti Western String Co., The Pines - Cedar Cultural Center
10/24/09 Henry Clay People, The Airborne Toxic Event - Fine Line
10/24/09 City on the Make -Hexagon
10/25/09 Dawes, Langhorne Slim - 400 Bar
10/30/09 Motion City Soundtrack - Triple Rock
10/31/09 10 Thousand Things: Othello - Open Book
10/31/09 MC/VL - Andrea & Ben’s
11/3/09 Guggenheim Grotto, They Might Be Giants - First Avenue
11/6/09 J. Tillman - Music Box
11/7/09 Final Fantasy, Mountain Goats - Cedar Cultural Center
11/11/09 Fanfarlo - Triple Rock
11/15/09 Roma di Luna - The Cake Shop
11/19/09 Growing, Fuck Buttons - Triple Rock
11/21/09 Prairie Home Companion - State Theater
11/22/09 Mason Jennings - First Avenue
11/24/09 Peter Wolf Crier, Harper Simon - Cedar Cultural Center
11/25/09 CLAPS, Crystal Antlers, The Big Pink - The Entry
11/25/09 The Magnolias, Ike Reilly - First Avenue
11/27/09 Tribute to the Replacements - First Avenue
11/27/09 Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Pantages Theater
11/29/09 Storyhill - Cedar Cultural Center
11/29/09 Those Darlins, King Khan & BBQ Show - Triple Rock
12/3/09 Zoo Animal, Kaiser Cartel, Jeremy Messersmith - The Entry
12/5/09 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Pantages Theater
12/9/09 Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch - The Electric Fetus
12/12/09 Andrew Bird - St. Mark’s Espicopal Cathedral
12/18/09 New Century Masters - Triple Rock
12/19/09 The Pines, Mason Jennings - First Avenue
12/23/09 Eliza Blue, Roma di Luna – Cedar Cultural Center
12/26/09 Hoot! Jim Walsh & Slim Dunlap, Brianna Lane, Rick Robot, Pete Christensen, Asleigh Sill, Graham Early, Joel Bremer - Java Jacks

Having lived on or around Nicollet for the better part of 3 years, Eat Street has a special place in my heart, as a scrappy little neighborhood that has some great shopping and better food. The stores and restaurants up and down Nicollet between Franklin and 28th are offering up some sweet deals because, well, they’re neighborly like that. From their press release:

An Evening Excurion into the Eat Street neighborhood will take place on both Thursday, October 29th & Friday, October 30th.

Over 15 local restaurants, bars and shops will take place in this 2 night affair – offering some of their favorite menu items, music, and wares at special prices.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience the neighborhood, or you’re simply looking for an excuse to come back – this is it!

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Azia Restaurant : 2550 Nicollet Avenue
Azia Restaurant’s Caterpillar Lounge will feature 2 nights of special tasting & pairing menus.
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Bad Waitress : 2 E. 26th Street
2-4-1 Beer & Wine
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Black Forest Inn : 1 E. 26th Street
Offering a special on Köstritzer beer. In addition, a $3 mini-kraut ball appetizer and a $6 sausage plate appetizer will be offered. The restaurant will have live music both nights!
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Blacklist Vintage : 2 East 27th Street
10% off merchandise store wide and a side walk coat sale. Prices ranging between $15-$30 on coats. Shop for Halloween!
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Caravelle-Pho 79 : 2529 Nicollet Avenue
Caravelle Restaurant and Pho 79 will be offering 15% off everything on their menu (except beer & wine)
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Christos Greek : 2632 Nicollet Avenue
One time specials!
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Head To Toe : 2445 Nicollet Avenue
Head To Toe will be offering up 10% off all clothes and 50% off hair cut to first time salon customers.
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Old Arizona : 2821 Nicollet Ave
Old Arizona will be offering a wine tasting, 1/2 price chocolate shots, and 2 for 1 Finnegan’s.
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Peninsula Malaysian : 2608 Nicollet Ave
One time specials
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Pancho Villa : 2539 Nicollet Ave
Panco Villa will be offering 1/2 price appetizers and 2 for 1 margaritas!
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Pho Hoa : 2450 Nicollet Ave
One time specials!
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Pho Tau Bay : 2837 Nicollet Ave
The restaurant will be offering 50% off all appetizers from 5pm-7pm
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Quang Restaurant : 2719 Nicollet
Man vs Pho – Take the Pho Challenge 4lb bowl of Pho – if finished in 1 hour it is free! $20 value!
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Rainbow Chinese : 2739 Nicollet
½ price Big Bamboo (ginger ginseng mojitos) and ½ price Five Spice Calamari.
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Seafood Palace : 2523 Nicollet Ave
Seafood Palace will be offering half priced appetizers, buy 1 get 1 free beer & wines!
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The Lost & Found : 2524 Nicollet Avenue
The Lost And Found is proud to participate with a Sweater Savings Spectacular!! Stop by October 29th & 30th between 5pm – 10pm for 25% off all Sweaters, Sweatshirts and Sweater-vests!!!
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Truong Thanh Market : 2520 Nicollet Ave
Exotic fruit tasting 5pm-7pm
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You are cordially invited to

M A R S

Interplanetary Tour
Live Theatre
Art Installation
Dance Party

m a r s p r o j e c t
Sept 25 8:30 + 9:30 + Sept 26 9:30 + 10:30
1419 Washington Ave S MPLS

Tip Top Tour Launch Video from Carl Atiya Swanson on Vimeo.

UPDATE: TC Daily Planet’s Jay Gabler tells us, re: m a r s p r o j e c t, “The future, dear readers, is now.” Check it out here.

Hildur Victoria are some sort of forested soundtrack, something you would stumble upon wrapped in moss and ivy while feeling the pulsing effects of good dose of mescaline. At least, that’s what it feels like through the headphones, but you’ll get a chance to experience the effect live at the Varsity Theatre tonight for La Nouvelle Femme. That aptly named show- “The New Woman” in French- was the brainchild of Hildur Victoria’s Margaret Lane, design duo Calpurnia Peach (Ashley Wokasch & Luci Kandler) and artist Ema Cook and they pulled it off to success and acclaim at the Rogue Buddha art gallery last year. The gang added gypsy pop outfit Bella Koshka and artists Hilary Anne Berg and Torey Bonar to the mix this year, and the gang promises to be at the very least the best looking art mafia in town. Check out the interview with Hildur Victoria for The A.V. Club here where they get into names, styles and getting a leg up in this town, and come out to the Varsity tonight.

Sick T-Shirts by Anthem Heart!

Jay Gabler’s notes from TC Daily Planet ArtsOrbit.
Andrea Swensson’s round up for City Pages.
Justin Flower’s notes on Free Energy from More Cowbell.

And Above The Fold’s Free Energy video:

It is so close to here…the GRINDHOUSE is coming to get you…meaner, fiercer and sweeter than ever…more art…wilder fashion…brilliant theater…ain’t-it-cool film…MUSIC AND BEEER. FREE ENERGY!!!

And that really gets down to it right there. It’s the coolest party with surprises and entertainments around every corner, with some of the best of local arts and national acts. Check out write-ups from City Pages, The Onion, Vita.mn and Metromix. $15 pre-sale tickets at indietickets.com, or $20 at the door on Saturday.

The 3rd Annual Clapperclaw Music & Arts Festival
www.clapperclawfestival.com
Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55408
2pm-12am, Saturday September 5 2009

MUSIC: Free Energy (ex- Hockey Night, Philadelphia, PA), Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Springfield, MO), City on the Make, Kristoff Krane, Guante, No Bird Sing, The Show Is The Rainbow (Lincoln, NE), Tarlton, Dada Trash Collage, Elite Gymnastics, Phantom Tails

ART: Isaac Arvold, Dillon Bakke, Kate Burgau, Lauren Cotton, Shawn Dalsen, Mayme Donsker, Jesse Draxler, K. Alex Finseth, Dain Germscheid, Eli Hamman, Jake Haugen, Martha Iserman, Matt McGorry, Kristina Perkins, Garrett Perry, Drew Quinn, Justin Sehorn, Jennifer Trotter, Matt Wells, Anthem Heart!

FASHION: Emilee Kuznar, Hilary Falk

THEATER: Lamb Lays with Lion (www.lamblayswithlion.org)

FILM: “All Tomorrow’s Parties” co-presented by Sound Unseen

SPONSORS: 89.3 The Current, Metro Magazine, The Onion, McNally Smith College of Music, Red Bull, Sound Unseen, Robotlove, Mr. Chan Presents, Mutual Design Playground, Love lee Buttons, MPLSart, MNfashion, The Electric Fetus, Copycats Media, IndieTickets.com, ThriftyHipster.com

The Beer Dabbler will be supplying the suds for the 3rd Annual Clapperclaw Music & Arts Festival.

THE BEER DABBLER

This local and national artist showcase had little room for improvement, only artistic craft and microbrews (see below) from The Beer Dabbler could have added to this very impressive lineup of music, arts, film, theater and fashion.

The Deal: The Beer Pass will cost $20. It includes the 5.5oz Beer Dabbler souvenir tasting glass & 12 samples of some very exclusive beers.*

August Schell Brewing – Current 150th Anniversary Draft Series, Octoberfest
The Boston Beer Company – Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Samuel Adams Imperial Series: Imperial White Ale, Imperial Stout & Imperial Double Bock
Summit Brewing Company – Kolsch the first in the Summit Unchained Series. Okobober Fest, Horizon Red Ale
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company – Creamy Dark, Leinenkugel Oktoberfest
Flying Dog Brewery – Snake Dog IPA, Gonzo Imperial Porter
Boulevard Brewing Company – Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, From the Smokestack Series: Double Wide I.P.A, Long Strange Tripel, The Sixth Glass and Saison
Dark Horse Brewing Company – Sapient Trip Ale (Belgian Style Triple) Reserve Special Black Bier
Widmir Brothers – OKTO & W09 Drifter Pale Ale
Redhook Ale Brewery – Late Harvest Autumn Ale, Long Hammer IPA
Breckenridge Brewery – Agave Wheat, 471 Small Batch Mighty Brown Ale
Flat Earth Brewing Co – Double Dry Hopped Angry Planet
Goose Island Beer Company – Matilda & 312
Finnegans Irish Amber – Irish Amber
Sprecher Brewing Company – IPA2 & Imperial Stout
Brau Brother’s – Scotch Ale & Sheepshead IPA
Cold Spring Brewing Co – John Henry
Magic Hat Brewing Co – Roxy Rolles Autumn Seasonal, Circus Boy, #9
Tyranena – Rocky’s Revenge Bourbon Aged Brown Ale & Hop Whore IPA

*The Beer Dabbler reserves the right to change this list at anytime for any reason. Tickets for the tasting will be limited to 600. It’s 1st come, 1st served. Each ticket holder will be guaranteed 12 samples with the purchase of one card. There will be an estimated 50 beers for sampling day-of. The Beer Dabbler Beer Pass does not include entry to the event.

$4 individual beers will also be available.

Look out Walker, you’re about to get a infusion playfulness and high-spirited design. Fashion design duo extraordinaire Calpurnia Peach are running the Walker Art Lab at this Thursday evening, using their screenprinting skills to personalize your mundane duds. Cake In 15 caught up with Ashley Wokash (one half of the team with Luci Kandler) and she told us that it was as much about recycling as re-design. “It’s a project that we’re working on to reduce consumerism and put a facelift on existing pieces in people’s wardrobes. We’re trying to update and take something you don’t like or don’t wear and put a cool screenprint on it and make it more special or have more value. It will be totally our style, personalizing something so you’ll never get rid of it. We’ll have pre-made screens and the theme is Walker inspired, so there will be cool geometric shapes.”

Calpurnia Peach have been using screenprints in their designs for some time now, from the elegant silhouettes printed on the playful outfits they showed at Voltage Fashion Amplified 2008 to the more complex Where the Wild Things Are-inspired lines from Clapperclaw 2008 and this year’s Voltage. Silkscreening factors in big to the duo’s plans for the future. Now that they are out of school (Wokash just graduated from the University of Minnesota this spring) Calpurnia Peach hopes to pick up the rate of production, expand the stores where you can purchase their wares (currently only at Design Collective) and silkscreen. The duo hope to start selling customized bolts of fabric to specialty stores, especially, as Wokash confided, “I like sewing all right, but its not my favorite thing.”

But, if one of your favorite things is supporting local artists AND getting a new outfit out of the deal, grab something you want to make fancy head over to the FlatPak house in the Walker Sculpture Garden today from 6-9 (you can also catch them there Thursday 25 June 6-9). Wokash said it’s rain or shine, “…but we’re not really sure what well do if it rains, so we’re praying for shine.” Looks like that got through, so it’s a great day for art outdoors.