The Wake

“Is the concert that boring?” some trashed twenty-something girl asks me. She keeps stealing drags off my cigarette – and it’s starting to piss me off. “No,” I tell her. “But I am getting paid to be here. I’m not a huge fan.”“Oh,” she says, ashing the Camel-filtered over the crowd below.She’s one of many who are hanging-cool upstairs in The Quest’s upscale balcony. From the looks of it, she’s having quite the time. But for the rest of the audience, the real action is taking place two flights of stairs below in the main-room.“Are we having a good fucking …

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Electric Fetus
Stats:
* Lots of amenities: incense, candles, tobacco pipes, posters, clothing, jewelry
* Band DVDs
* Vinyl (sparse)
* Used CDs
* Local music
* HUGE selection
* Import CDs
* Decent prices
* Cassettes
* Concert ticketsThe Electric Fetus could be equated to your grandma’s attic; that is, if your grandma was a total music nut. The colossal amount of music and stuff packed into the general store-like space makes the Electric Fetus feel homey. Good background music, fun publicity displays, bright lighting and polished hardwood floors lend to a pleasant shopping experience. Fetus …

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On May 21, audiences around the country will bid adieu to a television show that has long overstayed its welcome. “Friends” originated in a TV era that was obsessed with the fast New York single life. “Shows like Caroline in the City,” “The Single Guy,” and “Seinfeld” all showed single New Yorkers not doing much more than drinking coffee and dating incessantly.This was the way to live it seemed, to be in your late twenties/early thirties, not horribly successful yet somehow rich enough to afford well decorated city lofts and designer outfits. “Friends” opened to rave reviews; how could such …

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When you think of “The Godfather,” do you feel the sadness of a family falling apart, or rather the exhilaration of its seedy characters, bleak violence and street justice? When you think of “American Beauty,” do you remember a father reaffirming his family values, or a renegade, with nothing to lose, giving a finger to society? Movies such as these often claim to have a moral center as they end their subversive stories in dignified fashion. But if you look closely, “The Godfather” celebrates crime and the mafia, while “American Beauty” celebrates rebellion and apathy. Their endings are merely epilogues …

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With summer come tank tops, shorts and sandals. The streets we’ve avoided all winter in exchange for force-heated buildings are now in high demand. Not far from campus, at St. Anthony Main, a little restaurant by the name of Pracna on Main is tucked away.Pracna’s scenery is one of its biggest selling points. Its front faces the Mississippi, showing off downtown’s skyline in the distant. A walking trail passes by, giving the area a park feel. The cobble stoned Main Street, the oldest street in Minneapolis, takes its visitors back to another time.This is all great, but even better when …

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Spring time calls for new things to appear, and this is certainly the case for the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, “Refresh,” now at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery in the Regis Center for Art. “Refresh” features the art work of Master’s students David Bowen, Kristina Estell, Allen Peterson, Gregory Rose, Emmet Sandberg, Scott Stulen, Trever Nicholas and Liz Zlot. The show is innovative and imaginative showcasing the work of budding artists. The exhibit includes a variety of mediums and styles, creating a postmodern experience. The craftsmanship is excellent, as are the conceptual themes represented by each artist. Upon …

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Without a doubt, the University of Minnesota hosts a multitude of courses ranging from architecture to zoology. While some classes may have students drawing schematics or dissecting cadavers for the sake of education, a newly initiated wine tasting class has students drinking their lessons. But don’t be fooled – while the idea of tasting wines for a class may draw student’s interest, the activity merely reinforces class topics. Vines and Wines: Introduction to Viticulture and Enology is an entry-level horticulture science class which allows students a chance to hone their wine tasting skills by evaluating regional and national wines. In …

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The sun rises over campus. It’s a Sunday morning, following an evening of heavy rain. One by one they emerge. Their clothes are crumpled. Many sport what I like to call “shelf hair.” The expressions on their faces usually reflect a confusion that can only be explained by an empty bottle of vodka. They are the men and women who sacrifice themselves to that sacred act called the Walk of Shame. What is the Walk of Shame? The Walk of Shame is defined by everybody a little differently. Most explanations involve alcohol or sex or, most often, both.Several students around …

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Last summer, a University student named Seth paged through the classifieds looking for a place to live. He found one ad that said, “Man seeking roommate” in a house near the University that cost $400 a month. It seemed to fit Seth’s criteria so he decided to check it out.When he arrived at the house, the owner was working in the front lawn without a shirt on. “He seemed like your average guy,” Seth said, “He was about 50 years old.”As the owner showed Seth around, he thought it was “amazingly nice.” There were velvet drapes and couches in the …

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Aug. 31st: Freshmen move into dorms. On his first night here, freshman male loses virginity thanks to case of Milwaukee’s Best. Follows Sean Paul’s advice: “Let’s get it on til the early mo’n’.”Sept. 5th: T. Denny Sanford announces $1 million gift to build a new stadium. Later sends text message to Bruininks saying, “Psych!”Sept. 9th: University Regents condemn Goldy Gopher for endorsing Zipp’s Liquor Store. Criticism puts Goldy’s contract with Totally High Creations in jeopardy. Production of patented “Goldy’s Golden Bong” put on hold. Sept. 12th: While returning books at the University Bookstore, freshman male bumps into woman he …

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Blades of grass rip from the ground between your toes. You dodge bushes and trees, leap with bare feet over sidewalks. You run across Northrup Mall completely naked, breathing harder, inhaling air that isn’t there. The other side seems so far away. You need to make it across before campus security sees you. You’re nearly out of breath, not because you’re running but because your four nude limbs and torso are exposed to the campus.Then, the sprinklers turn on. In a week or so I’m going to graduate from the University of Minnesota. Over four years, I’ve walked in and …

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Last week I went grocery shopping with my father and stepmother. This isn’t something I generally like to do, but if I don’t go with them I know I’ll have to spend endless time searching the cupboards and refrigerator for food that I might actually want to eat. The reason for my literal fruitless searches is that my parents have adopted the Atkins plan.For those unfamiliar, Dr. Atkins passed away shortly after writing one of the best-selling diet books ever. Indeed, Atkins’ New Diet Revolution has been revolutionizing America in every way possible. I’m not sure if people are any …

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Arturo Manzur was frantically pacing around, answering hoards of questions from players wondering where they will play next and who their opponents will be. The veteran director of the Black Knight/TIMEX 2004 Minnesota State Squash Championship calmly directed the anxious players to their courts as the tournament was approaching its final, championship rounds. Manzur has been the director of the tournament for so many years he can’t remember exactly how many. And this year, the squash pro at the Minneapolis Lifetime Athletic Club brought the biggest squash tournament of the year in Minnesota to …

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On April 18th, the University of Minnesota Recreation Center was the place to be. People were balling on the courts, sprinting on the treadmills and weights were being thrown around the fitness centers. But the stir about the Recreation Center resided near the racquetball courts, also known as the handball courts. In the Minnesota Spring Handball Classic, 117 competitors signed up for their shot at the state title. They battled within their respective brackets for the title. Of the 117 in the field, the top 16 competed for the Minnesota State Title in the open division, which is the top division. …

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Most of us have seen the movie Billy Madison where Adam Sandler, playing Billy, goes back to school to prove to his dad he can take over the family business. He starts from kindergarten and makes his way through high school. There was a specific scene when he was in one of the preliminary stages of this back-to-school adventure. It was recess time and the nice, innocent children were playing dodgeball. Billy decided to play along and soon after, his manly strength led to an annihilation of the recess goers. One particular kid took …

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