The Wake

Sunday, February 11 the Twin Cities Theater Company presented the last of eight performances of The Shape of Things at the Old Arizona Theater. Local acting teacher and consultant Randy Reyes directed the play, written by Neil Labute in 2001.Buddy Haardt, a University of Minnesota Guthrie Theater Professional Actor Training Program student, stars as Adam, a somewhat nerdy and socially awkward undergrad at a small university. While working as a guard at the local art museum Adam runs into Evelyn (Kate Lawrey), a rebellious art student working on her masters thesis. Adam, who has hardly even talked to a woman since he came to college, is immediately flattered by the attention Evelyn gives him. After the two begin dating he starts to change, responding to some gentle prodding from his new girlfriend. …

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The San Francisco Psychedelic exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art presents a strange juxtaposition. It is slightly uncomfortable to see photographs embodying the boundary-snubbing acid trip that is the 1960s counter-culture movement lined up in one of Minnesota’s most respectable art museums. “[I convinced myself] that the Institute should build a collection of photographs of the late 1960s San Francisco musicians, a genre overlooked by most other art museums,” explains assistant curator Christian A. Peterson. Peterson’s idea took shape and the San Francisco Psychedelic exhibit was born: a collection of concert posters, CD cover photos, and other miscellaneous art reflecting the brief explosion of “creativity and idealism” that took place in the Haight-Asbury neighborhood in the late ’60s. According to the information desk at the MIA, the exhibit is meant to be viewed critically …

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In our society there is often a division placed between art and science. Proof of this is in every CLA joke made by jeering IT students. But is it possible for art and science to truly get along? Jamie Schumacher would like to think so, and she is not alone.Schumacher, a soft-spoken yet eloquent woman, is the curator for Altered Esthetics, a fairly recent addition to the art gallery community of northeast Minneapolis. Currently, the gallery is preparing for a new exhibit: (Scientific) Aesthetics.A friend of Schumacher’s, a geology student at the University of Minnesota, generated the idea for this exhibit citing that people often do not recognize how artful things like geology can be.“There is so much going on in science that is artistic,” said Schumacher, noting that artists, likewise, are using science in …

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Entering into the second hour at the monster truck rally, someone asks if the cloud of exhaust fumes and floating dirt hovering above the rally might get a person high. Checking with Alice, the biology major, she says we would be more inclined to acquire nausea, but her words fade away when the deafening roar of Martial Law, the monster truck, echoes so hard throughout the dome that our chairs vibrate, and we’re sitting in the upper deck.But that isn’t all one experiences while attending his or her first monster truck rally, or “Monster Jam” as the children’s t-shirts refer to it. There’s dirty cigarette odor from dust interacting with gas and the swell of the engine sounds drowning out army recruitment speeches conveniently played during the Air Force monster truck’s second run through the …

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect example of a holiday that has been co-opted by the Hallmark Card. Although each year February 14 seems to become more publicized and more commercialized, for every person giving roses and chocolate there seem to be just as many who aim for something more unique. This year, the Minnesota Historical Society provided one such opportunity for lovebirds in search of something off the beaten path.Victorian Poetry Slam. That may look like a typo, but on Saturday February 9, The James J. Hill House opened its doors for an event that could not be described any other way. Located on the edge of downtown St. Paul, the staggering mansion provided an exquisite view of both the inside and outside. Windows in the parlor looked out into the dark night accented by …

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Walking into the Fitzgerald is like walking into the 1920’s: Vaudeville, radio plays, top hats and flapper dresses, champagne and dry martinis. It is surprising that this place which your grandparents would probably feel right at home in is hosting the ongoing Minnesota’s Public Radio The Current’s Fakebook Series – which covers topics of music and popular culture. The Current’s Fakebook series is in the business of bringing rockers and writers together for interviews, music and all around good times while exploring the word through writing and song. Having played hosts to such bands as psych-pop outfit The Poison Control Center and low-fi indie rockers Bound Stems, the Current has also invited such authors and comedians as John Hodgman, author of The Areas of My Expertise (he is also that dorky …

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In a world of endless technological advancement and media convergence, it is refreshing to find an organization producing something of genuine beauty. One such organization is the Twin Cities Metropolitan Ballet Company. On February 10th I was fortunate enough to witness the Metropolitan Ballet’s rendition of classic Romeo and Juliet, which left audience members with a renewed sense of life.The ballet was performed at the State Theater. Built for “Cinema,” “Opera” and “Pantomime,” as the ornamental plaques suggest, the State Theater was opened in the 1920s, during the era of silent films. Reminiscent of that time when going out was an ordeal worth primping for; the crowd at the State Theater was easy on the eyes. A little girl with a gemmed brooch in her hair who was holding a bouquet of flowers was hurried …

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Ian Anderson is a passionate man. He loves music and his palpable obsession has led him to early and remarkable success; starting his record label, Afternoon Records, just out of high school. Now, as a senior majoring in English at St. Olaf College, his label is garnering more interest and continuing to expand. In addition to his label, Anderson also founded “Sliver” magazine, a music website. He hopes to begin a career in journalism upon graduation in addition to promoting his label. He’s a shining example of how adolescent exuberance fused with a love of the universal language can prove an explosive combination. Anderson has been prone to signing bands of an age similar to his, appreciating the honest and fearless approach they take towards their sound. Achief acquisition was Haley Bonar, opted to …

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Every August Minnesota is swept up in the whirlwind of off-color jokes, unexpected tender moments, and an eclectic variety that is the Fringe Festival. In the summer of 2006, The 13th annual Fringe Festival sold nearly 45,000 tickets, maintaining its official status as the largest non-juried performance festival in the nation, and its unofficial status as completely insane. From hip-hop to calculus, to the University’s own annual “Deviled Eggs,” what makes the Fringe unique is its method of selection. Shows are selected not by jury but by lottery to insure its three basic principles of “Fringeness: Unjuried, Uncensored, and Transparent.”In addition to consistent growth for the Fringe, 2006 was a year of newness. For the first year ever, the Fringe boasted “nightcaps” at a different designated bar each night, new sneak-preview events, and 100% handicap …

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Tucked away in a discrete corner of northeast Minneapolis is the Minnesota Center for Photography. On the outside, the center looks plain and drab, similar to the other shops around it. One step inside, however, transports you to art galleries, a bookstore and 8,000 square feet of an artistic atmosphere comparable to the Weisman. The entire place is a photographic paradise which is now focusing on its newest exhibition, ICY: Clear Views 01.ICY 01 is a new exhibit which will feature a handful of contemporary artists. This year the exhibit contains works of art by Caroline Burghardt, Kelli Connelland Jean Laughton. According to Cole Saras, the Center Administrator, each of these artists was chosen by George Slade, the Artistic Director of the center, based on previous works he’d seen. Jean Laughton’s work was featured previously …

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Duplicating the success of a heralded first album is a task unrivaled in difficulty. Bloc Party, a foursome out of England, set the bar high with their 2005 release, Silent Alarm, an album that led to frequent comparisons to dance rock predecessors like Gang of Four and Joy Division. They are now stepping up to the plate with their second album, A Weekend in the City.The opener, “Song for Clay (Disappear Here),” starts quietly. Singer Kele Okereke relays the thoughts of his troubled mind over strummed guitar and mounting strings. Unfortunately, the guitar riff is second rate, and fails to recreate the urgency of their last opener, “Like Eating Glass.” It is thankfully aided by some chirpy background vocals, overtaken by the resurgent deep baritone of Okereke’s voice, but lacks the catchy choruses and soul-stirring …

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Sometimes life can be a little pastiche. That is to say, there are so many different things going on that they seem random, or unrelated. According to the late American playwright Arthur Miller, “…theater is so endlessly fascinating because it’s so accidental. It’s so much like life.” And so it is. Jason Robert Brown clearly reflects the seemingly disjoint aspects of everyday life in “Songs for a New World,” a musical made up of 16 different songs, each of which stands alone as its own story. To Nicky Fritz, this sounded like a challenge she was willing to take.Fritz is the artistic director of Crisis Point, an entirely student run theater group based right here on campus. Currently in her third year at the U, Fritz began working with Crisis Point last year as an …

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In case you missed it, the temperature was well below zero in downtown Minneapolis last Friday night. But as they say, the show must go on. On this freezing night about 75 people showed up to see First Avenue’s 11th Annual Cover Song Contest at the 7th Street Entry. Eleven area bands were given a half-hour to prove that they could play other people’s songs and a case of cheap wine awaited the winner.The night started with a thud. The Fillmores, moonlighting as Who’s the Boss and the E Street Band, opened the competition with a set of Bruce Springsteen covers. From the opening bars of “Thunder Road” it was obvious: the lead singer was no Boss. The group worked its way through five songs, looking and sounding rather unrehearsed—a fact that fully manifested itself …

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Arriving for the show at 10:00 p.m., courtesy of Campus Circulator Luanne’s dance party commuter, I was informed I had missed out on show opener Tarlton. Several sources further informed that I hadn’t missed much more than an embarrassing display of bass guitar and lack luster drumming. “It was like background music, for talking over,” says one unenthused man. Others expressed similar sentiments but having not seen them myself, I can’t confirm or deny those claims. Luckily, none were appalled to the point of departure, as what transpired next will go down in Dinkytown history.The Varsity Theatre is truly a wonderful place to dance. The onstage lights were purple, then blue, and disco balls spun overhead. A thin layer of smoke began to spread while an excited chatter filled the room. The sold out Varsity …

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As chilly hipsters stepped in past the graffitied walls of the Intermedia Arts gallery in Uptown Minneapolis this past Friday night, they were immediately greeted by a complete sensory experience. The sound of the Pixies’ “Wave Of Mutilation” and the warm light of the room were a welcome change from the howling wind and shades of gray outside. Minneapolis 55408, the latest exhibit at Intermedia Arts, held its opening reception on Friday, January 26th. The event drew friends, neighbors and art enthusiasts alike in from the cold to admire work made by artists in the community.In its eleventh consecutive year, 55408 includes artwork from approximately 40 different artists. Of these artists, about half are returning contributors and half are newly recruited. The one thing they have in common is that they all reside within the …

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