Wednesday news and reviews
Art
Tim Carroll and the art of drawing lines with chalk
The opening reception for Tim Carroll's site-specific installation and performance at the Soap Factory was the start of a 98-hour journey for the artist, who has embarked on the curious task of drawing vertical chalk lines over and over until the end of the exhibit.
- Sheila Regan, City Pages
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Miranda Trimmier reviews the Walker Art Center's homage to folk art, kitsch, "who we are and where we live" - "The Spectacular of Vernacular" exhibition, on view at the center through May 8.
- mnartists.org
Books
A writer shares her coming of age in the '60s
Writer Anne Roiphe spent years as a helpmate to male writers before striking out on her own. Her memoir is a wise exploration of how she found her voice.
- ANDREA HOAG, Star Tribune
General
High stepping: The Irish Day of Dance and Steppingstone's 'Get Up Your Irish'
This is how Irish culture has maintained itself in the diaspora. You show 50 children a step dance, you've created at least 45 new step dancers.
- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com
Movies
It's a crime That we don't get to see more movies from South Korea. Their thrillers are killer.
The best crime movies in the world -- by far -- are being made in South Korea.
- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press
SXSW: 'Convento' premiere shows us a place for our heads and a place for the dead
As the lines between virtual and reality blur, eddy, and close in around us, and the general states of things real and fantasy crack and atrophy, oftentimes it all just feels like a thick blue bubble in front of our faces in need of popping (almost more than our heads).
- Andrew Flanagan, City Pages
Of wolves and squid: 'Red Riding Hood' and 'Battle: Los Angeles'
Complaining that a film like this is full of clichés is like complaining that a Berliner pastry is full of jelly -- of course it is! What did you expect them to fill it with? Nuance?
- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com
Music
Blistering bass electrifies Dakota
There was a Thumpfest Tuesday night at the Dakota jazz club, featuring two of the titans of the electric bass: Victor Wooten and Stanley Clarke.
- Dan Emerson, Pioneer Press
'To My Bees Knees' brings together 100 local musicians on one album
Sound engineer Tom Smouse has been helping Twin Cities artists record their albums for nearly a decade, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that he decided to attempt his own foray into songcraft.
- Andrea Swensson, City Pages
Lords of Acid at Ground Zero: Legends of underground techno rip it up
What made this one of the best concerts I've seen in some time was the deep interest the band clearly showed in the audience, with the musicians frequently crossing from one side of the stage to the other, gauging the vibe.
- Sarah Rattanavong-Wash, TC Daily Planet
Schubert Club announces 2011-12 season
Performers will include pianist André Watts, mezzo Susan Graham and violinist Christian Tetzlaff.
- Graydon Royce, Star Tribune
Jake Rudh's Transmission dance night celebrates 10 years
New wave has a home in Minneapolis every week
- Andrea Swensson, City Pages
STNNNG playing tour kick-off show at the Loring Theater
The cool thing this week for a band to do is to pack up their van and skinny jeans and head south to Austin, Texas to razzle and dazzle the flocks of hipsters at the SXSW attention contest. As an alternative, frenetic spazz rock combo, STNNNG will be starting a Spring tour of the midwest at the Loring Theater this Thursday night.
- Danny Sigelman, City Pages
Foo Fighters, Michael Cera help ring in SXSW Music 2011
By the end of the night, I stopped counting how many Twin Citians I had encountered, but it was easily two dozen. We may be in a different city, but this city is ours.
- Andrea Swensson, City Pages
DJ Jake Rudh on ten years of Transmission: "I will definitely give the fans what they want"
Local fans of post-punk, Britpop, and New Wave should be well acquainted by now with the name Jake Rudh--or at least with his weekly event Transmission, currently hosted on Wednesdays at Clubhouse Jäger, a Teutonic yet cosmopolitan club in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis.
- Sarah Rattanavong-Wash, TC Daily Planet
Cold War Kids leave First Avenue...well, you get it
I felt like even though they played really well and small pockets of the sold-out crowd responded throughout the show, the highlights of the show were few and far between.
- Kyle Matteson, TC Daily Planet
Mark Kozelek at the Cedar, 03/14/11
Kozelek, looking a bit like a young Johnny Cash with his untamed pompadour, is an exceptionally agile guitar player, playfully strumming his Spanish strains and flourishes amidst his wistful songs.
- Erik Thompson, City Pages
Stage
'Toy Theatre After Dark' delights with inventiveness
Clever, inventive staging and set pieces are the name of the game for this event.
- Ed Huyck, City Pages
Live Action Set's "7-Shot Symphony" weaves a magic spell
It could be hopelessly pretentious. It could just be an unfocused mess. Turns out it's neither. It's just a hell of a lot of fun.
- Matthew A. Everett, TC Daily Planet