MN Shortlist: From vinyl to verse — seven picks for Nov. 14–20
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Stories are everywhere this weekend — flickering on screens, echoing in songs, unfolding onstage and turning their own pages.
From Winona’s bluffs to northeast’s studios, Minnesota provides proof that the creative current here never goes dormant, it just changes tempo.
‘Aftermath’ — Nov. 14 and The O’Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University
“Aftermath” is a one-night performance about the friendship between two Black men; the show faces the enduring impact of George Floyd’s murder through dance, music, poetry and story. Created by Minneapolis playwright Zola Dee with music by Thomasina Petrus and direction by Dominic Dunson-Moore, it looks at how communities live with violence and search for repair. A post-show panel continues the conversation on art and justice, alongside murals from Memorialize the Movement on view nearby.
Sleepy Weekend ’25 — Nov. 14–15 at No Name Bar
Winona’s favorite hometown band throws a two-night party that barely lives up to its name. Sleepy Weekend ’25 at No Name Bar in Winona features Sleeping Jesus headlining both nights with different sets, joined by nine acts ranging from hip hop to indie folk and punk. It’s an intimate, anything-goes festival — just don’t forget your ID, it’s 21+ only.
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Jeff Daniels — Nov. 14–15
Before he was a Hollywood mainstay, Jeff Daniels found his first stage in song. The actor brings his wry Americana blues to the Dakota for two nights of storytelling and steel-string soul. Inspired by playwrights like Lanford Wilson and a Guild D-40 bought in Ann Arbor, Daniels has spent decades writing tunes that balance humor and heartland.
Art Attack! — Nov. 14–16 at the Northrup King Building
The Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis hosts its annual fall studio tour: Art Attack! The Northrop King Building is one of the largest art buildings in the region, home to more than 300 artist spaces. Visitors can tour these studios during the three-day event, as well as purchase art directly from artists and attend artist demonstrations, including “Sculpt-A-Magnet” (participants will make a magnet for their fridge), flameworking and painting florals in oil paints.
‘Big Time’ in 35mm — Nov. 14–16 at The Trylon Cinema
Tom Waits’s smoky, surreal concert film spins back to life like a needle dropping on lost vinyl. The Trylon is screening the only known 35mm print — a rare artifact from his mid-’80s carnival of gravel and glitter. Local rumor sweetens the myth: “9th and Hennepin,” one of his strangest songs, was said to have been born during a gunfight in a Minneapolis donut shop.
Queer Writes Book Fair — Nov. 16 at Machine Shop
A celebration of stories that speak boldly and beautifully from the margins. Queer Writes Book Fair at Machine Shop in Minneapolis gathers queer authors, booksellers and readers for a day of food, crafts and conversation. Hosted by Twin Cities Pride with the Loft Literary Center and Black Garnet Books, the event centers queer voices of color and features a panel discussion and a workshop in celebrating identity.
‘The Happiness Gym’ — Through Dec. 7 at Mixed Blood
You work out your body — why not give your brain some reps? Based on research, "The Happiness Gym" at Mixed Blood in Minneapolis gets audiences to try out exercises designed to improve happiness and fend off burnout through an interactive theatrical experience.
However you spend it, this weekend’s a reminder that art keeps finding new ways to speak, even when the air turns cold.
