TUESDAY 8.31
Bully, Tweens
Fine Line
Alicia Bognanno quietly “went solo” last year with Sugaregg, the third album from Bully but the first she recorded as a personal project rather than with the band. In addition to breaking up her group, she also got sober and started getting treatment for bipolar II disorder while recording the album. But for all that personal change, Bully’s sound remains consistent: lovingly recreated radio-ready grunge, not merely revamped but lived in. Openers Tweens are overdue for some new music. Since the trashy guitar fun of their self-titled 2014 debut, the Cincinnati group has only dribbled out a cover of Bob Seger’s “Still the Same” and a Christmas single. More Tweens please! 18+. $25-$40. 7:30 p.m. 318 N. First Ave., Minneapolis. —Keith Harris
THURSDAY 9.2
Outdoor Movie Night at Target Field
Target Field Station
The free product outside Target Field is guaranteed to entertain more than the expensive, floundering one inside. All summer long, the big screen outside the ballpark has been showing family favorites, and you’ve only got two more opportunities to gather on the grass outside Gate 6. On Thursday, we’ve got Guy Ritchie’s 2019 live-action Aladdin starring Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith as the wise-cracking genie. Critics were lukewarm on the nostalgic reboot, but Disney-freak families pay no mind to the chattering class. On September 16, as we plunge head on into fall, the seasonal series will conclude with Wonder Woman, the solid 2017 superhero film that asks: The fellas couldn’t stop World War I… can an Amazonian demigoddess? Organizers encourage attendees to bring takeout from the surrounding North Loop dining scene. Pro tip: With the ornateness of today’s beer labels, you probably won’t get busted for sneaking sips from a Modist crowler on the Target Field lawn. Free. 6 p.m. 417 N. Fifth Ave., Minneapolis. —Jay Boller
Tiny Diner Farmers Market
Tiny Diner
Last week, shitty weather derailed the Tiny Diner Farmers Market. We can’t confirm the inability to see baby goats made at least one small tot cry… but folks, it’s certainly possible. Good news for Thursday: The weather looks immaculate and the baby goats are, in all likelihood, ready to hop around for our enjoyment. This Powderhorn market isn’t just about goats, however, as local vendors will be slingin’ meat (we pray not goat meat!), produce, eggs, flowers, nicknacks, and more. There’ll be live music; there’ll even be something called chicken poop bingo. Free. 5 p.m. 1024 E. 38th St., Minneapolis. —Jay Boller
FRIDAY 9.3
Scream It Off Screen
The Parkway Theater
At Racket’s favorite monthly short film competition, the rules are simple. Watch the start of each film. (Easy.) Decide if you love it or hate it. (Easy.) And when the organizers hit pause? Scream at the top of your lungs. (“Let it play,” if you love what you’re seeing; “gong” if you can’t stand it. Don’t be shy!) If the gongs have it, organizers move on to the next entry and eliminate that film from the field. Nothing’s pre-selected or pre-screened, which means you can expect delightfully unpredictable chaos and some utterly weird shit every month. Wanna submit your own short? There’s still time! They’re accepting entries tonight (Monday) at 7 p.m. at the Parkway. RSVP and find more info on Facebook. 18+. $10 advance/$12 door. 8 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis. —Em Cassel
Tinder Live! With Lane Moore
Amsterdam Bar and Hall
It’s tough to beat Tinder for unintentional comedy… and also intentional comedy! For the last few years, comedian Lane Moore has been delighting the fine folks of New York City with Tinder Live! The standup show finds her swiping onstage, taking audience suggestions into account, and messaging would-be Romeos and Juliets—while the whole thing is projected on a big screen. This summer, for the first time, she’s taking her digital dating show on the road, including a stop in St. Paul. If it sounds like the kind of social schadenfreude you don’t want to engage in, know that it’s not quite as cringe-y as it sounds. Moore promises: “It's totally improvised and weirdly hopeful/kind.” More info and tickets here. 18+. $20-$25. 7 p.m. 6 W. Sixth St., St. Paul. —Em Cassel
First Avenue Goes To The Fair
Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater, Minnesota State Fair
If you don’t feel like gorging or Grandstanding at the fair this year, there’s always the free First Ave-selected sampling of local music at the West End to keep you sated. Hosted by Nur-D (who’ll be performing on the same stage Wednesday and Thursday), Friday night brings Derecho, a new pairing of notable Als (Sparhawk of Low, Church of too many projects to mention), along with rockers Eleganza, hip-hop group Heiruspecs, the stylish art-R&B of Lady Midnight, and Duluthian Sarah Krueger’s latest project Lanue. Lizz Winstead hosts on Saturday, presenting some blues-rockin’ from Colin Campbell and the Shackletons, new Current Local Show host Diane, genre-defiant songwriter EVV, Chicago-born rapper Longshot, and spooky indie-rocker Monica Laplante. Both nights Al Church leads the house band, and if you show up a little early either day you’ll catch piano blues institution Cornbread Harris. Free. 8 p.m. 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul. —Keith Harris
SATURDAY 9.4
Chalkfest
The Shoppes at Arbor Lake
When it was announced that the immersive Van Gogh exhibit was coming to town, news outlets collectively lost their shit. But if you’re a commoner who can’t score a media pass, you’re going to be shelling out $55 to $75 bucks just to get in the door. For those of us on a budget but still want to “trip balls” while looking at rad art, we humbly suggest Chalkfest. A little bit Banksy, a little bit analog immersive, this festival showcases amazing artists from around the world who come to Maple Grove each year to blow your mind. Past efforts have included Muppet-themed masterpieces, illusion-based works that trick the eye, and interactive art that screams “Instagram selfie time.” Artists will be creating works on Saturday, and on Sunday the finished works will be on display. A self-guided mural tour of the area will also be offered through September. Find more details online. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 12459 Elm Creek Blvd. N., Maple Grove. Through Sunday --Jessica Armbruster
The Great Calamity Medicine Show
Various Locations
It’s still theater in the park season. Which is great, because we’re probably not heading back indoors anytime soon. One such offering scheduled for September is The Great Calamity Medicine Show. This month, Physical Theatre will travel to various parks around the Twin Cities for an adventurous romp about a Flim Flam man who comes to a small town to shill a miracle elixir that causes more chaos than calm. Saturday’s show will be a Phalen Park, while on Sunday the crew will travel to Powderhorn Park. These shows are free (but it’s great to tip at the end if you can), and blankets, lawn chairs, and picnicking are welcome. Free. 3 p.m. Find the complete schedule of locations and times here. Saturdays and Sundays through September 19 --Jessica Armbruster
SUNDAY 9.5
State Fair Amateur Talent Contest
State Fair Grandstand
For 10 days, they sang, yodeled, tap-danced, juggled, and wise-cracked on the Leinie Lodge Bandshell stage. Now, as the Minnesota State Fair winds down, 26 nightly winners of the 48th annual Amateur Talent Contest will vie for $20,000 in prizes at the Grandstand. If the fair is about celebrating homegrown folksiness, and it certainly is, then this free showcase of talented Minnesota kids, teens, and adults is about as folksy as it gets. The semifinal crop was whittled down from around 400 auditions in July, so you know these finalists will bring the goods. Free with fair admission. 7:30 p.m. 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul.—Jay Boller
