Boba Fettish Ball, Cranksgiving, ‘Christmas at Pemberley’: This Week’s Best Events

Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

TUESDAY 11.15

Foil Arms and Hog

Cedar Cultural Center 

How many opportunities do you get to catch a celebrated Irish sketch troupe? That’s the scenario Tuesday at the Cedar, where Foil Arms and Hog—Sean Finegan (Foil), Conor McKenna (Arms), and Sean Flanagan (Hog)—will bring their breezy, amusing, politically adjacent comedy to the stage. The trio boasts 1.4 million Facebook fans and 800,000 YouTube followers. The bits aren’t as inventive as some American sketch crews like The State or Mr. Show, but fans of U.K. quirkiness and soothing Irish accents will find a lot to like. $41.50. 6:30 p.m. 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

THURSDAY 11.17

Paul Chan: Breathers

Walker Art Center

Can those inflatable tube guys used to drive people to sales be art? If it’s in the Walker Art Center then, yes, it can. But that would be oversimplifying the work of Paul Chen, a Hong Kong-born, Nebraska-raised, NYC-based writer, publisher, and artist. In the '90s and '00s, Chan garnered attention releasing videos, animations, fonts, and more, often for free on his website, nationalphilistine.com. These pieces explored pleasure, war, politics, and human interactions. But by 2009, he had burned out, tired of looking at a screen. Relatable. Five years later, after a brief, you know, “breather,” he found a new way to explore movement and meaning without a computer, instead using physics, fabrics, and fans to create shapes that move about in interesting ways (and, thankfully, won’t try to sell you a car). You can see these kinetic sculptures at the Walker; the show will also include some video installations as well as pieces from his publishing company, Badlands Unlimited, which releases poetry, erotica, artists’ writings, and more. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. Through July 16, 2023—Jessica Armbruster

MCAD Art Sale

MCAD

One of the most epic art sales in town is turning 25. For the past quarter-century, MCAD has hosted this multi-day sale showcasing the work of students and recent grads. As always, there will be a mind-blowing amount of art crammed into every nook and cranny over multiple floors, rooms, and hallways. There will be highly frame-able photography, tiny prints, paintings so huge they look like they belong in a museum, cool comic prints, handmade furniture, lawn sculptures, and highly gift-able jewelry. The admission fee on Thursday and Friday benefits programs at the college, but if you can’t afford to attend, there will still be tons of great art to explore for free on Saturday as well. Regardless of when you go, 80% of your purchase goes to the artist. (A tip for beginners: Don’t try to do it all, choose a medium and size and use that as a starting point.) Find tickets and more info at mcad.edu/artsale. $150 Thursday; $25 Friday; free Saturday. 6-9 p.m. Thursday; 6-10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 2501 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis. Through Saturday—Jessica Armbruster

FRIDAY 11.18

Boba Fettish Ball

The Forbidden Bazaar

It doesn’t have to be Halloween for you to bust out your sexy ewok costume; that shit looks great year round. So put that fursuit on and let your freak flag fly at the Boba Fettish Ball, a party where Princess Leias, Kylo Rens, Chewbaccas, Senator Palpatines, and Jar Jar Binkses take to the dance floor en masse. Any Star Wars get up will do; if you feel creative, go ahead and create your own in-universe character. During festivities, there will be DJ tunes and performances from aerial and burlesque artists. If you feel like showing off your costume, head up onstage during the fashion show. All are welcome. 21+. $15; $10 if you’re in a themed costume. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 15 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster 

David Cross 

7th St. Entry

One of the godfathers of the alt-comedy movement, inside a 250-capacity rock club? Absolute no-brainer. Cross, whose on-screen credits span from Mr. Show to Tobias Fünke to freaking Alvin and the Chipmunks, is a standup at heart, and his searing political takes never evoke the self-important preachiness of Krusty-doing-Hicks. (Speaking of TV, Cross is working with Mr. Show partner Bob Odenkirk on a new mockumentary series, Guru Nation.) "I had the idea last month: Fuck it, I should pick a handful of places and work out the material there in some VERY intimate rooms," Cross said of the current "Shootin' The Shit, Seein' What Sticks" tour. "So if you can, please come join me and check it out before it becomes a monster of a show that can only be housed in a bulky theater. See it when it's a cute little puppy!" Cross’s latest standup special, I’m From the Future, is streaming via his website. $25. 6 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

Plains

First Avenue

Katie Crutchfield, the mastermind behind indie-rock greats Waxahatchee, first telegraphed her appreciation for country pop with her excellent 2020 cover of John Denver's “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” (The fifth and latest Waxa LP, Saint Cloud, followed a similar trajectory.) That warm, twangy formula is further explored with Plains, Crutchfield’s new band with Jess Williamson. Together, on last month’s I Walked With You A Ways, the duo mines the '90s sounds of acts like Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks, with mostly rock-solid results. The emotional wallop of Waxahatchee is entirely absent, but that’s the point: Plains is fun, gloriously harmonized road-trip music. MJ Lenderman opens. $25-$30. 8 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

Ron White 

Treasure Island Resort & Casino 

“I’m winding this career down at the end of this year,” Ron “Tater Salad” White told Los Angeles Magazine earlier this year. But that’s hardly the biggest revelation provided by the famously tanked member of The Blue Collar Comedy supergroup: White also revealed that, after a messy divorce, he quit drinking with the help of “shaman-led ayahuasca trips” in Costa Rica. Good for him! The drawling, Texas-born standup pro still appears onstage with his trademark cigar and tequila tumbler, but it’s no longer filled with his boutique spirits brand. A smirking and cynical storyteller, White can still command a crowd with the best of ‘em. $49-$148. 8 p.m. 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd., Welch; find more info here.—Jay Boller

SATURDAY 11.19

Georgina & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley 

Jungle Theater

Jane Austen may have only written one Pride and Prejudice, but thanks to public domain and a still-active fanbase the Darcys and Bennets continue to entertain us with wacky hijinks and biting social commentary via Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon’s nationally lauded plays. First there was Miss Bennet, which followed bookish middle sibling Mary as she sought love and intellectual stimulation, next The Wickhams took a look at that same story via the perspectives of the servants behind the scenes. Georgina & Kitty, the final installment in the series, follows the youngest Darcy and Bennet sisters as they plan for their futures, hope for love, and deepen their friendship. 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis. Through December 23; find tickets and more info here.—Jessica Armbruster

Cranksgiving 2022

Zion Lutheran Church

Happy Cranksgiving! This annual alleycat bike race-slash-food drive sees cyclists zipping around the city to different grocery stores, where they’ll buy food and sundries to donate to area food assistance programs. The race takes place in cities around the country, with St. Paul’s event starting and ending at Zion Lutheran. Don’t feel like racing? You can also carry donations by bike to the church between noon and 4 p.m., or, if you live in Hamline Midway, call ‘em up—they’ll arrange to have someone pick up your donations by bike. The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota has the complete info. (And if you can’t make Saturday work at all? Utepils is having its own non-Cranksgiving-branded food drive alleycat on Sunday; find all the details here.) Free. Noon to 4 p.m. 1697 Lafond Ave., St. Paul.—Em Cassel

8th Trip Around the Sun

Insight Brewing

In our shitty, plague-filled times, making it another year is no small feat, especially if you’re a brewery. This weekend, Insight celebrates making it eight years with its annual re-release of Gravity Well, their barrel-aged imperial stout. Four different variants will be served and sold throughout the day, all sweetened with things like coconut, vanilla bean, cocoa nibs, and marshmallow. Eats will be served by Asian fusion food truck Kham Fu Dee, Rib Tip Express, and T-Rex Cookies. If you want tunes, you’re gonna get ‘em: Indie rockers Gentleman Speaker start things at 2:30 p.m., followed by Weezer tribute band Pleezer, yacht rockers Private Oates, and the DJ crew at Backyard Boombox closes things out with their set starting at 7:30 p.m. Free. 1-10 p.m. 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. –Jessica Armbruster

SUNDAY 11.20

Mini-Golf Tournament

Can Can Wonderland

Is mini-golf too whimsical and charming to be competitive? Hell no. This is your chance to get overly invested in ways you haven’t experienced since your family blew up during a game of Thanksgiving Monopoly. For this one-day extravaganza, you and a team of four to six people will duke it out over Can Can’s 18 holes, where you’ll have to make it through/around challenges with giant frogs, loop-de-loops, water hazards, and a golden toilet. Just like a real golf course, there will be a beverage cart traveling the grounds with drinks, and live color commentary by Can Can sportscasters will add an air of legitimacy to this event. Prizes include cash, gift cards, and schwag, though we all know with these kinds of things the real prize is bragging rights. You gotta sign up first to participate, visit eventbrite.com to reserve a spot. $40. 10 a.m. 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul.—Jessica Armbruster

20 Years of Womenfolk Radio

Parkway Theater

Banjo/publicist extraordinaire Ellen Stanley has been celebrating local folk, Americana, roots, and bluegrass music for two decades on her KFAI show, Womenfolk Radio. Now it’s time to celebrate her via an evening of live music from Ann Reed, Molly Maher, Jonatha Brooke, Becky Schlegel, Mary Cutrufello, Ellis Delaney, and the OK Factor. All proceeds will benefit the essential community radio work of KFAI. $15-$30. 6 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

ONGOING

Fall Forward Festival

The Cowles Center

The monthlong Fall Forward Festival is a crash course on the local dance scene, offering two to three new performances each evening from an impressive array of Minnesota dancers and troupes. Participating artists include Aparna Ramaswamy from Ragamala Dance; Black Label Movement, whose Riding the Maelstrom personifies chemotherapy; Twin Cities Ballet, who mix classic works with more experimental jaunts; and HIJACK, a long-running duo who describe themselves with words like “ecofeminist,” “queer,” “sex party,” “hoarder-house,” and “pandemic garden.” Whew. $30; find tickets here. 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29-30, Nov. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20. 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Through November 20—Jessica Armbruster

Harriet Bart: Reckoning

NewStudio Gallery

“We live in a broken world,” warns Harriet Bart. “‘Reckoning’ is a cautionary tale.” This time, the St. Paul-based, international artist cautions us through creating a unique, site-specific space filled with a variety of items. Some hold cultural significance (a bronze owl, a model of a barn), some have been found in nature (a burl, animal bones), and others have been tampered with in-studio (a gold-leaf embossed stone). Will you be able to decipher and heed the warning? 2303 Wycliff St., St. Paul. Through December 3—Jessica Armbruster

Rosy Simas Danse: She Who Lives on the Road to War

Weisman Art Museum/All My Relations Arts

Part art installation, part dance performance, She Who Lives on the Road to War examines potential paths to a peaceful future via indigenous history. The exhibit’s title is inspired by the life of Jigonhsasee, an ancient Haudenosaunee woman, known as the Mother of Nations, who once touted war between tribes but eventually changed her ways and advocated for peace. Can you imagine what that kind of turnaround would look like in today’s world? That’s kind of the point of this show, which encourages people to rest, grieve, and “consider how we can all work towards reconciliation during the dual pandemics of systematic racism and COVID-19.” You can see installations at both WAM and All My Relations Arts, and both venues will host dance performances during the show’s run. RSVP for free tickets and find the entire performance schedule here. Weisman Art Museum’s (333 E. River Rd., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis) show runs through February 5, while events at All My Relations (1414 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis) are through December 15.—Jessica Armbruster

We Are Working All the Time

Weisman Art Museum

Polish-born, Minneapolis-based artist Piotr Szyhalski creates posters that look like propaganda. But instead of promoting patriotism, he challenges the status quo, as his pieces proclaim things like, “Seek Truth From Facts,” “Rise Up!,” and “I can’t Breathe. If It’s No Covid, It’s the Police.” Szyhalski has been exploring “extreme historical phenomena”—think wars, labor movements, and protests against bad world leaders—since the ‘90s. In 2020, Szyhalski was set to have a retrospective exhibition at WAM. That show, of course, had to be postponed when the pandemic hit—an extreme historical phenomenon! During that time of lockdown and chaos, he entered another creative era, posting a new hand-drawn poster every day for 225 days. The resulting project, “COVID 19: Labor Camp Report,” was a hit, not just locally but internationally, with many pieces going viral. You can see some of these efforts in “We Are Working All the Time,” an epic exhibition showcasing Szyhalski’s 40-plus years of work, which includes posters, plates, installation, media, and other curious items. 333 E. River Rd., Minneapolis. Through December 31—Jessica Armbruster