Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily midday digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.
No Pregnant Pause for Erin Maye Quade at the Convention
What a strange combination of pride and fury I felt, watching DFL State Senate candidate Erin Maye Quade give a convention speech while in active labor this weekend. She'd started having contractions in the morning, and withdrew from the nomination process so she could go to the hospital and have a fucking baby. On the one hand: an incredible show of strength and tenacity from Maye Quade, who was rushed to the hospital as her opponent, Justin Emmerich, went on to win unopposed in the final round of voting and secure the DFL endorsement. On the other: "a vivid example of the structural ways in which women are shoved out of politics." "I'm running for Senate in SD57 because I want to make things a little easier for working families during a time that hasn't felt so easy"—that's literally the first thing that comes up when you search for Emmerich's campaign. Huh. We can think of one way he could have made one working mother's time a little easier. Maye Quade's wife, Alyse, posted on Sunday that their daughter, Harriet "Hattie" Blake Maye Quade, is doing well--though she arrived 10 days early.
Mysterious Killer’s Extremely Expensive House for Sale
Almost nothing is known about James Blue except that he is “an Orono man.” That description has been in wide use since the 52-year-old crashed his 2017 Bentley Flying Spur along North Shore Drive, killing passengers Mack Motzko, 20, and Sam Schuneman, 24. Blue, who owns a murky company known as Blue Holdings LLC, registered a .22 blood alcohol level after the July 24 crash, and "crushed up white pills and green capsules" and weed gummies were discovered on him; he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide earlier this month in Hennepin County District Court. Over the weekend, Blue’s almost-new Orono mansion became the second most expensive home for sale in the state at $9.9 million. (One of the CRAVE Restaurant bros is selling the priciest for $11 million.) Since the listing excludes interior photos, little is known about the 10,077-square-foot Blue estate at 3017 North Shore Dr. It boasts your standard rich-guy amenities—wine cellar, sports court, movie theater, gym, sauna, billiards room—and was built in 2020, apparently over these three lots with then-existing homes. Blue bought the property for $4 million in 2016, according to county records. Bring your ideas... and new vibes!
Lizzo Finally Headlining Xcel, Maroon 5 Still Headlining Xcel
Xcel Energy Center announced two big St. Paul concerts this morning: Lizzo (Oct. 11) and Maroon 5 (Aug. 13). Lizzo’s upcoming “Special Tour” will be her first with an arena date in the Twin Cities; already a three-time Grammy winner, the one-time Minnesotan performed at Treasure Island’s amphitheater last July. You likely recall her double-duty SNL gig from two weeks ago, which unofficially set off the cycle for her forthcoming album, Special. Considering Lizzo is a local and a self-empowerment icon, we’re obligated to “stan,” as it were. That said, with new single “About Damn Time,” the undeniably talented superstar didn’t exactly snuff out the brave concerns raised by her 2019 Pitchfork review—is Lizzo kinda corny? Speaking of corny, Maroon 5 previously headlined the X back in 2015, and the U.S. leg of their upcoming tour follows a run of shows in Egypt, UAE, and Israel. Hunky frontman Adam Levine’s tattoo-to-rocking ratio continues to baffle 20 years since his band’s debut, Songs About Jane. Tickets to both shows—prices TBA, an annoying semi-recent quirk of the concert industry—go on sale Friday via Ticketmaster.
FilmNorth Has a New Home
FilmNorth is set to relocate to a newly refurbished art deco building on University Avenue in St. Paul, Bring Me the News reports. The non-profit, currently situated on Vandalia Street, will move next summer into its new space, which contains editing suites, classrooms, and a 52-seat cinema. With the new digs comes increased visibility, which the org hopes brings in new filmmakers. “When we talk about the arts community here, I do oftentimes feel like film is the forgotten jewel," says executive director Andrew Peterson. In their new location they'll offer a variety of youth outreach programs, including a summer camp, after school filmmaking, and other educational opportunities. There's also support for artists looking to make their first film, or mid-career movie, be it through internships, residencies, and funding research. help, FilmNorth will share ownership and space with D/O Architects, the architectural firm that is renovating the building.
