Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 10.28
Vince Staples
Palace Theatre
The Cali rapper rhymes with an unguarded lyricism that never comes off as quaintly old school because it’s frankly reportorial rather than wordplay-obsessed. On his latest, Dark Times, Staples does a lot of looking back, re-examining his connections with the dead and the incarcerated; he charts how far he’s come yet realizes how much his life is still missing. On “Justin,” he thinks he’s made a real connection with a honey from Qatar till she tries to pass off a boyfriend who shows up at an inopportune moment as her little cousin. Though his music can be bleak, Staples can be hilarious live, which will come as no surprise to anyone who’s caught him recurring on Abbott Elementary. With Baby Rose. 18+. $39.50-$65. 8:30 p.m. 17 W. Seventh Place, St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Week 2: TC Horror Fest XIII
Crane Theatre
The Twin Cities Horror Fest is turning 13 this year?! Super spooky! But then, this annual curation of creepy theater has always offered a lot to be scared about, with productions ranging from all-out bloodbaths to subtle, subconscious seeds. This season’s collection features pieces from locals and travelers. Five days into the fest, there’s still plenty to freak to. That includes monster enthusiast Reverend Matt, who seems to be going for some sort of world record with the epically named The Night Parade of A Hundred Demons (In Which the Honorable Reverend Matt Employs The Winding Sheet Outfit to Help Him Tell One Hundred Ghost Stories and Absolutely Nobody Gets What They Came For). What can you expect from him this time? I think it’s all there in the title, folks. Dangerous Productions’ Dr. Clown mines a topic filled with woe and despair: the American healthcare system. Puppet masters at Phantom Chorus Theatre will be working in blacklight for The Alchemist’s Bargain, while Spiral Theater’s tragicomic Ghostrunners follows a baseball fan’s, uh, spiral into madness after his fav player is killed by a fastball. Other troupes hoping to scare the shit out of you this Halloween include Rogues Gallery Arts, Oncoming Productions, Occasionally Employed Productions, and Wheeler in the Sky. $15 per show; $70 five-show pass. 2303 Kennedy St. NE, Minneapolis; find tickets and the complete schedule at tchorrorfestival.com. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
THURSDAY 10.31
Halloween Parties
Various Locations
Do you prefer to celebrate Halloween with the masses, on a dance floor with live music? We’d be remiss not to mention First Ave’s annual blowout, where folks go all out for the costume contest. Sophia Eris, Izzie P, Michael Grey, and DJs McShellen and Smitty will provide the soundtrack. Head next door for A Nightmare on 7th St, where lots of great locals—Gramma, she’s green, WHY NOT, Psylo, and Berzica—will take the stage. Nothing is what it seems at Icehouse’s Ghostchella, as Minnesota acts will perform as dearly departed musicians. Meanwhile, Wicked Bitch over at LUSH will offer spooky, sparkly fun with pop-up drag performances, rock from Rebel Queens, and a costume contest.—Jessica Armbruster
Customer Appreciation Night and Halloween Party
Bull’s Horn
It’s no secret: We freaking love Da Horn. (Click here to revisit our profile of proprietor Doug Flicker, who’s something of a real-life The Bear.) The best dive bar in the deep south of Minneapolis is celebrating its seventh anniversary Thursday with a customer appreciation event that’ll offer “throwback pricing on burgers ALL night” (emphasis theirs). And folks? These cheeseburgers fuckin’ rock. It’s unclear what’ll be going down at Bull’s Horn on Friday—we suspect business as usual—but on Saturday the festivities return with a Halloween party. The Hamm’s Bear, that lovable hungover lug, will kick things off with photo-ops and giveaway goodies. Hamm’s tallboys will cost ya $3.50, “blood” wine’ll run $5, and wearing a “recognizable” costume gets you one free drink. Spooky trivia goes down from 6 to 7 p.m., there’ll be spooktacular hits playing all night, and “Booo-ya stew” will be flying out of the kitchen, witch-like. What a bar! Free. 4 p.m. Thu. (find more info here); 4 p.m. Sat. (find more info here). 4563 S. 34th Ave., Minneapolis.—Jay Boller
Halloween Beer Events
Various Locations
Is beer the Halloween candy of adulthood? Perhaps, as each season there’s always a slew of candy-coated happenings in breweries on All Hallow’s Eve. If you’ve got a sweet tooth but also crave beer, Halloween Flight Night at Indeed Brewing Co. may be your thing. There will be four candy-inspired infusions on tap: Watermelon Battlehead (a sour kölsch), Taste The Rainbow Lager (sure sounds like Skittles!), Beershey's (a dark lager), and Spicy Reds (Mexican Honey infused with cinnamon). The party starts at 3 p.m. Also in northeast Minneapolis is Casks & Candy at Insight Brewing, which host Beetlejuice trivia with Trivia Mafia at 7 p.m. From 3-10 p.m., revelers can enjoy free treats at the candy table and try a special beer infusion. Dark Fatha Fest returns this week for a four-day celebration of Bent Brewstillery’s whiskey barrel-aged stout. Festivities include costume and Wookie-call contests, plus an ever-changing themed menu.—Jessica Armbruster
FRIDAY 11.1
Kari Assad and Drew Landry
Comedy Corner Underground
A veteran of the local 10K Laughs Fest, this L.A. comic promises the following for her co-headlining shows with Drew Landry: “Buckle up for a loud, thought provoking, and probably stupid night with these human labradoodles.” If that sounds appealing, you should know that Assad, an ex-theater kid of Mexican-Lebanese heritage, brings an infectious goofiness to the stage, where she riffs on everything from genital herpes to the Trail of Tears. Her podcast, Kari Assad: Ghost Detective, breaks down supernatural cases with surplus humor and spooky intrigue. Landry has toured with Carlos Mencia (as a teen!), Dana Gould, and Iliza Shlesinger. You can’t accuse Assad and Landry of not doing their Minnesota homework. $17.50. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 10 p.m. Sat. 1501 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SATURDAY 11.2
Usher
Target Center
What a difference a decade makes. In 2014 I caught Usher Raymond at an awkward age, no longer a surefire hitmaker but not yet willing to give up on contemporary relevance, as he struggled to hold the attention of a half-sold Xcel Energy Center. He’s since matured from a has-been to a legacy artist, complete with Vegas residency and Super Bowl halftime show, and it’s a legacy worth celebrating. The boyish demands of “You Make Me Wanna…” the pop ascendance of “Yeah!,” the EDM-adjacent "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," the late career peaks like “Climax”—it’s quite a catalog. And though you probably won’t hear much from his latest, Coming Home, on The Past Present Future Tour, any selections would fit right in. $119.50+. 8 p.m. 600 N. First St., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Keith Harris
Edina Pumpkin Smash & Bash
Countryside Park
In the most boring-but-important, environmentally conscious sense, this third-annual Edina event is but a simple pumpkin composting drop off. Oh, but it’s so much more: It’s a chance to smush the heck outta that gourd before it heads to the great haunted hayride in the sky. It appears at least some of the pumpkins will be dropped from a great height, and guests are encouraged to “roll, bowl, and squish their squash for some extra slimy fun,” according to organizers. (The fine print: Only natural pumpkins with no paint, glitter, candle wax, or stickers can be accepted and composted, and please remove glow sticks, lights, or candles ahead of time.) There’ll be music and dancing, and you’re encouraged to wear your costume one last time. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and really give those pumpkins hell, everyone! Free. 10 a.m. to noon. 6240 Tracy Ave., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
Night Trains
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Halloween is over, and you know what that means: It’s Night Trains season at the Model Railroad Museum! If you’ve never been to the Model Railroad Museum, this is the way to experience it. They’ll turn down the house lights and let the miniature train models show off their cozy glow while they weave through towns that are buried in blizzards or lit up with holiday decorations. It’s quaint as hell; you’re gonna love it. There are some special nights on the books—we hear Santa shows up on December 14 and 21—and did we mention that the museum turns 90 friggin’ years old this year? No better time to visit this St. Paul gem. $15; free for children four and under. 3-7 p.m. Saturdays (check online for bonus nights). 668 Transfer Rd., Suite 8, St. Paul; tickets and more info here. Through February 22—Em Cassel
Día de Los Muertos
Multiple Locations
Wanna make a whole día of Día de Los Muertos? Follow these three simple steps! First, head to the Weisman Art Center for a collaborative exhibit from Centro Tyrone Guzman and artist Monica Vega, the latter of whom, "gathers her artistic practice and inspiration from her familial roots in Michoacan, Mexico... the Day of the Dead is deeply personal to her and she loves teaching people of all ages about its meaning and traditions." Expect live music, arts 'n' crafts, and refreshments. Next, head over to Midtown Global Market for art workshops, puppet shows, folk performances, live music, a photobooth, and community altar; you can also grab lunch at Salsa a la Salsa, one of the 12 most underrated bars in the Twin Cities. Finally, vamanos to La Doña Cerveceria for a big ol' all-day bash featuring live tunes from Dos Coronas and Vhaltta, loads of cultural performances, mini soccer tournaments, costume contests, face painting, special beers, and a whole lot more.—Jay Boller
SUNDAY 11.3
The Defiant Roles of Anna May Wong
Trylon
The first Hollywood star of Chinese descent has been increasingly celebrated over the past few years. Her face has been minted into a quarter, her image molded into a Barbie, and her story recounted in two recent biographies with somewhat overstated subtitles: Katie Gee Salisbury’s Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong and Yunte Huang’s Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History. Wong’s film career itself is one of hard-fought partial victories against racist compromises, and this series collects many of its high points. Wong holds her own against Marlene Dietrich in Josef Von Sternberg’s Shanghai Express (1932) and demonstrates her star appeal in the silent Pavement Butterfly (1929), with original accompaniment by the great Katie Condon. In Daughter of Shanghai (1937) she heads a cast of East Asian actors (a rarity in the era of yellowface); in King of Chinatown (1939) she does not—her father is played by a white guy who made his name as Charlie Chan—but she still busts stereotypes through her performance. $8. 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis Find complete listings and more info here. Through November 26—Keith Harris
ONGOING
Art & Artifact: Murals From the Minneapolis Uprising
Katherine E. Nash Gallery
When George Floyd was murdered by police on May 25, 2020, Minnesotans took to the streets in protests, building owners boarded up their doors and windows, and artists created art. “I just felt so hopeful seeing the boards, seeing the plywood murals coming up, seeing the art around 38th and Chicago,” Leesa Kelly of Memorialize the Movement told Em Cassel at the time. As businesses reopened, she and her org have worked on collecting these pieces made from humble plywood and spray paint, which otherwise would have ended up in the trash, destroyed from outdoor exposure, or crassly sold online. The collection is now at over 1,000 boards; this fall you can view a selection of artworks in their archives, curated by former MM intern Amira McLendon, at the U of M. 405 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis. Through December 7—Jessica Armbruster
Kara Walker: Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated)
Weisman Art Museum
First published in 1862, Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War collects numerous contemporary maps, portraits, and other illustrations from Winslow Homer that appeared in the magazine during the conflict. As you might expect, there’s a genteel coffee-table stateliness to the proceedings, ideal for Kara Walker to disturb with her trademark cut-paper silhouettes. Walker’s style, which draws upon exaggerated Black stereotypes and other crude graphics, has become so familiar over the years that it may no longer be as immediately startling as it once was, but this 2023 exhibit, organized by the New Britain Museum of American Art and The Museum Box, showcases her continued vitality. Free. 333 E. River Pkwy., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through December 29—Keith Harris
Unveiling 1,000 Nesting Dolls
The Russian Museum of Art
Did you know that the largest collection of Russian nesting dolls in the U.S. is located right off the Diamond Lake entrance to I-35W? Now that you know, how do you feel about that? The Russian Museum of Art will begin presenting its Matryoshka dolls (to use the proper Russian term) to the public; they’ll be on display until March 9. And since it’s likely been a while since you popped in at TMORA (I myself am always overdue for a visit), while you’re there, be sure to take in Alexander Viazmensky’s watercolors of Russian mushrooms, a recently opened exhibit, and a Women in Soviet Art exhibition that closes on October 20. 5500 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through March 9, 2025—Keith Harris
