Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 4.14
Shannon T. L. Kearns, No One Taught Me How to Be a Man
Moon Palace
What’s the point of men? That’s not exactly the question that Shannon T. L. Kearns poses in his new book, No One Taught Me How to Be a Man: What a Trans Man's Experience Reveals About Masculinity. But he does argue that he has a perspective on masculinity that cis men lack because we’ve already internalized its expectations, and he posits “a form of manhood built for the well-being of the world”—a necessary project, since masculinity isn’t going anywhere any time soon and the world’s well-being isn’t exactly improving right now. Adding to the occasion, two local literary lights will join Kearns in conversation: Chris Stedman, whose new podcast studio, Good Judy Productions, we touted here, and Kyle Tran Myhre, a poet, rapper, speaker, and even Racket contributor, who most recently defended spoken word poetry here. Free. 6 p.m. 3032 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
THURSDAY 4.17
Ron de Beaulieu, Minnesota's Most Notorious Mobster
Eat My Words Bookstore
You folks like learning about the Minnesota mob? We know you do, because we saw the bonkers traffic on this story from a few years back about how the mob helped destroy the Twin Cities’ streetcar system. (Although I guess it’s possible you just like streetcars?) One of the major players in that streetcar piece was Isadore Blumenfield, also known as Kid Cann, also known as the godfather of the Minneapolis mob. He’s the subject of local author Ron de Beaulieu’s latest, Minnesota's Most Notorious Mobster: The Making and Breaking of Kid Cann, which tells the story of how, in Prohibition-era Minneapolis, a toddler from Romania would eventually rise from a poor newsboy to a murderous millionaire and local legend. De Beaulieu will be at Eat My Words tonight for a reading and book signing. Free. 7 p.m. 214 13th Ave. NE Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
FRIDAY 4.18
Sam Morril
Pantages Theatre
We asked Taylor Tomlinson’s ex-boyfriend via text, which he solicits via Instagram, to pitch folks on why they should see his razor-sharp set at Pantages. Haven’t heard back yet, but yeah, you should go. The New York native and former Colbert intern recently sat down with the Minnesota Daily to talk about Karl Anthony-Towns (he’s a Knicks fan), making good whiskey (he has a whiskey company), and his brief appearance as a standup comedian in 2019’s Joker (he told the joke about what women and men look for in each other and how it’s like car shopping). $44-$62. 7 p.m. 710 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SATURDAY 4.19
Cloud 9: Modist’s 9-Year Anniversary Party
Modist Brewing
No need to be modest—nine years is a great run for a brewery, and Modist is celebrating its ninth turn around the sun this weekend. Back in 2016, former City Pages beer writer (and former Racket beer writer) Jerard Fagerberg had this to say about the North Loop’s newest brewery: “There's no brewery like Modist anywhere in the world. Their brewing system is custom built for their size, with a run of machines unheard of in the craft world. Because of that, they're able to make beer that is categorically unique.” This anniversary bash will have exclusive beer and THC drink drops, food trucks, and live tattooing from Nokomis Tattoo. There’s also a THC market featuring Granny’s, Doctor Dabs, Retro Bakery, Doug’s Nugs, and Jesse Ventura Farms, and a cloud-watching competition (aw!) hosted by local comic Sam Schedler. Free. Noon to midnight. 505 N. Third St., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
Northeast 4:20 Block Party
Hemp House
Folks, it’s a weed weekend for those who celebrate. And Hemp House, one of the early sellers in Minnesota, has a lot to celebrate. Last month, they opened a new flagship store in northeast Minneapolis, and now they’re ready to show off the new space this Saturday during an outdoor party. At the entrance, you’ll be bestowed with a sampling glass, which you can use to taste test bevvies from 16 local brands, including birdie, Granny’s, Fulton, Trail Magic, and Minnie Grown. (You can also enjoy full-sized drinks at the all-day happy hour at Zhora Darling next door.) There will be delicious eats, including fluffy/cheesy Wrecktangle pizza, vegan sammies from Herbivorous Butcher, and a freakin’ THC-infused sundae from No Coast and Bebe Zito. Meanwhile, After Hours Skate Shop will host a skater showdown, DJs will spin vinyl tunes, and Hemp House will have deals inside the shop. 21+. $10; $24 VIP. Noon to 6 p.m. 501 First Ave. NE, Minneapolis; find tickets and info here. —Jessica Armbruster
The Dankest Day of the Year
Insight Brewing
Or maybe this THC-adjacent brewery party is more your speed? Indeed will celebrate 420 with beer, as they’ll be bringing back Dankbot, a brew so hoppy it smells like weed. If you’re prepping for flower or planning your own stoner garden this summer, you’ll want to check out the mini market where glass and seed vendors will be selling their wares. Adding to the vibes will be stoner flicks on the big screen and DJs spinning vinyl, and there’ll be free munchies to snack on too. Folks who partake will also want to pick up a case of Insight’s THC drink, Pixels, which will be discounted all day. Free. 1-10 p.m. 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
FAWK’s Hmong (+Friends) Super Show
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian resettlement in America, Funny Asian Women Kollective’s latest Super Show is highlighting the talents of Hmong women and nonbinary folks. That lineup includes Minnesota state Rep. Kaohly Her and Lin Sun, the first Cambodian comic to have a 30-minute comedy special on a major streaming service. You can expect a mix of standup, storytelling, sketches, and short films—and of course a lot of laughs from these FAWKing funny women. “I learned growing up that you need a lot of humor and the ability to laugh things off or you’ll just die,” Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, one of the co-founders of FAWK, told Racket last year. “I learned at a young age how to laugh when things become uncomfortable, and how to laugh to dispel the funkiness in the air.” 18+. $31+. 6:30 p.m. 345 Washington St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Em Cassel
ArtBeat Music + Art Fest
NE Minneapolis
Well, it sure looks like we’re officially in block/parking lot party season. This one hosted by MN Legit, fusing music, art, and streetwear into one big happening, looks pretty rad. Highlights include live glass blowing demonstrations, an intense art that yields gorgeous results. Other art includes large-scale graffiti works by REPLY and tattooing with Rotten Ronnie. An artists’ market will offer festival merch, band tees, posters, and more, while music will be provided by Porch Light, Mati, Gora Ireke, DJ Caiked Up!, and DJ Angel Beloved. Beer and food trucks round out this event. 21+. Free. 2-10 p.m. 314 Buchanan St. NE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster
Kendrick Lamar and SZA
U.S. Bank Stadium
“If he’s the greatest rapper alive, why can’t he find something more to rap about besides the fact that he’s the greatest rapper alive?” my critical superego asks whenever I bump Kendrick’s latest, GNX. To which my fanboy id replies “MUSTAAAAARRRD!” Kendrick has always indulged in more grandiose Big Man fantasies than we pop egalitarians would like, and until “Not Like Us” became a much more unlikely Black protest anthem than “Alright,” the whole Celebrity Deathmatch vibe of the Drake feud bummed me out. But I dig GNX’s candied Antonoff synths, how SZA and Luther Van sweeten the mood, and all the weird noises the hardheaded MC makes as he never stops going in. Plus, as Kendrick showed 133.5 million viewers in February, he knows how to work a stadium crowd. As for SZA, she doubled the length of her 2022 landmark SOS with last December’s deluxe reissue, aka Lana, and if I’d only keep 2/3 of the newbies, tops, my rejects might be your keepers, who knows? Maybe she’ll never release another album—she’ll just keep adding to SOS, like Whitman with Leaves of Grass. P.S. No, I didn’t get a review ticket. Insert appropriate emoji reaction here. $164 and up. 7 p.m. 401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Totally Rad Vintage Fest
Mall of America
Shopping for vintage finds at a tiny yard sale or a musty old shop can be a blast, but when something like Totally Rad comes to the mall, you’ve got a one-stop shop opp that’s hard to pass up. This weekend, you can explore collections from over 100 vendors selling cool old stuff that time forgot, from '80s-era NKOTB tees to velour tracksuits from the '00s. This thing ain’t limited to clothing either, with tons of old toys, video games, vinyl, home decor, and other goods once destined for the landfill ready to live a new life. $5/$8. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington; find tickets here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
SUNDAY 4.20
The Big Zen20
Zen Arcade
Weed weekend? Still going strong! And this get together at Zen Arcade at Hook & Ladder is stacked. Interactive fun will include an adult Easter Egg hunt where you’ll score free THC samples (dress like a bunny to get early access), classic video-game tournaments (Galaga and Asteroids), and stoner bingo. Onstage entertainment includes tunes from Dosh and the Mortiholics, comedy from The Bong Show, and a (literally?) high fashion runway show. General admission tickets are free, but if you go VIP for $46.19 you’ll get a stuffed $200 RetroBakery swag bag to take home. 21+. 4:20 p.m. 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster
Paul Simon
Orpheum Theatre
Simon’s farewell tour ended seven years ago, but some guys just don’t settle into retirement so easily. This tour is dubbed “A Quiet Celebration,” and the 83-year-old bard has suffered severe hearing loss so he’s chosen “intimate venues with optimal acoustics”—hence the Orpheum. Since his premature finale, Simon has released Seven Psalms, a song cycle that will take up a half hour or so of this show; depending on my mood, I find it unobtrusively slight, pretentiously overdone, or gently moving. As for the rest of his set, if you doubt what he can do with his catalog (or could within the past decade), check out 2018’s In the Blue Light, which cannily revisits some oldies and not-so-oldies. While I love the romantic realist Simon was in the '70s, the reborn middle-aged tourist who made Graceland, and (even, begrudgingly) the better half of & Garfunkel, I hope Simon reminds fans how vital he remained on later albums like 2016’s Stranger to Stranger and, especially, 2011’s So Beautiful or So What. $184-$309. 8 p.m. 912 Hennepin Ave.; find more info here. April 20, 22-23—Keith Harris
ONGOING
Public Functionary x Meet at Mia "Giants"
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
If (like me) you still haven’t made it to Mia for “Giants,” the exhibit of 100 works from Black artists drawn from the collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, maybe one of these Thursday night gatherings, thrown by art event planning experts at Public Functionary, will get you over there. The final event on April 17 features a raft of performers, including Sol Salvation Choir and Greg Grease, DJ McShellen and DJ Afro, and BLAQ Dance Collective. Free. 5-9 p.m. 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here. Thursdays through April 17—Keith Harris
Studio Ghibli at the Parkway
Parkway Theater
Founded in 1985, Tokyo-based Studio Ghibli has been bringing us works in its unique style and whimsy for nearly 40 years. You know their schtick: Quirky characters go on an unexpected adventure, told via vibrant colors and a sweeping musical score. SG movies are also notable for what they are not: When Hanna-Barbera was recycling animations in the ‘80s, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli crew was painstakingly hand-drawing and painting cells with watercolors. When Disney shuttered its hand-drawn animation department in 2009, Ghibli would keep doing its thing, save for a sole 2020 computer-animated collaboration (The Earwig and the Witch). This series at the Parkway features a selection of core offerings from Ghibli; this week's pick is the iconic My Neighbor Totoro, Miyazaki’s ode to rural life and befriending giant gentle creatures (as well as an unintentionally terrifying cat bus). And the final week is Ponyo, about a goldfish that turns into a human girl and befriends a little boy. $7/$10 adults; $5/$8 kids; $20-$28 all-movies pass. 1 p.m. Saturdays. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through April 26—Jessica Armbruster
30 Days of Biking
All Around the World
This is more than a festival or one specific event; 30 Days of Biking is an experience, a challenge, a global community, and, maybe, a paradigm shift. 30 Days of Biking is a worldwide event with local roots; each spring participants vow to bike every day for the month of April, be it a short neighborhood trip or a full-blown multi-mile excursion. It’s a chance to feel more confident biking around town, to experience trails, and to see the world on two wheels (or one, you wacky unicyclers!). You won’t have to do it alone, as there are a bunch of friendly bike rides this month; if pastries are your thing, Perennial Cycle will host sweets-fueled jaunts every Saturday. Watch the Joyful Riders’ Facebook page for updates on group rides, and sign up for the challenge at 30daysofbiking.com. Through April 30—Jessica Armbruster
“Embracing Fallibility: A Neon Exhibition”
Foci - Minnesota Center for Glass Arts
Humans are imprecise, messy, and flawed, and Brooklyn-based neon/glass artist James Akers wants us to celebrate this. “In today's era of surveillance and automation to enhance business objectives, human fallibilities are often framed in a negative light, to be replaced by seemingly infallible ‘machine intelligence,’” he says. So while neon work is often clean and precise, Akers creates sculptures that are chaotic, haphazard, and, sometimes, even smudged; an overpacked machine with a giant red button or an electric rat’s nest. It’s an absolute mess, and it’s wonderful. 2213 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis; more info here. Through July 19—Jessica Armbruster
