Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
TUESDAY 1.28
The Get Up Kids
Fine Line
Here’s an interesting tidbit I learned from listening to multiple podcasts featuring Matt Pryor, frontman of the Get Up Kids: While 1999’s Something to Write Home About is rightly regarded as an emo classic, the catalyzing force behind its angst isn’t romantic—the band was really pissed at their old record label. Relisten today and the songs take on whole new music-biz meanings rather than lovelorn ones. Or you can take this newfound knowledge to the Fine Line, where TGUK will be performing their sophomore album in its entirety. The Kansas City band have always voiced misgivings about helping launch the mall-emo boom of the '00s, mostly because they arrived via a very different underground rock scene that was more Our Band Could Be Your Life than Hot Topic. And that authenticity bubbles throughout the rock-solid TGUK discography, with the band ripping through the blistering, synthy emo of Something to the mellow Americana of its follow-up, On a Wire. A mid-’00s breakup couldn’t stop the Get Up Kids from becoming the scene institution they are today, riding high on the 25th(ish) anniversary reissue of Something to Write Home About—an album that Pitchfork finally got right. Smoking Popes open. 18+. $30-$55. 7 p.m. 318 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
WEDNESDAY 1.29
Tim Heidecker & the Very Good Band
First Avenue
Heidecker is not just a wildly influential comedic genius but a very good musician to boot. What can you expect at this gig from Tim and his Very Good Band? “I’ve found this little sweet spot, where I can still be funny and I can still be myself. I don’t have to pretend to be this pretentious singer-songwriter, because I’m not. I’m just me,” he recently told an interviewer. Heidecker’s musical output over the past decade—five studio albums plus a live one—would put plenty of full-time musicians to shame, with releases that target Trump (2017’s Too Dumb for Suicide) and ones that look inward (last year’s contemplative indie-folk effort Slipping Away). “My artistic life has been about obscuring identity and irony, and making it so that you don’t know who you’re getting when you’re dealing with me,” he told Variety last fall. The great Neil Hamburger opens. 18+. $39.50. 7 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
THURSDAY 1.30
Jimmy O. Yang
State Theatre
This Hong Kong-born comic was presented with a career fork in the road after graduating college with a finance degree: get a high-paying corporate gig or continue slugging it out inside L.A. comedy clubs. Yang chose the latter path, and it’s paying off. You know him from HBO’s prophetic Silicon Valley, but you should for sure check out his latest project, Hulu’s excellent Interior Chinatown; I enjoyed his recent conversation about it on Fresh Air. His latest comedy special, Guess How Much?, dropped via Prime in 2023, and he’s starring in an upcoming horror movie, the Vera Miao-directed Rock Springs. $54.50-$94.50. 8 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
FRIDAY 1.31
Two-Year Anniversary
Green Room
Has it really been two years already since we offered this preview of a new live music venue in Uptown? (Yes, it has. Look at the damn date on the story, Keith.) The Green Room’s well-deserved two-night victory lap begins on Friday with footloose rockers (and Green Room regulars) the Shackletons, along with Megasound, Dark Pony, and Katacombs. On Saturday the always explosive Marijuana Deathsquads headline, and they’re joined by Why Not, Reiki, and Ava Levy. Those are two serious local music lineups. Congrats to Green Room for helping to bring live music back to Uptown. We’re looking forward to year three. 21+. $23.89. 7 p.m. Fri.; 6 p.m. Sat. 2923 Girard Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here. Also Saturday—Keith Harris
Best New Bands
First Avenue
Who are the best new bands of 2024? We gave you our answers last year, but tonight First Ave’s annual bash presents you with another equally valid set of options, with just one artist overlapping. (That’d be longtime scene veteran but “new” solo act Christy Costello.) Also possibly familiar to Racket readers will be Bizhiki, pow wow singer Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings’s collaboration with Joe Rainey and Sean Carey, whose album Unbound was among my 2024 favorites. You can also familiarize yourself with the tuneful youths in the Dalmatian Club, the folksy group Kiernan, introspective rapper Mati, capital-letter-avoidant alt-rockers porch light, and the jazz quartet room3. Show up and say you saw ’em when. 18+. $20.77. 7 p.m. 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Bonspiel and Winter Festival
Forgotten Star Brewing
It doesn’t get much more wintry than this. All weekend long at Fridley’s Forgotten Star Brewing, there’s a bonspiel (that is: a curling tournament) accompanied by all kinds of other wintertime merrymaking. Beer poking, a hot cocoa bar, beerskis, and other outdoor games are all on tap (beer term), plus beer pong, trivia, bingo, and a Sunday meat raffle. Want to compete in the curling tournament? You can register your team of four here for $200; the championship winners will get $500 in gift cards. Free. 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley; more info here. Through Sunday—Em Cassel
Winter Activities Celebration
56 Brewing
An outdoor beer party, in this weather? Hell yes, we live in Minnesota. This Friday the folks at 56 Brewing are celebrating the release of their Vienna lager, Winter Activities, with an outdoor get-together. There will be plenty of chances to score cheap beer here, folks. If you bring a new or gently used winter coat, hat, fleece leggings, or gloves for YouthLink MN, you’ll receive a BOGO drink ticket. If you’re drinking outside on the patio (yes, there will be bonfires) some beers on tap will be priced as low as $2 a pint. You can level up your beer with the help of a staffer with a hot poker from 5 to 8 p.m., too. Indoors, “acoustic ’90s” cover group Dipped in Flannel will play a set, snowboard waxing will be available, and there will be crafts and tabletop gaming for kids and grownups. Free. 5-10 p.m. 3055 NE Columbia Ave., Suite 102, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
CONsole Room: Rockin’ Through the WHOniverse
Hilton Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport
CONsole has been celebrating the good Doctor and his buds for 12 years now, both with in-person happenings and online offerings. This year is no different, with three days of Britophile geekery. The guest of honor this year is fifth Doctor Peter Davison, aka the dapper, cricket-loving iteration of the Time Lord. Nicola Bryant, his companion Peri on the series, will also be in attendance, and Ian McNeice, who played Winston Churchill more recently on the show, is on schedule. Add an escape room, an epic vendor and artist floor, screenings, afterparties, and tabletop gaming, and you have yourself a bloody good time. $40-$55 daily passes; multi-day and family passes also available here. Noon to 6 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
SATURDAY 2.1
Red Bull Heavy Metal
Minnesota State Capitol
What is street snowboarding? If you’re to believe Racket’s Em Cassel (and lord I do), street snowboarding has gotten really big in Minnesota for an obvious reason: "We have hills, not mountains," Lexi Roland, one of about a dozen women and a handful of Minnesotans who competed in 2022’s Heavy Metal event in Duluth, told Em. Think snowboarders from around the world pulling off tricks atop handrails, ledges, stairs, and fences—all of which mercifully require very little snow. Over 20 riders will be competing for $30,000 in total prizes this year outside of the Capitol; parts of the St. Paul competition will air via ESPN 2 on February 16 at 9:30 p.m. Free. 2-5 p.m. 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Loppet Winter Festival
Theodore Wirth Park and Lake of the Isles
This event used to be a weekend-long gig, but its popularity has grown so much over the years that it has extended to three weekends. First up was January’s Low-Pet/Law-Pet Challenge (it’s not a pet thing; it’s a play on “loppet” pronunciations), featuring fat bike and XC ski races. This weekend is the big one, the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival, where winter sports lovers of all ages and skill levels can sign up to a race at Theodore Wirth Park; events include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, bike riding, and skijoring (skiing, but with dogs!). Next week is the Luminary Loppet, where Lake of the Isles turns into a magical trail featuring fire and ice installations, stops with hot drinks, and performances, ending with a party boasting fire pits, food trucks, beer, and music. For a complete list of events or to sign up, visit loppet.org/events/festival. February 1-2, 8—Jessica Armbruster
Doggie Depot
Union Depot
It’s a dog party at the Union Depot this weekend. Part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the Doggie Depot is a friendly doggie hang, with the fest’s canine royalty, King Grover and Queen Kairi, presiding over the event. There will be a bunch of things to check out, whether you’re a pet owner or pet-curious, including rescues with adoptable pups, local vendors selling wares and giving away samples, pet experts to ask your animal related questions, and giveaways. Free. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.—Jessica Armbruster
SUNDAY 2.2
Chief Adjuah
Dakota
Formerly known as Christian Scott, the artist now known as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah has been one of the 21st century’s more innovative trumpeters in the music he dislikes calling jazz, preferring the term “stretch music.” But on his latest album, Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning, released in 2023, Adjuah abandoned the trumpet in favor of the West African n’goni and homemade stringed instruments of his own design, while drawing on the polyrhythms and chants of New Orleans “Black Indian” music toward bold ends—the title track celebrates a heroine who torches an ICE facility. But that was two years ago. Who knows how much further Adujah has travelled in the time since. $45/$50. 7 p.m. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Great Minnesota Bike Swap
Martin Luther King Park Community Center
This event bills itself as “the largest bike swap in Minnesota,” and who would we be to argue with that? This third-annual swap meet will have parts and gear (and even some complete bikes) from “your favorite Minnesota bike pickers, mechanics, shops, brands, hoarders, collectors, riders, and lovers.” There’s still time to reserve a table if you’re a vendor; everyone else, just show up Sunday ready to find some cool new stuff for your bike. Free. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 4055 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
ONGOING
Saint Paul Winter Carnival
Various Locations
What’s the most epic winter festival in Minnesota? This guy right here. Now in its second week, this sprawling event gets people out of their warm homes for some chilly fun in the dead of winter. There will be parades like the Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade, sporting events ranging from indoor rodeos to outdoor snow golfing, ice sculptures in Rice Park, snow sculptures at the Fairgrounds, and dogs (the Doggie Depot). Como Conservatory’s annual orchid show turns 50 this year, and other highlights include fireworks shows, a food festival at Landmark Center, and guided trolley tours of the fest. For a complete schedule of events, see wintercarnival.com. Through February 2—Jessica Armbruster
The Great Northern
Various Locations
Oh look, another mega event for the darkest days of winter! This one’s loaded with wonderful stuff, too. That includes a sauna village over by Malcolm Yards that will host BIPOC, Pride, and family steam nights as well as a screening of Prince’s Sign O’The Times concert movie projected onto the United Crushers building this Thursday. There’s fun to be had outdoors, with group jogs, forest walks, and hands-on activities at Silverwood Park and a giant ice bar down at the Union Depot. Other happenings include climate talks and events, tons of live music, dining pop-ups, and a new art piece on Lake Street from local yarn bomber turned global installation artist HOTTEA. Find the complete schedule at thegreatnorthernfestival.com. Through February 2—Jessica Armbruster
Art Shanty Projects
Lake Harriet
Hooray for Art Shanties! This year, 20 structures have headed for the ice, and there will be a mix of indoor and outdoor fun. The Hot Box Shanty, which looks like a flaming dumpster, is actually a disco dance party, while the elaborately titled Opening the Black Box of Winter shanty offers under-the-lake views from above ground. Other themed spaces include celebrations of banned books and recycling, opps to score free stuff, and some kind of cat party. Performances and activities scheduled throughout the fest: live music (Klezmer on Ice! Prairie Fire Choir!), theater (Queer Puppet Clash!), radio broadcasts (Ice Pirate Radio!), yoga on ice, and tiny bike races. Last year, the festival was cut short after one weekend (screw you, global warming!). This year, they’ve got “Plan Beach,” meaning they’ll head to the bandshell if needed, and there’s a Plan C should that area be too muddy. So far, Plan A is a go. Free; $10-$20 suggested donation. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis; find more deets at artshantyprojects.org. Through February 9 (hopefully!)—Jessica Armbruster
Minnesota Ice Festival
TCO Stadium
Is it “cool” that Minnesota Ice, “the nation's leading manufacturer of sculpture-grade ice,” has set a Guinness World Record for the largest ice maze? Sure! Other elements of the Minnesota Ice Festival seem fun, too: music from Kat Perkins, the Snow Sisters, and the Red Bull DJ truck, plus ice-sculpting contests, ice skating, ice slides, ice bars, food trucks, and scavenger hunts. (I would have thrown in a Mr. Freeze-themed ice pun contest, except licensing could have gotten dicey.) If you sensed a “but” coming, here’s that but: Tickets seem exorbitantly expensive for this sort of thing! Ice is famously cheap! At any rate, if your family has cash to blow, you could do worse—how often does the world’s largest ice maze come around? $25 adults; $13 kids; $70 family of four packages. 4-10 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. 2645 Vikings Circle, Eagan; find more info here. Through February 16—Jay Boller
Minnesota Ice Castle
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
It’s cold as hell out there, and that’s good news for ice castle explorers. Unleash your inner Shackleton at the MN State Fairgrounds, which is just one of the local outdoor castles/palaces/mazes now offering a collection of caverns/slides/tunnels made from ice. You’ll also find twinkling trails filled with lights, hand-carved iced sculptures created by local (and not-so-local) artists, and a polar pub serving up warming winter-themed alcoholic drinks. $17-$24 ($12-$17 during off-peak days). Thursdays through Mondays. 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul; more info here. Through February 17—Em Cassel
Night Trains
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
The holidays are 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. 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
Melanin in Motion Nordic Skiing
Theodore Wirth Park
On Mondays this winter, Melanin in Motion is hosting introductory and progressive Nordic/cross-country ski lessons for members of the BIPOC community, with sessions led by BIPOC women and youth. You’ll learn all the XC basics—kinds of strides, using your poles properly, climbing and descending—and the $11 fee includes the equipment rental and a trail pass. (That’s a great deal; it’s usually $26 for a rental and day pass.) Catch up with Melanin in Motion co-founder Anthony Taylor in this 2024 Racket feature about the groups working to diversify the outdoors. $11, with scholarships available to those in need. 6-8 p.m. 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway, Minneapolis; get more info and reserve your spot here. Mondays through February—Em Cassel
The Ice Palace
Delano
This winter palace—not a castle—is now open. A little road trip to Delano gets you to this sprawling ice installation, which features mazes, tunnels, ice rooms, and other delights, plus occasional fireworks shows and fire performances. There’s food from vendors including Brickside Grille & Tap and Doxy’s Donuts, and they’ll also have themed nights on Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday, with special early hours on holidays like Presidents’ Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. $11-$23; $25-$69 VIP passes; $49-$69 season passes. 5-9 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 4 to 9 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 657 River St. N., Delano; more info here. Through March 2—Em Cassel
“Paul Shambroom’s American Photographs”
Katherine E. Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota
Photographer Paul Shambroom has been documenting the relationship between individuals and power, in all its forms, for four decades now. This selection of his work will debut his most recent projects, Purpletown and Past Time, which look at the current political climate in the U.S. His 1979 series, Portrait of Hennepin Avenue, which has not been shown publicly since 1985, will also be on display, as well as Shambroom’s work with found objects such as unattributed photographs and business cards. There will be a “participatory event” on February 6 at 5 p.m. Free. 405 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through March 8—Keith Harris
“Unveiling 1,000 Nesting Dolls”
The Museum of Russian 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 Museum of Russian 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. 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through March 9—Keith Harris
