Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
TUESDAY 2.4
Tyler, the Creator
Xcel Energy Center
Tyler has a knack for crafting intriguing albums that I rarely feel like returning to. Partly, I suspect, because full engagement with his music requires a deep interest in Tyler himself—his unfolding lore, his ever-shifting personae, his personality—and if you haven’t grown up alongside him over the past 15 years, his personal development is likely to hold only passing interest. But the reformed Odd Future troll tugged my ear by showing a little actual empathy on his eighth Chromakopia—sure there’s the obligatory “never trust a bitch,” but on “Hey Jane” he’s cool with a pregnant partner’s choice, either way, and on “Judge Judy” he refuses to talk shit about a girl who’s into wild sex. Hardly Feminist of the Year stuff, but hey, the bar is very low for men, people. And if that’s all a little soft for you, don’t worry—I’m sure Tyler’ll move on to a new mood soon. With Lil Yachty and Paris Texas. $133+. 7:30 p.m. 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; more info here.—Keith Harris
THURSDAY 2.6
Institute of Ice
Minneapolis Institute of Art
In the spring, for Art In Bloom, Mia invites florists to recreate famous pieces from its collection out of flowers. In the winter, ice carvers bust out their chainsaws and give it a go. Carving and installation begins around 9 a.m. (the public is welcome to stop by and watch), followed by an opening reception in the evening. A few promised pieces: Your Dog by Yoshitomo Nara, Raffaelo Monti’s Veiled Lady, and Nick Cave’s Soundsuit. During festivities, folks will be welcome to watch live sculpting demos, take a guided tour of the pieces, and warm up at the bonfire. Food trucks will be stopping by, and an ice bar will offer hot and cool drinks of the boozy and NA variety. If you miss tonight’s party, fear not: The ice sculptures will be on display outside until they melt. Free. 5-8:30 p.m. 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
Youssef Rakha
Magers & Quinn
The Egyptian writer Youssef Rakha has drawn praise over the years for his ability to channel the complexities of modern Egyptian history into fiction in works like The Crocodiles and Emissaries. This week Graywolf Press is publishing his first English language novel, The Dissenters, the story of a man who reads his late mother’s diaries and discovers previously unknown political commitments in her past. Tonight Rakha will be in conversation with Linda Mokdad of St. Olaf College. Free; registration required. 7 p.m. 3038 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; more info here.—Keith Harris
Highways of Doom
The Heights
The Heights/Trylon annual noir festival goes on the road this year—without ever leaving Columbia Heights. Every Thursday in February (and one in March) they’re showing a movie that features someone on the run, and every one's a winner. In Fritz Lang’s You Only Live Once (hey, that’s where Drake got that), Henry Fonda is an innocent man sentenced to death, and man is he pissed. Ann Savage’s mean femme fatale steals the nasty Detour, while Gun Crazy more than lives up to its name. Forward to the 1970s and Steven Spielberg’s Duel, in which mild-mannered Dennis Weaver and his Plymouth Valiant are menaced across the Mojave Desert by an 18-wheeler with an unseen driver. Wrapping things up is Thelma & Louise, which really does hold up, in case you were wondering. $12. 7:30 p.m. 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; find dates and more info here. Thursdays through March 6—Keith Harris
Out There 2025: Cuckoo
Walker Art Center
When we last checked in with the Out There series, there were human-sized puppets and a man was trying to write a play about Milli Vanilli. This week, we have a guy chatting with sentient rice cookers about South Korea. For Cuckoo, playwright Jaha Koo will prepare rice while discussing the fallout from the country’s late '90s economic crash, which includes increased police brutality and high youth suicide—heavy stuff for chatty robots. Don’t worry though, there are some lighter moments, too. “[The rice cookers are] hilarious, swearing so furiously at one another that Gordon Ramsey would be proud to have them in his kitchen,” writes Harvey Bassett for Exuent. “They also sing, quite beautifully, in an eerie robotic tone.” $15. 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find tickets here. Through Saturday—Jessica Armbruster
CCU Turns 20
Comedy Corner Underground
Organizers have summed up the vibe of Comedy Corner Underground nicely: “On February 6th, 2005, we threw open the doors of the Comedy Corner Underground and let the weirdos, degenerates, and comedy misfits flood in.” Twenty years ago CCU founder Marc Dickhut convinced the owner of the Corner Bar to let him build a 65-seat comedy club in the basement, and that space has since become an invaluable training ground for generations of local comics. To celebrate, the self-dubbed “weird little punk rock comedy club” is recreating its first-ever lineup over three nights: Dickhut, Benny Quash, Tommy Thompson, Shannon Thompson, and Justin Caesar. "For some of us that haven't written any new material that'll be no problem whatsoever," Dickhut, who’s no longer involved with CCU, said when this same anniversary stunt was pulled 10 years ago. $20. 7 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; 9 p.m. Sat. 1501 Washington Ave S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
FRIDAY 2.7
Ice Climber
Amsterdam
This “genre-bending, shape-shifting acid rock collective” (to use their own words) has, from what I gather, seven members at the moment. They’re celebrating three years of existence with their first album, called Ice Climber, an exuberant collection of heavy and sometimes funky rock with new wave saxophone and the charismatic Xochi de la Luna declaiming their sometimes wry, sometimes heartfelt musings on top. Among my faves are the danceably skeptical "No Yeah, For Sure,” “Consistently Inconsistent” (about being a fuckup), and the moving climax “All I Know Is Death,” a litany of Xochi’s dead friends. On Instagram they promise that ”there will be cake and piñatas,” which I originally read as “pilates,” but this makes much more sense. Please don’t sue them, Nintendo. With Allergen, ¿WATCHES?, ihavenoloveformenlikeyou, Corina Lucas, and Joe Addict. $10/$15. 7 p.m. 6 W. Sixth St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
OG Zaza DDD Watch Party
HeadFlyer Brewing
Flavortown mayor Guy Fieri visited six local restaurants for the latest season of his food network series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which raises the question: Is Flavortown, in fact, the Twin Cities? Seems possible! StepChld, Hai Hai, Union Hmong Kitchen, Guacaya Bistreaux, Nixta, and OG Zaza Pizza are the area restaurants highlighted this season, and while the other episodes aired starting in November, you can finally catch the OG Zaza premiere with a special screening at Headflyer Brewing in northeast Minneapolis tonight. We hear there’s supposed to be a pretty cool cameo in this episode… Free. 8 p.m. 861 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
SATURDAY 2.8
13th Annual Monster Drawing Rally
Midway Contemporary Art
“It’s like a family-friendly Monster Truck rally for art,” says Midway’s deputy director Megan McCready. I’d probably liken it to more of an art relay race. However you describe it, this benefit for the northeast Minneapolis art center is a lot of well-organized, chaotic fun. Sixty-plus artists will be stopping by to do one-hour shifts, where they will make art live (some even take requests!) in a variety of mediums. After they finish, their pieces will go up on the sale wall, where all items are priced at $35. Neat! Also neat: This is your chance to check out Midway’s new(ish) space. Free. 2-6 p.m. 1509 NE Marshall St., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster
Luminary Loppet
Lake of the Isles
The Luminary Loppet is one of Minneapolis’s more magical annual events: 1,200 luminaries line a trail around Lake of the Isles, and you can walk (or xc ski, snow permitting) along the route, enjoying ice features and hot chocolate along the way. At the post-loop party area, they’ll have beer from Utepils Brewing (your first one is included with your Loppet registration), along with photo booths, fire pits, and food trucks. Less alliterative but still cool, there’ll also be live music from local Americana artist Emily Haavik, prize giveaways, and Loppet merch you can purchase to further support the foundation’s programming. $30/$40 day-of; $15 kids 16 and under. 6-10 p.m. 2370 Lake of the Isles Parkway W., Minneapolis; register and find more info here.—Em Cassel
SUNDAY 2.9
Souper Bowl Chili Cookoff
Insight Brewing
Is chili soup? You could fault this Como neighborhood Minneapolis brewery for its attempted pun, but you can’t fault ‘em for the concept behind it: Super Bowl LIX, which’ll see Racket’s Em Cassel rooting hard for her Birds, plus competitive chili thrills. Insight is inviting up to 20 amateur chili cooks (message via Facebook if you want in) to stir the pot for this spicy competition where partygoers will sample the goods and vote on a winner. (No Guatemalan Insanity Peppers!) Insight promises a “MASSIVE” projector screen for Philly vs. KC, as well as drink specials and smash burgers from the killer food truck Angry Line Cook. Free. 1-10 p.m. 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Game Time Grand Opening
Game Time Sports Bar & Arcade
Speaking of the Big Game: Here’s a big new place to watch it. The ol’ East Lake Brewing space inside Midtown Global Market is now Game Time, a sports bar that doubles as a retro arcade. The bar/restaurant is already hyping its “stadium-style” grub (street corn, loaded tots, peanut butter bacon hot dogs, giant pretzels with gouda) and specialty cocktails (Mauer Mule, Whalen’s Court-Side Margarita). GT’s classic arcade cabinets sit alongside other games like darts, bubble soccer, foosball, claw machines, and basketball hoops. One of the co-owners, Guatemala-born and North Side-raised Elvis Rivera, sounds like a helluva guy, telling Bring Me the News, "Rather than just a bar, another bar on Lake Street that people go to and get drunk, how can we make it a space where people come together… you know, make it a space for the community within the market, but also the community outside, and give our little contribution to hope in rebuilding what Lake Street was and maybe, even better, to where it can be in the future.” Free. Noon to 10 p.m. 20 E. Lake St. #123, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
ONGOING
Art Shanty Projects
Lake Harriet
Hooray for Art Shanties! This year, 20 structures will be 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
Speaking of big ol’ ice sculptures, this winter palace—not a castle—is also open as of last weekend. 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
