Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 5.19
Book Launch: Whack Job
Moon Palace Books
Here’s a title that’s sure to grab ya: Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder. In her just-released book, Rachel McCarthy James explores the axe’s history, “first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism,” through the murders the tool has been used in over the centuries. Did you know the first axe murder was committed nearly half a million years ago? I did not! She’ll be at Moon Palace in conversation with Alice Bolin, author of Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession and the upcoming Culture Creep: Notes on the Pop Apocalypse. Hm, does anyone else have a sudden urge to watch American Psycho? Free. 6 p.m. Masks are required. 3032 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
WEDNESDAY 5.21
Skyline Mini Golf
Walker Art Center
Putt putt is all about the challenge of using a stick to control a tiny ball amid quirky chaos. Sometimes you scoot right though without a problem, other times you end up hitting a hot dog too hard and bounce off course. Is that a metaphor for life? Maybe! All I know is that mini golf is back at the Walker, and playing it well requires a mix of patience, a light touch, and preparation for worst-case scenarios. This year’s course is 10 holes, all familiar hits that pay tribute to the Twin Cities and local culture with a few nods to the museum’s collection thrown in. Sometimes the obstacles are a bump in the road, sometimes it's a giant French fry, and sometimes the obstacle is you. Hey, this game really is a metaphor for life! $12. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through October 5—Jessica Armbruster
Myq Kaplan
Acme Comedy Co.
In his roundup of great early pandemic comedy specials, the New York Times’ esteemed comedy critic Jason Zinoman called Kaplan “standup’s answer to Inception,” a brainy, rapid-fire joke teller whose complex premises are loaded with punchlines—it’s up to you to keep up. That’s not to say the vocally vegan, polyamorous Bostonian is inaccessible; he’s appeared on the late-night circuit over the past dozen years. Kaplan simply rewards listeners who pay full attention, and that’s easy to do with his kinetic, finely honed storytelling style. His latest special, 2020’s A.K.A. (aka the one that impressed Zinoman), is billed as an hour of “truth, love, and not murdering, guaranteed to appeal to all the not-murdering enthusiasts out there.” 18+. $20-$40. 8 p.m. Wed.-Thu.; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 708 N. First St., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Saturday—Jay Boller
THURSDAY 5.22
Mike
Amsterdam
In an age of the 30+ track album, there’s nothing special about being a prolific rapper in 2025, but this Brooklyn MC doesn’t just pump out product—he exercises some serious quality control. In the time since he passed through the Underground Music Cafe last April, Mike has released two albums: the excellent Showbiz! (certainly an ironic title from a rhymer this chronically blasé) and Pinball II, a collab with producer Tony Seltzer that serves as a sequel to (as you might have guessed) last year’s Pinball. On each he remains mumbly yet articulate, anxious yet subdued, letting his skills speak for themselves so consistently you sometimes wish he’d reveal a little more… ambition? Ego? Hustle? And yet the paradox of Mike is that if he tried harder he’d lose what sets him apart. With Navy Blue and Samiratruth. $25/$30. 7 p.m. 6 W. Sixth St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Kickoff To Summer at the Fair
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
As of this writing, we have 93 days left until the Great Minnesota Get-Together. That may seem like a long ways away, but we all know summer goes fast. For folks looking for a little taste of what’s to come, the fair is hosting another mini-fest this weekend to tide you over. Here “mini” is not really small; there will be over 40 beer and food vendors, including new (to this event) entrants El Burrito Mercado and Minneapple Pie (go for the MinneCookieDough Pie—and get it à la mode). Lulu’s Public House will be frying up salad dressing again as its surprise hit Deep Fried Ranch returns. There will also be over two-dozen local merchants to shop from, special history tours through the park, and the Giant Slide will be open. Musical acts include ABBASolutely Fab (Thu.) and G.B. Leighton (Fri.). $13. 4-9 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul; find tickets and info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Citric Dummies
7th St Entry
Last year the tunefully breakneck trio of Drew Ailes, Patrick Dillon, and Travis Minnick followed up the funny-as-hell Hüsker-boosting (it’s fair use, your honor) full-length Zen and the Arcade of Beating Your Ass (let Drew deliver a commencement address) with the funnier-than-hell four-song EP Trapped in a Parking Garage (we’ve all been there). The titles say it all: “Look Out World (I’m Eatin’ Arby’s),” “Driving a Piece of Shit,” “Sit at Home and Die,” and, of course, the title track. In other words, relatable stuff. Great lineup for this tour kickoff too, with Yambag, Surrogates, and BUIO OMEGA rounding out the bill. $20.59. 7 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
FRIDAY 5.23
Caterwaul
Mortimer’s, 331 Club, Zhora Darling
The noisiest music fest in the North returns on Memorial Day weekend, serving up a plethora of loud guitars and great band names (let’s hear it for Gaytheist, but let’s not overlook Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes). Caterwaul kicks off at Mortimer’s on Friday night with an eight-band lineup headed by Chicago postpunks FACS. The event then moves to the 331 Club for the following three days, where you can catch a mix of local and touring bands, including the likes of Young Widows, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform. There’s also an afterparty at Zhora Darling on Saturday night. This is, quite simply, a lot of rock. $40-$60; four-day pass for $180. Find a complete lineup and more info here. Through Monday—Keith Harris
Ali Sultan
Sisyphus Brewing Co.
This very funny hometown comic will be recording his latest album over these two nights. Sultan has been slugging it out in the clubs since he was a teen, and that stage time is paying off. The Yemeni-Ethiopian American comedian scored an appearance on Colbert in 2021, appeared on Comedy Central alongside Kevin Hart that same year, and, before all that, became the first local ever to win both Acme and House of Comedy's funniest person contests. Sultan's first two albums, 2019's Happy to Be Here and 2021's Funny First, are available via streamers; you can watch his YouTube special from last year here. 18+. $15. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 712 Ontario Ave. W. #100; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SATURDAY 5.24
Retro Open House
Free Geek Twin Cities
The Racket staff is made up of incurable nerds and nostalgics, which explains our love of dead media. So, yes, we heartily recommend checking out Free Geek, the south Minneapolis electronics recycling center/thrift store. It’s great if you’ve got a George W. Bush-era iMac to responsibly dispose of, sure, but it’s also a techy thrifter wonderland, full of obscure cords, vintage computers, CRT TVs, and other affordably priced throwback gear. Among the open house attractions this Saturday at Free Geek: play retro video game consoles, tour the Free Geek restoration lab and meet the tinkerers, explore "rare and weird" electronics of yore, and hear about recycling and volunteer opportunities. To learn a whole lot more about the history and mission of Free Geek, look out for a Racket profile later this week. Free. Noon to 6 p.m. 2537 25th Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Oddities and Curiosities Expo
Minneapolis Convention Center
Oddities and curiosities? In this economy? Yes, this roving expo of all things weird and unusual returns to Minneapolis this weekend for two days of strangeness. They’ll have vendors selling everything from original artwork to preserved specimens to antiques—everything you need to give your home a fun, macabre vibe. Depending on your level of squeamishness, you can also take classes on raccoon taxidermy, entomology, arachnology, dissection, and more. $10/$15; kids 12 and under free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. 1301 S. Second Ave., Minneapolis more info here. Through Sunday—Em Cassel
Jump Up! Greenway-Lake Street Cultural Caravan
Midtown Greenway
Every other weekend this season there’s been a party on the Greenway thanks to Jump Up!, an event that’s part parade, part neighborhood block party, and part cultural celebration. For Memorial Day weekend, they’ll be celebrating the life of those we’ve lost with BareBones Puppet Theatre and Batucada Do Norte Brazilian Percussion Band. BB has been bringing audiences spectacles in the park for years via its annual Halloween show filled with giant puppets and other colorful creations. Meet on the Greenway at 11 a.m. for performances, food, artists, and more, then caravan on foot or bike with the crew as they head to Midtown Global Market for more activities and acts onstage. Free. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Midtown Greenway, near 10th Street (across from Venture Bikes), Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
ONGOING
“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
"Creation.Story"
All My Relations Arts
For this group show, artists blend the oral histories of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux Nation’s Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota tribes) with the modern-day people, ideas, and language. Think portraits featuring computer tech flourishes or fluffy felt buffalos rendered as collectible figurines. Co-curated by Keith BraveHeart and David Meyer, this touring exhibition changes with each location, inviting local artists to contribute works that make each event gallery specific. Fourteen artists will be showcased here, including James Star Comes Out, Dyani White Hawk, Jaida Grey Eagle, and others. 1414 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through July 26—Jessica Armbruster
Under the Canopy
Hook and Ladder
The Hook’s summerlong, pandemic-spawned outdoor series returns this week with 15 excuses to enjoy great music and fresh air while avoiding the sun’s poisonous rays. The jazzy, bluesy, and otherwise rootsy Davina and the Vagabonds kicked things off, and the series wraps up in early August with Dr. Mambo’s Combo paying tribute to two funk/soul powerhouses of the ’70s: Sly & the Family Stone and Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Between those two dates you can catch Racket faves Vial, soulful rockers Mae Simpson, astute singer-songwriter Chastity Brown, the THC-fueled dance party Doinks N’ Dubstep, a tribute to the Dead’s storied 1977 set at Cornell, and—you guessed it!—much more. 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through August 8—Keith Harris
