Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 10.9
yeule
First Avenue
Saying someone's lyrics reflect their online experience seems a little redundant in 2023, like pointing out that they use electricity. Still, some do explore their cyber-consciousness more thoroughly than others, and "multiverse entity"/"dissociate self" yeule is among them. On their new album, Softscars, titles like "Sulky Baby," "Software Update," and "Cyber Meat" tell more than half the story, and the femme chirp in which yeule delivers imagery like "the rottеn flesh of my own carcass" tells you most of the rest. The internet has welshed on its promise to allow us to transcend the gross prisons of our material bodies, hence all the not-exactly-mixed metaphors about sex and wounds and lines like "God created man, motherboard, wires and/Blood, bones, flesh, breathing, suicide engineering." But there's some guitar to keep digital non-natives oriented—a little art-rock here, a little grunge there, a little (how could there not be) pop-punk too. And all in all, these are ultimately just catchy songs about being miserable, a form of expression that existed long before DARPAnet was a gleam in the military industrial complex's all-seeing eye. With Sasami. $25-$42. 8 p.m. 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
TUESDAY 10.10
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily
Cedar Cultural Center
This stylistically varied trio’s appearance at the Cedar is the most anticipated jazz-adjacent event of the fall. Aftab’s melding of South Asian ghazal with Western pop forms has won her an audience beyond “world music” fans (or whatever we’re calling that slice of the marketplace these days). A cerebral composer who practices what he calls “creative music,” Iyer has been bridging genres throughout his career, incorporating Asian music and contemporary Black music, including hip-hop, into jazz. Ismaily is a distinguished multi-instrumentalist who has worked with Laurie Anderson, Tom Waits, and Nels Cline. These three big names teamed up this year for Love in Exile, on which Aftab’s husky anti-grav voice floats over Iyer’s inventive piano figures and synth textures while Ismaily’s supportive bass holds everything together. They don’t exactly groove, but this music isn’t static either; it drifts, probes, and queries. In a live setting it may well be transporting. $48/$53. 7:30 p.m. 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
WEDNESDAY 10.11
Bonnie Raitt
State Theatre
If your Raitt familiarity starts with her Grammy-winning 1989 comeback Nick of Time, you’re in for a treat—her run of ’70s albums, where she explored a warmer and folkier version of the blues than was being warped into hard rock and metal elsewhere at the time, stacks up against the work of just about any of your faves, especially the white ones. And if you stopped listening sometime in the ’90s when “Longing in Their Hearts” and its ilk suggested she’d committed the rest of her years to VH1 adult mush, you’re missing out too. In fact Just Like That… (not to be confused with the similarly titled Sex and the City sequel), the 2022 album her tour is named for, is the kind of ace collection of songs that seems so easy to put together till you realize how few others do—plus the usual killer slide guitar and a voice that made her sound mature back when she was a kid. To think there will be people this fall shelling out instead for Clapton’s snooze blues at the Xcel. With Roy Rogers. $60.50-$115. 7:30 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
THURSDAY 10.12
10,000 Laughs Festival
Various venues
The brainchild of Comedy Corner Underground owner Bob Edwards, 10KL is more of a loose constellation of stellar comedy bookings around town rather than a proper “festival.” This year’s standout headliners include: Beth Stelling (Netflix's The Standups, HBO's Crashing) at the Parkway Theater on Friday and The Granada on Saturday; Aparna Nancherla (HBO's Search Party, Comedy Central's Corporate) at the Parkway on Saturday; and recent Minnesota resident Kelsey Cook with longtime resident Chad Daniels at the Granada on Saturday. Other cool shows: KFAN DJs performing as the Power Trip Comedy Hour at the Parkway on Thursday; the We Cool? podcast—as featured in Racket—doing a live record at Comedy Corner Underground on Friday; and a Russian-language comedy showcase at CCU on Saturday. Launched in 2011, the 10KL fest now has support from Mystic Lake and seems stronger and larger than ever, to which we say: hell yeah. Given the scope of this thing, it’s really easier just to check out the complete lineup/logistics, which you can view here.—Jay Boller
Ilana Glazer
State Theatre
The electric Broad City co-star had a baby during the pandemic, and now she’s back on the road. Glazer, 36, has enjoyed an artistically diverse career since her Comedy Central show ended in 2014. She co-starred in a modest comedic hit with an all-star cast (2017’s Rough Night); she dropped her debut standup comedy special (2020’s The Planet Is Burning); she co-wrote, produced, and starred in a horror film (2021’s False Positive); and she won a Tony Award for producing the Broadway musical A Strange Loop. This current run of live shows should be a stylistic return to her early days as a cast member at New York City’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. $29-$49. 8 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Travail Haunted Basement Bar
Travail Kitchen and Amusements
Now, me? I like to keep my mayhem and scares separate from my dinner and drinks, lest the latter make a reappearance after a particularly gruesome fright. But you might feel differently! Plenty of people do, if the success of this ongoing collaboration between Travail and the Haunted Basement is any indication. Here, a terrifying 10-course tasting menu (with optional cocktail pairings) meets mayhem from the Haunted Basement team in Travail’s fully decked-out downstairs bar. Costumes are encouraged. $79+. Seatings at 5:45 and 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday—and a very special spooky evening on October 31. 4134 Hubbard Ave. N., Robbinsdale; find tickets and more info here. Through November 4—Em Cassel
FRIDAY 10.13
Friday the 13th
Harriet Island
Before Jason Voorhees took Manhattan, went into outer space, and, eventually, to Hell and back, he was just a crazy guy walking around the woods. (Well, not exactly, but we’re keeping this a spoiler-free zone.) The original Friday the 13th follows a group of wannabe camp counselors who head to Crystal Lake to renovate an old campsite with a tragic backstory. When it came out in 1980, it was deemed a Halloween rip-off (because it was), and panned by critics. "Unless your idea of a good time is to watch a woman have her head split by an ax or a man stuck to a door with arrows, you should stay away from Friday the 13th,” wrote Michael Blowen of The Boston Globe. Well, it turns out we do find all of that to be a good time, because those humble, on a budget first murders spawned 12 sequels, tons of books and comics, and one of the hardest NES video games of the '80s. You can watch it this Friday, which happens to be on the 13th, on Harriet Island. There will be food trucks and activities beforehand, with the film starting at dusk. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and whatever else you might need to stay warm. Free. 7 p.m. 151 Water St. W., St. Paul.—Jessica Armbruster
Dinner and a Scare
480 Arts Center
Fittingly, The Minnesota Renaissance Choir is hosting a special Halloween-themed event this Friday the 13th for the whole family. Dinner and drinks will begin at 6 p.m. with food from La Cochinita Food Truck and a cash bar, followed by a concert at 7. Under the direction of Jonathan Campbell, the 12-person choir will be singing what they call "ghoulishly fun choral music," with pieces by famous composers like Berlioz and Schumann plus songs from movies like Harry Potter and Hocus Pocus. Guests are invited to come in costume. $20; find tickets here. 6-8 p.m. 480 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul.—Makenzi Johnson
SATURDAY 10.14
Twin Cities Book Festival
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
Now in its 22nd year, TCBF brings readers of all ages and authors in all genres together for one day of book fun. Writers both local and national will host readings, Q&A sessions, and book signings. So far that includes attorney general Keith Ellison, who will be discussing his new book, Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence; two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo, who will be celebrating the launch of her original fairytale, The Puppets of Spelhorst; and journalist David Corn, whose most recent work explores the history of the Republican Party. Other fun to be had includes a sale showcasing local publishers and shops, including Graywolf Press, Wayward Nerd, Mizna, and Holy Cow! Press. For more details, check out twincitiesbookfestival.com. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.—Jessica Armbruster
Falling Knife WolvesFest
Falling Knife Brewing Company
“Falling Knife,” “WolvesFest”... it sounds like a spooky season celebration of some sort involving stabbing werewolves, doesn’t it? (We’d absolutely attend.) But no: This is simply one of our favorite Northeast breweries celebrating the return of the Timberwolves, who just bested the Mavericks in back-to-back preseason games in Abu Dhabi. On Saturday at Falling Knife, you can cheer along as the Wolves face the New York Knicks—but that’s not until 6:30. Beforehand, enjoy a live episode recording of the Dane Moore NBA Podcast, pizza from Wrecktangle, and plenty of beer, plus limited-edition merch available at the event only. Free. 4 p.m. 783 Harding St. NE #100, Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
Fortune Feimster
State Theatre
Over the past decade, Feimster has quietly built a powerhouse comedy career. The North Carolianian began as a panelist on Chelsea Lately, broke out with a three-season role on The Mindy Project, and now, at 43, she’s headlining theaters. And hosting a podcast on Sirius XM (What A Joke with Papa and Fortune). And developing (separate) projects with Tina Fey and Steven Spielberg's production company. And starring in her own Netflix comedy special, 2020’s Sweet & Salty, where the gregarious southerner drawls through animated longform bits about growing up gay, the many charms of Hooters, and her slow rise to Hollywood stardom. Feimster even has a neat local connection, according to this recent Lavender profile: “Minneapolis has a very special place in my heart, too, because I performed at the Pride on the night it was announced that marriage equality had been passed.” $29.50-$65. 7 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SUNDAY 10.15
Judge John Hodgman
Fitzgerald Theater
Does John Hodgman get enough credit for being one this century’s best humorists? Probably! (It’s not a crowded field.) His podcast, a mock court show being recorded tonight at The Fitz, is terrific, as is his 2017 memoir Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches. Hodgman is most recognizable to mainstream TV audiences from Apple's longrunning "Get a Mac" ad campaign, wherein Hodgeman (a PC) looked dorkier than Justin Long (a, you guessed it, Mac). But comedy fans know the erudite jokester has kept busy since the ‘00s, most recently on his own FXX animated show Dicktown and this year’s Hulu series Up Here. Tonight’s pod recording promises a “mix of non-swearing comedy, pop culture obsession, and sheer, unadulterated FAKE LEGAL WISDOM.” $32.50+. 7 p.m. 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
ONGOING
The Nightmarish Nineties
Trylon
From The Heights’ “How Do You Talk to an Angel?” to Joe Lieberman droning sanctimoniously on about video game violence, the ’90s were truly nightmarish in many ways. But this month the Trylon is focusing on the good kinds of nightmares that decade dreamed up, and their selection of films make a strong argument for the ’90s as a hotbed of horror invention. There was innovation in the multiplexes, as represented by Candyman and the meta-slasher pop of the first two Scream movies. Truly disturbing films came from Japan and Europe, such as Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure and George Sluizer’s The Vanishing. (Yes the second one is from the late ’80s but shh.) There were low-budget sleeper hits like The Blair Witch Project and Oscar-approved films like The Silence of the Lambs. There’s also Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which I thought was kinda silly at the time but has won a following over the years for its lurid imagery (or maybe you pervs are just there for the pale, heaving bosoms). 2820 E 33rd St, Minneapolis; find complete dates, showtimes, and more info here. Through October 29—Keith Harris
Sever’s Fall Festival
Sever’s Farm
Getting lost in a corn maze? Sounds like the start of a horror movie. But in reality it’s just wholesome fun. Since 1997, Sever’s has hosted a huge maze meant for you to get turned around and confused in. They’re not just about large-scale crop art though—this festival has all kinds of fall activities. There’s a petting zoo with feisty goats and playful pigs, there are hay rides, there are hay sculptures, there’s a live music stage, fields of pumpkins, zip lining, and not one, but two corn pits (one is labeled as an “extreme” pit!). Bring the fam or your friends. Find tickets and more info at seversfestivals.com. $19-$22 online/$23-$26 at the gate; $45 season pass. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat.-Sun., plus Thu.-Fri. Oct. 19-20. 3121 150th St. W., Shakopee. Through October 29—Jessica Armbruster
