Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
TUESDAY 5.30
Janet Jackson
Xcel Energy Center
Janet Jackson meant it when she said “Let’s Wait Awhile”—she hasn’t made it back to the Twin Cities proper for a show since her 2015 gig at the Target Center, when she was touring behind her last album, Unbreakable. She did hit the Treasure Island Amphitheater in Red Wing in 2019, where her setlist reached back into every era of her hit-crammed career (viciously derailed as it was by the vile Les Moonves, with the assistance of the venal Justin Timberlake). Word is she’ll be performing new material from her long-delayed upcoming album (her first since Unbreakable), which last we heard was called Black Diamond. But there will still be plenty of room for the slamming Flyte Time beats of the ’80s and ’90s on what she’s calling the Together Again Tour. And, at 56, the woman can still move. With Ludacris. $25.95+. 8 p.m. 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
WEDNESDAY 5.31
The Moth StorySLAM
Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Anybody who has listened to public radio or watched season five of HBO’s Girls should be familiar with the The Moth concept: Open-mic storytelling based on a topic. This go-’round, the theme is "GOSSIP." Per usual, organizers have kept the guidelines intentionally vague: "Delicious or malicious, chatty or bratty. Blatantly false or modestly exaggerated. Prepare a five-minute story about a rumor that raised eyebrows, dropped jaws, lowered the boom, rattled your cage or earned you a nasty or fabulous rep." Inspired and/or curious? These monthly StorySLAMs are a reliable hoot. $20. 6:30 p.m. 6 W. Sixth St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
THURSDAY 6.1
Indigenous Food Lab Market Grand Opening
Midtown Global Market
After months of planning, the nonprofit NĀTIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) is throwing open the doors of the Indigenous Food Lab Market. Chef Sean Sherman will be there to introduce the new Midtown Global restaurant, tea bar, and retail space, which’ll be serving Dakota open-faced čhoǧíŋyapi sandwiches (they’re not unlike a sope or huarache), tacos, grain bowls, salads, and more—all prepared with pre-colonial ingredients—along with an array of Indigenous-made housewares, pantry staples, books, soaps, and more. It’s very cool; there’s nothing else like this in the Twin Cities! At the grand opening, you’ll be able to sample dishes, experience a drum performance and opening blessing, and meet the staff that’s making this groundbreaking Indigenous space possible. Free. 4:30-7 p.m. Free. 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel
FRIDAY 6.2
Minneapolis Parks Markets
Various Locations
One of the best signs of summer? The return of outdoor farmers’ markets. This season, Minneapolis Parks is hosting four new neighborhood-y happenings that will feature local businesses and makers. On Wednesdays, the parks team up with the Black Market to showcase Black entrepreneurs at the Commons (425 Portland Ave. S.) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday has two cool options: Water Works (425 West River Parkway) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will showcase Indigenous artists, while Minnehaha Regional Park’s market (4801 S. Minnehaha Dr.) from 4-8 p.m. boasts views of the falls while you shop. Finally, Lake Harriet’s (4135 W. Lake Harriet Parkway) Sunday market runs from 2:30-6:30 p.m. right by the bandshell, which also hosts concerts all afternoon. Through August—Jessica Armbruster
Scream It Off Screen
Parkway Theater
What if Rotten Tomatoes came to life, and boasted real-time, mob-rule power? That’s sorta the premise of Scream It Off Screen, the monthly Parkway Theater film party where audience members wield Gong Show-like editorial powers via their hoots/hollers. This month, a dozen-plus short films that’ve been “randomly drawn from a very complicated lottery system” will test their merits inside the Parkway, competing for the opportunity to reach completion and, if so, cash prizes. Bonus: Tonight's installment doubles as the annual Sourdough Extravaganza, in which guests are encouraged to bring loaves that will be entered into a taste test. We’re big, big fans of SIOS; don’t miss it. $10-$13. 7 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.–Jay Boller
SATURDAY 6.3
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Armory
These 9/11-era New York rock revivalists haven’t played the Twin Cities since 2013, which means countless Minnesotans of drinking age (and older!) have never had the chance to see Karen O in her full onstage glory. (Or hear Nick Zinner’s guitar at its full three-dimensional electronic thrum, for that matter.) The trio is touring behind Cool It Down, their first album in nine years, and though it doesn’t explode with the eager post punk bombast of Fever to Tell or strut with the high-stepping femme glamor of It’s Blitz!, it will contribute several stylish additions to their setlist. And recordings never quite did this band justice anyway. Opener Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, appears on the lead track, “Spitting off the Edge of the World,” and the band seems inspired by his midtempo theatricality throughout. He’s a good role model. All ages. $98+. 8 p.m. 500 S. Sixth St., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Loring Park Alley Party
Loring Park
Perhaps the demise of the Twin Cities music festival has been (ever so slightly) exaggerated. Consider this family friendly, booze-free park party that promises to celebrate "spring in the great city of Minneapolis and the rebirth of outdoor live music in 2023." We can get behind that! There’s a lot to like, lineup-wise, with the guitar theatrics of the Orange Goodness, the new-wavey spectacle of septet D'Lakes, and the Clinton-era indie-rock sounds of buzzy Creeping Charlie. Bonus: My favorite taco truck in the city, Taqueria Victor Hugo, will be on site. Get the carnitas; experience Peak Minnesota Summer vibes. Free. 2:30-8 p.m.1382 Willow St. Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
John Early
Fitzgerald Theater
It’s always such a treat when someone as genuinely funny and creative as John Early gets super famous. The Nashvilian comic’s career has risen in tandem alongside his frequent collaborator Kate Berlant’s, having scored roles in the Wet Hot American Summer reboots, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, and, most famously, as the co-star of Search Party, in which he depicts a panicking narcissist with hilarious commitment. (Early’s widest exposure came from an appearance in Taylor Swift’s recent “Anti-Hero” video.) The 35-year-old performer is about to debut his first HBO hour, Now More Than Ever, which is captured “in the style of a gritty '70s rockumentary.” $35. 6 p.m. 10 E. Exchange St.; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Kölschfest 2023
OMNI Brewery & Taproom
We love a Kölsch, don’t we, folks? Crisp, cold, infinitely drinkable, German as all hell—and, if you’re in the right place, served in a traditional style that’s a lot of fun to experience. OMNI in Maplewood is one such place. This weekend at Kölschfest, a $12 ticket gets you into the Kölsch Garden, and it gets you a little 7-ounce glass (known as a stange), a coaster, and your first beer. After that, it’s just $3 per refill, and, in the traditional service style, your stange should never be empty, your beer never warm, as it's constantly refilled for sip after refreshing sip. $12 entry fee; $3 per refill. Noon to 6 p.m. 9462 Deerwood Ln. N., Maplewood; find more info here.—Em Cassel
SUNDAY 6.4
Grand Old Day
Grand Avenue
Billed as “the largest free festival in the Midwest,” Grand Old Day is returning after being mothballed in the early days of the pandemic. The 30-block event will be just like you remember since the '70s, with parades, car shows, fun runs, wiener dog races, beer gardens, kiddo activities, 150 food options, vendors, small-biz boosterism, and, of course, live music across seven stages. Headlining are alt-country staples the Jayhawks, indie-pop standouts Bad Bad Hats, and Lizzo’s talented DJ/buddy Sophia Eris. Free ($10 for beer garden wristbands; $50 for VIP passes). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grand Avenue, St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Society Brunch
11 Wells Spirits
In a sea of twee, it’s nice to see a market for weirdos. This summer, the Society for the Strange & Unusual will be hosting a monthly makers’ market and brunch series for the elder goths, adult emo kids, friendly punks, and budding e-boys/e-girls. This month’s installment will be celebrating Pride, so expect to see some cool queer merch for all you spooky freaks out there. During the fun, folks can order cocktails at the bar, enjoy Southern comfort eats from High Society, and, if you’re feeling ambitious about your future, Pentacle Pursuits will be giving tarot readings in a tent outside. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 704 Minnehaha Ave. E., St. Paul.—Jessica Armbruster
All Hail Parker Posey
Trylon
Parker Posey’s dominance of a very particular slice of ’90s film defined an era as strongly as any non-star could, as this four-movie series shows. It begins with Party Girl, a glimpse of pre-gentrified Manhattan in which Posey is forced to work as a librarian (the shame!) after an illegal rave she organized gets busted. (The movie was shown online before it hit theaters, a pretty big deal for 1995.) That’s the only movie here fully centered on Posey. She could make her mark with just minutes of screentime in memorable character roles, whether terrorizing freshman girls in Richard Linklater’s classic hangout flick Dazed and Confused, or wielding a sword and wearing a huge curly blonde wig in Greg Araki’s The Doom Generation, which Ebert famously gave 0 stars for its nihilism. And she practically steals Waiting for Guffman away from the rest of the brilliant ensemble as a DQ worker dreaming (ever-so-vaguely) of success in New York. Oh, and we’re helping to sponsor this series, so tell ’em Racket sent ya. $8. 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis; find showtimes and more info here. Through June 27—Keith Harris
ONGOING
Maggie Cheung, Luminescent and Dangerous
Trylon
This four-film series nicely captures the essence of the Hong Kong-born star’s appeal, allure, and versatility. The two films in the series that show Cheung’s arthouse side are both essential. Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love isn’t just a movie about two really hot people (Cheung and Tony Leung) smoking sexily and wearing sharp outfits—but it isn’t not about that either. For Irma Vep (1996), Cheung played herself, donning the catsuit of the mysterious, iconic, titular French criminal for Oliver Assayas’s film about a troubled remake of the silent film serial, Les Vampires. I haven’t seen the two more action-based pictures, but the trailers (linked below) make them look like a hoot. Johnnie To’s The Heroic Trio (1992), which also features Michelle Yeoh, was an early showcase for Cheung’s martial arts skills, and in series closer The Iceman Cometh (1989), she teams up with a time-traveling Imperial guard to defeat a 16th century Chinese villain. $8. 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis; complete schedule and more info here. Through May—Keith Harris
Skyline Mini Golf
Walker Art Center
Are we a mini-golf town? Signs point to yes, as we have trendy bar mini golf (Puttery, Arts + Rec), campy mini golf (Can Can, Betty Danger), old school mini golf (Big Stone, Golf Zone), and, yes, museum mini golf. For over 15 years, the Walker’s Mini Golf has been a sign of spring, whether it’s popping up in the sculpture garden or its more recent home on the skyline terraces. This year’s installation features 10 holes total; highlights include a Hmong textile-inspired hole created in collaboration with the Asian American Organizing Project’s Youth Action Team, and two holes from Native Youth Arts Collective. Returning hits include the hot dog hole, the one where you have to bounce off of ping pong paddles, and the one where you become the obstacles and hazards. Find more info at walkerart.org. $12. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. Through October 1—Jessica Armbruster
Paul Chan: Breathers
Walker Art Center
Can those inflatable tube guys used to drive people to sales be art? If it’s in the Walker Art Center then, yes, it can. But that would be oversimplifying the work of Paul Chen, a Hong Kong-born, Nebraska-raised, NYC-based writer, publisher, and artist. In the ‘90s and ‘00s, Chan garnered attention releasing videos, animations, fonts, and more, often for free on his website, nationalphilistine.com. These pieces explored pleasure, war, politics, and human interactions. But by 2009, he had burned out, tired of looking at a screen. Relatable. Five years later, after a brief, you know, “breather,” he found a new way to explore movement and meaning without a computer, instead using physics, fabrics, and fans to create shapes that move about in interesting ways (and, thankfully, won’t try to sell you a car). You can see these kinetic sculptures at the Walker; the show will also include some video installations as well as pieces from his publishing company, Badlands Unlimited, which releases poetry, erotica, artists’ writings, and more. 725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis. Through July 16, 2023—Jessica Armbruster
