The Rake Magazine

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Never End a Title in a Preposition

If you've read our July issue already, then you already know that local poet Éireann Lorsung is helping Ben Weaver light "a fire to burn things back to pure." In fact, he liked her poetry so much the first time he read it, that he invited her to read before his show. Poetry before a rock show -- now that I like. Looking for a little inspiration of your own? Perhaps you could benefit from a little bit of Lorsung lyrics. OK, poetry, poetry. She'll be reading this evening from her recent book, Music for Landing Planes By. See? I told you it was music.

7 p.m., Tea Garden, 2601 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-377-1700.

Read an excerpt of Music for Landing Planes By.

ART
Where One Saddle Ends, Another Begins

As long as I'm starting out with references to our July issue, I might as well mention a couple bike-related art shows -- one closing and another opening. Oooo, it's like a cycle, a cycle-related cycle. Make a night out of that one, baby! Start out with Wisconsin artist Gregg Rochester's The Art of the Bicycle at Gallery 122. It's the last day, so don't delay. While Rochester is best known for his Grant Woodesque landscapes that seem to be channeling Russell Chatham, this show highlights his passion for bicycling.

1 - 5 p.m., Gallery 122, Hang It, International Market Square Ste 290, Minneapolis; 612-204-9282.

Say goodbye to Rochester and welcome in Bike Art II at Altered Esthetics. More than 40 artists celebrate the bicycle with over 100 sculptures, prints, photographs, paintings, comics, and interactive art. See it tonight, or stop in tomorrow from 7 to 9 p.m. for the opening reception.

1 - 7 p.m., Altered Esthetics Gallery 1224 Quincy Ave., Minneapolis; 612-378-8888.

FILM
Two Great Documentaries, and One Goofy Flick

For the past two years, the B-Girl Be Summit has been celebrating women in hip-hop. If you haven't attended over the past couple of years, be sure to do so this year at the end of the month. For a little taste of years gone by, stop into Intermedia Arts tonight for the B-Girl Be 2006 movie premiere. Watch the two-hour documentary (twice if you want), and get your own copy of the DVD for only $20. Proceeds will go to support this year's summit.

7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-4444; $7 ($5 youth).

Perhaps we're running out of topics for films. Or maybe, just maybe, the millions of print messages with which we're bombarded every day have some kind of cultural significance beyond the sale of the latest fashions. Helvetica is a film about a typeface. That's right. And a damn fine typeface it is. "Since millions of people see and use Helvetica every day, I guess I just wondered, 'Why?'" says filmmaker Gary Hustwit. "How did a typeface drawn by a little-known Swiss designer in 1957 become one of the most popular ways for us to communicate our words 50 years later? And what are the repercussions of that popularity? Has it resulted in the globalization of our visual culture? Does a storefront today look the same in Minneapolis, Melbourne, and Munich?" The result is an exploration of not just a widely used typeface, but one of those rare cinematic occasions to see and hear some of today's most illustrious graphic designers and typographers. A discussion with the director follows the first screening, and he'll introduce the second.

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Walker Art Center Cinema, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; $8 ($6 Walker/AIGA members, students).

Prefer a silly flick with a few good laughs? Tonight is the second film of the 1,2,3 Movie Series at The Soap Factory -- Groundhog Day. It's no masterpiece by any means, but Bill Murray is always great, and let's face it -- we're generally suckers for romantic fantasies. Besides, don't forget; these movies are all screened on the back wall of the Soap Factory, in open air. (If it's cold or raining, the movie will be shown in the gallery.)

9:15 p.m., The Soap Factory, 518 2nd Street SE, Loading Dock, Minneapolis; 612.623.9176; free.

MUSIC
Summer Music and Things Less Common

We're going to be seeing a lot of summer music series starting next week. June is just about here, and summer is really upon us. Well, at least the forecasts don't have us dropping past 55 any time soon. Celebrate the summer with the first live, local concert of the Galleria Summer Music Sampler series. (As if we didn't have enough ways to celebrate the summer! Oh well, we can always use another.) The series will feature different music every Thursday, at rotating Galleria restaurants.
Join Tim Mahoney this evening as kicks off the summer at Crave, Galleria's newest restaurant.

6 p.m., Crave, Galleria, corner of 69th Street and France Ave., Edina; 952-697-6000; free.

You don't have to go back to the Middle Ages to find some decent lute playing. How about that! Thursday at the Lute Cafe features the very best of local and regional Early Music lutenists performing in a casual, acoustically friendly environment. Tonight's show features series co-founders Richard Griffith and Phillip Rukavina playing a selection of popular solo lute music and duets.

6:30 p.m., Hillcrest Recreation Center Village View Room, 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul; 612-298-5779; free but with a $10 suggested donation.

FILM
Fearless Filmmakers Premiere: Impaler

No third party candidate for governor in this country has ever garnered as much media attention as Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey did in his race for Minnesota governor just a little over a year ago. It wasn't his quest to help farmers or improve the public school system that earned him the fame -- nor any specific facet of his 13-point platform. In fact, the attention he received had nothing to do with his political agenda -- at least not directly. But when you announce to the media that you're a Hecate witch, a Satanic priest, a sanguaryan vampyre -- that tends to get their attention. And this is just what Sharkey did. Relive the experience, dig a little deeper into the Sharkey's campaign, see the results of his macabre proclamations, and witness the heartbreaking events that ensued. Tonight is the premiere of W. Trey White's Impaler, an 8-month long documentary on the subject, followed by a question and answer session with White and Sharkey. That's right, folks. You still got questions? Ask the man for yourself. Sharkey has made plenty more announcements since the completion of the documentary, including his candidacy for president, his promise to impale George Bush if elected, and a threat to impale the White at this screening if the film mocks him in any way. Don't you just have to see what happens? Head on over to the after party at Stub and Herbs following the screening.

7:30 p.m., Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis; 612-331-3134; $9 ($7 students, $5 MN Film Arts members).

Two More Premieres

I think we've pretty much proven that we do indeed have a healthy local film community here. But it gets even better than that. It's not just the adults now. Today and tomorrow, two films by young filmmakers will make their Minnesota debut. This afternoon's screening is Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation -- a shot-for-shot remake of the original movie, made by 10-year-old Chris Strompolos and 11-year-old Eric Zala. These two boys saw the film as kids and became obsessed with Indiana Jones. Over the next seven years, from 1982 to 1989, Chris and Eric worked on the movie during school holidays, saving their pocket money for props and asking for bullwhips, spray-paint, and a VHS camcorder for Christmas and birthdays. Upon seeing the film Steven Spielberg invited Chris and Eric to meet with him and deemed their film one of the most moving things he'd ever seen. The film will play again tomorrow night, along with Songbird, a six-minute short film made by 27-year-old Minnesota native John Thompson. The film, shot in 8 frames-per-second (1/3 of the standard rate) for an unnatural, ethereal effect, is a "gothic tale about a trapped housewife who breaks free of her overbearing husband with a very dull meat cleaver." The films will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.

Today at 4 p.m. for children & teens-only, tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for all, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis MN; 612-630-6000 or 612-481-7345; $10 ($8 if you dress like Indiana Jones).

MUSIC
Music for all Tastes

As is often the case here in town, there is plenty of good music to choose from tonight. Alt-rock trio Dinosaur Jr. is playing at the Triple Rock Social Club. Fiddle-weilding Mexican-American songstress Carrie Rodriguez is playing at the Varsity Theater. Oh, she's so fine. If you're a fan of June Carter Cash, Lucinda Williams, or any folksy female vocalist with a bit of twang, you'll enjoy this show. Looking for straight-up jazz? You can't go wrong with local nu-jazz group Sambo Makti at the Nomad World Pub this evening with Atlantis Quartet. And, well, if you just want some standard Minnesota fare, you can always just head over to Bunker's for the GB Leighton show.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Mental Illness Got You Down?

World-renowned performance/recording artist, poet, social activist and a hip-hop artist Rha Goddess brings her one-woman show to Minneapolis. Low, written and performed by Rha Goddess and directed by Chay Yew, is a multidisciplinary theatre piece that explores the mythology, stigma, fear, and confusion surrounding mental illness. The title of the show refers both to its main character, Lowquesha, and to the way she feels. Low, a budding poet, grows from a bright, happy and creative young girl to a troubled teenager who quickly descends into homelessness, addiction, and a frightening psychosis. Her arduous journey gives voice to those who strive for dignity and self-possession even as the painful descent into madness takes over. The show opens this evening and continues through June 16.

7:30 p.m., Pillsbury House Theatre, 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-825-0459; $18 (tonight's performance is pay-what-you-can).

BOOKS AND FOOD
French Women Don't Get Fat

Tonight's Let's Cook book club meeting has been rescheduled for June 4th, but that now gives you time to get the book and go prepared. Enjoy an evening of fun and food. Each month the book club reads a different book and enjoys a dessert inspired by the reading over a lively discussion. This month's reading is French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano. Forget all your worries about what not to eat. Focus on the positive. What can you eat? Go out and get the book today.

June 4th at 7 p.m., Let's Cook, 330 East Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-623-9700; $15.00.

MUSIC, POETRY, AND PROSE
Spiked Coffee

After a nice, long weekend of commemorating war veterans, you should really think about starting off the week by exploring you bohemian side. Join Spiked Coffee at the 331 Club for an evening of readings and music. Have a short piece you'd like to share? Sign up for the writer's open mic. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the show. The evening begins with live music by Ron Hall, Sam Keenan, and Amy Ault, followed by the open mic with writers from Hamline, the U of M, Coffee House Press, and Lit 6. Then stick around and mingle to the music of Danny Sigelman. Plus, enjoy $2.50 margaritas all night and half-price bottles of wine until 9 p.m.

7 p.m. (open mic sign-up at 9 p.m., open mic at 10:15 p.m.) 331 Club, 331 NE 13th Ave., Minneapolis; 612-331-1746.

MUSIC AND VIDEO
The Basement Tapes

Maybe it's just because I was so entrenched in it then, but I always think of the 80s as the heyday of the Minneapolis music scene. Husker Du, Morris Day & The Time, The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Babes in Toyland, Run Westy Run, The Cows -- these bands were at the forefront, breaking out beyond the local scene to a national scale. But let's face it, the 80s wasn't just about the music, it was all about MTV. The 80s aesthetic isn't complete without taking a look at music videos from this period. And in this heyday of Minneapolis music, our local bands were busy making music videos of their own. Revisit the 80s and 90s with a limited run, weekly series of nostalgic videos from the First Avenue video archives. The Basement Tapes series includes brief live performances by DEMO bands of the present, videos of the past, and Q & A sessions with some of the featured artists.

8 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; $8-10 (pay what you can).

MUSIC
The Gyuto Tibetan Tantric Choir

Fleeing Chinese repression in their homeland, close to 2,000 Tibetans made Minnesota their home in the early 90s, making this the second largest Tibetan community in the country. Around this same time, musicians like Phillip Glass and Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart were undertaking a mission to expose the world to the unearthly multiphonic chanting of the Gyuto Monks. Years later, the Tibetan Tantric Choir tours the world to sold-out shows, with soundtracks to films such as Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet under their belt. The Gyuto Tibetan Tantric Choir, among the the world's foremost performers of sacred Buddhist chant, have perfected a special type of chant in which each monk sings not a single note but an entire chord, generating a sound of ethereal beauty that shakes listeners to their very core. Hear them for yourself tonight, along with a film about the life and work of Jetsun Pema, sister of the Dalai Lama and an advocate for refugee children. Pema was scheduled to appear in person, but had to cancel due to a family emergency.

7 p.m., Children's Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Ave S., Minneapolis; 612-874-0400; $22-$28 ($15 children, seniors, and students).

SPORTS
Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox

It's when the Twins are up against strong batting teams that we finally get to see Santana pitch. And I thought maybe tonight would be such an opportunity, but yesterday got in the way. After a 10-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox yesterday, with Santana pitching, todays game promises to be an interesting one nonetheless. It looks like Bonser will most likely be pitching. And hey, Mauer might be back during this game or the next. If that isn't enough to entice you, then how about a Guthrie-quality performance? Cast members from the Guthrie's patriotic summer musical 1776 will take a break from rehearsal to cheer on the Twins tonight with their rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. Go, Twins! We won the first game against the Sox earlier this month, only to lose the next two. Will we let that happen again? I hope not.

7:10 p.m., Metrodome, 34 Kirby Puckett Pl., Minneapolis; 612-375-1366; $7-105.

ON THE NET
Minnesota Horror

La Maldicion del Vampiro Aztec
Poison to You, Medicine to Me
Finger Food
Shop Chop Amateur Horror Video
Rabidness - The Curse of the Catman
Tales of the Dead trailor
Dawning 2006 - trailor
Doomed to Consumer trailor

FILM
La-dee-dah, Everybody Loves Paris

If you can't get to Paris, perhaps this is the next best option (or at least it might inspire you to go). But in all honesty, it's not about Paris. It's not about travel. It's not about France. It's about must-see film -- Paris, Je T'aime. This collection of stories from over 20 celebrated filmmakers from around the world paints an unequaled portrait of contemporary Paris. Weaving tales of love, loss, and unexpected encounters, Paris, Je T'aime features actors Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elijah Wood, Nick Nolte, Bob Hoskins, Juliette Binoche, Emily Mortimer, Rufus Sewell, Gena Rowlands, Miranda Richardson, and Steve Buscemi. Directors include the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuarón, Gérard Depardieu, Christopher Doyle, Walter Salles, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, and Olivier Assayas. This is a big deal, guys. Don't pass it up.

2:20,4:45,7:15 9:40, Uptown Theater, 2906 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-825-6006; $8.25 ($5.75 seniors and children).

Watch a trailor.

FILM by Peter Schilling
Mafioso Opens Tonight for One Week Only

This acclaimed comedy classic was made in 1962, given a brief American run in '64, and then, for forty years, it vanished like a mob boss on the Witness Protection Program. Nino, the lead character, is a portly middle manager, happily passing time at a Fiat plant in Milan. He finally returns home to a little Sicilian village for the vacation he's been promising his family for years -- giving them the chance to finally meet his northern Italian wife and two daughters. But before he embarks on this trip, a local mob boss asks our poor hero to deliver a small package to one Don Vincenzo, the reigning capo of Nino's hometown. Being a comedy, all hell must break loose. However, Mafioso isn't just slapstick, but a poignant examination of the emergence of two Italys -- the industrial north and the provincial south. Created a good seven years before the eponymous novel on which The Godfather was based, Mafioso is an obvious influence, yet it stands on its own as a sunny comedy.

7:10 p.m., Lagoon Cinema, 1320 Lagoon Ave., Minneapolis; 612-825-6006; $8.25 ($5.75 seniors and children).

MUSIC by Britt Robson
Eric Alexander Group

Alexander is a throwback to the halcyon days of hard-bop battle royals, when a man could walk into a club with a tenor saxophone and blow the house down. Just thirty-eight, Alexander knows how to stoke a barn-burning solo until the patrons are hollering even before the climaxes. But he also burnishes his supple, muscular tone with a tidy blend of intellect and curiosity that enables him to twist but not disfigure bop chestnuts and other jazz standards. And his apprenticeship with Memphis pianist Harold Mabern has provided him with a tangible grasp of the blues. By now his annual engagement at the AQ has become a calendar-date-circling event, made all the more so this time out by the possible inclusion of pianist David Hazeltine from Milwaukee.

Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m., Sunday at 8 p.m., Artists' Quarter, 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-292-1359; $15.

MORE MUSIC
And Then There's Sunday

Mmmmm. Is there a better way to spend a Sunday than milling about great art listening to music? The Cities 97 Acoustic Sunrise Concert series continues this Sunday with a performance by Love Songs for Angry Men. Sit in the ArtsBreak Coffee Shop or tour the galleries while you start your morning with art and music. You've got a two-hour window, so don't be late.

Sunday at 11 a.m., ArtsBreak Coffee Shop, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Sunday evening won't pale in comparison. Members of Sound Ideas will perform music and poetry for an intimate evening of creation. The ensemble includes Douglas Ewart (saxophones and invented instruments) and Mankwe Ndosi (vocals) from Minneapolis; Joel Wanek (upright bass) and Dan Godston (trumpet and percussion) from Chicago; and Jim Ryan (tenor saxophone), now from Oakland.

Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Center for Independent Artists, Black Box Theater, 4137 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-724-8392; $8.

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
An Unlikely Pair

How is that I haven't heard a word about Hamluke? I have to assume that either you just don't know about it, or I've simply missed all the buzz. How can you not be talking about something so utterly weird? Hamluke. Ham-Luke. Hamlet and Luke. Hamlet and Star Wars. It's the bastard child of William Shakespeare and George Lucas. Just go see it. It's the show's final weekend, and it's too crazy to miss. Besides, don't we just have to know if there are Klingons?

7 & 10 p.m., The Hennepin Stages Upper Level, 824 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-673-0404; $20.

Check out this video of Hamluke. It offers a great preview.

SALES
Vintage, Discarded, and Designer Items

Go for a little drive and rummage through antiques, collectibles, vintage items, and other treasures from more than 300 dealers at the Trader's Market in Elko (20 minutes south of the Twin Cities). Saturday through Monday, I-35 and Cty. Rd. 2, Elko; 952-461-2400.

One man's garbage is another man's furniture. You'll find chairs, drafting tables, videos, Casio keyboards, AV gear, clothes, movie posters, artwork, and other random items at the Roske-Pettis Moving Sale. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1402 Spruce Place, Loring Park, Minneapolis.

Looking for something a little more luxurious and a little less used? Help the Design Collective empty their racks and make room for their Summer Collection. Get 10 to 50 percent off select clothing, accessories, and jewelry through Thurday. Then stop by on Friday for the Summer Collection Debut, and be the first to see and shop the latest collections of the best local designers. 1311 26th St. W., Minneapolis; 612-377-1000.

MEMORIAL DAY FARE

Celebrate Memorial Day with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Honoring All Veterans Memorial. Join Chuck Lindberg -- the last surviving flag-raiser at Iwo Jima -- and Congressman Keith Ellison for a pig roast, a raffle, an paper airplane toss with chance to win a car, live music, and more.

1 p.m., Veterans Memorial Park, 6335 Port;and Ave. S., Richfield; 612-861-9395; food $4-$5, drinks $2, raffle $5.

When the pig has been devoured, and the crowd is dwindling, grab some friends and head over to the 7th Street Entry for experimental rocksters Frog Eyes, with Yeasayer and The Umbrella Sequence. It'll be worth the $8.

Tonight is the Annual Bob Dylan Sound-Alike-Contest at the 400 bar. Need I say more? 9 p.m., 400 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-332-2903.

FILM
Ready, Set, Film

Last Saturday, filmmakers took to the streets, the studios, and the computers to create an original short in just 12 hours. This might seem like a lot of time for a four-minute film, but it leaves only three hours to concept, write, storyboard, shoot, and edit each minute of film. If you don't know -- in film time, that ain't much. In fact, it often takes longer than that just to log the footage you shot. As if time didn't pose enough of a challenge, the filmmakers were given a theme and a surprise element with which to work -- the theme, a favor; and the surprise element, duct tape. Curious? Go see a screening of the submissions. All of the completed films from the Minneapolis Film Race will premiere for the public tonight at the Oak Street Cinema. Winners will receive prizes and advance to the national competition.

8 p.m., Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis; 612-331-3134; $8.

One, Two, Three

Yes, folks. While it may feel ridiculously cold outside today (remember, this is Minnesota), we are in fact well into "outdoor season." The restaurants and cafes have their patios open. Nicollet is bustling all night long. And the time has come for outdoor movies. Yay! While the Walker's movies in the park don't begin for another couple of weeks, Take-Up Productions is offering a series of three Thursday-night films on the back wall of The Soap Factory by the Stone Arch Bridge. This week's outdoor screening, Billy Wilder's Cold War comedy One, Two, Three, features James Cagney in his last starring role. And what a role it is! This is some of Cagney's finest work. He plays a Coca-Cola representative in West Berlin who agrees to watch over his boss's wacky daughter. We've certainly seen this story repeated since the movie's 1961 release date -- guy has to keep the boss's troubled daughter under control in order to keep his job. Yup. Seen it -- only back then the enemies were the Communists, so clearly the daughter gets mixed up with a Commie. Regardless, it's Cagney. It's funny. It's outdoors. You can't go wrong (as long as the rains don't come).

9:15 p.m., The Soap Factory, 518 2nd Street SE, Loading Dock, Minneapolis; 612-623-9176; free.

ART AND MEDIA
Be a Zinester

For decades, zines have offered an alternative outlet through which to publish original or appropriated texts and images that fall far enough outside of the mainstream to be prohibitive of inclusion in more traditional media. One might even say that Thomas Paine's Common Sense was published as a zine of sorts. Since then, the punk movement took the medium on in the 70s, and more subcultures followed with a boom in the 80s and 90s. (Granted, the Internet seems to have caused a dwindling of print zines, but the idea lives on in many forms electronically.) The current Walker exhibit Paper Trail: A Decade of Acquisitions features artists who have found innovative ways to narrate experience through works on paper while challenging viewers to consider both technique and concept in printmaking. Using these works as inspiration, printmaker Aaron Johnson-Ortiz will be leading a zine-making workshop this evening. Focus on the politics and art of printmaking as you carve printing blocks and use stencils to construct a unique narrative on paper. Do you have something to say? Watch it materialize before your eyes.

6-9 p.m., Walker Art Center, Star Tribune Foundation Art Lab, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; free.

ART
Ruskie Art

Looks like paper is the name of the game tonight. This is the final week to catch the Works on Paper exhibit at the Museum of Russian Art. This collection of drawings, etchings, and watercolors covers the entire spectrum of social and historical subjects of life in 20th century Russia. The museum is open until 8p.m. tonight, so it's a great time to go. See Works on Paper in the Fireplace Gallery and be sure to catch other exhibits as well. The Soviet Breadbasket, on the main and mezzanine levels, includes almost 50 paintings featuring Russian landscape scenes and images of Soviet agriculture. And Russia, which just opened on the 14th in the Lower Gallery, features 20 large-format, high-fidelity color photograps by Andrew Moore that capture a glimpse of the grandeur of Imperial, pre-Revolutionary Russia as well as scenes reflecting the painful transition from the Communist to market economy of the 21st Century.

10 a.m. to 8 p.m., The Museum of Russian Art, 5500 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-821-9045.

Also opening today at the Hopkins Center for the Arts is The Northern Landscape in the Charles D. Redepenning Gallery -- photographs by Dave Eisenlord, woodcuts by Cecilie Lieder, and sculpture by Dean Rehpohl. And in the Lobby Gallery, Imagined Landscapes is opening with painting by Craig Bell and Deborah Thomas, and manipulated photography by Jes Lee. The opening reception is this evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins; 952-979-1103.


BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Changing Minnesota's Future

Jeffrey Feldman, author of Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (And Win Elections) and editor-in-chief of the political blog Frameshop, will be sharing and discussing his ideas this evening at Open Book. Clearly, you'll notice the repetition of the word "frame" in Feldman's titles. The concept of "framing" -- originated by George Lakoff -- centers on the idea that language can be used to evoke a moral worldview or core values that are already stored in our brains. Feldman suggests that progressives can use framing to communicate with each other, experience the world, and solve problems. Changing the Conversation, Changing Minnesota's Future will feature a talk by Feldman, followed by a discussion about how progressive candidates, advocates, and citizens can make framing work for them.

6:30-8 p.m., Open Book, Target Performance Hall, 1011 Washington Avenue S., Minneapolis; 651-917-6037; free with rsvp.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION

Randall Throckmorton and The Dreamland Faces are performing tonight at Clubhouse Jaeger. Stop by and catch the crooning troubadour with sawer/vocalist Andy McCormick and accordianist/vocalist Karen Majewicz. If you enjoy them this evening, you can catch them again on June 2nd at the Vaudevillian Stages show.

9:30 p.m., 923 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-332-2686.