The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

I'm signing off early for the holiday this year. Wracked as I am by last-minute shopping lists and Catholic guilt, I'm afraid I'll need an extra day to physically and mentally prepare. I will, however, arrive back in Minneapolis on the evening of December 25, when I'll carry-on the long-held tradition of meeting my friends at Liquor Lyle's for some decompression. In the meantime, for those staying back, there's a decent lineup of concerts these next few days: Soul Asylum, The Steeles and Peter Ostroushko, Heiruspecs. If you've got family in town (you know, that mom who's just dying to go downtown for a show), you might consider The Altar Boyz, a funny musical that spoofs Christian boy bands, or Hurricane on the Bayou, a new Omni film at the Science Museum. I caught the preview of Hurricane a few weeks back, and I sort of dug it, thanks to the contributions made by New Orleans musicians Tab Benoit and Allen Toussaint. Not that I didn't appreciate the film's resounding message--the need to restore Gulf Coast wetlands. It's just that the sweet sounds of New Orleans-style blues were fairly distracting.