Too much Fringe, not enough monies: 4 suggestions to Fringe on a tight budget
Too much Fringe, not enough monies: 4 suggestions to Fringe on a tight budget
by Kristoffer Tigue
The 2012 Minnesota Fringe Festival kicked off this weekend, and with 165 performances being shown in 15 separate venues, it’s impossible to catch every one. Even if you wanted to, at $12 a pop, your wallet will empty pretty quickly.
There are discounted passes offered. For instance, for $100 you can get a 10 show pass. For $50, a five show. The best deal is for students, who with student I.D. can get a five show pass for only $30. But if you’re not a student, let’s be honest, you can probably see two, three shows tops. Well, here are some suggestions for you performing arts lovers surviving on that cocktail waitress salary.
He’s not just writing his name: Brian Hart’s light drawings are serious works of art
He’s not just writing his name: Brian Hart’s light drawings are serious works of art
by Kristoffer Tigue
Brian Hart has been drawing since he was a child. When his family took him to the public library, he’d always check out how-to-draw books. By the time he was 15, he was savoring the full works of Picasso and Gjon Mili’s extra-exposed photography. Born in St. Paul, he moved to Sioux City, Iowa with his family when he was six years old. In 2005 he decided to move back to his home state, finding residence in Minneapolis, and has showcased his incredibly textured light drawings at the Cult Status Gallery and the Future Presence Gallery.
An almost serendipitous discovery, Brian started playing around with his phone screen while exposing it to his Digital SLR, when he realized he could do much more with ultra-exposed photography—physically manipulating small LED lights to draw on his camera in the same way that photographers have been taking those cityscape photos with the blurred car lights on the highway. It started with writing his name but has moved onto some pretty incredible pictures. I met Brian at the Star Bucks inside the downtown Minneapolis Target shopping center because we both love corporations. It was like hosting an interview inside some sort of corporate turducken. Good coffee, too.
Band on Band Action: Matt Homan of The Japhies talks about the genuine rock n’ roll of RapeDoor and The Goondas, the nihilistic ways of Brain Tumors, and his fatalistic visions of the Indie scene
In Minneapolis, music is an obsession. Yes, everyone is a music lover, it shouldn’t matter where you’re from, but Minneapolis is different. In short, we’re snobs about it. But it’s much more than that. Our city-life thrives on our music, embracing and nurturing it the way L.A. nurtures film, or the way Miami nurtures tourism, or the way Arizona nurtures intolerance.
It’s more than something that simply exists here, it’s a hub of creativity, a womb of support and love—it’s an integral part of our identity. Our city is rich with art, and we’re proud of it, however, if you’ve lived in Minneapolis, if you consider yourself a Minneapolitan, you know Music forever remains King.
In these series we interview different local bands and have them talk about the music scene that supports them. Specifically, we talk to them about other local bands for, hopefully, some wet, wild, steamy-hot Band on Band Action.
Episode #2: Matt Homan of The Japhies
by D. Sykes
With a rousing live show and a shiny new LP on the way, The Japhies have become a highly respected outlet for the pure rock and roll that many in the Twin Cities have abandoned. A band with much more depth than the average cock-rock outfit, they pursue their music with dedication, without taking themselves too seriously or falling into the quagmire of irony and pretentiousness so common in these trying times.
I met up with their bassist, Matt Homan, to go turn in a jar of change for rent money and play Vice City. We laughed, we cried, we discussed the resurrection of the local rock scene and talked shit about people from Arizona.
Wet Hot Minneapolis Summer
Wet Hot Minneapolis Summer
by D. Sykes
Minnesotans appreciate the summer more than most people on the planet. Each year we suffer through seven to nine months of horrid desolation, snow emergencies, and sliding on ice all the way to the liquor store every night. When the warm months finally roll around, we feel a primal and powerful urge to have as much fun as humanly possible. However, since we’re so adept at complaining, we’re pretty bad at actually enjoying ourselves.
So here’s a quick guide to making the most of your passive-aggressive Twin Cities’ summer, the way we know best: riddled with underlying and often hypocritical criticism.
5.) Build a bike, ride it everywhere, become a superhero and save the world
Scientific studies show that if only 3.3 million people were to completely forego the use of automobiles and ride bikes instead, unicorns would fly out of Mount Vesuvius and fart out ozone-layer-repairing nanobots so fast you won’t even be able to listen to an early Crass EP before trees start growing up through the abandoned streets.
PRIDE 2012 photos
PRIDE 2012 photos
by Kristoffer Tigue
Photos by Kristoffer Tigue
If you missed today’s annual Gay Pride Parade, we’ve got you covered (kind of). The streets were blocked off from the public, limiting the shots.
With President Obama backing same-sex marriage last month and our state’s own Marriage Amendment, banning same-sex marriage coming to vote in November, this year’s Pride Parade was a particularly charged one.
Opponents to the amendment swarmed downtown Hennepin Avenue, gathering signatures, asking for pledges and even financial donations to fight the upcoming bill. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and MN Governor Mark Dayton both made personal appearances at the parade, receiving huge cheers from the crowd (unfortunately I wasn’t able to get any usable photos of them).
But there were plenty of other highlights in the parade, including drag queens, foam machines and as always, lots and lots of skin. Enjoy the photos and don’t forget to vote NO on the Marriage Amendment in November.
Band on Band Action: Red Daughters talks about their marriage with Buildings, and their love for Southside Desire, Cadillac Blindside and more
In Minneapolis, music is an obsession. Yes, everyone is a music lover, it shouldn’t matter where you’re from, but Minneapolis is different. In short, we’re snobs about it. But it’s much more than that. Our city-life thrives on our music, embracing and nurturing it the way L.A. nurtures film, or the way Miami nurtures tourism, or the way Arizona nurtures intolerance.
It’s more than something that simply exists here, it’s a hub of creativity, a womb of support and love—it’s an integral part of our identity. Our city is rich with art, and we’re proud of it, however, if you’ve lived in Minneapolis, if you consider yourself a Minneapolitan, you know Music forever remains King.
In these series we interview different local bands and have them talk about the music scene that supports them. Specifically, we talk to them about other local bands for, hopefully, some wet, wild, steamy-hot Band on Band Action.
Episode #1: Red Daughters
by Kristoffer Tigue
(Photo courtesy of Red Daughters)
Red Daughters have gotten around. The band, with the members they have now, have been steadily playing the Twin Cities circuit for the last 4 years, including The Triple Rock, 7th Street Entry, and more notably, two sold-out shows with Dawes at The Varsity Theater for New Year’s Eve.
Also, in those four years, the Red Daughters have produced two full length albums and are currently working on a third. Their countrified-rock sound, with obvious influences from groups like The Band has gained the Daughters a regular local following.
So, after physically forcing myself into one of their rehearsals last week, they had no choice but to indulge my questions, followed by a private performance from some of their newest material and a smoke session from the longest glass pipe I’ve ever seen.
We’re back, baby! Aephy is re-launched!
After a long break, we’ve recuperated and are ready to infest our fair cities once again. Enjoy this promotional video showcasing just some of the art that festers our beloved Twin Cities.
Infest the city. Make art. Talk about art.
Video by Gus Ganley
Music: “Love Don’t Pay My Bills” by Danami
Hiatus ending June 1 (UPDATE)
Due to complications, we’ve been on a small hiatus for the last few months. But Aephy is just getting started. Expect a re-launch on June 1, with new partnerships, new writers and new segments. Please join us then and expect regular weekly updates and postings thereafter.
Infest the city, talk about art - Aephy the Aphid
UPDATE: We’ve been working to get our re-launch as great as it can be, so our comeback date has been postponed to June 10. It’s worth the wait, we assure you. Join us on the 10th to see what’s been brewing.
Hiatus ending June 1
Due to complications, we’ve been on a small hiatus for the last few months. But Aephy is just getting started. Expect a re-launch on June 1, with new partnerships, new writers and new segments. Please join us then and expect regular weekly updates and postings thereafter.
Infest the city, talk about art - Aephy the Aphid
Fairfax, AK CD release at the Nomad
by Kristoffer Tigue
The new Minneapolis indie folk outfit, Fairfax, AK, is releasing their debut album Love Stories and Picture Shows at the Nomad World Pub next Friday, January 20. The band combines the shameless indie-confessions we know all too well with the twang and earnest of folk, sometimes erupting into pop-indie compositions faintly reminiscent of Brand New.
They’ll be joined by Sans Aura, Gabriel Douglas’ (4onthefloor) Silverback Colony, and Ghostmouth — who has opened for some impressive bands such as The Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire and The Black Keys.
Music @ 9PM
$5 cover
Listen to Love Stories and Picture Shows
NaNoWriMo: It gives you permission to suck
By Kristoffer Tigue
If you participated in NaNoWriMo this year, last week may have been bittersweet, or just sweet, depending on your word count.
Most likely you’ve heard of National Novel Writing Month since its official startup back in 2001. The goal — write a novel of at least 50,000 words between November 1 and 30. Creator, Chris Baty, started it as a small scale project with just 21 participants, but by 2010 NaNoWriMo became a webwide phenomena. That’s including right here in our own home of Minnesota.
Locally, over 2,600 participants entered the contest this year, contributing to a worldwide total of 3 billion words.
