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.
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.
5 local sites you should be visiting
5 local sites you should be visiting
by Kristoffer Tigue
Data, data, data. The internet is ubiquitous and overbearing. Everyone and their aunt has a blog and praise Jebus, you simply don’t have the time to check out every friend’s personal feelings and creative expressions. However there is light in the haze. There are some proverbial needles in that stack that are worth the search, and luckily for you, we did the heavy lifting. Here are 5 recommended local websites you probably don’t know about that are worth the trouble of perusing.
1. Hazel & Wren
Paper Darts set the standard for local literary magazines, both in print and online since they popped out of inexistence back in 2009, but that didn’t stop local sisters Amanda and Melissa Wray from jumping into the mix. Adequately armed with their pen-names, Hazel & Wren, and a pinch of wit and a critical eye, they launched their online literary magazine in early 2011.
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.
