St. Paul Scene

Hey Friends,
What a fun week ahead!  A two night stand at the Turf for Solid Gold on a CD Release; a terrific new Americana music series at the J.J. Hill Library; a terrific new play at Park Square, a terrific peak at the MMAA collection, Rough Cuts, Pat Donohue at the Fitz, and that’s just the obvious stuff.  Oh yeah, plus my wife’s birthday.

Americana Show w/ EDG at the Hill Library The James J. Hill Library in St. Paul has announced a series of local concerts that should prove to be intimate, one-of-a-kind affairs: The Americana Showcase kicks off this Sunday with a lineup of talented rootsy singer-songwriter types. The first in a series of events that will “honor the rich musical heritage of the American Midwest,” this weekend’s show features Adam Levy of the Honeydogs, Ben Kyle of Romantica, Brandon Sampson of Six Mile Grove, and Martin Zellar of the Gear Daddies.   The Americana Showcase is set amidst a photo exhibit by enviro-artist Clyde Butcher titled America the Beautiful: The Monumental Landscape.  Check out the website for the full lineup of performers slated to play the series.
http://www.americanashowcase.com/

Nautilus Music Theatre:  Rough Cuts Series
This is one of the truly special arts happenings that happens every month in downtown.  If you go down to the Northern, take the elevator up to two, and wind down the hallway following the signs, you’ll find your way to Nautilus’ monthly series of ROUGH CUTS presentations featuring uncompromising vocal and theatrical talent in an intimate and informal setting. The program provides an unusual opportunity to sample professional quality music-theater for only $5 — plus, we serve free cookies and milk!  This week features New York based composer Lauren Cregor, who participated in last year’s Composer-Librettist Studio at Nautilus. 
http://www.nautilusmusictheater.org/

Solid Gold CD Release at Turf Club – Friday and Saturday
This band seems to defy the standard rules about playing too much in any one market.  They seem to get booked for every major and not-so-major festival and special event in the city… and their crowds only get bigger.  Nobody sees them on a bill and thinks, “oh I’d like to see them, but I’ll catch ‘em at the next one.”  Instead, their crowds don’t want to miss any opportunity to see their new favorite band.  They’re treating their fans to a new album which they are celebrating with two nights at the Turf.  I’m really excited to see what this terrific band has up their sleeves on their new record.
http://www.solidgoldband.com/

MMAA show at the College of Visual Arts Gallery – Opens Thursday While the Minnesota Museum of American Art is in transition, this is a terrific opportunity to see some of the masterpieces that are in their collection.  One day we’ll get back to an era of patio nights, art openings, and terrific new space, but until then we can quench our need with this special gallery showing.  Mining the rich collection of the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul, the exhibition will probe the question of what makes the abstract image continue to speak to our imaginations, our experiences, and our emotions.  Starting with Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s through Minimalist forms in the 1970s, the exhibition will showcase a variety of responses to modernist abstraction with important paintings, sculpture, and works on paper by such noted artists as Joan Brown, George Morrison, Louise Nevelson, Herbert Bayer, and others.
http://cva.edu/gallery/detail.php?ID=20

Painting Churches at Park Square – Opens this weekend
Check out this Pulitzer finalist from Tina Howe.  There is a terrific preview article in today’s Strib (check out the link below) and here is the short teaser on the Park Square site… When Mags returns home to help her aging, eccentric parents pack up their Beacon Hill house in Boston, she suddenly sees them in a new light. A moving portrait that explores family ties, Painting Churches is filled with moments of bravado, mischief, and intimate memories.
http://www.parksquaretheatre.org/plays/2010_churches.php

 
Pat Donohue at the Fitz – Saturday
March 6th at 8:00 p.m. Pat Donohue: In Review will travel the well trotted road of blues music through the down home feel of Nashville to the gritty and raw sounds of New Orleans. Harmonica player Howard Levy, pianist Butch Thompson, and Guys All-Star Shoe Band members Gary Raynor and Peter Johnson will join Pat on stage.  From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Pat Donohue plays it all. Pat is one of the most listened to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of A Prairie Home Companion, Pat gets to show off his blend of jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless.
http://fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org/events/#donohue
 
Have a great week!
 
Joe