Your Guide to the Twin Cities in February

Well, January was terrible. Historically terrible. Notably terrible. You will remember January of ‘26 for the rest of your life. I’ll raise a February cocktail to this month being forgettable. But I won’t bet on it! My unsolicited advice for your February: do everything you can for your community, but take care of yourself and your family. In a January episode of our podcast, contributor Denzel Belin asked, “Are you enjoying the world that you are fighting for?” and that question sticks with me. We should all enjoy the world and fight for it!

See A Concert

✊ In Defense of Our Community – A Benefit for ACLU-MN Friday, Feb. 5 at the Fine Line

Helping others feels great, and that never feels more true than when you are standing in a sea of music lovers taking in a concert where all the proceeds go to a great cause. In this case, Direct Support has enlisted marquee names like Lady Midnight, Cristian Baca, and Jada Brown to raise funds for ACLU-MN. In addition to musical performances, there will be community speakers and a sound bath. Psst … want to know what a sound bath is? It’s when a combination of audio and environment are used to create a calming space to heal and relax. You didn’t think you were going to be taking a bubble bath in one of those EV loudspeakers, did you?. –Sean

🥁 See esperanza spalding Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Dakota

esperanza spalding is a virtuosic bass player and that is frankly one of her less elite talents. She is a spectacular songwriter, a gifted collaborator who somehow conjures unexpected greatness out of the greats she works with, and a dedicated risk taker who brings an inventive spirit to every chapter in her career. To see an artist of this caliber in the intimate environs of the Dakota is a true delight and might make the perfect Valentine’s gift for the music lover in your life. –Sean

Laugh at Something

🎙️ The Mess Feb. 7 at Strike Theater

When I’m not Executive Producing City Cast Twin Cities, I moonlight as a very average improv actor. Weirdly, I had two improv shows at the Bryant Lake Bowl the weekend after Renee Good’s fatal shooting. I also had shows at ComedySportz the weekend after a close family member died. I also did shows on zoom in the pandemic. Each time, I was incredibly nervous about “being funny” during a time that felt absolutely anything but. And each time, the audience showed up, hearts and minds open, desperate for something to take their minds off the pain they felt. It’s difficult to describe how much healing can happen in a theater of people huddled next to each other, coats spilling everywhere, not sure what’s about to happen. And The Mess, whose tagline is “Your favorite improv group in the whole wide world,” is one of the best groups of improvisers you’ll ever see in your life. –Anna

Speak Your Mind

🎙️ Re-Verb Open Mic with TruArt Speaks Thursdays at Flava Cafe

I recently interviewed Tish Jones of TruArt Speaks on City Cast, and I was reminded of Re-Verb, TruArt Speaks’ celebrated open mic. This open mic has been running for 13 years at different venues in the Twin Cities, and now its home base is a weekly Thursday gathering at Flava Cafe in St. Paul. Flava Cafe is a gem in the neighborhood, and the scene is never better than during these Thursday events. Tish Jones called it the “gateway artform into other spaces”. I hope you can take the time to follow your muse, your spirit, and your values into a creative space and share something with the community on a Thursday. I also strongly endorse grabbing a “bell hooks” beverage before you perform. It’s espresso, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and honors bell hooks, one of our greatest thinkers. hooks’ book “Teaching to Transgress” has a permanent spot in my top 5 texts. –Sean

See Some Art

🖼️ Queering Indigeneity running until August 16 at MMAA

A morning or afternoon spent in the Minnesota Museum of American Art, aka the M, is a life-affirming experience. This peaceful and generally quiet museum features spectacular art. I’m grateful that it’s not overwhelming, and one can take in most of the offerings in a handful of hours without feeling rushed or overloaded. The M offers free admission, though they do encourage donations, and gives art lovers a chance to linger with a piece of work without feeling like you are holding up a line. My favorite exhibit is Queering Indigeneity, which celebrates the diversity of 2-Spirit, Native queer, gender expansive artists in the Upper Midwest. Artists like Sharon Day, Ryan Young, Zoe Allen, and Naawakamigookwe Lera Hephner provide some of the most memorable work, but the entire exhibit is worth exploring. –Sean

Shut Up and Read

📚 Silent Book Club on Feb. 4 at Lost Fox

Sometimes one needs a little motivation to do the right thing. You want to read a book, but that phone is sitting right on the table. Maybe you have every intention of finishing up that Knausgaård tome sitting next to your favorite chair, but by the time you’re done with the dishes, Netflix sounds better. Enter the Silent Book Club. The Silent Book Club gives you the opportunity to quiet the distractions of your home and be in a room with other booklovers. The book club gives you an hour of quiet reading time with an optional social hour afterwards. And Lost Fox is the perfect spot to do this, as they function seamlessly as a coffee shop, bar, and restaurant all at the same time. Also, I got the secret heads up that the world-class hummus from Muddy Waters (R.I.P.) might be making an encore appearance on the menu at Lost Fox! Grab your Grishams and go! –Sean

Celebrate Black History Month

📚 The Givens Collection at the University of Minnesota

Do you know that one of the most thorough and well-curated collections of African American literature on planet Earth is located on the East Bank of the University of Minnesota? The Givens Collection is lovingly curated by the revered scholar and artist Davu Seru and boasts over 10,000 titles, including the Penumbra Theater Company Archives. Find yourself a half day this month to take in an overlooked gem of the Twin Cities literature world. Note, currently a U Card is required for entry into all University buildings. Schedule a visit in advance via their website. –Sean

Sweat

🥵 The Steam Room at the Eastside YMCA

February is the last mile of the real winter. Yes, it will snow in March. And of course, our beloved Prince has warned that “Sometimes it Snows in April.” So for February, I’m looking to get warm. There are fancy shmancy spas all over town, and when I have the time and money to use them, I do. But if I find myself with two hours on hand, I hightail it over to the Eastside YMCA! First stop, grab a couple laps around the walk/run track upstairs. Second stop, vaguely look over at the weights and do a couple things, but maybe don’t go hardcore, as this is a self-care trip, not a wail-on-the-pecs odyssey. And then fill up two water bottles and start rotisserieing yourself between the sauna and the steam room. These rooms are both small and both hot as hell. After about 40 minutes of the cycle, you will feel like you are in a jungle paradise. Slide through Caydence on your way out of the neighborhood for a pastry and an Americano, and you’re ready for a couple more weeks of winter. –Sean

Stream Something and Get Angry

📺 Paradox on TPT

The events of 2026 are intense and relentless. But, when you have time to come up for breath but still want to digest this moment, I think a historical framing is worthwhile. Twin Cities Public Television released a three-part documentary years in the making called “Paradox: Echoes of Reform & The Minneapolis Police”. I watched this film last year to prepare for an episode of City Cast, but I keep on thinking about it. If you wondered “why here?” after George Floyd was murdered in 2020, or if you’re wondering “why here?” right now, you’ll find something in this masterful work. –Sean