Do you want to get in on the ground floor of a new national observance? Do you want to see one of the most exciting writers and performers working in modern jazz? Maybe an intimate reading with one of the most talked-about chefs in the nation is more your speed? What about enjoying a short stack of flapjacks in the company of polar bears and Hawaiian monk seals? All this and more awaits you in this week’s recommended events.
Monday
The Parkway Theater excels at bringing in original films through the ages and pairing them with Minnesota icons. On Monday the Parkway will host the Minnesota music group Paris1919 to support the lauded 1928 silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc." This screening is presented in partnership with Sound Unseen, a film festival that has brought films about music to Minnesota screens for more than a quarter century.
Members of the MN Hard Bop Collective pictured at Jazz88. (Sean McPherson / Jazz88)
Hard bop is the bluesier and more groove-oriented offshoot of bebop and the genre’s icons are some of the most revered in the jazz tradition, including Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. The team from the MN Hard Bop Collective keeps that tradition alive and growing in many ways in the Twin Cities, including their weekly sessions over at MetroNOME Brewery in Lowertown St. Paul. Whether you are an aspiring musician or just a fan of the music, swing on by MetroNOME on a Monday to hear a cast of student and professional musicians exploring this great songbook.
Tuesday
Composer and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins leads one of the most imaginative quartets in modern jazz. Many jazz artists end up traveling with slightly different ensembles from gig to gig, frequently supplementing their sound with performers who are available for an individual show or limited runs. Wilkins has carved a different path with a dedicated ensemble who are intrinsic to his offerings. The payoff of a long-running intimate relationship is immediately tangible whether on a recording or live on the bandstand. Wilkins is accumulating the accolades one would expect from a player of his caliber but his secret weapon has nothing to do with his saxophone – it’s his writing and his bandleading that are setting him apart as one of the greats of his generation.
🕹️ MAR10 Day
Celebrate MAR10, or "Mario Day," Tuesday night with a Mario Kart tournament and live jazz fusion performances of video game music from local group Abandon Quest. The matches will be projected on a big screen behind the band as they play, so you can watch the music and the races at the same time. This free event is at Indeed Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Sketches of Minnesota Cast Members. (Brandon Boat / Danger Boat Productions)
Last summer the team from Danger Boat Productions, including City Cast contributor Tane Danger, traveled to nine towns across Minnesota, holding community dinners and performing improv shows. Now the team is back in the Twin Cities to premiere a scripted sketch comedy show that brings the audience all around the state in under an hour. The performance will be held at the Luminary Arts Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Sean Sherman. (David Alvarado / Friends of the Hennepin County Library)
Sean Sherman and his umbrella nonprofit, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, have become one of the most celebrated food orgs in the country. Sherman has also become a fixture on the national circuit including a recent appearance on The Daily Show. Though Sherman has been doing the work here in Minnesota for a decade plus, his recent star turn is built off of his compelling new book “Turtle Island.” Virtual registration for Sherman’s appearance at the Central Library is open now, and a standby queue for in-person spots will be offered on the evening of the event.
Thursday
In the world of nerdy holidays, Pi Day reigns supreme. Pi Day coincides with March 14 and if you need more details about the mathematical phenomenon, ask your friend who majored in math and is worryingly good at chess. But if you want to celebrate Pi Day, the place to be is at the Bell Museum. Since 2019, The Bell has been creating a large link of Pi digits and you can make your own contribution to the chain. There’s also workstations to make pi-kus or write in the syllabically demanding language of Pilish. Math!
Though she’s based in the Twin Cities, Chastity Brown is a national-level talent and when she touches down in her adopted hometown of Minneapolis for a free show, it’s worth taking note. Brown will perform inside Mia and Mia’s Laura Brown will also be on hand to facilitate creative projects. The night will also feature free entry into Mia’s new special exhibition “Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910-1945.”
Friday
City Cast Twin Cities Audience Development Manager James Napoli performing the Loon tremolo call. (Anna Weggel / City Cast)
Jewelry magnate Larissa Loden has righted a historical wrong in the state of Minnesota. For 64 years, the Loon has been the state bird of Minnesota, and for those 64 years there has been no holiday offered to the people of Minnesota to celebrate! March 13 is the very day in 1961 when the common loon became our state bird, and the 65th anniversary of this blessed day calls for a celebration! With the ink still drying on the designation of March 13 as National Loon Day, Loden is turning the loonatics loose on her jewelry store, where the staff will host PK the Loon from MN United, as well as host loon costume and call contests. City Cast Twin Cities is the media sponsor of the event and we will help judge the contests. The stakes are high here as the winner of the call contest will get a trip for two to Lake Tahoe. Our ornithology expert and Audience Development Manager James Napoli assured us on the podcast that there are indeed loons in Lake Tahoe.
Saint Paul Brewing Fish Fry. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Pioneer Press Food Editor Jess Fleming knows a lot about fish fries and she has some strong preferences. When she joined us on the podcast, she highlighted the offerings at Saint Paul Brewing, which uses perch and sunfish, and gives them a light fry. The last Friday of Lent is March 27, and we recommend catching a fish fry or two before it’s over.
Saturday
Besides for breakfast with your in-laws, when’s the last time you had hash browns next to a wild animal? Whatever your answer is, it’s been too long! A few times a year, the Minnesota Zoo opens up early and sets up a pancake bar with all the fixings plus turkey sausage links, eggs, and OJ. After you’ve had your fill, you can explore the zoo on a full stomach.
I am one of the people who think that the greatest concert in human history took place on Thanksgiving Day 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. That evening, The Band parked their tour bus for the last time with their most iconic lineup and celebrated their retirement with cameos from Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Dr. John, Neil Young, and more. The concert album and film that came from that performance is the stuff of legend and it’s influenced generations of musicians across the globe. For the 21st time, the Twin Cities music community will coalesce to celebrate that great concert with performances from Alex Rossi, Molly Maher, Heatbox, and more. If you’re a lover of Americana music, this is a don’t-miss event.
Davina Sowers. (Grinkie Photography / Ellen Stanley Publicity)
It doesn’t get much better than Davina and the Vagabonds live at the Dakota. Davina Sowers has been leading her group for 20+ years and they’ve cemented themselves as one of the biggest draws in the world of jazz and Americana out of the Twin Cities. The Vagabonds spend much of the winter on the festival circuit in Europe, so catching them stateside for a show at the Dakota in March is a real treat. Prepare to laugh, cry, and drop your jaw a couple of times as one of the most road-tested ensembles in the Twin Cities performs at their favorite venue.
Sunday
The Laurels String Quartet has been the secret weapon of so many of Twin Cities acts, including Kavyesh Kaviraj and jeremy messersmith. The quartet generally does their work quietly, supplying inspired string accompaniment for other artists on stage and studio. This month, they take their own star turn with a Sunday residency in the intimate vibe of North Loop’s Berlin. The group used their considerable rolodex to flesh out the evenings with guest collaborators. This week’s concert features the powerhouse vocalist Aby Wolf alongside her frequent collaborator, keyboardist and vocalist Eric Mayson.
