Mpls.St.Paul Magazine - Out + About - Features

Finding Sugarman

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:59:59 GMT

Rodriguez

The surreal back-from-obscurity story of forgotten American folk singer Sixto Rodriguez is one of the most amazing second acts in American music history.

After recording two records in the early 1970s, Rodriguez pretty much quit the music business and settled down in Detroit, supporting himself with odd jobs and stints as a manual laborer.

That’s the last most people in the United States ever heard from him. But overseas, in Australia and especially South Africa, his stridently political songs about racial injustice and poverty struck a chord. In the 1980s and ’90s, while Rodriguez himself hammered nails and demolished buildings in Detroit, kids in South Africa were trading his songs and building a musical mythology around him—a mythology fueled by the mistaken idea that, among other things, he was dead.

In the late 1990s, two of Rodriguez’s fans set out to tell the story of their hero’s supposed suicide. Their search, and the discovery that he is still alive, was chronicled in this year’s Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man.

Suddenly popular again, Rodriguez is now touring the country, resurrecting the poetic folk-psychedelia that most of the world ignored the first time around. His show here sold out instantly. May 15. The Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, 651-290-1200, fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org —T. S.

Minneapolis-St.Paul Minigolf Guide

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:22:26 GMT

INDOOR MINIGOLF

Big Bear Mini Putt at Golf Zone

825 Flying Cloud Dr., Chaska 952-445-1500
yourgolfzone.com
Open year-round
Hours: M 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tu-Th 9 a.m.-9 p.m., F 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sa-Su 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Price: $7.50 for adults; $6.50 for kids under 14 $1 off per person for groups of 10 or more
While the kids practice putting through 18 holes of indoor pine trees and water hazards, you can work on your backswing at the driving range or grab some adult beverages at the bar. Great for birthday parties.

Burnsville Grand Slam

12425 River Ridge Blvd., Burnsville 952-224-0413
grandslammn.com
Open year-round
Hours: Su-Th 10 a.m.-10 p.m., F-Sa 10 a.m.-12 a.m.
Price: $4 per person
Cheap and pirate-themed, this 18-hole course offers the advantage of a host of other kid-friendly games on the premises. (Bumper car battle, anyone?)

Coon Rapids Grand Slam

2941 Coon Rapids Blvd, Coon Rapids 763-427-1959
grandslamcoonrapids.com
Open year-round
Hours: Su-Th 10 a.m.-10 p.m., F-Sa, 10 a.m.-12 a.m.
Price: $3.95 per person
It’s medieval-themed in Coon Rapids. Become queen or king of the course, then meander on over to the snack bar for some royal cheese curds.

Moose Mountain Adventure Golf at Nickelodeon Universe

(Mall of America) 5000 Center Court, Bloomington 952-883-8938
nickelodeonuniverse.com
Open year-round
Hours: M-Sa 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Price: $8 for adults; $26 for groups of four, each additional player up to 7 is an additional $6; 5 and under free
Strewn with imitation wildlife and kitschy old logging supplies, this 18-hole course will satisfy your penchant for putting and, incidentally, provide a definitive answer to that age-old question: “What’s the plural of ‘moose’?” (Just “moose,” btw).

Mother Knows Best

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:27:50 GMT

Grounds Beef

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:23:26 GMT

Festivities for the 25th anniversary of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden begin in May, and the way state and civic leaders talk about the Sculpture Garden—“Minneapolis’s crown jewel,” “a community treasure,” “a civic icon”—you’d think they spend a lot of time thinking about it.

But they don’t. Not really.

Since 2009, the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board have been trying to convince the state legislature to approve funds for a much-needed $8.5 million renovation of the Sculpture Garden’s deteriorating infrastructure. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization pledged $1.5 million to deal with water-related issues of the project, but requests for the remaining $7 million have been consistently denied.

So, instead of celebrating the quarter-century mark in all its refurbished glory—which was the original plan—the Sculpture Garden will host its visitors this summer showing clear signs of age and neglect. The stairs are worn and uneven; the hedges and trees are dying; the pond around Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Spoonbridge and Cherry is an algae and scum factory; and the ground is so compacted that, after any decent rainstorm, the lawn and paths add a dozen or more lakes to the state total.

The renovation would fix all of these problems and update the Sculpture Garden’s infrastructure to make it more ecologically sustainable and cheaper to maintain. The Cowles Conservatory, which houses Frank Gehry’s popular Standing Glass Fish sculpture, would also receive a new, energy-friendly HVAC system, making it possible for high-school girls in skimpy prom dresses to dance there sans sweaters for generations to come.

As the Sculpture Garden’s 25th anniversary gets under way, yet another funding request is being submitted, and the legislature has until May 20 to decide if the project is worthy. (Because the city of Minneapolis technically owns the Sculpture Garden, the city’s park and recreation board must submit the $7 million request, and it’s part of the bonding bill because the project involves only the Sculpture Garden’s nuts-and-bolts infrastructure, not any of the art or sculptures.)

According to Christopher Stevens, the Walker Art Center’s chief of advancement, Gov. Dayton and several influential legislators are “strongly supportive of the request,” and he is hopeful that this may be the year, what with all the anniversary attention in influential magazines and other, lesser media.

Unfortunately, we’ve been here before, many times. Everyone is always “very supportive” of the Sculpture Garden, until they’re not. But it’s embarrassing to watch legislators react to this extraordinarily modest bonding request as if the red in our state’s favorite cherry symbolizes some kind of commie-liberal plot to turn patriotic Americans into namby-pamby art lovers. At this point, the cherry’s gleaming red symbolizes only one thing: our collective shame that in its finest hour, our “crown jewel” needs so much buffing and polishing.

Anthony Bourdain's Guts and Glory

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:15:04 GMT

In our Culture Meter, you'll find Anthony Bourdain’s Guts and Glory tour touted as a guilty pleasure. But some of us gave up guilt for 2013, so we’re showing our unabashed excitement for bad boy Bourdain’s stop at the State Theatre for a raucous evening of talk about food politics and culture. Bourdain invited a new guest to join him onstage for each leg of the tour, and his old pal Andrew Zimmern was the natural choice for the Twin Cities. We’re looking forward to hearing these globetrotting foodies riff off each other as they field questions from the audience. With our booming taproom, new Nordic, and fish farm scenes, there will be plenty to talk about. May 11. $45.50–$65.50, 805 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-339-7007, hennepintheatretrust.org

Your Guts and Glory homework: Read Andrew Zimmern’s Delta Sky Magazine Q&A with his old pal Tony Bourdain.

A Match of Wits

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:41:39 GMT

Wits started out as a humble experiment, and it still is, if everything goes right. This live, locally produced Minnesota Public Radio show that combines famous comedians, musicians, conversation, and a healthy dose of improv—is the brainchild of host John Moe. Music director John Munson acts as Moe’s comedic sidekick, and together they preside over one of the most interesting and entertaining shows on radio. Wits was so popular locally in the first three seasons that it was picked up for national distribution this year. It’s now on a weekly schedule, with comedians Patton Oswalt, Rob Delaney, and Colin Hanks on tap for May, along with musicians Ben Lee, Neko Case/Kelly Hogan, and Jason Isbell. “Friendly geniuses” are the best guests, says Moe. “It wouldn’t work with jerks.”

Wits live performances are on Friday at 8 pm; the shows are broadcast the following Saturday at 7 pm on MPR (91.1 FM) and Sunday at 9 pm on 89.3 The Current. witsradio.org

Kiddie Classical

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:20:20 GMT

Whether or not the Minnesota Orchestra and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra resolve their respective contract disputes by the time you read this, there remains in our culture a big problem with classical music: No one knows how to get young people to like it. If the next generation of concertgoers doesn’t start buying more tickets, CDs, and Osmo Vänskä bobblehead dolls, things are going to get ugly—or at least a lot less classical.

Since nothing else is working, here are a few ideas worth trying:

Ban It

The surest way to get young people interested in classical music is to make it illegal. No one under 21 can listen to it, period. When they ask why, we can tell them that classical music alters human brain chemistry so profoundly that it can’t be properly processed by the adolescent brain. Crazy things can happen when Mozart gets in your head, so regulation is the only responsible solution. Then make classical music 10 times as expensive as anything else on iTunes. Sales will soar.

Replace Conductors

To kids, watching an old guy in a tux dance around with a stick in his hand is gross and pathetic. Replacing conductors with a robot that shoots lasers would go a long way toward making conducting look modern and cool. If the lasers actually burned holes in the musicians’ clothing, or seared their eyes out, so much the better.

Engage More

During any given concert, a third of the orchestra is just sitting there doing nothing. The brass and percussion sections, especially, seem to have a lot of time on their hands. These musicians could use their time more wisely by texting with kids in the audience, commiserating about how boring it is to sit and do nothing while the strings and woodwinds do all the work.

Use More Artillery

If the classical community wants to capture the attention of boys, it needs to figure out ways to incorporate more gunfire and explosions. The 1812 Overture uses cannons, and that’s a good start, but the range of explosive noises—from bottle rockets to concussion bombs—is woefully under-utilized in classical music. More cowbell won’t do it; more firepower will.

Allow Movement

For kids, sitting still and shutting up is physically painful. Kids need to move, which is why Orchestra Hall needs a mosh pit. Not a big one, just an area large enough for kids to smash into each other and draw a little blood.

Get Happy

Lots of classical music is very slow and sad. It reminds kids of church or driving to Fargo with grandma. Would it kill the orchestra to throw in a Justin Bieber song every now and then? Sure, some members of the orchestra might die a little inside, but the kids would never notice. They already think slowly dying is part of the show.

The New Two-Year College

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:42:55 GMT

Terminology

A breakdown of what’s beyond the traditional four-year school:

Community colleges offer general education courses, as well as associate’s degrees, and they often act as steppingstones or compliments to four-year degrees.

Technical colleges are specifically designed to prepare students for the work world. They offer two-year degrees, diplomas, and certificates in specialized fields.

Technical and community colleges offer technical and community college courses—a great starting point for a student who isn’t quite sure whether to enter the workforce or lay the groundwork for a bachelor’s degree.

MnSCU schools are supported by a state appropriation. Tuition is typically lower than private institutions or the University of Minnesota.

Private, for-profit schools offer many of same degrees, certificates, and diplomas as MnSCU community and technical colleges, but often with a smaller and more personalized enrollment (and a higher tuition rate). —Taylor Selcke

The “traditional” college student is no longer the norm, and neither is the “traditional” college.

A great cultural shift is happening among college-aged students and their supporting families, largely due to the lack of financially sustaining jobs for graduates. A new report from the Center for College Affordability and Productivity shows that nearly half of all employed college graduates have jobs that require less than a four-year education (though employers prefer those with the communication and critical-thinking skills provided by one).

Such jobs often pay less than a living wage. Consequently, the number of 26-year-olds living with parents has jumped almost 46 percent since 2007.

But college costs remain exorbitant. Tuition at public four-year colleges increased by more than 18 percent between 2006 and 2011. And during the past 25 years, tuition has increased at twice the rate of health care costs. It’s clear our state and federal governments have quite a task ahead of them if higher education is truly for all. In the meantime, students and families are seeking quality higher education at a more reasonable price.

Enter: Minnesota’s two-year colleges and technical programs, which can provide ready-to-work degrees and technical training plus employer-preferred “soft” skills such as communication, critical thinking, and big-picture perspective—all at a fraction of a four-year college cost. And many two-year colleges in Minnesota offer near-seamless transfer to Minnesota four-year institutions—providing huge savings on bachelor’s degrees.

“While the traditional college experience still exists, the demands of life, the realities of financial challenges, and a changing attitude about two-year colleges have led to more students actively seeking out a technical education, rather than ‘settling’ for it,” says Erin Edlund, director of institutional advancement for Dakota County Technical College.

That’s exactly what’s happening. In 2012, 29 percent of college students nationally were enrolled in two-year programs, a 6 percent increase from just two years ago, says a report from college loan lender Sallie Mae. Here in Minnesota, the number of undergraduates enrolled in all of our public community and technical colleges is greater than the number of undergraduates enrolled at all of our public four-year colleges.

And increased cost-consciousness is most pronounced at the highest income levels: the percentage of students from high-income families opting to live at home while in college has nearly doubled in only two years.

Trial Run: Gardening Class

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:08:43 GMT

WHAT: Soils! at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

GUINEA PIG: Stephanie Wilbur Ash

WHY: My first crack at gardening yielded exactly one green bean, which a toddler ate before I could even snap a photo.

OUR TAKE: Dirt nerd alert: gardening is science. Horticulturist Dr. James Calkins from the University of Minnesota ground that into our class of green-ish thumbs. Soil is an “ecosystem,” only one of many possible “growing media,” as well as a solid, a liquid, and a gas. He moved us through such disasters as compaction from machinery, pH balance errors, and phosphorus runoff from improperly applied fertilizer. Then things got dirty—we experimented with “media” and containers to gauge drainage rates. Big takeaways: no matter what you’re digging in, you probably need to add organic matter, and there’s more to gardening than waiting to pluck a bean.

SMALL PRINT: Classes are held Saturday mornings. $40–$50, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska, 952-443-1400, www.arboretum.umn.edu/gardening.aspx

Downton to Mad Men Transition Guide

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:09:21 GMT

Downton Abbey

If you’re having trouble bidding adieu to the Crawleys (haven’t we done enough of that?) and life on a British estate in the early 1920s:

DRINK

Afternoon tea at The Saint Paul Hotel with your grandmama. Pinkies up! stpaulhotel.com

WORK

No gardener? No problem? Maintain your estate (Minnesota-style) and hire the neighbor kid to trim your hedges.

WEAR

A custom tux from Hammer-Made or a gown from dugo. One must look presentable at dinner. hammermade.com, dressupgoout.com

VICE

Light up a cigar from Stogies on Grand. stogiesongrand.com

KIDS

Call Twin Cities Nanny & Sitters to see if they have anyone who meets the standards of Anna Bates. tcnanny.com

Mad Men

If you’re in transition, drop the British duds and hoity-toity personality and start prepping for the debauchery and glam styles of Mad Men:

DRINK

A beer at Brit’s. Keep the British accent of the Crawleys; add the alcohol of Draper. britspub.com

WORK

Shed your leisurely aristocratic ways and get ready for long hours in the office by doing volunteer work. unitedwaytwincities.org

WEAR

Curls in your hair—a soft wave channeling Lady Mary or a ‘60s-inspired bob a la Megan Draper—courtesy of The Wow Bar. Guys, you’re on your own. thewowbar.com

VICE

Channel surf. It’s time to catch up on reality shows.

KIDS

Take them to the Then Now Wow exhibit at the Minnesota History Center to see Minnesota artifacts that span the Downton and Mad Men eras. minnesotahistorycenter.org

Madison Avenue

If you can’t wait for April 7 and the madness of Madison Avenue in the ’60s:

DRINK

A dirty martini at Jax. jaxcafe.com

WORK

Who needs Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce when we have Olson, Fallon, Martin, and Lynch?

WEAR

A skinny tie from Pierrepont Hicks or a feminine frock from Anne M. Cramer. pierreponthicks.com, annemcramer.com

VICE

So many to choose from. The nearly windowless Nye’s Polonaise Room seems like a good, dark place to pick your poison. nyespolonaise.com

KIDS

Make hot dogs and turn on the TV, Betty-style. The kids will be fine until Dad gets home.