Monday, July 27, 2009

WHILE YOU WERE OUT


I'm gonna have to get crackin' on this blog, yo. It was a busy week of music and art. Here's what's been happening since 7/17 edition of "While You Were Out."

Saturday: Finished up writing about Flow: North Arts Crawl, then took a brain vacation for the rest of the night, but in keeping with my goal for the weekend, never went out (boo!). Probably worked on hip hop reviews some.

Sunday: I sent out interview questions to those involved in Artery 24 and worked on hip hop reviews for Mill City Scene. Was about to take a bicycle adventure, when I realized some a-hole stole the wheels and tires off the damn thing at some point over the weekend.

Monday: I submitted the Maria Isa review, which still isn't up on the website. Worked on Artery 24 as much as I could, but had to push the deadline to Tuesday, because the most important contacts had yet to respond.

Tuesday: In the morning I had to do some paperwork emailed over to Sonic Youth's management to get a photo pass, then finished the Artery 24 preview in the afternoon. That night, Sonic Youth performed at First Avenue, which was amazing.

Wednesday: I found a sweet bike for an even sweeter price on Craigslist, and spent much of the day deliberating over the purchase, then trekked out to deep South MPLS (near Richfield) to pick up the new bike. I worked on the Sonic Youth review a bit, but was not in writing mode after having to deal with the bike all day. Oh yeah, and I was sort of abducted by my social life. One of my good friends was celebrating her birthday late up in the 7th Street Entry, so I went there with a couple of ex-coworkers from the club. I made her meet the band she liked, and had them sign her poster. (By the way, I'm a good friend)

Thursday: Woke up super duper early, and finished the Sonic Youth review. Was pretty well zoned out and in zombie mode for the rest of the day, thanks to going to bed at 3am/waking up at 7am. Coordinated picking up a free sofa bed. I remember sleeping in Rafe's chair at some point, and then being fed some tortellini.

Friday: I really don't know what the hell I did. I musta zoned out on my laptop in the morning, looking at god knows what. Got really bored too fast, and ended up biking over to Claire's, so we could go see some exhibit she was supposed to be in. The damn gallery (Fox Art???) was closed, but we ended up going to a cool antique store and some handmade stuff (what the hell should I call this?) store. Went home and waited for Joe to call, so we could go pick up the free sofa bed. He ended up picking up the sofa bed with his sister and delivering it. How do you say no to shit like that? You don't. You just don't. They also delivered Rafe my old futon. Well, I told them to throw it outside (I didn't want Joe to have to help my ex out, for obvious reasons). Rafe let me drive his friend's car, despite how bad of an idea that was, even though nothing bad happened. Watched "There Will Be Blood" with Joe. Awesome movie, didn't think I'd like it from the previews. Don't judge a book, fool.

Saturday: Skipped Artery 24, because I suck at life, and this is how we do it. No, just overwhelmed by all the art going on, and was least excited for this (sorry, Soap Factory, I still love you and will paint your walls). Went to Flow: North Arts Crawl, and was even more impressed by what I found there then I had imagined. Tish Jones and Rachel Raimist's "State of the City" was an amazing end to a great day of art in North Minneapolis. I got business cards from participants so I can buy some of their work later. Good times. Was supposed to go to a party, but it had started as early as the arts crawl. I drank two beers out of my six pack, then fell asleep around midnight. Thug life.

Sunday: Went to the aforementioned Caffetto Arts & Crafts Fair, then ended up being damn bored for the rest of the day. At 5pm I decided to polish off the remaining four beers, and then I was wanting to get crunked by seven. The rest of the world was not feeling it until later in the day.

Monday: finally, that's now. Have been exploring new writing options, and looking in to another part time job. Life's too easy.

That's it. I plan to do more with my blog, like include events beside the ones I cover. There's always way too much going on in Minneapolis to go to everything. I can at least promote what I cannot attend. I'm also going to try to be more like a conventional blog, and put up MP3s and stuff that I find. I usually post everything on Facebook, because it's easier, but to get some readers, I'm gonna need to promote my blog more. This "While You Were Out" section is more of a way to just process all the ideas floating around in my mind before they escape. Hope it works.

Caffeto Arts & Crafts Fair



I hit up the 2nd annual Caffetto Arts & Crafts Fair on Sunday, which ran from 11am until 7pm. I went early because my friend, Claire Taubenhaus, performed early in the day. Plus I wanted to finish up a weekend of running around to art events early in the day.

I felt a little in the way for being there so early, getting over to Caffetto by 11:06am. Claire was supposed to play at 11:30am, but because Vita.mn didn't post the correct times in their listing, her performance was pushed back to noon (which worked out well, since she was running late, behaving like the rock star she will soon become).

Here's Claire's Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/clairetaubenhaus

Being the broke writer I am, I couldn't buy anything, but made sure to pick up business cards so I could purchase some of the goods later. Here's some of the cool things I found:

Annrocks Apparel
annrocks.etsy.com

2D Cloud, the creative collective behind Good Minnesotan
2dcloud.com

Margaret Nimocks
margarette.etsy.com
modmargarette.com

Kula, jewelry by Kara Hallie
kula.etsy.com

Baby Parade
collaborationthursday.blogspot.com

Nommetric8, handbags by Matthew C. Harris
nommetric8.etsy.com

Corin Aila Abert, creator of bike cozies (hands down, my favorite thing @ the fair)
kozyup.etsy.com

Lisa Yeonorowicz
oldcakepainting.etsy.com

Maybeyoushoulddie.com

ministeve.com

Tart, Vintage Button Accessories by Laura Steinkopf
tartvintage.etsy.com

France Barbeau, photographer

Urban Crawler (tag line reads, "Because All Your Friends Are Breeding")

All My Own, by Marlene Gaige
all-my-own.com
allmyown.etsy.com

Waist2Wrist, recycled belts-turn-bracelets by Brenan Waite

mariadryden.etsy.com

Nicole Eileen Lynott, artist/sculptor
nicolelynott.etsy.com
mnartists.org/Nicole_Lynott

Jessie Oleson

B's Images & Cards, photography by BobbiLe Ba

sketchbookcrafts.com

TC Daily Planet page

Now that I've become a regular contributor to TC Daily Planet, the editor has set up an archive for my articles. Check it:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/crystalerickson

Artery 24




Flow: North Arts Crawl




Here's a preview I wrote for TC Daily Planet on Flow: North Arts Crawl.
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/07/23/cultivating-community-flow-northside-arts-crawl.html

Sonic Youth


Here's a review I wrote for TC Daily Planet for Sonic Youth's 7/21 performance at First Avenue. Photography by yours truly.

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/07/23/music-rock-gods-sonic-youth-bring-high-art-first-ave.html

Sunday, July 19, 2009

R.I.P. Rafe's Bike wheels

Someone stole the wheels off the Trek bike I was borrowing from Rafe at some point this weekend! I only stayed home Friday through Saturday night, and now the damn thing's stripped. Now, not only do I not have a bike, I must replace wheels and tires. Great. It couldn't be a cheap bike I was borrowing, either. FML.

I will be posting pic of the frame and handlebars soon. Then I can look at that pic on a regular basis, and learn from my mistakes. I have two choices: a) move, or b) stop leaving things outside my apartment. They are never safe.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Noise Fest


Thurston Moore curated this festival at White Columns, an NYC art space, back in 1981. The festival was a showcase for the no wave noise rock movement, and was also the debut of Sonic Youth. Check out the details on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_Fest

An Ode to Martin Bisi


He produced Sonic Youth albums Bad Moon Rising and Evol, but also Herbie Hancock's classic, "Rockit."

Check it on Youtube (sorry, can't embed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK0Pi4wC8Hk

Martin Bisi's Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/theendcredits

Friday, July 17, 2009

Sonic Youth v. Acting Career


Sonic Youth's first drummer, Richard Edson quit the band to be an actor. So far, he's starred in 85 movies and television shows, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Stranger than Paradise, Do the Right Thing, and Dirty Dancing.

Check him out @IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002057/

Flow: North Arts Crawl


Flow: North Arts Crawl is coming up next weekend, held along West Broadway from 3-8pm on July 25. I will be writing a preview/artist interview on this, and will post a link shortly.

Read more about it here:
http://flownorthside.org/

Artery 24


Artery 24 is coming up at the Soap Factory, from 6pm-6pm, July 24-25. (a Friday and Saturday) I'll be posting a preview for it shortly.

Read about it here:
http://artery24.com/

WHILE YOU WERE OUT


Wowza, it's been a helluva week. I'm trying to get bloggie with it, so here's what I've been doing, instead of blogging:

Saturday=Green Day. I made $65.00 at the show. I could have gotten free tickets for it through TC Daily Planet, had I had the night off, but this worked out better. Oh, and Green Day still rocks. I'm gonna have to download, er, buy, all their albums. I love it when a band proves to you why they're still around, strong, and enjoy a devoted fanbase.

Sunday=Bastille Day. Halloween Alaska, Sims, and others entertained a packed crowd for this annual summer block party put on by Barbette. I was working this for Vita.mn, so I got beer and food tickets. Good stuff. A little too boring and crowded for me. Definitely was a little too partied out from the weekend for a Sunday event.

Monday=Harry Potter screening. I've never read or seen any of the other movies, which apparently is essential to enjoying this movie. Fans of the book did seem to agree this one's a little slow in the beginning, but an hour and a half of wizards attending class is a little much. I do want to see the other movies and the ones coming up, though, just to see if that helps matters. Won't be doing this anytime soon.

Tuesday=???. Not much I had to do this day, I think. Worked on a new story, about Flow: North Arts Crawl. Watched the original Black Christmas with Joe, and wondered why I loved the movie so much the first time around.

Wednesday=???. Had to wake up super early to work a Lynx game, and had a horrible time trying to keep my coworkers in check all morning. This must be what having kids is like. Was too hung over to deal with the artist interview I had scheduled, so I re-scheduled it to Friday, and asked for a later deadline.

Thursday=bike, boxes, Beyonce. Long freakin' day. Brought the bike I got hit by a car on to a shop, where I ended up leaving it. It would have cost too much to fix, 'cuz I'd have to replace everything on the freakin' thing. Besides, the person I got it from bought the bike from Re-Cycle, which is one of the worst ideas ever. I'm still perusing MPLSbikelove.com for cheap used bikes. Then I had to help my friend move for a few hours before the Beyonce concert. The move went well, cuz my friend had moved all the large items with someone else on Wednesday (thank you, Target Center, for making me work on Wednesday!). The Beyonce concert was nuts, and I wished I had taken the night off and went to see the show. Beyonce's definitely got a ton of infectious hits I like to shake my bootylicious to.

Friday=Artist Interview and North Minneapolis tour. I met up with the artist I'm writing about for the Flow North Arts Crawl, which occurs next Saturday, July 25. The interview went great, and this story and event are much cooler than I could have ever imagined. Hearing the artist's story made me grateful to be a writer, and to have the opportunity to write and engage in subjects and people that matter and are making a difference. And, in turn, to be one of the people making a difference in the community. Definitely a good feeling.

That's a wrap!!! Gonna be writing a lot this weekend, about the art crawl, and then a preview of Soap Factory's Artery 24. More to come on both stories, of course. Cheers, and happy weekend!

Friday, July 10, 2009

TC Zinefest


Here's a preview I wrote for the Twin Cities Daily Planet on this weekend's Zinefest, held at Stevens Square Center for the Arts July 11-12. The afterparty will be held at Arise! Bookstore, and feature live music from four bands.

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/07/10/little-local-and-made-love-twin-cities-zinefest-showcases-minnesotas-tiniest-medi

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Grassroots>The Roots?



While talking to my mom on the phone yesterday, she mentioned having heard of some band called the Grassroots that played last week at First Avenue.



I laughed at her and said, "you mean the Roots?"





and she said matter-of-factly, "they were called the Grassroots, back in the seventies, when they played in Nebraska."

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

TC Zinefest


TC Zinefest is back! It's this weekend at Stevens Square Center for the Arts, with an after party Sunday night at Arise! Bookstore. Check it:

Patriotic Acts


What says happy Fourth of July better than putting dead minnows in yo frenz hair? Nothing, that's what.

Friday, July 3, 2009

B-Girl Be 2009

Add B-Girl Be as a friend on Facebook:

From a note on Rachel Raimist's Facebook page:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Intermedia Arts Presents
B-GIRL BE

A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN HIP-HOP :: Fourth International Multimedia Festival

Summer Camps — August 11 – 14, 2009
Mama Said Knock U Out! Exhibition — August 27 through October 23, 2009
Dance Performances — September 17 – 20, 2009
B-Girl Be Block Party— Saturday, September 19, 2009

art . dance . dialogues . dj . fashion . film . graff . history . media . poetry . rap

Minneapolis, MN— After B-Girl Be’s year hiatus and a challenging start to 2009 for Intermedia Arts, the organization and directors of B-Girl Be are proud to announce that the much-loved event will be resurrected this fall. Thanks to the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Intermedia Arts is able to breathe life into the B-Girl Be
festival for the fourth installment of this internationally recognized platform for women in hip-hop.

Building on three years of a wildly successful summit, Intermedia Arts is proud to present its fourth B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop, a multimedia festival encompassing the four elements of hip-hop: MCing, turntablism, breakdancing, graffiti—and more. The mission of B-Girl Be is to influence and inspire leadership to change the perceptions and roles of women in hip-hop for current and future generations. This annual event is a place to make connections, build confidence, sharpen skills and gain access to the tools to create music, film, poetry, rap, aerosol art and dance.

The celebration begins with summer youth camps for girls August 11-14 at Intermedia Arts led by Desdamona and Katrina Knudson. Leading up to and during the block party, check out an international graffiti mural in progress throughout the weekend and don’t miss a hip-hop dance showcase featuring local and national talent curated by local dancer and choreographer Amy Sackett.

On Saturday, September 19, 2009 B-Girl Be culminates its series of events from August through October in a one-day festival at Intermedia Arts. The festival is a multidisciplinary showcase that brings international, national and local women in hip-hop together in Minneapolis for dialogues, painting, screenings, music, performances, workshops and networking opportunities.

Curated by Theresa Sweetland and Michele Spaise, this year’s B-Girl Be gallery exhibition, Mama Said Knock U Out!, will be a multi-disciplinary, cutting edge exhibition that highlights the distinct aesthetics of hip-hop. B-Girl Be proves that women in hip-hop aren’t making a comeback; we’ve been here for years- fighting oppression and knocking down barriers to equal representation in hip hop culture. These artists from all over the world paint on walls, wood, clothing, vinyl, canvas, and metal. Female filmmakers direct, produce and edit their visual journeys. Inside Intermedia Arts’ main gallery, viewers can check out aerosol art, clothing, paintings, photographs, music videos, sculpture, and illustrations representing
hip-hop inspired artwork from women around the world. The exhibit Mama Said Knock U Out! runs from August 27 – October 23.

For the most up-to-date information and to learn how to purchase tickets, call Intermedia Arts at (612) 871-4444 or visit www.intermediaarts.org. All events take place at Intermedia Arts unless otherwise noted. Intermedia Arts is located at 2822 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55408.

Funding by: The National Endowment for the Arts/ Sponsored by: Moxie Salon and Emetrece Productions.

Intermedia Arts is a catalyst that builds understanding among people through art.
Check our website (www.intermediaarts.org) for more details.

Schedule of Events:

B-Girl Be Block Party
Saturday, September 19, 2009; Noon-10:00 PM

Project Girl & B-Girl Be Summer Camps
August 11-14, 2009

Mama Said Knock U Out! Exhibition
August 27-October 23, 2009
*Exhibition Opening Reception
Friday, August 28, 2009; 7:00-10:00 PM

B-Girl Be Dance Performances
September 17-20, 2009
September17-18: 8:00 PM
September 19: 2:00 & 10:00 PM
September 20: 3:00 PM

Fundraising Events:

Moxie Hair Salon
Hair Raising Event For B-Girl Be*
Sunday, August 30th; 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
Uptown Location
$30 Haircuts, Reservations and Walk-ins welcome
#612-813-0330

PHOTO / INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: Featured Artists and Curators, Local
B-Girls,
Intermedia Arts’ Staff and Board

CONTACTS:
Melisa Riviere
Theresa Sweetland
B-Girl Be Co-Founding Director B-Girl Be
Co-Founding Director
Media and Marketing Director & Aerosol Art Curator
Executive/Artistic
Director, Intermedia Arts
Phone: 612-281-9970
612-874-2813
Email:mriviere@emetreceproductions.com
E-mail:theresa@intermediaarts.org

Ten Second Film Festival


I'll be working for Vita.mn at the Soap Factory's Ten Second Film Festival after fireworks on the Fourth of July. I also volunteer for the Soap Factory, but this will be the first year I will attend the festival. Should be fun, yo.

Event listing on Vita.mn's site:

On Soap Factory's site:

Coming Soon: Summer hip hop album reviews



I am forfeiting my vacation weekend to catch up on writing reviews, and to get a head start on new stories in the glorious world of Minneapolis hip hop.

Prefix Mag


Prefix Mag is the new black.

I am working on my pitch to write for them this week. But this blog is where it's at for a comprehensive look at the music industry.

Don't give up your favorite blogs within various genres, but go here for a nice overview of what's goin' on.

Sugarhill Gang


Here's a review I did for Twin Cities Daily Planet of Sugarhill Gang's show at Fineline.