Friday Parade – Dog Days of Summer NE Dog Parade & Sidewalk Sale If you’re like me and feel a big hole in your life that should be filled by lots of cute puppies, some of them wearing costumes, or if you have a dog that can play nice with others, then what are you waiting for? There’s a dog parade! I think that’s incentive enough to go to this adorable NE event, led by police officer Elliot Wong. Local shops will participate too, hawking their wares outside so you can shop when you aren’t oohing and awwing at dogs. Belle Reve is sure to have some fabulous deals; owner Aisha is pricing lots of her summer merch. under $100. Chute Square (corner of Central & University) 6:15 p.m. free Music – Solid Gold There are plenty of buzz bands that the TC can boast right now, and Solid Gold is likely the most prominent, with a following both stateside and overseas. They’ve been busy this summer, playing at Grand Old Day and Rock the Garden, for starters, and they hit another summer standby, the MN Zoo, tonight. MN Zoo Weesner Ampitheater 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley 7:30 p.m. $18 Music – Ice Palace, Yourself and the Air, Pomegranates, The Dirty Colors We here at A&E are big fans of Ice Palace’s drummer, Joe Gaskill. A commenter of a Star Tribune story mentioning his other band, Kill to Kill, called him one of the best drummers in the Cities, and he’s definitely the nicest. Whereas Kill to Kill skews towards Sonic Youth, Ice Palace veers more towards traditional, deep-thinking indie rock. They play tonight at the Turf with a bunch of import bands, like Yourself and the Air. Turf Club 1601 University Ave., St. Paul doors 9 p.m. $5 Comedy – Shane Mauss Mauss has performed three times on Conan, and Conanophiles are quick to idolize anyone whom Conan deems worthy. The 29-year-old Boston resident, originally from LaCrosse, WI, is currently at work on a special for Comedy Central and a recording. All this with only about two years of visibility? Pretty impressive. And he’s kinda cute, too. A lot cuter than Dane Cook, that’s for sure! Acme Comedy Company 708 1st St. N. 8 p.m. $15 Music – Jason Shannon, Lucy Michelle, Wars of 1812 The Fine Line is a lovely place to see a show, and if said show features Lucy Michelle, lovely it will be. Lucy & the Velvet Lapelles are joined by Jason Shannon, fresh off a 10K stop, and the Wars of 1812, as well as Scratch Track. Wars of 1812 have one of City Pages’ top local albums of 2008, and the hip-hop/blues infusion duo Scratch Track hail from Kansas City. LM & the VLs have got quirky pop covered, while Shannon brings the old-school hippie-rock. Wars of 1812 bring a diversified palette, and Scratch Track sounds like The Kills hanging out in a rap club. Fine Line Music Cafe 318 1st Ave. N. 9 p.m. 21+ $8 Saturday Circus – Circus Juventas’ Yulong: The Jade Dragon Little kids flying through the sky with the greatest of ease? A collaborative effort with the Chinese Dance Theater? More importantly, as previously stated, kiddie circus artists? It’s like a crazy-cool mini Cirque du Soleil at Circus Juventas. Their summer show, “Yulong,” tells a story of honoring tradition, or defying it. There looks to be cameos from dragons, and did we mention flying children? 1270 Montreal Ave., St. Paul 1 p.m., 7 p.m. $12.50-25 Art – Common Room Common Room was curated solely for the purpose of interaction between art curators, art fanatics, and performers. Its founders/curators, Andy Sturdevant and Sergio Vucci, don’t want the art experience to be silent and staid, but friendly, like a night with coolest pals. They’ll host a series of fun activities, like documentary screenings and craft-making (kind of like hipster summer camp) throughout the show’s run, and its first activity is a movie night alongside the community orchestra. Bring your maracas to participate, and you’ll help create a score for a silent film. Soap Factory 518 2nd St. S.E. daily free Music – Mos Def Besides the fact that Mos Def is, well, hot, I’d go to this just to hear the new tracks that he collaborated on with my favorite old-school rapper Slick Rick. Mos Def, who holds a place in “Stuff People Like,” just released his newest album “The Ecstatic,” with production by the Neptunes (another hottie, Pharrell) and others. Not only is Mos Def a Kanye West collaborator and a K’Naan fan, but he’s a critically acclaimed actor, too. From music, to movies, to TV, to stage, he can do it all. There’s something way sexy about a man-of-all-trades, right? First. Ave 701 1st Ave. N. 6 p.m. $33-35 Art – MN Fringe Festival Becky highlighted some of the best and brightest of this festival in this week’s A&E, which takes place all over Minneapolis and showcases a myriad of talent, both onstage and off. The 11-day festival has been going on since 1993 and isn’t juried or censored at all, so what you get is a complete artist’s vision, unadultered by pesky little fingers of “the man.” I definitely want to see “Rumspringa the Musical,” and if you have little siblings, there are appropriate shows for them to see, too. Various locations $4 admission button, $12 regular ticket Theater – “The Syringa Tree” Actress Sarah Agnew plays over 20 characters all by herself in this re-staging of a previous Jungle Theater hit. It tells the story of two families in ’60s South Africa, one white and one black, and how their lives intertwine. Joel Sass, acting creative director of the theater at the moment, stages a beautiful show, and “The Syringa Tree” has proven to be one of the Jungle’s Best. Jungle Theater 2951 Lyndale Ave. S. 7:30 p.m. $28 Sunday Music – Warped Tour I always scoffed at the “punk” bands playing at Warped Tour in high school; that whiny stuff didn’t appeal to me. But it appealed to lots of other kids, since the Warped Tour’s been going on for years. Although us more jaded folks claim it sucks, this year it boasts 70 bands, and not all of them snotty-nosed kids. Standbys like Anti-Flag and Bad Religion will be in attendance, but also rappers like Shad the MC and our very own P.O.S. I think the best part is Waylon Jennings’ son Shooter – quelle surprise! Canterbury Park 1110 Canterbury Rd., Shakopee 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. $35 Music – Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Alex Ebert, in this case, is not our friendly Daily staff member, but the ex-member of L.A.’s Ima Robot and leader of a 12-person band. The Twin Cities Decider compares him to Devendra Banhart freak-folk, and apparently Edward Sharpe is Ebert’s alter ego of the moment. Sure, it’s a little Manson Family, a little hippie-dippie, but why not let the barefoot gypsy in you run free at the Entry? 7th St. Entry 701 1st Ave. N. 8 p.m. $8 Sports – 20th Anniversary Twin City Polo Classic Wear a big hat, ladies, ’cause there’s a contest. What better way to spend your Sunday than at a polo match? How very upper-crust of you. I know nothing about polo, except that it’s kind of like croquet in the water, with horses … ? The Polo Classic draws the crowds every year and caters not only to big kids, but to children too. Expect lots of flower-wearing horses in the showcase, and remember to affect your East Coastiest-accent. Twin City Polo Club 6755 Turner Rd., Maple Plain 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. $25 Art – Poetry Slam: The Erotic Slam Not only does this performance night focus exclusively on every college kid’s favorite recreational activity, sex, but it involves some of our beloved Muppets too. OK, that sounds strange, and if you classify yourself as “vanilla” between the sheets, then maybe this ultra-sexy spoken word/performance art night is too much for you – or it just might be the kick in the pants that you need. Besides being a celebration of sex, love, and kink, it’s also a send-off party for the St. Paul Slam Team, who leave for a national competition the next day. Best of luck, sex kittens! The Artists’ Quarter 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul 7 p.m. $5 Culture to Consume Eat This: My uncle has a lake house near where Willey Wallaby’s licorice is produced, and that’s only partially why I’m addicted to the strawberry flavor. It’s juicy, thick, and delicious – no pallid Twizzlers here! They’ve got it at Whole Foods, Lunds, and Local D’Lish, to name a few places ’round the metro, and I highly recommend you purchase a bag and try not to eat it all in one sitting. It goes well with late-night booze munchies. Drink This: I’m on a health-food kick, and instead of a morning coffee (or a morning cocktail), I’ve been trying to amp up my feel-good factor by making my own Green Monsters, as inspired by this site. So far my favorite recipe is as follows: 1 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood Infusion powder, available at Whole Foods, with a banana, 3-4 cups of spinach, and 1 cup milk. Blend it up and be amazed at how delicious it actually is. I am a certified veggie hater, and this is really the only way I can stomach the greens. It remains to be seen how lifechanging the Green Monsters are, but I’ll keep ya posted. Listen to This: Little Boots is blonde and adorable, and she makes the most fabulously fun dancepop, sort of like Lykke Li plus Lady GaGa. Her debut album, “Hands” came out a few weeks ago to fanfare amongst the indie music blogs, and my roommates and I like to have mini dance parties to it when we’re in sucky moods. Instant Zoloft! Watch This: I don’t care if she doesn’t know the world is round; I like Sherri Shepherd. She’s wonderful, even if she can be kind of preachy. And I love this video of her getting her first Brazilian wax, which they aired on “The View” this morning. Watch her facial expressions! Read This: You could read “Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson” by Ian Halperin, or you could just skip all the crap a thrown-together cash-in would dish out and read the good bits here. I was intrigued by the book whilst browsing at Target, but now all the “facts” I need to know, like that Liza Minelli smoked pot and the fact that MJ was uncomfortable around porn. These bios are beyond tacky, but I can’t help it; I’m like a 50-year-old woman at the pool in Miami, I guess. Click This: Virtual bubble wrap popping? Awesome. This site is the utmost of silly boredom relief, but I have to admit, it’s kind of fun. It times you while you pop, and that brings out the competitive side in me. Popping real bubble wrap is great fun/stress relief, and surprisingly, it’s just as fun virtually.