Friday Music – N.A.S.A. The Triple Rock Social Club is a mighty small place to house all of North America/South America, or N.A.S.A. as this beat-collective likes to be called. Good thing the laws of space/time donâÄôt allow more than a handful of MAJOR music acts to inhabit one venue at once, or the intimate yet hard-edged Triple Rock might explode. Nonetheless, N.A.S.A. will bring their set of songs that feature everyone from Karen O. to M.I.A. and thoroughly rock the place. Friday, 9 p.m. Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Ave. S. $15 Culture âÄì Minnesota on the Map: Four Centuries of Maps Currently St. PaulâÄôs Minnesota Historical Society is playing home to the maps of the ages – MinnesotaâÄôs ages that is. âÄúMinnesota on the Map: Four Centuries of MapsâÄù is a breathtakingly large collection of the charts and atlases that display our great state and itâÄôs geographic neighborhood over the last 500 odd years. From the two misshapen blobs which represent North and South America circa 1581âÄôs map of âÄúAmericae sive novi orbisâÄù to the 1928 Northland Bus Routes map , this exhibit is a fascinating look at Minnesota cartography spanning five centuries. Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul $8/$10 Art âÄì Noble Dreams and Simple Pleasures For a limited time only, MinnesotaâÄôs richie-rich art collectors have decided to put on display their crème-de-la-crème private collections for all to see. âÄúNoble Dreams & Simple Pleasures,âÄù which runs through May 3, features masterpieces from the likes of artists like Abbott McNeill Whistler and Winslow Homer. On a related note, aspiring cat burglars have approximately two months to break into the MIA and steal these priceless works without the deplorably bad karma associated with burglarizing public property. A note to the interested parties: swing by the MIA during business hours to scope out the building. Grappling up a wall and lowering yourself down through a roof window only to realize youâÄôre in the wrong gallery is more than a little embarrassing. MIA 2400 3rd Ave. S, Minneapolis $6/$8 Music âÄì Dirty Projectors Brooklyn-based band Dirty ProjectorsâÄô eccentric, sunny cross-genre brand of two-step pop has more than a few toes tapping in their wake after being included on the recent âÄúDark Was the NightâÄù charity compilation. The track âÄúKnotty Pine,âÄù which has been getting a ridiculous amount of airplay on The Current, features the seemingly everywhere-at-once-lately David Byrne, whose hand is arguably a good presence in the creative cookie jar. Promoting their newest album, âÄúRise Above,âÄù the six-piece group will play the Walker Art Center before hustling off to Austin for SXSW. Dirty ProjectorsâÄô euphoric and upbeat, simultaneously new and vintage sound will undoubtedly make for a fun live performance. WalkerâÄôs Mcguire Theater, 1750 Hennepin Ave. 8 p.m. $18 Music âÄì Gay Witch Abortion Whirlwind spastic and ever-expanding rockers Gay Witch Abortion are scheduled to erupt from the 7th St. Entry sometime after 9 p.m. tonight. The local two-piece pea pod of explosive guitar over brutally responsive drums are undoubtedly playing in support of their acclaimed full-length debut âÄúMaverick.âÄù In a sonic world where vocals are rare and songs are delicious two-minute auditory battles, patrons will have to make sure to be on time in order to catch every second of this always enthralling duo. Seventh Street Entry, 701 1st Ave. 9 p.m. $6 Saturday Music – âĦ And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Peaking early is always tough to overcome. Texas noise rockers … And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead know that all too well. While their career did seemingly peak in 2002 with their seminal LP “Source Tags & Codes,” the group is back with another new record and a reinforced reputation as one of America’s craziest live bands. 9 p.m. Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Avenue S. $15 Theater âÄì Endgame Featuring clever wordplay and clever staging, “Endgame” by Samuel Beckett is the curious story surrounding Hamm, a blind master unable to stand, and his servant Clov, who is unable to sit and rest. The play is directed by Tony-nominated Marion McClinton. Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S. 8 p.m. $25 Culture âÄì New Deal Architecture and Planning Accompanying the Landmark’s Center’s exhibit “Uncle Sam Worked Here,” Rolf Anderson will speak on New Deal Architecture and Planning as it relates to the changing landscapes of our state parks. Show up early for free guided tours through the Landmark Center. Landmark Center, 75 5th St. W., Saint Paul 10 a.m. Free; Limited seating Music âÄì V-Day Minneapolis: Benefit Concert V-Day? That’s absurd – Valentine’s day is almost a month past! Well, V actually stands for a specific part of the female anatomy. The benefit concert is in efforts to encourage organization and awareness surrounding violence against women. The show features a stunning lineup of local-ish bands, including Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, Nancy Drew Crew, hip-hop playgirl Maria Isa, spoken-word artist Tish Jones, Desdamona, Gospel Gossip, folksy Nikki Schultz, and slam-artist Sha Cage. The Varsity, 1308 4th St. S.E. 6 p.m. $15 Culture âÄì Vegan Drinks If you hate the skinning of small helpless animals and love the taste of fried tofu, gather with some kindred spirits at the next segment of the monthly Vegan Drinks. The pseudo-party is a social networking event that attempts to gather what their website claims is a diverse crowd, “from cupcake aficionados to animal lawyers to vegans of all stripes in between.” Animal Rights Coalition, 2615 Franklin Ave. E. 7 p.m. Free Sunday Music âÄì Dr. MamboâÄôs Combo If Dr. MamboâÄôs Combo were a college student, they would have just turned old enough to drink. Toast a Jag and Red Bull to that! This group has been around so long that even Prince has seen them play. Their sound is primarily instrumental and definitely pure, 100% jam. Brassy funk and time/space squeezing rhythms float out of their set, along with deep, growly shouts and soulful singing. Their jams arenâÄôt all about sucking on acid Altoids; theyâÄôre more like watching a bird of paradise slowly hatch from an egg of funk. BunkerâÄôs Music Bar and Grill, 761 Washington Ave. N. 9 p.m. $5 Art âÄìOur Starry Universe This exhibit at Nicollet Ave.âÄôs Art of This gallery has a fairly broad scope, that being, uh, the universe. To make it even broader, the works are a collaboration between masters of deconstruction and beauty Hardland/Heartland and sensitive surrealist/ industrial/fantastic mashup-artist Monica Canilao. To properly prepare for the gallery, visiting their websites is highly recommended, but be prepared to get lost in a warp of profound, dark, puzzling images. Art of This Poetry âÄì Hmong Stories: Yesterday & Tomorrow Paj ntaub in Hmong means âÄúflower cloth.âÄù Chances are, considering the Twin CitiesâÄô high Hmong population, most residents have come across paj ntaub at some point without ever knowing it. Think long pieces of cloth with intricate geometrical shapes or scenes of passage sewn onto them, often in bright color schemes of yellows, blues, greens and oranges. The cloths are made to preserve memories of passage from one place to another, and are considered a type of story telling. This Sunday, Yang Yer will speak at the Rondo Community Outreach Library about how to make your own. Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 Dale St. N. 3 p.m. Food âÄì Slow Food of Minnesota: Lynne Rossetto Casper Right before midterms may or may not be a disastrous time to introduce college students to âÄúslow food.âÄù What aids mass cramming better than a slick, greasy pizza majestically brought to the door by a man in a black visor? Nonetheless, Coffman Union is providing an excellent opportunity to examine ways of eating that will probably become dominant forces against the decades of ruin that fast food has done to the human gut. Lynne Rossetto Kasper from MPRâÄôs The Splendid Table will speak at an afternoon of delights hosted by the campus club. The event winds down with slow food dishes from her cookbook. And yeah, college students, there will be wine. Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. SE 1:30 p.m. $15 lecture, $75 for dinner Art âÄì Momentum: New Comics With all that âÄúWatchmenâÄù hype getting comic book nerds all hot and bothered, antidotes to such an ink addiction are always welcome. Luckily, MCAD is showing a retrospective of the quarterly âÄúMomeâÄù anthology, which has been circulating for three years and has featured artists the likes of Robot 26âÄôs Tom Kaczynski and digital master Dash Shaw. MCAD, 2501 Stevens Ave. S. Watch This: âÄúEntre Les MursâÄù âÄúEntre Les MursâÄù or âÄúThe Class,âÄù FranceâÄôs answer to âÄúHalf Nelson,âÄù is a heartfelt and beautifully crafted look into the complex post-colonial melting pot of many Parisian public schools. The film, which is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Francois Begaudeau, follows a middle school literature class through its ups and downs over the course of a year, using real students in all roles and the author himself as the star. Winner of the âÄúPalme dâÄôOrâÄù at Cannes and nominated for an academy award, this class is not one to skip. Listen to this: CFCF âÄúPanesian NightsâÄù Montreal-born pop aficionado Michael Silver a.k.a. CFCF is wise well beyond his years. The young artist has somehow blended his favorite sounds into an eclectic synth-heavy instrumental journey both provocative and original. His unique take on sounds ranging from new wave to Balearic and beyond as well as his growing fame as a re-mixer have made him a mainstay within the Montreal scene. Hopefully his rising star will prompt a U.S. tour in the near future. Read this: âÄúWatchmenâÄù By Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Aside from the newfound buzz caused by the blockbuster adaptive film opening this week, Alan Moore and Dave GibbonsâÄô masterpiece, âÄúWatchmen,âÄù remains perhaps the greatest graphic novel of all time. Esteemed as one of the 100 best novels by Time Magazine, this intense and riveting story will have you at seats edge start to finish. Read the book before scuttling off to see the film. Eat This: If you have a date this weekend, bring your sig-other down to Edina’s Salut Bar American, owned by Parasol Dining, who also deliver us Chino Latino. The chicken and avacado crepes are French fusion fantasies. Drink This: Any margarita from Bar Abilene in Uptown. All of the drinks are hand-muddled with fresh ingredients. Get ready for a fiesta on your tongue. Click This: Pop Fizz Daily University of Minnesota graduate Gavin Quinn, a computer science major, designed the site and Sara Glassman, style-editor at The Star Tribune, constantly updates the site with style tips, restaurant reviews and exciting events.