Thursday
Music — Claps, Sleeping in the Aviary, Enola Gay and Miami Dolphins
If you’re looking for a showcase of the best homegrown Minneapolis music, take your toes to the Turf tonight. The soirée at St. Paul’s premier dive bar features electro vets Claps and Sleeping in the Aviary (perhaps our most creative band), as well as brand newcomers Enola Gay and relative newcomers Miami Dolphins. Six bones is a small price to pay to taste the underbelly of what’s really happening at our geographical coordinates.
Turf Club
1601 W. University Ave., St. Paul
9 p.m.
$6
21+
Friday
Music — Barry Manilow
There are more than 50,000 students at our esteemed University of Minnesota. If you placed us on the rolling plains of South Dakota, we’d be the third-largest city. Of all those human bodies, I’d bet 0 to 2 percent are “Fanilows” or have the cash to see the schmoozy adult contemporary legend at the Xcel on Friday. Staff, I’ll now direct my attention to you. Why not splurge a little for the sake of tickling your nostalgia bones? I’m sure a few of you brought the gift of life into this world because of this man’s bedroom peccadilloes. Bring the youngsters along if you must; maybe he’ll sing that Band-Aid song.
Xcel Energy Center
199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
7:30 p.m.
$10-$130
Saturday
Film — “Rocky”
What better motivator to wave you into the last stretch of the semester than a big screen viewing of the most inspirational movie of all time. You can hear the music can’t you? Doo doo doo (fist pump) DOO DOO DOO! I’ve got three papers and two finals before May. (doo doo doo). Cut me, Mick; cut me! (DOO DOO DOO). ADRIAAAAN!!!!!!!
The Trylon
3258 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis
9:30 p.m.
$8
CULTURE TO CONSUME
Listen to this: Trampled By Turtles — “Stars and Satellites”
Duluth’s beloved barnyard bluegrassers return this week with their first album since 2010’s excellent “Palomino.” The storyline that’s being processed for “Stars and Satellites” is that it’s more of a complete album — a cohesive work of art to listen to from start to finish in the land of iTunes and tracks of the day. Well, children of the Age of Adderall, prove you’ve still got a semblance of an attention span, and go out, pick up their hoedown opus and listen to it in one sitting. If you must, you can play Draw Something or whatever the kids these days do to avoid doing something else while you listen.
Eat this: Tomatoes
Hoards of tomatoes were thrown in the ground prematurely this wacky April, and they all froze Tuesday night. Mourn for them properly this week by eating their cousins. It’s the way they would have wanted it.
Watch this: “Saved By the Bell” on Netflix
Indeed, just in time for Easter, Zack Morris and his Bayside clan have resurrected to shed prototypes and the Zen of telepath plotlines onto the world. Twenty-five minutes gone by, and Kelly is still mad at Zack, Slater is still pinned to the mat and Screech is being picked on by the jocks of Valley High? Don’t worry, pal; it’s the ’90s! The mess will all be cleaned up before the 30 minutes are done.
Read this: “Jesus’ Son” By Denis Johnson
Hopefully you are all still riding the high that the contemporary master of the absurd instilled in you at Coffman Union on Wednesday night, and you are ready to dive into his wacky world of “Dirty Realism.” “Jesus’ Son” is as good a place as any to start. Reminder: Drugs are, like, dangerous and stuff, folks. I’m recommending a book and nothing else.
