Friday Halloween âÄì The Haunted Basement The Soap Factory 518 2nd St. SE., Minneapolis Friday âÄì Sunday $20 This much-talked-about fusion of haunted basement/performance art/installation at the Soap Factory is apparently so scary that visitors have to sign a waiver before entering. This yearâÄôs theme is meant to lend a feeling of serious discomfort; think small spaces and icky smells. The soundtrack is supplied by the art galleryâÄôs own âÄúspirits.âÄù Whether or not those spirits are real is up to you. Music âÄî Rock & Roll Circus! Music Box Theatre 1141 Nicollet Ave. 7:30 p.m. $10 This rock show, featuring the sounds of Saint Motel, Bella Koshka and First Communion Afterparty and the lovely ladies of Lili’s Burlesque, as well as stuntmen, drinking, and dancing, encourages its guests to dress in “carnival attire.” Got an extra ringmaster suit lying around? Even if you don’t, the event promises to be a circus in the best sense of the word. Sixities-influenced Californians St. Motel join local bands Bella Koshka (shoegazey) and First Communion Afterparty (psychedelic) as burlesque girls shake it and DJ Dig Dug spins tunes âÄôtil midnight. Ellen Dahl from The Minneapoline fashion blog will host a photo booth, so dress to impress. Reading âÄî Thomas LarsonâÄôs âÄúThe Memoir and the MemoiristâÄù Magers & Quinn 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. Free These days, everyone from Sarah Palin to Miley Cyrus is touting a memoir. Thomas Larson, a contributor to San Diego Reader, is on a tour of the Midwest lecturing on the rise of the contemporary memoir in the last twenty years. He will also be giving tips on penning a memoir of your own that have been extrapolated from his 2007 book âÄúThe Memoir and the Memoirist: Reading and Writing Personal Narrative.âÄù Art âÄî B-Girl Be: Mama Said Knock You Out Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis Free This celebration of women in hip-hop ends on Oct. 23, so if you havenâÄôt checked it out yet, it would behoove you to do so now. You missed the block party a month ago, but never fear âÄî the exhibit has plenty of exciting work still sticking around. Apparently artist Lauri Lyons contributed an installation using hair weaves. Theater âÄî Master Works: The Goya Plays Bryant Lake Bowl 810 Lake St. W., Minneapolis 7 p.m. $15 âÄúMaster Works: The Goya PlaysâÄù features six Francisco De Goya paintings that have been transformed into installation art and stage pieces. The production, like Goya and his work, promises to be magnificently intricate and always just a little bit off the deep end. Saturday Music – Amy Millan Turf Club University Ave. W., St. Paul 8 p.m. $12 Amy Millan has spent most of her career as the token “ethereal-voiced girl” in a variety of bands, from Broken Social Scene to Stars . On her own, she tends to favor a rootsier country style versus the dreamy pop of Stars or the eclectic ambition of Broken Social Scene. Her second solo album, “Masters of the Burial” is a tender and simple offering with Millan’s lovely, featherweight voice accompanying her oft-melancholy guitar. Film – âÄúThe Hudsucker ProxyâÄù The Walker Art Center 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 4 p.m. $6 Student Met with mediocre reviews after its release in 1994, âÄúThe Hudsucker ProxyâÄù has been gaining esteem as the years have passed. The film, set in 1958, is veritable eye-candy, mixing stylish set design with nuanced, language and a cast of filmographic all-stars. Events âÄî Minnesota RollerGirls (Vs. Carolina RollerGirls) Roy Wilkins Auditorium 175 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul 7:30 pm $11 advance, $13 day of show Drew BarrymoreâÄôs new movie âÄúWhip It âÄù, set in the high-octane world of roller derby, might bring some new fans to the local faction of this crash & burn girly game, and it should. The Minnesota RollerGirls take on Carolina in an âÄúAngels vs. DevilsâÄù battle on wheels. I donâÄôt think thereâÄôs anything better than chicks on skates beating each other up. Movies âÄî âÄúThe Return of the Living DeadâÄù Uptown Theater 2906 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 11:45 pm Since itâÄôs October, expect a run on B-grade horror films from theaters like the beloved Uptown. This week, their midnight movie is âÄúThe Return of the Living Dead,âÄù in which a bunch of country kids find their hometown taken over by âÄì what else âÄì zombies. It probably wonâÄôt scare you, given its status as a cheesy âÄô80s cult piece, but it might get you in the Halloween spirit. Events âÄì SurdykâÄôs wine sale final day 303 Hennepin Ave. E., Minneapolis SurdykâÄôs is a booze drinkerâÄôs wonderland, all stocked up with beautiful tequilas, vodkas and beers from all over the world. Its wine selection, however, is what itâÄôs known for and today is the final day of their wine sale. Wines from Portugal to Germany are all priced around 30% off their usual price, so skedaddle and flag over a SurdykâÄôs wine expert (theyâÄôre the ones in the bottle-printed aprons) for some aid in determining which variety suits you best. Sunday Autumn Activities âÄî Apple Picking/Wine Tasting Aamodt’s Apple Farm Manning Ave., Stillwater Warning: Apple farms are overrun with children. This can be cute, and it can be deadly. However, Aamodt’s Apple Farm is the place to get locally-created Honeycrisp apples for all your eating and baking needs. Pick them from the tree for about $7 or buy a bag. Sounds too cheesy to be true? Get sauced on the farm’s wine tasting. Five dollars gets you a place at the bar and a sampling of their wine menu — several wines come from U vineyards. Their raspberry dessert wine ($13 for a small bottle/$20 for a larger one) is to die for delicious. Art âÄî âÄúThe Louvre and the MasterpieceâÄù Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis Oct 18 – Dec 9 $8 If you havenâÄôt had the chance to hop your private jet over to the romantic Paris to see the masterpieces housed in the Louvre, now is your chance to educate yourself in cultural history. Pieces from the enormous French museum have been shipped to Minneapolis for your aesthetic pleasure. Readings âÄî Anne Carson Coffman Theater 300 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis 6 p.m. Free Prolific Anne Carson graces the U with her presence to read excerpts from âÄúFragments of Sappho.âÄù The event includes reading, dance, performance art and interactive Q&A sessions with the poet. Along the East coast, Carson has been drawing praise and audience members like Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson. Music âÄî Meshell Ndegeocello Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant 1010 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. $25-35 Jazzy and powerful, Meshell Ndegeocello has been blasting away night clubs across the country with her husky, soulful voice. She refuses to shy away from any genre, from slow Norah Jones- esque ballads to trippy blues in a more Radiohead vein. Comedy âÄî Improv A Go Go Brave New Workshop 2605 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis 8 p.m. $1 If you like sitting on your couch watching re-runs of âÄúWhose Line is it Anyway,âÄù you will adore the $1 Improv A Go Go at the Brave New Workshop comedy theater. Anything-goes in this Sunday night joke-fest; and the actors arenâÄôt afraid to amp up the whacky. Culture to Consume Eat This: Since the DinkytownerâÄôs demise, A&E has been struggling to find breakfast food to compare. Sunnyside UpâÄôs kamikaze pancakes, a medley of thick, whole-wheat dough, fruit and nuts is the closest weâÄôve come. DonâÄôt even think of trying to eat more than one! Drink This: Why yes, I did get the recipe from this from a North Dakota hunting and fishing website! All redneck jokes aside, it’s fall (well, hopefully it warms up again; I’m not ready to call October “winter”) and that means it’s Apple Pie time! Gotta drive over to Wisconsin or NoDak to get the Everclear this recipe requires — they don’t sell it in stuffy old Minnesota. It’s loaded with booze, so be careful when consuming, since it tastes just like, you guessed it, apple pie. Here you go, courtesy NoDak Outdoors: 2 gallons apple cider 1/2 – 2 cups sugar Cinnamon sticks, to taste Bottle Everclear Simmer in large pot for about 2-3 hours. Listen to this: Personally, I find Vampire Weekend a bit too precious, but new single âÄúHorchataâÄù is tastier than their previous offerings. So whatâÄôs horchata? A quick Googling reveals itâÄôs a Mexican drink made of cinnamon, almonds, rice and lime. Read This: When Lorrie Moore isn’t busy teaching fiction writing at UW-Madison, she’s an award-winning, much-lauded short story scribe. Her full-length novel, “A Gate at the Stairs,” came out earlier this fall to much fanfare, from Elle magazine to The New York Times. It tells the story of college-age Tassie, who takes a job as a nanny for a pair of eccentrics in a town that is clearly only a thinly-veiled version of Madison. The Twin Cities A.V. Club just did an interview with Moore, if you want a preview. She’ll be doing a book tour appearance at the Book Festival on Saturday. Watch This: The film âÄúAmreekaâÄù centers on a mother and son that move from the West Bank of Israel to a small town in Illinois. ItâÄôs a poignant view of immigrant bigotry faced and challenges overcome today in the United States. Click this: YouTube comments are often the best part of the video viewing experience. Thankfully, someone at Awesome YouTube comments had the bright idea to curate such blips of genius to make us laugh (and cringe) at the state of society.