Turtlenecks aren’t universally beloved. “Wearing a turtleneck,” the late one-liner king Mitch Hedberg once said, “is like being strangled by a really weak guy all day.” And...

  Are you always refreshing Twitter? Are you the first to say something beautiful (or crass) when a celebrity passes away? Do you run out of free articles on the New York Times website at the start...

  BY TOM JOHNSON     Joseph Akerson of U’s Glitch Gaming club — a video game org based at the University of Minnesota that strives to promote a strong sense of community through...

BY TOM JOHNSON   Minnesota Daily A&E: How did you come up with the designs?   Chris Hipp (computer science junior, Pi Kappa Alpha): I did the designs in SketchUp. My major is computer science,...

What’s a fashionista/o? One of the first things I imagine is a walk-in closet worthy of getting Bling-Ringed: shoes in every color, fur collars toppling over perforated leather vests, cargo shorts...

STUFF TO DO Thursday Friends of the Southeast Library Booksale Kitty corner to the Library Bar, there’s another library — a real one. The Friends of the Southeast Library, a group still in...

Wowza! We made it. We really made it. Our very own Mesa Pizza landed a coveted spot in a Buzzfeed post. Our dear ol' slice store (or at least a picture taken there) is featured in Virgin Mobile-sponsored...

This upcoming TV season is one of the most promising in recent years, especially in the realm of comedy. Some heavy-hitters are making triumphant returns (we hope) — “The Mindy Project”...

STUFF TO DO THURSDAY: Concrete and Grass: Lowertown Music Festival Where: Mears Park, 221 E. 5th St., St. Paul When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free Want to hear a smorgasbord of music — we’re talkin’...

Indie pop band Passion Pit and rapper Hoodie Allen will perform at the University of Minnesota’s 2013 homecoming concert, the University announced Wednesday night. The artists, who will perform Sept....

STUFF TO DO THURSDAY: Arj Barker You might remember him from “Flight of the Conchords,” but chances are good that you don’t, actually: Arj Barker didn’t play one of the two main...

What's the point of an arts publication being on Spotify? We're about to spend the summer figuring that out. We're going to be adding playlists to many  of our articles and blog posts,...

As summer approaches with its trademark cocktails and afternoon porch sits, the growing season for fascinations with old southern writers is upon us. Friday night, University of Minnesota-Morris associate...

Thursday   7:30 p.m., tonight   “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”   Ted Mann Concert Hall   Also playing 7:30 p.m., Friday, Saturday; 1:30 p.m., Sunday   $5 for students;...

THURSDAY The Haunted Basement The Soap Factory 514 Second St. SE, Minneapolis 6 p.m. Sold out   In the second weekend of its sixth year, this artist-designed and volunteer-driven netherworld ought...

  CULTURE TO CONSUME   Listen to this: Samantha Ronson, “Pull My Hair Out”   The venerable clique flick “Mean Girls” is hitting Vh1 at 7:30 p.m Saturday at. So that’s...

Whether you’re toting bestsellers to the beach or relaxing on your balcony with a cerebral mystery, chances are you’ve realized an important truth: ‘Tis the season for reading. The Minnesota...

It won’t be long before we’re all crowded on the Northrop Mall, trying to squeeze in a quick nap before our first lecture of the school year. Thankfully, we still have a few weeks of summer...

“Ruby Sparks” Rated R Opens: Aug. 3 at the Lagoon in Uptown Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina You’ll sit there for: 104 minutes For fans of: French pop songs, minimalist movie...

This week, we’re reading about the Olympics. And since 2012 marks the fortieth year since 1972, we’re especially interested in the infamous massacre that marred the memory of that year’s...

This week, we’re reading the mouth-watering “Yes, Chef” by Marcus Samuelsson. While Samuelsson is well known for winning “Top Chef Masters,” he’s led such a rich life...

There’s nothing sweeter than watching a movie outside in the summer. Actually, there might be — catching a flick outside in the summer with your boo is pretty sweet. There’s darkness,...

Frank Ocean knows how to use Tumblr. Last week, the R&B crooner of the Odd Future rap collective used the blogging platform to tell the world that his first love was a man. And last night, he dropped...

  Fourth of July is a holiday built for patriotic activities, like fighting with your uncle about Obamacare, setting off semilegal fireworks and eating burnt meat. But what are we to do when the fun...

"Magic Mike" Rated: R Playing in area theaters Once upon a time, Channing Tatum was a stripper. “Magic Mike,” written by Reid Carolin and directed by the mystical Steven Soderbergh, is Tatum’s...

  Who: Hazel Belvo, Jim Denomie and Laura Migliorino What: A Midsummer Night’s Stroll through “Tenuous, Though Real” When: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, The exhibit will be up until Sept....

  Written by: Seth Grahame-Smith Rated: R Playing at area theaters   There are two things to know about “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” before you decide whether or not you want...

The A.V. Club, Twin Cities announced today that their coverage of local entertainment is ending. The Onion won't circulate in the Twin Cities anymore either, as editor Jason Zabel explained in his...

    The chair of the National Endowment for the Arts dropped what might be considered a bombshell to theater-lovers during a private site visit to the St. Paul’s History Theatre on Friday. “I’m...

College Kitchen brought us a lot: along with heartfelt odes to fish sticks and beans, we got healthy recipes and, wait, what kind of "herb" brownies is Sam Linder talking about? But A&E's...

    What: “Roman Holiday” When: Now through August 19 Where: Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St. Cost: $35-80 Run time: 2 hours and 35 minutes including intermission   When “Roman...

Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival has grown from the tiny Intonation Festival to a 47-act, weekend-long affair. Today, the folks at P4k released the detailed lineup. We'll post our thoughts and...

The monopolistic mammoth of a comedy club now has its own podcast, hosted by Justin Severson of the KQRS morning show. Nolaughtrack is available for free online, and a newsletter I just got from ACME promises...

Jens Lekman, our favorite Swedish pop musician (sorry, members of ABBA), will release his new album on September 4. "I Know What Love Isn't" is the first full-length that the sweetest man...

  You were always on my mind, Maxfield. You were the soft-spoken southern hunk who wasn’t enough of a ham to thrive in the big group numbers. And you didn’t survive: you got kicked off...

  WHAT: Northern Spark Festival WHERE: All over the Twin Cities WHEN: Sunset (8:58 p.m.) on June 9 to sunrise (5:26 a.m.) on June 10 COST: Free   “White nights” are celebrated all...

The Minnesota African American Museum and Cultural Center opens its doors today. Tomorrow, the educational center will hold its very first Legacy Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The theme of the fest is...

  Artist: Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles Album: “Heat” Label: Redeye Label Producer: Matt Boyton (MGMT, Beirut) Release date: May 29   Ukulele player, pianist, singer and whistler...

As if we needed more proof that Twitter’s not just for complaining about how hungry you are on the bus, here comes Jennifer Egan with her latest project. Egan, author of “A Visit from the Goon...

  The speed at which websites crank out content is usually a good thing — we can skip over the boring links in our feeds and click only on the stories that grab our attention. But there’s...

  Why? Because looking at the twangy lineup will probably make you smile, not squint. Call me old-fashioned, call me country, call me whatever you want — but make sure you let me call shot-gun...

Mother’s Day is one of those tricky holidays that isn’t on the same date every year. It falls on the second Sunday of May. That means that this year, it’s on May 13. That means that you...

Who: Fred Willard and musical guest Dan Wilson What: Minnesota Public Radio’s “Wits” When: 8 p.m., Friday Where: The Fitzgerald Theater Cost: Non-students: $32, Students: $16 when you...

What happens between the end of Spring Jam and the beginning of summer? I imagine that most people will spend their time recovering from seeing the New Boyz. Those jerks, am I right? And I imagine that...

You’ve seen those women at craft fairs. They stand behind folding tables laden with necklaces they’ve made peering at you from under their visors. I’ve got nothing but respect for these...

Denis Johnson doesn't give talks very often, but the writer is coming to the University of Minnesota tonight for a reading and a discussion. "Train Dreams," his 2002 novella that he turned...

In “Macbeth,” Shakespeare called sleep the “balm of hurt minds,” and the “chief nourisher in life’s feast.” But what good is it if your bedchambers host a threadbare...

  White Power music is mainstream rock’s evil twin, sounding almost OK if you don’t really listen to it. And you can’t listen to it, because it’s illegal. But white supremacists...

  Just as the sacrificial lambs from the districts of Panem came together to fight to the death in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy, six members of “The Hunger Games” cast visited...

    What: Marc Maron When: Thurs., March 8 at 8 p.m.; Friday, March 9 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Where: Acme Comedy Company, 708 N. First St., Minneapolis Cost:...

  “Downburst” is so fresh off the presses that the ink is still wet. But already, on websites like Amazon and GoodReads, readers have voiced their support, giving the novel rave reviews...

  Picnik is shutting down April 19, but the free, online photo editing program isn’t going away forever. It’s just shipping its basket of tools over to Google+. Yes, I know what you’re...

Don't worry about all your girl/boy/other problems - straight-shooting advice columnist and bully-hater Dan Savage is on his way. He'll be saving the day on the night of Friday, June 22 at the...

  What: Diana: A Celebration When: 12-8 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday until June 10, 2012 Where: The Mall of America, 8100 S. 24th Ave. , Bloomington Cost:...

  Thursday Literary Death Match Nomad World Pub 501 S. Cedar Ave. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:35 p.m. $6 preorder, $10 at the door Tonight, four local writers will go head-to-head-to-head-to-head...

There’s a lot of cross-over between music and art. Kanye West did a design collab with Louis Vuitton. Jimi Hendrix messed with watercolors. M.I.A. started her career as a visual artist in London....

“Hilarity Ensues” Author: Tucker Max Publisher: Blue Heller books Tucker Max, now 35 years old, is the undisputed king of the dick-lit scene. With books like “I Hope They Serve Beer in...

It's MNfashion Week. And you know what that means - fashion and hometown passion for a whole week. We're smack dab in the middle of it, so it's a perfect time to take a breath and take a look...

Even though Maraqopa is not a real place, or a real anything, Seattle folk stalwart Damien Jurado might have you fooled into thinking otherwise. With Oregon producer Richard Swift, he’s built with...

  During these recent windows of warmth, we’ve been able to leave our fur-lined boots at home a few weeks early. If you’ve been embarrassed by how plain your feet look, you may have been...

  “I don't allow anybody to change me. I still walk outta my house in rollers and I take walks. I do not care what people think.” -Britney Spears, MSNBC interview.     Scott...

Tulle, fur, velvet and leather — these luxurious materials are the stuff of costume designers’ dreams. But designer Taylar Kuzniar-Klouda doesn’t need all that garbage to make fly costumes....

People don’t call St. Patrick’s Day a Hallmark holiday. People don’t throw anti-Halloween parties. And people don’t go around on Veteran’s Day saying, “Happy Civilians’...

  âÄúKisses on the BottomâÄù Artist: Paul McCartney Label: Hear Music Paul McCartneyâÄôs latest release is the musical equivalent of a friendly wink from an elderly neighbor:...

If you spent all weekend getting ready for Kris Humphries' 27th birthday, you might have missed this stuff. Here's an as-brief-as-possible recap of the weekend: Two teams played in The Super Bowl,...