Minnesota Culture Club

#TwinsAnthem. Created by @SamUtne and @MNCultureClub. Inspired...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:16:15 -0400

#TwinsAnthem. Created by @SamUtne and @MNCultureClub. Inspired by Andy Sturdevant, Salon Saloon.

(via Minnesota Culture Club » Blog Archiv » Introducing the New Twins Anthem!)

Physical Schneducation with Alex Schned

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:01:57 -0500

Greetings and welcome my little Schneducatees to what will no doubt be another rabble-rousing edition of Physical Schneducation with your host Alex Schned. For all of us transplants no longer living within the confines of the great state of Minnesota, congratulations on not having to endure the blizzard that attacked our homeland this past weekend. Unfortunately, however, while many of us missed the snowstorm that blanketed the upper Midwest this past Saturday, we were still forced to endure the shit-storm that continues to surround our Minnesota Vikings. My oh my is it getting hard to write about this team of ours time and time again. I feel like I’m running out of ways to call them disappointing. How do sports blogs in Cleveland continue to operate? If it’s this tough finding bad things to say about a team for 17 weeks, imagine what it’s like trying to find bad things to say about a team for 40 years? I mean, there’s only so much pessimism one man can emit before being forced to write nice things simply to avoid redundancy. Unfortunately for all you optimists out there, that time has not yet come. I’ve managed to find a way to fill at least one more column with negativity and so I apologize in advance for the sporting forlornness that will result upon reading this post. And with that, off we go.

Fresh off a nationally televised 21-3 shellacking at the hands of the New York Giants in which quarterback Brett Favre ended his NFL record iron-man streak at 297 consecutive games played, it has become quite clear that the Vikings have completely given up on the season. There’s a certain adjective I’m looking for that would seem very befitting of the team’s current disposition. This particular adjective perfectly describes the utterly listless, dispirited, downright lethargic play from our boys last night and I can swear I’ve heard this word used quite often the past couple days in describing another catastrophic collapse relating to this very same team. Dare I say the Vikings look… DEFLATED!

LOL HAHA OMG LMAO

So I’ll admit I’m hardly the first sports blogging idiot to use this little joke this week, but I just couldn’t resist. The metaphor is just so apt! As I’m sure many of you have heard by now, the roof literally caved in on the Vikings Sunday morning when the Teflon bubble atop the Metrodome deflated under the weight of some 20 inches of snow, adding insult to this already injured Vikings season in strikingly poetic fashion. The sky had already fallen on the team’s playoff chances weeks ago; I suppose God just felt the need to make it official. And so, unable to play on their home field and with no other suitable playing fields in the home area, the game was pushed back from Sunday to Monday and moved to Detroit. Interestingly enough, Detroiters showed up in droves to watch the game, probably because it afforded many fans the ability to finally watch a live NFL game that didn’t include the Lions. Merry Christmas, Detroit. Sorry we had to give you such a familiar home-team performance.

You have to give this to the Vikings: despite offering very little entertainment value on the field, they’ve done an extremely admirable (albeit unintentional) job of staying in the spotlight this season. From Brett Favre to Randy Moss to Brad Childress to the fricking roof collapsing on their stadium, there’s never been a dull moment with this franchise. Of course the roof-collapse story was a huge talking point this week as national sports pundits found this as yet another excuse to poke fun at our quaint little city’s history of sports misery, poor weather and shoddy construction standards. Considering the fact that no one was hurt, however, only good things will ultimately result from this little “building malfunction.” For one, we’re on the verge of witnessing the first outdoor December football game in Minnesota in close to 30 years as the Vikings have announced they will be playing next week’s home game at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. At least this gives us ONE reason to watch their next game. Second, and more importantly, this little fiasco will make it veeeeeeeeery difficult for anyone to suggest the team’s current stadium situation is anything other than miserable. Could this be the stake owner Zygi Wilf needed to drive in the heart of the opposition to his publicly funded stadium drive? What would’ve happened had the stadium been full when the roof collapsed? With Wilf sure to drive the public safety angle home during the state’s next legislative session along with the team’s threat to relocate, it’s exceedingly likely he’ll be able to get himself the stadium he’s sought for so long.

What a season, folks. Our team is 5-8 and the two best things to happen to our team all year were the Metrodome’s roof collapsing (hopefully leading to the team getting a new stadium) and the team losing 31-3 to the archrival Green Bay Packers (leading to lame duck head coach Brad Childress getting fired). Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 Minnesota Vikings.

And with that very depressing recap of this very depressing NFL season, I’m now going to do us all a favor and make this the last post I write about the Vikings until the off-season. I’m not normally this big of a pessimist (I really swear I’m not). There is honestly just NOTHING good to say about this team anymore, so I just won’t say anything at all. I’m sure you’ll all appreciate it. ‘Til next post, stay classy Minnesota. Stay warm. And try to keep your heads up. After all, it’s not as if the sky is falling…

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Member Profile: Jennie Engelhardt

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:59:00 -0500

Jennie Engelhardt
Co-Founder, Hare+Hart - an ethical leather company
Current place of Residence: Lower East Side, Manhattan

Website and/or blog: www.hareandhart.com
Facebook: facebook.com/hareandhart

In a sentence or two, describe what you do.
I get to work every day with one of my best friends designing fun clothing and accessories.

What is your Minnesota connection?
I arrived in Minnesota (from South Korea) on Friday the 13th when I was 4 1/2 months old. I spent the next 22 years of my life growing up and attending college in Minnesota before moving to New York. I only recently gave up my Minnesota driver’s license, for which I received many amazing Minnesota accent impressions from bouncers checking ids.

How did you find your way into what you do? What do you love about it?
I studied abroad in Argentina and fell in love with the culture, including their obsession with beef and leather. After graduation, I ended up working for a shoe designer in New York, but always dreamed about starting a leather company. In 2009, I was visiting my friend who is living in Buenos Aires, and we decided to actually do it. I love being able to mix creativity and business as well as split time between New York and Buenos Aires. It’s also a huge plus being able to work with one of my best friends.

What do you find unique about MN or the Twin Cities?
After a stressful year of starting a company, traveling, moving and bed bugs, I spent 2 months in St. Paul last summer. I don’t know what it is, but Minnesota completely rejuvenated me in a way that no other place can. I tell everyone that Minnesota my “Tara”. Also, everyone is tall. I forget how short New Yorkers are until I go to church with my grandmother. Everyone stands up to sing a hymn and I all I can see is the smalls of peoples’ backs.

What do you tell foreigners about MN?
Other than trying to describe it’s “Tara”-like quality, I always tell people about the food. I remember shopping with my parents at the Farmer’s Market and the co-op before it was the cool thing to do. It’s such a new novelty in New York for restaurants to serve food from local farmers when restaurants in Minnesota have been doing it for as long as I can remember. Where else in the world would there be an all organic/local suburban chain restaurant? I also like to brag about the great musicians that have come from Minnesota and Sean William Scott who went to my high school. And the drive-in. Nobody outside of Minnesota has ever been to a drive-in movie; they are shocked to hear that they still exist.

How would you describe your personal style/taste?
Much to my mom’s dismay, I think that my personal style is a little messy. I like used mugs sitting on the coffee table, dirty sneakers and when my hair has lots of fly-aways. I like mixing vintage with modern, feminine with masculine - I’m clearly too afraid to commit to one thing so I mix and match and call it eclectic.

Did MN or the TC play any formative role in your life?
It has clearly affected my speech. I would maybe get away with people thinking I don’t have an accent if it weren’t for the long a’s and working in the hand-“bag” industry.

What do you miss most about Minnesota when you’re away?
I miss my family. I miss estate sales and having a vehicle to transport the items that I purchase. I miss the patio at Frost’s. I miss bacon night at the Triple Rock. I miss the lakes and living near nature even if it is just a front lawn.

Best place to get in some people watching?
Lake Calhoun on a Sunday evening in the summer or anywhere in New York. I actually saw Lady Gaga walking on the sidewalk a couple blocks from my apt last month. I wasn’t sure it was her, but then I saw her lack of pants and realized not many other people would walk around the city during broad daylight in just a leotard.

Where do you get your coffee or tea in MN? What do you get?
I am actually not a coffee person. I try ordering lattes because I like the taste but then I always get a headache. Sometimes, I buy the cheap hot chocolate at Super America. I love the sugary, powdery taste.

Something you HAVE to eat in MN… And where?
Oh man, this could be a long list. My grandmother’s dumpling soup from her kitchen. Blucy Lucy’s from the Blue Door. French macaroons from Sweets. Brunch at Frost’s. Lefse - I’m not sure where it comes from but it is always on the table at major holidays. Anything from Ho Bien. Chocolate Turtle cake from Cafe Latte - although I have started making it (the recipe is online!) and it only collapses half of the time.

Favorite MN blog(s)… (aside from MN Culture Club, of course)?
Smitten Kitchen, Apartment Therapy, Brook&Lyn

What Minnesotans are you watching? Who’s going places?
I just saw my first episode of Eastbound and Down and was pleased to see John Hawkes. I also enjoy watching the band Dinosaur Feathers. They are not natives but did attend college in Minnesota and usually stop there while on tour.

Best MN music spot?
First Ave or The Ascot Room

MN band in your iPod?
Dessa

Where do you buy stuff on the cheap?
Estate and garage sales

Your guilty pleasure destination?
Miami. And Treasure Island.

The perfect day in MN…
Sunny and 85 with humidity.

How to get around?
The subway and walking. Somebody stole the seat to my bicycle. And despite the endless ridicule I receive, I still enjoy my Rollerblades, another great Minnesota native.

Who are your favorite characters in history or fiction?
Lyndon B. Johnson, Gatsby, Edna Pontellier (at least until the end), Behemoth the cat, Betsy Ray.

Who would win in a fight: Paul Bunyan, The Jolly Green Giant, or The Pillsbury Dough Boy?
Paul Bunyan, clearly. Nobody with a blue ox has ever lost before.

Do you have more questions for Jennie Engelhardt or things you think we should ask in our future profiles? Leave them in the comments!

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MN munchies at your doorstep

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 08:24:00 -0500

Now, I’m normally one to advocate for the consumption of local foods as much as possible. But as a transplant, there are times when I’m desperate for a hometown favorite. If I don’t have wild rice soup at least a dozen or so times during the winter, I might die (for instance). I knew a Minnesotan in college whose parents sent her jars of Gedney Pickles to tide her over until holiday breaks.

With the holidays upon us, we here at MCC felt it appropriate and maybe even necessary to provide a handy guide to purchasing Minnesotan food items – whether you give them as gifts to your favorite fellow transplants or eat them all yourself, well, that’s up to you. But don’t say we didn’t warn you that if you eat all that lutefisk, you might not find anyone else under the mistletoe.

Nut Goodies: The classic Minnesotan candy. The first time my somewhat homebody grandmother came to visit me in California, she almost cried when she realized that Nut Goodies weren’t available everywhere and she was stuck somewhere for four days without a supply. You can purchase on the Pearsons’ website.

Gedney Pickles: Gedney puts State Fair winners into production every year, and if that’s not reason enough, they’ve even even started featuring the winners’ faces on their jars. I’d love to open my Californian cupboard every day to see blue ribbon-winner Nita Schemmel’s adorable little Minnesotan face smiling back at me. You can buy them online here, or you might find them in a store in your area (see this Gedney map).

Cheese curds: I’ve already written here about the resurgence of curds around the country, but if you want to source some real Midwestern curds, Ellsworth Collective is particularly good brand (this is the type my dad sends us a couple of times a year) - you can buy from their site. The curds are from Wisconsin, technically, but I’m sure you can excuse that for a delicious bit of squeaky delight.

Wild rice: Don’t even get me started on the wild rice we find in this part of the country. I will only make Minnesota varieties from now on, and Scenic Waters is my favorite. You can find it at the Minneapolis Farmers’ Markets and a variety of local stores, or you can send the friendly farmer an email to have some shipped to your door (contact info available here). You could probably call as well, but from my experience you better have some time to listen to the farmer talk at length about his amazing product (not a bad thing, but just a warning).

Lefse: Okay, so lefse isn’t really Minnesotan – it’s Norweigan - but it’s certainly a part of the Minnesotan holiday experience for a lot of us. You can find it online in a variety of places, including Lefse Time and Lefse.com (yes, those websites exist).

Walleye and lutefisk: Here’s a good potential for some joke gifting to fellow transplants around the country. And yes, you can seriously order fresh walleye from this site and have it delivered to your house. I’m heavily considering a few walleye dinners next week …

Kramarczuk’s sausage: For over 50 years this deli has been a mainstay of Northeast Minneapolis, serving up a variety of traditional Eastern European sausages, desserts, bread, and more. I’ve been coming here with my family for just about 26 of those years. If you don’t know it, put a visit on your list for the next trip home – either to their store or to their booth at the new Target Field. You can order their sausages online, though as a warning, the shipping is a little high.

Alexis Bailly Vineyard: Full disclosure, my family (well, extended family) started and continues to run this vineyard in Hastings – the first winery to develop in Minnesota, with the apt cold-weather motto “where the grapes can suffer.” But that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious, and worth a recommendation. You can buy their wines (some developed in partnership with the U of M) on their site.

Summit Beer: You can’t buy their beer online, sadly, but for the true Summit fan in your life (including yourself), they sell other items (including an awesome Summit beer coozy) on their site.

Pronto Pup: Certain members of my family go to the State Fair specifically to have a Pronto Pup, and for no other reason. If you want to show your Pronto Pup pride, or make them for yourself at home, check out the variety of gifts and food items on their website.

Honeycrisp apples: Perhaps the best apples on the planet? I do believe so. I actually squealed a little when I found out I could order them online. My suitcases returning from summer and fall visits to MN have just reduced their weight by about 10 pounds. You can buy them online at honeycrisp.com.

Famous Dave’s products: Now in a variety of places around the country, Famous Dave’s restaurants started in Minneapolis and is still a hometown favorite. Missing that Rich & Sassy BBQ flavor? You can order this and many other varieties at their site.

Ames Farm honey: When I put this in my tea in the morning, I like to think about Minnesotan bees. But in all seriousness, this honey is GOOD. Like, Minnesotan good. Order it at their site.

B.T. McElrath: Did you even know there were Minnesotan chocolatiers? I’ve been eating B.T.’s most delicious chocolates ever since my formative years working at Turtle Bread Company. And now you can order chocolates for your sweetie (again, that could be yourself – no judging) online at their site.

Looking for something else? There are a few websites that can direct you to hometown favorites or Minnesotan gourmet goods, including:

http://foodzie.com/map/ - this site helps you find local food artisans wherever you are. Enter a Minnesotan zip code to find local producers that sell their products on the site.

http://www.localfoods.umn.edu - this site provides an extensive directory of Minnesota producers. The list includes mainly produce farms, but also wool, jarred and canned items, meat products, and more.

Headed into MSP for the holidays? Just a note that you can enjoy local eats to take along with you on the flight. This great City Pages article outlines the development of great local restaurant and vendor options at the airport.

Physical Schneducation with Alex Schned

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:08:00 -0500

Greetings and salutations, all ye pupils in the school of continuing Physical Schneducation. Class is back in session after your esteemed Schneducator was forced to take a hiatus from his posting duties thanks to some busy times in the corporate legal field. Many thanks to last class’ substitute, Mr. Harsha Kodali, for filling in on late notice. Unfortunately, however, it would appear as though one or two of Mr. Kodali’s prognostications may have been a tad, shall we say, off. In case you haven’t heard, the Twins did NOT, in fact, win their series against the Yankees in five games. Rather, in a quite spectacular display of futility, the local nine was outscored 17-7 en route to being swept.

(sigh)

Let me tell you, students. You may think this Minnesota sports blogging game is all rainbows and roses, but it ain’t easy. I try to stay positive. I really do. But our teams really seem to have a penchant for taking these little playoff dreams of ours, chewing them up, wiping their armpits with them and then throwing them right back in our faces. I believe my last post included a passage stating something along the lines of “I have a good feeling about this season’s Twinkies; this is their year; the Yankees are due for a playoff choke; blah blah blah.” What can I say, folks. The Great Schneducator failed you. I feel like a broken man. How can I possibly go on acting like any sort of authority in front of you, my vast army of loyal readers. I can’t. I won’t. We shall move forward from this, but I now vow to stop referring to myself in the third person as some great imparter of sports knowledge like some kind of royal douche (yes, the Twins may have lost. But you, the reader, have really won). And so, with that being said, I will now attempt to assist us all in the grieving process by suggesting we forget these completely and utterly despairing feelings of hopelessness for our favorite athletic clubs and repress them deep, DEEP into our subconscious where they will hopefully stay until the next huge embarrassing failure. It’s really the only thing we can do…

… So the Vikings, eh? Last time we checked in on them they were still legit contenders to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year. Let’s take a look at what’s going on with them. Maybe they can offer us a glimmer of hope for the future of Minnesota sports!

/Flipping through back editions of the Star Tribune sports section

/Dry heaving all over my computer

/Resisting the desire to put out a hit on Brad Childress’ head

OK so maybe the Vikings aren’t exactly offering us any sort of antidote to our local sports misery. It would seem as though after stumbling out of the gate to a 1-3 record and briefly offering fans a slight window of hope by trading for the previously popular Randy Moss, the team proceeded to win only 2 of their next 5 games, waive the previously popular Randy Moss and come awfully damn close to staging a mutiny on their head coach at the 50-yard-line during last week’s embarrassing blowout loss to the Chicago Bears. Oh, and quarterback Brett Favre was also accused of sexual harassment for sending text messages of his most sacred of man-parts to a cheerleader of the New York Jets (not really sure if that one counts as news because frankly that’s neither here nor there… Athletes these days, huh?). Basically it turns out the entire Vikings organization is collapsing before our eyes and is now the odds-on favorite to relocate to Los Angeles in the next several years because, honestly, what taxpayer in their right mind would want to dig deep into the pockets of an already gaping budget deficit to support this team (this is the part of the column where we all say hello to Alex Schned’s pessimistic side). On the bright side, it would appear as though the Vikings AREN’T the most disappointing team in the league this year (HOORAY!!). This much we know for sure after the Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-21 several weeks ago in a match pitting this season’s two biggest underachievers in what the media collectively dubbed the 2010 Desperation Bowl. So at least we got that going for us… which is nice.

So that leaves us with the Timberwolves… What was that? A strange feeling just washed over me. Something seems terribly wrong here. Could it be? Could a Minnesota team (and not just any Minnesota team. We’re talking about the f’ing Timberwolves for chrissakes) actually be providing us with a glimmer of hope? Do we possibly have ONE team that is on its way up as opposed to its way down? JIMINY GILLICKERS RADIOACTIVE MAN! I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but I’m actually legitimately excited about the nucleus of the team being developed within the dark, depressing confines of the Target Center. Now, if you happened to read this one of my articles, you may know that I’m a bit of a Timberwolves apologist. But I always thought this was just a manifestation of my seldom-explored masochistic side. They’re actually showing some very exciting signs of life. Sure they’re only 3-9 and pretty much have no hope of making the playoffs for at least the next two seasons, but progress is progress people! In particular, while the team isn’t winning a lot of games, we can look forward to the fact that they’re by far the youngest team in the league and for the first time in years playing with a sense of pride and energy. Positive signs abound with this team. In a win against the New York Knicks last week, Wolves power forward Kevin Love became the first NBA player since 1983 to record over 30 points and 30 rebounds in one game, thereby solidifying himself as one of the premier young players in the league. Newcomer Michael Beasley became only the second player in franchise history to record back-to-back games of 35+ points. Formerly heavily criticized draft prospect Wesley Johnson has been more than holding his own against NBA players, thus offering at least one shred of evidence that the team’s front office has SOME ability to recognize talent. Keep your eyes on the Wolves, loyal readers. This could be Minnesota’s top team in the next few years.

And so, given the excitement my local sports teams are forcing me to feel over a 3-9 team that has proven over the past decade to be one of the worst franchises in professional sports with no hope of contending for a title for at least 3-4 years, I am going to have to bid you all adieu as I am now going to strangle myself with the stupid Brett Favre Vikings jersey I allowed myself to buy last year right before the NFC Championship Game. I hope to see you again in a few weeks. Class dismissed.

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Member Profile: Sam Osterhout

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:03:00 -0500

Sam Osterhout, Radio Happy Hour
Current place of Residence: New York City

Website: www.radiohappyhour.com
Twitter: @samosterhout & @radiohappyhour
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Radio-Happy-Hour/126049254072975

In a sentence or two, describe what you do:
I am the creator, head writer, and host of Radio Happy Hour, a live variety show that began in June, 2009 in New York City. The show, which features popular musicians and entertainers as guest stars, is centered around a radio-style murder mystery/comedy, in which the guest stars play themselves.

What is your Minnesota connection?
I moved to Minneapolis after college. Then I kayaked the Minnehaha several times. After that I went to Home Depot in Richfield. Then I drank ton of Grainbelt. A ton. And then I moved to New York. All of that took 8 years.

How did you find your way into what you do? What do you love about it?
Oh man, is this a boring story. I was a part of the Electric Arc Radio Show back in Minneapolis. When I moved to New York Le Poisson Rouge was looking for “alternative” programming, and they asked me for ideas. I think by “alternative,” they meant some kind of literary event. While I love a good literary event (I have an MFA in creative writing from Hamline), they aren’t exactly the best way to gather a crowd. So I pitched them a weird radio style show taped live in the big room there, featuring some great musicians and comedians. I still tell stories, but the audience is much drunker.

What do you find unique about MN or the Twin Cities?
We make fun of ourselves for the things we love. Like the Mall of America. Or ice fishing. Or getting really fat from eating too much cheese. We love that, but also think it’s ridiculous, and that’s okay. New Yorkers are in love with themselves for the things they love. New Yorkers are in love with themselves for the things they hate, too. New Yorkers are so smart.

What do you tell foreigners about MN?
I tell them that they are right to think it is too cold. It is too cold. But you get used to it.

How would you describe your personal style/taste?
Hirsute.

Did MN or the TC play any formative role in your life?
It was the first place I lived as “an adult.” In other words, it’s where I bought my sawzall.

Do you have any ongoing interaction with MN?
My writing partner, Herbach, still lives there, as do many of my closest friends.

What do you miss most about Minnesota when you’re away?
I miss my friends and Summit Extra Pale Ale. Bryant Lake Bowl. Walking around the lakes. Seasonal depression.

Where do you find what you’re not looking for?
Usually it’s in my pocket. I carry around a lot of worthless garbage.

Best place to get in some people watching?
In New York, I’d say the best place to watch people is the entry to my building on 2nd avenue and 4th street. Especially if you like watching people pee on your sidewalk. In Minneapolis, the best place to watch people is on the TV in your giant, luxurious house.

Where do you get your coffee or tea in MN? What do you get?
Black coffee from Anodyne.

Something you HAVE to eat in MN… And where?
The frites at Barbette.

Favorite MN blog(s)… (aside from MN Culture Club, of course)?
I read whatever Molly Priesmeyer and Geoff Herbach write.

What Minnesotans are you watching? Who’s going places?
I think that Brett Favre is going to have a long career.

Best MN music spot?
I got my start telling stories at the 400 Bar. It will always be my favorite.

MN band in your iPod?
Rogue Valley. Jeremy Messersmith. The New Standards. The Owls. So many more!

Where do you buy stuff on the cheap?
At the Union Square farmer’s market.

Your guilty pleasure destination?
The internet. Zing.

The perfect day in MN…
Get up early, walk to the coffee shop and get a black coffee (that would mean Dunn Bros from where I lived downtown). I would then go for a giant bike ride – out to Cedar Lake, down Isles, Calhoun, and Harriet, to the creek, over to the river and up to the Greenway, back over to Calhoun where I would lay around and read for a bit, and then meet friends on bike somewhere in Uptown for a drink (maybe the Bulldog? Bryant Lake Bowl?). Then Herbach would throw a party that would end with him and Punk Poet Paul D. sitting at the dining room table with their shirts off.

How to get around?
Bike.

Who are your favorite characters in history or fiction?
Huck Finn. I had a huge crush on Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls, although that seems a little weird now. I suppose I should reread it. That might make me a terrible person. I liked Howard Roark, but only because The Fountainhead read, to me, like a soap opera.

Who would win in a fight: Paul Bunyan, The Jolly Green Giant, or The Pillsbury Dough Boy?
I would guess the Dough Boy, because he has no bones to break (and he seems to take pleasure in pain, judging by his reaction to getting poked). Although if it were just an argument, I would say the Green Giant, because I bet he’s a real prick.

Anything else? Anything upcoming? Shameless plug?
Radio Happy Hour is doing a show at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Wednesday, November 17th. Our guests are Thao Nguyen, from Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, singer/songwriter Mike Doughty, comedians Jessi Klein, Ali Wong, and John & Molly Knefel. There will be free vodka drinks from 8 to 9, and the Mexicue food truck will be parked outside. Tickets are $15, but if you buy online, you can type in the code RHHFRIEND and get ‘em for $10.

Do you have more questions for Sam Osterhout or things you think we should ask in our future profiles? Leave them in the comments!

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Another Good MN Band Makes Another Great MN Music Video

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:19:20 -0500

Blah Blah Blah… Yeah, but this one’s a lot of fun. I’m a sucker for “quirk-pop” which is a genre I just made up right now that I feel Sleeping in the Aviary fits into nicely along with other bands that I like.

They have a fun, uppity sound that makes you feel like any day is a nice day… even if it’s raining. You kinda want to go jogging in a retro jumpsuit or go skateboard on one of the old skateboards that only has one curly side and a big rubber brake on the bottom of it. Does this make any sense or am I just in a “mood?” Either way, I like the Minneapolis-based band and while a few songs sound like they could use a slightly better engineer to do the final mixing, all in all, they’re great and keep your head bobbing.

But that’s not all. In addition to being a MN band, they commandeered another Minnesotan, Sir Christopher James Heubach to direct their latest music video for the song, “Last Kiss on a Sinking Ship” which looks a lot like the band feels: fun and quirky.

Sleeping in the Aviary’s new album “Great Vacation!” will drop on November 30th. They’ve also listed a tour schedule which normally we would drop directly into our MINNEvents page. However, because we’re about to revamp our site, we’re holding off on event population until we relaunch and will instead redirect you to their MySpace page. In the lookout for a jam-packed MINNEvents in a week or so.

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Today's The Day... Go Vote!

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:47:00 -0400

Come on Minnesotans and MN Ex-pats everywhere! Minnesota is known for leading the pack when it comes to voter turnout, but let’s harness that civic engagement that courses through our veins and let it loose around the rest of the country… wherever we are.

Here’s an impressive report I found titled “Minnesota Voters Turnout” by Eric J. Ostermeier and Lawrence R. Jacobs from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of MN:

“Minnesota and the rest of the Upper Midwest usually lead the country in voter participation. Although turnout in non-presidential election years is noticeably lower than during presidential election years, Minnesotan citizens are still more engaged in these “off year” elections than citizens in other states.

“In elections since 2000, Minnesota has led the country with the highest turnout of the voting eligible population. In 2004, Minnesota led the country in turnout, with 77% of eligible voters turning out compared to 60% in the nation as a whole.

“Minnesota is also a leader in the Upper Midwest. In presidential elections since 1960, voting by eligible adults in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin has averaged 68%. Minnesotan voters lead the pack in presidential elections during this span, with 72% voting.

“Voters generally turn out at lower rates for mid-term elections – elections that lack the drama of a presidential contest. But Minnesota voters once again stand out in recent mid-term elections. Turnout was 64% in 2002, 62% in 1998, 55% in 1994, and 58% in 1990. This far exceeds the national rates, which are only just above a third. The participation of Minnesotans is also greater than those found in Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota in recent elections.

“Same-day registration has contributed to Minnesota’s strong voter participation, accounting for 15 percent to nearly 21 percent of the state’s turnout. (Minnesota is one of just six states — including Wisconsin — that permits same-day registration. Most of these states lead the country in voter turnout.)

“Same day registration puts a premium on the ability of each party and candidate to mobilize its supporters and to get them to the voting booth. The emphasis on turnout up until the polls close also puts pressure on public opinion pollsters to identify not only voters who are already registered but also those who may register on Election Day.”

I understand that this piece does not take into account the most recent two election results. According to the “United States Elections Project” in the 2006 mid-term election, MN and SD tied for first with 56.4% of the voting-age population or VAP voting compared to a national average of 37.1% and in 2008, MN was number one with 73.1% vs a national, 56.9%.

Let’s do what we’re the best at… get to the polls… vote now! If you need help figuring out who to vote for, you can get some help at TheBallot.org.

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From Pretty Dead Things To Sharktopus, Patrick Kemal Pryor Does It All

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:45:00 -0400

Fresh off the close of his most recent art exhibition “Pretty Dead Things,” Minnesota’s Patrick Kemal Pryor (pictured second from right – in the back) is helping promote the SyFy Channel’s redonkulous film “Sharktopus” as well as his admittedly tiny speaking role in it.

I’ve been a fan of Patrick’s art for a long time and know him personally, he’s a great guy and a very talented artist. I have to say though, that before hearing about Patrick’s supporting role in Sharktopus, I was considering it a, um… fabulously stupid film. Now though, I can’t wait to check it out. I mean seriously, what could be cooler than a secret Navy weapons experiment shark and octopus combination, gone terribly wrong? The film, which stars Eric Roberts (yup, Julia’s brother) and was produced by Academy Award winner and legendary film maker Roger Corman, premiered in late September but will be airing again on November 7th at 9pm (eastern).

“[Sharktopus is] campy, bloody, and a little bit funny. I play a technician and assistant to the character played by Eric Roberts.” Says Patrick Kemal Pryor. “Yes, it’s a real speaking role; I’ve got close-ups, ad-libs (“Three and neat, sir?”), and I show up in scenes throughout the entire movie.”

Be sure not to miss Patrick in this action-packed, boob-a-licious thrill-ride, this Sunday, November 7th. For more info, visit the SyFy Channel. You can see the trailer below. And to look at his fantastic art, visit his website here.

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Rest in Peace, Eyedea. You'll be missed.

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:31:00 -0400

Sad news today. Twin Cities freestyle phenom and longtime member of Rhymesayers, Eyedea (Micheal Larson), was found dead in his Twin Cities home on Sunday. As a freestyle battler, the 28 year old rapper’s wins included HBO’s Blaze Battle in 2000 and Scribble Jam in 1999. Eyedea was also the other half of the duo Eyedea and Abilities. In memory, we wanted to share some clips of Eyedea on stage and in studio.

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:29:16 -0400

Every year, thousands of blogs around the world participate in a day of action called “Blog Action Day” to join voices and bring awareness to a single issue. Today is that day and this year’s issue is “Water.”

While unsafe drinking water kills more people around the world every year than all forms of violence – including war (42,000 a week), Americans use 6.3 gallons of water to produce a burger. While 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets, and women and children in Africa walk a combined 109 million hours to get water every day, we use an average 159 gallons of water a day.

Minnesota, the land of floods, 10,000 lakes, and the source of the Mississippi River, has many different water issues than the rest of the world. We’re not lacking, but we do have water issues nonetheless related to impaired waters, stormwater management, agricultural practices, and other globally relevant water issues. We’ve also emerged as a leader in water research due in great part to the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota which is authorized by Congress as one of the nation’s water resources research institutes. In fact, next week (October 19th and 20th) the U of M’s Department of Civil Engineering, Minnesota Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Minnesota Sea Grant, and the Natural Resources Research Institute will co-sponsor their annual two-day “Minnesota Water Resources Conference” at the RiverCentre in St. Paul. The event attracts about 600 of the world’s top water quality and environmental researchers, environmental agency professionals, practitioners in water management, civil and environmental engineers and students.

Aside from playing host to the world next week and leading in some of the most cutting edge water research, Minnesota is also the birth place of some pretty nifty companies using water and its miraculous properties to achieve incredible results. One such MN company that has recently come to my attention is Activeion.

I know that this doesn’t exactly deal with water scarcity issues but I want to focus on water as a miracle ingredient that we often take for granted. This is just a small example of water’s incredible capabilities. Activeion has found a way to replace toxic cleaning products and still deliver industrial strength results by simply using normal tap water and a slight electrical charge. The “Ionator” is a new compact, hand-held device that brings top-notch cleaning to the average household without the destructive chemicals used by most companies. According their site:

The ionator EXP and ionator HOM by Activeion Cleaning Solutions are handheld appliances that use electrical charges to temporarily alter regular tap water so that they clean and kill germs – without using cleaning chemicals. These products do not cause harm to skin, eyes, or when ingested or inhaled, and do not carry any chemical-related health warning labels. They are great multi-surface cleaners and kill the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A virus and more than 99.9% of most harmful bacteria (E. coli, VRE, Salmonella, MRSA, Pseudomonas, Staph, Listeria and E. coli O157:H7) when used as directed.

This is just water. Regular, normal, turn on the tap, water. It can keep us alive and we can do pretty much anything with it. We can even remove stains. And yet, so many don’t have it.

Take a moment to realize how lucky you are to take a nice warm 15 minute shower, to be able to drink your tap water, to simply have tap water. Think about the amazing properties of water. And think about the fact that a huge portion of the world goes without these luxuries. There are a lot of ways you can help. You can reduce the amount of water you use, shorten your shower, turn off the sink, if it’s yellow let it mellow. You can also get involved in Blog Action Day by helping spread the word or by signing the petition to support the UN’s efforts to bring clean, safe water to millions globally. Browse the other thousands of blogs that are participating today here. Just take some time today to do something. Thanks.

The Bob Dylan Fan Who Has Everything

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:27:01 -0400

What do you give the Dylan fan who has everything? A song written by the poet himself and dedicated to your friend? Bah, that’s been done (maybe). A pajama party and sleepover? Others could do that too and the memories will eventually fade. A curly lock of hair? Not unique enough, it’ll just grow back.

Nope. None of these will do. But now, for a mere $119,000 you can have a real, unique, truly one-of-a-kind piece of Bob Dylan history. That’s right, how about the Hibbing, MN Agudath Achim Synagogue where the young Bobby Zimmerman had his bar mitzvah in 1954? How’s that for memorabilia?

The building which has not been used as a synagogue since the 1980’s was posted on Craigslist by its owners, Eric and Brenda Shafer-Pellinen. They have also turned to Dylan fan sites in hopes of finding a buyer. When they purchased this piece of history 9 years ago, they planned to turn it into a bed and breakfast but the couple has since been unable to move from Minneapolis and are now selling the property.

While, 2320 W. Second St. may no longer be a synagogue, its number 8 seating on the official “Bob Dylan Walk” tour certainly preserves it as a house of worship in some capacity.

So if you know a Bob Dylan fan who has just about everything and you happen to have an extra $119k sitting around, how about making this holiday season a little bit more special? As Ms. Shafer-Pellinen puts it, “People who like Dylan, love Dylan. They have an unusual level of devotion to his music — more so than other musical groups or artists.” How about completing his or her collection?

And if you only have $6, how about buying a MN Culture Club shirt? (Shameless plug!)

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Physical Schneducation with Harsha Kodali

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:03:41 -0400

Welcome all to another barn-burning edition of Physical Schneducation, normally with your host Alex Schned. This week it seems Papa Schned is a tad on the busy side, so we’ve enlisted the help of previous PS correspondant and friend of the Culture Club Harsha Kodali to satiate your MN sports jonesin’. You all may remember Harsha from a past segment we ran entitled Harsh Words with Harsha Kodali devoted mainly to injecting a little Minnesotan pessimism into discussing our favorite teams. For this edition, however, with the Twins about to kick off their playoff push on Wednesday we decided to alter the format a little bit. And so, without further ado, put your hands together for “Not-So-Harsh Words with Harsha Kodali!”

Hello all - I’ve agreed to take over for the busy Alex Schned this week, as he’s assured me of this blog’s prestige and overwhelming readership. I’m honored and will do my best.

Today we’ll focus on the upcoming playoffs, hotly anticipated since the Twins clinched the AL Central. The Yankees await, with the first two games in Minneapolis on Wednesday and Thursday. The series shifts back to New York over the weekend.

There’s much to like in the matchup, starting with the Twin’s lineup. Thought to be doomed without Justin Morneau, the Twins have thrived with surprise contributors down the stretch. Jim Thome continues to mash well past his prime (and land fantastic magazine covers), and Delmon Young has finally broken out, justifying the Matt Garza trade. They share the spotlight with Danny Valencia, who’s second half has stirred some Rookie of the Year talk. As always, the core of Michael Cuddyer, Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel and Denard Span continues to produce. Heralded acquisitions JJ Hardy and Orlando Hudson have had injury problems, but appear ready to go for the playoffs.

The Twin’s pitching has been a mixed bag, as the bullpen’s strength has been contrasted by the rotation’s inconsistency. Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn have all had rough years, with only Blackburn expected to get a chance at starting in the playoffs. Carl Pavano and Brian Duensing have earned the other available spots in the rotation. Pavano returned to form this year after an expensive burnout with the Yankees, while Duensing had been a force in the bullpen, emerging as a solid third starter. Francisco Liriano has had a stellar bounce back year, and will start on Wednsday.

A team that earns a quarter billion dollars should win their division every year, but its been a hard season for the New York Yankees. Their starting rotation has gone down in flames, and remains unclear past ace CC Sabathia. The starter for the second game is yet to be determined, and the oft-injured Andy Pettite may start Game 3. Their lineup continues to produce, with Robinson Cano among the MVP contenders, but has hit for a considerably lower average this year. Still, the Yankees bring seasoned veterans and a lopsided history against the Twins to the table - and who can forget the media hype of the Big Apple? Great journalism.

Overall, the series seems evenly-matched. The Twins bullpen will need to step in against a tough lineup, especially if the rotation falters. As long as the they can get ahead against a questionable Yankee’s rotation, the Twins look to have the firepower to manage the score late in the game. With home field advantage for this series, look for the Twins to pull it out in Target Field in Game 5. That’s our story, and we’re stickin to it.

For Alex Schned, this is Harsha Kodali sayin “GO TWINS!”

I’d like to give Harsha one more big thanks for doing the column this week. That was some good stuff. Also, a reminder to all New Yorkers to come and watch any and all MN sporting events at Stillwater Bar on 4th St. between 2nd Ave. and Bowery. We’ll definitely be there for every big Twins playoff game over the next couple weeks. Hope to see you there. If you can’t make, just remember to wear your colors and SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!

Lazerbeak's debut solo album released by Doomtree

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:23:00 -0400

Lazerbeak, Doomtree’s go-to beatmaker, has made a name for himself by making his peers sound great. But now it’s time for Lazerbeak to step into the spotlight with his debut solo album, Legend Recognize Legend.

Lazerbeak got started in the music business when he was 15, when he and some friends from Hopkins High School started the band “The Plastic Constellations.” After their first show in ‘96 (at First Ave!) Lazerbeak spent the next 10 years dual tracking his music career. His time was spent preforming and writing songs for a handful of albums with Constellations while separately crafting beats for the then up-and-coming Doomtree music collective (P.O.S., a founding member of Doomtree is also a Hopkins alum). By 2008, when Constellations took an indefinite “break,” Lazerbeak had already produced nearly 400 beats for Doomtree, leaving his mark on nearly every one of its releases, including P.O.S.’ ‘09 breakout album, Never Better.

Lazerbeak credits his time working on Never Better as the source of inspiration for his own album. “When [P.O.S.] and I got into building the beats for Never Better, we started getting into some weird stuff, really moving away from that typical hit ‘em all the time banger style … Through that process I started going further and further into crafting out-there beats to the point that I finally realized, ‘Wait, no one is ever going to want to rap on this stuff!’ Eventually, I started hearing melodies in my head for some of the tracks and realized I should just give it a shot and try and write some lyrics. I stopped making rap beats and just went off into my own little world.”

In a City Pages review by Rob van Alstyne, Legend Recognize Legend is described as “dazzlingly ambitious” and a fusion of “synthetic Euro-pop, confessional ambient balladry, and the occasional block-rockin’ beat.” The album bridges the divide between Lazerbeak’s “love of prickly and passionate rock and gritty, streetwise rap, landing in a surprisingly sweet and melodic middle ground so effortlessly that genre distinctions are the last thing on the listener’s mind,” wrote van Alstyne.

If you’re MN bound this weekend, the release party is TONIGHT at Fine Line Music Cafe where Lazerbeak the Plastic Constellations will reunite and the Doomtree crew will be performing. Check out the MINNEvents page for updates on Lazerbeak’s upcoming tour.

For those unlucky, exiled souls (myself included) you can still enjoy the music from the comfort of your iPod by buying the album here! Check out the video for the song “Bound” off the new album.

Lazerbeak “Bound” Music Video from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

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Lookout for Roving GAYNGS

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:19:57 -0400

It’s a stew really, a melting-pot of Minnesota music. It probably wouldn’t be wrong to call GAYNGS the real MN Culture Club. This 23-member group made up of pinch of this and a drop of that and created by Ryan Olson has been blowing up the scene in Minneapolis all summer to rave reviews. And now, it seems that bowl is brimming. GAYNGS launches a 9 city tour on Wednesday the 29th and is coming to a city near you. The tour will end with a show at Austin City Limits Festival on October 10th.

The groups roster is overwhelming and a bit mind-bending with members including Lookbook, Solid Gold, Bon Iver, Megafaun, Dessa, P.O.S., and the Rosebuds among many others but sounds that seem to stem from none of them. The debut album is titled “Relayted” and the groups label, Jagjaguwar describes it as something like “a collection of drugged-up keyboards and slick bedroom production almost exclusively inspired by 10cc’s ‘I’m Not In Love.’” The music is slow and gripping. It inches along but is imaginative and fun that you can’t really turn away.

The project started with Ryan Olson and Solid Gold members Zack Coulter and Adam Hurlburt but once they started passing around their first recording “The Gaudy Side of Town” to others, everyone (and we mean everyone) wanted in. The full list of 23 is Ryan, Zack, and Adam plus Joe Westerlund, Phil Cook, Brad Cook, Michael Lewis, Justin Vernon, Ivan Rosebud, Stefon LeRon Alexander, Mike Noyce, Jake Luck, James Buckley, Nick Ryan, Shön Troth, Danny Krzykowski, Chaney Moon Cassell, Katy Morley, Maggie Wander, Maggie Morrison, Joe Mabbott, Grant Cutler, and Xander.

“Relayted” is the result of the groups collective elbow grease and the cover is emblazoned with an iconic symbol that Olson proudly identifies as “definitely a weed leaf and a vagina.” It includes 10 original tracks and one cover, a tribute to Godley and Creme’s “Cry.” The album ends with a delicious track called “The Last Prom on Earth” which is coincidentally what GAYNGS called their big record release bash at First Ave in mid May. It was complete with a balloon drop, streamers, a crowd dressed to the gills, and a surprise visit from Minnesota’s own prom royalty, Prince.

GAYNGS road dates are all listed in MINNEvents. Be sure to check them out when they’re within striking distance. You can also catch a listen here.

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MN Film "Stuck Between Stations" Prepping for Festival Circuit

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:31:00 -0400

Not since the days of The Mighty Ducks have I been so excited about a movie that is actually based AND filmed in MN! “Stations” tells the story of Casper (Sam Rosen) a soldier on bereavement leave and Rebecca (Zoe Lister Jones) a grad student who are reunited by chance and spend a single random night in the Minneapolis underground getting into trouble, seeing old acquaintances and surveying their places in the world.

The film also reunites high school friends Rosen and the perpetually popular (despite how few movies he does) Josh Hartnett. In addition to Hartnett, the film also drew The Soprano’s actor Michael Imperioli.

Stations is the directorial debut for MN native Brady Kiernan and the script was co-written by Sam Rosen and Nat Bennett (also both from The Great State). For the music savvy, you’ll notice that the title of the film shares a name with MN band The Hold Steady’s song on the album “Boys & Girls in America.”

The filmmakers were in New York City this week where they were invited to partake in the prestigious IFP Independent Film Lab. Out of thousands of submissions, only 10 are invited to partake in a week of sales and marketing workshops and meetings with potential buyers, funders and festival programmers.

We’ll keep everyone posted on the latest news and film festival info. In the meantime, enjoy the newly released trailer!

“Stuck Between Stations” Movie Trailer from Stuck Between Stations on Vimeo.

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"The Endless Bridge" will bring the Manhattan Bridge to life

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:12:45 -0400

New Yorkers: don’t miss this!

Minnesota raised, current Brooklyner/Berliner, Leo Kuelbs does a little of everything. He’s a great dabbler. He self-publishes a small book of short stories every couple of months and curates shows with emerging to moderately-well-known artists out of his apartments in New York and Germany. He also puts together some seriously cool public video events.

For this year’s Dumbo Arts Festival in Brooklyn, he teamed up with fellow curator Adam Nankervas to select over a dozen video artists from around the world and show their work publicly, and collectively, as “The Endless Bridge.” The work will be projected onto both sides of the Manhattan Bridge Anchorage in Dumbo, as well as other sites nearby.

Leo says, “The concept of ‘The Endless Bridge’ is to explore the idea of ‘transition,’ as a constant. In the past several years, the rate of change, be it social, technological, climate-wise—down to our personal lives, has continued to increase multi-fold. Transition is no longer the space between, it is the constant.”

The show includes video art by: Christine Schulz, Ryan Uzilevsky, John E. Parker,Vadim Schäffler, Farkas Fülöp, Thomas Draschan, Adriana Varella, Paul Rascheja, St. and St., Claire Scoville, Denis Salivanov, and Matl Findel. Artists were selected based on their ability to demonstrate ideas related to this concept in a large-scale, public manner.

Work will appear on the North and South sides of the Manhattan Bridge Anchorage on the Brooklyn side of the river (Front at Adams and Front at Pearl), a parking lot wall (Jay and Water) and the shop windows at West Elm (Front and Main) from 8 pm to midnight all three nights of the festival (Sept 24, 25, and 26).

More details on the opening event in MINNevents. Check out this beautiful extract from Farkas Fülöp’s “Mobile in Motion.”

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Physical Schneducation with Alex Schned

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:41:00 -0400

Ughhh… Thank God we covered the Vikings in our last two posts so I have an excuse to not write about them today. Needless to say, things haven’t been looking so hot so far for the Purple. Favre looks old. The receivers look slow. Head coach Brad Childress looks as clueless as ever. I could go on…

… But I won’t. Let’s completely forget the Vikings exist for the next several paragraphs and focus on the team everybody actually wants to hear about: your 2010 American League Central division champion Minnesota Twins. Okay so they may not have clinched the division quite yet. But after a thorough dismantling of the entire White Sox organization in Chicago last week, the Twins now have a 9½ game division lead with only 13 left to play. After requiring a one-game playoff to settle the division the past two years, the Twins look like they will finally be able to coast into the playoffs this season and give themselves an opportunity to rest everyone before the important games begin. The Twins have been the hottest team in the league since the all-star break, going 42-16 for the best second-half record in team history. They’ve been so hot, in fact, that they’re now putting up a legit fight to claim the top seed in the American League and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Considering they have the best home record in the league, this would be a HUGE turn of events. Now only trailing the Yankees by one game, it will be interesting to see whether manager Ron Gardenhire decides to go full-throttle to try for the top seed or brings in the reigns to assure his team is well-rested for the playoffs.

Let’s backtrack for a second, though. I’ll continue with the Twins recent surge in just a few minutes, but first can we talk for a second about how unbelievably satisfying it was to stomp all over the White Sox last week? Did anybody else take as much pleasure as I did in looking at the devastation on all of the White Sox fans’ faces after the Twins completed the sweep and crushed any hope their division rivals had in blowout fashion? It’s really a wonderful feeling knowing that when I wake up in the morning the sky will continue to be blue, grass will continue to be green, and the Twins will continue to absolutely own the White Sox in whatever encounter the two teams may have. However, despite the immense satisfaction I receive from watching the Twins consistently trounce Chicago, part of me has trouble justifying this thrill. I mean, we’ve so badly owned them over the past ten years, what is there really to hate about them? Over the past few weeks, my friend Paul and I have had a recurring argument pitting the White Sox vs. the Green Bay Packers as Minnesota’s top professional sports rival. To me it’s really no contest. The Packers are consistently good and are clearly the superior franchise to the Vikings. This makes me jealous. And when I get jealous, I resent things. Ergo, the Packers success makes me hate them immensely. Applying this same logic, how can a Twins fan have so much hate for a franchise like the White Sox that is so clearly inferior in every way possible? Sure they won a lucky World Series a few years back while the Twins haven’t made it past the AL Conference Series over the last decade. But that’s still only one baseball championship for EITHER Chicago baseball team over the last 93 years! Even a blind dog finds a bone every once in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the White Sox lose, especially at the hands of the Twins. But I’m starting to feel like maybe we shouldn’t take so much pleasure in beating a dead horse and start actually feeling sympathy for the those poor, poor South Siders.

Anyway, let’s get back to talking up the Twins. As some of you soldiers in the loyal readership army of Physical Schneducation may know, I’m not one to make potential jinxing statements. But I have to say that I have never in my 24 years of Twins fanhood seen the team play as well as they have over the past several weeks and something just feels right heading into the playoffs this year. In the same way that I felt bad heading into this Vikings season (and so far that premonition has looked to be accurate), I feel something equally good heading into this Twins post-season. Everything seems to be hitting on all cylinders at the moment, and the best part is NOBODY in the media seems to be giving them any credit. And that’s exactly the way I like it. Minnesota sports teams thrive on the “nobody believed in us” mentality and maybe this is the year we ride it all the way to the bank. Stay tuned, folks. Summer may be ending, but October’s right around the corner. Show your Twinkies some support.

That’s it for today. Before I go, I want to continue to recommend Stillwater Bar on 4^th St. between 2^nd Ave. and Bowery to all you New Yorkers out there for big Minnesota sporting events. I’ll be there next Sunday for the Vikings game as well as every big Twins playoff game throughout the post-season. Feel free to offer other bar suggestions in the comments section or to weigh-in on the Packers-White Sox top sports rival discussion. For the sake of fairness, since I offered up my stance on behalf of the Packers, I’ll leave you with this article to stir your anti-White Sox fire. See you in two weeks.

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Minnesota Munchies: Gridiron Chex Mix

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 09:41:00 -0400

Every Minnesotan knows this to be true: the snacks you eat during football season are very important. So maybe you’re Minnesotan and you don’t watch football, but you can still appreciate the sentiment – your Minnesotan mother, or aunt, or neighbor, or friend’s mother, likely made some particularly tasty snacks during the fall/early winter that were not seen during other times of the year.

I’ll go off on a tangent for a moment and tell you a story that I know any good Minnesotan would appreciate - When I’d stay at my dad’s house on the weekends during the fall, I’d invariably end up sprawled on the couch, pestering my dad while he watched football. But I wasn’t there for the game, or even to hang out with good ol’ Dad - I was there for the snacks. My dad would bring downstairs a tray with a box of crackers – those buttery Pepperidge Farms things, or maybe some Ritz – a log of Hickory Farms summer sausage, the tupperware of Velveeta, and jars of Skippy creamy peanut butter and Smuckers grape jelly. We’d spend hours topping crackers with either sausage and cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

My mom’s side of the family doesn’t exactly partake in the football-watching, but they also had a special football-season snack: chex mix. Everyone has a particular way they like it - my Gram likes hers to contain cheerios and cheerios only (and about 10 pounds of butter), my husband likes his to have peanuts and pretzles, and the Chex brand (General Mills, holla!) has about 1,000,00 variations for buffalo chex mix, and ranch chex mix, and various corporate-sounding flavored chex mixes. But whatever’s in it, everyone knows it’s delicious.

So this last weekend I endeavored to remake my childhood a little, and set about finding the ingredients for my own chex mix to munch while watching . It’s not really a recipe, per say, but more a general formula for ingredients - it’s really up to you what you want to include! I didn’t measure anything, but tasted the mixture as it baked and added ingredients as I thought appropriate. If you want something more specific, there are approximately 4,509,754,302 recipes for chex mix on the internet.

I was chowing down on some of this while I watched my beloved USC Trojans play (er … beat) the Gophers yesterday… [EDITOR’S NOTE: MCC does not endorse the phrasing of that last sentence!]

Football season chex mix

- Cereal: some combination of chex-type cereals (ideally of different types - corn, rice, wheat, etc.) and cheerios.
- Other additives: pretzels, peanuts, bagel chips, etc.
- Butter and olive oil: For approximately two boxes of cereal, I started with about 2/3 of a stick of melted butter, but added some olive oil throughout the cooking process. It’s really up to you and how you want it to taste. The oil and fat helps it crisp and hold onto seasoning, but the quantity isn’t super important.
- Worcestershire sauce: I threw in a good few glugs when I first mixed everything together, the drizzled more on twice during the baking process. Again, it’s to taste.
- Garlic powder: You could also use garlic salt, onion powder/salt, or none at all. Again again, to taste.
- Salt: To taste.

You can add the butter/oil and the worcestershire sauce at any time during the baking process, and the other seasoning at any time during the baking process or after it’s all done.

- Preheat oven to 250.

- Mix together ingredients in large bowl.

- Spread mixture on two baking sheets, put in the oven for 45-60 minutes. Every 15 minutes, switch the baking sheets, stir the mixture, and taste for seasoning.

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"Hunting Club (The Plaid Album)" Released 3 Months And It Is Great!

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:45:00 -0400

I have to say I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I only discovered the band Hunting Club today. And when I say I discovered them, I mean, one of their members contacted me to correct a reference I made to them in my Say Like The French Say post. He was also kind enough to offer a link to Hunting Club’s debut album, “Hunting Club (The Plaid Album)” and guess what, it’s great.

Almost every review I’ve found references the dream-like build of the opening track, “How’d It Get Burned.” At 58 seconds, it feels slow and nuanced but doesn’t drag on and it’s not agitating the way some gradual instrumental crescendos can be. It grabs you and sucks you in, which is really what opening tracks should do. As Andrew Archer put it in his review on Jam and A Half, “The smooth waves of music quickly attach to your long term memory.”

The album is a roller-coaster of styles and influences but it’s a solid and thoroughly enjoyable ride. One song hits highs while the next drags you through the dirt but at the end, you kinda want to do it again.

With each new track, another of the bands many influences springs to mind, but then you have to stop… cause Hunting Club also really has a sound of their own. Erin Roof at City Pages summed the album up nicely when she said, “Quickly, the urge to categorize falls limp, because you notice Hunting Club are more than the sum of their inspirations or techniques. Within one song the band can doodle in sparse terrain, then erupt into a crowded, speaker-blowing intensity. They can bring you to the depths of sorrow, and then rescue you with tones of hope. Add it all up, and Hunting Club become a beautiful and complex animal, defying any stereotype, and you realize it’s more enjoyable just to listen than to dissect.”

We’ll be sure to get their tour dates posted in MINNEvents as soon as they announce some. In the meantime, you can listen to “Hunting Club (The Plaid Album)” on their MySpace page or download it for whatever price you choose to pay (*cough* $9.99) here.

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