There’s lots of good stuff happening in the Twin Cities this week, beginning with the hypnotic sounds of MIZU and OHYUNG at the Cedar Cultural Center Wednesday. On Thursday, Halloween, Alaska takes the stage at the Dakota, and Ghoulish Delights offer thrills at the Crane Theatre. Also this week, Minnesota and Wisconsin artists offer takes on contemporary portraits at Gamut Gallery, while Tara Costello meditates on memories with her mother for a solo show at Rosalux Gallery. For a special Mother’s Day performance, check out Barcelona Flamenco’s “Carmen.”
MIZU + OHYUNG with Meridian Shanewood and Ryann Daisy Swimmer
In the mood for trippy loops and synths? Heart opening layers await you at the Cedar Cultural Center this week, when cellist and electronic producer MIZU co-headlines with Robert Ouyang Rusli (OHYUNG), with additional sets by local artists/composers Meridian Shanewood and Ryann Daisy Swimmer. Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. at The Cedar ($25). More information here.
Halloween, Alaska
For the 20th anniversary of its 2003 self-titled LP last fall, Halloween, Alaska released a vinyl version of the record, and performed the tunes live for the occasion at the Turf Club. Now, the group is playing again, this time at the Dakota. The Minnesota group, featuring James Diers, Dave King, Jake Hanson and Bill Shaw— who all play regularly in other groups— bring their electronic mix of jazz, rock and arty pop for a satisfying set. Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. ($30, $35). More information here.
Ghoulish Delights
Ghoulish Delights serves up a double header of suspenseful one-act plays at The Crane Theater this week, pairing together a new play by Kendra Fanconi called “Bonehouse,” and an adaptation of “The Outsider” by H.P. Lovecraft. If the likes of Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allen Poe, and Mary Shelley intrigue you, make your way into two creepy worlds— one a small town where there’s seemingly no escape, and another gothic horror house. Tim Uren directs “Bonehouse” and acts in “The Outsider” and Amber Bjork directs “The Outsider.” Matt Kessen, Xan Mattek and Ariel Pinkerton also perform. Friday, May 10, Saturday, May 11, and Sunday May 12 at 7 p.m., through May 25 at the Crane Theatre’s LGM Studio Space. ($20). More information here.
Visage: A Contemporary Portrait Show
Re-imagine portraiture at this group show curated by Gamut’s new gallery director and co-owner Francesca Bernardi. Read my review and find information here.
Golden Embers by Tara Costello
Artist Tara Costello looks at memory and presence in a new body of work drawn from moments she has had with her mother, who has had Frontotemporal Dementia for 15 years. Costello ponders notions of what it means to be connected with another person through texture, mark making, geometric forms, and shifting points of view. Opening reception takes place Saturday May 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rosalux (free), runs through May 26. More information here.
Barcelona Flamenco Ballet Presents: Carmen
Barcelona Flamenco Ballet infuses Georges Bizet’s famous opera, “Carmen,” with the art of flamenco in a production that modernizes the story of Carmen, the free-spirited traveler who woos a soldier, Don José, away from his military duties, only to suffer at his jealousy over a new lover. This Mother’s Day, arrive early for pre-show dining before the performance. Sunday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theater ($45-$125). More information here.
Sheila Regan
Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at [email protected].