SOUTHERN MINN
APRIL 2022
YOUR GUIDE FOR
PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
Liz
ROCKS FROM SOUTHERN MINN AND BEYOND PG 24
THE
issue
Photo by Paul Lundgren
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| APRIL 2022
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Only 2 Months left in the Season!
Get tickets to any number of great shows!
FREDDY JONES BAND APRIL 9
$33/$38
HITS “IN A DAYDREAM” & “HOLD ON TO MIDNIGHT” More in APRIL April 1-3 Phoenix Theatre’s Fuddy Meers April 8 Colleen Raye W/ St Croix Orchestra April 9 Freddy Jones Band April 10 Strings, Winds & Brass April 15 The New Standards SCORE! April 23 Trinity Irish Dance April 24 Sheldon Brass Band Spring Concert April 28 Call of the Wild: Illustrated Edition April 30 VocalEssence: The Times They Are A Changin’ the words & music of Bob Dylan
THE NEW STANDARDS & GUESTS!
SCORE!
APRIL 15
$27/$37
Sheldon Theatre 443 W. 3rd St | Red Wing, MN 651-388-8700 sheldontheater.org 2
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YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
CONTENT
APRIL 2022 / VOLUME 10 / ISSUE 4
FEATURES: 6 Kiss The Tiger
The up and coming rock band you should know.
COLUMNS: 14 Rants & RAVES
12 Directors of Area Arts Centers Reflect
15 SoMinn FOOD & DRINK Review
Arts leaders chat about now and the future.
16 The SCENE Calendar
SoMinn’s most comprehensive calendar of things to be SCENE.
- Welcome to the Grief Club - the Dark Queens - Scarlet in Blue - Books for Science - Shadow Man
Small Town Author with a Big Heart.
10 The Man Behind the Mystery (café) An interview with owner Brian Kelly.
27 SoMinn THE BOOKWORM SEZ
4 Mollywood BLVD
Drawn in by a Porch Goose
26 Through a SoMinn LENS
Fireside Lounge & Supper Club.
Faribault portrait, landscpae & teaching artist Kate Langlais.
24 From the MUSIC SIDE
Liz Draper rocks from Southern Minn and beyond.
SPECIAL:
23 SoMinn SCENE GOLF
Southern minn
Scene
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Mollywood BLVD
MOLLY PENNY Molly Penny is a local radio personality and MNSU alum. It was her love of pop culture that got her interested in doing a radio show for KOWZ 100.9, and she is now the music and promotions director at KOWZ & KRUE Radio in Owatonna. She resides in Mankato with her movie buff husband and YouTube obsessed children. Catch her on Twitter at @ mollyhoodUSA.
Chris Norbury, of Owatonna, has released his third novel in the Matt Lanier trilogy. He is having a book release party from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, at the Owatonna Country Club. Here, Norbury is holding his newest novel, “Dangerous Straits.” (Shayna Lewis/southernminn.com)
Small Town Author with a
Big Heart 4
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very so often, as a broadcaster, I get the opportunity to meet and interview some very interesting people. I have had the pleasure of bringing author Chris Norbury on the KOWZ 100.9 morning show throughout the years to promote each of his novels. Norbury is an award-winning author who grew up in the Twin Cities and touts a B.S. in Music Education from the University of Minnesota. He and has been a long-time Owatonna resident who has woven many of his passions, along with local ties, together in his mystery-suspense thriller novel series including: Straight River, Castle Danger, and his most recent book, Dangerous Straits. Norbury is an avid supporter of local, independent bookstores and is involved in many groups including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Minnesota to which he donates a portion of his book sales. When I asked him if he could sit down to answer more of my questions so that we could dig a little deeper for our readers, he did not hesitate. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? First, a pitcher for the MN Twins, then an architect, then a musician.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I didn’t have any sort of revelatory “Aha!” moment. After various careers, including public school band director, financial planner, wine consultant, and private investor (sort of a day trader), I was looking for another “hobby that got out of control.” (Like music, investing, and wine that led to my previous jobs). I always felt I was a competent writer of emails, letters, basic essays, etc., and others had told me that. So when my wife said, “You should write a novel,” I figured, “Why not?” That was back in about 2008. How long does it take you to write a book? Too long! (laughs) The average seems to be about three years. Do you have any interesting writing “quirks?” Most writers prefer writing early in the morning or late at night, and most like to write in solitude. I generally write between 10 am and 3 pm. I also prefer writing in public places, especially coffee shops, so I guess those are quirks. I usually write on my laptop, but I always use pen and paper when I’m brainstorming for ideas or ways to fix a scene or plot problem.
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Specialty Grade Local Roaster Flavored Sample Packs Around the World in 12 Coffees Do you do have any special traditions to celebrate the completion of a novel? I drink Champagne. The good stuff from France. If ever there was an excuse to party, it’s completing a novel. Many of your book reference names and landmarks in Owatonna. How did you gain inspiration for some of the names and places in your novel series? I’m a diehard Minnesota lover, so I never imagined setting a novel anywhere else. We’ve got a lot of geographical diversity-Lake Superior and 11,00- other lakes, rivers including the Mighty Mississippi, farmland, prairies, dense forest, remote wilderness (the BWCAW), even mountains! At least that’s what the map says about the Sawtooth Mountains in the Arrowhead. It’s easy to get inspired when you have so many settings to choose from. Plus, readers LOVE to read about places they know and have visited. As far as character names are concerned, I use local names (primarily surnames) of people I know or have met. It gives the stories authenticity since they tend to match the ethnicity and heritage of the area. Plus, I have fun giving subtle little shoutouts to friends by using their last names. I even honored two friends who died before I published one book by using their names and giving them small speaking parts. How many novels have you written? Which is your favorite? Three. My favorite? Wow, I guess that’s like choosing a favorite child. I’m equally proud of all three. Depending on the reviews and reader reactions I may get, I think Dangerous Straits may have a slight edge because I took some chances with style, characters, and dialogue. I like to think my writing took a step forward with Dangerous Straights. Tell me about your most recent novel, Dangerous Straits: It’s the third book in my Matt Lanier mystery-thriller series. It begins with Matt barely surviving on the streets of Minneapolis, playing guitar for spare change, and living in a homeless shelter. He’s still hiding from the bad guy, Smythe, who heads the conspiracy Matt uncovered in Straight River. Matt discovers he has PTSD, reaches rock bottom, and then decides to give up his fight against Smythe. He’ll do anything to get enough money to purchase a new identity on the black market so he can try to live a normal life again. But then, a ray of hope appears in the form of an unlikely ally. So Matt must choose between trying to stop Smythe one final time or living in fear for the rest of his life. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? It’s hard to quantify “much.” I occasionally get emails, texts, or social media comments from readers who enjoyed one of my books. I’m also surprised by the number of people who see me in public and compliment me on my books. Many of the comments are about the local settings. Others liked the fast pace of my stories, the plot twists, and Matt being a musician--not a macho thriller hero like a detective, a secret agent, or a plain old badass like Jack Reacher. And I suppose I’m not famous enough for people to go out of their way to post long reviews on Amazon.com explaining why one of my books was so bad. But the online reviews have been overwhelmingly positive--about 90% are 4- and 5-star reviews or ratings. What is the most challenging part of being an author? Putting on my business hat and selling my books. Business and creativity don’t mix well, so it’s difficult to excel in both areas. Ninety-nine percent of authors who try to make money selling books need to do their own marketing and selling. Only the top echelon of writers have marketing teams backed by the publishing houses to handle the business side.
What is the most rewarding part? Getting an unsolicited compliment from a stranger who drove a long way to meet me (like an hour or more!) at a book signing or book festival just to tell me how much they LOVED one of my books.
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You donate a portion of your book sales to Big Brothers of Southern Minnesota. Tell me about your involvement with the program.
Pick up in store, Local Delivery, or Shipped
I’ve wanted to be a Big Brother since the mid-1990s, but the timing wasn’t right. My wife and I were living in Chicagoland, and I sensed we wouldn’t be there permanently. I didn’t want to commit to the organization and then leave a year or two later. So, I put the Big Brother idea on hold. As soon as we moved to Owatonna and learned there was a BBBS chapter in town, I signed up. It was scary at first because I don’t have children of my own and hadn’t interacted with kids much since I left teaching back in 1984. I got lucky with my first Little Brother, Zach, and we stayed together until he aged out of the program. I was matched with my second Little, Ethan, for more than six years. Then COVID came, life got stressful, and age started catching up with me. I didn’t have the mental and emotional energy I needed to be a good Big Brother, so I “retired” after twenty years. Now I call myself a “Big Brother Emeritus.” When I published my first book, I approached the local BBBS chapter about doing joint promotions. I’d share my story and help recruit Bigs at my book signings and other appearances and donate part of my book sales to them in exchange for them giving me BBBS bookmarks to hand out to customers and allowing me to sell books at some of their events like Bowl For Kids’ Sake.
Locally Owned and Operated Mon & Thur 10 AM - 6 PM Saturday 9 AM - NOON
435 26th St NE, Owatonna 507-413-0814
straightrivercoffee.com
How much have you been able to donate to the organization? As of the end of 2021, I’ve donated more than $2,500 to BBBS of Southern MN from book sales, roundup donations, and freewill offerings. Where can people buy your books? Go to your local bookstore first. If they don’t have it, they’ll order it for you. You can buy signed copies from me when I appear at bookstores, book festivals, and street fairs like Owatonna’s Downtown Thursday, Hopkins Mainstreet Day, or the Hopkins Raspberry Festival. I have an online store accessible through my website, chrisnorbury.com, where you can buy a signed copy from me directly, and I’ll ship it to you at no charge in the continental U.S. EBook and print versions are available at all the big online retailers. Finally, I always have copies with me, so if you see me around town writing in a coffee shop or at the golf course, I’d be happy to sell you a copy. You are currently on a book tour of sorts, starting with the launch in February at the Owatonna Country Club followed by a book signing at Little Professors. For those who missed you, will you be hosting any other events in Owatonna? My next event in Owatonna will be “Coffee and Conversation” at the Owatonna Public Library on April 9, from 10 am to Noon. I’ll give an informal presentation about my books and writing in general, with a heavy focus on discussion and Q&A. I hope it’ll be just like getting a group of friends together for Saturday morning coffee and having a fun, relaxed, and informative conversation. Anything else coming up our readers should know about?
Women’s Clothing from Small to Plus Size Unique Jewelry & Select Variety of Fashionable Shoes 142 Bridge Street, Owatonna Monday - Friday 10-6 Saturday 10-3 Shop Online at HiddenRoseBoutique.com
Check my website, chrisnorbury.com, for my schedule. I’m adding events gradually, but I’ll be busy throughout 2022, especially with events in southern MN and the Twin Cities. And yes, I am working on a new book—a middle-grade adventure novel starring a Little Brother and a Big Brother.
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Photo by Craig Otto
Kiss TheTiger is the up and coming rock band you should know
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By TESSA WEYHE Guest Contributor
Photo by Diana Albrecht
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verybody wants to be witness to a band’s come-up, observing their rise to popularity in real time. Everybody likes to be able to say “I knew that band before they were cool”. If this sounds like you, keep your eye on Kiss The Tiger, a rocking Minneapolis band with a passionate and expressive female lead vocalist that seems to be very close to breakout success. You’ve likely heard their soulful new-retro sound on The Current, or maybe you’ve seen their contagious high-energy stage presence firsthand performing at The Current’s 17th birthday party. From cutting
their teeth at the 331 club, a loud night stop with old-school punky vibes, to opening for The Hold Steady, a much beloved band formed in Minneapolis that has achieved national notoriety, Kiss The Tiger is definitely reverberating out into the eardrums of a wider and broader audience all the time. Kiss the Tiger uses an undeniable undercurrent of rock ‘n’ roll to carry the visceral, heartfelt lyrics that’ll resonate close to the chest if you listen with intention. I exchanged a few words with the lead singer Meghan Kreidler to get some insight into their musical inspiration, the process of bringing a song to life, and their favorite Minneapolis venues.
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Photo by Kathleen Ambre Can you describe your sound to those who are unfamiliar? At the core we are a rock ‘n’ roll group inspired by bands like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Patti Smith. Sometimes we dip into more punk territory like The Stooges or Amyl and the Sniffers. We also have a soulful, heartfelt side to our music as well. Overall, we value strong songwriting with catchy hooks and melodies. Did you play any instruments in high school? I grew up playing classical piano and then I picked up guitar after graduating college. I write on both instruments, but never play an instrument live. I focused a lot on my vocal instrument from middle school through college singing in choirs, doing musical theater and speech, and going on to study classical acting in college. Who are some musicians that you are inspired by? Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, Karen O, Sasami, Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice, Mitski, Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, Sharon Van Etten, Tom Petty, Patti Smith Can you walk me through the general process of bringing a song to life? My partner Michael and I do all of the songwriting for the group. I really learned how to write songs from him. Up until our last album he did the majority of the songwriting for Kiss the Tiger. Something magical happens when he sits down with a guitar. He’s always searching for that perfect riff or hook. It’s like this process of excavating a musical idea that already exists somewhere in the ether. We’ve written a lot of our songs this way. Sitting down next to each other in a room and allowing the excavation process to unfold. Sometimes an entire song
will unfold, other times it’s just a chorus line or a guitar hook that we record and store away for later. When I’m writing I like to start with words first. I just find it easier to find melodies if I already have some words in front of me. I usually overwrite lyrics, but when I begin marrying music to it I’ll trim the words down and focus the thoughts. All of our songs usually begin in this sparse way, usually with a guitar or piano and a voice, and then we bring the ideas to the band and they help us flesh it out with their parts.
chael and I were the only members in the band that are still currently in it. I invited way too many people out with so much confidence and then I completely felt out of my element. It took a lot more shows like that to get where we are today! We played Hexagon Bar, Palmer’s, and 331 Club A LOT. Sometimes we’d play Palmer’s bar and our set would get pushed back to 1:30 am and the bar would close at 2:00 am so we had to rip through our set so fast. At the moment it was frustrating, but in hindsight those were some of our best shows.
Do you have a favorite local venue?
Does anyone in your band get performance anxiety?
I love so many of them. I’ve really come to love the 7th Street Entry and feel the most like a “rock band” when we’ve played there. There’s something about the intimacy of the venue. You really feel like you’re with the people and it’s so easy to have that exchange of energy between the audience. The same goes for the 331 Club. We haven’t played there since Valentine’s Day of 2020, but we really cut our teeth at that bar as a young band and have great memories there. What is your favorite song of yours? What is your least favorite? Oooo - I love “I Miss You” and “Who Does Her Hair?”. I don’t have a least favorite! I have some songs that I don’t like performing as much, like “Grown Ass Woman”, not because it’s my least favorite song (I actually think it’s one of our best songs) but because it requires me to be very vulnerable and usually freaks me out to sing it! But, I would rather be freaked out than not share that song with people which is why we play it every set. Where did you get your start? Where did you perform your first shows? Our very first show was at The Nomad. It probably wasn’t as terrible as I remember, but it wasn’t good by any means. At that time Mi-
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Musicians often feed off of the crowd’s energy during a performance. You are a very energetic band. What do you do if the audience does not seem to be getting into it? I think we try to meet audiences where they are. I think we always give 110%, but sometimes it doesn’t feel natural or right to meet an audience at your 110% when they’re at 50%. Sometimes it’s about pumping people up and sometimes it’s about coming to their level so that you can connect and feel approachable. No matter what, we still go hard! Sometimes people don’t respond outwardly with how they’re feeling or experiencing something. I try not to assume that people aren’t having a good time just because they aren’t jumping and moving around as much as we are.
Do you follow a ritual or process to prepare for a performance? Depending on the show we’re playing, some of us have a bit of anxiety. It’s mostly just excited anticipation. Some of What is it about us will pace around, our your music that drummer usually warms makes you feel up by banging his sticks passionate? on something, I’ll do voI think the cal warm-ups and pushthemes of our muups or planks. I think sic really fuel me we’ve played together - songs like “WeekMeghan Kreidler long enough though end” and “Grown that we all trust each Ass Woman” that other and come together are really about so well on stage. We embracing womanhood and independence. don’t do anything ritualistic before, the playing “Hold On To Love”, “Motel Room”, and “I Miss feels like the ritual. you” are all about loss in some way. They’re
“Focus on what you love and what you like.”
You have an energetic and lively stage presence. Who are you inspired by? Primarily Karen O, Mick Jagger, and Patti Smith. A lot of people tell me I remind them of Pat Benatar which is funny because I don’t really have a frame of reference for her at all besides recognizing some of her songs. But I think that’s cool - I probably should watch some live footage of her to get the reference!
all very emotionally amplified songs and the music matches that emotional intensity which makes those big, vulnerable places easy to drop into and fully embrace for both ourselves as performers and the audience. What’s the best advice you’ve had about music making or performance? Focus on what you love and what you like. I
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CONTINUED from page 7 think that’s advice I keep giving myself because it’s too easy to latch on to negativity and cynicism in this industry. You seem to be very close to breakout success- what kind of opportunities are you hoping will bring you to national recognition and success/ what do you hope to achieve? We are trying to figure that out! We just went on tour with Philly band Low Cut Connie and that was such a dream for us to be able to play alongside a band who we admire and whose music we love. I think we want to keep doing stuff like that. Surrounding ourselves with people whose work we love and building momentum off of each other’s energy and enthusiasm. We want to tour more, expose ourselves to people outside of Minnesota, record more music, hopefully write a hit song or two that will launch us onto the national stage. I don’t think there’s one way to do this thing, but either way we love to write and we love to play and I’m confident that if we keep going at it we’ll continue to build our fanbase. As long as we’re connecting with new listeners I will feel fulfilled. Do you have plans for touring outside of Minneapolis in the future? We are in the beginning stages of planning some sort of headline tour on the East coast this summer. Ideally 10 or so cities/dates. I hope we’re able to get out in the fall of this year too. Maybe hit up some of the cities we just covered with Low Cut Connie, this time as a headliner. What is your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician? I love playing and performing. I love writing and dreaming up the new album as well as visual concepts for our new work. I love meeting new people and connecting with other
Photo by Maddy Fox musicians and non-musicians in real life through music. I really don’t like social media and how much it shapes our belief of what is valuable and not-valuable based on followers and likes. I appreciate the many tools we have as artists to get our work out there, but it can sometimes bog me down and be very consuming
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in a negative way. But I think setting boundaries around social media is just as important as setting boundaries with people in our lives. It doesn’t have to have a negative impact if I don’t want it to. See Kiss the Tiger for yourself during the month of April at a number of upcoming shows
in Minneapolis, Fargo. Winona, and St. Cloud. As for me, you can find me at 7th Street Entry on April 30, grateful for the opportunity to soak in the vibes at such an intimate venue, which will surely be in short supply as the band moves into a brighter spotlight in the years to come.
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As we begin our third annual MarketFest St. Peter I would like to especially thank board members: Denise Peters, at Hahn Accounting, Julee Johnson, owner of Julee's Jewelry, and Ellen Eide at Her Happy Place. We started planning this community event pre-pandemic, kicking it off in the midst of the most difficult retail period many have seen. These three have been instrumental in building a community event to allow safe socialization and great opportunity for local artists and startup businesses to display their wares. Contact us if you are interested in a booth space or volunteering. Lisa Eide, Her Happy Place Founder of MarketFest St. Peter (507) 931-0008 MarketFestStPeter@gmail.com
MarketFest St. Peter MarketFest St. Peter is a nonprofit organization focused on
social and economic growth in St Peter through marketing support.
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Summer MarketFest 2nd & 4th Saturdays May - July *Kid Zone with free activities and entertainment for your little ones. Fall MarketFest August - October *Holiday focused
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The
T
By PAT GARRY Guest Contributor
Man Behind the Mystery (café)
he Mystery Cafe is the Twin Cities’ longest running interactive comedy dinner theater, founded in 1989. Owner Brian Kelly and his staff, write and craft their own, original shows and employ some of the best interactive comedians in town. The shows are fast-paced comedies first and foremost; but there is a mystery to solve as well! The Mystery Cafe is close to deciding on a date for a return engagement at Owatonna Country Club. The parties involved are thinking circa end of April, first part of May. Check the Mystery Cafe website for updates (www. themysterycafe.com). (Recently, I visited with Mr. Kelly)
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Scene Magazine: How long have you been involved in this, and what inspired you to pursue it?
SM: What is the process for hiring your actors/ employees?
BK: I started as an actor with the company in 1994. I had done some improv, but really learned my comedy chops working with The Mystery Cafe. Years later an opportunity came to purchase the company when the previous owner sought to retire, and I’ve had the privilege of carrying the torch since 2016.
BK: There is an audition process, but we have a pretty deep bench of actors, and I spend a fair amount of time seeking out talent. Kind of like a baseball scout. I go to see shows, and network to see what talent is out there. We are genuinely looking for the best of the best, and more often than not, our auditions are by invitation.
SM: Do you work at any other jobs other than this business? BK: I was the Entertainment Director for the St. Paul Saints until I took over the Mystery Cafe. I still perform with the Saints as an “On-Field Correspondent/Host”
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SM: How do you decide which play(s), shows you will perform? BK: I will conceive of a show, and usually that starts with an environment. Our last few shows have taken place on the set of a 70’s holiday variety show, an all-class High School Reunion,
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and a Hollywood Award show, a la The Oscars or the Golden Globes. I like to start with a situation that people can imagine or are familiar with. Once I have a theme in place, I decide on a collaborator - someone who I think will have a good sense about the material. I prefer to work with a writing partner, as I think collaboration almost always yields better results. If you and your partner are laughing while you’re writing, it’s a pretty good sign that the audience will laugh as well. SM: What methods do you use for acquiring bookings? BK: Typically, we have two different general public shows, running November through February; we also have private corporate/team building shows as well as an online show which are available year ‘round. SM: Approximately how many performances do you have in a year? BK: The pandemic has thrown off our average considerably, but we did around 50-60 shows in 2019-2020. SM: What are the most challenging things in “doing what you do”? BK: Our biggest challenge, really, is getting people to understand what it is that we do. People hear “Murder Mystery” and they think it’s going to involve...work. Like, “Will I be writing the whole time? Will I have to pay attention? Do I need a hat?” The truth is, we’re simply presenting comedy shows with a theme and the mystery provides the reason for the audience to be involved. Guests are given “mystery money” so they can bribe characters for more information; and the dinner is served during breaks in the show, which makes it a very social evening as well. It’s a night of delicious food and a ton of laughs, but that’s not always easy to convey in an “elevator pitch.”
DID YOU KNOW? Brian Kelly, Owner-The Mystery Cafe; Direct: 763-566-2583; www.themysterycafe.com SM: What are the most rewarding things in “doing what you do”? BK: Making people laugh. That’s really what we set out to do. Right now, I think we ALL need a good laugh. From the moment we sit down to write, to the rehearsal process, to the perfor-
mance, we are committed to giving our guests an evening they will remember. And the greatest compliment is that we get a lot of families and groups that come to see us year after year. SM: Can you share a couple of interesting anecdotes about an experience that occurred at one or more of your performances? BK: I remember a woman once telling me that her husband had passed away a bit ago, and she hadn’t had much reason to smile let alone laugh lately. She said that, for her, the show
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was cathartic. We never know what people bring with them to the show. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they’re celebrating an anniversary. The same laughs mean different things to different people. We try to keep that in mind and make every show special. We had one night where the audience started an impromptu conga line that went all around the room. It was not a scripted thing, and it was probably the most hilarious memorable thing about that show! And that’s just it; if we can create an environment where the audience feels free to have that much fun, we’ve really done our job.
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| APRIL 2022
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Directors of area arts centers
reflect
[positivity and blessings]
I
Scene: What’s the best part of your job?
By JANE TURPIN MOORE Guest Contributor
t’s no secret the last two years have been tough on every sector — including the arts. But when creativity and resourcefulness are assets in hand, resiliency and innovation are second nature, despite less-than-luxurious budgets and small staffs. Here’s how four area arts centers and their indomitable directors are facing down 2022.
Sjogren: Northfielders are so supportive of the Guild and artistic activity. The community engagement here is really refreshing because so many people are willing to enthusiastically support the arts. It’s a blessing to have this level of volunteerism. Scene: Anything else about the Guild? Sjogren: Our gift shop has terrific options for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. And our annual fundraiser is April 28, when we’ll unveil specifics about the Guild’s 63rd theater season and details of our new membership program geared toward socio-economic and cultural accessibility.
Scene: What are you eager for in 2022? Sjogren: We want to see more people back in our building again, including for artist circles and artist professional development, and we’re looking to open new doors to all in Northfield, finding ways to make sure everyone in Northfield finds their place here. The Guild is also starting a youth board and adding youth activities so this can be a haven for young people at appointed times. And we have a beautiful dance studio, so one goal is to cultivate more cultural and traditional dance programs.
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Durben: All I admit to doing here is trying. The arts are about exploring, about opening our minds, about trial and error, and we see that in the creative process where we question, seek and find solutions. Some things work and some don’t, but we’re doing the best we can to share our passion for the arts.
ANN ROSENQUIST FEE,
executive director, Arts Center of Saint Peter, 315 S. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter, 507-931-3630
artistic director, Owatonna Arts Center, 435 Garden View Lane, Owatonna, 507-451-0533
executive director, Northfield Arts Guild, 304 Division St., Northfield, 507645-8877
Sjogren: We were completely shut down but kept things going by working remotely and maintaining a rotating schedule with one staff person in the office each weekday. After vaccinations, we transitioned back into the office. Everything we did went virtual; that’s what this community desired, and people responded well to it. The challenge has been getting people back in our doors because it’s taking awhile for the local comfort level to return for in-person classes. We’re still working on that. But since adding vaccine and mask requirements for attendees, attendance at our concerts and theater events has been strong.
Scene: Anything more?
SILVAN DURBEN,
ANDREA SJOGREN,
Scene: You joined the Guild in March 2021, when the pandemic was entering a second year. How did you manage?
another. You don’t necessarily need to be “artsy” to be involved in an arts organization. A diversity of skills and interests enriches the process, and I really believe we all need the arts. Come and experience something new.
Scene: After guiding OAC for over 40 years, what did you learn from the pandemic?
Scene: How did the pandemic affect you?
Durben: It made us aware of how important the arts are in everyone’s lives. Educators and organizations like OAC found ways to bring the arts to people via online delivery, but the things all of us want are those in-person experiences. Inviting people back in for concerts and live music, to see our galleries, is exciting. Virtual options are wonderful, but it’s vastly different to see a work of art or experience performances in person.
Fee: The coolest story we have is that our “Hot Jazz for Decent People” series had been scheduled to move from our gallery to the Minnesota Square Park Pavilion in the summer of 2020 so that didn’t fall under the umbrella of what had to be shut down. It was a serendipitous sweet spot, since it was outdoors and we still encouraged social distancing and masking. It was the most joyful combination of planning and luck. We attracted a good following that we hope will stick with the series (July 8 and 22, August 5 and 19) when there are more options again available for people to gather and take in live entertainment.
Scene: What does 2022 hold?
Scene: What else is coming up?
Durben: The 69th Annual Steele County Art Exhibition opens May 8 and is an opportunity to see artists among us who are friends and neighbors. The real joy of a community arts center is showcasing regional artists. People felt the need to express themselves during the pandemic, and our classes filled. Now, some projects we attempted in the past are possibilities again, like mid-century architectural house tours. And we may dedicate a Katherine Nash sculpture on our grounds if we can overcome [supply chain] hurdles for installation.
Fee: Our Souper Bowl Swap Meet on July 16 will hopefully be the end of the pandemic pivots. The last year didn’t lend itself to group gatherings for our potters to produce quantities of bowls, so we’re inviting people to bring in used bowls to sell or swap. There isn’t a sustained appetite for things that worked well in the early quarantine days, like Zoom classes, so now that some traditions have been disrupted, and people’s sensibilities are different, we’re trying to find what kind of arts education programming and delivery methods make the most sense and will truly keep people inspired and motivated.
Scene: What’s best about the arts in southern Minnesota? Durben: Individuals are the ones who make community art centers vital and alive. They bring a lot of energy, dollars, creativity and time, and the beauty is community arts centers give opportunities to all kinds of people who can learn from one
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Scene: You’ve been at ACSP since 2014; what’s best about the arts in this area? Fee: Unquestionably, this is a supportive community. When someone new moves to town, walks into our gallery and intro-
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duces themself as an artist, I can tell them sincerely they will be embraced with opportunities and appreciation. It’s a great community for artists of all types. Scene: What else would you like to share? Fee: In an art gallery, what’s on the walls is for sale! The work of local artists—pottery, jewelry, painting—can be purchased, and 70% of the price always goes right back to the artists. When you buy at SPCA, you’re supporting local artists and the greater arts community. And we offer Mother’s Day and graduation gift solutions that are meaningful. We like helping shoppers choose the right thing, and we know the artist who created it; that makes for a special and unique gift.
FESLER-LAMPERT | PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
2 0 21 - 2 0 2 2
HEIDI NELSON, executive director, Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault, 321 Central Ave. N., Faribault, 507-332-7372 Scene: Tell me about the pandemic at Paradise. Nelson: I was so new in the position. I started as interim director in November 2019, and on March 16, 2020, we closed our doors. I was officially named executive director on March 19. I had no expectations of how the job was supposed to go, but I knew we still needed to fundraise. I relied heavily on our amazing staff, and I feel blessed to have the people around me that I did. We initiated the “100 Club” with donors giving $2,500 each in exchange for a lifetime membership, and we were able to retire our mortgage debt and also benefited from city of Faribault funds. As an entity, we tightened our belt and learned how to save money. Scene: What’s ahead in 2022? Nelson: The rest of 2022 is booked out for auditorium and theater shows, and we’re now working on scheduling into the start of 2023. We’re trying to think about other big things that need to happen that couldn’t right away when the building opened in 2007 due to the $1.3 million in debt taken on for its restoration. We’ve painted the proscenium, fixed crumbling plaster and the auditorium needs acoustic panels and new seats. Creating an endowment is another priority. By the end of 2022, we hope to have money for an electronic [digital] marquee to more easily advertise our classes and events. We want to build a strong connection with our Latinx and Somali populations, and being able to advertise in other languages would be much more inclusive. Scene: Is the Faribault area arts community supportive? Nelson: In two years on the job, I have never been bored, not one day. It’s different every single day because there’s always something happening. We have a ton of community support and an amazing staff. The community really appreciates what we do and they demonstrate it, not only be showing up by by offering their financial gifts. I feel incredibly grateful that I was the executive director when we retired our mortgage debt, because that $5,500 monthly mortgage payment represented a lot of tickets and class registrations. We’ve been incredibly blessed. Freelance writer/collaborative pianist Jane Turpin Moore grew up in the Mankato area and is now based in Northfield. She blogs at timeformoore566445504.wordpress.com and fields emails at jturpinmoore@gmail.com.
“In two years on the job, I have never been bored, not one day. It’s different every single day because there’s always something happening.” Heidi Nelson
“The coolest story we have is that our “Hot Jazz for Decent People” series had been scheduled to move from our gallery to the Minnesota Square Park Pavilion in the summer of 2020 so that didn’t fall under the umbrella of what had to be shut down." Ann Rosenquist Fee
“Now, some projects we attempted in the past are possibilities again, like mid-century architectural house tours." Silvan Durban
“We want to see more people back in our building again, including for artist circles and artist professional development, and we’re looking to open new doors to all in Northfield, finding ways to make sure everyone in Northfield finds their place here."
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022 | 7:30 P.M. Fairies, thespians, and runaway lovers all find themselves wandering the forest at night. With the fairy king and queen scheming, the lovers escaping, and the ragtag troupe of actors hastily rehearsing a show for the duke’s wedding tomorrow, what more could go wrong? When a fairy named Puck accidentally misapplies a love potion and purposefully transforms an actor into a donkey, it will take more than magic to set things right. Get lost in the forest with the National Players in the most epic romantic entanglement of all time. A magical comedy that’s fun for children and adults alike. Newhall Auditorium | Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
Adults $20, Students $12
To purchase tickets, please visit: www.s-sm.org/tickets
Andrea Sjogren
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| APRIL 2022
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MARY CLOSNER
Rants & RAVES
Mary Closner is 73 inches tall (according to her doctor) and has 9-foot ceilings in her home (according to her handyman). She lives in Northfield, making bad decisions so you don't have to! Reach her at 1964minx@gmail.com.
Drawn in by a
Porch Goose
L
ike all good stories, it started innocently enough with a trip up north. I guess you could say it was love at first sight. She was expensive … around $70, but they couldn’t go home without her. I'm speaking of the concrete porch goose, who was soon to have a new home in Stanton, Minnesota and was destined to be named, “Priscilla (Prissy G).” It’s hard explaining some of the traditions to folks who didn’t grow up around here. You can’t really understand the Midwest until you’ve had Jell-O with shaved carrots in it and a dab of Miracle Whip on top. If you bring a hot dish to the home of a recently deceased east coaster, they’re not gonna know. Don’t even dare to mention meat raffles to your friends from Arizona. And dressing up a decorative 50-pound porch goose is another one of those strange things that just seems to make sense if you’ve grown up in this part of the world. Well, I learned if you drive up to a stranger’s house and take pictures on their porch often enough, you have to knock on the door and introduce yourself before they have a chance to call the police. That’s how I met Hope. Every time I drove by her place, I was fascinated to see the seasonal outfit Priscilla was sporting. Hope & Stan Sunderland have lived in Stanton for 53 years. And Priscilla has seen a lot from her perch on the corner of the porch. Julie Beck wrote an article for The Atlantic
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(2018) where she mentioned that people with these decorative geese are really seeking connection and community. She referenced the days where hobos marked houses with symbols signifying a friendly home owner who might feed them. In this day and age, what does the goose signify? That you have a great sense of humor or that you inherited this weird thing from your Grandmother and didn’t know what else to do with it?! Maybe they’re just the neighborhood ambassadors and offer a brief moment of levity in these stressful times. Someone even described them as “Barbies for adults.” In case you were too busy in the 90’s and missed the news about the major crime spree that occurred, I’m sure there’s some microfiche available. Check out the Freemont, Ohio newspaper (News Messenger). They had an article that mentioned a “rash of anti-goose crime that plagued the country from Summer 1991 all the way through January 1992.” Apparently, the streets were filled with goose nappers who ran amuck and sometimes took the beloved fowl on road trips. Pictures and postcards would arrive from the goose’s travels and the birds usually returned at the end of a Spring Break adventure or fraternity hazing weekend. To think I was just living my life and had no idea this was atrocity was going on. Knowing you can’t be a neighborhood ambassador without the proper wardrobe, I asked Hope if she had always loved sewing. She said, no. She learned to sew to create simple outfits for her goose as well as the ones she gave each of
her daughters. I spent an afternoon viewing box after box of these custom outfits ranging from a Randolph, MN school outfit, to a Harley Davidson (faux) leather outfit, Easter dress, Valentine’s ensemble, Hunting Season outfit complete with fake rifle, Chef ensemble with an apron full of kitchen tools, a sparkly Winter Princess look, Shamrock clothes, Flamingo costume…the list goes on and on and on. If you go online to “Goose Clothes Galore”, you’ll be happy to see you have a myriad of themed outfit choices. Personally, I’d go for the ones listed under “Fancy Outfits.” You know… Dracula, the Race Car Flagman or Sir Goosealot. Those are all gonna set you back about $26 each (+ shipping), but I think being able to outfit your ark with a Noah costume for your goose would be worth it. Keep in mind, the site has “suffered the loss of several key designers and the only outfits available right now are for a large goose.” And if you’re dreaming of a special outfit in honor of your alma mater, that’s gonna cost ya. Custom cheerleader and sports gear are in high demand. And remember, orders spike at holiday times, so make your goose plans well in advance. If you want to keep up with Prissy G, I place photos of her on my Facebook & Instagram (@ saguaromary) pages. And if you want to purchase an outfit for her, just let me know. I can get a photo of Priscilla wearing it with your name proudly displayed as the sponsor of that ensemble. Simple pleasures, people…simple pleasures!
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SoMinn FOOD & DRINK
Review
PAT GARRY JOURNALIST – COPYWRITER – EDITOR – FEATURE WRITER Journalist-Copywriter-Editor-Feature Writer. My experience spans over 20 years, and I will apply my skills to help beef up any lifeless copy within your website, brochure, press release, catalog, etc. Reach out at patgarry@charter.net.
Fireside
Lounge & Supper Club
M
anaged and operated under several different owners, The Fireside Lounge & Supper Club has been a bar and restaurant since the late 50s. Michelle and Joe Amy purchased it in 2002, remodeled it and reopened it in July of 2003. Andrea Splichal joined the staff several years ago as a server while in Randolph High School. She realized that she enjoyed the kitchen and her love of cooking, and now she is the assistant kitchen manager, along-side Michelle. The venue serves Sunday breakfast, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Current kitchen hours are Wed., Thurs. 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (bar open later); Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (bar open later); Serving lunch and dinner, Sunday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. (bar open later); “Our BBQ Ribs are a customer favorite. They are slow-cooked, and served with our home-made BBQ sauces,” said Michelle Amy. Ribs are offered Wednesdays and Friday evenings. Thursday is ‘Tap & Taco Thursday’. Customers can enjoy a tap beer for just $3, and specials are offered on tacos, fajitas, and Margaritas, along with other rotating features, like chimichangas and more. Friday (and all weekend) is a traditional Fish Fry, along with about 6 other weekend specials; such as steaks, lobster, scallops, pasta and more. Saturday Night is Prime Rib night, served from 4:30 until gone. Michelle's homemade desserts are always a hit. Just about all the desserts are home-made in the dessert cooler and are rotated each week. Also, all Fireside soups are home-made by Michelle and Andrea. Michelle says that being an owner/operator is an important reason for the venue’s success. “Our extensive menu allows customers to dine several times a week, without getting bored with the menu. During COVID in 2020-21, we took the opportunity
to remodel and freshen up the building, kitchen and dining spaces. The former screened-in patio was enclosed into a 4-season patio and dining area. The space is also available for small parties, meetings, family gatherings, etc. A new outdoor patio space will open in 2022.” The Fireside Lounge & Supper Club has evolved over the years, from a more local beer and burger joint, to a more full-service dining and supper club experience; similar to some of the old school dining places no longer around, like Sandy Point Supper Club, The Fisherman’s Inn in Oronoco, Lavender Inn and Evergreen Knoll in Faribault, and The Black Stallion in Hampton. At Fireside, guests enjoy a cocktail and conversation before and after dinner. It is a nonrushed experience. Home cooking is on the menu, and many traditional supper club-style dinners, like the fish fry, prime rib, steaks and chicken entrees are always paramount. Too, the Amys offer a variety of over 20 different hamburgers, wraps, salads and sandwiches, when a lighter-fare lunch or dinner is desired. The Fireside Lounge is the perfect partner for the outdoor music that is held several times each year in Dennison; including Dennison Days, the first Saturday of August each year; and a new annual event is the Labor Day weekend event, which features an Elvis, Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond tribute show. Joe and Michelle also host live music, indoors, on several occasions as well during the year. What started out to be a local establishment in the early 2000s, has progressed over the years as demands and demographics have changed. Fireside’s atmosphere is warm and relaxing. Customers can arrive in work clothes and enjoy a beverage in the bar area, or come out for a special event and enjoy the relaxed milieu. Michelle and Joe have been in the customer service business all their lives, and they believe that getting out for a good meal in a relaxed atmosphere is more important than ever.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS Locally owned and operated, Fireside is more than just a local bar & grill. We welcome you to take a short drive to delicious! From the basic burger and sandwich menu, daily features and scrumptious dinner entrees, our casual atmosphere is the best stop for lunch, dinner and weekend breakfast — the Amys 37540 Goodhue Avenue, Dennison 507-645-9992 firesidelounge.net ADD YOUR EVENT FOR FREE TO THE SOMINN SCENE CALENDAR. GO TO W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N . C O M / S O U T H E R N _ M I N N _ S C E N E / & C L I C K + P R O M O T E Y O U R E V E N T
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| APRIL 2022
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SOUTHERN MINN
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Comedy Uncorked -- 8-11 p.m. Edible Books Festival -- 9 a.m.-
4 p.m. April 1, Buckham Memorial Library, 11 Division St. E., Faribault. Buckham Memorial Library is excited to sponsor the library’s 2nd Online Edible Books Festival. Create an edible masterpiece in your own home and the library will post the photo.
Peregrine Falcon Program
-- 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 2, River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Road, Faribault. A live bird encounter presented by Jackie Fallon, wildlife biologist, master falconer and educator. The cost is $5 for children 12 and under, plus $10 for adults.
April 2, Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, & Distillery, 1179 E. Pearl St., Kasota. Laughs on the Go presents a unique night out featuring the finest that comedy has to offer, paired with Chankaska Creek's signature drinks. Tickets online for $15 or at the door for $20.
Origami Enthusiasts -- 7-8 p.m. April 4, Cannon Valley Makers, 300 Railway St. S., Dundas. Come and fold together - bring your recent work. Ask questions; answer questions. It's free and no experience required. Connect with other enthusiasts.
History Uncorked -- 7-10 p.m.
Casual Friday Slow Roll Bike Ride -- 6-10 p.m. April 1, Nicollet Bike and Ski Shop, 607 N. Riverfront Drive, Mankato. Ride leaves the shop side parking lot at 6. Casual pace, casual attire. All abilities and all bikes welcome. About 10 miles on lanes, routes and trails. Socializing and drinks to end.
CRVO Spring Concert -- 3-5 p.m. April 2, United Methodist Church, 1401 Maple St., Northfield. CVRO will perform Out of Darkness, featuring music by Beethoven, Sibelius, Bruch, and Dvorak. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 student/senior, and are available online or by calling 507-645-8877.
Branded at Reggie's
-- 8:3011:59 p.m. April 2, Reggie's Brewhouse, 220 N. Cedar Ave., Owatonna. Branded, Minnesota’s hottest country act, brings high-energy fun to all of the hottest current country hits while mixing in a few of your favorite classics.
PopROCKS!
Boeing Boeing -- 7:30-10 p.m.
April 1, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave. N., Faribault. Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti is set in the 1960s and centers on bachelor Bernard who has a flat in Paris and three stewardesses all engaged to him without knowing about each other. Shows April 1-9.
Ace in the Whole -- 7-9:30 p.m.
April 1, The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N. Minnesota St., New Ulm. Ace in the Whole plays American music and original tunes. Members include Tim Waters on guitar/ banjo/pedal steel, Mike Pengra on percussion, Dave Pengra on bass, and Kit Kildahl on guitar/ harmonica.
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Forrest Hunter and Farmer Josh -- 5-8 p.m. April 2, Montgomery
-- 9:30 p.m. April 2, Boxers, 429 Central Ave. N., Faribault. Pop ROCKS makes their long awaited return to Faribault when they debut at Boxers! But what is PopROCKS!? It's not just a band. It's a high energy show. Pop ROCKS brings you the best of today’s hottest top 40 hits, throwback hip-hop, pop country, party rock and timeless classics all mashed up and delivered in a non stop format. The music of a DJ.
Brewing, 306 Second St. NW., Montgomery. Live music inside the taproom.
Lost Sanity Anniversary Celebration -- 6:30-11:59 p.m.
April 2, Lost Sanity Brewing, 12 W. Main St., Madelia. Lost Sanity Brewing is celebrating four years with a new beer, an oak aged Belgian quad called Tetraphobia. A mug auction will also raise funds for MACV, which aims to end veteran homelessness.
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Laura Karels -- 4-7 p.m. April 3, Patrick's on Third, 125 S. Third St., Saint Peter. Laura Karels is a singer/songwriter who lives in Mankato. Karels started the music project, Bee Balm Fields, in the cold winter months of 2014. Bee Balm Fields provides an Americana sound.
April 7, Steele County Historical Society, 1700 Austin Road, Owatonna. Join for evening of mystery and intrigue and be part of a unique jury experience. Hear historic case law and challenge jurors to deliberate on old cases. Tickets at History Center - in person or call.
To Love the World Harder
-- 8-10 p.m. April 7, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. College Ave., Saint Peter. This year’s concert features work by faculty choreographers Sarah Hauss, Jill Patterson, Melissa C. Rolnick and Michele Rusinko, guest choreographers Karla Grotting and Jeffrey Peterson, and students.
Changing Minds III
-- 1-5 p.m. April 8, Arts Center of Saint Peter, 315 S. Minnesota Ave., Saint Peter. More than 200 works of visual and literary art created over the past four years by patients at St. Peter Regional Treatment Center comprise Changing Minds III. Gallery open 1-5 W-F and Sat.; 10-5 Sun.
YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
Spring Planting Workshops
-- 5-6:30 p.m. April 8, Souba Greenhouse, 4003 Crane Creek Road, Owatonna. Create a beautiful container for your home. Instructors will guide you through the process, which include helping choose plants and work in your conditions. Nine dates/times in April.
Hops for Habitat -- 3-7 p.m., 1525 S. Elm Ave. April 9, 1525 S. Elm Ave., Owatonna. close to 30 breweries lined up for you to sample beer, seltzers and wines. Live music by Travis Thamert and a food truck will be back by popular demand. Tickets available online.
Hotel Blue Band
-- 7:30-10 p.m. April 9, Our Place -on Third.-, 20 Third St. NW., Faribault. Hotel Blue is a soulful bluesy sounding old school funk, Top 40, POP Rock/ Blues band. From motown and soulful R&B, to classic and modern rock, and lots of contemporary party hits.
Sohmer Solo Acoustic Show
-- 8-10 p.m. April 9, Blue Moon Bar and Grill, 300 S. Webster St., Kasota. Sohmer playing and singing at the Moon.
Murder Mystery Dinner Show -- 6-9 p.m. April 9, Next Chapter
Colleen Raye -- 7:30-11:30 p.m. April 8, Sheldon Theatre, 443 W. Third St., Red Wing. Experience the glorious themes from the movies with Colleen Raye and The St. Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra. This 50-piece ensemble and 30 voice choir is under the direction of Kristin Tjornehoj. Colleen Raye will be guiding us through this journey with world-class vocals, charisma and humor and you can even sing along on a few songs! The show will have classic and contemporary songs like When You Wish Upon A Star, 9 to 5, Evergreen, I Just Called To Say I Love You, Skyfall from James Bond, The Greatest Showman music, The Way You Look Tonight, Over The Rainbow, Toy Story, Happy, Swinging On A Star and a host of others.
Winery, 16945 320th St., New Prague. Next Chapter Winery and the Murder Mystery Company presents a killer dinner show in the Next Chapter Winery Barrel Room. Cost is $150 for table of 4 or $250 for table of 8. Comes with pasta dinner.
411 Concert Series - Dori Freeman -- 7:30-11 p.m. April 9,
Northfield Arts Guild Theater, 411 Third St. W., Northfield. Dori Freeman’s inimitable signature sound is in peak form on her fourth studio album, Ten Thousand Roses. She’s a bonafide Appalachian artist, but defies what it means to be from the region.
Dance Your @ss Off -- 8:30-11:30 p.m. April 9, Reggie's Brewhouse, 220 N. Cedar Ave., Owatonna. Performing timeless pop & rock from Bruno Mars, Journey, Dua Lipa, Def Leppard, Nicki Minaj, Bon Jovi, A-Ha, Lizzo, Prince, Frankie Valli, Pat Benatar, ABBA, Survivor, Pitbull and even The Bee Gees. CONTINUED page 18
Gun and Cash Bingo -- 6-9 p.m.
April 9, American Legion, 97 S. Park Ave., Le Center. Join for a fun night of Bingo, rifles, raffles, and a silent auction to raise money for the Le Sueur County Free Fair. Play 10 games for $50.
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell Music and Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Trevor McSpadden -- 8 p.m.-
April 8, Home Plate Grill, 227 Bush St., Red Wing. Country music. Carefully crafted and well-played.
The Freddy Jones Band @
Long Time Passing Reception -- 1-4 p.m. April 9, Owa-
tonna Arts Center, 435 Garden View Lane, Owatonna. Two artists showing. The exhibition, A Mother’s Reminiscences, is by artist Lorraine Ortner-Blake. Agriculture All Around - Agriculture Run Around, is by artist Roberta Condon. Show runs April 3-24.
Sheldon Theater -- 7:30-11:30 p.m. April 9, Sheldon Theatre, 443 W. Third St., Red Wing. Freddy Jones Band is one of America’s premiere roots rock bands (and no, none of the members are actually named Freddy Jones). Freddy Jones Band is fronted by founding member and guitarist Marty Lloyd who plays alongside longtime member/bassist Rich Ross. The lineup rounds out with veteran musician Goose LaPoint- drummer. Freddy Jones Band is best known for their number one hits including “In a Daydream” and “One World”. ”Never Change” is brand new music produced by three-time Grammy winning producer Justin Niebank. Neibank says, “Never Change is the best record I’ve worked on in years!”
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Performance Dates: April 21-23 & 28-30 | 7:30pm April 24 & May 1 | 2:00pm • Online & Tri M Box office for members opens on April 2 • Online general public ticket sales start April 9 • In-house box office opens April 18 - May 1 Mon. - Wed. 5 - 6:30pm (By Phone Only) Thu. - Sat. 5:30 - 7:30pm | Sun. 12:30 - 2pm
Little Theatre of Owatonna • 560 Dunnell Drive LittleTheatreofOwatonna.org
2022 Little Theatre of Owatonna
©
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FOOD. DRINK. FUN.
CONTINUED from page 17
Historic Printmaking -- 6:30-9:30 p.m. April
14, Steele County Historical Society, 1700 Austin Road, Owatonna. Guests will join in the Print Shop located in the Village of Yesteryear and will learn about the history of printmaking and how the historic machines in the SCHS collection work. $5 general admission.
Devil's Teeth -- 9 p.m. April 9, The What's Up Lounge!, 701 N. Riverfront Drive., Mankato. Dagger Radio presents Fret Rattles, Devils Teeth, and TBA Hailing from Milwaukee, WI, Devils Teeth serve blistering amounts of energetic rock 'n' roll with nods to surf, punk and the spaghetti west. Inspired by a steady diet of martial arts films, vintage soul and midwestern rock, this gritty garage trio is set to thrill the people of earth. Getting Your Feet Wet with Rain Gardens -- 7-10 p.m. April 14, Saint Peter, Street Peter.
Do I need a rain garden? How do they even work? Get your feet wet in this class designed to start you on the path to a native garden that reduces water pollution and supports pollinators. Link online.
BUy ONe laser tag,
get 2ND ½ OFF
Faribault Community Egg Hunt -- 10:30 Montgomery Farmer's Market and Music -- 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 14, First Street South, First
Street S First Street South, Montgomery. Come listen to some great music and take the chance to get fresh products and support local businesses.
Easter Party -- 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 16, Faribault Harley-Davidson, 2704 W. Airport Drive, Faribault. The Easter Bunny is stopping into FHD Saturday April 16th! Come have your picture taken with him for free, plus an awesome egg-hunt at 11:30, seperated into 2 age-groups. Kid-approved lunch offered.
Present this coupon at time of purchase. Limitations may apply. Monday - Wednesday open at 1:00pm & Thursday - Sunday open at 11:00am.
www.wowzonefec.com
2030 Adams Street Mankato, MN, 56001
a.m.-noon April 16, Shattuck-St. Mary's School, 1000 Shumway Ave., Faribault. Bring your family and friends to the Shattuck-St. Mary's School campus. Ages 1-11 welcome. Hunt is canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Paint Your Pet -- 6-8:30 p.m. April 14, Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery, & Distillery, 1179 E. Pearl St., Kasota. Join us for a paint your own pet class and get your own custom paint by number of your furry friend. You'll use a pet image of your choice. One drink included with $65 ticket. Tickets available online.
507-625-2695
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YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
PATIO SEASON
IS BACK!
Relativity -- 7-10 p.m. April 16, Corks & Pints, 22 Fourth St. NE., Faribault. The band combines outstanding vocals, guitar, mandolin and fiddle to create a fun and eclectic evening of music. Relativity encourages the audience to choose what they want to hear.
Swap Meet and Flea Market -- 6 a.m.-6
p.m. April 22, Le Sueur County Fairgrounds, 320 S. Plut Ave., Le Center. Last year, there were almost 900 vendors, the biggest swap meet & flea market in Pioneer Power's four-decade history. Something for everyone on hand. Food from Threshers Kitchen, plus other vendors.
VISIT US FOR LIVE MUSIC & FOOD TRUCKS! 2 PATIOS • FIRE PITS
LIVE MUSIC IN APRIL 7pm - 10pm 4/2 • Bruce Burniece 4/9 • Chris Bertrand 4/15 • Relativity 4/23 • Chris Holm 4/30 • Drive South
FOOD TRUCKS
Allen Askens Author Talk -- 6-8 p.m. April
21, St. Peter Community center, 557-599 W. Walnut St., Saint Peter. Author Allen Eskens discusses his path in becoming a bestselling author, as well as his approach to writing novels that are Martina McBride -- 7:30 p.m. April 22, Mayo Civic compelling and thought-provoking with a strong emotional core. Center Auditorium, 30 Civic Center Drive SE., Rochester. Tickets $36.50-$142.50. The famous country singer stops in Southern Minnesota.
Poetry Night -- 7-8:30 p.m. April 21, Content Bookstore, 314 Division St. S., Northfield. Content is pleased to celebrate National Poetry Month with Northfield Poet Laureate Rob Hardy and poet Greta Hardy-Mittell as they read from their latest works. Something Rotten! --
7:30-9 p.m. April 21, Little Theatre of Owatonna, 560 Dunnell Drive, Owatonna. Something Rotten was lauded by audience members and critics, receiving several Best Musical nominations and hailed as "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years." Tickets available online.
4/2 • Uncle B’s BBQ 4/9 • El Rey Del Taco 4/15 • Twisted Chicken 4/16 • Brat Dogs 4/22 • El Rey Del Taco 4/23 • Uncle B’s BBQ 4/29 • Brick Oven Bus 4/30 • El Rey Del Taco
Mick Sterling Presents A Billy Joel State of Mind -- 7:30-10:30 p.m. April 22, Paradise
Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave. N., Faribault. A Billy Joel State of Mind features hits such as Piano Man, Uptown Girl, New York State of Mind, Big Shot, and many more. It also features deeper tracks like Zanzibar and Easy Money. Tickets online.
507.330.6718 corksandpints@gmail.com Earth Day Gravel Grinder -- 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
April 23, Northfield. Riding some of Northfield’s best gravel with 12, 25, 50 and 75-mile routes. Look for more info, including registration and a plan to keep the ride fun and safe in the coming weeks at Bike MN website.
CONTINUED page 20 ADD YOUR EVENT FOR FREE TO THE SOMINN SCENE CALENDAR. GO TO W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N . C O M / S O U T H E R N _ M I N N _ S C E N E / & C L I C K + P R O M O T E Y O U R E V E N T
Located in Historic Downtown Faribault
22 4th st. NE, Faribault, MN
Corksandpintsfaribault.com 10000drops.com
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Northfield Area Home & Garden Show -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April
bringing its high-energy bluegrass to Westwood Marina for the first time. Music 6:30-9:30 p.m. Pretend Friend is tight, right, genre-defying progressive bluegrass out of Wichita, Kansas and has released new music and toured since 2017. Pretend Friend sounds like the quick-pickin' offspring of Robert Plant and the Stanley Brothers, and their performances are loaded with improv jams and harmonies. "Pretend Friend respects tradition and its musical heritage while consistently breaking new ground. The combination of expert writing and outstanding musicianship places the band in rarified company—one of those bands that wows fellow musicians with its acumen and leaves everyone tapping their toes and singing along to songs that seem to have always been."
and arranged by Steve Hackman. Kick back and hear Dylan’s music like it’s the first time all over again. Each concert will open with a performance by a local choir.
Do you want to submit an event to this calendar? Send details to editor@ southernminnscene.com.
Did we miss something? Let us know! We may still be able to get an important event on one of our weekly pages that run in the newspapers.
23, Dundas Soccer Dome, 2033-2198 Cannon Road, Northfield. Browse dozens of vendor from landscaping to remodeling, from sustainability to catering services, from insurance to real estate. There is much to look forward to. Help keep the community in business.
Mark Joseph "Vegas Motel" Album Release @ The Armory
Nathan Griner Show -- 1-4 p.m.
April 30, Foremost Brewing Cooperative, 131 W. Broadway St., Owatonna. Nathan Griner's One Man Show will be performing. Nathan plays acoustic guitar, Blues Harmonica, sings, and has a suitcase stomper under one foot, and a cymbal stomper under the other.
Adam Moe -- 5:30-8:30 p.m. April
23, Mineral Springs Brewery, 111 N. Walnut Ave., Owatonna. Adam Moe is a fiddler and singer/songwriter based in Duluth, MN. In 2012, he started the folky-tonk duo Pushing Chain with then partner Boyd Blomberg. Started a solo career at onset of pandemic.
Event Center -- 6:30-10:30 p.m. April 30, Armory Square Event Center, 519 Division St. S., Northfield. Mark Joseph’s 2021 third full-length album, Vegas Motel, is a highly personal record rooted in the emotion of the year it was written (2020), yet reaching far beyond the confines of the times. Vegas Motel delicately emotes Joseph’s real-life experiences and relationships dating back to when he was a young man. Co-producer and drummer, JT Bates (Big Red Machine, Hiss Golden Messenger), and Engineer Alex Proctor (Grace Potter, Dead Man Winter), perfectly compliment the records musical tapestry further solidifying Joseph’s talent as a singer/songwriter and collaborator. Vegas Motel features 8 original tracks including the standout instrumental, Early Riser, featuring Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles.
VocalEssence -- 7:30-11:30 p.m.
Pretend Friend -- 6:30-10:30 p.m. April 28, Westwood Marina, 1400 Lake Washington Access Road, Kasota. Pretend Friend is
April 30, Sheldon Theatre, 443 W. Third St., Red Wing. Bob Dylan’s timeless music has been covered by everyone from Jimi Hendrix to the Kronos Quartet. Now it’s time to add a choir to the list. Join VocalEssence as they reimagine Dylan in The Times They Are A-Changin’: The Words and Music of Bob Dylan, commissioned in honor of his 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature
COINS & STAMP COLLECTORS SHOW ALONG WITH OTHER VENDORS
SATURDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2022 10 AM - 4 PM FARIBO WEST MALL
200 WESTERN AVENUE FARIBAULT, MN 55021
Vendors interested in participating can pick up a registration form at Faribo West Mall or request a form at faribaultbridalfair@gmail.com. Other events happening that day will be posted on the Faribo West Mall Facebook page as time gets closer.
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Mizuki Fusion
Order Online! japanese & thai Restaurant
OPEN FOR CARRY OUT ONLY bento box • sashimi • teriyaki • hibachi • tempura soup and salad • sushi • maki • desserts
www.mizukifusion.com
119119 WW Bridge BridgeSt,St,Owatonna Owatonna| |507-214-3131 507-214-3131 || www.mizukifusion.com
YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
s d n e i r f r u o y g n i r b , e ! m e l o a c l s e e w g a r a g r All are o o d n i r u o o t y and famil
E TO N I L D A E D OUR Y E V R E RES S BOOTH I H APRIL 8T
Saturday April 23 7:30AM-1PM
Owatonna Four Seasons Center
ONE MAN’S JUNK IS ANOTHERS MAN’S TREASURE.
COME ON OUT AND FIND YOURS! SPONSORED
BY
Eight-foot tables available for $45 includes a 25-word listing in the Owatonna People’s Press, Owatonna People’s Press Sampler, Faribault Daily News, Faribault Daily News Sampler, Waseca County News and Waseca County News Sampler. Listing will be published the week of April 20th. $5 extra for a booth with electricity.
I WANT A BOOTH IN THE Booth Reservation YES! CITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE
First & Last Name _______________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________ City ___________________________ Phone Number _______________________ Email address _____________________________________ 25 WORD LISTING
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
# _____ of booths requested ($45 ea.) Electricity ($5) Cash
Check
Total amount due: $____________
____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ___________. Mail reservation form and payment to: Owatonna People’s Press, 135 W Pearl Street, Owatonna, MN 55060 Or drop off form and payment at the Owatonna People’s Press office or Faribault Daily News office located at 514 Central Avenue, Faribault. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. For any questions, please call 507-333-3146.
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W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N SCENE. C O M
SPONSORED
BY
| APRIL 2022
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Purse BingoStarfire Event Center Saturday, May 14th 2022
Doors open at 4pm, Bingo starts at Spm
$40 Pre sale Tickets available at Starfire Event Center $50 at the Door Follow us on FFacebook for more Details!
VESELI, MN
GREAT BURGERS GREATER PIZZA
Stop by in a car, truck, RZR, side-by-side, bicycle, motorcycle or snowmobile
WE’D LOVE TO SEE YOU! Mondays 5 pm - 1 am Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 am - 1:00 am HAPPY HOUR M-F // 3 pm - 6 pm
Summer Fun: Volleyball Court • Bean Bags • Horseshoes Cozy Deck with a Fenced in Yard Winter Fun: Meat Raffle Second Friday of the Month • Bingo Thursdays
On/Off Sale Available
507-744-2370 | 9856 50th St. W, Veseli 22
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Keep KEEP Calm
THe CALM
WeeKend THE Is ComIng WEEKEND
IS COMING
Get Southern Minnesota’s “best bets” for the upcoming weekend delivered to your email inbox every Thursday. Visit Southernminnscene.com and click on the email newsletter link.
Get Southern Minnesota’s “best bets” every week on the SCENE Calendar in your newspaper. Do you want to submit an event to this calendar? Send details to editor@ southernminnscene.com.
Did we miss something? Let us know! We may still be able to get an important event on one of our weekly pages that run in the newspapers.
YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
SoMinn
SCENE GOLF 2
1
1
Let’s Play Golf
2
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FUN “FORE” THE WHOLE FAMILY Now through May 31, 2022 | All Day Everyday 18 Holes: $27 Green Fees, $11 Cart + $2.61 Tax= $40.61 9 Holes: $16 Green Fees, $11 Cart + $1.86 Tax= $28.86 *Some restrictions may apply.
Open To The Public! Full SeRviCe ReStauRant OFFeRinG Fine DininG aS well aS Pub FavORiteS
Call For Your Tee Time Today!
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2456 104th Street, Fairmont | www.roselakegolfclub.com ADD YOUR EVENT FOR FREE TO THE SOMINN SCENE CALENDAR. GO TO W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N . C O M / S O U T H E R N _ M I N N _ S C E N E / & C L I C K + P R O M O T E Y O U R E V E N T
RemaRkable viewS PatiO SeatinG available Daily SPeCialS!
43781 Golf Course Road, St. Peter 507-931-4400 www.shorelandcc.com W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N SCENE. C O M
| APRIL 2022
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From the MUSIC SIDE
MEGAN ROLLOFF Megan Rolloff is an interior designer in Mankato, who lives in New Ulm with her doting husband Tom. She loves music, especially of the Minnesota variety, and now she writes about it. Reach her at megankrolloff@gmail.com.
Liz Draper
Photo by Emmet Kowler for MPR
rocks from Southern Minn and beyond
S
he plays bass. More specifically, she plays both upright bass and electric bass, and is obviously excellent at both. If you live in Minnesota, and have not been living under a rock for the past couple decades or so, I guarantee you’ve heard her work, whether you know it or not. She has played with Soul Asylum, The Okee Dokee Brothers, The Cactus Blossoms, Davina and the Vagabonds, Orkestar Bez Ime, Joyann Parker and Low. Not to mention performing as a solo artist and in a number of jazz groups and as a classical session player. You don’t get that much musical action unless you are an exceptional artist and know how to work your butt off. One more thing about Liz Draper: she is from Southern Minnesota! She spent much of her formative years in Mankato, and once again calls that her home base. But, oh, the things she has done and seen in between, not to mention the amazing things yet to come. I sat down with the artist, who is currently part of an international tour with one of Minnesota’s most popular active bands, Low. Your dad is a jazz drummer. Is that how you originally got interested in music? I was definitely always surrounded by music and encouraged to play from as long as I have memories. I took violin lessons when I was 4 and piano lessons at the age of 5. Hard to say if
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I would have been interested in music without my dad’s influence, but probably. How old were you when you started playing bass? And why bass? I believe it was technically ninth grade. I really don’t remember exactly, but I took my brother’s electric bass and started playing that in conjunction with guitar which I had already been playing. I wanted to quit the school orchestra, which I had been playing violin in, but my folks encouraged the idea to switch instruments instead, which was a great idea. Bass was in all the genres of music I listened to: punk rock, hip-hop, jazz; it was a natural fit. Now I know that any instrument can pave a path in any genre, but bass was where it was at for me! I loved the rhythmic and foundational role of the instrument. I fell in love with the timbre and pretty much everything about it. You attended three different high schools: Mankato West, Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and Perpich Arts High in Golden Valley. When/how did you know you wanted to go to an arts high school to pursue music? I was very restless. I saw two viable options for myself-dropping out and hopping trains, or auditioning for arts high schools to study music and put my energy into something positive. I was in an art club when I was maybe 13 or so, and we took
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a trip to visit PCAE (Perpich Center for Arts Education). I knew immediately that art school was where I belonged. At the time, I was into visual art, not music, but always had it stuck in the back of my head that I would try to get into an arts high school if I was accepted. I was never much of a fan of classrooms (which is funny because I do a lot of coaching and teaching these days in public schools), and when I became a teenager, even less so. I had an insatiable need to see the world and not let school get in the way of my education. I was playing in the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, doing jazz gigs with my dad, playing in various punk bands, commuting to Minneapolis for private lessons (I wonder what my life would have been like if Zoom was a thing...?) I craved more. You went on to major in double bass performance at the University of Minnesota. Yes, when I was at Perpich, through the PSEO option, I was able to take free classes at the University of Minnesota with Chris Brown, who was the principal of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra at the time. I performed in the U’s orchestra so was already working toward my undergrad degree in high school. I was able to get a bit of a scholarship to continue studying with him and complete my degree there. And a full-time professional career begins, whatever that may entail.
YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.
Making a living in a creative field is tough. Anyone that can pay bills making art has my utmost respect. Is it now, or was it ever, difficult to make a living as a musician in Minnesota? Do you think it would be easier in other parts of the country? Do you have any advice or wisdom to offer anyone starting out on this path now? I don’t think it’s “easy” to make a living with music anywhere. It all depends on what you want to do. The Twin Cities is full of talent and amazing music. It was also a great home base. I’ve spent a lot of time touring, traveling, and doing stints in other places, like New Orleans. Maybe if I was trying to be a pop star or something, it’d be better to be in LA or something, I dunno. Not really interested in that. As for advice, I would say, know your worth and follow your heart. And strive for excellence. Work your a-- off. And then work a little more. You were living in/working from Minneapolis when the pandemic hit and you moved back to Mankato to get away from the inevitable crowds and to spend more time with family.
Are you looking forward to going out on tour, or is it a grind? I am chomping at the bit to get back on the road again. It’s weird, for someone who gets restless easily, I also love the routine and discipline within the chaos of being on the road. My brain can shut off and just focus on the daily tasks at hand — loading in, sound checking, playing a set, possibly some media and radio responsibilities thrown in here and there — and then waking up and doing it all over again. I love exploring new places, eating new meals, making new friends, or seeing old friends in faraway places. A few years ago, I had a few pals plan a whole trip to Alaska based around the towns I was performing in. That was super special. What’s challenging about being gone on tour? I’m a fairly active person, and sometimes it can be a real challenge figuring out ways to stay healthy while touring. I try to wake up early and
Yes. I was living in a little studio in a high-rise apartment building right in downtown Minneapolis. I had to take an elevator every day, which in the beginning days of the pandemic seemed questionable. All of the common community areas of my building had been closed. I heard you recently “auditioned” for the band Low. How did that all come about? It wasn’t so much an “audition.” It was more of an invite to go to their place and make some music. They gave me their new album before it was released and asked me to learn the material. I did. We got together and played it. They gave me a whole list of material to learn. I did. We gelled, and now I’m playing shows with them.
Photo by Paul Lundgren I heard you are also playing Rock the Garden with Low this June. Have you ever played this event before? Are you nervous? Excited? This will be my first time playing Rock the Garden. I hope to meet Sleater Kinney!! Maybe I’ll wear my “show me your riffs” shirt of theirs I got in the ‘90s out in Olympia. I’m extremely excited for this whole year. Next week, I get to play the Big Ears Fest — this is something I’ve always wanted to attend let alone perform at. What an honor it would be to shake Patti Smith’s hand! We get to play right after her on the same stage, so maybe even our green rooms will be mixed. Sometimes I still get nervous about performing. but once I step on the stage, that usually disappears. I know I’ve put in the work and it’s time to just let it flow.
You mentioned you are going on tour. Where are you going and who are you touring with? First, I’m doing a fly-out weekend with The Okee Dokee Brothers in the D.C. area, then they are flying me to meet up with the Low crew in Chicago for a three-week U.S. and Canada tour, covering the East and South. Then home for two weeks and back out for three weeks in Europe. Then home again for a couple weeks and then back over to Spain. Low has a big following overseas, so I’ll be heading over there regularly with them. Is this your first European tour? No, this is not my first European tour. I’ve done a couple of tours there with The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers and shows in Norway with Davina and the Vagabonds. I also did some jazz and new music performances in the early 2000s in France, Ireland and Hungary.
And now just a few James-Lipton-style personal questions to finish it up. How many different genres of music would you say you play and do you have a favorite?
go on jogs, seek out healthier food options. It makes a huge difference when people in your crew are also interested in trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle while touring. I’ve turned down tour offers after figuring out that it would be mean people smoking on the bus and only stopping at fast food restaurants and food every night. Not my scene. Thankfully, it seems this crew and I are on the same page. I mean, they already had kombucha on their rider...
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I have a really hard time with the concept of “genres”, especially in this day-and-age where you can literally hear any sort of music with the swipe of a thumb from the comfort of your own living room. We don’t live in bubbles and everything is cross-pollinating. I think it’s important to dive into source materials and know your musical history. I play in a Balkan band, a slow core indie band, an “alternative R&B band, and do “jazz” (what is jazz now since it was just once pop music...?), doom metal, “contemporary classical”, etc. I absolutely love ethnomusicology and diving in, so I guess the music I play just reflects that.
Who do you listen to when it’s just you? This is a hard one to answer. There’s too many. I don’t use a streaming service or app, but I often find myself going to KFAI’s website and streaming Dan Rien’s “Century Song” or Jon Jon’s “Sound Verite” program. Can you name a couple of your favorite places to play? Nope. Anywhere that has good acoustics, treats you fairly, and doesn’t have an ignoramus sound person is good with me! I especially like playing outdoor guerilla-style shows. My old acoustic doom metal band, “Up the Mountain, Down the Mountain,” used to play everything from tunnels to abandoned slabs of cement structures. In summer 2020, during the middle of the pandemic, I built a pontoon to be a floating stage and traveled down the Mississippi with a couple of friends from Duluth (Kyla Orla/Ollah and Clancey Ward). We played traditional Americana music doing pop-up shows along the way. We called it the “Mississippi PonTour.” These types of shows are just as awesome as to me as playing Orchestra Hall, Lincoln Center or First Avenue. How would you describe your relationship with music? Music is a way of life. I feel so fortunate to be able to make a living performing music I genuinely love — with and for people that I care about. If/when there comes a point that I can no longer make a living playing music that I believe in, that’s fine. I’ll always compose and make music. I will just have to find a different job.
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Through a SOMINN LENS
AUDREY KLETSCHER HELBLING A native of the southwestern Minnesota prairie, Audrey Kletscher Helbling creates from Faribault, her home of 39 years. She’s grown to love this region and encourages locals to explore what’s right here in their backyard. You can find more of her writing and photography on her blog at mnprairieroots.com.
While concert-goers listen to music at Faribault’s Central Park in 2020, Kate Langlais paints. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Faribault portrait, landscape & teaching artist
Kate Langlais 26
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nly 3½ years after moving to Faribault, Kate Langlais, 32, is already making a mark on the Southern Minnesota arts scene. A talented portrait and landscape artist, Langlais also teaches. Her passion for art is lifelong. She remembers trying to paint with watercolors at age two, one of her earliest memories. Now she’s the mother of two-year-old Frida, who also loves art. Langlais and her husband, Frank McGrogan, will welcome a second child in June. Langlais is happy to be back in her native Minnesota—she grew up in the St. Cloud area— returning here from urban Massachusetts. McGrogan’s job landed them in Faribault. They’ve embraced their new community and all it offers, including the Paradise Center for the Arts. “We were so pleased that such a great gem would be found in a small town,” Langlais says. She teaches through the PCA (and elsewhere) and has also had her art exhibited there. Dual roles of creating and teaching are something Langlais has pursued since the first community ed class she taught the summer after graduating high school. She went on to earn
an associate of arts degree from Anoka Ramsey Community College and then her bachelor’s from Peru State, a small Nebraska college with a strong 1:1 mentorship program. Today she remains passionate, committed and focused on creating art and sharing her knowledge with others. She stresses the importance of observation in the creative process. That’s easy to see in her work. Not long after moving to Faribault, Langlais applied for and received grant funding for “I Am Minnesota.” Via that project, she met with local immigrants to record their stories and create their portraits. She’s just been awarded a second grant to continue that effort. Her backstory led her to this place in her creative journey, now based in southern Minnesota, but rooted in a life-long love of creating art. Creatives often trace their artistic interests back to their youth, to some influence of person or place. What’s your artistic backstory? I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is trying to paint with watercolors using an easel and being upset when the paint dripped down the paper. Even at two years old I was attempting to create something realistic in my painting rather than abstract. I was always observant of my surroundings and this followed me into my young adult years of traveling—meeting new people and going to
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Kids create under the guidance of Kate Langlais during “Art in the Park” at Faribault’s Central Park in 2020. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling new places made me even more interested in creating landscape and portrait art. We’re all familiar with the term “starving artist.” Did you consider other career choices or was art something you always knew would be your life’s professional work? I’d like to hear about that decision, whether you faced obstacles or whether it was simply a matter of pursuing your passions. Ah, yes. I did think about other art-related jobs like graphic design or getting my teaching license, but I really felt like I was in a position to pursue my real passion for art. I saved up my babysitting money all through my teenage years, chose the cheapest possible colleges and worked many different types of jobs to make ends meet. I lived in a van for a while to travel and avoid the usual expenses of rent/utilities. This definitely made for some great artistic inspiration. You work primarily in oil paint and charcoal, but also use graphite and chalk pastels. Why those particular art mediums? Throughout college I worked with so many different media in all my classes. I guess those are the ones that really stuck for me, especially the oil paint and the charcoal. They just work really great for creating portraits and my clients love the results of those especially when it comes to larger commissions. Your specialties are portraits and landscapes. What prompted you to choose those artistic focuses? I’ve always been pretty drawn to landscape and portrait art. I’ve definitely dabbled in other subjects but those are just what really stuck for me. A good chunk of creating art is observing and those subjects really tend to jump out at me as I experience the world. Let’s talk about portraits first. Your subjects range from commissioned work to family to faith subjects and more. What’s the process of creating a portrait? What challenges you in the process? And how do you know when you’ve succeeded in creating that “just right”
A young artist brushes paint into a scene during “Art in the Park,” led by Kate Langlais. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling portrait? The process for each portrait looks a bit different depending on the situation. Sometimes it starts with a photo from the internet or from the client. Other times (and these are my favorite) I
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get to sit with clients for sketches and I take my own photos of them to work from later. Drawing a portrait can take up to a few
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TOP: “Faysel” portrait, “I Am Minnesota” project. Black & white charcoal on gray paper. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling ABOVE: Part of Faysel’s story from Kate Langlais’ “I Am Minnesota” project.
I’m so glad you feel that connection to those paintings—I do get that reaction quite a bit probably because prairie landscapes really are beautiful and sometimes it takes a painting for some folks to realize it. One amazing thing about living in the Midwest is the view we get of the sky and I definitely have taken that for granted in the past. There’s this idea that many people have that in order for a place to be “scenic” it has to have certain features like mountains. I didn’t fully appreciate what we have here until I moved away and came back. Another important part of your art is teaching, whether in private lessons, through an art center, via community ed, “Art in the Park”, virtually and more. Why teach? Not every artist wants to or can successfully teach. I started teaching because it’s so rewarding giving students a fun and supportive art learning experience. During the pandemic I’ve really appreciated the opportunities I’ve gotten to teach both online and outdoors. As a new mom too it’s one thing that really makes me feel like my normal self again. You’ve offered your “Painting with Kate” classes since 2008. Tell me more about that—where you’ve taught and to whom. “Painting with Kate” started when I was a college freshman at Anoka Ramsey up in Cambridge, Minnesota. I taught it (and variations of it) at school districts all over the area, spending summers teaching at two different districts per week. I would sometimes use the class as a mini vacation too—like traveling up to Duluth to teach there for a week or visiting relatives in Moorhead or Sauk Centre. Now that I’m in Faribault, I teach through the Paradise Center for the Arts, Northfield Community Ed and Burnsville Community Ed.
Kate Langlais Photo courtesy of Kate Langlais
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I grew up with a lot of religious imagery especially when visiting my grandparents. Mother Teresa was probably the first subject for my religious art and I picked her because I absolutely love her wrinkles.
Thank you for asking about that. It was such a great experience for me to meet such interesting people in my new community. I actually get to continue the project because I just received more grant money from the Southeastern Mnnesota Arts Council to create more portraits. The next show will be in the exhibition space between Buckham Memorial Library and the community center in Faribault during the summer of 2023. It’s so important for people to be able to share their stories and equally important for their neighbors to read them and really see their humanity. I grew up around a lot of pretty bad attitudes surrounding immigrants and noticed that the worst attitudes were held by people who just didn’t know the immigrants they were hating on. I hope to reach some of those people and change some hearts while at the same time including and giving the mic to my neighbors who have been through so much to become such an important part of my community.
In 2020 you received a $2,500 Minnesota State Arts Board grant to fund a project, “I Am Minnesota.” You used those monies to create portraits of and craft short stories about local immigrants. I saw your show at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault and was particularly moved. What prompted you to initiate this project? How did you find your subjects? What did you hope to accomplish via “I Am Minnesota”?
Now let’s turn to landscapes. I saw your landscape “Nebraska Sky” in an exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Clouds in a spacious blue sky fill nearly the entire canvas with only a sliver of greenery at the bottom. The scene reminds me of my prairie roots. I feel such a connection to that painting. I’d like to hear how place emerges in your art. What landscapes are you drawn to paint and why?
weeks while paintings can take months to finish. I know when it’s done when both myself and the client think it looks like the subject. The challenge, I suppose, is successfully getting the portrait to look just right. I want to expand on your faith portraits of Pope John
Paul II, Pope Francis and Mother Teresa, for example. Tell me about the influence of faith in your art.
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In addition to teaching students to paint portraits and landscapes and from life, you also teach “Painting Science.” What exactly is that? “Painting Science” is one of my newest creations. It involves painting and learning about various science topics like cells, the water cycle and planets. It’s a great way to get artsy kids interested in science and “sciencey” kids interested in painting. The pandemic presented financial and other challenges within the artistic community. How did you pivot during the pandemic so you could continue as a working artist? Did you experience any changes in what, and how, you are creating as a result of the pandemic? The immediate pivot to teaching in an online format came surprisingly easy for me. Offering the classes virtually did have its downsides, though, as many students became tired of doing all their schooling virtually and many people value online classes less than in-person ones. Because of this I was able to secure funding through a Minnesota State Arts Board grant and offered completely free virtual classes through a year. I saw
many new students become interested in art this way and am really proud of the progress they made during the online classes they took with me. I’ve continued and will continue offering virtual classes and
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“Pope Francis” portrait exhibited at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
“Mother Teresa,” one of Kate Langlais’ favorite subjects in an exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
now, with summer coming, some outdoor classes. What do you have on your teaching schedule from April into spring/summer, whether virtually or in-person? I’m teaching virtually through the Paradise Center for the Arts in both April and June, through Northfield in April and then through Burnsville Community Ed in July. For in-person classes I’ll be offering a drawing class for 6-11-year-olds on Mondays and a parent/child painting class for 0-5-year-olds on Tuesdays. Both of these will be in my backyard “studio” outdoors. I still have time to add more classes to my schedule if I have a few students interested in any particular topic. My classes can all be found on my website, katelanglais.com One final question. You’re a busy mom of a nearly two-year-old daughter with your second child due in June. How do you balance everything? And is your preschooler into art? Yes, great question. The baby being due at the beginning of June is a major reason for me keeping things virtual and outdoors this summer so our family can continue taking health precautions. Our daughter loves art and that’s why I decided to offer an outdoor class for her age group. It can be really tricky to balance everything, but with my husband’s long paternity leave it’ll be much easier to offer classes this summer and continue working on portrait commissions. “Blurry view from the Beach,” an oil painting shown during a recent exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
DID YOU KNOW? The art of Kate Langlais is showcased in the following locations or may be purchased/ commissioned directly from her: Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault St. Cloud Book Shop, St. Cloud The Arcade (two galleries), Nashville, Tennessee “Parker,” portrait, “I Am Minnesota.” Chalk pastels on white paper. Photo by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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SoMinn THE BOOKWORM SEZ
TERRI SCHILCHENMEYER Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com
Welcome to the Grief Club, The Dark Queens and more
Welcome to the Grief Club
by Janine Kwoh c.2021, Workman $15.95 112 pages There is no secret handshake. You'll never have to put meetings on your calendar, either. No one will ever bother you to pay dues or elect officers, and there is no clubhouse. And yet, you've suddenly found yourself a member of a worldwide club that you never asked to join. How did this happen? And, as in "Welcome to the Grief Club" by Janine Kwoh, how do you escape? When someone you love has died, you don't have to go far to find somebody who's experienced grief, too. Reach out, and they'll tell you that "there are no magic fixes" for what you're feeling. You just have to work through it on your own time, although other Grief Club members will "listen without judgement or platitudes." This Club is not for competitors; it's "NOT the Grief Olympics..." You're allowed to cry as much as you want, and swear if it'll help. You're free to feel like you're falling or like you're "riding a roller coaster" or none of the above because here's the thing: you can grieve in any way that seems best for you. Do what comforts you. Talk about it, or don't. Above all, ignore anybody who seems to think it's "time" for you to be healed already because it's not their grief. If a "deathiversary" is coming up, know that "you should feel free to spend the day however you like." Don't feel bad if you get angry at stupid reactions, empty words, or idiotic "things that may fill you with rage." Remember that none of this – not one little scrap of it – is your fault. If you had a rough relationship with someone who died, also remember that you don't have to justify your grief to anyone. And finally, remember that "grief softens over time." You'll learn that it's perfectly okay to be okay eventually. You'll never get over your loss but someday, "it will no longer feel like the only thing that" defines you... If you go in search of "Welcome to the Grief Club," you might first think that it's a cutesy bit of fluff. Glance through it briefly, and you'll see all kinds of cartoony artwork and some colorful graphics. Don't walk away without looking closer. In between those drawings – which are a reassuring part of the theme of this book – you'll find the kind of comfort that a grieving person needs to see. Author Janine Kwoh explains up-front that her words come from experience: she lost someone important in her life, too, which gives her the credibility needed to be blunt with her readers, both in acknowledging the roughest parts of grieving, and in hammering home the fact that grief is individual and survivable. For those who are crushingly overwhelmed or flailing underwater, that can feel like a hug. Get this book for a loved one, or find it for yourself; you'll turn to it often, when you need it most. Especially today, "Welcome to the Grief Club" may be the most helpful book you'll meet.
The Dark Queens:
The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak c.2022, Bloomsbury $30.00 368 pages Everything of the realm is yours. The castle, the armies, the fields, knolls, woods, and waters, let's say they're all yours. You have servants, jewels, gold, and treasure. You literally rule from a throne but good luck keeping it because, as in the new book "The Dark Queens" by Shelley Puhak, someone else wants it, too. In ancient times, the names of rulers were cast in stone: monuments, statues, stone tablets and such proclaimed the names for all to know and remember. If someone was deposed in disgrace or as punishment, their images were literally scratched from history.
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That, says Shelley Puhak, is what likely happened to Queens Fredegund and Brunhild, who ruled over what is now much of Europe, the Netherlands, and parts of Switzerland "some 1,400 years ago." Their near-disappearance from history was not due to ineptness, however. It was because they were successful. It started with a father's folly. King Sigibert had his eye on Princess Brunhild for quite some time. She would have been a "prestigious mate" for him, and the marriage would help seal many alliances. Sigibert was the ruler of the Kingdom of Austrasia, one of four smaller kingdoms that resulted when Sigibert's father, Clothar, divided his kingdom amongst his sons. While that might seem like an equitable thing to do, it caused a wide, bitter rift between the brothers, especially Sigibert and Chilperic of Neustria. Chilperic was determined to gain more of his father's land but he was quite mercurial, and distracted by a former slave girl who, after the mysterious murder of his second wife, became Chilperic's third bride. Fredegund, Puhak indicates, was as lovely as she was cunning. Years of eavesdropping on the household had honed Fredegund's understanding of alliances and using connections. Likewise, Brunhild had watched her mother do the same thing in her father's kingdom. Both Queens knew what it would take to remain in power, with or without Kings by their sides. Both would do whatever it took... When there are several maps and a lengthy list of who's who at the beginning of a book, please pay heed. In this case, it signals that "The Dark Queens" may be a handful. Going back to the fall of Rome, author Shelley Puhak moves forward quickly, giving readers the lay of the land and its many rulers, before getting to the meat of her tale. Yes, it's necessary but you may wish it wasn't because it's a lot to absorb. Add in battles, skirmishes, warriors, victorys and defeats in and around Frankish-held areas and you've got your work cut out for you. You won't mind that one bit, though, if you're a fan of Game of Thrones and such. Puhak packs the intrigue and drama of early Medieval Europe in tightly, and there's a gasp-worthy ending that'll leave you breathless. And so, if you're casual about your history, you can leave this on the shelf. If you enjoy 6th-century epics or true-story fairy tales, then loving "The Dark Queens" is within the realm of possibility.
Scarlet in Blue by Jennifer Murphy c.2022, Dutton $27.00 373 pages The portrait is beautiful, but drab. Once vivid and vibrant, the colors have become fugitive pigments – gone, lost, having left the canvas through exposure over decades. Now, you can only imagine the jeweled tones of the subject's gown, the richness of her hair, the glint in her eye, but you can't see them. As in the new novel "Scarlet in Blue" by Jennifer Murphy, it feels as though something important is missing forever. When her mother had said it was time to go, fifteen-year-old Blue didn't bother to argue. This race was the same as the last escape was the same as the run before, but she didn't expect to land in snow country. It was cold in South Haven, Michigan. Every time, every move, she hoped things would be different. Maybe her mother would settle down and let Blue make friends, fall in love, have a dog like a normal teenager. Maybe her mother wouldn't see "HIM," an invisible man who was part of her mother's illness. Maybe they could live in the real world for once. Scarlet never walked, she twirled when she moved, hands above her head. People might have thought she was eccentric – she painted in the dark and destroyed her own canvases, and her palette came from natural sources – but they bought her works anyway, didn't they? After all, she was a worldrenowned painter with a gallery and shows in New York City, and she had famous friends! Moving around wasn't her first choice, either, but she had to protect Blue from HIM. This trip to South Haven, and the revenge she'd
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find... that would fix all the problems. When his wife Lily died, Dr. Henry Williams knew he'd never love anyone the same way again, and so his attraction to his new patient, Scarlet, made no sense. Yes, she was intriguing and mysterious but she was also in need of psychoanalyzation. He was obsessed with her, but he couldn't figure out why. Why did she choose him to be her doctor? Layer by layer: that's how the Masters created their paintings. It's how author Jennifer Murphy presents her "Scarlet in Blue." The first layer will put you on edge: Murphy starts her tale with tension and the admission that there's been a murder, but decades ago and there's no mystery in that. Uniquely, readers aren't particularly urged to solve anything. Instead, we're pulled sideways, tucked into Blue's life and her growing fears and frustrations, while we watch Scarlet dive out-of-control. And here comes another layer: her relationship with Henry has a distinctive feel of an old-time movie with clever distractions to make you sometimes forget that murder. No worries: Murphy blends it in at just the right times, making it bleed into the rest of the story until the picture comes clear. Set in the early 1960s, this is a noir movie lover's book. It's for fans who don't quite want a mystery to read. Just put "Scarlet in Blue" in your lap and color yourself sunny yellow.
Books for Science Minded Readers c.2022, various publishers $24.00 - $28.00 various page counts The world is filled with wonders. There are so many things to learn, so many things to learn about. So why not grab these great books for science-minded readers...? First, for the mathematician in you, there's "Making Numbers Count" by Chip Heath & Karla Starr (Avid Reader Press, $24.00), a book that shows how numbers can change minds and lives. For instance, you probably already know that statistics can be manipulated to a writer's whims, but how do you make statistical information relevant to your audience? How do you properly "recast" a stat for better rememberability? And how can you use numbers to do nifty tricks, help people see your point of view, and make your commute better? The answer's in this book. If you happen to spill something on it, well, you're going to want "Sticky" The Secret Science of Surfaces" by Laurie Winkless (Bloomsbury Sigma,$28.00), then. This very cool book explains that stickiness is everywhere: not only does it exist in nature, but many arms of science rely on properties of stickiness and its accompanying friction. There's not necessarily an "icky" in "Sticky," as you'll see; sticky exists in very surprising places that keep us moving, working, playing, and alive. Speaking of alive, you know you want to read "A Taste for Poison" by Neil Bradbury, PhD (St. Martin's Press, $27.99). Every whodunit fan and armchair detective needs to read this book, in fact; it's full of true mysteries, nefarious behavior, impressive sleuthing, historical plots, and fascinating ways that chemical substances and natural concoctions have be used, misused, and terribly abused throughout time – including some chillingly modern poisonings that may shock you. Though the approach to this subject is serious, Bradbury makes it very fascinating and easy to enjoy. The interesting thing about poison is this: it's not always what it does, but also what it doesn't do. Read this book to find out more... And finally, check out "Owning the Sun" by Alexander Zaitchik (Counterpoint, $26.00), a history of "monopoly medicine," or meds that have been owned by corporations that closely guard their manufacture. Readers, especially news junkies, won't be surprised to know that there's a lot of background to this, going back to at least World War II, and it includes business and government entities. A lot of legalities are involved, too – for instance, do we protect intellectual properties to allow for corporate profits, or do we insist that life-saving medicines and
vaccines be free or extremely low-cost? Why do your taxes pay for medical research, while the companies who benefited from tax-funded grants make big profits? Shouldn't medical substances be cheaper, for the good of humanity? Argument starter, thoughtprovoker, question-asker, "Owning the Sun" is a book you need to read now. And if these great science-minded books don't exactly speak to your burning curiosity, be sure to ask your favorite librarian or bookseller for their ideas or insight. They know books better than almost anybody. They'll help you find these four great books. You'll wonder how you ever missed them.
ShadowMan: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell c.2022, Berkley $27.00 304 pages A quarter of an inch. Roughly, that's the thickness between your scalp and your brain: a tiny fraction of bone between the world and your history, beliefs, your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. It seems insignificant, but that space – about the same as four stacked pennies – is everything. What's beneath it, as in the new book "ShadowMan" by Ron Franscell, well, it's complicated. It was toward the end of June, 1973, and it wasn't quite morning when fourteen-year-old Heidi Jaeger was awakened by a breeze. Had she left the tent-flap open around midnight when she'd come back from an outhouse run? No, she'd been creeped-out by something and had gone straight back to the tent but she was sure she'd zipped it up tight. All was well then – her siblings were asleep like a pile of puppies – but now, at that predawn hour, something was definitely wrong. Susie, Heidi's seven-year-old sister, was gone, and there was a neatly-cut hole in the tent near where her head should've been. Because of federal laws, "with or without an invitation," the FBI would be involved in this case and so Special Agent Byron Dunbar was called. Dunbar was a local guy who'd served under J. Edgar Hoover before returning home to care for his parents; he knew the terrain so he started gathering evidence, but there wasn't much of it. He began interviewing people who might've had information about the abduction, but even in everybody-knew-everybody Manhattan, Montana, nobody seemed to know a thing. Then someone began phoning the Jaeger home, taunting Susie's mother with false clues. And nineteen-year-old Sandy Smallegan disappeared. Crime-solving in the early 1970s was still relatively simple, although the FBI had been working with intriguing new information. It'd already been established that some killers could be pre-identified by their habits and personality peccadilloes. Dunbar knew this, and with the Bureau's help, he'd severely narrowed the list of suspects but he was frustrated – until it was suggested that he use a new method of crime solving. Voiceprinting, they said, was nearly as individual and distinctive as a fingerprint... So, you know that squinchy-eyed face you make when the rest of your body cringes? Yeah, that's what you'll get when you read "ShadowMan." You'll recoil because these crimes were gruesome and author Ron Franscell doesn't candy-coat that; instead, he gives readers an armchair tour of an evil, depraved mind and the things it can do. Squirm and twist awhile, make that face, then let yourself be immersed in Franscell's detailed account of the development of profiling methodology within the FBI. Yes, true crime fanatics, you'll love how murder and history are woven together, especially if you're already familiar with the Bureau's ways. Whodunit fans won't exactly find mystery in this story, but the background will appeal to you. When you've got books about the Body Farm on your shelf, or anything by John Douglas or Robert Ressler, "ShadowMan" deserves to be right next to them. If you love a gruesome tale of crime-solving, wrap your head around this one.
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MANKATO DESIGN CENTER
1711 Premier Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 345-8708 info@thedesignelement.net
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1711 Premier Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 720-6053 info@cabinetlab.net
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SPRING/SUMMER LINE-UP AT THE PARADISE Mick Sterling presents “Billy Joel with Strings”
Super Duos The Music of Simon and Garfunkel
The Silos featuring Walter Salas-Humara, Johnathan Rundman, and Eric Kassel
GALLERY OPENING
JoyAnn Parker as Patsy Cline
Her Crooked Heart (Residency) Featuring Rachel Ries
Mick Sterling presents “Beautiful Visions: The Songs of Van Morrison”
Friday, May 13 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday, May 13 7:30 PM
Friday, May 20 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 11 7:30 PM
Boeing Boeing
April 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 at 7:30 PM April 3 at 2 PM
Friday, April 22 7:30 PM
Friday, May 6 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 7 7:30 PM
For more information & tickets: www.paradisecenterforthearts.org • (507) 332-7372 321 Central Avenue North, Faribault, MN
These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural fund. 32
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