Thursday news and reviews

Books

Bereaved dad returns to where it all began

Three years after his wife died and he was left to care for a day-old preemie baby alone, Matt Logelin is running a nonprofit to help other bereaved parents, raising his feisty toddler and promoting his new book.

- LAURIE HERTZEL , Star Tribune

Create a More Connected Minnesota

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The world of retail, from the trenches

- KATY READ , Star Tribune

BOOK REVIEW: Freelance journalist Caitlin Kelly makes a persuasive case for better treatment of retail's massive undervalued workforce.

Minnesotans love our libraries

A new book from the Minnesota Historical Society Press explores Minnesotans' love of libraries, and how both readers and card catalogs keep evolving.

- KIM ODE , Star Tribune

'In the Mood for Munsingwear' explores Minnesota's connection to intimate apparel

In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota's Claim to Underwear Fame details the history of the Munsingwear company, from its humble beginnings primarily manufacturing itchless long underwear which were popular during Minnesota winters, to the company's rise to the top of the underwear industry as a result of its continued innovations in the world of intimate apparel.

- Coco Mault, City Pages

General

mnartists.org and RAIN TAXI present: "Appetite for Art"

In this essay, jointly published by mnartists.org and RAIN TAXI, you'll find Betsy Altheimer's (Springboard for the Arts) manifesto for a new paradigm for arts support that emphasizes grassroots patronage and a direct link between artists and consumers.

- mnartists.org

Free associations: Goshka Macuga at the Walker; David Carr at MSPIFF

- Max Sparber, MinnPost

Rock 'n' roll spectacle: Shows at Stevens Square Center for the Arts and Urbans Arts

- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com

Movies

No Replacements

The director of 'Color Me Obsessed,' a new movie about the Replacements, talks about making the movie without the band -- or its music.

- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press

A Machine to See With, or be the star of your own movie

A kind of choose-your-own-adventure, the experience leads you though a game of intrigue and suspense as you follow instructions dictated via cell phone.

- Sheila Regan, City Pages

Music

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy at the State Theatre, 4/12/11

When Robert Plant opened with a funky, schmaltzy version of the Zeppelin classic "Black Dog," I was worried that the show would be a series of classic rock songs made palatable for the adult-contemporary crowd. Luckily, it only took about one more song for Plant to ease into his bluegrass-inspired, countrified folk sound, and as soon as he clicked with his band and warmed up his voice the show turned into something quite extraordinary.

- Andrea Swensson,

The Current launches 24-hour local music stream

The stream offers a nice mix of the more radio-friendly artists that get a lot of airplay on the radio station and more obscure local acts; an hour of listening can guide you through everything from Dessa to Food Pyramid to Spider John Koerner to the Monks.

- Andrea Swensson, City Pages

Diddy Dirty Money with Lloyd and Tyga at Epic, 4/13/11

The concert is an over-the-top performance worth seeing for the spectacle alone.

- Jack Spencer, City Pages

We Became Actors unleash 'Something Major'

"Reaching" is a good word to describe the new record.

- Natalie Gallagher, City Pages

Stage

Red Eye Theater looks at 'The Small' things

Red Eye's Artistic Director Steve Busa, who directed The Internationalist and now is taking on The Small, says the piece is about how small things can trigger and catalyze huge things. "It's not apoplectic," he says. "It's the small things that become big deals."

- Sheila Regan, City Pages

Blast Theory's "A Machine to See With": Monkey see, monkey do

Unless you're so inexperienced with off-the-beaten-path theater that you're completely fascinated by the mere premise of A Machine to See With, I'd advise you to save your ten bucks.