music
mother of jesus
Never one to indulge in nostalgia, the Queen of Pop has made an exception for her Celebration Tour. It celebrates their 40 unprecedented years in the music business, telling their story with video clips, a vintage look, an army of dancers and a string of hits including “Like a Prayer” and “Vogue”. The tour, originally scheduled to land in St. Paul on July 30 last year, was postponed after Madonna was hospitalized with a viral infection in June. To make sure fans were aware of her state of mind, she added Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” to the set list. (Tuesday 8:30 p.m., Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, $110-$1,800, Ticketmaster.com)
john bream
were killed
Whether teaming with Jack White in the Dead Weather or her longtime collaborator Jamie Hince in Kills, Allison Mosshart has led some of the most intense rock performances at First Avenue over the past two decades. She delivers on all fronts as a leading lady, including her smoky voice and fiery personality. There is every reason to believe that his long-awaited return with Hines will be up to standard. Their first album in seven years, “God Games”, is a sonic bonanza, featuring full-steam rockers and more stylish and seductive but still ultra-powerful slow jams. (Monday at 8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., MPL., $43, axs.com)
Chris Riemenschneider
bob marley remembered
Dedicated to Marley’s birthday, not the new Hollywood biopic arriving on Valentine’s Day, “One Love,” this 31st annual Twin Cities tribute to the reggae music icon needs no Hollywood promotion to add meaning or momentum. It’s a blast every year, with Jamaican transplant Linval Jackson, his close-knit band the International Reggae All Stars and his Tanzanian friend Innocent leading winter-bound Minnesotans through Marley’s hot megahits and spirituals and/or topical album cuts . While the film appears to honor the late man, the shows are a celebration of the continued vitality of his songs. (8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Hook & Ladder Theatre, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., MPL., $20-$25, $30 two-day, thehookmpls.com)
Ten million
sweetheart show
How does it feel to perform with your partner? You might not even know that these entertainers were a married couple. Five musical couples from Minnesota who are regulars at Crooners will get romantic for Valentine’s Day with their favorite love songs. These are singer Maude Hixon and pianist Rick Carlson, singer Jennifer Grimm and guitarist Joe Cruz, singer/instrumentalists Laura McKenzie and Gary Rue, singer/actors Dennis Curley and Jim Robinson, and the only duo with the same surname, singer Amy and guitarist/singer Boyd Lee. (Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m., Crooners, 6161 Highway 65, Fridley, $35-$45, eventbrite.com)
JB
Minnesota Orchestra
Saxophone sounds are often heard in jazz and R&B, but rarely in classical concert halls. Steven Banks is ready to change that. He was the first saxophonist to win first place in the prestigious Young Concert Artist auditions, and this led Billy Childs to compose a saxophone concerto for him called “Diaspora”. Banks performed this weekend with German conductor Ruth Reinhard and the Minnesota Orchestra in a program that also features music from Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” (Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, MPLS, $36-$111, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)
Rob Hubbard
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Alina Ibragimova is a daring artist known for leaving her mark on the most familiar pieces. So expect exciting things when the classically-chart-topping, Gramophone Award-winning violinist makes his SPCO debut with an interpretation of Beethoven’s only violin concerto. The program also includes works by Jean Sibelius and Arnold Schoenberg. (Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, Sunday at 2 p.m., Benson Great Hall, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, Arden Hills, $12-$55, students and children free, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)
RH
comedy
Roy Wood Jr.
As Jon Stewart prepares for a part-time return as host of “The Daily Show,” one of the series’ funniest correspondents is on the road. Wood, who left the Comedy Central staple after being passed over as host, brings the same nervous but angry attitude to the stage that he brought to his field reports on his Happy to Be Here tour. I don’t know how he would have performed as an anchor, but I do know that he is a credible stand-up who doesn’t need a TV show to stay relevant. (Friday 6 and 9:30 p.m., Fillmore Minneapolis, 525 N. 5th St., MPLS. $50.75-$90.85. concerts.levation.com)
neil justin
Art
four senses
Is there such a thing as a performing art that appeals not to the eyes, but to the ears, mouth, nose and hands? In “The Other Four,” curated by John Schurman, 16 artworks by 21 contemporary artists offer a non-visual glimpse of the possibility of art without a focus on vision. What if we existed with something more tactile, smelly, tasty or noisy? (Ends May 19. Wed 10am-8pm, Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm, 333 East River Road, Mpls., free, wam.umn.edu or 612-625-9494)
Alicia Eller
surreal sculptures
Zoran Mojsilov, the Yugoslavian-born sculptor whose large-scale public artworks populate the Twin Cities, is having a solo exhibition at the Museum of Russian Art. Mojsilov, who once taught art in a military psychiatric hospital in Yugoslavia as an act of resistance, managed to escape to Paris before moving to the Twin Cities in 1986. His sculptures are often made from raw natural materials that have been discarded or discarded. (Ends May 26. 10am-5pm Monday-Friday, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 1-5pm, 5500 Stevens Ave., Mpl., $5-$15 , free for ages 13 and under, tmora.org or 612-821-9045)
aye
dance
kalina miller
Tap dance artists will perform for five days, the first at the Icehouse and the remaining four at the Southern Theatre. On Wednesdays, she collaborates with a group of local musicians for new and reimagined works, including jazz and avant-garde pieces by JT Bates, Cody McKinney, Brian Nichols, Miller’s husband and composer Patrick Voller, and singer Abby Wolf. The field includes music. On Thursday and Friday, Miller will perform new and classic tap works with her pre-professional dance troupe KMD2. Then on Saturday and Sunday, Miller teams with contemporary dancer Laurie Van Wieren for an evening of sound-centered dance improvisation. (Wednesday at 8 p.m., Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave., Mpl., $15 in advance, $20-$25 at the door; 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Fri., Sat. and 2 p.m. Sun., Southern Theatre, 1420 Washington AV.S., MPL. $25 (Thursday & Friday) $20 (Saturday & Sunday) kaleenamiller.com)
Sheila Regan
Family
‘Peppa’s Cinema Party’
The popular cartoon pig will be on the big screen for a limited time from Friday. A perfect cinematic experience for agile kids, this show encourages everyone to sing and dance. Celebrating the 20th anniversary, the screening featured 10 never-before-seen episodes of Season 10 of the television program. (Various days and times are shown at AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18, AMC Rosedale 14, AMC Southdale Center 16, Imagine White Bear Township 17, Lakeville with Monster Screens 21, Marcus Oakdale, Marcus Parkwood, Marcus Rosemount and Marcus Southbridge.) Check out the website for details. PeppaPigCinemaParty.com)
melissa walker
film
‘Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory’
Inside the “secret room full of nipples” in Eau Claire, Brian Johnson created an inspirational product that changed the lives of his wife, Randi, and other women around the world. It was here that he planned to create an artificial nipple that could be used by women who have had breast cancer and reconstructive surgery. The documentary from Minneapolis filmmaker Justin Johnson, also known as JustinSuperstar, is a love story that’s a sweet, funny tribute to his humblebrag parents. It also begs an important question: Why did it take Johnson’s ingenuity to dream up something that millions of women needed? (Monday at 7:15 p.m., Main Cinema, 115 SE Main Street, MPLS, $10, mspfilm.org.)
chris hewitt
