Coffee with the rock stars! Or six degrees of seperation.

I got to have coffee recently with Jian Ghomeshi, the super talented host of the CBC's cultural affairs radio program "Q". He had just come from interviewing Neil Young and Daniel Lanois. No small feat. Young's new CD is called Le Noise.



Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer, based in Toronto. He is currently the host and co-creator of the national daily talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV. Since its inception in 2007, Q has garnered the largest audience of any cultural affairs program in Canada and has become the highest-rated show in its morning timeslot in CBC history.

Ghomeshi was a member of the multi-platinum selling Canadian folk-rock group, Moxy Früvous.

Click here to check out video from the Jian's interview with Neil Young and Daniel Lanois.

Twins Clinch!

Hey! We're in the front row!

Caught the Twins the day after they clinched the division. Not a bad seat in the house.

The Master Butchers Singing Club - just opened Sunday with it's world premiere at the The Guthrie Theater.
(photo by Michael Daniel).
Adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Marsha Norman from the best-selling novel by Louise Erdrich, The Master Butchers Singing Club chronicles the intersecting lives of German immigrant and butcher Fidelis and sideshow performer Delphine as they settle into the small town of Argus, North Dakota. Bookended by the two World Wars and set against a tapestry of song, this moving story traces the bond between a mother and her child, the boundless friendship between two women, and one’s life-changing discovery of true love.



Music Box Theatre - The Music Box Theatre, long the home space for the successfull Triple Expresso, presents The Love Knot, this Friday through Sunday. Presented by The Directors and led by producer/director Steve Barberio, The Love Knot, is Allison Moore's comedy about an older man whose young wife wants children. Hope (played by Mary Fox) is the young wife who wants you husband, Alan (played by Dan Hopman) to reverse his vasectomy and become once again a fountain of fertility. Sounds like fun!





Rock of Ages, the five-time Tony nominated musical starring original Broadway cast member Constantine Maroulis, debuts in Minnesota at Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Orpheum Theatre, Oct. 19-24, 2010. Direct from Broadway, Rock of Ages is a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake and many more. Rock of Ages is presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of its 2010/11 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis season. Tickets for Rock of Ages are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2787

Slash - Comes to town this Thursday at the Medina Entertainment Center, in support of his highly acclaimed, self-titled CD released earlier this year. He's widely considered one of the great rock guitar players of all-time, including his work with Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash's Snakepit, and countless guest guitar solos and collaborations. His new record is getting rave reviews, and features an all-star roster of guest musicians including Ian Astbury of The Cult, Chris Cornell, Rocco DeLuca, Fergie, Dave Grohl, Myles Kennedy of Alterbridge, Kid Rock, Lemmy Kilmeister of Motorhead, Ada m Levine of Maroon 5, Duff McKagan, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother.

I had the chance to meet Slash once. He was quite cool, kinda short, big hair, and definitely hard to miss.



Upcoming:

Teenage Fanclub, Thursday Oct 7th, First Avenue
Blackfoot, Friday Oct 8th, Medina Ballroom
Willie Nelson, Saturday Oct 9th, Mystic Lake Casino (also Friday the 29th, and Sat Oct 20th....)
Guided by Voices, Tuesday Oct 12th, First Avenue
Chuck Prophet, Friday Oct 15th, Turf Club
Margaret Cho - The Cho Dependent Tour, State Theatre, Friday, October 15 at 8:00pm
Buddy Guy Saturday Oct 16th, State Theater
Engelbert Humperdinck Sunday Oct 17th, Orchestra Hall
Richie Havens, Monday Oct 18th, Dakota Jazz Club
Trailer Park Boys: Ricky, Julian and Bubbles Present The Drunk, High and Unemployed Tour, Pantages Theatre, Sunday, October 17 at 7:00pm
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, State Theatre, Tuesday, October 19th, 7:30pm
David Sedaris, State Theatre, Thursday, October 21st at 7:30pm
Celtic Thunder, State Theatre, Sunday, October 24
Marshall Crenshaw, Tuesday Oct 26th, Hopkins Center for the Arts
Roger Waters, Wed, Oct 27th, Xcel Energy Ctr
Bob Saget: The Strange Days Tour, State Theatre, Friday, November 5 at 8:00pm
BB King Friday Nov 12, State Theater
Tosh Tour Twenty Ten: A Comedy Central Live Event, State Theatre, Sat., November 13
John Mellencamp: No Better Than This, Orpheum Theatre, November 22 - November 23

Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann had the enthralled crowd on their feet many times last night, at the intimate Dakota Jazz Club, in downtown Minneapolis. The noted songwriter and performer, gave a delightful 90 minute performance, on the third night of a 3 night stand, kicking off her current tour. Most known for the music she created for the soundtrack of Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 movie Magnolia, including the Academy Award and Grammy-nominated song, "Save Me". Mann performed Save Me, Wise Up and One, from Magnolia, as well as fan favorites like The Moth, Driving Sideways, and Freeway (from her 2008 CD *%&$#*@ Smilers). She treated the crowd to new songs from the upcoming musical debut she has been writing; based upon her 2005 album The Forgotten Arm.

It was a wonderful night, accompanied by my good friend Bec Smith. More pics here.





Aimee and guest Adam Levy of The Honeydogs

Skateboards, Hot Rods, and Stoner Rock

Caught one of my favorite heavy bands, Fu Manchu, Sunday night at the Triple Rock Social Club, along with my good friend Clint (the mastermind of local upstarts Savage Hogg). Fu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who have release many great records over the years since they formed in 1985, including probably their most successful California Crossing. Their latest CD "Signs of Infinite Power" came out last year (2009) on Century Media Records.

Funny moment: Fu Manchu's been known to do some cool covers, including Devo's Freedom of Choice, and The Cars' Moving in Stereo. Someone screamed Freebird, to which Scott Hill said you meant Superbird (their song). Then someone screamed Deep Purple, to which they launched into the intro of the Purple's Space Truckin'. Cool.

Official website for Fu Manchu www.fu-manchu.com

Target Field Tour

Hi everybody! I recently took the Target Field tour of the new Minnesota Twins ballpark, in downtown Minneapolis. It was really enjoyable and I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you've been to games already or not. For info on tours, visit Twinsbaseball.com. I got to see lots of nooks and crannies you wouldn't otherwise get to see. For example, the press box, the radio and TV announcing booths, the Metropolitan Club, the Legends Club, where the stars dressing room is (where the person singing the National Anthem likely gets ready), etc. Also, we got to me Clyle Doepner, the Twins Curator, who told us great stories of gathering Twins memorabilia, getting autographs, tracking down homerun balls, and the like. The funnest time was when we got to go onto the edge of the field, and in the Twins dugout. We were informed that we couldn't go on the grass, (or even spit on the grass)... it was really pristine as you'd expect. They mow it 2 and a half hours every day.

Below are a couple photos from my field trip. If you'd like to see all my photos, check out my photo page! www.flickr.com/michaelraypfeifer