A Few Northland Happenings for the Week of February 21

"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet." ~Plato

I don't think the Plato quote has all that much to do with this blog entry other than I thought it interesting, as I think several of this week's Twin Ports events look interesting. Have you ever wished you had a few clones so you could do it all? (I mean, part of me wants to just stay home so I can read, write and paint.)

Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra: Chamber Music at the Underground
One of the strong memories from my youth was my dad's habit of reading the Sunday paper while listening to his albums of classical music. Most memorable of these were Dvorak, Beethoven, Tschaikovski and Echoes of Offenbach, among others. Tonight there will be a special performance of chamber music by the DuSu Symphony Orchestra at the Underground (inside the Depot). At 5:30 there will be a social time in advance of the 6 p.m. music. Erin Alridge will be playing a piece with two percussionists and another piece with a string quartet (Dvorak). In addition, Betsy Husby has organized Villa Lobos, an 8-cello piece with a singer, and the symphony's brass section will be featured on Poulenc Trio Sonata for trumpet, trombone and French horn.

The Explorers Club @ the Zinema
The Zinema's weekly Tuesday night series is designed to stimulate new perspectives and give you a chance to venture off the beaten path of cinema. UWS Philosophy Professor Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams will guide us through one of the great minds of modern thought, Slavoj Zizek in "The Pervert's Guide to Ideology." Cultural theorist Slavoj Zizek is once again teamed up with director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert's Guide to Cinema) for a romp through the crossroads of cinema and philosophy. Zizek essentially dissects a number of epochal films in order to explore and expose how they reinforce prevailing ideologies.

What appeals to me here is the invitation to see films I've experienced analyzed from an alternate angle. According to the invitation: As the ideology that undergirds our cinematic fantasies is revealed, striking associations emerge: What hidden Catholic teachings lurk at the heart of The Sound of Music? What are the fascist political dimensions of Jaws? Taxi Driver, Zabriskie Point, The Searchers, The Dark Knight, John Carpenter's They Live ("one of the forgotten masterpieces of the Hollywood Left"), Titanic, Kinder Eggs, verité news footage, Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and propaganda epics from Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia all inform Zizek's stimulating, provocative and often hilarious psychoanalytic-cinematic rant. Dr. LaChance Adams will give a small talk after each film and then lead a discussion with anyone in the audience who wants to explore the ideas brought up in the film further.

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian Marxist philosopher, psychoanalyst and cultural critic. He is a senior researcher at the Institute for Sociology and Philosophy, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. No matter your ideological bent, it can be an interesting and often enlightening experience to see perspectives beyond the confines of one's own established convictions. The show begins at 7:00 and is $9 for adults, $7 for students, and $6.50 for seniors.

Art Openings @ the DAI
Thursday, February 20, from 5-7pm the Duluth Art Institute celebrates two new exhibitions: The Space Around You featuring photographs by Kristen Pless & First Spark, the annual K-12 art show featuring the work of regional students

AAMC Dance Party
This Friday… Why the Armory Matters Winter Dance Party. MUSIC, DANCING, FOOD and MORE! Here's another creative fund-raiser to help the Armory Arts and Music Center and its program the Music Resource Center commemorate the 1959 Winter Dance Party featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Dion and the Big Bopper that was held at the historic Duluth Armory. Rock-a-Billy Revue will provide 50's music to dance to. There will be a brief demonstration of 50s dancing at the beginning of the night for those interested in learning a few steps. There will also be hors d'oevres, cash bar, and a silent auction. Event to be held in the Greysolon Ballroom, 231 E Superior St. in downtown Duluth.

The Winter Dance Party will feature ROCK-A-BILLY REVUE playing the biggest hits of the 50s.

Tickets available online NOW - see Get Tickets above. $30 General Admission - $20 Student with valid ID

FIFTIES ATTIRE NOT REQUIRED - BUT WILL BE ADMIRED

Have a good time and get your dacing shoes on. It's a throw back to the '50s including live music, cash bar, hors d'oeuvres and a silent auction with some very special items.

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO benefit the Armory Arts and Music Center and its music resource center program. The historic Duluth Armory was the site of the 1959 Winter Dance Party concert featuring Buddy Holly. Get Tickets Here.

Some of the businesses that have donated items for the silent auction: Rosewood Music, Superior Ballroom Dance, Adeline Inc., Bent Paddle Brewing Co., AJ's Tanning, Lizzards Art Gallery & Framing, Self Discovery Adventures, Country Inn & Suites, Cascade Lodge, Schmitt Music, The Tent Guy, Shannon's Stained Glassery, Lynnette's Portrait Design and more. Thank you.

READ "Making a Case for Preserving the Armory" HERE

MORE REMINDERS
Twin Ports Stage and Wisconsin Public Radio will present Episode 5 of their live radio soap opera "Twin Ports" at the Belknap Lounge, 130 Belknap Street near the campus of UWS.

Next week, on Thursday the 27th, the Two Harbors Public Library is having an opening reception in recognition of the fabulous installation by Tonja Sell and Nancy Miller. Here's yet another example of the value and power of public art. If you are able, Two Harbors is just a hop, skip and a jump from the northeast end of Duluth on one of the most scenic highways in America.

The soon to be dedicated installation at Two Harbors Public Library.

Meantime, life goes on all around you. Engage it!