Weekend Culture Compass - Cinco de Mayo and May Day, get your party hat on.

Friday
Art - Paper Toy and Pop-Out Show
Have you ever seen "Yo Gabba Gabba!" on Nick Jr.? It's the trippiest children's show in a long time, with florescent monsters learning about sharing and not biting their friends, complete with techno trance-pop. Well, the gallery owners behind "Paper Toy and Pop-Out Show" are part of the animation company responsible for that tripfest 3-year-olds love, and if you stop by the Pink Hobo Geek Art Gallery perhaps your mind will be blown in a different, but still kid-friendly, way. All of the pieces included in the show have been made completely out of paper (and a couple other materials when absolutely necessary, like glue). Kind of like a super-advanced form of the papier-mâché you did when you were eight.
Pink Hobo Geek Art Gallery, 507 E. Hennepin Ave

Art – The Nude in Minnesota
There's more nudity here than in an issue of Penthouse and more flesh on display than at the Vu. Okay, maybe not quite … The Nude in Minnesota features the work of several local photographers, all centered on one specific subject: the unclothed human form. All giggly curiosity aside (what are we, thirteen-year-old boys?), the photos run the gamut from the arty to the slightly pornographic.
Gallery 332, 1500 Jackson St. NE

Music – Colin Hay
Colin Hay came from a Land Down Under back in the '80s as a member of Men at Work, who had a couple hit singles back in the era of our births. Men at Work didn't last past 1985 (too much Vegemite?) and Hay struck out on his own, releasing a bunch of solo albums. Our generation might be more familiar with his melancholy solo work from "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You," which was featured in "Garden State." In June he'll reissue his album "Topanga" (probably not about the character from "Boy Meets World") and is appearing at the Cedar Cultural Center to perform from his back catalog and new material from his forthcoming album, "American Sunshine."
The Cedar, 416 Cedar Ave. S
7 p.m.
$22 - $25

Holiday – target="blank">Cinco de Mayo Festival
Cince de Mayo is the holiday we Americans celebrate with our favorite quasi-Mexican emblems: Corona, tequila, enchiladas, sombreros. If something a little more accurate is what you're seeking this weekend, then the District del Sol in St. Paul has your back. Their Cinco de Mayo Fiesta features salsa-tasting, a lowrider car show and a parade - to name a few highlights. Traditional Mexican music will be played later in the night for dancing.
District del Sol
St. Paul's West Side - 176 Cesar Chavez St.
Fri., May 1 from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m., Sat., May 2 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Music - Ragamala Dance: Sthree
The Southern Theater is putting on a ragamala dance, a traditional dance form that has been only slightly enhanced to modernize it for today's audiences. This one, "Sthree," tells a tale based on an epic story. The title was translated to "The Anklet," and the tale is said to be about the relationship between karma and dharma. The score was composed by a legendary Indian violinist and features a vocalist to accompany the music. The choreography promises to be innovative, intriguing, and beautiful to behold.
Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave S.
7:30 p.m.
$29

Saturday

Music – Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon's "Bromst" is one of the best albums of the new year, full of bleeps, math rhythms even a few soul choruses. A good name for his genre would be "electric space candy." Bonus: he's rumored to be unforgettable live.
Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Ave.
All ages 5 p.m., 21+ 9 p.m.
$10
Music – Cloud Cult
This year, Cloud Cult pulled a Sigur Ros and released an artistically notable DVD in theaters while getting ready for a nation-wide tour. But that’s just one of the many accomplishments in their history as a band, others being remaining independent despite major label offers and remaining staunchly eco-friendly. Their current sound is musically rich, with string instruments accompanying their self-described “cathartic” sound. They’ve also added painters to their line-up to please fans who like more than just boring old instruments during a live show.
First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N.
6 p.m.
$15

Art - “Ringtone”

Ah! The internet is ruining human interaction as we know it. People are writing novels on Twitter and trying to date Lindsay Lohan on eHarmony. Madness! If that doesn’t seem as bad as the medieval days of self-flagellation as a means of communication, “Ringtone” might change your mind. A sparse play with only a few actors, it tells of individuals’ attempt to connect inside an art gallery amidst the birdsongs of constant ringtones.

Rogue Buddha Art Gallery, 357 13th Ave. N.E.
8 p.m.
Tickets $5 - $10, space limited call 612-886-2868

Comedy – Lizz Winstead

Lizz Winstead was one of the co-creators of “The Daily Show” and now blogs at The Huffington Post, where she recently called out Michelle Bachmann for being a “value-dictorian” and thinking that we are running out of rich people.

Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave. S.
8 p.m.
$20 21+

Art – Our Deal: Graduates Ready to Stimulate

Seniors of the University’s design school have taken on their senior projects with a cool acknowledgement of the fact that we’re in a recession, though the title suggests that it doesn’t have to be a bad thing for artists. Back in the Great Depression, Roosevelt’s New Deal included the Federal Arts Project, which included notable artists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. As the Goldstein’s title suggests, art can stimulate and inspire the masses to move in dark times.

Goldstein Gallery, 1985 Buford Ave. #244

Sunday

Festival – May Day Parade
As the annual May Day Parade marches through the street towards Powderhorn Park it can seem to be the very definition of whimsical. The procession features a plethora of colorful costumes and puppets of as well as a “join in” section for local causes to shake their tail feathers. Following the Parade will be the festival at Powderhorn which will last until early evening and the not to be missed May Day Ceremony at 3 p.m. Check out some footage from last year’s parade and the route of the parade for this year to find a good place to camp out.
Begins on the corner of Bloomington Ave. and 26 St., ends Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Ave. S.
1 p.m.

Music – Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen’s songwriting skills are legendary. Exploring intricate themes of love and individuality with his distinct baritone voice, Cohen has become highly celebrated not just for his musical ability but for his poetry as well. If he still doesn’t sound familiar, he’s the guy that wrote Hallelujah. Get a hold of these tickets while they last.

Orpheum Theater, 910 Hennepin Ave.
7:30 p.m.
$78.50 - $253.50

Festival- Festival of Nations

For over 75 years the International Institute of Minnesota’s Festival of Nations has brought together Minnesotans of different cultures to celebrate their heritage. Though the offering at the Festival of Nations is diverse, including dance and music performances, arts and crafts and a variety of events throughout the day, just going for the selection of ethnic foods would be well worth it. If you’ve never been to an international festival before, attending the Festival of Nations is highly recommended, you’ll have fun and it may even make you a better person.

St. Paul River Centre, 175 West Kellogg Blvd.
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Free

Music – Dobet Gnahoré

Dobet Gnahoré is a performer from Côte d’Ivoire whose pan-African style and musical deftness has made her one of Africa’s freshest talents. Endowed with a powerful voice and ever changing hairstyles, Gnahoré is to cool as Miles Davis is to blue. Check out A&E’s article for the full story about the growing music scene of mother Africa and get your booty to the CCC.

Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S.
8 p.m.
$30 door/$25 preorder

Music – Flight of the Conchords

Conditions are perfect, there’s nothing good on TV so you lean in close and say something sexy like “I might go to bed, I’ve got school in the morning” but I know what you’re trying to say. What you’re getting at is that it’s business time at the U because Sunday night is Flight of the Conchords night, baby. Before making it big with their HBO series, the band, Bret and Jemaine perfected their subtle humor and performances on stage. Come see where it all began for these New Zealand stars.

Northrup Auditorium
8 p.m.
Still available tickets start around $70

Culture to Consume

Read this: “Brain Gain” on NewYorker.com

Taking Adderall and other “neuroenhancers” is becoming more and more common for the super-connected and overworked college students of our time, but what are the implications of using these “brain steroids”? In “Brain Gain,” Margaret Talbot puts the trend in context and answers the question of what sort of beast we modern humans are becoming. The answer may be stimulating to say that least.

Listen to this: Mario Paint

Now all the beeps and boops, cat meows and dog woofs of your favorite 8-bit games are at your fingertips in this easy-to-use, intuitive program! Create the next Mario masterpiece or just make a bitchin remix of Haddaway’s What is Love, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up or even The Office theme song. Go ahead and start that glitch-glam band you always wanted to!

Watch this: “Minneapolis Star-Journal, 1944” on mnstories.com
“Good Neighbors” is a look back at when times were simpler, when we fought the good war, were good neighbors and when the newspapers were hand drawn. The film’s take on what goes into making a good home cooked newspaper of the ’40s is both entertaining and educational.

Eat this: Did you know that there's one of the best sushi joints in the Cities right next to campus? Obento Ya, snugly located between Planet Beach and the now-defunct smoke shop, keeps Japanese cuisine close to our homes. There's bento skewers, tofu or seaweed salads, mochi ice cream one and lots and lots of sushi. Orders are made quickly and deliciously. Nothing on the menu runs much higher than $20 (for a sampler), and the kani crab nigiri comes with high recommendation from this Obento fanatic. Happy hour is Monday - Saturday from 5 -7 p.m. (Obento Ya, 1510 Como Ave. S.E.)

Drink this:Bobby Flay appeared on the "Rachael Ray Show" Thursday demonstrating a Kentucky Derby traditional cocktail: the mint julep. A&E was intrigued and disappointed to find that their roommates had consumed all the Jim Beam, a necessary ingredient in the Southern favorite. The mint julep is sort of like a mojito, because it uses mint and sugar to cut the bite of bourbon, and Bobby Flay showed that adding blackberries to the mix makes for a lovely summery concoction. Every year, over 100,000 juleps are served during the Kentucky Derby, so make your own and watch the races. Preferably dressed accordingly.

Click this: Jak & Jil is fashion porn, period. Don't be surprised if you find your tongue hanging out of your mouth with lust and desire when zooming through its archives of photos. Tommy Ton, armed with a camera and an infatuation with sharp shoes, fashion editors, and well-dressed models, travels from Fashion Week to Fashion Week, from street to street, in search of subjects for his photos. The blog has grown hugely popular among the fashion community and even garnered the attention of other mediums as well.