Weekend Culture Compass - Mates of State, Lookbook and Christmas stuff

Thursday
Music — Andrew Bird
St. Mark’s Cathedral
519 Oak Grove St., Mpls.
8 p.m.
$29-32
Andrew Bird is an ace whistler and a fantastic fiddler. He’s doing a tour of churches and cathedrals on a whim, but be warned that he’s focusing on instrumental pieces, and maybe his cover of Kermit the Frog’s “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.” (He’s playing St. Mark’s for three nights, so if you can’t make it to one he’s got you covered.)
Art — Diva Inhabited
Student Art Center, Augsburg
22nd Ave. S., Mpls.
7:30 p.m.
free
Greta Sundquist is one of our favorite local models; we’re obsessed with her platinum blonde crop. She’s fierce on the runway and she can paint too — who knew? Her senior art show, based around female nudes, is something A&E’s had marked on their calendar. We love the texture and color she employs in her off-the-runway work.
Music — Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps
Bedlam Theater
1501 6th St., Mpls.
10 p.m.
$5
The U's Women's Student Activist Collective is sponsoring A&E favorite local crooner, Caroline Smith, as well as Kitten Forever, DJ Shannon Blowtorch, The Vignettes and Raccoon Raccoon (who we instantly love for their "Ranger Rick" harkening name). We'd go just to see our girl Caroline, but the cause is worthy and the other bands sound just as promising as the Calpurnia Peach-wearing, Daytrotter Sessions-doing Ms. Smith & company.

Shopping — Uptown Boutique Crawl
ATMOSFERE/COVERED/IVY/VSTATE/DRAMA
Lagoon Ave. & Lake St.
5 p.m.-9 p.m.
The Lagoon & Lake neighborhood bordering on Calhoun Square has become a fantastic local shopping district, with cutting edge menswear (Atmosfere) and fun, flirty cocktail dresses and denim from Ivy and Drama. Get 20% off your purchases at each store; if you make it to all five, you get a swag bag full of fabulous little prizes. Plus, we’re pretty sure there’s champagne.
Friday

Music — Steve Aoki
Envy Nightclub
400 1st Ave. N., Mpls.
10 p.m.
$10
Steve Aoki shows up on The Cobrasnake more often than not; he’s a DJ, producer and hipster dude whose Japanese Olympic wrestler dad founded Benihana. When he isn’t appearing in basketball video games, he’s making remixes of Drake songs and brushing his long black hair.
Theater — Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris
Bryant Lake Bowl
810 Lake St. W., Mpls.
9:30 p.m., $15
Before he was a best-selling humorist and frequent NPR guest with tongue firmly planted in cheek, David Sedaris worked as a Christmas elf and documented his experiences in a book of essays that was adapted as a one-man show. It’s much more fun to celebrate the holidays with snark than with sap, so check it out.
Film — Dance Film Project
Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.
7 p.m.
$8-12
Various local dancers teamed up for this 22-work piece, which contemplates the nature of movement and its many incarnations. One takes place in a Minneapolis alley. We hope it is nothing like that ’80s Miami Sound Machine “Bad Boy” video with Gloria Estefan and some male dancers dressed up like cats. We’re pretty sure it’s not.
Party — Vita.mn's Snowball
Roller Gardens
5622 Lake St. W., St. Louis Park
9 p.m., $7
What better way to celebrate the holiday season than on roller skates? Vita.mn's Alexis McKinnis (of Alexis on the Sexes) hosts this get-down party on wheels. Hopefully you learned how to do the limbo on skates when you were five, because you'll probably be whipping out that party trick here. Red Stag Supper Club, a recent obsession of A&E, is making snacks to refuel you for another lap or six.
Music — Mark Farina
Epic
11 5th St. N., Mpls.
10:30 p.m., $15
If Steve Aoki’s remixes and danceclub tracks aren’t your thing, you could check out downtempo/house DJ Mark Farina instead. If you think about it this way, Steve Aoki is cocaine, then Farina is something a little bit more mellow and green.
Music — Heiruspecs, Black Blondie, MC/VL
The Whole Music Club
300 Washington Ave. S.E., Mpls.
7:30 p.m.
free
All these celebrated local bands playing on campus for free? A little odd, huh? Heiruspecs sometimes gets overlooked in the shadow of Atmosphere and Brother Ali, but their live show is great and their upcoming album promises to be a bit more dance-friendly while still retaining a political aspect.
Saturday
Music — Lookbook
7th St. Entry
701 1st. Ave. N., Mpls.
9 p.m.
$6
The shoegazey guy-girl duo is celebrating the release of their remixes EP at the Entry with Nyteowl and We Became Actors.
Music — Viva Christmas!
First Avenue
701 First Ave. N., Mpls.
6 p.m.
$14-16
Uncle Jesse modeled himself after Elvis. And so does El Vez, the clever pseudonym of Robert Lopez. He will perform as the gold-suited King of Rock (with a bit more Latin flavor, perhaps) tonight at First Avenue, accompanied by a flock of ladies who call themselves the El Vettes. Elvis would approve.
Film —”Let the Right One In”
Uptown Theater
2906 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
11:45 p.m.
tickets TBA
Forget “Twilight” and even “Interview with the Vampire.” The real cult bloodsucker movie is Sweden’s “Let the Right One In,” based on a novel of the same name about two children and one dirty, toothy secret. It’s been praised for its imaginative quality and inventive use of gore, making it a perfect midnight movie to see in the cold, dark winter.
Music — Mates of State
Weisman Art Museum
333 East River Road
9 p.m.
$22
Mates of State are totally married. Their version of domestic bliss is touring the nation and playing at campus art museums with their baby in tow, and we’re cool with that. The Weisman has started a late-night music series and snagged the Mates to cut the proverbial ribbon.
Dance — ”The Nutcracker (Not So) Suite”
The Ritz Theater
345 13th Ave. N.E., Mpls.
7 p.m.
$21-26
Girls, if you hate your boyfriend, you can force him to attend this holiday tradition in its full ballet splendor. But if you kinda like him, you guys could attend this tongue-in-cheek reimagining instead. It’s a lot cheaper than the Tchaikovsky version and probably a little more dude-friendly.
Film — “White Christmas”
Heights Theater
3951 Central Ave. NE., Mpls.
I have two favorite Christmas songs and Bing Crosby’s legendary “White Christmas” is one of them. The song came from a Bing movie called “Holiday Inn” and was so popular it spawned a cinematic sequel, aptly titled “White Christmas.” Bing Crosby’s voice is golden enough to melt even the coldest, Grinchiest heart.