Weekend Culture Compass - Bourdain, Chabon and other methods of enlightenment.

Thursday

Literature — Michael Chabon

The author of such literary paragons as “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” “Wonder Boys” and “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” Chabon’s lecture makes A&E say $35 be damned. Once Cormac McCarthy dies, he might be a consensus for the “Best Living Author” moniker.

Hopkins Center for the Arts
1111 Main St.
7:30 p.m.
$35 - $45

MPLS-St. Paul International Film Festival

If something is around for 28 years, it deserves some credit. Indeed, MPLS-St. Paul International Film Festival turns 28 this year. That means it has outlived Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain. Some noteworthy titles for Thursday’s feature are “Pink Taxi,” “Agrarian Utopia,” “Vital Signs” and “Skeletons.”

St. Anthony Main Theater
115 Main St. S.E.
Showings from 3:15 to 9:45 p.m.

Friday

Music — Rebel Rebel: Rock for Pussy VII

It’s no wonder an annual party for a hipster’s two favorite living creatures (David Bowie and cats) has thrived for six years. This year’s feline get-down features Bowie covers from Little Man, The Honeydogs, E.L.nO. and Jeremy Messersmith. Meow!

First Avenue
701 N. First Ave.
8 p.m.
$8 - $10

Food — Anthony Bourdain

When he’s wining and dining in Asia, he’s a giant in stature. But when he’s giving a spoken word performance in downtown Minneapolis, he’s a giant in reverence for Midwest cookbook junkies and Travel Channel enthusiasts.

State Theatre
805 Hennepin Ave.
8 p.m.
$41 - $78.50

Music — Leisure Birds, Red Pens, The Beets

The Turf ought to be aflame Leisure Birds, Red Pens and the ultra-cool psychedelia of Red Pens and Doug Funnie-defying song and dance of The Beets. A guest yodeling from Vice Principal Mr. Bone is not expected.

Turf Club
1601 University Ave. W.
9 p.m.
$5

Saturday

Music — Gogol Bordello

Lucky us, the colorful gypsy wagon of Gorgol Bordello is hitching at First Avenue this weekend. What can we expect from the Ukranian-born, Rick Rubin-produced band o’ gypsies? Well, any expectations are bound to be broken by their musical unpredictability.

First Avenue
701 N. First Ave. N.
5 p.m.
$25 - $27

Culture to Consume
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Eat this: KFC’s long-awaited fried chicken-bunned cheese and bacon sandwich, Double Down tests the limits of gluttony. A&E’s chief reporter on the Crispy and Delicious beat Jay Boller had this to say of the sandwich: “Sure, I left feeling grotesquely full. But given its polarizing pretense, it also rendered me spiritually void.”

Booze this: Nicollet’s Salsa a la Salsa makes a mean margarita and favors the vowel “a” more than any other restaurant we can think of. Their tequila concoctions are the ideal companion to an outdoors boozer in the springtime.

Listen to this: Canadian electronic mad scientist of sound Caribou’s new album “Swim” just came out with more psychedelic soundscapes. Dance-punksers LCD Soundsystem’s hyped follow-up to “Sound of Silver” comes out in the beginning of May, but you can stream it online now.

Read this: While you’re ignoring Stephenie Meyer’s newest novel “The Host,” get your literary vampire fix with the “True Blood” source material’s newest addition, Charlaine Harris’ “Dead in the Family.”

Watch this: The greatest athlete of all time and the self-nicknamed “Big Aristotle” (Lebron James and Shaquille O’Neil) are taking the storied odyssey to the championship on TNT’s coverage of the NBA playoffs. In Shaq’s words, to miss it would be “horr-awful.”

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