The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

PERFORMANCE
Equilibrium Spoken Word

Make your way to the Weisman this evening for a special edition of the Loft Literary Center's popular Equilibrium series. In conjunction with the Weisman's current exhibit, Changing Identity: Recent Works by Women Artists from Vietnam, tonight's event pulls out all the stops with spoken word performances from two widely-respected Asian-American poets, Jennii Le and Sahra Nguyen. Also featured are special guests Magnetic North, a NYC-based hip-hop group, bringing a barrage of beats to your ears. Peruse the exhibit, meet and greet some of the artists, and sit back for this unique and dynamic performance.

Friday, 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Weisman Art Museum, 333 E. River Road, Minneapolis, Free

SPECIAL EVENT
MiniCon

Have you ever wanted to build your own spaceship? Well, apparently you can learn how to go about it this weekend at the legendary science fiction convention, MiniCon. Check out numerous nerdy panel discussions and lectures on topics such as "How to Build Your Own Spaceship," "Creating Web Pages that Don't Suck," "Vampires and Zombies and Werewolves, Oh My!" and "The Many Faces of Batman." Other entertaining shenanigans include live musical performances each night, family- friendly arts and crafts activities, film screenings, costume-wearing, and, of course, late night drunken room parties. And on top of that, one of our new favorite local authors, Rob Callahan, will be reading excerpts from his books Hellbound Snowballs, Damaged Goods, and Pent, on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m.

Friday 5 p.m. through Sunday 5 p.m., Sheraton Bloomington, 7800 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington, $20-$60

BENEFIT EVENT
American Burlycue

What better way to liven up a Friday evening then to see a little tasteful t&a a la Lili's Burlesque Revue? Head Northeast to the lovely Ritz Theater for a little sexy-kitsch tonight, as these Twin Cities Burlesque darlings shimmy and shake for your dollars. Proceeds from tonight's performance will directly benefit the struggling Burlesque Hall of Fame, as well as the living burlesque legend, Toni Elling. Whoop it up with cocktails, appetizers, interesting bits of classic burlesque film, and enter to win fabulous prizes (sequined pasties, perhaps?). Featuring Nadine Dubois, Coco Dupree, Ophelia Flame, Lola Bel Aire, Sweet LillyBee, and Foxy Tann & The Wham Bam Thank You Ma'ams.

Friday, 7 p.m. Social Hour with cast, 8 p.m. show, Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue NE, $15

ART
Buy/Collect: Arts Patronage in Minnesota

Join curators Robyne Robinson and Yuri Arajs for this very important exhibit examining the roles of both artists and art patrons in Minnesota. The curators thoughtfully selected numerous works by local artists from Robinson's eclectic contemporary art collection, and have invited each artist to exhibit new work alongside the collected work. Tonight's opening reception will give you chance to delve into the lives and outlooks of working artists and their views on the people that support their craft. Featuring such notables as Terrence Payne, Al Wadzinski, Amy Rice, Frank Gaard, Ernest Miller, Aesthetic Apparatus, and more. Also included in this month-long exhibit at Bookmen Stacks are three very informative panel discussions including "The Relevance of Arts Patronage" on April 18th, "The Growth and the Decline of the Contemporary Art Market in Minnesota" on April 19th, and "Designers & Galleries: The interdependence of Art & Design" on April 25th. For more information visit the Buy/Collect blog.

Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Bookmen Stacks, 345 Sixth Avenue, North Loop Minneapolis, Free

FILM
200 Motels

We can think of no better reason to stay up really late on a Saturday, than seeing this tripped out Frank Zappa-directed flick about life on the road. Filmed in seven days, with only 11 days designated for editing, this oddball film keeps a somewhat rough and psychotic pace throughout. We're not sure if there is an actual plot line, but we do know there are lots of psychedelic effects, people on drugs, rockin' tunes, and appearances by such icons as Ringo Starr, The Who's Keith Moon (as a nun in drag, no less), and of course the pure weirdness that is Zappa himself. Show up by 11:45 to grab a good seat, as local comedian Brandon Reynoso brings the LOLs, live prior to the screening.

Midnight, Uptown Theater, 2906 Hennepin Avenue, Uptown Minneapolis, $9