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A slew of old faces to the music industry are proving they’re still kicking when a trio of seminal acts take the stages of St. Paul this weekend. (Two of which are sold out.)

Tonight, former Hüsker Dü co-frontman Grant Hart headlines a show at the Turf Club with fellow Twin Cities semi-legendary garage rock trio Rank Strangers. Hart is in the midst a musical comeback since his excellent 2009 album Hot Wax. He is in the thick of making a concept album based on John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost.” The album’s producer also happens to be Rank Strangers leader Mike Wisti, Hart’s chief collaborator on the album. The show will double as a benefit for Hart, who recently suffered a house fire. With Fortified Five (ex-Knife World) and Slip City Widows. (9 p.m. Friday. $6. 21-plus. Turf Club, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul. 651-647-0486.)

Then on Sunday, two national rock acts go head to head – The legendary Pixies at the Roy Wilkens Auditorium and former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell at the Fitzgerald Theater. It’s been seven years since the night the Pixies kicked off their reunion tour in Minneapolis after a three-day practice session at the Fine Line Music Cafe. By now, the second incarnation of the band has lasted longer than the first, though the band (said to have influenced Nirvana and the grunge genre in general) haven’t released a new album together since 1991. (Here’s a twist for you: The Pixies have listed Hüsker Dü as a key influence to their sound.) (7:30 p.m. Sunday. Sold out. Roy Wilkens Auditorium, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. 651-989-5151.)

Meanwhile, Chris Cornell could just as easily list The Pixies as an influence for his grunge band, Soundgarden, and his later hard-rock outfit with members of Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave. Though the Soundgarden album Seasons was recorded by Cornell as a solo piece, reviews for his last album, Scream, deemed it awful at best. He may fare better on this acoustic songbook tour. In any case, the guy has one of the few voices around that could match Robert Plant for metal-ness. (7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show. Sunday. Sold out. All ages. Fitzgerald Theater, 45 7th St., St. Paul, 651-290-1200.)

More shows this weekend in St. Paul:

Friday:
Willie Murphy at Minnesota Music Cafe
The legendary West Bank folkie is still going 40 years later.
9 p.m. Free. 501 Payne Ave., St. Paul, 651-776-4699.

My Lady Four (CD release) at Station 4
Long awaited, highly anticipated show from the Minneapolis melodic rock five-piece. With the Teddy Holidays, This Is Breathing, Liz Akhavan.
5 p.m. $10. All ages. 201 E. 4th St., St. Paul. 651-224-6372.

Charmin & Shapira (CD release) at Artists’ Quarter
Charmin Michelle and guitarist Joel Shapira combine traditional and modern jazz styles to create Charmin & Shapira.
9 p.m. $10. 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul. 651-292-1359.

Saturday:
The Goondas, Skoal Kodiak, Torch the Game, Hot Rash at Turf Club
The Goondas have been bringing their gritty, old-school sound with a rockstar-pulse that vibes through the hipster-heavy Minneapolis scene since 2008. Skoal Kodiak, on the other hand, beckons the smooth groove of reggae-meets-the early ’90.
9 p.m. $6. 21-plus. 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul. 651-647-0486.

Calamity & the Owl, Courtney Yasmineh, James Loney, the Psychedelic Friends Network at Wild Tymes
Folk and singer-songwriter sets.
9 p.m. Free. 18-plus. 33 W. 7th Pl., St. Paul. 651-224-8181.

Hey everyone, we are back with your 65FUN pic of the week!

Please e-mail stacy@capcitypartnership.com your answer.

The first person to e-mail me the correct answer wins 4 tickets to Ballet Minnesota’s Sleeping Beauty at the Fitzgerald Theater!

Good luck and have fun!

Where are we???

Mickey's Diner

Congrats to Roxane!  Enjoy the show!

Ballet Minnesota’s Sleeping Beauty runs Friday, May 14th through Saturday, May 15th.

For more information about Ballet Minnesota or “Sleeping Beauty,” visit www.balletminnesota.org

Tickets: $12-$25

Fitzgerald Theater Box Office, 651-290-1221

10 E. Exchange, St. Paul, MN, or

TicketMaster 1-800-982-2787

**Please note the Fitzgerald Theater adds a $2.50 theater facility fee per ticket.

Downtown St. Paul at dusk. Image by Chase Turner.

There’s not a more magical, classic setting to the holiday season in Minnesota than our capital city. Being surrounded by St. Paul’s historic architecture like the neoclassic Landmark Center, the St. Paul Hotel, and the Fitzgerald Theater seems to inspire some sense of childlike wonder, particularly when trimmed with fresh snow and twinkling lights. For the first time last weekend, I had the chance to experience the best the city has to offer during the holidays.

Beet carpaccio salad at Pazzaluna. Image by Chase Turner.

After checking into the St. Paul Hotel, we headed across the street for cocktails and a four-course dinner at “urban Italian” restaurant Pazzaluna (360 Saint Peter St. 651-223-7000). Classic crooner tunes – think 1950s Sinatra and Dean Martin – played overhead as we sipped a couple of Pazzaluna’s specialty cocktails: the delectable “Sophia Loren” (Grey Goose L’poire, amaretto, fresh lemon juice) and the “Mad Hatter” (maraschino- and clove-infused Maker’s Mark bourbon, Italian sweet vermouth, cherry juice), a delightful twist on the classic Manhattan ($8). For the first course, we settled on the beet carpaccio salad. A beet lover myself, I found the beets to be especially rich with flavor and thinly-sliced to perfection, and the strong flavor was balanced with the mild combination of sliced endives, capra sarda cheese, and white balsamic ($8). (continue reading…)

FRIDAY OCT 30th: Tortured Cinema: The Great Works of Lon Chaney

@ The Fitzgerald Theater

Head to the Fitz for a spooky evening of silent films and decadent organ music presented by Minnesota Public Radio.  Watch excerpts from Lon Chaney’s classic flicks such as  The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Phantom of the Opera, with MPR movie maven Stephanie Curtis introducing each eerie segment.  Accompanying the films will be Michael Grandchamp on the Fitzgerald’s famed Wurlitzer organ,  infusing hauntingly beautiful sounds into the famed tales. Tonight’s Tortured Cinema also welcomes the first public performance from the Indie Artist Residency Program, showcasing the talents local artists deVon Gray and Alicia Wiley, who will perform new arrangements on the organ between the films. Also on task is actor Peter Moore, who will regale you with his clever storytelling, which is sure to be of the scary variety!

7:30 and ticket prices are $12 adults, $10 for MPR members and $6 for 16 and under.

For more info visit www.fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org

SATURDAY OCT 31st: Hardenberger and Frankenstein!!

@ The Ordway

Classical music and Halloween are synonymous, right? Well, maybe if you’re adding a haunting soundtrack to an installation of bloody, severed doll heads or something along those lines, anyway. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has other ideas, however. For those who aren’t into tricks, treats, or severed doll heads for that matter, you’re invited to the Ordway this evening for a mesmerizing concert with a spooky twist. Hear the beautiful sounds of composers Hindemith, Stravinsky, and the talented composer/conductor HK Gruber, who be on-hand to premiere his new trumpet concerto, Busking, complete with banjo and accordion, which will be performed by world-renowned trumpet player Håkan Hardenberger. In keeping with the Halloween spirit, the program will conclude with Gruber’s famous madcap composition Frankenstein!!

8pm, tickets range from $11-$59. Tickets available online, at the Ordway or by calling the box office at 651.291.1144.

For more info visit www.ordway.org

Need a costume? Try Twin Cities Costume & Magic!

Still looking for the perfect costume? Look no further than Twin Cities Costume & Magic shop. A long time local staple, this whimsical shop has been supplying Twin Citizens with the means to scare, delight and entertain for many, many years. Recently relocated to a larger space on E. 7th & Wacouta in downtown St. Paul from it’s original location on West 7th, TCCM offers over 15,000 items for sale including over 4,000 rentals, as well as wigs, masks, accessories, special efects makeup and much, much more. With extended hours for Halloween, you certainly can’t go wrong with a last minute trip to this joint to round out your spook-tacular ensemble.

For more information visit www.twincitiesmagic.com

For awesome Halloween nightlife events this weekend check out our resident party guide, Jahna Peloquin’s weekend events blog HERE!

THURSDAY: Gallery 360 Jewelry Trunk Show
Swing by Gallery 360 for a trunk show featuring Silver Cocoon by Tia Keobounpheng, Jill Smith and Mel Tudisco. I’m a huge fan of Keobounpheng’s modern-art inspired laser-cut plastic and wood necklaces, earrings, bracelets and brooches. Bonus: a 20 percent off storewide sale kicks off Thursday and continues through Sunday. (Trunk show 6-9 p.m. 3011 W 50th St., St. Paul. 612-925-2400. www.gallery360mpls.com)

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St. Paul’s got your nightlife and music needs covered this weekend. Check out the highlights of Thursday, July 16 through Wednesday, July 22:

THURSDAY

Fancy Ray in the '80s

Fancy Ray and John Conroy at Station 4
If the name Fancy Ray doesn’t seem familiar, his face will. Chances are you’ve seen him hawking products in local commercials looking like a dead ringer for Little Richard, for which he’s become relatively well-known since the mid 1980s. When he’s not being a TV pitchman, running for governor of Minnesota (which he did in 1998), or auditioning for realty TV shows like America’s Got Talent, the self-proclaimed “Best Looking Man in Comedy” also happens to have a comedy act. Though his slapstick act may elicit more groans than belly laughs, it’s worth seeing for the sake of witnessing a longtime local fixture. (8 p.m. Free. 21-plus. 201 E. 4th St., St. Paul. 651-298-0173.)

Also Thursday: Renowned folk singer Arlo Guthrie at the Fitzgerald Theater…Music in Mears featuring The Melismatics in Mears Park…The University Of Minnesota’s Noontime Concert Series featuring Chris Koza at the St. Paul Student Center…Golden Animals, The Suits and Hildur Victoria at the Turf Club.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE…

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I’m a tried and true Saint Paul girl. I grew up in Highland Park, went to High School at St. Paul Central, and have worked and played in pretty much every nook and cranny of our fine capitol city. My career as an arts writer, photographer, curator, and general arts instigator has led me through the Twin Cities and beyond. However, the streets of St. Paul are the streets that I will always consider home.

From the bustling shopping mecca that is Grand Avenue to the festive and colorful borough of Saint Paul’s West Side, and from the classic, tree-lined scenery of Summit Avenue to the beautiful architecture of Downtown — Saint Paul is truly a place to live a charmed life. We revel in our gorgeous parks and the rampant bits of lovingly maintained green space that pepper the city from end to end. We are constantly encouraged to learn about and appreciate our rich history, as a city, and as people, with unparalleled cultural and educational resources. Our arts community thrives and flourishes, feeding off its own creative energy and inspiring new artists to join its ranks each day.

Last weekend I fell in love with St. Paul all over again. My evening began at the Fitzgerald Theater, with a dazzling performance by the Classical Ballet Academy and Ballet Minnesota, as part of the Minnesota Dance Festival. Dozens of darling children graced the stage with rousing theatrics and whimsical choreography, followed by a progressive lineup of pre-teens to young adults whose talents seemed to almost trump themselves with each act. Ballet Minnesota finished the night with a mesmerizing performance of La Bayadere, a production filled with glittering ballerinas and brilliant movement. The intimate theater set the backdrop perfectly; it’s no surprise that Ballet Minnesota has pegged the Fitz as its new home.

My night continued at Lowertown’s AZ Gallery, where the College of Visual Arts was holding its annual thesis show, which runs through May 31st. The impressive work by this slew of young emerging artists was inventive and eclectic. I ended up buying a piece of work from 2003 CVA grad D.C. Ice, an AZ Gallery resident artist. Next on the itinerary was a bottle of red wine and some experimental music at the cozy Black Dog Cafe, followed by a late-night burger at Mickey’s Diner.

My experience in Saint Paul last Friday was a lovely and memorable. The kind of night I know can be re-created 1000 different ways this summer — for you, and for me. I want you to use STAYcation as your personal concierge, a resource to inspire you to live that “charmed life” that I previously mentioned. Please come back often, I’m so excited to tell you all the city’s secrets!