The Foo Fighters’ first Twin Cities show in over half a decade on Sunday was a masterclass in rock showmanship.

Nearly 30 years after the band’s inception, the Foo Fighters delivered a tour-de-force stadium rock show for the tens of thousands of fans watching them at Target Field.

After a 15-minute delay due to intermittent rain, the crowd’s excitement at the stadium was palpable as the Foo Fighters took the stage and opened their set with the explosive “All My Life.”

It was clear from the moment the band started playing that the Foo Fighters could still bring the passion and energy needed to excite and entertain a packed stadium for nearly three hours. 

Frontman Dave Grohl, charismatic as usual, was the stand-out performer throughout the night. The 55-year-old sang and screamed, sometimes with more energy than was on the band’s studio recordings.

Grohl’s prowess as a songwriter was highlighted throughout the band’s career-spanning set, which featured songs from nearly every Foo Fighters album. With songs ranging from the Foo Fighters’ first single “This Is A Call,” to their modern-rock classic, “The Pretender,” to the band’s newer material, it was obvious the band’s reputation preceded itself as they went through the setlist in rapid-fire succession.

It is rare for a band like the Foo Fighters, who came to prominence decades ago, to still find their new material clicking with fans just as much as their classics, but the Foo Fighters performed songs from their great 2023 album “But Here We Are” to an extremely receptive crowd. The crowd consistently met the band’s energy level throughout the night, making for a memorable night of live music.

As one of the most charming rock frontmen, Grohl continued to delight the crowd. Onstage, Grohl paid tribute to the Twin Cities music scene, referencing their 1995 performance at First Avenue and later citing St. Paul’s Hüsker Dü as one of his favorite bands of all time, even giving them a lyrical shoutout during the song “Times Like These.”

Grohl brought out his 18-year-old daughter Violet Grohl for a performance of their duet from the band’s latest album, “Show Me How.” Grohl and his daughter sounded great, just like they did on the album, and the performance was extra special considering it is only one of a handful of performances of the song the band has done to date.

Capping off the night was the Foo Fighters’ greatest song, the expertly dynamic “Everlong,” a perfect climax to a night of summer rock and roll. Like many songs performed over the night, the band sounded nearly spot-on to the original recording as they played it live, with Grohl adding dimension to the song with his vibrant live presence.

There is no doubt about it: the Foo Fighters are still one of the most fun stadium rock acts to watch live. 

Whether it be their earliest material or their latest, the band consistently produces melodic rock bangers, and Sunday night’s show at Target Field felt like an exhibition of the last 30 years of their great music. Hopefully, it will not be too long before they return for another undoubtedly great rock show.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman inject much-needed life and levity into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a film that breaks away from the superhero movie cliches amid audiences’ MCU fatigue.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first “Deadpool” film since Disney acquired 20th Century Studios, the studio that owned the film rights to the character. It is the first R-rated movie Disney has ever produced. 

While there was some concern as to whether the Deadpool character would remain as violent and vulgar under Disney’s control, “Deadpool & Wolverine” shows that Disney did not hold the filmmakers back.

Seven years after his last appearance as Wolverine, Jackman remains great in the role. 

While Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine character died in the critically acclaimed 2017 film “Logan,” in this film, Deadpool travels to different universes to bring the character back to save his universe.

This Wolverine from an alternate universe is not the same hero from the mainline universe; he wallows in alcoholic depression throughout the film. This new version of the character is close enough to the Wolverine we know and love from the original X-Men films, but also allows Jackman to approach the character from a different angle.

Reynolds remains as funny and charismatic as ever as the titular character, making lots of fourth-wall-breaking jokes poking fun at the current state of the MCU. These jokes are compelling because most people are getting tired of the MCU, and Deadpool is the perfect character to deliver this meta-humor.

The film is loaded with fan service, even more so than “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” as the film brings back many characters from previous Marvel movies for the first time since Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. If you are a Marvel fan, you will be smiling ear-to-ear when you see these characters return to the big screen.

Like the “Deadpool” movies before it, “Deadpool & Wolverine” satisfies as an action-packed blockbuster. It is loaded with bloody, over-the-top violence and edited in such a way that it never gets old throughout the film.

While the movie feels like a breath of fresh air in many ways, it is not without its problems — the film’s length being one of the more noticeable ones. At just over two hours in length, there are at least 30 minutes of the movie that could have been cut. The film starts to drag towards the end, and even though Reynolds makes a fourth-wall-breaking joke about it to the audience, it does not make it any better.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is more about the dialogue, characters and action than the story, so while many parts of the film were compelling, the story did not hold enough weight to justify the runtime. Given the film’s comedic, tongue-in-cheek nature, a more concise runtime closer to 90 minutes would have made the film significantly better.

After a long wait for a third “Deadpool” film, Disney has thankfully delivered another good film in the franchise. While the movie is just too long, it is loaded with fun comedy, exhilarating action and plenty of surprises for long-time Marvel fans. Not only is it the best Marvel film in some time, it is one of the most fun movies to hit theaters this year.

The 60th annual Uptown Art Fair will showcase over 150 local artists who specialize in different mediums on Aug. 3 and 4. 

The fair is usually hosted outdoors on Hennepin Avenue but has been moved to the Bachman’s Floral, Home & Garden Center in Uptown this year due to construction in the area. Many of the artists will have their own booths showcasing their artwork.

Brit Sigh, owner of Midnight Run Studio, creates outstanding illustrations and paintings and has even created style guides for action figures from Marvel and Disney. Several of his works will be displayed at the Uptown Art Fair.

Sigh said art has been a life-long passion for him as he wanted to be a comic book artist when he was a kid.

“I’ve been doing it all my life,” Sigh said. “I had a lot of outside noises telling me that you don’t make a lot of money as an artist, I didn’t realize you can actually have a career in it, so it took me a little while to actually get back to art, to actually really lean into it, to really go full-force toward it.”

In his work, Sigh often depicts Black youth as heroes in futuristic, fantasy settings. He said these kinds of works are underrepresented in the art community.

“I didn’t see that kind of stuff growing up, and I still don’t see a lot of it in contemporary art so it’s my focus, to focus on kids and their imagination and the endless possibilities,” Sigh said. 

Local Oil Painter Anna Stark creates hyper-realistic paintings reminiscent of pop art. Stark, a mother of three, began painting in 2020 and is now displaying her work at the Uptown Art Fair.

“One day, I was sitting down with my four or five-year-old daughter,” Stark said. “We just had a cheap set of paints, we started painting and it just snowballed from there. Over the last four years, with thousands of hours of practice, I went from having no talent to developing a skill for this realism painting.”

Stark said given the realistic nature of her paintings, people are surprised they are not photographs.

“When people look at my art, sometimes they walk right past my artwork, they just think they are photographs and not very exciting if it’s just like a picture of a Pez dispenser,” Stark said. “But once they stick around and they learn that it’s an oil painting, they’re like ‘Oh my gosh, wow, that’s a painting.’” 

While her paintings are done with realism in mind, Stark said that she also tries to invoke a sense of nostalgia within her artwork.

Stark said her kids seeing her improve as an artist is a motivating aspect of her art career.

“Part of the journey is just showing them that I had no talent, and now I have gained this skill, and now I am showing it and sharing it with the world and bringing them along on my journey, and just having fun and spreading joy,” Stark said.

Amanda Black of Black Loon Studio creates and sells prints inspired by Minnesota’s nature. She will have pieces available for purchase at the Uptown Art Fair. After graduating with a degree in photography, Black pursued printmaking, with much of her artwork inspired by time spent outdoors.

Black said showing her artwork at events like the Uptown Art Fair is a rewarding experience.

“I often hear stories,” Black said. “I have an image with three bears in the trees, and people will show me pictures of the time they saw bears climbing a tree, and I just love doing that.”

The Uptown Art Fair is spotlighting the amazing Twin Cities art scene by displaying the great works of Sigh, Stark, Black and many others. It is shaping up to be one of the coolest art events this summer. For local art connoisseurs, this is sure to be a highlight of the summer.

Last weekend, the Minnesota Yacht Club brought in roughly 60,000 people for the first music festival at Harriet Island in St. Paul since 2012.

The festival had a stacked lineup featuring big-name headliners Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The inaugural festival also booked big local acts Soul Asylum and Hippo Campus, along with up-and-coming Minnesota bands Durry, Gully Boys and Bugsy.

With festivals like Rock the Garden and Soundset ceasing operations in recent years, there has been a drought of large music festivals in the Twin Cities. But it appears the demand is finally being met by the Minnesota Yacht Club, with plans already in place to hold the festival again next year.

With a wonderful view of the Mississippi River and the Wabasha Street Bridge, Harriet Island feels like a no-brainer location choice for a music festival of this size. The scenic view provided a relaxed summer atmosphere as the performances went on into the night.

On the festival’s opening day, Harriet Island was packed to the brim with thousands of concertgoers before sundown. Gwen Stefani put on a remarkably high-energy, hour-plus-long performance featuring her solo hits, iconic songs by No Doubt and even an on-stage duet with her husband Blake Shelton. The night ended with headliner Alanis Morissette, who performed nearly the entirety of her classic 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill.”

Anna Adamson, 19, attended the festival with her mom specifically to see Alanis Morrissette’s appearance, as they were able to get tickets the day of the festival.

“She’s a big Alanis Morissette fan, and so that’s her favorite,” Adamson said. “I grew up listening to that with her and we were there for her for sure.” 

Adamson said while the festival line-up felt like it was catered towards Generation X, the festival brought out a multi-generational crowd.

“It was definitely like a family event,” Adamson said. “You could just see a lot of different generations there, which is really cool to see.” 

Sam Lee and Olivia Kanzler, both 23, attended the first day of the festival together to catch performances from The Head and The Heart, Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morisette.

“The setup was well thought-out, the music was great and the atmosphere was amazing,” Lee said. “The only thing we thought could use improvement was the food and refreshment lines. They were very long for a good portion of the day.”

The festival had a plethora of local vendors including Bennett’s Chop and Railhouse, Roon’s Savory Cones, Surly Brewing Company and more. 

Unfortunately, by the time the headliners took to the stage, the food and drink lines were very long, moving at a snail’s pace. With a large festival like this, it is to be expected that lines for concessions will be long, but it appears Minnesota Yacht Club underestimated how many vendors they needed for the weekend.

Adamson said the wait for food and drinks was a drawback of the festival experience.

“I did have a really good night because the music was great, but the food situation was definitely frustrating,” Adamson said. “They needed almost double the amount of food vendors they had.”

Aside from the food and drink lines, Minnesota Yacht Club went smoothly over its two-day run. With the festival’s debut weekend behind them, the organizers will hopefully figure out how to make the festival even better next year.

While the festival was not quite perfect, it was still fun. Any Twin Cities residents who enjoy huge, outdoor music festivals should keep an eye out for details for next year’s Minnesota Yacht Club festival.

Imagine you are at a big concert, standing in the packed general admission floor with your friends and hundreds of others. After hours of dancing, you take a break to get some water, but you find out that you have to pay $3, or more, at the bar for a small serving of water. This feels excessive for something needed to live.

It is important to acknowledge that dehydration and heat exhaustion can be life-threatening. Just last summer, a 23-year-old woman died at a Taylor Swift concert due to heat exhaustion. 

With the effects of climate change already taking place, heat-related emergencies will become more commonplace, making accessible, free water at concerts more important. There is no better time than now to have an industry-wide standard of free water at concerts.

University of Minnesota student Diana Fick, 22, said water at concerts should be free.

“Concerts are already expensive, and the extra cost of water can be a burden,” Fick said. “Offering free water stations where people can refill their water bottles would be a more sustainable and customer-friendly approach.”

Fick added that having venues with free water makes the overall concert-going experience more enjoyable.

“Knowing that there is free water available at a venue makes me feel more comfortable and less anxious about my well-being at a concert,” Fick said. “The high cost of attending a concert shouldn’t be exacerbated by the need to pay for water.”

For example, Xcel Energy Center allows reusable water bottles into the venue upon inspection, but if you do not have the foresight to bring your own, you will have to pay for an over-priced bottle of Dasani.

The Armory lists water bottles and beverage containers on their restricted items list, leaving the only option as buying a plastic water bottle at the bar.

Jess Valiarovski, a University biochemistry student, emphasized the importance of staying hydrated at concerts.

“It’s easy to lose a lot of fluid quickly in an event like a concert where it’s highly crowded,” Valiarovski said. “You’re likely drinking alcohol or using other substances, and you’re expending a lot of energy enjoying the concert. Dehydration can quickly become a medical emergency.”

Lief Johnson, 21, feels conflicted on the issue. 

“Honestly I think it’s pretty stupid, but at the same time I also understand if it’s like bottled water they have to recoup the cost of buying the bottles,” Johnson said. 

Johnson said paying for water is inconvenient, but it is not an important factor in the concert-going experience for him. 

“It would never influence my decision on whether or not to go to a certain venue,” Johnson said.

When going to see a concert on a night out, especially bigger venues like Xcel Energy Center and Target Center, the expenses of transportation, concert tickets and parking already feel like more than enough, and the cost of a plastic water bottle feels like an insult to injury.

If you did not bring your own bottle, your only option for drinking water while enjoying the show is to pay at these big arenas, which feels like an infuriating inconvenience.

Some venues in the Twin Cities, however, are good about having free, accessible water. These include all venues owned and operated by First Avenue, which have free glasses at the bar, or the Varsity Theater and The Fillmore, both of which have water refill stations with cups. 

If more venues had free water like they do, everyone would have a better time at concerts.

Eminem has fallen flat on his face with his twelfth studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce),” released on Friday. Eminem has become a shell of his former self in recent years, with his 2017 album “Revival” being his particular fall from grace, but he has somehow managed to dig his rap career even further into the grave with his latest LP.

The once-respected emcee, known for his unmatched inventive wordplay in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, has produced an album so horrible it almost discounts his great contributions to hip-hop. This album has constant lyrical blunders over mediocre beats that make this album extremely difficult to get through.

Former Radio K DJ Rogan Isbell, 23, is a fan of Eminem’s earlier work but says the rapper has fallen off considerably since his heyday.

“It just seems like, creatively, he hasn’t been there in almost 20 years,” Isbell said. “It’s hard for me to call him one of the greatest rappers ever when you see other guys that have been more consistent in finding ways to change with the rap game, whereas Eminem can kind of sound like an old man yelling at clouds.”

Isbell said Eminem should have retired by now.

“There’s no shame in calling it quits,” Isbell said.

Emimem’s lyrics are supposed to be edgy, but on this album, he consistently tries to be provocative in the laziest ways possible by repeating the same buzzwords and dated pop culture references. 

Just about everything wrong with the album can be heard on the second track, “Habits” featuring Singer-songwriter White Gold, one of many songs that show Eminem being out-performed by the featured artist as he pitifully tries to stir up outrage within the lyrics.

“Got the women pissed and it seems like men are just off growing a huge clitoris / Yeah, I probably annoyed a few feminists,” Eminem raps.

Even when the lyrics are not edgy, they are pathetically uninspired, like when Eminem raps “in Pakistan gettin’ chased by a pack of stans” on “Habits” — a far cry from the wordplay that made him legendary in the first place.

Later on the same track, he tops it off with some more cringeworthy bars, as he raps “Here come the censors, like the Avengers / And they assemble like Prince and then turn a word like ginger into the n-word / All these pronouns I can’t remember.”

There is not a compelling beat on the album until track seven, “Lucifer,” which was co-produced by Eminem’s mentor, Dr. Dre. Unsurprisingly, the song is ruined by Eminem’s lyrics from the outset, as he raps dull verses about being “kicked off Twitter and TikTok ‘cause they’re so damn ticked off.”

The first minute of the ninth track, “Fuel,” is surprisingly good, which is not a coincidence because Eminem does not utter a single word during it. Instead, Atlanta rapper JID takes the spotlight for one of the few good moments in the album.

Soon after is the album’s lead single “Houdini,” which contains one of Eminem’s laziest sample flips ever. The song miraculously feels like a breath of fresh air, a testament to just how terrible this album is, because this song is still pretty bad.

Eminem turns the cringe factor down and gets serious on track 15, “Temporary,” which features his frequent collaborator Skylar Grey. The song is a touching tribute to his daughter Hailie and stands out as a pretty good song within a sea of garbage.

One of the album’s other few and far-between good moments is on “Tobey,” in which Eminem gets outperformed by rising Detroit rapper Babytron as he cheekily raps “Tobey Maguire got bit by a spider / but see, me, it was a goat.” 

Eminem repeats the same line later in the song, and it just does not hit the same, hammering home the fact that Eminem is not funny on this album, no matter how hard he tries.

The rotten cherry on top of this album is its closing track, “Somebody Save Me,” which is doused in corny, sentimental 2010-sounding production. It amounts to a forced tender moment that is not even a quarter as good as “Temporary.”

The Eminem who made great records like “The Marshall Mathers LP” is nowhere to be heard on “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).” The 51-year-old could not help but resort to ill-conceived lyrics throughout this 64-minute-long project as he desperately tries to make himself relevant again. 

Avoid this album at all costs.

On Friday, Lucky Cat Records kicked off its grand opening weekend with a special in-store performance from Tommy Stinson Saturday night.

The retail space on Lyndale Avenue and 26th Street is an important landmark for the local music scene, as members of legendary local bands like The Replacements and Hüsker Dü frequented the space, later known as Oar Folkjokeopus (Oar Folk for short) a record store from the 1980s. Oar Folk closed in 2001 and was transformed into Treehouse Records, which occupied the space until 2017.

Almost seven years after Treehouse Records closed up shop, Lucky Cat Records re-opened the space as a record store honoring the local music scene both in the record bins and on the walls.

The store was packed with vinyl-heads on Saturday, many of whom nostalgic for the days of Oar Folkjokeopus and Treehouse. The evening ended with an in-store performance by Tommy Stinson, a former member of The Replacements.

Michele Swanson, owner of Lucky Cat Records, said the location was an important part of the vibrant Twin Cities music scene of the ‘80s. 

“It’s almost an epicenter for a lot of the music that came out of the 80s,” Swanson said. “A lot of the punk music and post-punk and many of the bands and artists spent a great deal of time in the store. The Replacements were discovered here, Soul Asylum, Hüsker Dü, The Suburbs, it was a really special time when all that came together.”

Swanson said she wanted to open the store at this location because of its local significance. After connecting with Mark Trehus, owner of Treehouse Records and the building, the opportunity to open a new record store presented itself.

Swanson said the grand opening weekend was a success, with many customers sharing fond memories of the stores that occupied the space in decades past.

“We had all kinds of people all day yesterday in and out,” Swanson said. “And lots of people… coming in with all sorts of stories about being here when it was Oar Folk or when it was Treehouse. So everybody’s got a story, which was just fantastic.”

Patrick Tape Fleming, 43, drove up from Des Moines, Iowa to check out the store.

“I think it’s really cool, because it’s not only a store, but like a little Minneapolis music museum,” Tape Fleming said. “And I love that, being a huge Minneapolis music fan.”

The walls inside Lucky Cat Records are adorned with posters of some of the biggest names to come out of Minnesota, like Babes in Toyland, Semisonic, Soul Asylum and The Replacements. The store also has a significant portion dedicated to local artists, stacked with sealed records from artists like Bob Dylan and Low.

Jack Erickson, 65, enjoyed his experience visiting the store on Saturday.

“It seems like it’s geared more to a lot of local music from, you know, from back in the day when the Uptown was cool,” Erickson said.

With the store packed over the opening weekend, it seems like local music fans are rejoicing over the record store on Lyndale and 26th.

Hideaway, the biggest smoke shop in Dinkytown, is one of 13 locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin. While it is mostly smokers and THC users that flock to Hideaway for pipes, lighters and edibles, there are options at Hideaway for you, even if you do not smoke or consume THC.

Here are some superlatives for Hideaway’s most notable items. Store manager Marianna Peters provided some of her THC product recommendations as well.

Best THC edible: Retro Bakery’s milk chocolate bar

Sick of the gummies that dominate the THC edible market? Retro Bakery’s milk chocolate bar is a dangerously good alternative. It is a near-perfect edible as it tastes just like the real thing, with a faint hemp undertone that is easy to miss. Not only are Retro Bakery’s products manufactured in Minnesota, they recently partnered with former governor Jesse Ventura for a line of edibles. If you are a THC user with a sweet tooth, you can not go wrong with this one.

Best THC edible (manager’s pick): Relax gummies

Peters recommends Relax gummies, Hideaway’s own brand of edibles. 

“These are five milligrams of Delta-9, 15 milligrams of CBD,” Peters said. “So they’re kind of a mood booster, I’d say they’re really good for nighttime, hence the name.” 

Peters added that these edibles are slightly cheaper than most at just $15.

Best THC drink: Minny Grown’s Moscow Moose cannabis cocktail

While Hideaway’s selection of THC beverages is not nearly as robust as its other items, they have some solid options, with an outstanding one being Minny Grown’s Moscow Moose. 

This cannabis-infused drink is made by local company Minny Grown and it tastes very close to your traditional Moscow mule cocktail. If you are looking for a good alternative to an alcoholic cocktail, the Moscow Moose is a compelling option.

Best THC drink (manager’s pick): Bong Water cannabis beverage

The fruit-juice-like drink from Bong Water Beverage Company is Peters’ favorite option for THC drinks.

“They taste really good, which is rare for stuff like this,” Peters said. “These ones are 10 milligrams and they hit a lot faster than edibles would.” 

If you want a THC drink without carbonation, this one is a Hideaway favorite.

Best item for non-smokers/non-THC users: Incense

Want to rid your living space of an unruly smell? Incense is a great option, considering they are much stronger and cheaper than candles. Hideaway is pretty much the only store on campus that carries incense sticks, and it is one of the only non-smoking-related items they carry. If you are a student who does not want to make the trek to Electric Fetus in Minneapolis for incense, Hideaway carries a good variety from the same brand as the Electric Fetus.

Most quintessential stoner item: Bob Marley Zippo Lighter

In case you wanted to make it even more obvious that you smoke weed, Hideaway has several different Zippo lighters to choose from that honor the king of reggae. While pricier than a standard BIC lighter, some smokers prefer Zippo lighters, as they can hold a flame when it is windy outside. 

Most terrifying bong: Whatever this is

The pipe selection behind the glass cases at Hideaway is a sight to behold, to say the least. From pipes in the $20 range up to over $2000, they have a robust selection of hand-crafted pipes that seem almost like an art exhibition. 

This multicolored creature takes the cake for the most startling pipe in the store. If you have $109 to spare, you can get even more unnerved and paranoid by using this during your next smoke session.

Coolest bong: Red, white and blue

For $249.99, this bong from Minneapolis-based glass company Minnesota Legit is the most aesthetically pleasing water pipe at Hideaway. This barber’s pole-adjacent bong has a good balance between inventive and conventional design, as it is satisfyingly colorful but thankfully lacks the body parts that can be seen on other handmade pipes at the store.

Hideaway is one of the more eccentric shops near campus when considering their product inventory. Whether you walk in for something specific or you just want to take a look at the handmade glass items, you will definitely leave the store with an interesting memory.

“Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody” is the latest high-profile art exhibit to hit the Twin Cities. 

The work of Keith Haring, the renowned artist and activist who died of AIDS in 1990 at the age of 31, is being shown at the Walker Art Center through Sept. 8. Minneapolis is the third city to see the exhibit as it tours North America.

The New York City artist’s style of graffiti and pop art took the world by storm as it permeated pop culture in the 1980s. On top of being an influential artist, Haring was an outspoken AIDS activist and advocate for social justice, which is conveyed through many of the pieces selected for this year’s exhibit.

The exhibit shows a variety of Haring’s incredible work, ranging from his eccentric murals that tackle sexuality and politics to his iconographies of dogs, the “Radiant Baby” and people dancing.

Siri Engberg, senior curator and director of visual arts at the Walker Art Center and the coordinating curator for the Haring exhibit, said this exhibit was a long time coming.

“It’s an exhibition that is long overdue,” Engberg said. “Keith Haring hasn’t had a major retrospective in the U.S. in well over 20 years. So it really was a chance to bring this body of work together in a way that really showed the totality of Haring’s career.”

Engberg said the team behind the exhibit highlighted Haring’s work as an activist while curating the exhibit.

“A lot of people know the crawling baby and the barking dog and some of these more iconic images, but they don’t know what a significant activist he was, and how impactful he was during his lifetime in terms of using his platform as an artist who was gaining more fame and recognition to really make a difference,” Engberg said.

The name of the exhibit reflects Haring’s passion for making art accessible to all, whether it be through his graffiti on the New York City subway or encouraging children to engage with art.

“The title of the Walker exhibition is ‘Art is for Everybody,’ and I think that that phrase is really not about sanitizing art so that it’s pleasing to everybody in a singular form, but that he was trying to reach different people and educate different people in different ways,” Meehleder said. 

Haring’s work is lauded in part because of how recognizable and singular his art style is. LeAnn Qie, an art major at the University, described the appeal of Haring’s art style.

“I really like his art,” Qie said. “Because it’s simplistic it has a certain charm to it that makes me really adore it. That is, I feel like, something a lot of us artists strive for is one day to be famous enough for people to recognize you from your work. So I think it’s awesome.”

If you are a fan of Haring or contemporary art in general, “Art is for Everybody” is an exhibit you should seek out expeditiously.

Pixies and Modest Mouse’s co-headlining performances on Friday made for one of this year’s best concerts.

This was the first concert of the year at Surly Brewing Festival Field, one of the only large outdoor venues in the Twin Cities. While the crowd got rained on later into the evening, attendees did not stop having fun as they took in these memorable performances and enjoyed the outdoor venue. 

Amber Owens, 42, a fan of all three acts performing, was impressed by the venue.

“I was kind of wondering how they were doing it, I saw in the pictures on the website that it looks pretty packed at whatever show that was taken at, but there’s lots of space, a decent amount of restrooms and I love that they have a lot of options for food,” Owens said.

Tristan Knoblauch, 22, said he enjoyed his first visit to the venue.

“This is actually my first time, and it’s kick-ass,” Knoblauch said. “Right next to the Surly brewery, it’s a really cool joint they got here.”

Friday night’s double bill brought out fans young and old to see these alternative-rock legends.

Modest Mouse went on before the Pixies and performed an excellent set that highlighted their most famous songs like “Float On” and “Dashboard” while also treating fans to deep cuts like “Breakthrough” and “Night on the Sun.”

As usual, Modest Mouse was impressively dynamic as a live act. Whether it was playing a slower song like “Fire it Up” or a more aggressive track like “Satin in a Coffin,” the songs they performed had a good variety of energy and vibe.

Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse’s frontman and primary songwriter, was enthralling as he expertly played his inventive, intricate guitar parts while singing and yelping with commendable energy.

It remains clear that Modest Mouse is one of the hardest working bands in the industry, as they come to the Twin Cities just about every year like clockwork and put on a great show every time.

Afterward came the Pixies 80-minute-long set, which was even better than Modest Mouse’s impressive set — a testament to how great the double-billing was.

The influential four-piece packed over 20 songs into their setlist, performing one after the other with little to no room for stage banter in between.

Except for new bassist Emma Richardson, the band had the same lineup since they gained notoriety in the late ‘80s, and it is reassuring to hear the band perform their classic songs with the same vitality and energy they did on the albums in their heyday.

Frontman Frank Black’s booming voice and frantic guitar playing gave the band’s performance an outstanding level of energy, especially for a legacy act. Richardson was great on bass and impressively filled the absence of Kim Deal by replicating her original vocal parts on a few songs.

While the audience was hyped for the whole show, certain songs generated even more excitement. Once the opening chord of “Here Comes Your Man” hit, cheers from the crowd were abundant. Throughout the band’s most famous song “Where Is My Mind?,” many concert-goers sang along and got emotional.

With the amount of songs they played and their constant level of passion and energy, Pixies remarkably blew Modest Mouse out of the water.

With two great back-to-back headlining sets from Pixies and Modest Mouse, Surly has kicked off their summer concert season with a bang.