This Week in Geek (10/14/19–10/20/19)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, October 14, to Sunday, October 20.

Penguin Teen Game Night

What: Books, Family
When: Monday, October 14, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Red Balloon Bookshop

Frivolity and fun await at the Penguin Teen Game Night. Join Penguin Teen and authors Rosaria Munda (Fireborne), Tochi Onyebuchi (War Girls), and Natalie C. Parker (Steel Tide) for a night full of games, prizes, discussion, swag and insight into upcoming YA books. This is a ticketed event, but all are welcome, see the website for RSVP options.

Twin Cities Monday Night Backgammon

What: Gaming
When: Monday, October 14, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Richfield American Legion

Enjoy a night of backgammon with two tournaments. Entry to this event is $5, and this is a great chance for both pros and newcomers to learn this classic game of strategy.

Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

This event invites participants to let their creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever their hearts desire at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. Meet at the Waterbury Building at 6:30 and carpool or walk to see creativity in action.

Pokémon Go Trainer Tuesdays at Parkway Pizza

What: Gaming, Food & Drink
When: Tuesday, October 15, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Parkway Pizza

A trainer strives to catch them all, and gain prowess and respect. This weekly event at Parkway Pizza is an opportunity to catch fun drink and food specials, meet other aspiring trainers, and square off against worthy opponents to win status and power. You can and will win, even if winning may just mean having a good time meeting other pocket-monster fans.

Café Scientifique

What: Educational, Science & Technology
When: Tuesday, October 15, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl

Café Scientifique—presented by the Bell Museum of Natural History—is “a happy hour exchange of ideas about science, environment, and popular culture, featuring experts from a variety of fields on diverse and often provocative topics. This month’s topic is “Deciphering Dinosaur Lives: From Microscopes to Madagascar,” presented and hosted by Leah Peterson Sisler, featuring Kristina Curry Rogers, PhD. Expect a lively discussion regarding the dinosaurs, what we know, and how we know it. Tickets are $5 to $12, online or at the door

John Cusack, with a Screening of Say Anything

What: Movies
When: Tuesday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m.; dance party at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Ordway

Join John Cusack for a screening of the film that helped build his stardom—Say Anything. Say Anything is a classic of modern romance full of iconic moments. The screening of the film will be followed with a live conversation regarding Mr. Cusack’s career, and the production of the film itself. Show up early for the Say Anything dance party, hosted by Minnesota’s own Jake Rudh of Transmission fame.

Brews & Board Games

What: Gaming, Food & Drink
When: Wednesday, October 16, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Surly Brewing Co.

Drink, game, and get surly at this event hosted at Surly Brewing Co. and put on by Uffda Games. Come meet fellow gamers and have a beer and some food. This event is intended as a way to bring adult gamers together with game developers for hobnobbing and learning new games. There will be happy-hour specials and a raffle at this event.

GothiCoffee

What: Meetup
When: Wednesday, October 16, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Cafe Meow (St. Paul)

The Twin Cities Elysium Society hosts a casual meetup on the third Wednesday of each month. This group is a “community and a resource for all manner of goth, not-goth, darksider, freak, punk, metal, steam, cyber, rivet, Victorian, romantic, grufti, espeluznante, emo, otaku, morbidly inclined, dark creative, what-have-you (you know who you are).”

Mystic Dawn/Amtgard: Park Days

What: Gaming, Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Oak Grove Park

Amtgard, a global organization focused on the sport of medieval-fantasy combat, will be hosting a gathering in Oak Grove Park. Participants can take part in glorious quests, battle, and more, all with the use of foam weapons for the sake of safety. Garb is encouraged, but not required, and loaner weapons are available. This is a free-to-play event, but long-term players are expected to support the organization with $6 or $10 dues.

Trash Film Debauchery: Blood Surf (AKA Krocodylus)

What: Movies
When: Wednesday, October 16, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Trylon Cinema

Long-running local cult-cinema group Trash Film Debauchery returns to the Trylon for the second in the group’s Surfer Series: Blood Surf (Krocodylus). This surfing film ups the ante by chumming the water to draw in danger, and was filmed in a mockumentary style familiar to those who’d watched MTV in the late ’90s. Tickets are $5.

Haunted Basement

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, October 10, through Thursday, October 31; various times
Where: Rosedale Shopping Center

The Haunted Basement (article here) conjures up psychological horror, artist-created environments, and immersive performances in the 14th terrifying season of their legendary haunted attraction. Brave thrill seekers can embark on their traditional, full-contact experience, or go in solo with an Invocation ticket for maximum frights. The Haunted Basement also offers no-touch, low-intensity, and “fraidy cat” tours to accommodate attendees’ individual needs and spook preferences, and teen 15+ tours that require a parent or guardian. Tickets are $15 to $30, and all attendees must bring an ID and sign a waiver. A full list of showtimes and an FAQ on what to expect can be found on the Haunted Basement website.

Third Thursday: Artists Respond

What: Arts, Meetup, Educational
When: Thursday, October 17, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Minneapolis Institute of Art continues its free Third Thursday series with an evening of literature and art focused on the artists responses to the Vietnam War and contemporary issues. This event will feature thought-provoking live music, an opportunity to send a postcard to your representatives, and more—all in celebration of the way that art can reflect society, politics, and more.

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, October 17, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its sub-club Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings at the Waterbury Building, and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” or to “hang out and work with the crafty stuff we have here!”

Double-Blind Improv

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, October 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Honey (Minneapolis)

Double-Blind Improv, presented by Fearless Comedy Productions, is a “short-form improv show where you never know what might happen because neither do we!” Performers and improv games are chosen at random during the show, which takes place on the third Thursday of every month.

Joker’s Wild: A Batman Parody

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, October 17, through Saturday, October 19; at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Minnsky Theater

When the Joker doses Arkham’s most notorious residents with a hyper-specific, love-inducing gas and releases them for some Halloween fun, the Caped Crusader gets some unexpected attention in this comedic Batman parody. Presented by Wicked Wenches Cabaret, this show features the award-winning cabaret, burlesque, comedy, and circus performance that put them on the map. Bat-fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters and snap pics in their photo booth. Tickets start at $20 and is for the 18+ crowd only.

Motherlanded: A One-Woman Show About Life as a Chinese Adoptee

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, October 17, through Sunday, October 27; various times
Where: Dreamland Arts (St. Paul)

Motherlanded is a one-woman show written and performed by Julia Gay, focused on her life as a Chinese adoptee. This story chronicles a journey from China to the United States, and makes that journey using poetry, memoir, and music. Tickets are $10 to $20, and there are a variety of showtimes available, including an ASL performance on Saturday, October 19.

Mike Birbiglia’s The New One

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, October 17, through Saturday, October 19, at 7:30 p.m.; matinee on Saturday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: The Ordway

Mike Birbiglia comes to the Ordway, straight from Broadway, with a new performance about parenting in a new way. Birbiglia is well known as a comic and actor from work including Sleepwalk With Me, Broad City, and Orange is the New Black. Ticket prices vary.

Anime Fusion 2019: Infinite Possibilities

What: Conventions
When: Friday, October 18, through Sunday, October 20
Where: Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West (Plymouth)

Anime Fusion is a Twin Cities anime convention featuring panels, anime showings, cosplay, gaming, and more. Guests of honor this year include Tony Oliver, Morgan Berry, Clarine Harp, Right Stuf, Inc, and Samurai Dan & Jillian. In addition, four Twin Cities Geek contributors are featured speakers at the con. This event covers a wide variety of interests and will also include a costume contest, photo sessions, a charity auction, and space for artists. Preregistration is closed, but walk-up registration is $45 for the whole weekend, with a variety of other options available.

just/us Preview Party at Saint Paul Brewing

What: Nightlife, Food & Drink, Community
When: Friday, October 18, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Saint Paul Brewing

Come and party to celebrate the opening of just/us. This will be a night of local music, poetry, excellent food, and—given the setting—tons of beer. Expect a night of bonfires outside (BYO marshmallows), warm hearts, and good company. See our article on just/us here, which focuses on the way they impact the community.

Cole Sarar’s SciFi Reading Hour

What: Books
When: Friday, October 18, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater

This event will bring you new science fiction by local luminary Cole Sarar, with special guest Abra Staffin Wiebe. This is your chance to take in local science-fiction literature, and travel to distant places and times. These tales will be further supported by the futurist musical talents of Dameun Strange. Tickets are $11.49 with service fee.

Gender Reel 2019

What: Movies, Community
When: Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19; various screening times
Where: Metropolitan State University

This free screening series is devoted to exploration and celebration of gender. There will be a variety of films screened during the weekend, including a number of short films on Friday, with longer-form films throughout. Additionally, there will be Q&A sessions with several of the filmmakers. See the event listing for full film descriptions, and a guest list.

UGG FSA BattleTech Tabletop

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Friday, October 18, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Fallout Shelter Arcade

Come on down for an evening of tactical-mech combat! The United Geeks of Gaming meet Friday nights for a beginner-friendly session of the tabletop mech game BattleTech at Fallout Shelter Arcade in Northeast. FSA’s Virtual World gaming pods also run the immersive video-game version of BattleTech.

GPS UGG Open Gaming

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Saturday, October 19, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

The Geek Partnership Society’s United Geeks of Gaming group offers its open-gaming session, to which gamers of all ages and abilities are invited to “spend the day hanging out with fellow geeks playing, learning, and teaching games.” Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite board games, card games, and role-playing games, but the group has amassed an impressive library of its own games as well.

Oakeshott Pre-Halloween Masquerade Ball

What: Nightlife
When: Saturday, October 19, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Oakeshott Institute

Continue the tradition of pre-Halloween fun with a costume ball, cash bar, music from Alien Wailers, medieval-European arms and armor, and their enthusiasts. Get ready to dance the night away, possibly see a sword-fighting demonstration, and have a little fun to get in the Halloween spirit. Tickets are $20.

The Call of the Shadow of the Horror Out of Space

What: Theater & Comedy, Books
When: Saturday, October 19, at 10:30 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Theater

Reverend Matt, of Reverend Matt’s Monster Science, opens up the Necronomicon for a complete and accurate scientific description of the monsters of your problematic weird-horror fave H. P. Lovecraft. Learn as much as you can about the indescribable, cyclopean, and eldritch beings (if you are willing to risk the 1d6 SAN loss). The event will open with entertainment from Shanan Custer. Tickets are $12.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, October 20, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Source Comics & Games

Shieldmaiden Sundays are a dedicated space for female nerds and geeks at Source Comics & Games. This is a recurring weekly event providing a space for women to play games, chat about comics, cosplay, or just enjoy the company of other geeks. See the calendar for more events!

Armored Combat at UPB

What: Educational
When: Sunday, October 20, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Under Pressure Brewing Company

Do you want to understand why platemail grants AC 3? Or enjoy the idea of skilled combatants wailing on each other in beautiful medieval European armor? Than this geeky medievalist brewery event for you. This event is put on by Twin Cities Wyverns: Armored Combat, a full-contact historical fighting team. All ages welcome.

So, which of these events will you be attending? What events would you like to see featured in the future? Let us know in the comments section below or contact us via email. And don’t forget to add your events to the Twin Cities Geek Community Calendar!