This Week in Geek (4/20/20–4/26/20)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, April 20, to Sunday, April 26.

Please note: Due to risks from the global COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tim Walz has declared a state of Peacetime Emergency, recommending social distancing (six feet from others in small gatherings), advising against nonessential travel, and ordering the closure of entertainment venues. In following current health guidelines, this column will exclusively share virtual events that can be enjoyed from the comfort and safety of home. During this time we will be including local, national, and international events, as well as separating them into weekly and daily categories. As time goes on and guidelines change, in-person events may be reintroduced.

One-Time and Weekly Events

Wordplay

What: Books
When: Tuesday, April 7, through Saturday, May 9; various times
Where: Virtual via Various Formats

The Loft Literary Center is presenting a series of virtual literary presentations under the banner of “Virtual Wordplay.” This is your chance to see a variety of authors reading their works, spirited conversations about the written word, and more. Events are presented free of charge. This event, will continue running until May 9, 2020. Authors for the week of April 20 include Kate DiCamillo, Charles Finch, Minh Lé, Peter Geye, Emily Gould, Major Jackson, and Rowan Hisayo Buchanan.

Family Story Time

What: Books, Family
When: Monday, April 20, and Friday, April 24; at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Library story time is live in your home twice a week from the Ramsey County Library. Expect story-time staples like colorful picture books, toy props, and large easels for learning fun. Videos of the streams are available for 24 hours, so you can watch it when it works best for your schedule, and have the opportunity to hit repeat on family favorites.

Bridge the Gap Benefit Concert

What: Music, Community
When: Monday, April 20, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Web

Enjoy a three-hour concert of Minnesota music while helping to provide relief to the many restaurant and entertainment workers displaced by COVID-19. Featured bands include the4onthefloor, PaviElle, Dosh, and more to be announced. Tickets are $11, with all proceeds going to the North Stands, a fund that supports local hospitality workers in partnership with Northbound Creative and the Sanneh Foundation.

Focus Movie Mondays: Mallrats Watch Party with Kevin Smith

What: Movies
When: Monday, April 20, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Watch Party

Focus Movie Mondays is a free virtual-screening series of legacy films from Focus Features. This week’s film is Mallrats, the classic Kevin Smith comedy filmed in Minnesota about two best friends who head to the mall after being dumped, and get into shenanigans while trying to ease their heartache and win their girlfriends back. Kevin Smith will be in attendance.

Spring Howl: A Virtual Art Experience Artist Talk

What: Arts
When: Wednesday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m.
When: Virtual via Zoom

When social distancing was put in effect, the scheduled Spring Howl fundraising exhibition could no longer happen. Or could it? Featured artists Kathy McTavish and Hawona Sullivan Janzen pivoted from their individual works to creating a brand-new collaborative work called a coming together that interweaves poetry, video, and sonic fragments. The artists will discuss the piece and process with Northern Lights’s director Sarah Peters during this free livestream. Tickets to the virtual fundraising exhibition featuring a coming home are $25, which benefit the arts organization Northern Lights.mn, and can be purchased through April 23 on Eventbrite.

How to Isolate like an Astronaut

What: Theatre & Comedy, Science & Tech
When: Wednesday, April 22, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Los Angeles-based Science! The Show brings together stand-up comedians and real scientists in a humorous and educational variety show. Their first livestream guest is Dr. Sheyna Gifford, the Crew Medical and Safety Officer during the NASA HISEAS Mission VI, a Mars simulation that kept six crew members isolated from the rest of the world for an entire year. Expect some astronaut pro-tips for living in isolation during this free show.

Merlins Rest Pub Quiz

What: Trivia
When: Wednesday, April 22, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Merlins Rest will be presenting its weekly pub quiz via Facebook! Get ready to quiz and have some fun with pals from the safety of your own home. Karina will be running the quiz.

National Air and Space Museum Live Chat

What: Science & Tech, Arts
When: Thursday, April 23, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Join the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution for a live chat with one of their experts every Thursday. Ask questions and learn about different topics every week with subject matter experts. This series will continue until the museum reopens; check the Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information.

Wizard World Virtual Experiences: Presents the Voice Over Cast of RWBY

What: Convention
When: Thursday, April 23, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook

Gathering in packed convention halls and panels may be out of the question right now, but Wizard World is still providing opportunities to interact with celebrities in virtual panels. Hear from the voice-over cast of RWBY and get your questions answered during the livestream. Featured guests include Arryn Zech, Barbara Dunkelman, Lindsay Jones, and Kara Eberle. It’s free to watch and submit questions, with additional paid options for personal video chats and autographs.

National Theatre at Home: Twelfth Night

What: Theatre & Comedy
When: Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

The National Theatre in London is opening up its archive and streaming its cinema-quality recordings. This week’s production is Twelfth Night, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identities and tricky love triangles.

Home Fitness with Justice Draconis

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Work out at home with a free online fitness class lead by Justice Draconis of Dragons Lair Performing Arts, a Twin Cities studio dedicated to circus arts. This 60-minute class focuses on flexibility, habits, and body-weight exercises, so no equipment is needed to participate. For those wanting more workout options, Dragons Lair also offers paid virtual classes in flow arts, belly dance, contortion, and yoga.

#ShowOfForceMajeure Poetry Reading

What: Books
When: Thursday, April 23, at 7:45 p.m.; tentative—check the Instagram link above to confirm date and time
Where: Virtual via Instagram

Dessa, Minnesota musician and literary star, will be reading poetry. This is a pay-what-you-can event, with funds being garnered using the Venmo platform. Dessa donated half of last week’s funds to the Domestic Abuse Project. Interested parties should check Dessa’s Instagram feed early in the week to confirm the time for this event.

Reverend Matt’s Monster Science: How to Remake a Monster

What: Comedy & Theater, Educational, Family
When: Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Reverend Matt’s Monster Science explores remakes and reboots in this rendition of his recurring comedic-lecture series that focuses on monsters. This free livestream delves into movie-monster history to look at the various incarnations of Godzilla, Dracula, King Kong, and more.

Trivia Mafia Beer & Pizza Party

What: Trivia
When: Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Trivia Mafia is teaming up with Pizza Lucé and Summit Brewing to host a weekly party with just-for-fun quizzing, random prizes, and pizza discounts.

St. Paul Virtual Art Crawl

What: Arts
When: Friday, April 24, through Sunday, April 26
Where: Virtual via Facebook

The St. Paul Art Crawl is typically a bi-annual, city-wide event where artists open their studios and invite the public in to view the wide variety of artwork being created in the city. The Spring 2020 event is going digital and moving to Facebook. The weekend will feature livestream artist demos, works for sale, and studio-tour videos. The Art Crawl is free, but attendees are encouraged to support artists and the community by buying the art they love.

Villification Tennis Causes Autism

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Friday, April 24, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Video Stream and Facebook

Vilification Tennis, a local structured-improv show focused on insult contests, is taking its show online with a night of comedy, conspiracies, and questionable cures. This show is free, but a virtual tip jar is available for those who’d like to contribute.

(mini) Minnebar

What: Science & Tech
When: Saturday, April 25, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

Minnebar is a free annual technology conference that features user-generated sessions led by people from local tech communities and businesses. This year’s full conference is postponed, but organizers are hosting a mini, virtual version of the conference on its original date. Session topics include the Internet of Things, security and privacy, leadership skills, supporting junior developers, and climate change.

Social Distance Book Fest

What: Books
When: Saturday, April 25, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Various

The Social Distance Book Fest was created to fill the void of canceled bookish plans during these quarantine times. The event features panels, virtual signings, and author spotlights. Guests include Zoraida Córdova, Daniel José Older, Miranda Dickinson, Grady Hendrix, Anna-Marie McLemore, Stephen Graham Jones, and many more. A portion of book sales will be donated to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Fund.

Free Digital Concert: Race for the Reef

What: Music, Family
When: Saturday, April 25, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Video Stream

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is livestreaming a rebroadcast of Race the Reef, a musical adventure of Leopold the Leopard and his friend Tree set to Schubert’s Third Symphony. This concert-and-puppet-show combo is geared towards families and kids aged 6–12.

YogaQuest Presents: Tiger King Workout

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Come and experience YogaQuest, a blend of yoga and fan-fiction storytelling led by certified yoga instructors. Experience a yoga workout and a story at the same time. The theme for this week is Tiger King, the hit Netflix documentary that explores the strange underworld of big-cat zoos, the eccentric people that inhabit it, and their true-crime exploits. This class is free and cosplay is encouraged.

Great International Scavenger Hunt Presents: The 1-Day Play-at-Home Scavenger Hunt

What: Arts, Community, Family
When: Saturday, April 25, at 12:00 p.m., through Sunday, April 26, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Website and GISH App

Misha Collins, Supernatural actor and creator of GISH (short for the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt), asks “Why stay-at-home when you could play at home?” This year, GISH is hosting a bonus, no-pressure mini hunt created in response to COVID-19 that is full of wacky challenges to inspire creativity and kindness while supporting those struggling during the pandemic. All activities can be done at home with common household items. Participants must be 14 years or older to register, but folks are encouraged to have their friends and family (including kids!) help with challenges while adhering to stay-at-home and quarantine orders. Registration starts at $15, with a portion going towards nonprofits providing COVID-19 relief, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 20.

Lizzo Digital Drag Brunch

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Sunday, April 26, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Zoom, and Facebook

Flip Phone is taking their popular drag-brunch events digital while everyone is stuck inside. This Sunday will have you “Feelin Good As Hell” with a show dedicated to local music icon Lizzo. Performers include RuPaul’s Drag Race-alumni AJA and Jaidynn Diore. This event is free, but viewers are highly encouraged to tip performers.

Squires at Large Livestream

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Sunday, April 26, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details TBD

Squires Wort and Gort aren’t letting the plague get their spirits down. The duo will be livestreaming “their signature word play and shenanigans” for a little renaissance-festival levity on a Sunday afternoon.

Daily Events

Met Opera Streams

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Daily, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Video Stream

Even though the Metropolitan Opera in New York has gone dark in these challenging times, the show will go on. “Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website.” This week’s performances include Elektra and La Traviata, as well as a special At-Home Gala featuring a live concert from more than 40 artists. Streams will be available for a full 23 hours and can also be accessed through the Met Opera On Demand apps.

LeVar Burton Reads

What: Books, Family
When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; various times
Where: Virtual via Twitter

LeVar Burton is once again sharing the joy and adventure of reading. The former Reading Rainbow host will take a look in a book and livestream a story narration three times a week. Mondays at 11:00 a.m. will feature children’s books; Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. will be stories geared towards young adults; and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. will include selected readings for adults. For even more stories narrated by Burton, he also hosts a podcast with the same name.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Convention
When: Daily (except Sunday), at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

GalaxyCon is hosting livestream chats with its celebrity friends almost every day during social distancing. Check their Facebook page for upcoming guests and to receive reminders before they go live.

Get Your Pets

What: Community
When: Daily (most days), at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Instagram

John Hodgman, humorist, writer, actor, and podcaster best known for his performances on The Daily Show and performances as “a PC” in Apple advertisements, has been hosting a pet-focused talk show on Instagram Live. On the show, participants will video chat with the host and allow him to chat with their pets.

Ben Gibbard: Live From Home

What: Music
When: Daily, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Connect musically with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie fame as he performs daily from his home. Check out Death Cab for Cutie’s Twitter feed for more information regarding daily shows.

#GadBookClub

What: Books, Family
When: Daily, around 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitter & Instagram

Young geeks and Disney fans can enjoy a story time with Josh Gad, who plays LeFou in the live-action Beauty and the Beast and is the voice behind Olaf in Frozen. Each night, Gad gives a reading performance of a children’s book live on Twitter and Instagram. Previous readings have been at 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.—check the linked social-media accounts for a post with that day’s exact reading time. You can also search #GadBookClub for videos of previous readings.

Marie’s Crisis Virtual Piano Bar

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Daily, at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Historical New York piano bar and musical-theater hot spot Marie’s Crisis is going virtual during the COVID-19 shutdown. Just like a normal night, performers play crowd favorites, take requests, accept tips, and encourage everyone to sing along. To get in on the fun, join Marie’s Group on Facebook; it’s normally closed, but they’re accepting and approving all applicants at the time of this publication.

Global Citizen’s #TogetherAtHome

What: Music
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Global Citizen, an organization focused on positive social change, is looking to assist with COVID-19 relief via streaming concerts. Check the hashtag or the website to find times and artists. Global Citizen’s #TogetherAtHome page also includes possible action steps regarding the current pandemic.

#ASonnetADay

What: Books, Theater & Comedy
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Patrick Stewart projects stability and calm, two things much needed in this time. This virtual event is an opportunity to see Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek, X-Men, and I, Claudius fame) return to his Shakespearean roots as he reads a sonnet daily. Times vary for the event. Additionally, fans of Patrick Stewart may be pleased to know that the entirety of his new series, Star Trek: Picard, is available to stream for free via CBS All Access until April 23, 2020.

Vienna State Opera Livestreams

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Daily, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Vienna State Opera Live App

Another opportunity to watch world-class opera and ballet while at home comes from the Vienna State Opera. Through their streaming app platform, recordings of previous live shows will be available to watch for 24 hours. The service usually has a subscription fee but is “free of charge until further notice.” This week’s performances include Anna Bolena and Hänsel und Gretel. See the full schedule and program details in their announcement post.

Friendly Local Game Drop

What: Community, Gaming
When: Daily
Where: Virtual via Web

Atlas Games, a local producer of board games, is seeking to help local gaming shops during the pandemic. Gaming shops act as community gathering places for many in the geek community and are especially hard hit by the social distancing–based closures. Atlas is allowing customers to order from their local shop and have product shipped directly to them from the warehouse.

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!