This Week in Geek (9/21/20–9/27/20)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, September 21, to Sunday, September 27.

Please note: Due to risks from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in following current health guidelines recommending both social distancing and limited travel, this column will exclusively share virtual and drive-through events. 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

The Ordway Presents John Lewis: Good Trouble

What: Movies, Educational
When: Monday, September 21, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via streaming

U.S. Representative and civil-rights icon John Lewis encouraged people to get into “good trouble” and stand up for good. This documentary and panel discussion reflects on his life and legacy of good trouble, from organizing Freedom Rides and marching on Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to his work in Congress. Tickets are $12 and include access to the film, additional prerecorded videos, and a live panel featuring Ras J. Baraka, Dawn Porter, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, and Lonnie Bunch. Each purchase also provides a $5 donation to the Ordway.

Twin Cities Startup Week

What: Community, Educational
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays; September 15 through September 24
Where: Virtual via Hopin

Every year, Twin Cities Startup Week highlights local businesses, the entrepreneurs behind them, and creates a space for them to share their knowledge with the community. This year, they’re going online and spreading out over three weeks. The schedule of 150+ events includes panels, lightning talks, career fairs, pitch sessions, games, fireside chats, a hack-a-thon, and more. Tickets range from $25 to $200, along with a “freebie” option that grants access to a limited selection of events.

How to Astronaut: Everything You Need to Know before Leaving Earth

What: Books, Science & Tech
When: Tuesday, September 22, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Astronaut and author Terry Virts joins Mary Robinette Kowal in a conversation about his new book, How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth. This event is free but books are available for purchase to support the host, University Book Store. A recording of the event will be available one week after the event on their YouTube channel.

Story Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness, Family
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Microsoft Teams

Hennepin County Library is hosting free story-based yoga for kids in grades one through six. This event is led by Kjirsten Fogelson of Modo Yoga. All registrants will receive an email with the event link, as well as activities.

MN Virtual Reality & Human Computer Interaction Meeting

What: Science & Tech, Meetup
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via AltSpace and Twitch

The MN VR & HCI group, a subsection of the local International Game Developers Association chapter, is moving their monthly meeting into VR. This month features a presentation about Big Orange Dance Machine, an interactive game using traffic barrels as controllers which was commissioned by the Minnesota Children’s Museum. There will also be news highlights from the Oculus Connect developer conference. This event is free and open to all.

Nice Moves Meetup: VFX Q&A with Josh Clos

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Nice Moves, a Twin Cities-based community for those interested and working in animation, design, and visual effects, is going digital during the pandemic. This month’s meetup features a Q&A with visual-effects creator Josh Clos, who has worked with studios like Blizzard, FuseFX, and Zoic.

Online Books & Bars: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

What: Books, Food & Drink
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Books & Bars is an “open public book club show” hosted and moderated by former Minnesota Public Radio producer Jeff Kamin that provides attendees with “a unique atmosphere for a lively discussion of interesting authors, fun people, good food, and social lubrication.” The book being read and discussed this meeting is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, a space opera that follows Rosemary Harper as she joins the crew of the Wayfarer, and their dangerous new job of tunneling wormholes through space.

University of Minnesota Visiting Writers Series: Kao Kalia Yang

What: Books
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Every fall, the University of Minnesota hosts a series of free readings and talks from award-winning writers, poets, and graphic novelists. This week features Kao Kalia Yang, author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, The Song Poet, and A Map into the World, as well as the forthcoming titles Somewhere in the Unknown World and The Most Beautiful Thing. Yang is a Minnesota Book Award recipient and a current Edelstein-Keller Writer in Residence.

If You See Me Book Launch with Pepé Willie

What: Books, Music
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Get an inside peek at Minnesota-music history and celebrate the launch of If You See Me: My Six-Decade Journey in Rock and Roll with Pepé Willie. In this autobiography, the “Godfather of the Minneapolis Sound” chronicles his life in the music industry, as well as his time working with Prince, André Cymone, Morris Day, and more. This event is free and a recording will also be made available on both Facebook and YouTube.

Merlins Rest Pub Quiz

What: Trivia
When: Wednesday, September 23, at 7:30 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.

Bonnaroo Presents: Virtual ROO-ALITY

What: Music
When: Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, September 26
Where: Virtual via YouTube

The annual Bonnaroo music festival can’t rock out in person this year, so they’ve created Virtual ROO-ALITY to keep the music going right at home. This free event will have live performances, sets from their archives, dance parties, conversations, and original programming. Featured artists include the Beastie Boys, Charli XCX, the White Stripes, Hayley Williams, Tears for Fears, Nathaniel Rateliff, Laura Jane Grace, Chromeo, Metallica, Action Bronson, Trampled by Turtles, and many more.

Wizard World Virtual Experiences

What: Convention
When: Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, September 26; various times
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube

If you’re getting stir-crazy, and want to connect with fandoms, Wizard World’s Virtual Experiences may be able to help bring some of the convention experience to the comfort of your home. Check the website for details regarding particular events, but know that they include a free Q&A livestream and additional options for paid experiences. This week, there are events for fans of Disney and rock music.

Allie Brosh with Felicia Day: Solutions and Other Problems 

What: Books
When: Thursday, September 24, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

Allie Brosh sits down with Felicia Day to discuss Solutions and Other Problems, her latest comedic collection of illustrated stories and follow-up to Hyperbole and a Half. Tickets are $42.18 for Minnesota-based viewers, which includes a copy of the book, shipping, and all fees.

#MeTooMPLS Album Release Concert & Fundraiser

What: Music, Community
When: Thursday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

The #MeTooMPLS album is a collection of songs created by Minnesota musicians in support of sexual-assault survivors. This virtual concert will feature live and prerecorded performances of all of the album tracks, as well as full sets from headliners Mayda, Tina Schlieske, and Sarah Morris. Additional artists include Chastity Brown, Annie Mack, JØUR, Ang Oase, and more. Tickets are $25 and include a digital-album download. This event also encourages attendees to support Planned Parenthood through their GoFundMe campaign.

Creature Feature Online!

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Friday, September 25, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Fall 2020 is pretty intense as is, so why not throw in some additional spookiness with an improvised monster movie! HUGE Theater will be presenting a live, improvised monster movie via YouTube every Friday through October. Tickets are $10, but flexible payments are available.

Atlas Obscura: Dino 101—Dinosaur Roast

What: Science & Tech, Nightlife
When: Friday, September 25, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Dino 101 is an interactive, socially distanced party for adult dinosaur fans and science stans. This event series is hosted by Dustin Growick from the YouTube channel The Dinosaur Show and features weekly trivia, drawing, scavenger hunts, and games. This week pokes fun at the weirdest and derpiest dinos around. But keep in mind, they roast out of love. Tickets are $7.

Vilification Tennis Erases History

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Friday, September 25, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook

Vilification Tennis, a local structured-improv show focused on insult contests, is taking its show online with a night of comedy skewering some of history’s biggest losers. This show is free, but a virtual tip jar is available for those who’d like to contribute.

Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Parade

What: Family, Food & Drink, Trivia, Music
When: Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27; continuing through October 4
Where: Minnesota Renaissance Festival Grounds

Come and enjoy the food, featured artisans, and entertainment of the Renaissance Festival from the relative safety of your horseless carriage. In this drive-through event, attendees will pay $20 per vehicle and be able to enjoy a 2.5-mile drive through the fest, with tasty treats, free fun, games, and activities including in-vehicle games like trivia, Festival Find it, and a Carriage Costume Contest along the way. So, come get your turkey leg and help support the local vendors and artists of the Renaissance Festival.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Conventions
When: Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27; various times
Where: Virtual via video chat

GalaxyCon, a convention for fans of various genre properties will be returning to live virtual events throughout the summer. These events are a great way to bring the convention experience home with panels, chats, autographs, virtual shout-outs, and more. Check the website for full details and pricing information, but this week includes events for fans of Doctor Who, A Goofy Movie, Babylon 5, Legends of Tomorrow, and more.

Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discovery 360° Livestream

What: Movies, Science & Tech
When: Saturday, September 26, at 2:00 p.m., through Sunday, September 27, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Celebrate Astronomy Day with the premiere of Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discovery. This film explores world-class observatories in Chile with cutting-edge telescopes and introduces the people with diverse backgrounds who make it all work. The interactive 360° livestream is available for free through the Bell Museum’s YouTube channel and can be fully experienced via smartphone, virtual-reality headset, or internet browser.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Gallery Girls is a Los Angeles-based event organizer popular for their themed-drawing nights, often featuring models in fantasy, comic-book, and science-fiction costumes. Now, due to the pandemic, they’ve shifted to online sessions that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. Each session is $10 and offers a mix of posing times. Artists of all levels are encouraged to dress up (if they like), grab a drink, and share their work on social media. This week’s theme is “Flower Maiden” with model Kawena Vidigal.

Virtual Dungeons & Dragons for Teens

What: Gaming
When: Sunday, September 27, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Teens are invited to take part in a weekly Zoom-based D&D session put on by the Ramsey County Library. This is a free event intended for teens, and preregistration with an email address is required in order to receive an invite to the Zoom meeting. This is a great opportunity for young gaming geeks to make new friends and stretch their imaginations during the quarantine. The event currently appears to be full, but there is a wait-list feature for interested parties.

Necessity Documentary Screening, Panel, & Fundraiser

What: Movies, Educational
When: Sunday, September 27, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Learn more about climate resistance and the fight to stop oil pipeline expansion in Minnesota with a screening and panel discussion of Necessity. The documentary follows Indigenous leaders, allies, and legal experts taking direct action, demanding justice, and using the necessity defense to make a moral case for civil disobedience. Panelists include Alice Cherry, Michele Naar-Obed, Haunani Kalama, and Jan Haaken. Tickets are $17.55 with fees, and includes access to the film for five days before the panel. This event also encourages viewers to support the Climate Defense Project through an optional donation.

Daily Events

World Roulette

What: Arts
When: Wednesday, September 2, through Sunday, September 27
Where: Virtual via Kickstarter, online shop, and curbside pick up (for local participants)

Join artists from around the world for a project that imagines worlds created at random. This is a chance to see unique, fantastical, and sublime ideas presented. This project is organized by a randomizer focused on four design categories: Ecosystem, Resources, Attitudes/Attributes of People, and Imaginary Time period. The Kickstarter will be live from September 1 through October 1, and the pieces can be viewed via the virtual gallery on the Light Grey Art Lab website.

MSP Film Society Virtual Cinema

What: Movies
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via video stream

The MSP Film Society is continuing to make independent films available to the community while theaters are closed and under reduced occupancy through their virtual cinema. Check out their website for full details, including current and upcoming films, as well as ticket pricing.

Kidz Bop Daily Dance Break

What: Family, Music
When: Weekdays, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Get your little ones moving with Kidz Bop’s daily dance break. Every weekday, they’ll be livestreaming a different dance-along video to help kids stay active and burn off some energy.

Met Opera Streams

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Daily, at 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 highlight Puccini favorites, including La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. Streams will be available for a full 23 hours and can also be accessed through the Met Opera On Demand apps.

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!