This Week in Geek (1/18/21–1/24/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, January 18, to Sunday, January 24.

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

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

What: Education, Music
When: Monday, January 18, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live and YouTube

Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association presents its 23rd annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. This year, due to COVID, the celebration will take place online, with a two-hour showcase of visual and performing artists. This celebration is dedicated to youth, and will center around the 92 years of Dr. King’s life and legacy. See the event page for the line up and registration info.

Online Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, January 18, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

Let your creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever your heart desires at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. This is a free event and a great opportunity to work on projects in great company.

Cover Show Mondays with Jaret Reddick

What: Music
When: Monday, January 18, at 8:05 p.m.
Where: Virtual via StageIt

Kick off the week with a fun night of cover songs performed by Jaret Reddick, the lead singer and guitarist of Bowling for Soup. The night’s song selections include fan requests, which can be made in the StageIt chat or on Facebook. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, and viewers who contribute $5 or more will receive an MP3 of the performance.

Not-So-Silent Planet: Celestial Bodies

What: Books, Arts
When: Tuesday, January 19, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

The Twin Cities’ “first open-mic dedicated to speculative interpretations of myth” returns with stories of celestial bodies. The featured performers for January’s session are regulars Pat Harrigan, Jei Herald-Zamora, Damian Sheridan, and Tom S. Tea, with Amber Bjork of the Winding Sheet Outfit as a special guest teller. Tickets are free and there is a suggested donation of $5.

Fireside Reading Series: Kao Kalia Yang

What: Books
When: Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Get cozy this winter with the Fireside Reading Series presented by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. These weekly events will feature readings from notable authors over Zoom. This week’s chat is with Kao Kalia Yang, discussing Somewhere in the Unknown World: A Collective Refugee Memoir. This is a free event.

Inauguration Digital Drag Show + Dance Party

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, January 20, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Dance yourself clean with this event to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power to a new U.S. administration. Say goodbye to four years of the Trump administration with a dance party and a politically themed drag show.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, January 20, and Saturday, January 23, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

The popular Transmission dance night is moving to virtual space every Wednesday and Saturday. DJ Jake Rudh will be bringing New Wave, Alternative, and more ’80s-centric greats to the safety of your homes. So, dance, dance, dance to the Radio (or, in this case, Twitch stream).

National Air and Space Museum Live Chat: Aviation History

What: Science & Tech
When: Thursday, January 21, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Join the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution for a live chat. Ask questions and learn about different topics with subject-matter experts. This month’s talk is focused on Aviation History Day, with aviation historian Peter Jakab available to answer students’ questions for their projects.

Terrarium Demo with Patricia Buzo

What: Arts, Family
When: Thursday, January 21, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual Event

Get crafty and green up your wintry COVID quarantine home. This event is an opportunity to learn how to make a terrarium with Patricia Buzo, author of A Family Guide to Terrariums for Kids. Event access is $5, which will count as a ticket and a $5 virtual gift card to Magers & Quinn. There are a lot of possibilities here, from multicolored sand and succulents to a peat bog full of carnivorous plants.

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its subclub Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings on Google Meet and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” (online). This is a great chance to show all your creative pals your in-home crafting space.

Game Night with a Ranger

What: Theater & Comedy, Gaming, Educational
When: Thursday, January 21, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual

Comedians, park rangers, and celebrities go head-to-head in a series of game-show nights with a Mississippi River twist. Each night features a medley of classic games like Cottonwood Squares, Match Game, and Win, Lose, or Draw that will put their Mississippi knowledge to the test. Audience members will have a chance to join the game and win prizes. This week’s theme is “Minneapolis Locks and Dams” with guests Ranger Haddy and John Scalzi (sci-fi author of Redshirts, Old Man’s War, and more). Tickets are $10, with additional options for series package and Mississippi Park Connection members.

Livestream Story Time

What: Family, Books
When: Friday, January 22, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live

This weekly event presented by Ellsworth Public Library features a story read for you and your family. This week’s theme is “Squirrels.” Participants are encouraged to pick up story kits every month that contain activities to go along with the stories.

January Virtual Star Party

What: Education, Science & Tech
When: Friday, January 22, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual Event

Watch in wonder as the heavens are live captured via a real telescope and livestreamed to the comfort of your home. This event will answer questions regarding the color of deep-space objects, and make use of the entire electromagnetic spectrum for additional context and beauty. There will also be an at-home coloring activity for folks to take part in, making special use of different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum (think different types of light that your eyes might not be able to see).

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Convention
When: Saturday, January 23, through Sunday, January 24; 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 year. These events are a great way to bring the convention experience home with a mix of free and premium 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, Sesame Street, Star Trek: Voyager, and more.

Wizard World Virtual Experiences

What: Convention
When: Saturday, January 23, 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 features experiences for fans of Chris Kattan and Tala Ashe.

Watch With . . . Bruce Campbell Presents The Evil Dead

What: Movies
When: Saturday, January 23, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Watch With

This is your chance to enjoy a screening of cult classic The Evil Dead with geek legend and star Bruce Campbell (actor, producer, writer, director). This will be a screening of the 1981 classic film with live commentary from Mr. Campbell. Tickets are $25, and the event can be livestreamed, or viewed on demand after.

Schitt’s Creek Digital Drag Brunch

What: Music
When: Sunday, January 24, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The pandemic may have you down, but let the enthusiasm and fun of a Flip Phone Digital Drag Brunch brighten your Sunday. So, pay your virtual cover, sign into Zoom, and make sure to tip your drag performers using PayPal or Venmo (PS: If you need mimosas with brunch, you’ll need to prepare your own). Check the Flip Phone Facebook page for more drag events and themed dance parties throughout the week.

Charlie Parr and Friends Sunday Residency Livestream

What: Music
When: Sunday, January 24, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube and Facebook

Local folk musician Charlie Parr will be keeping a Sunday residency alive with online performances hosted by First Avenue. Expect a fresh set list each night, special guests, and even the possibility of new songs. This is a pay-what-you-can event; see the Facebook page for contribution links.

Daily Events

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.

Alamo Drafthouse OnDemand

What: Movies, Community
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via Scener

The Alamo Drafthouse has taken its curated approach to film online to keep bringing the weird, great, bad, and amazing to the public in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check this space for live events like watch parties, exclusive releases, and more (only this time you’ll be required to provide your own snacks and drinks). Check the website for all of the current and upcoming films, events, and prices.

Sofi Tukker Daily DJ Set

What: Music
When: Daily, at 12:00 p.m., and Tuesdays, at 9:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook

House-music duo Sofi Tukker go live everyday at noon for a DJ set that includes popular dance tracks, original music, and community interaction. Fans can chat with the band, as well as send in recordings of themselves ahead of time that may be mixed into daily sets. On Tuesdays, Sofi Tukker plays an extended set at 9:00 p.m., and features a guest DJ during the noon time slot. Be advised that the music and hosts are not censored and this may not be the best livestream for younger music fans.

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.” Check the website for this week’s schedule. 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!