Normally the Twin Cities is host to one or two interesting, pagan-culture-friendly events in a season. Oh, I’m not talking about the numerous actual pagan events. I mean the stuff put on in mundane clubs and institutions which walk out onto the edge and teeter into the otherworld. Yes, May Day is really nice.  But, surprisingly, this November has enough performance magic going to drop you into the deep end of a mystic reservoir.  In fact, with the energy these events will be sploodging off, anyone in the metro area is likely to notice a few loose drops of this elixer. Assuming there are no time or budget limitations–stay with me here, even one of the three events would be awesome–the hardiest mystical adventurer could dive into this mystical lake over the course of three days.

Day 1 – Get your Toes Wet at the Guthrie

Begin your adventures on Wednesday, November 4th with the somewhat tame, but still other-worldly splash at the Guthrie Theater:

Northern Lights, Southern Cross, and according to their blurb, it’s

“the epic story of an ordinary man. Kevin Kling is a regular Minnesota guy, until his motorcycle hits the asphalt and his injured brain wakes him up on the other side of the world. Guided by Aboriginal artists, members of the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir, and members of Native Pride Dancers, Kling’s journey home is rooted in cultural mythology, storytelling, ritual dance and music, the humor of the tricksters and the healing sense of place.”

Sounds very cool and Shamanic.  Though the pictures for the play have everyone in clown noses and makeup which worries me somewhat. But there will be authentic ritual dance and didgeridoo in an entirely unexpected venue. Okay, so this show isn’t just for one night, in fact it plays from October 22 – November 08, 2009, but the Wednesday night price is $22 vs. the Friday or Saturday price of $30.

Day 2 – Crossing the Drop-off into the Deep End

Then take a trip to the Asylum with Emilie Autumn at the Varsity on Thursday, November 5th. If you haven’t heard her, your are missing out on devilishly dark lyrics, metal-shredding violin solos, and an industrial-strength voice. EA reinvents “gothic” for the masses, and goths have never had so much fun. Chosen by Interview Magazine as one of their “14 Artists to Watch,” EA’s theatrical stage show is a sexy circus of gothic burlesque backed by her all-girl band known underground as the Bloody Crumpets.

If you’re used to Minnesota Nice, Emily Autumn promises to shift your paradigm quite, well, not-nicely but very, very powerfully. It’s an 18+ show and tickets are $15, available online from Ticketmaster.

Day 3 – Swimming to the Beyond

From there, go to Bar Fly on November 6 for a Gothic Festival (Carpe Noctum) starring Voltaire. This even is being called an epic ceremony of sensual decadence and dark irony. You can buy tickets for Carpe Noctum online at vitalculture.com for just $12. Voltaire is often described as a modern day renaissance man. He is a singer/ performer, creator of comic books, animation and toys. Voltaire’s live shows, whether solo or with his skeletal orchestra, are highly theatrical -full of stories and games. The theatrical quality of his performances is not surprising; Voltaire has been directing commercials and animating short films for the last twenty years.

As a musician, he is a songwriter whose music can best be described as a collection of murder ballads, tongue-in-cheek exercises in the macabre, with just enough bawdy songs about Star Trek and Star Wars to keep a Con audience rolling in the aisles. Many know him for his song “Brains!” from the Cartoon Network show “The Grim Adventures of Billy And Mandy”.

Any one of those three days provides a nice setup to get through the Thanksgiving Family Culture Shock, don’t you think? Ya, you betcha.