Worth Considering

Cora Casper’s debut Minnesota Fringe festival show, “Insomnia Dogs,” follows a group of friends on a quest to stay awake and unlock their creative potential by eliminating the space between dreams and reality. While the show’s narrative is difficult to grasp at times — and several subplots lack context or are left abruptly unresolved — the originality of unpredictable scenes and dialogue is commendable. Characters become more disgruntled as time passes, and reality becomes blurred. Is the audience watching the characters’ realities or dreams? It’s a cool concept and would be more enjoyable if fewer questions went unanswered.

Presented by Cora Casper at Mixed Blood Theatre; 5:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 10 p.m. Aug. 5, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9, 1 p.m. Aug. 10

Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all the Pioneer Press 2025 Fringe reviews, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip It.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting nearly 100 hourlong stage acts from July 31 through Aug. 10 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.

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In their largest local show to date, Swedish metal band Ghost turned in a positively slaytanic performance Saturday night at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

Led by 44-year-old singer/songwriter/majordomo Tobias Forge — who currently uses Papa V Perpetua as his stage name — Ghost kept the crowd of about 11,500 deeply under their spell, thanks in part to a mobile phone ban that kept all eyes on the stage. (Concertgoers had to keep their phones in a secure sleeve that was unlocked at the end of the show.)

And Ghost gave the audience plenty to see. They perform in full costume and masks, dressed as demonic, rocking skeletons. Forge and his eight-piece band, who are known collectively as the Nameless Ghouls, go deep into Satanic imagery on stage as well as in their lyrics. The backing vocalists wear bat wings and one of their most warmly received songs Saturday night was called “Satanized.”

It’s all tongue in cheek, of course, and comes off as campy, not spooky, much like KISS and Ozzy Osbourne. And Forge has a delightfully twisted sense of humor and a certain rakish charm. Early on, he asked the cheering crowd: “Are you going to show us what love means? Are you going to knock us up?”

Ghost is also much more than your average metal band. Yes, there are enough loud guitars and headbanging to qualify for the genre, but Ghost aren’t afraid to expand beyond their boundaries to include everything from ’70s arena rock to show tunes. Their songs are often reminiscent of the late Jim Steinman, the theatrical songwriter best known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.

“Call Me Little Sunshine,” “The Future Is a Foreign Land” and “Cirice” all flirted with doomy alt-rock with a side of Pink Floyd. The aforementioned “Satanized” and “He Is” sounded like Queen at their grandest and poppiest. Oh, and the audience cheered for the cowbell that fueled “Umbra,” one of the numbers from the group’s sixth and most recent album, “Skeletá.”

While often ridiculous, the two-hour concert was also a heck of a lot of fun. It helped that Forge and company aren’t afraid to lean into sheer goofiness in a way most acts at the arena level rarely do. All that, plus it wrapped just after 10 p.m., giving the fans the chance to get up early Sunday morning and not go to church.

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You Can Skip It

In the half-hour monologue “Pineapple Kryptonite,” Eric Eichenlaub gives a glimpse into his childhood, tepidly presenting mundane scenes such as stealing a shopping cart from a department store where he worked and developing his interest in various genres of rock music. But had he interspersed his surface-level anecdotes with more concrete details about the music he liked, the town he hailed from and the allure of the store where he worked, it might have become more clear why these memories are important to him.

Presented by Eric Eichenlaub at Strike Theater; 7 p.m. Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 9, 7 p.m. Aug. 10

Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all the Pioneer Press 2025 Fringe reviews, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip It.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting nearly 100 hourlong stage acts from July 31 through Aug. 10 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.

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What was nearly a shock win in front of a heavily partisan crowd at a neutral site turned into another late loss as United fell to Club America on penalties in Phase One of the Leagues Cup Saturday night.

The Loons held a late 3-2 lead and a man advantage after a 62nd-minute red card to Igor Linchnovsky. However, America’s Sebastian Caceres beat Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair with a header in the 90th minute to bring the Liga MX giants level at 3-3.

Both teams had their chances in the seven-plus minutes of stoppage time that followed, with America netminder Luis Malagon stopping a flurry of United chances from point blank range as the game advanced to penalties.

Neither side missed through seven shootout rounds before America got its break as Nicholas Romero’s attempt found the legs of Malagon. Moments later, Isaias Violante’s attempt found the net to seal the come-from-behind victory.

United never trailed in the game, taking an initial 1-0 advantage on a strike from Tani Oluwaseyi in the 14th. After a Michael Boxall own goal levelled the score at 1-1 in the 27th, the Loons quickly regained the edge as Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored to make the score 2-1 into halftime.

America tied the score again in the 53rd, but Carlos Harvey put the Loons back on top 3-2 in the 65th, just minutes after United went up a man Lichnovsky’s infraction saw him sent off.

However, United’s inability to find a fourth goal to finish off its favored rival ended up being its undoing.

Minnesota is scheduled to face Atletico de San Luis in the third and final game of Phase One play on Wednesday night at Allianz Field.

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