Georgia Finnegan (Erik Saulitis)

BALLET IN MINNESOTA: Georgia Finnegan, ballet dancer and teacher, and dance photographer Erik Saulitis discuss “Grace & Grit: A History of Ballet in Minnesota,” about the dance’s roots in this state and the people and companies who were significant in its growth. This gorgeous oversized paperback, filled with historic and contemporary pictures in black and white and color, begins with an interesting history of ballet from its origins in Italy to popularity in France and eventually Russia, where the greatest dancers were trained. We meet pioneers such as Marius Petipa, father of classical ballet, and Diaghilev’s Les Ballets Russes. Those who established companies in the Twin Cities and outside the metro include Loyce Houlton, whose version of “The Nutcracker” is a local favorite, and Lorant and Anna Andahazy. There are back stories for Minnesota Dance Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, St. Paul City Ballet and more. Free. Presented by Landmark Literati. Noon Tuesday, April 9, Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth St., St. Paul.

FITZGERALD IN ST. PAUL: St. Paul poet Klecko hosts the St. Paul Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald, presented by Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. This program focuses on “Winter Dreams.” First published in Metropolitan magazine in 1922, it’s about a middle-class boy who grows up to be rich and pines for a married woman, themes that would later appear in “The Great Gatsby.” Free. 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11, Highland Park Library, 1974 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul.

NITA PROSE: Author of the bestselling mysteries “The Maid” and “The Mystery Guest” makes a virtual appearance in MELSA’s Club Book series. 7 p.m. Monday, April 8. Free. Live at facebook.com/ClubBook.

RONDA ROUSEY: Presents “Our Fight” in conversation with Maria Burns Ortiz. 7 p.m. Monday, April 8, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

BELL/CISEWSKI: Poets Carolyn Light Bell and Paula Cisewski read from their work. 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

JOHN J. WATERS:Presents “River City One: A Novel.” 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

What else is going on

(Kevin Cannon / Rain Taxi Review)

It’s not too early to prepare for the April 27 Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Day with Rain Taxi again offering a pocket-sized “passport” offering local readers discounts and a chance to win prizes when they visit any or all of the 28 stores in the days leading up to IBD. Illustrated by local artist Kevin Cannon, the passport is free and can be picked up at any participating store between April 24 and April 28. During these five days readers can get passports stamped at the participating bookstores; a sample page for that store is good for a future discount. Getting 15 stamps makes passport holders eligible for various prize pack drawings and those who get all 28 stamps are eligible to win the grand prize, a $25 gift certificate from each participating store, amounting to $700 worth of books. (For a list of participating stores and other information, go to raintaxi.com/twin-cities-independent-bookstore-passport-2024/)

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo’s reading from “The Heart of Tibetan Buddhism,” listed in the March 24 Literary Events calendar, is postponed from March 26 to May 7 at Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis.

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In the concert business, a big venue usually means a big show. That’s not the case, however, for unlikely country star Chris Stapleton, who filled U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday night.

As usual, the 45-year-old Kentucky native offered up two rocking hours with few frills. Stapleton doesn’t dance, sprint around the stage or indulge in fancy light shows and pyro. He doesn’t even chat much with the audience. “There’s a whole bunch of you here tonight,” he said after “Second One to Know,” the third song of the evening. “Those of you who’ve seen me know I’m not going to do a whole lot of talking.”

Really, beyond the addition of some stadium-sized screens, Saturday’s concert felt a lot like Stapleton’s Xcel Energy Center gig in October 2022. Stapleton kept the crowd focused on his killer songs, which lean heavily into ’70s-style Southern rock and rootsy Americana. Indeed, it’s Stapleton’s skillful songwriting that has brought him to the place where he can sell out football stadiums.

The set list largely mirrored the one he played at the X and, for that matter, the one he played at his USBS debut in November 2021 when he opened for George Strait, another country star known for prioritizing songs over spectacle. The main difference was the addition of four songs from his most recent album, “Higher.” That included the show-opening “White Horse,” which had a vague whiff of Tom Petty to it and also earned Stapleton the two most recent of his 10 Grammy wins. (Unfortunately, Stapleton skipped “I Was Wrong,” one of the finest moments from his show at the X.)

Stapleton also did another three-song acoustic set that opened with his 2013 debut single “What Are You Listening To” (which he dryly noted made it all the way to No. 46) and closed with “Whiskey and You” (a song he wrote for Tim McGraw back in 2007). A new one, “Mountains of My Mind,” took the place of “Traveller” from 2022. Playing three slow, quiet numbers for a packed stadium was a risk and Stapleton himself thanked the crowd for actually listening. (They did, for the most part, with some pockets of noisy chattering here and there.)

Given that he’s known for his songwriting, it’s kind of funny Stapleton’s biggest hit is a cover, “Tennessee Whiskey,” a 1981 song written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove and originally recorded by David Allan Coe. He closed the main set with a gorgeous take on it. He also thrilled with a run of songs in his second hour that included “You Should Probably Leave,” “Nobody to Blame,” “Cold” and “Midnight Train to Memphis,” a song he wrote for his first band, the bluegrass group the SteelDrivers.

While it’s fantastic that Stapleton has built such a large following, it’s unfortunate that meant he had to play a football stadium that’s notorious for its poor sound. The farther you get from the stage, the worse it gets. It kind of defeats the purpose of seeing a songwriter perform live when you can’t make out the words he’s singing.

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Minnesota United head coach Eric Ramsay lamented tired legs from international players as part of the reason for the 2-0 road loss to Philadelphia Union last weekend.

Those players were in Minnesota all this week and could build up to Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake at Allianz Field.

The Loons trailed 1-0 after the 24th minute but kept pushing until Robin Lod’s dribble created an opening for Tani Oluwaseyi to tap in for a 1-1 draw.

MNUFC (3-2-1, 11 points) bounces back from the Union loss, while RSL (3-2-2, 11 points) has a two-game winning spurt end.

Oluwaseyi has been a big bright spot for the Loons so far this season with an equalizing goal in the 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew on March 2 and two assissts vs. Austin and Orlando.

Salt Lake continually attacked the inexperienced left side of the Loons’ defense. Left back Joseph Rosales thwarted a few chances from winger Andres Gomes in the opening 24 minutes.

But Gomes, who was once a Minnesota transfer target, got a cross past Rosales and Chicho Arango headed it down and into the back of the net in the 25th minute.

Arango, who had a hat trick in a win over St. Louis last week, moved into a tie for the MLS lead with six goals this season.

RSL went back to that tactic to start the second half, but they weren’t clinical enough to double the lead.

The Loons’ attack struggled to string together attacks for most of the opening half hour, but started to find openings. Sang Bin Jeong had the Loons’ best chance of the first half in the 37th minute, but his hard shot went straight to goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

A bit of controversy came in the 67th minute when Jeong might have been pushed by RSL defender Brayan Vera inside the 18-yard box, but referee Mark Allatin didn’t blow his whistle for a penalty.

Fans at Allianz Field booed their disagreement.

The fans booed later when Joseph Rosales was booked for a second yellow card in the 89th minute and was sent off with a red card. The Honduran will miss next week’s game vs. Houston Dynamo.

Briefly

Starting central midfielder Hassani Dotson exited at halftime with hamstring tightness, with Alejandro Bran stepping in. A club spokesman said Dotson’s exit was precautionary. … The Loons’ Under-15 team went 0-3-0 in the GA (Generation Adidas) Cup in Bradenton, Fla., since March 30, but then went 3-0 in the consolation group with wins over Portland Timbers 2-0 and victories in penalty kicks over Manchester United and CF Montreal. … MNUFC’s U17 team went 1-1-1 in the GA Cup group stage and then lost 1-0 to LAFC in the Premier Playoff on Thursday. … Wil Trapp made his 300th MLS appearance Saturday, including 94 with MNUFC, 185 with Columbus Crew and 21 with Inter Miami. … Zarek Valentin was a special guest analyst on the KSTP-1500 AM radio broadcast while he works back from a leg injury. Valentin also multi-tasked, heading down to the locker room at halftime to help translate the coaching points for the Loons’ Spanish-speaking players.

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