Wits announces its full spring schedule, including a visit from St. Vincent
More Just Announced
We didn’t want to say anything rude, but when MPR released its upcoming spring schedule earlier this month, including the names and dates for its popular Wits series, we couldn’t help but feel like the roster was a little on the light side. While the early announcement offered a promising array of funny guys like Andy Richter and Paul F. Tompkins, only one musical guest—Aimee Mann—was on the list, which seemed to go against Wits’ format of storytelling mixed in with musical performances.
In hindsight, it probably should have been pretty clear that that list was incomplete based on the series’ format in the past, but if today’s full announcement of the 2012 season is any indication, this spring is looking to be the biggest in the series’ history, thanks in part to some big names like Ted Leo and St. Vincent.
• Former SNL cast member Tim Meadows and Old 97s songwriter Rhett Miller will kick off the season on March 30th, which will next see Conan’s very own Ed McMahon, Andy Richter and jack of all trades beatboxer, vocalist, and comedian, Reggie Watts on April 13.
• Fresh off a Grammy win for producing and writing parts of Adele’s mega-smash album, 21, Twin Cities musician (and Semisonic frontman) Dan Wilson will join the still-ubiquitous Fred Willard on April 27.
• May 11 welcomes the previously announced Mann, who will no doubt perform hits from her enduring Magnolia soundtrack as she’s paired with comedian Tompkins.
• As Wits begins to wind down and enter the summer months, the series welcomes arguably the two biggest guests of the year. First up is Ted Leo of Ted Leo And The Pharmacists fame who’ll join The Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac June 1.
• As unlikely as that pairing may seem, it’s nothing compared to Wits’ final show, which pairs current indie dream girl, St Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark), with the dark comic stylings of the persistently manic Bobcat Goldthwait. Bobcat may not like it that we’ll always remember him as the voice of a talking stuffed rabbit on Unhappily Ever After, one of the weirdest and most unsettling TV shows to ever be on the air, but we’re guessing most of the audience will be too entranced by St. Vincent’s fascinating mixture of grinding guitar solos and fresh-faced beauty to notice.
Season ticket passes go on sale starting tomorrow at the MPR Box Office, but you’ll have to wait until Feb. 28 if you’re looking for tickets to an individual show.
