Nightlife notebook: Josh Blue, breakdancing and I Am Mpls

Drop the Mic: The Light Within

No microphone needed for this hip-hop show. "Drop the Mic: The Light Within" is all about the dancers (OK, there will be a couple of musicians, too). The show takes place at the Guthrie Theater, way up in the ninth-floor Dowling Studio. The choreographers behind Curio Dance have assembled a theatrical experience that includes b-boys, b-girls, tap dancers and a battle between the War Machines and the Gravity Benders. Also in the house will be Team iLuminate, who appeared on NBC's "America's Got Talent" this year.

Josh Blue: Home for the humor

"Last Comic Standing" winner Josh Blue is taking his leftovers to go. The St. Paul native is home for the holidays -- but he's working. After selling out the Running Aces Casino on Wednesday, the St. Paul native has two shows Friday at the Big Laughs Comedy Club in New Hope. Blue's humor often teeters between self-mockery and the subversive (he has cerebral palsy). He's best when he's sly: "People ask me if I get nervous before coming up on stage. I say 'Heck, no, I got this many people staring at me all day.'" He also performs Saturday at the Eagles Club in Rochester.

Hey Mpls, high-five yourself!

As the Internet told us earlier this year, Minneapolis is the gayest and most hipster city in the whole country. But that's not all we're good at. The creator of "I Am Mpls" wants to shine some light on the fashion, art, comedy and music scenes -- all in one show. After a successful 2010 show, promoter/connector Sarah Edwards is bringing the entertainment extravaganza back to the Fine Line Thursday. The lineup includes the band Pennyroyal, the tap-dancing squad Rhythmic Circus, plus comedians Andy Erikson and Valley Meadows. The fashion portion of I Am Mpls was the most intriguing part of last year's show. Instead of rail-thin models, Edwards has chosen a variety of creatives to walk the runway, including painters, musicians, bartenders, photographers and at least one U.S. Air Guitar champion. They'll model Twin Cities boutique wares, such as MartinPatrick3 and Parc. Full disclosure: Somehow I was chosen to represent nerdy newspaper writers on the runway, so I'll see you there.