In 2008, when Justin Vernon debuted his Bon Iver project with the release of For Emma, Forever Ago, the music world was forced to grapple with a project so far-flung from indie music at the time that it was soon shrouded in myth. Soft, sparse, and smoldering with emotional intensity, For Emma led curious fans […]
On May 22, the Walker Art Center announced its 2019/20 Performing Arts Season lineup, which includes two co-presented performances with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music, a genre-bending series of collaborations between musicians and artists. As is the norm with any Liquid Music project, these performances will marry artistic and intellectual practices from a […]
In celebration of Prince’s 61st birthday this June, Twin Cities PBS and other PBS affiliates across the country are set to air a concert recorded live at Paisley Park: Rave Un2 The Year 2000. Originally performed on Dec. 18, 1999 when Prince was still “the Artist Formerly Known as Prince,” the concert was a pay-per-view […]
Paul Dickinson is Minnesota’s premier punk poet, frontman of Frances Gumm, co-founder of Dead Media, and former proprietor of the Speedboat Gallery — a St. Paul art space with a literally underground music venue where Green Day once played for $100. He certainly puts the “auto” into his new autobiography, Junker Dreams. The memoir brings […]
Jamila Woods played a radiant show at the Turf Club last night in front of a sold-out crowd, along with special guest Nitty Scott. The Turf was the first stop on her national tour in support of her latest album, LEGACY! LEGACY! , which was released just this month. “This is the first time I’m […]
It’s been a busy year for singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Mayson. Having spent a lot of time collaborating with other musicians on their projects, Mayson recently made the switch back to taking the lead on some of his own projects — releasing not one, but two different albums in 2019. From May 23 […]
Weyes Blood played a sold-out show at the Turf Club last night with special guest Jackie Cohen. Throughout the 90-minute set, the stage was awash in warm light with flickering electronic candles; and draped over the keyboard, a gauzy white fabric was lit from beneath in psychedelic blues and greens. The atmosphere remained cozy while […]
With a rain-drenched but spirited Art-a-Whirl already receding in the rear view, it’s time to start planning for the vast array of block parties and festivals already announced for summer 2019. Kicking off with the Memory Lanes Block Party over Memorial Day weekend, here is a list of events around the Twin Cities area. At […]
Cher and I have so much in common. We both go by one iconic name, we are Twitter legends, and we are both fashion icons. So when I was asked to review her Saturday night show at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, I was like “Sure! It’ll be like looking in a mirror.” My very […]
Each year since National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Contest was inaugurated in 2008, thousands of emerging musicians have submitted performances for the chance to be featured in NPR’s popular Tiny Desk series and tour the country with the organization. Past winners, including Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea, have gone on to sign record deals and perform around […]
