I wasn’t prepared. I mean, I brought my earplugs, comfy shoes, and ID to the Varsity Theater last night. But by no means was I mentally prepared to take in the funk onslaught that George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic fired off for two hours straight. The building shook with bass; the costumes screamed just as loud. […]
Over the past decade, she’s played to half-full rooms and slogged her way through opening sets in front of distracted crowds. She’s dreamed up ambitious, larger-than-life stage presentations and crammed them into the wings of tiny clubs. After years of paying her dues — and taking a hiatus from performing music to become a full-fledged […]
If you’ve heard anything about Rock the Garden 2018, you know it got hot. Just like last year, a sell-out crowd stood under the sun, basking in summer heat and good music. Of course, the first priority on a warm day is hydration. So in honor of Rock the Garden’s 11,000 attendees and all the […]
When you think of Prince and Minnesota, the cities of Minneapolis and Chanhassen probably spring to mind, but the small town of Henderson (pop. 900) also occupies a crucial niche in purple lore. Henderson, an hour’s drive southwest of First Avenue, is the site where Prince and Apollonia filmed their iconic outdoor romp for Purple Rain. […]
This weekend is Art-A-Whirl: the annual art crawl and de facto music festival that brings thousands to Northeast Minneapolis. At the Solar Arts Building, The People’s Museum for Prince is an art exhibit “designed to commemorate the ways Prince shaped and transformed personal lives.” Curator Emma Balázs is an Australia native and lifelong Prince fan who moved […]
You know, I like musicians who disappear into their performance, motionless except for a few sways behind a mic stand. I even appreciate the David Archuleta, “close your eyes the whole way through” approach. But I love an act with a good stage presence. Last night at the Palace, I was floored when Haim and […]
What do you mean Dizzy Fae isn’t headlining First Avenue yet? It may be unkind to wish so much fame on an artist who still gets X’s on her hands. But St. Paul’s own Dizzy Fae belongs there. As she demonstrated last night at the Entry, she has the voice; the stage presence; and yes, the look. Before […]
How does one create a sound like Roma di Luna’s? I know you can’t set out to make music so singular: with tinges of chamber pop, indie rock, and even Johnny Cash. Plus enough reverb to make aliens feel terrestrial. So I suppose the only answer is evolution. Evolve they have. From the farmer’s market […]
Compared to other festivals, there’s something different about the interactions you have with people at the Mid West Music Fest (MWMF). Whether you’re posting up next to someone at a stage or just passing them on the street, people greet you with a smile — as though you might be a friend, because you probably […]
