Will Celebration return? It sure sounds like it, based on the questions that Graceland’s managing partner Joel Weinshanker asked attendees on Saturday — and the responses he got. “Who’s coming back next year?” he asked a full soundstage audience before the evening activities began at Paisley Park. Most hands shot up. “Okay,” he noted. “Next […]
A recent Washington Post article reports on the unease surrounding “the prospect of turning Paisley Park into Minnesota’s Graceland.” When I read that, my first thought was: is that really a bad thing? Blatantly commercialized as Graceland is, it’s given Elvis Presley’s home the status of an iconic landmark — and it’s solidified the status […]
At the first of four sold-out shows at the Palace Theatre, Bon Iver and TU Dance — two local, nationally renowned performing arts powerhouses — performed something transcendent and deeply felt, a gripping blend of contemporary dance and music called Come Through. This project was commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music. Upon […]
Between sets on Friday night, the crowd at the sold-out Cedar Cultural Center were treated to Gloria Estefan’s “Conga,” Bruno Mars’s “That’s What I Like,” Estelle’s “American Boy,” and even a club remix of Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That.” No one seemed entirely sure why the house playlist — normally such a […]
I saw a few different cowboy hats in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood last night. The first belonged to a man at the bus stop. Staring through the sunlight, he spots me using my phone and asks, in Spanish, when the 9 is due. “Dos minutos,” I respond, and we spend those two minutes chatting about my […]
It’s been a couple years since the Decemberists have graced Minnesota with their wit, humor, and beautifully written songs. But this weekend, the band’s fans are filling the Palace Theatre excited to hear live renditions from the new album I’ll Be Your Girl as well as to bask in the familiar tales and Jenny Conlee […]
Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center, Lorde was selling a lot of great merch. A black T-shirt bore her stage name, scrawled in slim-lined cursive; an Italian-style film poster advertised “Perfect Places” on the back. A bright pink tee announced “Writer In The Dark” in an Art Nouveau font. A white long-sleeved shirt, decorated […]
“You are so old,” said the guy who checked my ID, shaking his head. “Sorry, had to say it!” Welcome to my life as a 42-year-old music writer entering the Pandora showcase last night at SXSW. The Gatsby courtyard has been transformed into a maze of VIP areas; dodging them brought me to a GA pen […]
Sometimes SXSW is about making new friends, and sometimes it’s about reconnecting with old ones. Last night, The Current crew did a little of both. After wrapping up day two of the Pledge House party (which continues today and tomorrow), we walked up to Stubb’s — first to share some BBQ with our colleagues at […]
For Emma, Forever Ago is not an album that is often enjoyed passively. Chances are, if you care about Bon Iver at all, then For Emma has spent at least a few months serving as a dominant presence in your life. Maybe it was the soundtrack that swelled underneath the overtures of a bad breakup, […]
