Here at The Current, we like to think ourselves resistant to trends. But one in particular has impressed me this winter: residencies, or weekly sets of concerts captained by one local artist at one local venue once a week. I actually got so excited about this month’s shows that I decided to see one from […]

Welcome to the residency bonanza of January 2018! We made it to the New Year, and with its first month comes a slew of residencies: weekly shows helmed by locals Metasota, jeremy messersmith, Charlie Parr, the Cactus Blossoms, and Andrew Broder. We’ll be posting photos and a brief recap of several of the series’ first nights. […]

Winter in Minnesota is long and dark, and January tends to bring those subzero temps our winters are famous for. But this January seems to be a hot month for some of Minnesota’s biggest names in music to brighten our weeks with residencies at the Turf Club and Icehouse. Local music fans can look forward […]

The Cactus Blossoms, “Mississippi” Fresh off their performance on Showtime’s new season of Twin Peaks, Minnesotan brothers the Cactus Blossoms float in the velvety, cold waters of the Mississippi. Directed by Sarah Jean Shervin. Nobody Kid, “First Transmission” Chris Koza’s new project Nobody Kid sees him exploring synthpop territory, prying bouncy hooks into truly clever songs. Kate Casanova, a […]

Twin Peaks is back, and if you like the cult-classic show best at its darkest and strangest, you’ll be delighted with the four episodes now released by Showtime: two episodes debuted on air last night, and subscribers can access two more via streaming. 14 more hourlong episodes remain in the new season, all directed by David […]

For the second night in a row, the Palace Theatre was packed with fans eager to see a lineup of all-local artists. They definitely drew an older demographic than Atmosphere on opening night, but the venue still felt like a perfect fit. The Cloak Ox opened the show, with Jake Hanson (Halloween, Alaska; Mason Jennings) […]

Last night, a caravan of special guests — including Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst — performed surprise sets at the Clown Lounge (in the basement of St. Paul’s Turf Club). Frankie Lee & Friends headlined the literally underground show; the bill’s “& Friends” turned out to include Lewis, the Watson Twins, Oberst, Har Mar Superstar, the Cactus Blossoms, the Pines, and more. Last […]

Several artists familiar to The Current’s audience showed up on the just-released cast list of Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival. Since the revival news broke over a year ago, scanty details have emerged, so this is a welcome look into the episodes to come. The cast list includes the Cactus Blossoms (Minnesotan brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum), Sharon Van Etten, […]

The second night of The Current’s birthday shows impressed upon concertgoers the importance of local acts, with many of the artists saying onstage that’s why they appreciate The Current so much. Many fans even arrived early enough to catch all five bands: Bruise Violet, Gospel Machine, the Cactus Blossoms, Gramma’s Boyfriend, and Tommy Stinson. First up […]