Lizzo, Prince, Freddie Mercury, and more music tributes in Minnesota State Fair crop art 2019 August 22, 2019 It’s amazing what diverse themes Minnesotans manage to fit into a single wall of the Horticulture Building each year at the Minnesota State Fair. Crop art has become one of the Fair’s most famous exhibits, as Gopher State residents pay tribute to the famous, the infamous, the ordinary, and the extraordinary in the form of… Read More ›
Contact us with general questions and comments about programming August 16, 2019 You can reach MPR Member & Audience Services: 800-228-7123 (Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT) or click through to use our online form. Read More ›
Prince is the star of the ‘homegrown legends’ in Minnesota State Fair ‘Floralpalooza’ August 22, 2019 Let’s go crazy! Attendees at the Minnesota State Fair on the first day of what looks to be another record-breaking run didn’t need any encouragement, but there was Prince’s music regardless, infusing a dose of funk into the heart of the iconic Horticulture Building. Each year, that space is used for elaborate arrangements that showcase… Read More ›
Enter for a chance to win an Adam Turman custom Iron Maiden poster August 22, 2019 Twin Cities graphic designer Adam Turman has created a custom poster for Iron Maiden's August 26 show in St. Paul. Enter for a chance to win a print of the poster. Read More ›
Interview: Taja Sevelle on her work with Prince, and Urban Farming August 22, 2019 Hear Taja Sevelle, singer and urban farming activist talk about her work with Prince and Paisley Park records in the 1980s. Read More ›
Louie Kemp on his friend Bob Dylan: 'You can take the boys out of Minnesota, you can't take Minnesota out of the boys' August 22, 2019 Louie Kemp has known Bob Dylan since before the times a-changed. The North Country native met Jay Gabler for a candid conversation about his legendary friend, his new book 'Dylan & Me,' and his portrayal in the new Martin Scorsese documentary about the Rolling Thunder Revue. Read More ›
Amanda Shires performs in The Current studio August 18, 2019 The constantly busy singer-songwriter, violinist and ukulele player Amanda Shires visited The Current studio to play songs from her acclaimed album 'To The Sunset' and to talk about how she and her friends are working to change that Nashville sound. Read More ›
Tuxedo perform a cool, funky set in The Current studio August 14, 2019 'I think people know if they're coming to a Tuxedo show, they're coming to dance,' says Mayer Hawthorne of Tuxedo. The same could be said of their session in The Current studio. Read More ›
Across Borders, Across Generations: Hmong music in Minnesota August 21, 2019 Ever watched your grandma spit verses for a crowd? Tou SaiK Lee has. He's one of several younger Hmong-Minnesotans who have collaborated with elders in the last decade, combining folk traditions and newer sounds. In this episode, we follow him to the fields of Thailand and through an internal journey; Tou SaiK continues to learn who he is, how to enrich his community, and how to process the loss of his grandma. This episode also features conversations with Lis Pos, Shawn Mouacheupao, Ernest and Missy Whiteman, and more. Read More ›
The Current Rewind: 25 Years of Low August 07, 2019 Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, married founding members of Low, have been experimenting with rock music since the early '90s. In this episode, we join them for an interview and a walking tour of Duluth, Minn.; we explore their quarter-century of a musical career; and we meet their "road nanny" (along with several other Duluthian characters). All with a dose of dry, dark humor. Read More ›
Inside Minneapolis's Palmer's Bar, where Bonnie Raitt was once a regular July 24, 2019 During the West Bank's beatnik era, Palmer's was a watering hole where musicians like Bonnie Raitt, "Spider" John Koerner, and Willie Murphy would cross paths, and the bar remains an integral part of the neighborhood's music scene today. Since opening its doors in 1906, Palmer's has survived Prohibition, bootlegging, and two World Wars, and become an integral part of the West Bank's music scene. Read More ›
Download The Current app January 29, 2018 Download The Current's app to hear a crisp, high-fidelity stream of our station (and our additional streams) wherever you go! Read More ›
Listen to The Current via Smart Speakers July 23, 2018 Listen to The Current on Google Home and Amazon's Echo devices, and get enhanced functionality -- song names, requests, song of the day -- with our Alexa Skill. Read More ›
Coffee Break: Sights, sounds and smells of the fair August 22, 2019 Happy first day of the Minnesota State Fair! So many concerts, so many new foods to try, so many live broadcasts to take in. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that mention the sights, sounds and smells of the fair? Read More ›
Today in Music History: Remembering Ed King August 22, 2019 Vernon Reid and Tori Amos were born; Elvis Presley started his first film; Led Zeppelin created water activated album cover art; and Ed King passed away, Today in Music History. Read More ›
Coffee Break Suggestions and Archive November 08, 2016 Got an idea for a Coffee Break? Want to see what we did a while back? Read More ›