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Music News: Arnellia's, 'St. Paul's Apollo Theater,' to close

Arnellia's Bar and Restaurant, photographed in 2008
Arnellia's Bar and Restaurant, photographed in 2008Bill Alkofer/MPR

by Jay Gabler

April 10, 2017

Arnellia's Bar and Restaurant, a longtime live music and dining institution on University Avenue in St. Paul, is closing after 25 years in business. Prince, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Alexander O'Neal are just a few of the greats who performed at Arnellia's, which earned the reputation of being "St. Paul's Apollo Theater."

The reason for the closing is that founder and owner Arnellia Allen is facing "major health issues," according to a press release that calls Allen "the Black Joan Collins of a modern day Dynasty [...] Arnellia Allen was the first African American Woman to obtain a liquor license as well own a nightclub establishment in Minnesota."

The venue will close after a four-day musical celebration spanning April 27-30. (Pioneer Press)

7" series to benefit Planned Parenthood

A new series called "7-inches for Planned Parenthood" will feature 7" singles released to benefit the women's health nonprofit. Among the many artists contributing work are Bon Iver, Björk, Sleater-Kinney, Foo Fighters, St. Vincent, and CHVRCHES. The tracks will be released digitally in batches, and then in the form of a vinyl box set.

In the video below, comedian Zach Galifianakis teams up with St. Vincent and John Legend to (sort of) cover Minnie Riperton’s "Lovin' You." (Pitchfork)

Patsy Cline Museum opens in Nashville

On Friday, a new Patsy Cline Museum opened right upstairs from the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. Among the exhibits on display are the earliest of Cline's outfits known to exist; samples of her correspondence; and the wristwatch Cline was wearing when a plane crash took her life in 1963. (Rolling Stone)

Gorillaz planning TV series

With a new album on the way, Gorillaz are planning a 10-episode TV series. The news comes in the form of an interview with Q magazine, in which Damon Albarn and collaborator Jamie Hewlett reveal that both Morrissey and Sade turned down invitations to be part of the forthcoming Humanz album. (Pitchfork)

Du Yun wins Pulitzer

Chinese-American composer Du Yun has been awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for music, for her opera Angel's Bone. The piece "integrates vocal and instrumental elements and a wide range of styles into a a harrowing allegory for human trafficking in the modern world," wrote the Pulitzer board, making the announcement. (NPR)

Coachella rejects Kate Bush

A just-published New Yorker feature on Coachella contains all sorts of juicy details, but one in particular has music fans' jaws dropping: the festival was reportedly offered the chance to host the first-ever U.S. performance by living legend Kate Bush. "No one is going to understand it," the head of Bush's booking agency quotes Coachella mastermind Paul Tollett as saying when Bush's name was raised as a potential performer. (Pitchfork)