After spending a decade bartending at You Otter Stop Inn in Northeast Minneapolis, Ryan Fuchs suddenly found himself with time on his hands. A lot of time. While many of his past patrons dreamed of the day when they could sing sweaty karaoke again, Fuchs — a lifelong Lego enthusiast — decided to recreate the Otter…

Every other Friday, we highlight new Minnesota music videos on our Local Current blog. If you have a music video you’d like to be considered for an upcoming feature, send it my way! fridayfive [at] mpr.org. Dua Saleh – “angel rock” 2020 has been a big year for Dua Saleh. From releasing their remarkable EP, Rosetta, to…

Everybody loves a good pop-up, and with the retail and restaurant industries (not to mention the music industry) profoundly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, innovation and flexibility is especially important this holiday season. Two new pop-up experiences are giving Twin Cities music and pop-culture fans a chance to get a little closer to a couple…

The 2021 Grammy nominations are out and…did someone say LOCAL ANGLE? We’re on it. The biggest local connection in this year’s nominations is probably Taylor Swift’s quarantine album folklore, created with The National’s Aaron Dessner…who has tight ties to the Eau Claire scene, which is right across the border from the greatest state in the union.…

Imagine yourself years from now, walking through a Minnesota State Fair that’s back in action and packed once more. You might be talking to your kids, or grandkids, or some other young whippersnapper who doesn’t remember Covid Time. “We drove down Wright Avenue,” you’ll say, “and all the cars stopped to watch the 4H Building,…

This Thanksgiving, Minnesotans’ hearts will be full of grief as well as gratitude. Even so, thoughts next Thursday will turn to the people, places, and principles we cherish and give thanks for. As always in troubled times, music has been and will continue to be a source of reflection, fresh perspectives, and – yes –…

We knew this day was coming, and now, it’s here: today, the former Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina is being torn down. Alan Stricklin, a member of our audience and a past Minnesota Public Radio employee, sent photos of the demolition in progress. It’s the end of an era for a Minnesota music landmark that…

“I feel like the online version of this show captures the spirit of the people in it,” video artist Ingrid Weise said. “Nights for All Time captures something vulnerable, intimate and real.” Nights for All Time began as an in-person concert series curated by musician Jeremy Ylvisaker at Aster Cafe and has since transitioned to…

This weekend, the world was saddened to learn of the death of a television icon: longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Over the course of 36 years helming the popular quiz show, Trebek asked contestants (and, by extension, viewers) to display their knowledge on a vast range of topics. Among those topics, of course, was Minnesota music…

The local music scene exists with a hint of Halloween all year ’round. There are the creepy clowns in the Turf Club basement, that one drafty stall in the First Ave bathroom where there just has to be a ghost, not to mention running into Tinder matches turned ghosts. While spooky festivities look different this year for…