It’s been a busy year for singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Mayson. Having spent a lot of time collaborating with other musicians on their projects, Mayson recently made the switch back to taking the lead on some of his own projects — releasing not one, but two different albums in 2019. From May 23…

Weyes Blood played a sold-out show at the Turf Club last night with special guest Jackie Cohen. Throughout the 90-minute set, the stage was awash in warm light with flickering electronic candles; and draped over the keyboard, a gauzy white fabric was lit from beneath in psychedelic blues and greens. The atmosphere remained cozy while…

Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” is one of Minnesota’s iconic songs, its success propelling the 1992 album Grave Dancers Union to multi-platinum status. The song is also known for its distinctive video, which put the faces of three dozen actual runaway children on MTV — helping families and authorities to recover contact with most of the kids. A…

With a rain-drenched but spirited Art-a-Whirl already receding in the rear view, it’s time to start planning for the vast array of block parties and festivals already announced for summer 2019. Kicking off with the Memory Lanes Block Party over Memorial Day weekend, here is a list of events around the Twin Cities area. At…

Cher and I have so much in common. We both go by one iconic name, we are Twitter legends, and we are both fashion icons. So when I was asked to review her Saturday night show at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, I was like “Sure! It’ll be like looking in a mirror.” My very…

I am tired. I’ve spent the past week putting finishing touches on a new project The Current will debut next week, and it’s only at the end of the day that I’ve found the time to put this post together. But what a nice send-off to the weekend: glorious synth work, lots of indie rock,…

Each year since National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Contest was inaugurated in 2008, thousands of emerging musicians have submitted performances for the chance to be featured in NPR’s popular Tiny Desk series and tour the country with the organization. Past winners, including Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea, have gone on to sign record deals and perform around…

For this year’s variety of free (with Fair admission) concerts, the Minnesota State Fair has booked some ringers. On the recently announced free music lineup, names like Belinda Carlisle and Dessa are at the top. Carlisle, a Go-Go gone solo, will perform one evening for the Fair at the Leinie Lodge on Aug. 23, most…

Joan Osborne has performed and recorded with Bob Dylan, but she doesn’t claim to really “know” him. “I think he’s a very mercurial person,” she said in 2017, shortly after releasing an album of Dylan covers. “So, I think I’m probably just as in the dark as anyone else when taking on his songs, but…

The Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) is getting ready to host its 24th annual Art-A-Whirl festival. As the largest open studio tour in the country, Art-A-Whirl will showcase over 800 visual artists this year at more than 60 locations across Northeast Minneapolis. Although the event’s focus is on visual art, many of the area’s bars…