I never thought of Icehouse as a movie theater before. But last night, when the curtains behind the venue’s stage were swept aside to reveal a mounted screen, I felt like I was sitting in a cinema. On the floor, the patient, hushed audience kept their heads tilted up, and they clapped in anticipation for the main…

The first details have been confirmed regarding the scheduled Prince tribute at US Bank Stadium on October 13. The information emerged in a somewhat roundabout way, appearing in a newsletter from the Minnesota State Arts Board that was circulated among the artistic and nonprofit community Tuesday. “An official Prince Tribute Concert will be held on October 13,…

It’s the dream of every vintage gear collector: you dig around in one shop after another, and suddenly you make an incredible find that nobody would have expected. That’s what happened to local collector Ross Davison, who went looking for a very particular vintage amp just because he wanted its unique tone. At Encore Music in Minneapolis,…

Monty Lee Wilkes, born in Sandstone, Minn., passed away on Friday at the age of 54. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer last fall, according to the Star Tribune, and had returned to his parents’ house (in the Kettle River area; about 50 miles southwest of Duluth) for hospice care two weeks ago. Wilkes was a sound…

On Saturday and Sunday, the Dixie Chicks became the first act to headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on back-to-back nights since Alabama did so in 1988. In addition to covering Fleetwood Mac (their hit version of “Landslide”), Bob Dylan (“Mississippi”), and Beyoncé (“Daddy Lessons”), the Chicks paid tribute to Prince with moving covers of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” (City…

Apollonia, the singer and actor who co-starred with Prince in his iconic film Purple Rain and became one of his musical proteges as a member of the Prince-formed group Apollonia 6, has shared a long, emotional essay about her last memories of Prince. “I feel like your widow,” Apollonia writes on Facebook. “I was so excited…

Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson has suggested that Apollonia 6 will be present for at least one of the Revolution’s upcoming reunion shows at First Avenue. “I’ll be down at First Avenue Sept 2nd,” Nelson writes on Facebook. “My gurl Apol[l]onia and the 6 will be there along with Andre Cymone and The Revolution.” Two years ago, Apollonia returned to First Avenue…

The Minnesota State Fair isn’t where I expected to have a reflective, rejuvenating, low-key experience — let alone one involving a bunch of Minnesotans decked in purple and dancing to pounding beats. Last night the masses descended per usual upon the fairgrounds on a gorgeous, hazy Friday. The weather was cool enough to wear a…

Bruise Violet, “Don’t Hurt Yourself” (Beyoncé cover) Loring Park enjoyed an optimal double feature on Monday; Big Cats and crew played a live score to Man With a Movie Camera, and Bruise Violet debuted this fierce Beyoncé cover. Rogue Valley, “Bury Your Heart” Rogue Valley (along with director Stephanie Johnson, producer Bobbi Peacock, and cinematographer Eric Schleicher) share a video one…

Artists, entrepreneurs and academics are invited to gather and learn from Prince. October 2016 and April 2018, respectively, will see a Prince-centered Giant Steps MN conference and University of Minnesota symposium study the icon’s legacy. On October 7, Giant Steps MN will hit the Minneapolis Convention Center and examine the ways Prince continues to touch Minnesota (and beyond). Speakers…