Rock the Garden headliners and quasi-hometown heroes the Hold Steady delivered a rousing set full of hits and fan favorites, interspersed with wonderfully over-the-top inspirational stage banter from frontman Craig Finn. Check out this slideshow from the band’s performance! All photos by Nate Ryan.

Duluth-based punk-bluegrass juggernauts Trampled by Turtles have long been a Current fan favorite, and their superb set at Rock the Garden provided the perfect soundtrack as the day slid into the sun-kissed early evening hours. Enjoy this slideshow from the quintet’s performance! All photos by Nate Ryan.

On Saturday, Doomtree became the first hip-hop act to play Rock the Garden, and judging from their incendiery set — and its rapturous reception from fans — they certainly won’t be the last. Enjoy this slideshow from the crew’s performance. All photos by Nate Ryan  

tUne-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus delivered one of the days most vibrant and spirited sets, backed by an impressive array of musicians who helped bring her music to life in all of its eccentric and eclectic glory. Enjoy this slideshow from the band’s performance! All photos by Nate Ryan.

Howler’s charged, rollicking opening set at Rock the Garden 2012 was a huge hit with the crowd. Check out this slideshow from the band’s performance! All photos by Nate Ryan.

Though gates don’t open until 3 p.m., the staff of the Walker Art Center and The Current have been busy setting up for hours already today. We kicked off a live broadcast from Rock the Garden at 1 p.m. and have already had guest appearances on-air by Doomtree’s Dessa and P.O.S. The weather forecast predicted…

Local music notes from the week of June 11-15

Read about and download his new track "Mirror Chop"

It’s been a long and arduous recovery period for Bob “Slim” Dunlap, the former Replacements guitarist who suffered a severe stroke this past February. Though he’s transitioned out of the hospital and into a rehabilitation facility, Dunlap’s family reports that he’s still experiencing a great deal of pain and has a long road ahead. Over…

When cheeky young frontman Jordan Gatesmith remarked that the Twin Cities music scene experienced a 20-year lull between the heyday of bands like Prince, the Replacements, and Hüsker Dü and the popularity of his own band, Howler, he sparked an expansive and involved conversation about the health of our local music community. And while the…