Rock and Roll Book ClubRock and Roll Book Club: 'She Begat This'Jay Gabler • Sep 5, 2018In 'She Begat This,' Joan Morgan explores the legacy of 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,' two decades after that landmark album's release.
Local Current BlogSlippers worn by Minnesota music icon Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ recovered 13 years after being stolen from Grand Rapids museumHanna Bubser • Sep 4, 2018The Wizard of Oz taught us that there’s no place like home, but for a certain pair of ruby red slippers home has been a faraway thought; until now. The shoes, one of four pairs worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, went missing 13 years ago on Aug. 28.…
Coffee BreakCoffee Break: Back to schoolAnna Weggel • Sep 4, 2018We're looking for songs that mention students, education, going to school, skipping school, objects you might find in a school, or basically any school-related situations.
Minnesota State FairDessa crop art, and more agricultural tributes to music at the Minnesota State FairHanna Bubser • Sep 3, 2018If the long lines inside the Minnesota State Fairground’s Agriculture Horticulture Building are evidence enough, then it is safe to say that Minnesotans love to look at crop art. If you plan to hop in line and take a peek for yourself, bring some cheese curds: the line moves slowly. People move step-by-step to get…
Minnesota State Fair‘You changed my life’: Tropical Zone Orchestra serve salsa at the Minnesota State Fair and beyondJeyca Maldonado-Medina • Sep 3, 2018Despite having grown up in Minnesota, I only started going to the State Fair three years ago. The Fair is full of music — but it can be hard to even get Minnesotans to clap along to a song, much less get up and dance. When it came to Tropical Zone Orchestra’s performance on Friday,…
Minnesota State FairOne Prince and two Toms: Minnesota State Fair animal babies named after musiciansMaia Jacobson • Sep 3, 2018The Miracle of Birth center is easily one of my favorite parts of the fair; baby animals are irresistibly cute. This year as I was visiting the barn for the second time I noticed that nearly all of the babies had little name plaques on their pens. Many of the babies had been given names that…
ReviewsAlbum of the Week: Mitski, 'Be the Cowboy'Mac Wilson • Sep 3, 2018'Be the Cowboy' is one of the strongest releases of 2018 and further cements Mistki as one of the most exciting talents in music.
Minnesota State FairThe Hangar: New State Fair venue honors Minnesota’s aviation history with food, craft beer, and musicColleen Cowie • Sep 1, 2018This year, the State Fair debuted a new venue on the north end: the Hangar. The building, which used to be the Pet Center, has been transformed into a hub for food, craft beer, and live entertainment. The Hangar also nods to the building’s history as the location of the State Fair Aircraft Shows in…
Local Current BlogNot just a Happy Apple: Mike Lewis on John Prine, Bon Iver, and his very own musicCecilia Johnson • Sep 1, 2018“How the hell can a person go to work in the morning and come home in the evening and have nothing to say?” That’s singer/songwriter John Prine. Well, that’s Mike Lewis quoting Prine’s song “Angel From Montgomery” while sitting next to me at a countertop. We’re nearing the end of an hour-long conversation, and I’ve…
Local Current BlogLocal artisan brings the art of cigar-box guitars to MinnesotaSimone Cazares • Aug 31, 2018For Gipson Shoemaker, owner of Lucky Devil Cigar Box Guitars, his passion for cigar-box guitars all started with seeing Jack White in the 2008 documentary, It Might Get Loud. In that film, White built a diddley bow — an instrument similar to the cigar-box guitar. When Shoemaker first saw the diddley bow, he became curious…