Jay Gabler reviews 'Before You Judge Me,' a novelistic new book that tries to get inside the head of Michael Jackson during the last weeks of the music icon's life.

Vikings Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a dislocated knee and torn ACL at practice yesterday and is likely out for the entire season. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs that say "no" do you want to hear?

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…

Two clown-related news stories have been making the Oake & Riley staff uncomfortable lately. So for today's Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that reference clowns, laughing, funny, etc.?

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…

The man who captured hundreds of jazz's greatest recordings -- by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock -- died August 25 at his home studio. He was 91.

Last weekend Monty Lee Wilkes, a reputable Twin Cities sound engineer and tour manager passed away from terminal cancer. Help us remember Monty Lee Wilkes with a 9:30 Coffee Break. What songs do you want to hear from bands that Wilkes worked with?