After seeing a show by Spoon on Friday night in Portland, Maine, many concertgoers headed over to an afterparty featuring a Spoon cover band headed by local musician Jeff Beam. The audience at the 200-capacity club were surprised when Spoon themselves showed up to jump onstage and play a few songs using the cover band’s instruments. (Pitchfork)…

It’s another blazingly hot, sunny day here at the Walker, with temperatures hovering in the high 80s as things get underway. Once again, the earlier gate time gave fans plenty of time to wander in and get situated this afternoon, and the hill was already filling up by the time Ghost of a Saber Tooth…

Never doubt the power of Paul Huttner. The MPR News meteorologist is on site at the Walker Art Center for the second year in a row, and I’m fully convinced that his presence is what’s keeping us free and clear of rain clouds or thunderstorms at this year’s Rock the Garden. Huttner power, activated. With…

Happy Friday! We’re knee-deep in one of the busiest times of year for music, with festivals ranging from Rock the Garden to small neighborhood block parties keeping bands booked solid all summer long, and artists gearing up for a dense album-release cycle this fall. Right now the theme is new, new, new, and this week’s Friday Five includes some excellent…

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood says that the band’s forthcoming album will include the first officially-released recording of “Lift,” a song Radiohead first performed in 1996. Greenwood suggested that the band never found the right arrangement of “Lift” until now. (Billboard) Apple has denied reports that it’s threatening to remove artists’ music from the iTunes Store if…

A graduation beyond the curfewed chaos of Lollapalooza and a more realistic option than the faraway oasis of Coachella, Bonnaroo is the perfect option for the Minnesotan looking to get the full festival experience—from hanging loose with Alabama Shakes to camping in close quarters with tens of thousands of strangers. Held annually the second weekend…

In First Avenue’s 45th year as a landmark concert venue that attracts world-famous acts to Minneapolis, we’re telling the stories behind some of the stars from First Ave’s popular Wall of Fame. Today, it’s Bright Eyes: Conor Oberst’s orchestral indie rock group from the heart of the Midwest in Omaha, Nebraska. With Oberst’s solo return to…

I’ve been a fan of Modest Mouse ever since I first heard their breakout single, “Float On,” on MTV in 2004. As if the riffs weren’t enough, the music video had me mesmerized. I remember standing in front of my tube TV before school, thinking, “Who is this?” I was only 13 years old when…

Presidential candidate Donald Trump has agreed to stop using Neil Young‘s “Rockin’ in the Free World” at campaign events. When the song played at Trump’s campaign launch, Young shot back that he’s (a) Canadian and (b) endorsing Bernie Sanders for U.S. President. “There are plenty of other songs to choose from, despite the fact that Mr. Trump…

Earlier this month, Toki Wright—a local hip-hop artist and educator—surprised the eighth grade class at Roseville Area Middle School by appearing at their graduation. “I was playing in the Mainroom and my big bro Conrad at First Avenue asked if I would come out to the school and make a special guest appearance,” explains Wright, referring…