It was 30 years ago today that Prince and his band the Revolution released Purple Rain, still the best-selling album to come out of Minnesota. The record came out just over a month before the film of the same name would hit theaters, and the singles “When Doves Cry and “Let’s Go Crazy” quickly climbed…

On August 16, 1982, Michael Jackson was at Westlake Recording Studios in L.A., making the album that would become Thriller. While the self-proclaimed King of Pop laid tracks for the record that would define his career and become the best-selling album of all time, the world was marking the fifth anniversary of the day the King…

How can you possibly bottle the energy and excitement of Rock the Garden? Andy Underwood-Bultman and his team at Walker Art Center have found one way to do that. Each year, Underwood-Bultmann and company assemble a time-lapse video that tells the story of the rock festival co-presented by Walker Art Center and 89.3 The Current.…

John Mark Nelson: Sings the Moon Local singer songwriter John Mark Nelson’s music is something that never ceases to put you into a good mood. His third album Sings the Moon drops today. Nelson’s folky bluegrass sound is stronger than ever on the single “Boy,” as well as “The Moon and the Stars.” The release show…

Day two of Rock the Garden began with the threat of rain and storms. Concertgoers arrived as MPR Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner advised them: “Packing a poncho and wearing a smile.” But then Valerie June took the stage and sang the rain away, after which the day turned into another beautiful day for Rock the…

With our first-ever, two-day Rock the Garden, we knew there would be a lot of outstanding moments to capture, so as great as our staff Photographer Nate Ryan is, we knew we’d have to get some help. So while Nate sought to capture the festival in its entirety from the top of the hill to…

The ominous clouds rolling overhead aren’t enough to keep the crowds away for the second day of this year’s Rock the Garden (find a full recap of yesterday’s event here), which will feature headliners Spoon and openers Guided by Voices, Dessa, Kurt Vile, and Valerie June. We’re expecting a shower or two this afternoon (keep an…

We couldn’t have asked for a better weather for the first day of this year’s Rock the Garden. With barely a cloud in the sky, it’s a refreshing change of pace from last year’s stormy start to the event—even if we won’t get to party down with anyone in the parking ramp this year, Dan…

Just like they did yesterday for Matt and Kim, the Rock the Garden crowd danced it out as Guided By Voices roared through their set. A little sun didn’t hurt anyone’s spirits!

People like to buddy up at Rock the Garden. We asked a few pairs of concert-goers what brought them together today. Sienna and Cailyn “We’re twins.” Alan and Caroline “We’re newly married.” Ellen and Lindsay “We were randomly assigned to be roommates at Carleton. We ended up living together for four years. We graduated last…