Sims flew back to town for just one night to take part in our birthday party while the Doomtree crew continues their national tour. Apparently in the midst of sleep deprivation, you certainly couldn’t tell that was the case, and Sims successfully pumped the crowd up (including a random woman who ambushed the stage). Photos by Nate…

Haley Bonar kicked off the second night of our birthday party, playing a range of songs from her lengthy catalogue including new ones from Golder released last year. She moved freely between Rhodes piano and guitar, bringing on The Bad Plus’ Wendy Lewis for a few gorgeous arrangements. Photos by Nate Ryan

The much-buzzed about headliner lived up to the hype

The second night of 89.3 The Current’s 7th Birthday Party at First Ave was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who made it possible — our fans and members, and also all of the amazing Minnesota musicians who performed. Read Andrea Swensson’s recap here. Check out our photos from throughout the night, take a look…

  Slowcore pioneers and Minnesota indie icons, the Duluth-based band Low gave a lovely, slow-burning performance during the first night of our birthday party, and even welcomed members of Dead Man Winter onstage for a portion of their set. It was a performance that perfectly captured the intense musical beauty that garnered these local music…

Tapes n’ Tapes headlined the first night of The Current’s Birthday Party, ending the evening with a rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain” with The Current’s staff doing double duty as back-up singers and instrumentalists. They stopped by our studios for a quick session on The Morning Show as a teaser for the night. Photos by…

Featuring members of Trampled By Turtles, the band plays a more brooding role in the folk music scene of Minnesota. Serving as a nice complement to the tunes that TPT have continually put out the past few years, the leadership of Dave Simonett has allowed the band to explore a sound that hasn’t been touched…

Rising local band Night Moves, fresh off a major label signing to Domino Records (Animal Collective, Four Tet, Arctic Monkeys), opened the first night of our birthday party at First Avenue. Most songs came from their debut Colored Emotions which will be out in the next few months. All photos by Nate Ryan

The evening ended with a gutsy cover of "Purple Rain"

Friday was the first night of 89.3 The Current’s two-night 7th Birthday Party at First Avenue, and it was a huge success! Read Andrea Swensson’s recap here. Thanks to everyone who came out and to all the bands who performed and made it such a special night. We can’t wait to keep the party going…