What bands are you never sure if they have a "the" or not?

MPR News Arts Reporter Marianne Combs joins Steve Seel and Jade (in for Jill Riley) to talk where to find arts exhibits and activities at the Minnesota State Fair.

Even under the fuzz of a speakerphone, the voice of Zachary Scot Johnson was clear as a bell, full of more pep than I would except from someone who woke up at a hotel somewhere in Door County. He was there because because it was the weekend, and for Johnson, weekends are for touring. “I graduated…

Fans of Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith know him not only as a gifted craftsman and performer, but also as a thoughtful participant in larger discussions about politics, sociology, current events, and one of his favorite topics, “nerd culture.” So when he appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman last night to play a song…

The Current’s Nate Ryan was on hand as Jeremy Messersmith and his band made their network television debut on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman. Here’s Nate’s fly-on-the-wall story and photos. Last Thursday was when we first found out that Jeremy was confirmed to be on The Late Show with David Letterman. At that…

Bob Dylan left Columbia Records, David Byrne said no to The Heads, and remembering Robert Moog Today in Music History.

Who are the world’s richest bassists? Maybe that’s not a question that you realized you wanted to know the answer to, but now that it’s been asked, aren’t you curious? The Richest lists the top ten (in descending order of richness): the Beatles‘ Paul McCartney ($1.2 billion), the Police‘s Sting ($300 million), KISS‘s Gene Simmons ($300 million),…

Strong showing for the locals this week. Can we still call Bon Iver local? Justin's song for the movie Wish I Was Here jumps up to #3 and Trampled By Turtles maintain control of the top for the fourth week in a row.

The Current's Bill DeVille loves music and he loves the State Fair. He shares his thoughts about some of the music acts appearing on stages throughout the 2014 Minnesota State Fair.

In addition to the high-profile Grandstand shows—including our own MN Music-on-a-Stick showcase on Aug. 30—the Minnesota State Fair is alive with free music. The Fair has posted complete schedules of performers at their free stages and other venues (booths, restaurants, etc.), and MPR will be hosting several performances at our own booth—but who are all these artists?…