Music
Northern Spark reportedly in jeopardy, seeks Kickstarter funding
"Last year’s Northern Spark all-night art event was, to be frank, very awesome," write the editors of Secrets of the City. "After success like that, it’s a bit of a bummer to hear the event might be in jeopardy for this year."MORE »
Sunup to sundown, Magic 1530 broadcasts a local vibe
KQSP-AM — “Magic 1530” is the Twin Cities’ first AM R&B station since 2001.
“It was a Spanish topical format,” explains Magic General Manager Rodney Smith on the station before it switched formats in June 2011. “They [the station owners] brought me in and switched it to an Adult AC [Adult Contemporary] format. It’s been going good for us.”MORE »
FRIDAY PICK | First waltz: Dr. Dog at First Avenue
Philadelphia's Dr. Dog are one of the most interesting bands on the indie circuit, distinguishing themselves with talent and ambition despite the fact that their sound, when described in words, sounds the same as every other shaggy-boy band to lope into town and steal Minneapolitans' hearts. With multiple songwriters who are also evocative vocalists, a shambling sound that hides a formidible instrumental attack, and a taste for unusual and complex song structures, the closest point of reference is The Band; locals who enjoy the flannelled-and-bearded men of the Fleet Foxes, Dawes, Mumford et al (you know who you are, and so do I) should be well-pleased. Dr. Dog headline First Ave's Mainroom on February 17, with Purling Hiss.MORE »
FRIDAY PICK | Happy birthday to the Big Wu
One of my dad's proudest achievements as a parent is having introduced my brother Joe to the jam band that Joe and his friends, as teenagers, followed across the Upper Midwest in our family's giant conversion van. (Bumper sticker: where the heck is the big wu?) Minnesota's answer to the Grateful Dead have been chooglin' for two decades now, and they'll celebrate that landmark on February 10 at the Cabooze with what they describe as "the type of music that wants to course through your veins." Expect a crowd full of well-tracked ditches.MORE »
Can Madonna flip the bird to ageism?
@MarcusMichalik: Madonna is pushing overt middle-aged female sexuality in a culture that expects women her age to shrivel up and die. I find this significant.
Me too. The women-in-comedy discussions of 2011, if nothing else, revealed that there's still a yawning gender gap in professional comedy—as 2012 begins with the 53-year-old Madonna taking center stage at the Super Bowl and embarking on a national tour, this might be the year to look at the gender gap in 50+ entertainers. Actresses have long complained that the good roles for them disappear with frightening speed once they hit middle age...is that true for popular musicians as well?MORE »
MUSIC | The Current's 7th Birthday Party at First Avenue: Saturday night
Seven years ago, it looked like 89.3 The Current was about to become the little radio station that could. With the dawn of 2012, it's clear that The Current has become a veritable powerhouse in the Twin Cities music scene. By releasing coveted tickets to MPR members before the general public, it's a wonder that there are still fans that haven't yet joined the ever-growing flock of individuals contributing to public radio in efforts to gain (or attempt to) access what have become member-exclusive shows. No exception to this members-only phenomenon, The Current's 7th Birthday Party sold out in a matter of minutes—even with the two-night split between eight treasured local acts. Finding a ticket to either show became a game of visiting The Depot and begging for a ticket (usually to no avail) or taking chances with Craigslist sellers who often resell tickets at exorbitant prices. And while there are a few kind-and-fair-hearted sellers willing to resell their tickets at face-value ("It's public radio! Why would I want to make a profit?"), it's clear that snagging entry to this birthday party was like winning a Golden Ticket.MORE »
Regina Marie Williams's "When a Woman Loves a Man" triumphs
Regina Marie Williams doubles as first lady of Twin Cities theater and the Twin Cities’s finest jazz vocalist. Barring none.MORE »
MUSIC | Best New Bands of 2011 at First Avenue: A local mix
Greetings Daily Planet readers, I am Lindsay LaBarre. I’m a sixteen-year-old concert blogger/music fan and I hail from the beautiful habitat that is suburbia. I am the creator and sole member of a concert blog entitled My Mom Is My Concert Buddy. If you know anything about me from my blog, you know that I’m always glued to the barrier and always insanely early. But this time I got to last last Wednesday night's Best New Bands show at First Avenue after the doors opened and I sat in the balcony. It was actually pretty nice though. Up there, it’s like a whole new world (a dazzling place I never knew … ). It’s an extremely advantageous spot for creeping on people, and I actually got to talk to my mom during the show for once. I’m not converted to be a balcony frequenter, but I think I’ll hang out there a bit more often. Plus, the newly-implemented-for-this-show members area was pretty fab.
MONDAY PICK | The Roe Family Singers "raise a ruckus" at the 331 Club every Monday night
It might not be entirely fair or accurate to describe The Roe Family Singers as "if The Waltons and The Partridge Family had a baby." But they are rural and an all-around wholesome family band. And since 2005, they've been playing at the 331 Club every Monday night. In their own words: "With a mix of original music and contemporary takes on old-time, traditional, and gospel tunes, every performance raises a ruckus."
Korean traditional performers in rural Wisconsin, St. Paul
One small church and its Korean pastor are at the center of a program to bring Korean culture to the center of Wisconsin.MORE »
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