MUSIC REVIEW | 89.3 The Current’s 8th Birthday Party at First Avenue: Surprises on nights one and two
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There is not an organization in the Twin Cities that has done more for the local music scene over the last eight years than Minnesota Public Radios 89.3 The Current and the first night of the stations birthday party continued that tradition. Four local artists who have had increasing success showcased the variety of local music on Friday, January 18. Wunderkind John Mark Nelson led off the night’s event performing his second time in a week on the First Avenue Stage. John is a recent graduate of Minnetonka High School and has just released another single, “The Moon and The Stars” and has started a Kickstarter campaign to release his third album. With a backing band that filled the stage John provided the audience with a folk tinged full sound reminding me of bands in the Arcade Fire vein. The most impressive part of the show is the full orchestration that John had developed; a full band with backing strings and percussion that is much more mature than his nineteen years. His most popular song, “Reminisce” was the perfect example of his music and was the crowd favorite. Chastity Brown continued the folk tinged theme of the night so far but added in her own bluesy interpretation to her songs. Continue Reading