Not only can you hear the full Minnesota Orchestra during Sommerfest, you can also experience quieter nights of chamber music. Critic William Randall Beard weighs in.
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In 1998, the Minneapolis rock band Semisonic soared to international stardom on the wings of its smash single,
"Closing Time." Three years later, the band was dropped from its record contract, and left contemplating an uncertain future. Semisonic drummer Jacob Slichter has written a memoir retracing the band's beginnings, its meteoric rise to fame and fall from major label grace.
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Old time Scandinavian music is making a comeback with new audiences. Five musicians from the Brainerd area called Skalmusik preserve and play Swedish and Norwegian folk tunes. The group's members carry on long family traditions of playing music that reflects their heritage.
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It's somewhat surprising when a young, gifted musician decides to pursue jazz over something more popular, such as rock or hip hop. Such is the case with 19-year-old jazz trumpeter Greg Paulus of St. Paul. Many say he has the talent and perseverance to make music his career. Paulus performs this weekend at the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul.
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You might not remember the band QuickBreath -- unless you were growing up in Duluth 30 years ago. They were a big deal back then. They played bars and dances. And they got on the radio -- in Duluth. That was before a few monster companies owned most radio stations. Back then, bands could get their records played on the local rock station. A new CD features some of the local music that got onto the radio during the '70s.
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Classical musicians from across the Twin Cities have come together to perform the premiere of a new orchestral work. It's called "Mosaic: Cedar and Lake," and it attempts to capture the cultural diversity of Minneapolis.
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On October 15, 1852, the first train of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad traveled from Chicago to Joliet, Illinois. Two years later it would bring a delegation of East Coast journalists and dignitaries to the Mississippi River as part of the Grand Excursion to Minnesota. Over the next 50 years, as the Rock Island Line grew, it carried passengers and freight through 14 states and became part of the story of the American west. Then it inspired a song that has been passed from generation to generation. Minnesota Public Radio's Jim Bickal has traced the stories of the song and the railroad and discovered that together they tell quite a tale.
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Minnesota's most revered nightclub, First Avenue in Minneapolis, is at a crossroads. Last week, owner Allan Fingerhut fired General Manager Steve McClellan. McClellan guided the club for more than 30-years. Many say his adventurous tastes and fiercely independent streak are what made First Avenue into a launchpad for regional artists and a nationally known music venue. McClellan's dismissal left many wondering whether the struggling club would close or be sold. Fingerhut is vowing to take aggressive steps to keep First Avenue open and independent.
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You could call it heavy metal music. Some handbells weigh 13 pounds. More than 1,000 handbell ringers are in Duluth for a conference this weekend. The gathering comes to a crescendo on Sunday when hundreds of them perform at one time.
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