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Music

Never the same as he ever was

As an artist and musician, David Byrne has never been satisfied with resting on laurels. Whether as leader of the groundbreaking rock group 'The Talking Heads', or world music enthusiast, or as a filmmaker and visual artist, Byrne's goal is to take art in new directions. Byrne is the headline performer at the Walker Art Center's annual "Rock the Garden" street party Friday night.

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Speaking of Song

The first St. Paul Summer Song Festival begins on Monday June 21 and continues through the following Sunday, June 27. To help set the scene, we've invited in a specialist—Brian Zeger, a pianist who's accompanied some of the world's finest singers—to introduce a few of his favorites.

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Viola Congress held at University of Minnesota

The world's largest gathering of viola professionals, students, and enthusiasts was held at the University of Minnesota, June 9-13, 2004. MPR's Mindy Ratner interviewed many in attendance.

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Soaring solos

At almost every rock concert since the 1970s, the guitarists on stage have had a lot of back up: people in the audience, sometimes dozens of them, all playing imaginary instruments. Many air guitarists see themselves as artists in their own right. Some of the finer practitioners in the area will gather at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis tonight for the U.S. Air Guitar Regional Championships.

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Venus of Mars

All the Pretty Horses is one of the few rock bands in the upper midwest that includes transgender members. It was founded by Venus, a transgender musician and visual artist from Duluth. Venus' provocative presence on stage and in public forces people to consider what it means to be transgender. That presence can now be seen on the big screen in a new documentary from Twin Cities filmmaker Emily Goldberg, entitled "Venus of Mars."

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If you got 'em, smoke 'em outside

As debate over smoking bans in Minneapolis and St. Paul continues, opponents have often talked about how smoking and drinking go hand in hand. Add rock and roll to the mix and the allure of smoking only gets stronger. Proprietors of Twin Cities music clubs, where the vast majority of patrons smoke, say smoking bans could affect their livelihood and have a negative impact on the local music scene.

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West African rhythms fuel a fight for freedom

Most musicians dream of making it big on the world stage one day. But for a local West African singer, there's a lot more at stake than fame and fortune. Yawo, a native of Togo, hopes the CD he's producing in a tiny studio in northeast Minneapolis will help fuel the resistance against the dictator in his home country. He wants the music to connect with people in Togo, and with other freedom fighters like himself who have fled the country and are spread around the world.

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Dale Warland Singers leave on a high note

The Dale Warland Singers take the stage for the final time Sunday afternoon, after 32 years of performing. Founder and conductor Dale Warland announced a year ago this was the group's final season. He says he'll devote more time to arranging and composing. The Warland Singers have won a worldwide reputation and following. A hallmark of their three decades is the commissioning and performance of new choral works.

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Dale Warland Singers present "A River Journey"

"A River Journey" explores the iconic significance of rivers in American arts and culture, and features the world premieres of "River Journey Suite", a major commission by four American composers.

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