Under normal circumstances, Spring in Minnesota is a time where many of us begin to emerge from our homes where we’ve hunkered down during cold, dark winters. That’s obviously only been exacerbated because of the pandemic. Now that I’m vaccinated, I made it to an outdoor live music event / social gathering. The weather was […]
Music
Under the Bridge Residency
Music has always been a huge part of my life. When I was a small child I would dance around the living room as my Dad’s reel to reel player. He played everything from Elton John to the William Tell Overture. In my early teens, I started attending live music shows with my friends. And […]
Commanding Presence
House by the Witches Tower Gen X jokes aside, I’ve spent much of my life feeling invisible. Or, alternately, feeling a bit like a cartoon character or caricature. Either way, I’ve felt disconnected from others – family, classmates, colleagues. For over thirty years the Twin Cities music scene has provided me a safe haven. Spaces […]
Feeling Minnesota
Minnesota apologists will claim this is just a normal winter, like the kind we had when we were kids. But no. This extreme weather has all been occurring in a more condensed window. As a friend put it, “it’s like we get all of winter’s greatest hits in one week.†Extreme cold, ice storms, two […]
The Soap Factory, Late-Stage Capitalism and a Sheriff’s Sale
More grim news for the local Twin Cities art scene. This time it’s my beloved Soap Factory on the chopping block. This space has been important to me over the last 20+ years. In the 90s my first visits involved the minimal 4th of July events. I recall local video artists projecting their works and […]
Eliminating the Unnecessary
Travel is important to me. Especially as a Minnesotan. The ability to take a break from the long dark winters, or at least to plan a trip (hypothetical or a trip that will be realized) is critical. This past winter went on for a long long stretch and I couldn’t help myself. I snapped up […]
Time In Common
Somewhere along the way I became a morning person. I can’t quite pinpoint it. Motherhood isn’t to blame, since my adult son is turning 19 in just a few days. Guess it’s just my advancing age. This season of my life finds me at work by 7am daily and in bed by 10pm. Hard to […]
Power of Music
Without Music Life Would Be a Mistake Winter in Minnesota makes me want to hibernate, and I generally want to hunker down after the chaos of the holidays. Recently I looked into getting a Seasonal Affective Disorder lamp (some prefer to call them “happy” lamps). But it turns out they may not be a good […]
The Rush to Fall
September Swan Songs We’re on borrowed time people. This is for real. Summer is OVER. There were a few more bursts and blasts of summer-like weather but nope. It is Fall. Today the region is being drenched in a cold rain that may morph into a rain-snow mixture all too soon. Frankie Teardrop’s song End […]
Drone Fest
Doctors Without Borders My friend Luke Heiken organized a benefit show for Doctors Without Borders (donations are still being accepted here). But it wasn’t your usual sort of benefit show. It was a 28-hour long drone fest. And it happened last month at The Cedar Cultural Center. I managed to be present for about half […]