Music

Look Out Posers: DTFM Vinyl Distro is in Town

May 15th, 2019

DTFM Vinyl Distro owner Devin Casavant

There is a golden oldie by Peter Allen called “Everything Old is New Again”, and that is certainly true about vinyl records. It is no secret that vinyl records are no longer just your parents’ musical format. Their popularity has skyrocketed among a new generation of audiophiles who cite everything from aesthetics to audio fidelity to a “warmer sound” for their ditching the formats like CD that supposedly made them obsolete.

Locations like Orange Records and Mother’s in…

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NeedToBreathe brings acoustic show to Fargo Theatre

May 8th, 2019

NeedtoBreathe

NeedToBreathe is bringing their Acoustic Live Tour to the Fargo Theatre May 15 and HPR was able to catch up to keyboardist and vocalist Josh Lovelace to talk about the tour as well as the band’s charity golf tournament and Lovelace’s Young Folk project.

High Plains Reader: How’s the tour going?

Josh Lovelace: It’s been really really good. We’re feeling good and everybody’s doing really good. It’s been really fun for us to get back in front of people. It’s been nice to…

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​The FYB life with Cascades

April 10th, 2019

The Cascades - photograph by Fargo.live

By Gary Ussery
usseryg@gmail.com

FYB. Three letters, three words, well known by the guys who make up Cascades, and anyone who is a fan of the five-man band. When asked what genre best describes their sound, I was bombarded with at least a dozen different categories, and sub-categories. We finally narrowed it down to punk, rock, and the important one to many, emo. FYB (f*ck yeah bud) was the callsign of Carter Amundson, the former bassist of Cascades, and a friend gone too soon for many of…

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​How do you Dü?

March 27th, 2019

Design by Jessi Schmit

The Lacrosse, Wisconsin based indie rock three-piece Porcupine came up on former bassist of Twin Cities based hardcore punk trio Hüsker Dü, Greg Norton’s radar one night in 2009 as they opened for the Meat Puppets. Norton met the band after the show and made fast friends with guitarist Casey Virock and managed to stay in touch via social media.

Fast forward to 2016. Norton’s project Conqueso disbanded and serendipitously Virock’s bass player didn’t work out either. “Casey…

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​More Than Just a Building: New Direction Fest 8

March 27th, 2019

TND fest - photograph provided by Gary Ussery

By Gary Ussery
usseryg@gmail.com 

It is hard to be a part of the Fargo music scene without knowing the name “Jack Stenerson.” His is a name I learned early on in my musical photography career, and for good reason. Jack is one of the biggest names in and behind the Fargo Music scene. If you have rocked out at The Aquarium (@aquariumfargo), Jack probably had a hand in the show. Heck, he was probably working the cash box. If you have enjoyed a concert at The Sanctuary (@sanctuaryevents),…

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FMSO’s Own Talent Takes the Spotlight

March 13th, 2019

Photograph provided by FM Symphony Orchestra

The Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra has had its fair share of guest performances headlining its concerts over the years. They all have impressive resumes, their fair share of awards, and worldwide recognition. However, bringing this talent in from all around the country and the world isn’t meant to distract from, but only serves to augment, the talent of Fargo’s own orchestra. However, during the next concert in FMSO’s Masterworks Series “The Virtuoso Next Door”, our own…

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​Go Murphy brings it home with Dakota

February 27th, 2019

Jason Forthun - photograph by Fargo.live

“The band started out for the most part as a way for me to get back into music," Marcus Rondesvedt, guitarist and vocalist for the band Go Murphy on the eve of their fourth album release “Dakota,” said. 

"I hadn’t played in an organized band in several years since the days of Blue Collar Hero back in the mid-2000s. I reached out to Ryan Dahl as we are lifelong friends to see if he had any interest and the rest is history. We are coming up on eight years as a band this…

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​Ready or Knot

February 13th, 2019

The Knotties

By Gary Ussery
usseryg@gmail.com

When Sabrina gets a hold of you and asks you to interview a band as unique as Fargo locals The Knotties you just yell “yes!” Only a few days later I was meeting with Channing Minnema (lead vocals, guitar) and Michael Mooridian (bass, backing vocals). Unfortunately, Jonathan Hunter (drums, backing vocals) couldn’t make it, but he sure was there in spirit!

The guys had a hard time defining their genre but settled on something that sounds like blues…

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​‘Like a moth seduced by a lamp…’

February 13th, 2019

Ghost Wagon - photograph by Brenda Brousseau

When asked what brought the members of the Minneapolis based alt-country band Ghost Wagon together, during a collective email interview they replied, “Most of us met through the music in one way or another. Ghost Wagon is a collective of like-minded musicians who want to create great music and like a moth seduced by a lamp are drawn to the light.”

The band consists of JC Collins, Matt Dittmar, Marc Dockter, Neil Johnson, John Mack, Chuck Nelson, AJ Swenson, and a revolving cast of…

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​Lissie: Queen of her ‘Castles’

February 13th, 2019

Lissie

“I missed the midwest, it feels like home," singer-songwriter Lissie said. "When I come back I’d get this feeling in my chest like--I think this is just where I’m supposed to be. It’s the place that formed me and where a lot of my family is. It feels really good.” 

Lissie, is originally from Rock Island Illinois, after leaving her hometown to go to college at Colorado State, eventually dropping out of college to pursue a music career.

“I realized I wasn’t sure exactly what…

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