April 18th, 2018
Phoebe Bridgers is a force. Her debut album “Stranger in the Alps” is soft, but mighty, it’s honest and it’s personal, her voice haunting, and lyrically her liner notes read like a journal. She provides insight to her fears, often alluding to drowning which she cites as her biggest fear. She sings about relationships and addresses her own depression and describes experiences that are all too relatable. Her sound is Elliott Smith meets Saint Vincent, collaborator, friend and…
April 11th, 2018
This uncharacteristically cold and snowy April signals the close of another exciting season of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra’s Sanford “Masterworks” series with “A Very Grand Finale." This concert promises to be a romantic and bombastic farewell to the orchestra’s audience for the season.
First of all, the evening will begin with the live world premiere of a piece commissioned by the FM Symphony Orchestra for Dr. Dan Breedon, the professor of composition at Concordia…
April 11th, 2018
It would be fair to say that Margo Price is an all-American girl. She’s a mother, a midwest farmer’s daughter, and a self-made musician who has built her musical career from the ground up. In fact she and her husband pawned their car and her wedding ring in order to record her 2016 debut “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” which was also the first country album to be released by Third Man Records.
In fact it’s the very stuff that good country songs are made of.
“It was my…
April 4th, 2018
When asked how they would describe their sound the Bismarck-based seven-piece Americana band, Boreal Gardens, replied, “We have many different influences, but we can try to describe our sound as Elvis Costello meets the Rolling Stones.” Add a horn section and some airy yet soulful vocals and you’ll have the diverse sound that reflects the band’s folk, rock and soul influences.
HPR had the opportunity to correspond with Boreal Gardens collectively via email.
High Plains Reader: …
March 28th, 2018
By Octavio Gomez and Sabrina Hornung
octavio@hpr1.com, sabrina@hpr1.com
There’s a certain level of intensity, maybe even urgency, behind the sound of the Austin-based mud folk band Lord Buffalo. Their atmospheric sound paints sonic soundscapes as stark as the desert landscapes they’re inspired by. It only makes sense that they would catch the ear of Austin filmmaker Keith Maitland and that their work would be featured on the soundtrack for his film “Tower.”
“Tower” made it’s…
March 28th, 2018
It’s probably safe to say that most people have heard of The Who, one of those bands that, like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, have left an indelible mark on musical and cultural history. With a career spanning over five decades, their music has found its way into television, film, and stage. And of course, if we’re talking about the stage, we can’t neglect to mention their concept album “Tommy.”
Since “Tommy” was unleashed on the world in 1968, the album has seen a lot…
March 28th, 2018
I was a bit taken back by drummer Corey Krueger’s heartfelt and honest response when I asked him how he feels when he listens to Big Bad World, the latest release from The Moody River Band which has been over six years in the making. Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t have been because even the press release for the show makes mention of exactly why this album has been not only emotionally trying for the band to release, but also why it has been hidden away from the public for so…
March 28th, 2018
Knoxville, Tennessee-based violinist Evie Andrus has played the violin for most of her life, in fact she and her brother Wild Hands bassist Joe Andrus grew up playing in the family bluegrass band. She’s currently part of a five-show midwest tour with classic rock legends Foreigner as part of the backing orchestra.
Fortunately, her band Holler Jake had a break in their touring schedule to meet up with Wild Hands for a wild night at Sidestreet this coming Saturday. Rumor has it that the…
March 14th, 2018
In Fargo, we are certainly used to long, cold winters, but that doesn’t make us any less anxious for them to end with each coming spring. The arrival of warmer weather means longer days and finally being able to see green again after several months.
It is with that in mind that the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra decided on the theme for the fourth concert in the 2017-2018 Sanford Health Masterworks series, “Sunny Getaway.”
“We thought ‘Sunny Getaway’ would simply be a fun…
February 28th, 2018
By Ben Rheault
hpr@hpr1.com
Holler House are back with a new split 10” on Jetsam-Flotsam Records, with fellow Minneapolis band Technician.
The band is gearing up for their Minneapolis release party by playing The Aquarium this Friday. I emailed Holler House’s drummer and graphic designer Mike Novak a few quick questions before they rip up the stage on Friday.
High Plains Reader: Last time I reviewed your self-released “Lodge” (2016). There was a quote in there stating, "We're…
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By Alicia Underlee NelsonMore than 1,000 pro-worker events are planned for Thursday, May 1 across the country, including rallies in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Minot and Jamestown. East Grand Forks and Bismarck will host protests…
From concerts and car shows to Japanese art and Juneteenth celebrations, there's so much going on around the region this summer. This year's High Plains Reader Summer Events Calendar is back and bigger than ever. It's packed with…
June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com One description that perhaps aptly describes the mental state of many lately is that they feel they are attached to a string. Or several strings. Call it the notion that people are played like puppets,…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comFor sale: White House in D.C. housing dung beetles and giant leechesI suspect someone close to Donald Trump has read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,”because the Trump administration is…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com The writing/directing partnership of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck has to be one of the most curious cases of crazy connect-the-dots career moves in recent cinema. From short documentaries and…
By Raul Gomezraul@hpr1.com Minutes before Modern’s Celebration of Life opened its door at the Sons of Norway, I was fiddling with the bar computer, trying to pull up the playlists of Modern’s work I had set aside for the…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There appear to be differences in the incidence of mental illnesses between men and women. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…
