February 28th, 2018
By Howard Hardee
hhardee21@gmail.com
Josh Ritter says songs are like hiccups. He'll be doing something mundane and a tune will pop into his head involuntarily, as if due to some reflexive bodily function. But he doesn't question where the melody came from or how it appeared: he just makes sure to capture it in the moment.
"Over time, I've grown less and less concerned about not being able to sit down and write a song," he says. "I just have to be ready to write when it hits me. I don't…
February 21st, 2018
The New Direction had no shows booked in January 2012 so one of our co-founders, Charley Wang, decided to put together the First New Direction Fest out of complete necessity. He reached out to 18 local bands to play our little basement over three nights. It went well enough for us to be able to pay our bills that month.
By the next year, Charley was a new dad, so he didn’t have the time to put together the next fest. I took it over and moved it to the end of February, to coincide with…
February 21st, 2018
“There is one all-around theme to the record, but each record has its own individual idea, mostly that going back and forth of finding out where home is.” said Max Patzner, guitarist, artist and lead vocals of the Minot-based indie folk band Wild Hands. He went on to say, “We wrote these songs over the span of two years while we were traveling, so there's a lot of highway references.”
Wild Hands bassist Joe Andrus added, “We recorded it together as a three piece--then added…
January 31st, 2018
Whoever said rock n’roll ain’t pretty must have never had the opportunity to speak with Wanda Jackson, often referred to as “the queen of rockabilly” and even the “first lady of rock n’ roll.” The Oklahoma native just turned 80 this year and has just released her autobiography, “Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl's Journey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” co-authored by Scott B. Bomer.
The High Plains Reader had the opportunity to speak with her in 2015,…
January 26th, 2018
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Anomic at Atomic Coffee (they insisted I put that wordplay in the article). Anomic are a two-person band comprised of two pretty swell guys named Jay Stevenson, who provides vocals and guitar, and Rick Tullar, who plays the drums.
Even though there are only two of them, Jay and Rick make Anomic’s sound big enough that you would think there were at least three or four people onstage. They were more than happy to tell me about their…
January 17th, 2018
No one who has lived in Fargo for any length of time has to be told how bitterly cold it can get here during the winter. As much as we might complain about the cold temperatures, the biting winds, or the copious amounts of snow, we can’t really bring ourselves to hate the winter season.
Perhaps that’s why the City of Fargo began its Frostival, encouraging people to get out and enjoy themselves despite the cold. And of course, the coldest season of the year has had no small influence…
January 17th, 2018
From bass grumblings in the Pickled Parrot, Sub:Culture was birthed. The weekly EDM showcase originated by Eric Johanson(EJ) and Chris Patano(Butter), entitled Thirsty Thursday, gave way to something new and refreshing for the F-M area and the whole state. Now on episode 84, Sub:Culture has been bringing the beats to the Aquarium for over a year.
It wasn’t an easy transition, though. For a bit, Brian Noce (DJ Econ) tried it on his own, producing a show called Hump Day. It just didn’t…
January 8th, 2018
I missed much of the 90’s, especially the late part. It’s a cultural blank space for me thanks to my undue sense of superiority. I dismissed all things popular. Nothing had cultural merit unless I knew about if before you did and I would’ve loved to have discussed it with you in exhausting detail.
The “swing revival” was one of those things. I’d see scores of weekend-only high school kids at punk shows wearing hats incorrectly thought to be fedoras, atop ill-fitting suits…
December 27th, 2017
The San Haven Chuckle have been a long-time fixture in the Fargo music scene. I remember seeing them shortly after I first moved to Fargo, a little over seven years ago. As a matter of fact, the band has been around for twelve years. Despite the fact that I’ve had the honor of calling them friends for some time, surprisingly it is only now that I find myself writing an article about them. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with a couple of members of the…
December 13th, 2017
“The DIY scene welcomed me in at the age of 15 and I never left. The DIY scene has allowed me to travel to 49 of the 50 US states. I have made friends all over this country that I will have for the rest of my life. People involved in DIY music care.” says Mike Hansen, the man behind the See You Never label.
He continued, “We really care about the music. It’s not about money, it’s a community that helps each other out and supports each others projects. Everything my bands have…
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By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…
By HPR Staff We’re all a part of building strong, healthy and inclusive communities. But the region’s non-profit organizations do a lot of the heavy lifting. Now it’s time for these organizations to step into the spotlight.…
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Hjemkomst Center202 1st Avenue N., MoorheadLet’s be real, Irish culture is on everyone’s mind in mid-March, so why not expand your horizons and…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks us halfway through the roaring 2020s. Boy, am I glad I didn’t bob my hair for this go-around. It feels like we’re off to the wrong roar, opening Pandora’s box of what-the-Fox…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comLennon: “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can!”On January 8, 2025, Timothy W. Rybeck of “The Atlantic" magazine published “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days” with the…
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 As a food enthusiast, there’s nothing better than attending a local event featuring hotdish. And as far as hotdish events go, no place does it better than the fine folks at Brewhalla and Drekker…
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 Writer/director/performer Katarina Zhu’s feature debut “Bunnylovr” premiered to mixed reviews in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Despite the lack…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Everyone has heard the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” However, it is safe to say there are far more than a thousand in Mickey Smith’s photographs. When one hears…
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 Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On Dec 5, the Turning Point USA chapter at North Dakota State University hosted an event called BisonFest. This event featured Chloe Cole, a former trans kid, known for detransitioning and…
By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…
