December 13th, 2017
Heavy music in 2017 was a bit of a disappointment in my eyes, as some of the genres I love have become greatly oversaturated, and as a result stale and boring to my ears (Stoner Rock, Doom, and Sludge).
Black Metal also, which started as a breath of fresh air, has devolved into hundreds of copycat artists that do not look at attempting anything outside of the tried and true formula.
In some ways Vinyl collection has seemed to jump start the music industry while on the other hand it has…
December 6th, 2017
ae@ndsuspectrum.com
This holiday season, the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre is bringing nostalgia to their stage in their adaptation of the 1979 musical, “The 1940s Radio Hour.”
Set in 1942, Radio Hour centers on the small radio station WOV in New York, which is recording a special broadcast for the soldiers overseas. The cast and crew of WOV are a hodgepodge of characters, including a haggard producer, a drunken lead singer and the delivery boy who dreams of singing in the…
November 29th, 2017
Fargo-Moorhead’s barbershop chorus, Great Plains Harmony (GPH) has earned a spot in the prestigious and competitive Barbershop Harmony Society International Competition in Orlando, Florida in July 2018. They will be competing against 30 choruses from around the world.
To earn this honor, the GPH competed against 18 other barbershop choruses from three states and two Canadian provinces at the Land O’ Lakes District competition in October.
This is only the third time in 67 years GPH…
November 24th, 2017
Jon Wayne and Thom Wilder bring a story of redemption back to Fargo
“He can’t remember every single detail of his past few months, but he knows this makes three times this summer alone that he’s overdosed. But there’s no celebration in cheating death, no victory dance or celebratory lap. Maybe there’s no victory to celebrate. Maybe, deep down, he wants the easy way out.” -Thom Wilder in “One More Trip: Jon Wayne’s Journey from Addiction to Redemption.”
It’s been…
November 16th, 2017
I’m told that there is nothing quite like a live Green Jelly show, where anarchy and foam puppets reign. So perhaps it’s in the spirit of the upcoming show that my intended interview with the mastermind and vocalist behind the band, Bill Manspeaker, went off the rails.
The intent was for me to fire off some questions to Bill on Cam Dewald’s KRFF radio show. Cam, as well as being the bassist for local death metal outfit Gorgatron, is also a part-time drummer and bassist for Green…
November 15th, 2017
Cut a rug and your teeth with these American Roots animals.
Pert Near Sandstone is a musical thunderstorm. The energy held within their music can only be matched by nature. As the melody swells you know you’re watching something amazing and that it’s unique and breathtaking.
This is a band that must be experienced live.
Their most unique asset is their percussion section, or the lack thereof. In lieu of a traditional drum kit, all the demonstratively rhythmic action is produced by…
November 9th, 2017
“When you’re involved in a song and just everything is going great, you can hear it,” says Blue Gritt drummer Ross Cariveau, “Everyone’s playing great. There’s a pocket or a bubble that you’re in and you always want to be there, but you can’t find it all the time. When we can find it we don’t ever want to leave it.”
According to guitarist Maurice “Mo” Skogen, “The hardest part with singing and playing an instrument is finding a song that puts my hands on…
November 8th, 2017
Art often inspires other art across the fragile boundaries of medium. Literature, the visual arts, and music have all drawn inspiration from each other over history, perhaps even more frequently now in our lightning-fast Information Age. Classical music is no different, drawing inspiration from as wide-ranging source material as mythology, literature, paintings, and historical events.
Regardless of one’s religious affiliation, it’s impossible to understate the influence of the Holy…
November 8th, 2017
The Minnesota Music Coalition (MMC) is a St. Paul-based nonprofit that was created by music industry professionals to support the vibrant Minnesota music scene.
Although they are based in St. Paul, they provide their services to all musicians throughout the state of Minnesota. Some of the many services they provide are monthly educational workshops, assistance with networking and booking, and musician mentoring.
One of the MMCs most acclaimed programs is the Caravan du Nord, which is a…
November 1st, 2017
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein is a legendary man. His work with the Misfits helped to create and shape a genre. His solo act Doyle is currently on tour with Gwar and will be following it with the As We Die headlining run, starting with a November 6 date at the Aquarium. I got a minute to speak with the man himself.
High Plains Reader: The Misfits are pretty good band. I’ve heard of them and I guess you’re in that band. Do you ever get sick of people remembering you for the…
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Alicia Underlee NelsonLocal groups will speak out against current and projected federal budget cuts in downtown Fargo this Saturday, April 26. The Red River Valley chapters of Fearless and Indivisible will lead a protest from…
By Prairie Rose Seminolems.prairierose@gmail.com I was a child who walked behind my parents into classrooms and kitchens, spaces of song and prayer, where teachings lived in the air and settled on my shoulders. I didn’t yet have…
Saturday, April 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m.Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, 521 Main Ave., MoorheadThings are coming up rosy at the Rourke in a true feast of the senses during the third annual “Gallery in Bloom” exhibit. The pop-up…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…
By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comThe wizards and kleagles in whites now wear blue suits and red tiesA hundred years ago, more than 30,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan from virtually every state in the Union wearing their white…
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.comRyan Coogler goes big and bold with “Sinners,” a sweaty, bloody vampire movie set in 1932. The filmmaker stuffs this universe with enough ideas to serve a limited-series season of episodic…
By Raul Gomez Modern Man was a gentle soul. If you were down or just wanted a friend, he’d be there for you. I remember the first day I met Modern Man. It was Jeremiah Fuglseth and me. He wanted to write about this legendary…
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 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 Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com In 2023, the Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, Rupak Ghandi, gave a passionate plea to the Fargo School Board to follow federal law, because a recently passed state law would increase…
