June 14th, 2017
Michael Beatrez is no stranger to the Fargo music scene. For the past few years, his bands Bear North and Sound made a name for themselves with the local college audience. Now, Beatrez has something new to offer. This is The Weeping Covenant.
I had a chance to ask Beatrez some questions about the new project in anticipation of their debut album You’re All I Need being released this weekend.
High Plains Reader: You have been in other bands in town before. How did The Weeping Covenant…
June 14th, 2017
Everclear anniversary tour: from Portland to Moorhead to Honolulu
By Sabrina Hornung and Tom Bixby
It’s been 20 years since Everclear released their greatest album, the classic So Much for the Afterglow. It had a huge impact and has influenced many bands and more than one generation of musicians. We recently had a relaxed conversation with Everclear’s frontman Art Alexakis.
High Plains Reader: Have you started your tour yet?
Art Alexakis: The 11th is the first show, in Portland, Oregon.…
June 14th, 2017
An anonymous ghoul on metal anonymity and Satan
The band Ghost gained notoriety for their highly visual theatrical nature, satanic lyrics and imagery, as well as a mysterious presence in which the band members remain masked and anonymous. All but Papa Emeritus, the lead ghoul on vocals leading his congregation as a skeletal “anti-pope” adorned with mitre-inverted crosses and all.
The High Plains Reader recently had the opportunity to chat with an anonymous ghoul from the Swedish metal…
June 7th, 2017
Surfer Blood’s 4th album, now with backup vocals
“I was making fun of Tyler our drummer for having a really goofy surfer backpack with a little pouch for his surf wax and stuff like that. He told me I wouldn’t understand because I didn’t have surfer blood.” says Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts, on how the band got its name.
Pitts surfs occasionally but insists that his passion for surfing isn’t as deep as that of half of his band.
Though Surfer Blood may have their hands…
June 7th, 2017
BJ Barham on Rockingham and the decline of the American dream
Photo by Jillian Clark
BJ Barham is a busy guy. He plays around 250 shows a year with his band American Aquarium, but he says this solo tour is his most ambitious venture yet.
“53 shows in 59 days. At least one show in all 48 states plus DC so it’s a crash course on America. It’s pretty much a stay a day.” he said. His native North Carolina, Texas, and California are the only states with multiple shows, the latter two…
June 1st, 2017
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Wild Hands, is a Minot-based bluegrass-Americana band with strong North Dakota roots. Their sound is rootsy with compellingly honest lyrics, that praises and hails the plains of North Dakota. The lyrics and instrumentation are as breezy and whimsical as the album artwork created by lead singer/guitarist Max Patzner.
Currently the three-piece is in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign designed to fund their most ambitious project yet. They plan on releasing three 10-inch records on three…
May 31st, 2017
Tigers Jaw can do no wrong. Guitarist/vocalist Ben Walsh and keyboardist/vocalist Brianna Collins have been making a huge impact in the underground music scene since 2006.
In 2008 they released a self-titled album that became the soundtrack for indie and punk kids everywhere. I thought there was no way they could ever top an album that good. In 2010 they released Two Worlds, that failed to recapture the magic of their previous album, but it was still a better record than most bands can…
May 31st, 2017
HPR chats with a legend
With a jazz career spanning nearly 70 years and a 91st birthday coming up in August, Tony Bennett is a true renaissance man. In that time he’s made a name for himself in the art world and has also gained notoriety for his humanitarian efforts.
The man himself took a moment to chat with the High Plains Reader about his early life and career, the MTV generation, and how he became friends with Frank Sinatra and Lady Gaga.
High Plains Reader: According to…
May 24th, 2017
Nine band lineup at The Aquarium
Local radio listeners are likely to be familiar with 95.9 Radio Free Fargo, a station devoted to serving the Fargo-Moorhead area and run completely by volunteers.
The station plays a little bit of everything. It’s possible to tune in at different times of the day and hear everything from underground bands to R&B to alternative rock, as well as talk shows and news of local interest.
Of course, every Thursday at 8 PM there is “Locals on the 8”, the…
May 24th, 2017
They know it’s only rock ‘n roll, but they like it
The Knotties’ sound is gritty--maybe even a little bit dirty, but it’s only rock n’ roll right? Front man Channing Minnema’s throaty vocals evoke a sound well beyond the young band’s years. The Knotties are a four-man blues rock band consisting of Channing Minnema (guitar and vocals), Josh Wilcox (guitar and vocals), Michael Mooridian (bass and vocals), and Jon Hunter (percussion).
They’ve gotten a reputation in Fargo…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…
Monday, August 11Fargo Theatre, 314 N. Broadway, Fargo “Saw The Musical” premiered Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2023, parodying the events of the first “Saw” film. It has been described as “a love story with fluidity (and…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…
By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comNotes about terror, tyranny, torture, freedom, laws, lies, and truthWhen Vice President Mike Pence needed an answer to a question about the 2020 presidential election that might end American…
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 Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Cinephiles and fans of classic midcentury Hollywood biography will find much to appreciate in Mariska Hargitay’s insightful documentary “My Mom Jayne.” As protagonist Olivia Benson on…
Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…
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 Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comCaregivers for school-aged children and teenagers are encouraged to bring them to back-to-school immunization clinics scheduled for every Tuesday in August. Fargo Cass Public Health (FCPH)…
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@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…
