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…
May 17th, 2017
At twenty years of age a lot of us are still figuring out what to do with our lives. Whether we’re still in school, trying to find that dream job, or even just trying to move out of our parents’ house, the pieces of our lives usually haven’t fallen into place by that point.
The same can’t be said of local musician Kwaician Traylor.
Born and raised in Chicago before moving to downstate Illinois and eventually Fargo, Traylor has been blazing a path for his musical career through…
May 17th, 2017
By Sabrina Hornung and Tom Bixby
When we had the pleasure of catching up with The Shins indie rock mastermind James Mercer, the band was in Virginia. Featured in the movie “Garden State” in 2004, their single “New Slang” was endorsed by Natalie Portman’s character as a song that would “change your life.” 13 years and five albums later they’re bigger and better than ever with a few new tricks up their sleeves.
HPR: When did you develop your musical…
May 10th, 2017
To the outside world, Fargo, ND is possibly thought as nothing more than a boring, redneck infested, frozen tundra, or a flyover between coasts. In other circles, we are likely thought of as violent, odd speaking caricatures of Midwesterners because of how we’re portrayed in modern pop culture thanks to THAT little movie and tv series you may have heard of. Most will not think of us as a growing epicenter for artistic expression, but this is swiftly becoming the reality. Locals on…
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By Bryce Vincent Haugen There are three Fargo Park Board seats up for election June 9. Park Board President Vicki Dawson and long-time member Dr. Joe Deutsch announced their reelection bids, but board member Aaron Hill is vacating…
By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…
Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m.Fargodome, 1800 University Dr. N, FargoHeralded as "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up" by The Atlantic, Nate Bargatze is also one of the top-grossing comedians, breaking both streaming and attendance records. Now…
By Sabrina Hornung In the last week of March, we heard about an AI education droid visiting the White House as the first lady made a pitch to replace teachers with androids. In an interview with conservative commentator Benny…
By Ed RaymondWhy do women make up only 2% of humans on death row? In the 16th Century, when the Roman Catholic Pope refused to grant Henry VIII of England a divorce so he could marry the beautiful Anne Boleyn, he told the Pope and…
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 A brand new food event called the "ONE BITE Challenge" will launch in downtown Fargo on May 23. Rocky Schneider, executive director of the Downtown Community Partnership told us more. HPR: Hi Rocky. Thank you for…
By John ShowalterAs hip-hop started to make its way into the national spotlight in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was largely split into two camps, “East Coast” and “West Coast”. Not content to be left out of a…
By Blaise Balas As many Fargoans will tell you, it is almost vanishingly rare that our town gets any kind of major recognition, let alone placement in a movie. Movies are reserved for New York, Chicago, Boston — you know, the big…
By Sabrina Hornung Something wicked (and wonderful) this way comes to this year’s Plains Art Gala. With the theme being “Nightmare at the Museum,” the Plains Art Museum is partnering up with Drekker and Brewhalla as…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
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 Liverani In November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Chris M. StonerBryon Noem deserves to feel shame. Not for his bimbofication fetish. As a drag queen for nearly a quarter of a century, I whole-heartedly think people should do more exploration of their gender and sexual…
