September 16th, 2015
From the manic buzzing of unseen bees that signaled the band’s arrival on the stage of the Bluestem amphitheater down to the last sonic drop of their second encore set, Washington indie rockers Modest Mouse blazed through a nearly two and a half hour set with a seemingly unceasing energy.
Founder and frontman Isaac Brock was the rightful center of attention as the octet bombarded their way through their catalogue, mining gems from their most recent record, “Strangers to…
September 10th, 2015
The Marxist school of sociological thought posits our world as one of unceasing conflict, an undercurrent of discord raging through every instance of human interaction. It’s just as a handy a theory for making sense of large-scale movements like Black Lives Matter as it is for explaining the lesser tensions in life, like why company execs enjoy corner offices and lowlier workers cramp up in drab cubicles. While viewing the world through this lens of struggle can be draining and…
September 3rd, 2015
A few years ago, in a now-famous appearance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” comedian Louis C.K. went on a tangent that decried us as a society for griping about our #firstworldproblems. In the skit, he claimed that “everything is amazing, and nobody’s happy,” pointing out that we’re more irritated that we can’t reliably get Wi-Fi on a plane than we are astounded by the mere fact that we have pocket-sized devices that allow us to speak, in real time, to somebody a…
September 3rd, 2015
In 2004 Chris Lindstrom and his bandmate Chris Moore wanted to throw a party -- a BIG party. Both were active in the music scene and the idea of a battle of the bands came about. Add a $10 30 pack of Hamm’s as an entry fee, enter 10 bands and the Battle of the Hamm’s was born. The victor would collect all the beer, be king of the after party and win a custom-made championship belt made of the finest cardboard and duct tape money could buy.
A few months ago Lindstrom was having a…
August 26th, 2015
I’ve tried hard to source it, but Google fails me. The first review I ever read of Andrew Wilkes-Krier’s massively successful debut album, "I Get Wet," went on and on about how brazenly and cleverly dumb it was. Many reviews did at the time. I can’t remember if this was before or after Pitchfork moaned “Alright, this is bullshit” and gave the album a 0.6 out of 10 (not everyone knew what to make of the guy, and probably still don’t).
At any rate, this forgotten review from…
August 26th, 2015
When bluegrass musician Becky Buller returns to North Dakota this Sunday, what she’s really hoping for is rhubarb pie.
“I am trying to grow some rhubarb down here in Tennessee but it’s so hot that it doesn’t do very well,” she said to HPR.
Perhaps she’ll get a slice at her upcoming concert at Crooked Lane Farms in Colfax, N.D. Buller will be one of the most significant acts to perform at the one-of-a-kind…
August 19th, 2015
The New Direction opened as Fargo-Moorhead’s only full time all-ages D.I.Y. punk venue almost 5 years ago in downtown Fargo by a group of local musicians and promoters hoping to have a steady place to host bands for kids. While punk and hardcore music are its main sources of music, the venue is really open to letting anyone come in and use the space for any type of genre of music.
As college students return to town, we thought it would…
August 19th, 2015
There’s a deep satisfaction I take in the fact that Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ self-titled debut comes courtesy of the revitalized Stax Records imprint, a label that historically pumped out album after soaked-brow album by the likes of Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and Sam & Dave until folding in the mid-’70s. The label’s 21st century reboot signifies the unassailable place that soul music has carved out within the canon of popular American music, evident in the…
August 14th, 2015
Canadian blues virtuoso Jack Semple is one of Friday’s Fargo Blues Festival headliners. This will be the award-winning, veteran guitarist’s first show ever in North Dakota.
HPR: You definitely have different elements of style represented in your music, but you describe blues as your “center of gravity.” Why keep blues as your “center”?
Jack Semple: I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, which is probably very similar to people who grew up on farms in North Dakota. You know,…
August 14th, 2015
Dan Bredell has a hard job.
The Fargo Blues Festival executive director listened to 200 acts over six months in advance of the 20th annual Fargo Blues Festival, set for this Friday and Saturday at Newman Outdoor Field. Making choices on groups can be hard, he said, especially with just 12 slots to fill.
“We always take pride in having good bands, beginning to end,” Bredell said.
Fargo Blues Festival rarely brings back artists from…
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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 Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu The Northwest Blade, from Eureka, South Dakota, published a wonderful story in August 2020. It’s called “Granddaughter keeps Grandmother’s precious chamomile seeds,” by Cindy…
October 3-5, 2025Memorial Union at NDSU, 1401 Administrative Ave., Fargo With the theme of “Existence is Resistance: Healing Through Unity,” this year’s summit will kick off with a professional development day followed by a…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com Yes, we know, everywhere you look, the world situation is mental. It’s almost inescapable just how tenuous life’s circumstances are. And how they are mostly — pretty much entirely — out of our…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhat are the four freedoms of Donald John Trump? Nearly a century ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said every citizen in the United States of America should have four freedoms: Freedom from…
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 Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com As a follow-up to “The Whale,” a raucous adaptation of the first novel in Charlie Huston’s Henry Thompson series was a good choice for eclectic auteur Darren Aronofksy, whose bold visions…
By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…
Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…
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 Loneliness is on the rise in North Dakota, where there is one of the highest rates of people living alone. The challenging winter can be a major contributor, yet North Dakota is not alone.…
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…
