Music

​Being Begonia

February 21st, 2022

By Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

Photo by Stephanie Dinsdale

HPR first caught wind of Begonia one hot day at Winnipeg Folk Fest in 2019. Even though we were trying not to wilt from the triple digit temperatures at the outdoor festival, onstage despite the heat, she maintained a coolness and oozed a certain level of sass, confidence and MAN.. what a voice. Once we found out she was coming to Fargo in March 2020, catching her show was a no brainer, little did any of us know this would be…

Read more...


​A Musical Journey From Baltic to Boardwalk

January 20th, 2022

By John Showalter 

john.d.showalter@gmail.com

Over the five years that I have written for High Plains Reader, I have made no secret of the fact that I think that Fargo-Moorhead has its fair share of artistic talent, musical and otherwise. Surprisingly, in all that time I had never gotten around to writing about a mainstay of Fargo music that has been around for over a decade, Baltic to Boardwalk. So…

Read more...


Making Beautiful Music in Zeeland

December 15th, 2021

By Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

Trudy Wolf is a woman of many hats and has been making waves since she came to Zeeland Public schools in 1993. Zeeland, located in south central North Dakota, had 87 residents according to the 2019 census, and is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the South Dakota border.

Wolf started out as just the music teacher. “Then a few years later, I added librarian to it, and then a number of years later, I added elementary principal, and then secondary…

Read more...


from Punk to Polka

November 19th, 2021

By Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

You may recognize Owen Hanson, from seeing him play with any number of folk punk projects throughout the past few years, such as his solo project Owen Broke, Bottle Wound, or Mr. Meaner. His folk punk roots may have just delved deeper into his interest in traditional folk music.

With the encouragement of a good friend, Fargo-based musician Owen Hanson applied for an accordion apprenticeship through the North Dakota Council on the Arts Folk Art and…

Read more...


​The Spirit of Amanda Standalone

October 23rd, 2021

By Sabrina Hornung 

sabrina@hpr1.com

Amanda Standalone is a force, in fact one could say she’s an old soul with the Midas touch of musicality. You may have seen her playing any number of instruments with a bluegrass band: a washtub bass with a burlesque troupe, a musical saw with a jugband, or busking on the sidewalk with her violin…and then there’s that voice…

With two albums under her belt,…

Read more...


The Evolution of Prof

October 18th, 2021

By Sabrina Hornung and Jr Lacroix

sabrina@hpr1.com

Prof Comes to Town With a New Album, 'Powderhorn Suites'

Minneapolis-based rapper Prof has undergone a number of changes within a short amount of time. Abruptly dropped from the Rhymesayers label, he went on to release his latest album “Powderhorn Suites.” Prof is best known for his sharp tongue and absurdist lyrics. After listening to his most recent release and comparing it to his breakthrough album “King Gampo,” which was…

Read more...


​A Colorful Look at Baroness

October 17th, 2021

By John Showalter

john.d.showalter@gmail.com

To say that John Dyer Baizley is a creative individual would be an understatement. Not only is he the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the critically acclaimed and hard-to-pigeonhole band Baroness, he is the painter of their equally striking album art (and on occasion, the album art of other bands). November 14th marks their first performance in Fargo since 2009. Over that time they have undergone creative and musical evolution but still…

Read more...


​Back to fun in ‘21: getting WE Fest back together

July 14th, 2021

Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

15 July 2021

“We have a guy that's been involved with the show for many years as a landlord and knew what it was like in the heydays. So he knows where he wants to take it.” says WE Fest General Sales Manager Mark Bjerke.

We Fest was started in 1983, a couple of partners were brought in about 1985. And that ownership group was rock steady through 2014. In 2010, one of those owners bought out his partners’ shares and from 2010 to 2014, WE Fest had a…

Read more...


​Jessica Vines heads west

July 14th, 2021

Sabrina Horung

sabrina@hpr1.com

15 July 2021

Fargo-based musician Jessica VInes’ music is catchy.. in fact it’s downright infectious. A classically trained jazz vocalist, she’s collaborated with a number of area musicians such as blues rockers The Knotties to the hip hop stylings of Diane Miller.

She recently announced a move to California in September so naturally we had to flag her down to talk about her video “Delicious,” establishing a routine during lockdown and to see where…

Read more...


​Prairie Pothole Back After COVID Speed Bump

June 15th, 2021

by John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.com

The COVID-19 pandemic took a huge toll on the live music industry. Not only concerts but full-blown music festivals were among the casualties over the course of 2020. However, as vaccines continue to roll out and guidelines are loosened, venues have been cautiously reopening their doors to live performances and promoters have been plying their craft.

Among…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry staveq1 Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry Empire Tracker Pixel for Entry Stave2 Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck Tracker Pixel for Entry WurstWest

Recently in:

By Bryce Vincent HaugenOn Palm Sunday two thousand years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to directly take on the authoritarian Roman rulers of the region, according to Christian scripture. It was an overtly political…

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…

Wednesday, March 25, Group lesson 7 p.m., Dance 9 p.m.Sons of Norway, 722 2nd Avenue North, FargoCare to dance? If you don’t already know how to dance, the Northern Lights Dance Club can show you a thing or two about social…

By John StrandDisclaimer: This editorial is the work of someone who’s spent most of his adult life working in the media — most of those years co-owning this very entity, the High Plains Reader, since 1996. The notion that folks…

By Ed RaymondWhat if eight billion people looked and acted like Adam and Eve?So, we have different fingerprints and DNA. We can transfuse people’s blood and implant organs with some limitations. With facial recognition equipment,…

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 Sabrina Hornung There’s a Bosnian saying that states simply, “It’s a sin to throw away bread,” which really resonates with me — especially growing up with grandparents who lived through the Second World War and the Great…

The Slow Death at The AquariumSaturday, March 21, doors at 7:30 p.m. The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Julia Ducournau’s third feature, a mashup of body horror, family melodrama and AIDS allegory set in a grim and gray dystopia, fails to live up to the promise of her wild debut…

By Jacinta TensI have been a fan of graffiti since I first saw it as a child. As a kid who was always into some sort of creative endeavor, the movement, colors and intricate details of pieces I would see on trains always fascinated…

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 HPR StaffI'm a Gen Xer who landed in Fargo in the late '90s, a small town kid who didn't know a soul. By sheer dumb luck I ended up at Ralph's, and that place gave me my people. Lifelong friends, the kind you don't find twice.…