August 22nd, 2013
Andre Williams is sort of mysterious legend. The 76-year-old Chicago/Detroit R&B musician has written songs for Stevie Wonder, Ike Turner and even Parliament-Funkadelic. He’s even had a few mega-hits – “Bacon Fat” and “Jail Bait” – among the hip R&B crowd in the 50s.
More than 50 years down the road, he still continues to record, perform and write. And believe or not, music fans and critics everywhere almost unanimously…
August 8th, 2013
Moorhead singer/actor Nina Grollman kindly interviewed with the High Plains Reader on the day before her big move out to New York City to study acting at Juilliard.
Find out what it was like for her to audition for one of the most prestigious music schools in the country, how she reimagined Grease’s “Beauty School Dropout,” how YouTube changed her life and much more.
High Plains Reader: First of all, your performance in “Grease” was astounding. How did you prepare yourself for…
August 1st, 2013
This Sunday, The Aquarium will host an authentic, raw, rough and quirky Seattle-based indie-punk band. They are called Wimps.
This could quite possibly one of the most purely fun non-locally fronted indie shows in Fargo this year. With rock-energized tracks like “Stop Having Fun,” “Grumps” and “Nap,” Wimps’ songs are short, banging and humorous, in a quirky sort of way.
There is plenty of calling and responding, shouting and repetition that could entice crowd participation.…
July 25th, 2013
As far as we know Erika Wennerstrom isn’t a Heartless Bastard. Perhaps it just reflects in her singing in split-second increments. Her voice is incredibly dynamic.
Truly, Wennerstrom’s voice is one of the Heartless Bastard’s most enthralling features. Often times it’s clear and easy to follow, other times it loops, looms, floats and blooms. She sounds like a girlish Marc Bolan (T. Rex) or a boyish Zooey Deschanel.
Wennerstrom said her vocal style derives from her influences –…
June 23rd, 2013
Avett Brothers to perform in Fargo for the first time
The Avett Brothers of North Carolina are heading farther north.
This popular modern Ameriana/folk outfit will perform in Fargo for the first time ever this Thursday at the The Venue at the Hub. Concert-goers should expect a packed house. The Avett Brothers are one of the most sought-after folk acts in the country.
In 2011, the band joined the stage with Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons to perform “Maggie’s Farm.” Their latest album,…
May 9th, 2013
Amanda Warner grew up in near Hillsboro, N.D. and went to high school in Fargo. Today, she is a New York pop singer/DJ/songwriter and goes by the stage name MNDR.
This Saturday, Warner will be performing a solo set at the Aquarium for the finish line of the Zombie Pub Crawl. It will be her first performance back in Fargo in five years – though expect this to be just the first of two MNDR shows in Fargo, Warner said. Saturday’s show will be an all-DJ set and her second one later this…
April 4th, 2013
AWOLNATION is sexy, modern, edgy and tremendously heavy popular music.
An active and respected musician since the early 2000s, singer-songwriter Aaron Bruno’s major breakthrough came in 2011 with the release of AWOLNATION’s “Sail,” which is now certified double platinum in the United States.
Funny thing is, Bruno, a Los Angeles native, didn’t even think people would like the song. The High Plains Reader caught up with Bruno over the phone to…
January 17th, 2013
Hawaii and North Dakota are the only two states Grace Potter and The Nocturnals have not performed in. So, in a sense North Dakota will be one-upping our country’s tropical paradise – The Nocturnals are making it to ND first. What up now, Hawaii?
“I’m a northern girl myself and I come from the cold and I’m hoping it’s just going to be super snowy and fabulous (in Fargo),” Potter says while making spaghetti in her home.
“The thing is, I’m comfortable in that atmosphere;…
September 16th, 2012
Bob Dylan, among hundreds of other things, was a prolific songwriter. Among the hundreds of things he was -- a singer, an activist, a harmonica player, a poet, a husband, a father, a guitar player -- he was most brilliant and artistically stunning at being a songwriter. In fact, Dylan is, without question, one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century. From classic rockers to bluegrass musicians to indie rockers to pop stars and everything in between, Dylan has made an…
June 26th, 2012
One of the best and brightest folk festivals is only three hours away from the Fargo-Moorhead area. Join Iron & Wine, Feist, Billy Bragg, K’naan, and HPR’s two picks of exclusive, on-the-rise artists, The Carolina Chocolate Drops and Blitzen Trapper, as they take the stage on festival grounds in Winnipeg starting Wednesday, July 4 and ongoing till Sunday, July 8.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops (CCD) from North Carolina…
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By Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.eduSummit Carbon Solutions approached North Dakota land owner Kurt Swensonin August 2021, requesting to lease out Swenson’s land to sequester, or store, carbon dioxide underground…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comExhibit recreates and examines the iconic bar’s legacyThere’s something to be said about a good bar. The really good ones serve as a sort of community living room, bringing folks from all walks…
Saturday, December 10, doors 8pm, show at 9pmThe Aquarium, FargoHeavy fuzz rock straight outta Fargo with Hevvy Swetter and Prediction of the Witch.“Closely related to stoner rock, it tends to focus upon downtuned, heavy guitar.…
By HPR Staffsubmit@hpr1.comOur opinion: How can it be 17 years?It’s hard to believe that Ralph’s has been gone for 17 years. I was lucky enough to experience the tail end of its legacy, though technically I wasn’t old enough…
By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.com A Critical Fact: To Fully Understand a Country, One Must Know Its HistoryWe have state legislatures attempting to prevent pre-schools through universities from teaching the real history of our…
Well shiver me timbers. After weeks of sampling some of the finest drinks in F-M from more bars than we could shake a belaying pin at, the results of High Plains Reader’s 6th Annual Cocktail Showdown are in! For nine weeks,…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comAs someone who’s written a lot of feature stories and press releases, it’s tempting to write something cheesy as a lead for this month’s column. But, instead, this column will actually feature…
By Martin Beckmanbeckmanniscool@gmail.comSpec is a new hardcore band from the Fargo area featuring Josh on guitar, Ethan on vocals, Austin on guitar, Landon on bass and Robby– drummyboy. Spec has been creating waves with their…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com“Citizenfour” Oscar-winner Laura Poitras profiles photographer and activist Nan Goldin in “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.” Like its talented subject, the movie cannot be confined to a…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIf you’ve ever driven down the Enchanted Highway, the 32-mile ribbon of road connecting Regent to Gladstone in western North Dakota, home to the world’s largest salvaged metal sculptures,…
By Jessica M. Hawkesjmhawkes84@gmail.comIt wasn’t long after the founding of the railroad and river town of New Rockford that entertainment venues started to put down their own roots. Its population bolstered by booms of nearby…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comCharlie Berens is a man of many hats. The creator of the “Manitowoc Minute” is a newsman, comedian, writer and musician. We had the opportunity to speak with the Wisconsin native about his new…
By Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comSpring is here (mostly), and our area is buzzing with people eager to get back out and about -- many newly vaccinated and feeling a bit safer. Partnering with Jade Events, Fargo Brewing is just…
By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by: Michelle Tait, Memory Makers Old Time PhotographyIn August URL Radio personality Stacy Sturm knew she wanted to do something for Halloween. She tossed around the thought of a Halloween…
By Waylon Hedegaardretiringwithcats@gmail.comFor all those who still decry my departure from the Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christian faith, understand that I will never return. I see the examples you set and want no part of…
