March 13th, 2014
Apparently not all serious musicians have to be really good at “putting themselves out there.” Local folk singer Amanda Nygard (Standalone) admits she’s terrible at it and yet here she is, receiving paychecks from rich and revered women like Maria Shriver and signing contracts from people she’s never met from cities she never visits.
Indeed, this March 17 (St. Patty’s Day), Nygard’s music will debut on HBO in its brand new documentary: “Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life &…
February 6th, 2014
Chazz, K(r)ISS, Deriq, AJ and CJ are back. Boy, if you thought Halloween was crazy, get ready for V-Day and expect all things to be badder, ballsier, bigger, better and bunchier.
That’s right, the Fargo boys of KumNcyde are redefining love as we speak. Y’all better be ready at The Aquarium.
High Plains Reader: Last Halloween, with your sweaty dance moves, mucho-suave matching outfits and pristine voices, you boys stole all our hearts at The Aquarium. What do you guys have in store for…
February 6th, 2014
Nearly 16 years ago, 2014 Fargo Winter Blues Fest headliner Shannon Curfman appeared on the cover of the High Plains Reader for the first time.
“It pretty much made my life hell, to be honest,” said Curfman to HPR mid interview, when asked about the experience.
Of course, that’s not what was intended nor what she expected.
“It was like the coolest thing ever, I thought, to be on the cover of the High Plains Reader because that’s what I would read every week,” Curfman said, who…
January 30th, 2014
The two-decades-old hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is hugely responsible for popularizing melodic, tongue-twisting rap. The five-member crew’s pitch-perfect singing, ultra-fast, ultra-precise word play and authentic urban lyricism will indeed have Bone Thugs forever remembered as one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time.
This Feb. 7, Bone Thugs will perform at The Venue with A$AP Ferg, famous for his song “Shabba” featuring A$AP Rocky. Fargo rappers Charlie Mizza, Triz…
January 23rd, 2014
Sharing is caring according to the Fargo rock band The Edith Massey. Guitarist/drummer/singer Dane Marcusen and Guitarist/drummer/singer Matthew Buettner share guitar, drum and singing duties.
With a mix of longtime-friendship trust and a shared desire to “explore the stage,” Buettner and Marcusen, western North Dakota natives, make a great pair.
Both musicians are expressive, grungy rock-n-roll songwriters and with coordinated enough feet to play drum…
January 23rd, 2014
Jake Gillette is set to record what may be one of the greatest projects of his music career: an original progressive metal album made up of years’ worth of melodic ideas yet to be truly documented. The project is called “AfterThought.”
Gillette, a local veteran guitarist (also one of HPR’s “Guitar Heroes”), and his longtime band mate/keyboard player Zach Frisk, say now that technology has advanced, their dream of…
December 19th, 2013
By Richard Schaan
What do you get when you combine the style of a two-fingered jazz guitar legend, the name of a backup tight end that played one season with the Minnesota Vikings, and a collection of some of the area’s most talented musicians?
The answer is The Carluster Crumplebee Orchestra, a gypsy jazz band inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt, a Frenchman who became one of the world’s greatest jazz guitar players despite losing the use of two fingers in a fire. As for the…
November 14th, 2013
One of Fargo-Moorhead’s most successful ska bands, 3 Minute Hero, has not played in town “since Clinton was president,” according to lead singer Jeff Nelson.
Now based in Minneapolis, 3 Minute Hero continues to bring its wild, humorous, fun and entertaining music to the stage nearly 20 years later. And finally, this Saturday, Nov. 16, the eight-member group will return to its hometown.
In the late ‘90s, 3 Minute Hero was the only ska band in F-M. The group had a fantastic college…
November 7th, 2013
Why become a virtuoso ukulele player?
Strangely enough, perhaps the world’s greatest ukulele player, Jake Shimabukuro, in part, became one because of a comedian: Bill Cosby.
“One of the things I realized is music is just like comedy. It’s just about connecting with your audience — and Bill Cosby is a master at connecting with people,” Shimabukuro said from his home in Hawaii.
“There is just something about (Cosby’s) performance, his…
October 31st, 2013
Phenomenal hip-hop artist Grieves returns to the area on Wednesday, Nov. 6 as part of his Back on My Grizzly tour. Accompanied by Vancouver hip-hop collective Sweatshop Union, Minneapolis-based DJ Fundo and local legends Kipp G and Tony the Butcher, this is a show not to be missed. HPR had the honor of catching up with Grieves front man Ben Laub, who’s quite a talented and funny guy.
HPR: What’s it like being signed to the Minneapolis-based label Rhymesayers? Is it hard not living…
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By Alicia Underlee NelsonMore than 1,000 pro-worker events are planned for Thursday, May 1 across the country, including rallies in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Minot and Jamestown. East Grand Forks and Bismarck will host protests…
From concerts and car shows to Japanese art and Juneteenth celebrations, there's so much going on around the region this summer. This year's High Plains Reader Summer Events Calendar is back and bigger than ever. It's packed with…
June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com One description that perhaps aptly describes the mental state of many lately is that they feel they are attached to a string. Or several strings. Call it the notion that people are played like puppets,…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comFor sale: White House in D.C. housing dung beetles and giant leechesI suspect someone close to Donald Trump has read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,”because the Trump administration is…
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 Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Antonella Sudasassi Furniss constructs an engaging sophomore feature with “Memories of a Burning Body,” selected by Costa Rica to be entered for consideration as a possible Oscar…
By Raul Gomezraul@hpr1.com Minutes before Modern’s Celebration of Life opened its door at the Sons of Norway, I was fiddling with the bar computer, trying to pull up the playlists of Modern’s work I had set aside for the…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
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 There appear to be differences in the incidence of mental illnesses between men and women. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress…
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.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…
