Music

​Center of Attention

August 7th, 2019

Lost Horses at Center Fest - photograph by Sabrina Hornung

Center Fest 3 kicks off in Robinson, North Dakota this Friday and will run through Saturday night. What started as a discussion about the center of North America has taken on a life of its own and become an annual celebration.

Several years ago, Bill Bender, who owns Hanson’s Bar in Robinson, discovered that the trademark for the Geographical Center of North America – previously held by Rugby – had run out, so he was able to get it and decided to label Robinson as such.

“We…

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​Rev it up

August 7th, 2019

Reverend Horton Heat - photograph by Thom Jackson

When I had the chance to catch up with the Reverend Horton Heat aka Jim Heath, I was greeted with a friendly smooth slow Texas drawl. He’s like an encyclopedia of early rock n’roll knowledge, theories and killer stories. His band has opened for everyone from shock rocker Marilyn Manson to the ORIGINAL shock rocker Jerry Lee Lewis. In fact the pianist currently on tour with Heath even plays Jerry Lee Lewis as a tribute act. After nearly 30 years in the game, Heath is also one of the…

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​Just Rambling Along at Bohemian Barn

July 31st, 2019

Photographs by Noel Strauss

Summer is the season of many things: barbecues, camping, high air conditioning bills, and of course outdoor music festivals. One of those music festivals is the Bohemian Family Ramble, in the small town of Wolverton, Minnesota. Now entering its sixth year, Bohemian Family Ramble is the brainchild of 22-year diesel technician Michael Pavlicek and Tracey Sand, who has been in the medical field for 31 years and an RN for 11 years.

“We live together, share our…

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​All together now!

July 31st, 2019

Fm Belfast at the Islenskir Tonar Icelandic Sounds - photograph by Nicole Hofer

One of the many highlights of the Winnipeg Folk Festival (WFF) are the Workshops. The term “workshop” may be a bit misleading to the novice folkster, they are essentially jams or may even serve as a “musical sampler platters” that unite musicians that normally may or may not have ever played together otherwise. Some may never play together again and some have actually kickstarted projects that would have otherwise never came into fruition.

Cactus Blossoms - photograph by Nicole Hofer

When asked about his experience…

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​Talking ‘The Easy Way’

July 24th, 2019

Cactus Blossoms - Page Burkum - photograph by Nicole Hofer

On the local level you may have caught The Minneapolis based Cactus Blossoms at Harold’s Fest earlier this summer in Moorhead. The group is fronted by brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, who made their first appearance in Fargo in 2013 as a duo. Since then they’ve added members and instrumentation. In fact a third brother, guitarist Tyler Burkum can be spotted wielding a vintage double-neck Jerry Jones Longhorn guitar.

The Cactus Blossoms’ sound is unmistakable with their…

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​‘Driving a blues train’

July 24th, 2019

Blue Wailers - photograph by John Hutchinson

One of Minnesota’s best-kept musical secrets is the Blue Wailers. How deep into the blues do you want to go? I struggle to describe them in words. They are fundamental, defying belief, disturbing.

HPR: What can you tell me about yourselves?

Tim Jorgensen, bass: I started on guitar around1989 and switched to bass shortly after in order to make music with my friends and later band mates, the Keller Brothers. Chicago and Texas Blues are my favorite regional Blues genres.

Randy Schrenk,…

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Shakin’ it up with Sarah Shook

July 10th, 2019

Sarah Shook - photograph by Derek Ketchum Photography

High Plains Reader had the opportunity to catch up with Sarah Shook, front woman of the North Carolina based punk country band Sarah Shook and the Disarmers. We had a chance to talk about life and love from the road, where she found her musical voice and their latest album “Years.”

High Plains Reader: I just saw that your latest album “Years” made the Rolling Stone top 40 country and Americana albums of 2018, How does that feel?

Sarah Shook: It feels good, It’s a good feeling…

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​Green Blue: A new band among old friends

June 12th, 2019

Green Blue band - photograph by Jon Behm

When asked to describe the sound of Green Blue, Minneapolis based musician Annie Sparrows formerly of the Soviettes and Awesome Snakes laughed and said, “Our friend came up to me after a show and he said ‘Do you like Belle and Sebastian?’ and I was like--I don’t really listen to them but I know who they are so ...maybe? Then he goes, ‘I love Belle and Sebastian and you guys are the Belle and Sebastian of psych rock.’”

The Belle and Sebastian reference was in describing the…

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El Supremo reigns supreme

June 12th, 2019

El Supremo started out as a one man band for Chad Heille, drummer of the iconic Fargo stoner rock band Egypt. Once the project started rolling it started to snowball. With the addition of Egypt guitarist Neal Stein, Cam Dewald of Gorgatron and Chris Gould on keys their latest album “Clarity through distortion” is a psychedelic force to be reckoned with.

HPR: The first El Supremo demo was recorded in 2008, how did El Supremo come to be?

Chad Heille: It was really out of a lack of like…

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​Stay connected to your own voice

June 5th, 2019

Ani DiFranco - photograph by Danny Clinch

By Abby Swegarden
abbyjoswe@gmail.com

Ani DiFranco has always craved intimacy. This may come as a surprise to many fans of the folk icon, because we know her as a fiercely independent singer, songwriter, activist, poet, and now author. Ani has always defied any sort of categorization, though, and she forever reminds us in 1995’s “Not a Pretty Girl” that she is, in fact, “32 flavors and then some.” 

In her delicious new twist, we are gifted a sprawling, 300 page look at her…

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