August 14th, 2019
Fifty years ago a music festival took place. Held at Max Yasgur’s 600-acre dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel, New York, approximately 400,000 people gathered for “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” alternatively referred to as the “Bethel Rock Festival." Thirty-two acts performed despite the less than ideal weather conditions, without realizing that they were taking place in what would come to be considered a linchpin of American counterculture, and…
August 7th, 2019
When you think about the genres of folk and punk, the genres may seem quite different at first glance, though both were built on the spirit of DIY. I mean, what’s more punk rock than Woody Guthrie’s guitar painted with the words “This machine kills fascists?” Combine the genres and there’s a force to be reckoned with. We had a chance to check in with Will Burns, Mr. Meaner percussionist and Bindle Fest co-organizer on the two day festival featuring 20 acts from across the US…
August 7th, 2019
“I’ve always loved rock and comedy so my first two albums were Kiss ‘Destroyer’ and George Carlin ‘Occupation foole’ I thought these two things are so meant for each other, hard rock and heavy metal have so much humor in it,” said New Jersey based comedian Don Jamieson. He’s currently on tour with Zakk Sabbath, the Black Sabbath cover band fronted by Zakk Wylde. We had a chance to chat with Jamieson about “That Metal Show,” what makes a good roast and...hate…
August 7th, 2019
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…
August 7th, 2019
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…
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…
July 31st, 2019
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.
When asked about his experience…
July 24th, 2019
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…
July 24th, 2019
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,…
July 10th, 2019
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…
Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com A midnight wedding ceremony at the Clay County Courthouse in Moorhead on August 1, 2013 was more than a romantic gesture. Eighteen couples made history on that day by exchanging vows in the…
By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu On March 11, 2024, we celebrated the 121st birthday of bandleader Lawrence Welk. He was born March 11, 1903 in a sod house near Strasburg, North Dakota, and died on May 17,1992. The…
Saturday, May 117 p.m., gates at 5 p.m.Outdoors at Fargo Brewing Company610 University Dr. N, FargoWisconsin’s finest export, The Violent Femmes, started out in Milwaukee in 1981 as an acoustic punk band, and they’ve been…
Is this a repeating pattern?By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThere’s a quote circulating around the world wide web, misattributed to Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a…
by Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comAccording to my great-grandfather many years ago, my French ancestors migrated from Normandy to Quebec to Manitoba to Wisconsin to Minnesota over the spread of more than two centuries, finally…
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 In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com It is not unheard of for bands to go on hiatus. However, as the old saying goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” That is why when a local group like STILL comes back to…
Now playing at the Fargo Theatre.By Greg Carlson gregcarlson1@gmail.comPalme d’Or recipient “Anatomy of a Fall” is now enjoying an award-season victory tour, recently picking up Golden Globe wins for both screenplay and…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com There’s no exaggeration when we say that this year’s Plains Art Gala is going to be out of this world, with a sci-fi theme inspired by a painting housed in the Plains Art Museum’s permanent…
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 John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…
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Dismissing the value of small towns for the future of our nation is a mistakeBy Bill Oberlanderarcandburn@gmail.comAccording to U.S. Census projections, by the middle of this century, roughly 90% of the total population will live…
