Over three years ago, Peoples Organic owners Juell and Ray Roberts got a huge surprise. As they ran their several restaurants and raised their two kids, Prince’s team asked, would they interested in taking on an extra client? Fast-forward through deliberation, stages (the cook’s version of auditions), and interviews, and the Roberts family had a…

As with many of Bob Dylan’s rare onstage utterances, no one was exactly sure what he said — but we all got the gist. Reviewing Dylan’s 2008 election night show for the Twin Cities Daily Planet, I only felt confident citing “a brief remark about the coming change.” There was a special energy in the air…

Like many of the people who worked closely with Prince, Susannah Melvoin has found herself gravitating toward Minneapolis in the months following his death. She was here in September to support her twin sister, Wendy Melvoin, and lifelong friend, Lisa Coleman, as they reunited with their Revolution bandmates to play three historic First Avenue shows.…

When the Sound Unseen film festival was born in 1999, the cutting-edge cultural celebration of films on music entered the national arts scene with little fanfare. 17 years and several awards later, Sound Unseen has become a mainstay of the Twin Cities arts scene. “I want the best films that we can get so that…

With Paisley Park officially open for tours after some unsure times in October, the estate held a media tour day on Wednesday, November 2. Many reports have already shared words on what Prince’s home is like, but for this tour, Paisley Park promised something almost unprecedented: the chance to take photos inside four rooms. MPR…

If you’re like most people who live in the area, you probably have no idea that the Minneapolis house and techno scene is on fire. Who could blame you? The music has always been an inherently underground art form. The songs don’t lend themselves to airplay. There are no catchy hooks or instant payoffs; each song…

Sims, “Brutal Dance” Sims and James Gundersen (direction/camera/edit/VFX) get it right with this project’s whippy iceberg flair. “Brutal Dance” is off Sims’s new album, More Than Ever, and it’s one of the best local videos of the year. Pert Near Sandstone, “Animal Instinct” More brand-new music! Roots quintet Pert Near Sandstone (mandolinist/fiddler Nate Sipe, banjo player Kevin…

Writer/rapper/internet hero Lin-Manuel Miranda introduced Hamilton as a “concept album” when he first performed part of it in 2009. Later, the vision became a mixtape, then a musical, and the groundbreaking rap/R&B show — which centers around Alexander Hamilton and key figures in his life — opened at New York City’s Public Theater in 2015 before moving…

Tomorrow, Nov. 2, Congressman Keith Ellison is hosting a Get Out the Vote Concert at Aria. The goal of the event is to emphasize the importance of the upcoming election, and to remind Minnesotans to get out and vote. Dessa, Jeremy Messersmith, Aby Wolf, Sophia Eris, and DJ Shannon Blowtorch will perform at the event, which will also feature…

On our Local Current blog, we often write about local music venues. We wanted to add a touch of visual flair to our coverage, so we asked Minneapolis illustrator Allegra Lockstadt to create original illustrations of eight venues. Allegra explains the thinking behind her approach: I wanted to create a really romantic feel to these.…