Great Northern Radio Show is Saturday @ 5p

PHOTO: Jimmy Emerson, Flickr CC

Grand Rapids: It’s in Minnesota’s nature. Get it? That was the result of a branding initiative a few years back. The previous tagline was “Sorry for the smell; we’re making paper today.” PHOTO: Jimmy Emerson, Flickr CC

This Saturday, June 18, my Great Northern Radio Show will broadcast live at 5 p.m. from Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Grand Rapids is a city at the western gates of the Mesabi Iron Range. (It is an academic argument which side of the gate it may be found).

Having grown up along the east central Iron Range, Grand Rapids was, to me, unknown territory. I can recall the summer when I was 16. Bored on my day off from delivering pizza, I decided to go somewhere new. So I went to Grand Rapids, experiencing life as a stranger in a strange land. I think I went to Burger King. We didn’t have one of those on my end of the Range.

What I didn’t know then was that I would find myself setting down deep roots here in Itasca County later in life — building a house that might well become my last known address. My kids are Thunderhawks. I am in Grand Rapids so often that I’ve learned I don’t have to go to Burger King every time I’m there. (This was a challenge in the early years).

I started the Great Northern Radio Show five years ago. Simply put, I needed to work on a project that did some good. So I made a show that goes where big shows don’t go; telling real stories about Minnesota. This will be our 20th episode.

This show will feature the music of Sonny Knight and the Lakers, Charlie Parr, and Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club featuring Charmin Michelle. In case it’s not clear, those are three headliners in one show — first time we’ve tried that.

We’ve also got a great run of sketch material, some interesting local guests and a couple sets by yours truly.

You can listen to the Great Northern Radio Show from 5-7 p.m. on 91.7 FM KAXE Grand Rapids, Aitkin and the Iron Range, 90.5 KBXE Bagley and Bemidji, 89.9 Brainerd and 103.9 in Ely. The show will stream live all over the world at www.kaxe.org.

There are still tickets available for Saturday’s show. They’re going fast, but I think there will still be a few tickets left for walkups as well. Be in your seats by 4:30 p.m.

This will be one of the best shows we’ve done to see live, though folks at home or on the road will enjoy tuning in, too.

See you at the show!

Comments

  1. Mary Reif Heiken says

    I got a good laugh out of your performance of Sweet Myles Reif. OMG..he’s rolling over in his grave! No one ever called him sweet, accept maybe my mother and his mother! Especially apropos this Father’s Day…it’s been 38 years and I still miss him, especially on Fathers’s Day. By the way, he couldn’t carry a tune either….actually, you kinda did carry the tune. I can’t wait to tell my siblings! Good job on the show!

    • Hi Mary — This story made our day at the afterparty. 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind words. And believe me, if you hear singing on the Great Northern Radio Show, it’s not me you hear.

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