Like many local mines, Iron Range-based MinnesotaBrown.com will be entering a partial slowdown, or “hot idle” while we work out a little problem with the media commodities market. See, the price of a MinnesotaBrown blog post is down to a historically low $1.45 per long ton, due in part to limited demand and illegal imports… Read More →
Sept. 5 ‘We are the Range’ concert at Olcott Park
August 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
On Saturday, Sept. 5, Iron Range musicians will unite for “We Are the Range,” a benefit concert for area food shelves, at Olcott Park in Virginia from 1-9 p.m. Admission is free, but everyone is asked to bring non-perishable food or financial donations. It’s a good lineup, with a quintessential Range sound. Headlining will be… Read More →
‘What’s Left: lives touched by suicide,’ opens in Grand Rapids
August 26, 2015 by 6 Comments
Last spring I wrote about a personal story as it related to my friend and colleague John Bauer’s project to open dialogue about the effects of suicide on the people left behind by their loved one. He successfully funded the project, which is entitled “What’s Left.” The exhibit will open Friday, Sept. 4 at the MacRostie Art… Read More →
Hot lineup at Northbound Caravan this weekend
August 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Northbound Caravan music tour kicks off once again this weekend in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It’s a good ticket this year with a solid lineup of Minnesota musicians, including past Great Northern Radio Show guests the Slamming Doors, along with the Fattenin’ Frogs, i like you and Rob Wheeler. The Northbound Caravan show opens under… Read More →
NPR features MN musician Charlie Parr
August 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
It was fun to see this video of Northern Minnesota roots musician Charlie Parr — an inspiration to many in the Minnesota music scene — featured by National Public Radio. Here he performs “Over the Red Cedar,” a wonderful song from his widely acclaimed new album “Stumpjumper.” This song just beautifully captures the unease of… Read More →
Kurtfest 2015 is Aug. 29 in Eveleth
August 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
My first two jobs were in Eveleth. The first gig was delivering pizza’s at Snicker’s; the second was spinning adult contemporary records (and also carts and CDs) for 97.9 WEVE-FM. The combination of these jobs gave me a holistic view of the town that it would normally take many years to get. In short, it’s a charming blue collar… Read More →
Biking the red dirt trails of Cuyuna for The Daily Yonder
August 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Today is the day my big story about the Cuyuna Range is live on The Daily Yonder, a fantastic national publication dedicated to rural people and rural issues. The story is entitled “Pedaling New Hope for an Old Mining Town” and features a wide array of pictures, interviews and perspectives about a set of small… Read More →
Action! Chisholm to sell city hall to movie studio
August 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
Here’s one of those stories that I saw coming a long time ago but hadn’t shared because I just didn’t believe it. The Mesabi Iron Range city of Chisholm is planning to sell its century-old city hall to a developer who wants to use it as a movie studio. The developer is Jerry Seppala, a… Read More →
Hibbing’s Dylan named Rolling Stone’s top songwriter
August 18, 2015 by 1 Comment
Last week, Rolling Stone magazine named Hibbing’s own Bob Dylan the greatest songwriter of all time. Dylan’s vision of American popular music was transformative. No one set the bar higher, or had greater impact. “You want to write songs that are bigger than life,” he wrote in his memoir, Chronicles. “You want to say something about… Read More →
St. Louis County Fair opens today in Chisholm
August 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The St. Louis County Fair opens today in Chisholm. Billed as “the five best days of summer” on the Iron Range by people who really hope you’ll believe that, the county fair is the traditional end to the Iron Range summer social calendar. (The leaves start changing around Labor Day). As you can see, a… Read More →
