-
Mississippi River Music Armada begins in Grand Rapids
With summer coming to its calendar-based conclusion (even if we have some good weather yet to come), I’ve heard about a really interesting concert series kicking off this week in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, just off the western Mesabi Iron Range. David Fort of the Canadian folk duo Twin contacted me with news of the 3rd annual Mississippi…
-
Air Force Brass to play the Range on Sunday
The Lyric Center for the Arts in the Iron Range city of Virginia, Minnesota, is sponsoring a free concert by the United States Airlifter Brass this Sunday, Aug. 17, at 3 p.m. at the Olcott Park bandstand. I’ve seen this group play before and I can’t imagine a more fitting sound to hear in a…
-
Northbound Caravan brings some of MN’s best bands to Grand Rapids, MN
It’s been a good summer for live music in Northern Minnesota. Though I was too busy to write about it back then, the KAXE Mississippi River Festival last month, featuring past Great Northern Radio Show acts like Actual Wolf and the Roe Family Singers, was fantastic. The same venue — the Rotary Tent outside KAXE…
-
’90s alt band Live at Merritt Days 2014
The city of Mountain Iron, Minnesota, has good reason to love the ’90s. After all, it was in 1890 that Leonidas Merritt and his family first discovered the famous Mesabi iron range and its rich hematite iron ore, spurring the settlement of Northern Minnesota and industrialization of a modern nation. In 1892, the Merritts managed…
-
On the fair, tall timber and Thomas the Tank Engine
In a quiet summer reverie I hear the chuffing of a steam engine around the tracks of a country bend. What could it be? Why, it’s a train with a face, of course. Our boys are officially too old for Thomas the Tank Engine and his Island of Sodor; Sir Topham Hatt and all the…
-
Hibbing, Duluth, Brainerd among new Dunkin’ Donuts locales
UPDATE: Grand Rapids, MN is also on the list of new locations. A Hinckley, Minn., couple is developing seven new Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Northern Minnesota, including Duluth, Hibbing and Brainerd. That according to this Paul Walsh article in today’s Star Tribune. [New franchisee Brian] Weidendorf said the Duluth locale will be in a remodeled…
-
D’oe: MN deer hunt will be antlers only in Northeast
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued a statement that the 2014 MN deer hunt rifle season will include mostly bucks, including no doe or antlerless permits for much of the northern part of the state. The conservative restrictions will allow the deer to recover from lower numbers reported during last year’s MN deer hunt, particularly…
-
Hibbing’s Kate Lange signs pro volleyball deal in France
Here’s a neat story: Hibbing native, (former student of mine) and University of Minnesota-Duluth star Kate Lange just signed a professional contract to play volleyball in France. She’s the first UMD player to sign a pro deal. Northland’s NewsCenter had the story yesterday: I don’t know anything about professional volleyball, but I do suspect that…
-
It’s official: ‘Fargo’ headed for Sioux Falls ’79
In the FX series “Fargo,” the EMMY-nominated Northern Minnesota-based caper, we met Lou Solverson (Keith Carradine). He’s the gruff ex-cop who now runs a cafe in Bemidji. His daughter is Molly (EMMY-nominated Allison Tolman), and he offers her sage advice and words of caution as she hunts down the evil criminal Lorne Malvo (EMMY-nominated Billy…
-
Crowdsourcing comeback for Hibbing’s Bob Dylan hot spot?
This week my friends Linda Stroback-Hocking and her husband Bob Hocking launched a crowdsourcing campaign to reopen Zimmy’s, the Bob Dylan-themed bar and restaurant in Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. The campaign uses the Indiegogo platform, and represents something of a grand experiment in saving one of the Iron Range’s most unique night spots. Zimmy’s,…
-
LeBron James or pro-mining editorial?
Living most of my life on the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota I’ve always held an affinity for steel towns like Cleveland and Pittsburgh out East. That’s where the iron ore that passed by my house on steaming taconite trains would end up, and the fortunes of folks in those big cities often mirrored the ups…
-
VIDEO: Trampled by Turtles drop ‘Wild Animals’ on Letterman
UPDATE: Here’s the video! It warms my heart to hear David Letterman talk about taconite. Good stuff, and a great performance. Progressive bluegrass/folk band Trampled by Turtles will appear on tonight’s Late Show with David Letterman on the very day their new album “Wild Animals” is released. This is Trampled by Turtles second appearance on Letterman,…
-
Vermilion Range Old Settlers Picnic this Saturday
After talking about the Cuyuna Iron Range yesterday, we have to spend a little time talking about the Vermilion as well. I was just up there last month with my Great Northern Radio Show, and am happy to pass along word that the Vermilion Range Old Settlers Picnic will be held this Saturday, July 19…
-
The secret of Minnesota baseball, where weather is hope
It’s probably for the best that the weather is a little cool for tonight’s Major League Baseball All Star game at Target Field in my state’s capital of St. Paul, Minnesota. After all, the national press will need to toughen up some before the Super Bowl held at our new open air stadium in January…
-
‘Fargo’ nets 18 Emmy nods, likely 2nd season
The Northern Minnesota-based FX drama “Fargo,” inspired by the Coen Brothers movie of the same name, earned 18 Emmy nominations in the mini-series category yesterday, including nods for the four actors who portrayed the main roles. I filed episode-by-episode reviews of “Fargo” from my unique perch here in the real Northern Minnesota. I started watching the show…