From punk-folk activism to hardcore... hardcorism :D

by Doug MacRostie

This week on Centerstage MN my guest will be Shannon Murray; a singer/songwriter and socially conscious activist out of Bemidji. She has a “punk-folk” style and 6 albums to her credit and just recently finished touring Florida on a bicycle (talk about walking the walk, eh?). But Shannon and I will be talking about the 2nd Annual SisterSong Concert: a Celebration of Women and Their Music which is happening at the Wild Rose Theater in Bemidji on Sat. the 28th starting at 6:18pm. Shannon started the event last year – it’s a fundraiser for the SisterSong Scholarship Program and they’ll be giving out the first 3 scholarships at the event this year. Shannon will tell us more about it, and pick a couple of the great women musicians at this years SisterSong to highlight during Centerstage MN.

Also, I’ll be playing some My My Misfire this week, the hottest hardcore out of Minneapolis!!! This 5 piece band does it all themselves, from releasing albums to organzing national tours. They’ll be performing at the Elks Club in Bemidji on Sat. the 28th – music starts at 5:30 and there is something like 4 or 5 bands playing, including Hackensack’s In Pursuit of Tomorrow. This is definitely going to be a bad ass show, and I’m looking forward to playing My My Misfire’s new song Gypsy Rose on Centerstage MN - be sure to have it turned WAY up :D

More excitement in MN music – Clawthroat (formerly Cpt. Clawthroat and Crooked Teeth) have a new CD coming out. You might remember I had Joseph Downing on Centerstage MN last summer, before they went up north to perform at the Winnipeg Folk Fest. The demo they had last year was excellent, and from what I have gotten to listen to, they have done nothing but improve. So we’ll hear Clawthroat along with some early 70’s Bemidji rock from Podipto and new music from Peter Himmelman’s “The Mystery and the Hum.”

Centerstage MN is every Thursday evening 6, streaming live at KAXE.org, or 91.7fm Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji. Interview are also archived at KAXE.org (click on CSMN on the left). Read more of Doug's blogs about at myspace.com/macedelic