The Edgy but Charming Sasha Mercedes

by Doug MacRostie

I would say that Sasha Mercedes was born to play music. Her style and intimate songwriting combined with her honest lyrics and passionate vocals, come across in a natural, powerful way. Sasha joins me in-studio this week on Centerstage MN to talk about her new record "Temporary Monsters", her first album backed by a full band.

Daughter of Dan "Bart" Bartik of Backroad, a legendary blues band from Grand Rapids, Sasha was born in a cabin in the middle of the Northern MN woods. Her passion for music has taken her all over the world; from going to Prague to become a rockstar, to teaching music in Macedonia, to dominating all 3 bars in Bayfield, WI.

Her songs sometimes cover serious, taboo topics and I asked Sasha about what inspires her, "I want to be able to write something that people can relate to. I’m just tired of listening to all this pop radio where they’re filling lyrical lines with ‘la la las’ or whatever, just taking all these short cuts. Songwriting is not about shortcuts. It’s about taking a story and putting it to music and people listening to it and being able to relate and enjoy it. I write 95% from personal experience."

Click here to see a video preview of her performing at the KAXE Studios.

In other news, a Bemidji hip-hop group was brought to my attention this week and we'll hear the latest track from Aurora Borialis the North Stars followed by Big Quarters, two brothers who spent some of their youth in Clearbrook, now operating out of the Twin Cities.

Plus, a preview of next week's hour long special! I went to see Two Many Banjos perform at Terrapin Station in Nevis and recorded an interview with Marc Gartman. We'll hear that conversation next week, along with highlights from their concert. And I'll start with the wonderful surprise of the evening: Colleen Myhre from Mahtowa. She is an excellent singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice. [Read more about that evening here].

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

Video Preview: Sasha Mercedes on Centerstage MN

Sasha Mercedes is an edgy but charming singer-songwriter from Northern MN, operating out of the Twin Cities. In this preview, she performs the unreleased song "Get Lucky" before recording an interview for Centerstage MN on 91.7 KAXE. Tune in for the full conversation about her new album "Temporary Monsters" this Thursday night (Feb. 24th, 2011) at 6pm, streaming at http://www.kaxe.org.

More info:
Centerstage MN: http://www.kaxe.org
Sasha Mercedes: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sasha-M...

The Limns: If The Beatles and Bob Marley Had Kids

By Doug MacRostie

Tonight at 6 on a special Centerstage MN on 91.7 KAXE, we'll spend the full hour with The Limns!

When The Limns performed at the Blue Ox in Bemidji for KBXE's Spread the Love party, I sat down with them before the concert and recorded a conversation about their new album "Move Around Robots".

From Minneapolis, with strong ties to the Bemidji area (Zacc and Zeke of The Limns are younger brothers of Caleb from Bemidji's Uncle Shurley), The Limns are hard to classify..., a high energy rock band with influences of reggae, pop and funk. Or as Javon said during our conversation, "...if The Beatles and Bob Marley had kids".

With a couple EPs under their belt, their first full length album "Move Around Robots," is an excellent piece of work that not only shows a maturity and cohesiveness in the band, but also great ears for writing catchy tunes. It's a fun and insightful conversation - don't miss it!

Also, we recorded the performance! CSMN will start off with selections from The Limns scaled-down acoustic opening set, and after the interview we'll end with highlights from the full band rockin' the night away.

Each week CSMN showcases the talents of MN musicians, and there are a LOT of them. From emerging artists on the Iron Range to the biggest artists out of the Twin Cities, from something new and edgy out of Duluth to the most experimental music ever out of Bemidji, we cover the music scene in MN better than anyone.

Listener support makes it all possible. People just like you, who appreciate MN music, who appreciate local features and stories. People who take that next step from listening to becoming a member. It's quick, easy and painless - please pledge and tell 'em you LOVE Centertage MN :D

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

The Talent, Confidence, and Humility of Ben Kyle

This week on Centerstage MN, KAXE volunteer and independent producer Charlie Pulkrabek talks with Ben Kyle of Romantica:

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Ben Kyle of Romantica by Charlie Pulkrabek

Ben Kyle has a lot going on these days. His band Romantica is set to release their highly anticipated third full-length record. And an album of duets with Carrie Rodriguez called We Still Love Our Country just hit the shelves in the states this month.

Why all the fuss over the new record? Well, all Romantica’s 2007 release titled America did was land at fifty-eight in Paste Magazine’s Top 100 Records of 2007. For a band that, at that point, had gained limited national and international exposure, it is a mammoth accomplishment. Hoopla aside, that just doesn’t happen unless the music is more than exceptional.

Who gives a record a gigantic name like America anyway? Someone with the talent, confidence, and humility possessed by Minneapolis musician Ben Kyle, that’s who. Ben Kyle has a giant stance, one that crosses the Atlantic Ocean. He grew up in Belfast, Ireland, and has lived in Minneapolis since his high school days. And such a unique and broad perspective bears out in the music of Romantica and Ben Kyle.

Ben Kyle is a true poet who really knows how to style his poetry to fit into the musical realm. His precise blending of the highly personal with the universal seems to allow him to embody any perspective that he wants to in an immediately convincing fashion.

The expectations for Romantica’s upcoming release, scheduled for April, are sky high. Ben Kyle’s personal expectations seem to be even higher. How do you follow up a great record like America? For Ben Kyle, the answer seems to be simply one step at a time.


Photos by:
Tony Nelson
Aaron Schuh
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We'll also hear from The Jayhawks, who were an early influence on Ben Kyle. And Germaine Gemberling, a new voice out of the Iron Range music scene.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

The Depth and Mystery of Alica Corbett

This week on Centerstage MN we'll hear an intimate conversation that KAXE volunteer producer Charlie Pulkrabek had with Alicia Corbett at her home in Minneapolis.

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Alicia Corbett by Charlie Pulkrabek
When I first saw Alicia Corbett play, it was about 1993, soon after she’d arrived in Minnesota from northern Michigan. She was the lead performer, along with Jay Basso, in Tea and Sympathy, a band that she still fronts today. The show was at The 24 Bar - 24 Hennepin Avenue - in the bowels of the now razed Berman Buckskin Building on the south end of the Hennepin Avenue Bridge next to the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. It was one of the first of what would be many, many live music events I eventually attended. I quickly began to pay attention to this band.

Through much seasoning of my sonic sensibilities, the impact of Tea and Sympathy’s songwriting and live performances have never paled. Alicia Corbett writes songs that paint partial pictures into mosaic-like stories with the depth of both detail and mystery. In listening to Tea and Sympathy, one is first taken by Alicia Corbett’s exceptional voice. Her range is stunning, from a sweetness that makes the spine tingle, to depth and power that might have made another singer by the name of Janis Joplin a little envious had she been able to bear witness.

It is my pleasure to present this interview with Alicia Corbett to KAXE listeners. It is a pleasure to introduce the music lovers amongst our listeners to a musician who would be in the top five of my list of the most underappreciated musicians in Minnesota. In terms of talent, depth, and professional presentation, there is no reason that Alicia Corbett shouldn’t be on the roster of a great music label like Red House Records. Tune in Thursday at 6 pm to Centerstage Minnesota to discover whether you find Alicia Corbett’s music as striking as I do.

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We'll also hear from Duluth's Two Many Banjos, Ian Thomas Alexy (of the Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank) and Romantica.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.  

BlackMaled by Toki Wright

by Doug MacRostie. 

Toki Wright is a hip-hop artist out of Minneapolis. Raised in a Buddhist household, and immersing himself in Black history, world culture, and community work, Toki's awareness of the diverse world we live in is translated through his content driven music. Toki is not only a well established emcee but one of the hardest working community activists in the Twin Cities area. With numerous accolades and a tour history that has taken him from New York to Uganda, he is a powerful voice prepared to educate and challenge as well as entertain. Toki Wright joins me this week on Centerstage MN.

Toki told me, "I’m driven to create music by trying to get the craziness out of my head. I think we all have these thoughts and ideas and we express ourselves in different ways... I chose to write and I feel like there’s a voice that isn’t always represented every time that you hear a hip-hop song or a rap song… But yet, we can still be eloquent in our speaking and we still can be creative… I’m driven to represent people from my era, from my neighborhood, people that think similarly and who question things we think to be true.” 

Toki also runs the first fully accredited Hip-Hop diploma studies program in the U.S. at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul. His last full-length album was 2009's "A Different Mirror." His latest release is an EP supported by the MN State Arts Board called "BlackMale" which is based on the experience of African Americans in Minnesota. It's all powerful stuff, don't miss this interview!

To set up the conversation with Toki we'll hear from fellow Rhymesayers  rappers: Brother Ali and Atmosphere, two of MN's premiere Hip-Hop artists.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

The Color Pharmacy Fills My Prescription

By Doug MacRostie

The Color Pharmacy is definitely one of the most exciting bands out of Minnesota. They create experimental indie-rock music with a unique, unpredictable, and edgy style. Over the past two years, The Color Pharmacy has toured all over the U.S., and will be performing at SXSW for the third time this year. They did an alternate soundtrack to a segment of the original version of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 2006, and more recently a soundtrack to the French film ‘The Red Balloon’. Following their EP “DeTour” the Color Pharmacy is back with the full-length record “Texatonka” which is currently available online. And multi-media mastermind Jake Dilley of the Color Pharmacy will join me on Centerstage MN this week from his home studio in Minneapolis.

The name of the album, "Texatonka" was a result of their initial recording session getting flooded out with water seeping through the walls and electrical outlets. They had to move for the rest of the recording, and the bulk of it was done in Jake's basement (often interrupted by his cats). His house is on the corner of Minnetonka and Texas avenue in Minneapolis: Texatonka.

We'll also hear from a couple Bemidji bands that are operating out of the Twin Cities. The Magic Castles are a psychedelic dream-pop band and we'll hear from the album "Dreams of Dreams of Dreams." And we'll hear from Murzik's self-titled CD. They are a dark-folk band that includes accordion and saxophone along with the usual drums and guitar.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Love and Loneliness with Pieta Brown

By Doug MacRostie

Pieta Brown is a striking Poet-songwriter with a haunting voice and unmistakable style. Daughter of Midwest folk legend Greg Brown, Pieta has a deep love for music. Her latest album "One and All" is a colorful soundscape where Americana, indie-rock and raw folk come together. With artful storytelling and soul-tinged grooves, she blurs the lines between love and loneliness. Pieta Brown is young, talented, and joining me this week on Centerstage MN.

Her creative lyrics and unique music is well beyond her years. When I asked what inspires her, Pieta said, “Songwriting for me really is a response to the world. It’s a way of dealing with the universe and this life. I think if you’re not inspired by everything then maybe you’ve got to turn off the television and wake up. There’s so much going on, I feel like one lifetime is not even near enough time to begin being an artist.”

And we'll hear from Duluth's Sara Softich. Her new album is "Highway to the Sun", which was primarily written as she journeyed to/through New Mexico. She returned to Northern MN to record at Sacred Heart Studios in Duluth.

Also new to the show this week will be Atlantis, a modernized 80's piano rock band out of Grand Rapids. Their debut release of all originals is "Hiding Place."

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Music is Todd Clouser's First Language

by Doug MacRostie. 

Todd Clouser's "A Love Electric" is an instrumental album with a lot to say. For some people music is a first language; there is a channel to the soul where music flows out, expressing more feeling and emotion than words ever could. Todd felt that connection the first time he strummed a guitar when he was 11 years old and I am really excited to talk with him this week on Centerstage MN.

From Minneapols, and recently relocated to Baja, Mexico, Todd Clouser is a genre-defying guitarist bringing 70's rock and modern jazz into a new realm. Todd told me, "When I did discover jazz it was a similar feeling to when I discovered Bob Dylan or Tom Waits; music didn’t have to sound a certain way, and you didn’t have to write your lyrics a certain way. Like a Dylan tune could be 6 minutes long with 7 verses, it didn’t have to be in the 'verse-chorus' digestible pop formula. And that’s how I felt when I listened to Jazz – all these things that I’d been feeling and wanting to express earlier but the form of the music felt restricting – jazz opened the door to get that out." Todd wrote the music down in Baja, but came back to Minneapolis to record this fiery, high-flying album.

We'll also hear a feature about Cornbread Harris, an 83 year old blues musician still performing in Minneapolis. He performed on MN's first rock record 55 years ago, his son Jimmy Jam Harris has produced the likes of Prince and Michael and Janet Jackson. When you hear his voice, you can imagine an 83 year old blues musician who's dedicated his life to music, and thanks to our sister station KFAI for producing this piece, made possible by the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

And the new CD "Dawn and Daylight" from jazz duo Charmin and Shapira has arrived, I've got the debut from Cook County's Most Wanted, and we'll ring in the new year with a song from Take Cover, a high energy pop-rock band out of Duluth.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

What do Bellchoir, Jazz, Gay Men's Chorus & Metal Music Have In Common?

by Doug MacRostie.

All of it will be featured on a special holiday edition of Centerstage MN.

KAXE Producer Jennifer Poenix produced an excellent piece about her love of hand bells - it's a lush, intimate view of what bellchoir is all about it.

Also, our sister AMPERS station KFAI produced a piece about the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus, which has grown to be the fourth largest gay men's chorus in the country. As an organization they celebrate diversity and use music as a way to transform, educate and heal.

We'll also hear selections from a Xmas jazz concert by the Mr. Pumpkinhead Quartet, recorded live on KAXE last year featuring Sam Miltich on Guitar, Don Vidal on Sax, Pat Downing on Bass and Tim Wick on Keyboard.

And the icing on the cake? MN metalheads My My Misfire know it's better to give than receive, and are debuting/releasing a song from their forthcoming CD for download on Christmas Eve as a gift to their fans.

Plus there will be some non-traditional holiday tunes from Paul Metsa and Eliza Blue. And what MN holiday special would be complete without Bob Dylan's "Must Be Santa".

Metal to Polka this week on Centerstage MN.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Video: Wahwahtay Rapping on Centerstage MN

[Producers note: our videographer regrets cutting off Wahwaytay's shirt, it says, "Defend The Rez."]

Wahwahtay Benais: The Thunderbird Within the Northern Lights
By Doug MacRostie
The oppression, hardship and discrimination that Native Americans have lived for the last 500 years is something that is very difficult to put into words. The same pain and struggle they continue to face today while fighting to maintain who they are as a people.

Using music, Wahwahtay Benais has captured and expressed that plight in a very powerful way. From the Leech Lake Rez, living in Ball Club, his name references the Thunderbird that comes from within the Northern Lights. Wahwahtay is a hip-hop/rap artist with an intense and emotional message, and it is a true honor to have him join me in-studio this week on Centerstage MN.

I first heard him thanks to a video for his song Indigenous Holocaust (included below). It took my breath away. It brought tears to my eyes. It made me want to change the world. In a time of dumbed-down raps and wearing riches as robes, Wahwahtay is a much needed breath of fresh air working to empower youth and preserve Annishinaabe traditions and language. Do NOT miss this.

Read More: http://kaxeblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/...

Wahwahtay's Website: http://www.myspace.com/wahwahtaybenais 

Hear the full conversation with Wahwahtay at our website, http://www.kaxe.org and click on Centerstage MN.

Wahwahtay Benais: The Thunderbird Within the Northern Lights

by Doug MacRostie

The oppression, hardship and discrimination that Native Americans have lived for the last 500 years is something that is very difficult to put into words. The same pain and struggle they continue to face today while fighting to maintain who they are as a people.

Using music, Wahwahtay Benais has captured and expressed that plight in a very powerful way. From the Leech Lake Rez, living in Ball Club, his name references the Thunderbird that comes from within the Northern Lights. Wahwahtay is a hip-hop/rap artist with an intense and emotional message, and it is a true honor to have him join me in-studio this week on Centerstage MN.

I first heard him thanks to a video for his song Indigenous Holocaust (included below). It took my breath away. It brought tears to my eyes. It made me want to change the world. In a time of dumbed-down raps and wearing riches as robes, Wahwahtay is a much needed breath of fresh air working to empower youth and preserve Annishinaabe traditions and language. Do NOT miss this.

Defend the Rez

To set the mood right for the interview, we'll hear from Brother Ali - MN's premiere hip-hop artist, and More Than Lights; all of which have socially conscious lyrics and try to bring a voice to the voiceless.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

He Comes from MN with a Banjo on His Knee

by Doug MacRostie

It's not too often that the debut release from a band is a double CD, but Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses aren't typical. Complete with washtub bass, harmonica, washboard, spoons, guitar, fiddle and banjo, these guys are a high energy string band from the Iron Range playing roots, Americana, and old time music with a modern twist. Matt Ray will be joining me this week on Centerstage MN to talk about the new album "Then and Now". The first CD, "Then", is a collection of traditional tunes they reworked for modern times. Songs that defined their time and built the foundation of the music we hear today. The second CD, "Now", is all original tunes with that same throw-back style under contemporary currents.

On Fri., Dec. 3rd Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses are hosting a CD release party for "Then and Now" at Mac's Bar in Mountain Iron starting at 9pm with The Iron Range Outlaw Brigade.

And the new Sara Softich CD "Highway to the Sun" arrived this week - it's haunting and beautiful, so we'll check out a song from that - Sara and I have been working out details to have her on Centerstage MN sometime soon. Sara is originally from Virginia and operates out of Duluth. She and Jason Wussow have a duo called Yeltzi, and we'll hear from them as well.

And we'll hear a demo-fragment of Dylan playing Man in the Street in the early 60's from the new Bootleg Series Vol. 9: the Witmark Years 1962-1964. And have you Dylan lovers heard of Little Diamonds? At the age of 13, this kid was writing (and sounding) just like folkie-Dylan of old. But this isn't just a cheap imitation, the music and lyrics are way more mature and intelligent than what I was expecting, and I hope to have him on sometime soon to talk about what he's doing with music.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

MN's Blues Man Big Walter Smith

by Doug MacRostie

Big Walter Smith is the lead vocalist with the Groove Merchants and has personified the blues in MN for 40 years. Winner of multiple MN music awards, his 300 pound presence and velveteen voice have graced nearly every blues and R&B stage in the Midwest and he joins us to talk about “Royal Blue Cadillac,” his new album with the Groove Merchants this week on Centerstage MN. He came to Minneapolis back in 1970 for a two week MC gig which lasted over a year and a half. He fell in love, both with MN and his future wife, and has been here ever since.

Big Walter Smith and Groove Merchants will be performing at the “Home is Where the Heart Is” dinner and Dance on Sat. Dec. 4th at the Timberlake Lodge in Grand Rapids starting at 5, music at 8, to benefit the GRACE House Homeless Shelter.

We'll also hear from Mason Jennings brand new album "The Flood" which came out this week. It's a return to his acoustic sound. It's a collection of unreleased songs that Mason re-recorded in March. On his website he says, "It was really fun looking through all my old tapes and finding these, some I hadn’t thought about for years."

All that and more this week on Centerstage MN.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Video: Mary LaPlant Performing In-Studio

How perfect that Mary played "Somewhere over the Rainbow" at our studios in Grand Rapids :)

Read more about Mary's visit on Centerstage MN.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org. 

Mary LaPlant, Welcome Back to Centerstage MN

by Doug MacRostie

I could sit and talk with Mary LaPlant all day; she's one of those positive people that is just fun to be around. Classically trained on the violin, Mary is a 3 Time MN State Fiddle Champion with 2 albums out, Serenity & Out of Nowhere. Her style is lyrical and sure.  While Mary clearly loves music, her concern for the environment was stronger and she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Minor in Music. With the sounds of the woods and birds recorded and mixed into her albums, you can close your eyes and picture her sitting high in a tree playing music with the wilderness. Mary says, "When I'm playing violin and when I'm in the forest, time stands still and I am fully alive". She'll perform in-studio for us and we'll talk about her music this week on Centerstage MN.

And Mary will be joining The Itasca Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Keith Swanson to open the season with an overture, concerto and a symphony on Saturday, November 20, 7:30 pm at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids. Part of the program will feature soloists Kristine Arntson and Mary LaPlant.

We'll have a set of Hip-Hop style MN music too with Brother Ali, Dalia and Mayda. And a set representing Northern MN including a song from the forthcoming release from the high energy Iron Range string band Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses, called "Then & Now".

Next week I welcome back Big Walter Smith, and we'll hear another song from his new CD "Royal Blue Cadillac."

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

When Lonnie Knight Says Jump...

by Doug MacRostie

Lonnie Knight was there for the first digital recording. Yes, I'm serious. He was working as Staff Guitarist at Sound 80 when 3M built the first digital machine and he was on the very first recording sessions to test it. That's just one of the numerous examples why this Minneapolis singer-songwriter with mutliple MN Music Awards rightly is a legend in MN music. Picking up his first guitar back in the 60's, when he was 12, Lonnie started out as a folkie, then played in some of the Midwest's seminal bands like Jokers Wild,. Neilson-White Band and The Hoopsnakes. His professional career went beyond being a studio musician - he was also a producer for a while in Nashville. His most recent work has gone back to his acoustic roots, and Lonnie Knight will be joining me on Centerstage MN to talk about his new album, "So We Jump," which is an excellent release of clever acoustic music bringing together many of the best aspects of Lonnie's music.

There is a lot of great new music just released/about to come out - and we're also going to hear from Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses from the Iron Range, The Marc Gartband from Duluth - that's one of the projects by Marc Gartman of Two Many Banjos; when Marc puts down the banjo then it's the Gartband, and lately he has been picking up the Irish Bouzouki. Which comes out of the new Wise-Magraw album "How the Light Gets In" perfectley. Wise-Magraw is Marcus Wise on tabla and Dean Magraw (of Boilded in Lead) on guitar.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Katie Corning Spreads Her Creative Wings

by Doug MacRostie

Something about an emerging performer from a small town really appeals to me, and Katie Corning from Bagley is just starting to spread her creative wings and share her talent - which is a very good thing. Originally from East Bethel, MN, Katie moved to the Bemidji area to attend BSU. She has a very powerful and dynamic voice that conveys emotion and feeling at a very deep level. Blending an eclectic mix of indie alternative and acoustic music on both keyboard and guitar, her style is very hard to classify. She'll be joining me in-studio this week on Centerstage MN to talk about, and perform, her music.

A classically trained musician and accomplished vocalist, Katie works with Matt Glenzel for lyrics. He has a blog of his poetry that he has given Katie full access to. It's a very interesting collaboration where he just keeps writing and writing poems, and Katie checks it for words or rhymes that appeal to her.

Some of these collaborated songs are 'simple' love songs, others touch on sensitive topics like God and religion. Katie says her philosophy is, "Stop worrying about the afterlife. Love where you are right now, love life. Just look at what's around you; the skies and everything, and the trees and all that. It's like 'hey embrace that, don't worry about this high power so much, just try to love the life you're in right now'."

We'll also hear from a new release out of the Iron Range from Germaine Gemberling. Just when I was thinking, "the creativity and music coming out of the Range is outstanding," this CD showed up and drove the point home. Recorded at Sparta Sound, and with Rich Mattson on guitar and back-up vocals, it's beautifully simple country music - sort of like John Prine, not flashy or forceful, but smooth, creative and clever.

Plus we'll hear from Eden - a new band out of Eden Prairie working on their debut CD - I've got a copy of their demo to share. Also Duluth's Portrait of a Drowned Man, Bemidji's The Magic Castles, and more.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays afternoons at 4. Sometimes heard on KFAI in Minneapolis & St. Paul. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Painting With Her Voice: Connie Evingson

by Doug MacRostie

You know that saying, "It's not WHAT you said, it's HOW you said it!"? The same thing applies to singing; it's not what you sing, it's how you sing it. Tone, fluctuation, breathing; all of it can change the mood of a lyric. Minneapolis Jazz-vocalist Connie Evingson continues to put that extra something into her voice - giving the lyrics life, meaning and definitely setting the mood. "I've often wished I could be a painter, because I would really like to be able to create visual art. And singing for me is kind of like painting in the sense that you are using texture, you're using color, in a way. Color in the vocal tone - it's an expression."

Connie will be my guest this week on Centerstage MN. Originally from Hibbing, her latest album is music of jazz legend, and St. Paul native, Dave Frishberg called "Little Did I Dream." Not only did Dave Frishberg write the music, but he also accompanies on piano. From some seriously upbeat swing to slow and moving ballads, this album flows through the full range of emotion and presentation with Connie's beautiful voice leading the way. There is a reason her 8 albums with Minnehaha have charted in the top 50 in both the U.S. and Canada.

Connie Evingson will be joining the Sam Miltich Quartet on Thursday, Nov. 4th for a benefit concert for Advocates for Family Peace starting at 7pm at Davies Theater, ICC.

Last weekend I got to see The Sunny Era perform in Bemidji and really enjoyed their music - it's creative, edgy, beautiful and unpredictable all at once. They are a 3 piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble fusing folk music, indie rock, middle eastern and Spanish styles, based in Minneapolis. We'll hear the intro cut to their 2nd CD "The Darkness of Love," which came out last year.

I've also got new music from The Marc Gartband (Marc Gartman is the founder of Two Many Banjos, the Gartband is his music when he isn't playing a banjo). Discovering the Irish Bouzouki a few years back has clearly been inspiring for Marc, all the songs for "Fatwa" were written on the bouzouki. It's excellent stuff as usual.

And we'll hear some new music from Wise-Magraw - the duo project with Dean Magraw on guitar and Marcus Wise on tabla. And new music from indie-acoustic artist Ellis out of Minneapolis, her new CD is called "Right on Time." And more!

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 10, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursdays at 4pm. Sometimes heard on KFAI in Minneapolis & St. Paul. Often featured on MNartists.org.

I'm Gonna Run Away and Join Kazyak

by Doug MacRostie

A couple months ago, three young guys came strolling into the KAXE studios with a new CD they'd just recorded and produced. Introducing themselves as Kazyak they left a copy of "A Beautiful Brontosaurus" and continued on their trip from visiting family in Northern MN to the Twin Cities.

They struck me as being very friendly and down to Earth, and also very passionate and proud of the music they'd produced. The cover artwork was great and I put the CD in right after they left and loved it instantly. The first song, "Join the Band" kicks it off perfect and it just builds and grows from there - one of my favs is the 11+ minute "Don't Let's Be Silly". It's folk music at it's core, with elements of jazz, soul, rock and jam.

I remembered them mentioning they would be back in the area in Sept. and invited them to come to the studios to talk about their music, and I am very excited to have Jed, Peter and Danny in-studio this week on Centerstage MN. We'll talk about their lives and their music, and they'll be performing some acoustic tunes - and while the CD is based mostly around electric instrumentation, the scaled-down acoustic set-up only makes their 3 part harmonies shine even brighter. They've got a bunch of gigs in Northern MN and beyond, so check out their schedule!

Talking with them, they'll go from some lighthearted humor to something profound in the blink of an eye - which is also represented in their music. Many different styles, influences, emotions, thoughts and ideas all coming together as one thing: Kazyak.

Next week KAXE Volunteer Producer Charlie Pulkrabek talks with Alicia Corbett, and we'll hear a live recording of The Limns - so we'll also hear a song from each of them this week.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls, and on KMSU in Mankato. Sometimes heard on KFAI in Minneapolis & St. Paul and WTIP in Grand Marais. Often featured on MNartists.org.