GF concerts to enjoy while celebrating Halloween

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

Halloween is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to start planning how you’ll spend one of the best nights of the year.

The holiday falls on a Sunday this year, meaning most people (and bands) will be honoring Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 30. And it seems like there will be quite a few local shows going on in the bars of Grand Forks that night:

  • Whisky Sam performs at the Diamond Lounge; Wisegise performs at 9 p.m. at the Long Haul Saloon; Neptune Men perform at El Roco, also at 9 p.m.; and Rhyme or Reason will hit the stage at Big Daddy’s at 9 p.m.
  • The White Iron Band, a Minneapolis “high-energy renegade American roots band specializing in foot-stompin, forget-what-troubles-ya music,” performs at the Crosstown Lounge at 10 p.m.
  • Rotting Thought performs at The Hub

    Rotting Thought performs at The Hub

    The show that I’ll probably be attending in a (hopefully) cool Halloween costume is happening at The Hub in downtown Grand Forks. Rotting Thought, The Hasties, June Panic and June Panic’s Wife all are performing that night starting at 10 p.m. I’m a fan of The Hasties, June Panic and June Panic’s Wife. And it will definitely be interesting to check out Rotting Thought, a band I haven’t yet seen perform but have heard friends describe in interesting ways.

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UND concert bands announce 2010-11 season

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

I saw this announcement a couple of weeks ago, but the first UND concert band show is just a day away so it seems like a good time to write about it.

The school’s concert bands, which comprise the Wind Ensemble and University Band, are scheduled for several on-campus performances and a couple shows on the road. Here’s the schedule (all performances are at the Chester Fritz Auditorium on campus unless otherwise indicated):

  • Thursday, Oct. 7: Wind Ensemble and University Band
  • Oct. 11-12: Wind Ensemble regional tour
  • Nov. 30: Wind Ensemble and University Band with the Grand Forks Trombone Choir
  • March 3: Wind Ensemble and University Band with the Grand Cities Children’s Choir
  • April 27: Wind Ensemble and the University of Brandon Symphonic Band
  • April 28: University Band and Basketball Band “POPS” concert (Memorial Union)
  • May 14: Wind Ensemble at the UND Spring Commencement (Alerus Center)

For a full schedule of the UND Department of Music’s concerts and events, click here.

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George Jones to perform at Shooting Star Casino

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Ryan Johnson
George Jones

George Jones

Country music legend George Jones will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minn., the Herald reported Thursday.

Here’s part of the Herald’s story:

Jones’ East Texas rockabilly roots took him from the honky-tonk circuit to the Grand Ole Opry and beyond. He scored his first Top 5 hit, “Why Baby Why,” in 1955 and, in 2008, along with Morgan Freeman, Barbra Streisand and three others, was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.

His No. 1 hits include “Tender Years,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” “White Lightning,” “The Race Is On” and “(I don’t need no) Rocking Chair.” Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Oct. 11 for $25 to $55. Info: (800) 313-7469.

I used to hate George Jones – I blame my little brother’s childhood obsession with Jones as the reason for that hatred. (George Jones was always playing somewhere in my house throughout middle school and high school). But he really is a country legend, and his 1980 No. 1 hit “He Stopped Loving Her Today” has been named by several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. I disagree with that claim – I think that Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” should have that title. Either way, Jones’ monster country hit is a pretty great song, and his music has been a major influence on country music for more than half a century.

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New GF music blog comes to AreaVoices

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

Competition’s always a good thing, right? I thought I would point out Jukebox Hero, a new music blog on AreaVoices from Grand Forks’ Cassie Walder. Think that name sounds familiar? You’ve probably seen her on WDAZ covering the news as an anchor and news director for the local ABC station.

Here’s how she describes Jukebox Hero:

Jukebox Hero is music blogger Cassie Walder. I write about the kind of music I like. That does not include The Beatles. That does, however, include Wings. Please don’t judge. Just comment and add me to your favorites.

Sounds like a good topic to me – her blog has covered a wide range of artists since launching over the weekend, including Danzig, The Deadbeats, Alcazar and Chromeo. And I don’t know if Cassie intended her blog’s name to reference the classic Foreigner song, but if she did, that’s awesome. Even if it wasn’t intentional, it’s a pretty good blog name (maybe I should have put a bit more thought into it before calling my blog Valley Sound…)

I’m glad to see another GF music blogger join AreaVoices, and I hope she keeps us up to date on the cool new music she is listening to. What do you think of Jukebox Hero?

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More concert announcements for the fall

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

I just spent a good chunk of my afternoon sorting through upcoming concert announcements in Grand Forks and Fargo, so I figured I would give Valley Sound readers a quick look at some of the shows coming up in the region this fall.

  1. The Matt Strand Group performs at Sanders 1907 Restaurant in downtown Grand Forks this Friday and Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. The jazz group is: Matt Strand – vocals and piano, Danny Moffitt – guitar, Steve Carriere – bass, and Greg Jans – drums.
  2. Samantha Madison and Wildcard

    Samantha Madison and Wildcard

    Big Daddy’s, a Grand Forks bar located at 1405 Demers Ave., announced several local artists who will perform this month. All shows start at 9:30 p.m.; you can call Big Daddy’s at (701) 775-7740 if you have questions about the concerts. Lineup: Sept. 10-11 – Troubadour; Sept. 16 – The Roosters; Sept. 17-18 – Rhyme or Reason; Sept. 23 – Samantha Madison & Wildcard; Sept. 24-25 – Kid Hollywood; and Sept. 30 – Ashley Buchart.

  3. Zombie Music Fest. The North Valley Arts Council has released more details about the upcoming zombie-themed festival that will be held 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the Town Square in downtown Grand Forks. A Wednesday press release said the event will feature “excellent regional rock bands, Halloween activities, a free French Fry Feed by Simplot, a beer garden, and more!” Participants are encouraged – but not required – to come dressed as zombies. There is a $5 cover charge to get in. Several local bands will perform throughout the day – Time in Motion (South Dakota jazz-funk); If I Ran the Zoo (Bismarck rock band); The Neckties (Grand Forks punk band); and Dirty Phoenix (Grand Forks rock and cover band). The headlining act will be The Aultimate Ozzy, an Ozzy Osbourne tribute band that was judged the best tribute band in the nation by VH1.
  4. Danzig

    Danzig

    Upcoming Fargo concerts. Promoter Jade Presents announced some upcoming shows this fall in Fargo. You can find out more about the concerts, as well as purchase tickets, by visiting www.jadepresents.com. Here’s the lineup: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at The Aquarium on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m.; Alison Scott with Michael Pink at The Aquarium on Friday, Oct. 8 at 10 p.m.; Danzig with Possessed and Marduk at The Venue at The Hub on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m.; The Gear Daddies with The Billies at The Venue at the Hub on Friday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m.

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Changes to upcoming GF Town Square concert

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

I guess I was a bit overzealous with my post last Friday about the upcoming concert at the Town Square in Grand Forks, so here’s a corrected version of what’s actually going on next week.

I got a few things right: the event has a $5 cover charge, and will be held at the Town Square on Friday, Sept. 17. But it’s starting a bit earlier than I thought.

Bands will start performing at 3 p.m., and a beer garden will open at 5 p.m. The music and the beer garden will keep going until midnight, and a food vendor will be on hand if you get hungry during the evening.

Here’s the lineup:

3:00 – Special opening by Kelly Kyle
4:30 – Rome B.C. (formerly Metanoia/Grand Forks Death Metal)
5:15 – The Consumption (Grand Forks Hardcore)
6:00 – 7Kane (Grand Forks Metal)
7:00 – SER (Grand Forks Punk)
8:00 – Symbiont (Grand Forks Alt. Metal)
9:00 - The Mecan’tiks (Grand Forks Rockabilly)
10:00 - Aggro Saints (Fargo Punk)
11:00 - Rotting Thought (Grand Forks Thrash Metal)

Bismarck band It Came From the Sea may also perform at the concert, but they aren’t confirmed yet. If the band does perform, they will play at 7 p.m. and SER will play around 7:30 p.m.

If you’re interested in attending and want to know more, visit the concert’s Facebook page.

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GF to host seven-band town square concert, night of string bands at the Empire this month

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

There are a couple of downtown music events later this month that are worth keeping in mind if you want to hear some local music in Grand Forks.

I just heard about this from Facebook – and for only $5, this sounds like a good evening of local music and a chance to enjoy the outdoors before it gets too cold.

Paddlewheel outside the town square

Paddlewheel outside the town square

Seven bands will perform at the Town Square in downtown Grand Forks on Friday, Sept. 17 starting at 6 p.m. The music is expected to go until about midnight; there is a $5 cover charge, and there will be a beer garden.

The featured bands I know of, in no particular order:

Empire Arts Center

Empire Arts Center

The following Saturday, Sept. 25, will be another downtown music event. A Grand Night for String Bands, which starts at 7 p.m. at the Empire Arts Center, will be a concert of southern old-time, Celtic and bluegrass fiddle tunes and songs. The concert is set to feature The O’Neils, Far Shore String Band and the North River Ramblers, and will conclude with a participatory dance on stage for any interested audience members. The night will cost $8 for adults, $5 for teens and is free for those under 12.

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Alerus Center executive director to step down

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Ryan Johnson
Roger Swanson

Roger Swanson

The Alerus Center’s executive director plans to step down from the job about five months after he started, the Herald’s Tu-Uyen Tran reported Thursday afternoon.

It’s news that kind of took me by surprise – especially since Roger Swanson recently started the job after former Executive Director Steve Hyman resigned in late March.

Here’s part of Tran’s article, which will also be in Friday’s Herald:

VenuWorks, the Ames, Iowa, firm that employs him and is contracted with the city to run the building, has started a national search for a replacement.

Senior Vice President Doug Kuhnel told the Herald that Swanson wanted to spend more time with his family in the Twin Cities area. His girls are in high school and are active in sports and he wants to be there, Kuhnel said.

Swanson, who will take up a business development job with VenuWorks’ corporate side, will stay on as long as necessary until a replacement is hired, Kuhnel said, but, realistically, he’s hoping it’ll be some time in October.

The job posting, which is dated Wednesday, said VenuWorks is looking for someone with at least a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience in all aspects of venue management, though a master’s degree or other training is preferred.

Alerus Center Commissioner Curt Kreun said Swanson had been doing a fine job, fulfilling all the duties the commission asked of him.

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Crosstown announces fall concert lineup

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Ryan Johnson
Crosstown Lounge

Crosstown Lounge

Crosstown Lounge in Grand Forks has announced its concert lineup for the fall – and fans of the downtown bar and pool hall can expect to see some familiar faces and a few new bands returning over the next few months. The announcement didn’t include many details, but the concerts I’ve seen there in the past generally started around 10 p.m. and had a $5 cover charge, which included a free beer.

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Live music around GF this weekend

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Ryan Johnson

There are a bunch of chances to hear some live music around Grand Forks this weekend, so here are some good bets if you’re in the mood for a concert – and many of them are free!

Friday:

  • The Ember at the Freedom Church in downtown Grand Forks. This starts at 8:30 p.m. and features free music and free coffee.
  • Big Bizness performs at 9 p.m. at El Roco.
  • The Matt Strand Ground is performing at Sanders at 9:30 p.m. to midnight, and will feature Russell Peterson on the sax.

Saturday:

  • The second-annual Happy Harry’s Beer Fest is an obvious choice if you’re in the mood to sample more than 100 varieties of domestic and imported beer from more than 30 breweries. It kicks off at 2 p.m. and is scheduled to go until 6 p.m. The event will be held outside the Alerus Center; there is a $10 admission, and you obviously must be 21+ to attend. Besides the beer gardens, burgers and brats, the beer fest will also feature live music from The Roosters.
  • The Blues on the Red Music Series wraps up for the summer with Big Walter Smith & The Groovetones and Lisa Wenger performing at the Town Square. It’s  a free show that starts at 6 p.m., and food and beverages will be available. Get outside and enjoy some live music for free (and some of the last nice weather we’ll have until 2011).
  • Outdoor tribute show at Big Daddy’s: Revelation (a Journey tribute band) and TNT (an AC/DC tribute band) will perform at Big Daddy’s immediately following the Beer Fest to keep the night going. There will be a beer and bar garden that open at 5 p.m., with music starting at 6:30. 21+.
  • The Matt Strand Group is performing again at Sanders in downtown Grand Forks, 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
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