Videos
Minnesota Historia: The Magic of Smelting
Explore Minnesota’s love affair with smelt, the shimmering silver fish that’s easy to catch and fun to eat. Now that Lake Superior’s smelt population is in decline, an annual parade in downtown Duluth keeps that love alive.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
100 Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan
The Committee for Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan, Duluth’s premier Bob Dylan monuments organization, remains hard at work designing giant colossal statues of Bob Dylan.
Video Archive: Trinity Lutheran Church circa 1943
This roughly 80-year-old film features scenes at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1108 E. Eighth St. in Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood. Also in the film are a nearby market, the Kenwood Community Club and a building under construction. (more…)
UMD Bulldog Hockey: Amsoil Arena Fly-through
Take a tour of Amsoil Arena, home of UMD Bulldogs hockey, via drone footage by Ethan Schultz of ShotxSchultz.
Minnesota Historia: Mr. Magoo the Mongoose
In 1962, a mongoose at the Duluth Zoo was sentenced to death by the federal government, but he’s not the only animal in Minnesota who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
One Less Guest – “The Fruit”
The jazz/rock outfit One Less Guest has a new album on the way and a new music video. The song “The Fruit” appears on Viewfinder, scheduled for release June 9. The video was shot and edited by Patrick Parkhill and Jay Reiss.
The band formed in Duluth in 2018 and moved to Anaheim, Calif., in 2021, but returns home every summer for a show. This year’s gig at at Earth Rider Brewery is July 22.
Minnesota Historia: Minnesota’s Tourist Traps
Travelers in Minnesota who want to experience the golden age of the tourist trap are a few decades late, but a handful of the kitschy roadside attractions still remain. This short documentary takes viewers on the open road in search of adventure, cheap souvenirs and a room full of chainsaws.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
Homegrown Music Festival 2023 Photo Slideshow
The 25th annual Homegrown Music Festival featured 171 acts. I made it to 57 — which is a lot, but also only one-third of the available options. The scope of the festival makes each experience unique, so obviously one person’s photo collection will vary significantly from another’s. (more…)
Minnesota Historia: The Legend of John Beargrease
One of the fastest, coolest, most beloved mail carriers who ever lived was Minnesota’s own John Beargrease. Hear the story of how he delivered mail in northeastern Minnesota before there were roads, and learn why there’s a sled dog marathon named after him.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
Berserk Blondes! – “Hips Don’t Lie”
Live at Bent Paddle Brewing during the 2023 Homegrown Music Festival, Steve Solkela and Kaylee Matuszak perform their take on the 2006 hit song “Hips Don’t Lie,” written and originally performed by Shakira and Wyclef Jean.
MN Moder – “Indecisive”
The new music video from Duluth-based hip-hop artist Zachary Moder, aka MN Moder features several familiar local scenes. Joining in on the track are Cole Oksa, aka NorthWood, and Scott Vezina, aka NonFic.
MN Moder performs May 5, 8:15 p.m., at Legacy Glassworks as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Beyondbliss – “Goodbye My Friend”
The new music video by Superior-based rapper David Kittelson, aka Beyondbliss, was made from a collection of old VHS tapes of performances. The song is the first single from the upcoming Beyondbliss release, which Kittelson has referred to as his final album.
Beyondbliss performs at Wild State Cider on May 1 at 7 p.m. as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Ill Fortune – “Third Eye Open” (w/ Lane Newman and Dane MD)
Grand Rapids hip-hop artist Hunter Fortune, aka Ill Fortune, has a new album — Ill Ol’ Me. The video for “Third Eye Open” features Lane Newman and Dane MD, and was shot by Olivia Newman and John Persons.
Ill Fortune performs at Pizza Lucé in Duluth on May 6 at 10 p.m. as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Video Archive: Duluth inventor Bill Kielczewski, 1983
https://www.pbs.org/video/-Inventors-and-Inventions-30351/
Forty years ago today — April 21, 1983 — Twin Cities Public Television aired a profile of Duluth inventor Bill Kielczewski on its program Nighttimes Magazine. (more…)
Is Duluth Climate Proof?
You may have heard Duluth referred to as climate-proof, but what makes this small Midwestern city resilient to climate change? And is it, in fact, climate-proof? Hear from National Weather Service Duluth Meteorologist, Ketzel Levens, UMD Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and the Large Lakes Observatory, Jay Austin, about the science behind Duluth’s unique climate.
This digital PBS North production is a part of the Climate Across America campaign, an imitative of the PBS science series Nova.
Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
Duluth’s Jonathan Thunder is the subject of a short film that aired nationally on PBS in November. Now, the feature is available via YouTube, and is embedded above. (more…)
MN Moder – “Shooting Star”
Presenting the visualizer for the new single by MN Moder. The Duluth-based hip-hop artist performs May 5, 8:15 p.m., at Legacy Glassworks as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Duluth is Horrible
It’s been ten years since Vincent Gargiulo completed his short movie Duluth is Horrible. Finally, the full flick is available for online viewing. Enjoy the horror. (more…)
Sydney Hansen – “For Better”
Duluth native Sydney Hansen, who now splits time between her home town and Nashville, has a new music video.
Hansen performs at Duluth Cider on May 1 at 8:30 p.m. as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
One Year on a Northwoods Portage
This trail camera footage shows the diversity of wildlife that passes through an old canoe portage at Voyageurs National Park over a 15-month period. Prepare for lots of otters. (more…)
The Slice: 50 Years of Railroad History
Last week the Lake Superior Railroad Museum kicked off its 50th year. The founders of the museum had a vision to repurpose Duluth’s historic Union Depot train station into an arts, culture and history center.
In its series The Slice, PBS North presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Video: Trampled by Turtles 20th anniversary at Sir Ben’s
Twenty years after the band’s first gig, Trampled by Turtles popped up at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake for an anniversary performance. This video of the song “Victory” was shot by Gina Nagler Smith.
Trampled by Turtles – “At Your Window”
Trampled by Turtles is celebrating 20 years as a band. In this new video the group performs “At Your Window,” a song from the 2004 album Songs from a Ghost Town. The video was directed and edited by Charlie Berg. (more…)
Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-man Band – “She Broke My Heart in Three Places”
The latest video from Steve Solkela is a one-man performance of a song originally released by the Hoosier Hot Shots. The song was written in 1944 by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake.
Reco Daquon featuring Tren10 – “Wanna Ball”
Twin Ports hip-hop artist Reco Daquon released this music video last summer, shot in West Duluth on the basketball court at Memorial Park and Laura MacArthur Elementary School. The video was shot by Montclair Media.
Reco Daquon performs at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake on May 5 as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.