The Current
Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles — “Stranger” (Live at Fitzgerald Theater)
Clean those dashboard cup holders, the Current has released a video of Alan Sparhawk performing “Stranger” with Trampled by Turtles during a Dec. 11 concert at Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Video of the entire show will be released on Friday, May 29, to mark the one-year anniversary of Sparhawk’s second solo album, With Trampled by Turtles.
Rachael Kilgour – “Ontario” (live at The Current)
Duluth native Rachael Kilgour visited The Current studio for a session hosted by Radio Heartland’s Mike Pengra. She played three songs from her 2023 album My Father Loved Me, including the track featured here, “Ontario.”
Emerging Artist Showcase: Nolen Sellwood
The Current’s Emerging Artists Showcase at the Duluth Masonic Temple in January brought together musicians from communities across the region to showcase and develop the next generation of songwriters and performers.
On the bill was folk musician Nolen Sellwood, a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth. His full performance is in the embedded video above.
The Slamming Doors – “Goddamn Duluth”
Last April the Current released the eighth edition of its Sounds Like Home virtual festival series, which featured artists from greater Minnesota. Duluth band the Slamming Doors performed a Duluth Song during its set, embedded above.
LineCheck: Nat Harvie
Duluth native Nat Harvie recently performed for the Current’s video series LineCheck. Above is “Waiting Song” and below is “No Ash.” Both tracks are from Harvie’s new EP, Married in Song. (more…)
LineCheck: Mary Bue
The Current‘s video series “LineCheck” presents virtual conversations with Minnesota’s music community. The sessions open and close with a song. In episode 2, occasional Duluthian Mary Bue performs. (more…)
LineCheck: Charlie Parr
The Current‘s video series “LineCheck” presents virtual conversations with Minnesota’s music community. The sessions open and close with a song. In episode 1, Duluth’s Charlie Parr performs at Sacred Heart Music Center. Parr’s forthcoming album, Last of the Better Days Ahead, will be released July 30. (more…)
Minnesota Sessions: Lanue at Black Beach
In the Current‘s new video series, “Minnesota Sessions,” musicians perform in some of the state’s best natural offerings. In this edition, Duluth’s Sarah Krueger brings her new project, Lanue, to Black Beach in Silver Bay. (more…)
Minnesota Sessions: Dave Simonett at Wolf Ridge
In the Current‘s new video series, “Minnesota Sessions,” musicians perform in some of the state’s best natural offerings. In this edition, Dave Simonett of Duluth-based bluegrass act Trampled by Turtles, brings acoustic tunes to the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. (more…)
Brittany Lind is new host of “The Duluth Local Show”
The Duluth Local Show has a new host. Brittany Lind recently took the helm of the Sunday night radio program that features music by Duluth-area musicians. Her first broadcast was March 3.
Lind replaces Mike Novitzki, who hosted the show from May 2016 to December 2018. Andrea Swensson served as interim host.
The one-hour show on St. Paul-based Minnesota Public Radio’s the Current is broadcast on Sundays from 8 to 9 p.m. on three Duluth satellite stations — 90.9, 94.1 and 104.3 FM. It does not air in the Twin Cities market, but is on the Local Current stream on Mondays at 2 p.m. and archived at thecurrent.org. (more…)
Interim host keeps the Current’s Duluth music show rolling
Andrea Swensson is serving as guest host of The Duluth Local Show on the Current. (Photo by Leslie Plesser)
The Duluth Local Show, a weekly one-hour radio program featuring music by Duluth-area musicians, will close out 2018 in a transition phase. Mike Novitzki, who had hosted the show since May 2016, announced his resignation in October and his farewell episode aired Dec. 2.
Andrea Swensson, a Moose Lake native who has been an on-air personality and writer at St. Paul-based Minnesota Public Radio’s the Current since 2005, has served as guest host of The Duluth Local Show since Novitzki’s departure. She is also the regular host of an all-Minnesota music show with a similar title, The Local Show. (more…)
Duluth relay of the Current moving to full-power frequencies
Minnesota Public Radio is moving the Duluth relay of its Twin Cities album-oriented alternative music station, the Current, to full-power frequencies at 104.3 and 94.1 FM.
The switch to 104.3 is already in effect; 94.1 will be in operation later this summer.
The tower for 104.3 is in Two Harbors. Broadcasting with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts, the signal reaches Duluth’s eastern neighborhoods, but begins to break up in the Downtown area and is marred by static in most locations southwest of Lake Avenue.
Jen Keavy, senior communications manager at MPR, said the “reach is dependent upon topography and proximity to the tower in Two Harbors, which is why we will also launch 94.1 (which is in Duluth) once technical upgrades are made. It will help cover the gaps in the Duluth area.”
MPR purchased the two stations from Red Rock Radio for $300,000 in a deal that closed May 15. Both frequencies use the call letters KZIO and were previously branded by Red Rock as 94X “pure rock.” (more…)
Michael Novitzki will host The Duluth Local Show on the Current
The Current announced in a news release today that Michael Novitzki will host its revamped version of The Duluth Local Show, which will launch May 1 on the low-power 90.9 FM and air every Sunday at 8 p.m. Also announced in the release: Cecilia Johnson has been named Local Current blogger. (more…)
The Current to launch broadcast relay station in Duluth
Minnesota Public Radio announced in a news release today that Duluthians will soon be able to hear its album-oriented alternative music station, the Current, on 90.9 FM. A mix tape of music by artists from northern Minnesota began airing on the station today. At 9:09 a.m. on Feb. 1 the switch will flip to the Current’s live broadcast from the Twin Cities.
The low-power station will broadcast at about 99 watts, with an expected coverage area spanning from Hermantown to Superior. MPR purchased the 90.9 FM spot on the dial in 2015 from Family Stations, a national Christian network, which had aired programming as W215CG.
(more…)Low – “What Part of Me” and “No Comprende” live on the Current
Low perform “What Part of Me” and “No Comprende” during the band’s Sept. 18 session in the studios of 89.3 the Current. Click here to listen to the full session.
David Campbell interviews Dave Campbell
David Campbell of the Current interviews Duluth’s Dave Campbell, Aerial Lift Bridge chief operator.
Why doesn’t Duluth have a repeater of the Current?
Why doesn’t Duluth have a repeater of the Current? What would it take to get one?
The Duluth Local Show on Local Current
I’m happy to say that I’ve been given the chance to share some Duluth music with a much wider audience than can hear my current radio program on KUWS. (And by “Duluth music” I mean everything from the Iron Range to the South Shore.)
The show will air on the Local Current stream on Wednesdays (starting tomorrow, March 27) at noon and will be rebroadcast on Thursdays at 11 p.m. and Saturdays at 6 p.m.
In order to put on the best local show I can – I’m gonna need your music if you’re in a band. We’ve got some 180+ acts playing Homegrown this year alone and I can tell you that I don’t have recordings from more than half of them. This is a call to bands from the region to send me your CDs/vinyls and/or high-quality digital downloads for me to potentially play on the Duluth Local Show.
(more…)
Host, Duluth Local Show #150-13
Part-time Minnesota Public Radio grant-funded position – until June 30, 2013.
“The Duluth Local Show Host will work with The Local Music team to create a two-hour show focused on Duluth’s local music artists and scene that will air on Local Current each week. The host should be able to curate the music for the show, produce and host the show, and deliver a .wav file each week to the Local Music Assistant. The format will include 11-13 songs per hour with multiple breaks occasionally including interviews or live recordings. The host will also be responsible for contributing to The Local Current Blog and The Local Show as well as maintain a presence in social media platforms.”
Mu-Tron Love
The Current released Local Current, Vol 2 a few weeks ago. I couldn’t help but notice that someone in the art department there has a mutual appreciation for the Mu-Tron Phasor, an effects pedal from 40 years ago.
In last year’s Homegrown Field Guide ad, we Photoshopped up my Mu-tron Phasor. Someone at MPR has a better collection of vintage gizmos, they used the Mu-tron Phasor III. (more…)
Dead Man Winter in the Current studio
[This post originally contained an embedded video that no longer exists at the source.]
Trampled by Turtles side project Dead Man Winter performs “Wasteland,” “A Long Cold Night in Minneapolis” and “Nicotine.”
The Current Roadtrip: Duluth
Join 89.3 the Current as we travel across the state to bring the best and brightest of the cities musical acts to Duluth, Mankato, Rochester and Austin. (more…)
What about the Current in Duluth??!!
The MPR website recently announced a new expansion of the Current station to St. Peter. Not that I don’t love some of the stations we have around here, but it really makes me feel even further from the cultural scene to not have access to all three MPR stations. As a yearly supporter of MPR it doesn’t seem fair. If there’s anyone out there who agrees, please join me in writing to MPR to let them know how we feel.