If you've never lived outside Minnesota, you might not appreciate how unusual Minnesota Public Radio station The Current is. A recent ten-state road trip reminded me that the rest of the country can only get classic rock or country music or manufactured pop or rap music on their radios. Oh, the humanity. The Current turns five this month and if you are a regular listener, can you remember what you listened to before?
To celebrate, The Current is having a fifth birthday party at First Avenue on Friday January 29. The lineup is Minnesota artists (or artists Minnesota has adopted) Twilight Hours, Lookbook, Mason Jennings, P.O.S. and Solid Gold. Since Lookbook remain one of the most hyped local artists, Mason Jennings sells out First Avenue by himself, Solid Gold promise new material and we are lucky to catch P.O.S. before he's off of another nationwide tour after the First Avenue gig, the ticket price of $6 for MPR members and $12 for non-members looks like a bargain.
Twilight Hours are the only act on the lineup I haven't heard before, but it seems that I haven't been paying attention because Minn Post calls their debut album "shimmering" and City Pages says their sound is "invigorated and ambitious".
Tickets go on sale on January 8 for MPR members, and then any remaining tickets will be on sale to the general public on January 13. If Mason Jennings' fans don't buy them all first.
Happy Fifth Birthday, The Current!
Comments
It should be their last. The station has become a quasi-commercial venture, with no relation to it’s stated founding objectives.