Chris Koza

Kathleen Edwards and Tig Notaro at Wits, 4/19/13

Wits with Tig Notaro and Kathleen Edwards Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul Friday, April 19, 2013 With a name like Wits, come expecting to laugh, but also come expecting to be moved by the musical guests. Friday's session of Wits had its guests trading roles with musical guest Kathleen Edwards showing ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from Cloud Cult, the Ocean Blue, Enemy Planes, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Local Frames: New videos from John Mark Nelson, Greycoats, Dessa, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Owl City, Lorie Line featured on Holiday Lights Vol. 4 benefit album

With the holiday season upon us, if you need a worthwhile distraction from the rampant consumerism and commercialism associated with Christmas, it's best to look for a way to help others in need. And for the fourth year in a row, Minnesota music and charity come together for a good cause on Holiday ... More >>

Chris Koza on covering Beyonce, oboe accompaniment at Works for Words this Friday

Chris Koza will probably introduce himself first as a musician, then as a lyricist. Over the course of his lengthy career, he has distinguished himself as one of Minnesota's premier singer-songwriters. His recent work as the frontman of folk-pop ensemble Rogue Valley, where he orchestrated the relea ... More >>

Local musicians rally against gay marriage ban at the Varsity Thursday

People often don't want their favorite artists to talk about politics: Look at the Dixie Chicks. Despite this, Shayna Melgaard, the house manager at the Varsity Theater, and local singer-songwriter David Booth came up with the idea to hold an event to rally against the proposed gay marriage ban, whi ... More >>

Rogue Valley enter new season of creation, homecoming show Sunday

​In 2010, Chris Koza and his newly formed band, Rogue Valley, set out to do something a little insane. They wrote and recorded four full-length albums in one year. The "season project," as it came to be known, was fueled by personification: each album intends to give shape and sound to a particula ... More >>

The New Standards issue holiday album to coincide with annual Fitzgerald shows

​If you've tuned into the Current at all this week, there's a good chance you've heard about this weekend's back-to-back New Standards Holiday Shows at the Fitzgerald Theater, the group's annual star-studded performances of jazz-inspired covers and holiday sing-alongs. This year, in honor of their ... More >>

Rogue Valley tour diary, Vol. 3

​Rogue Valley's tour diaries are written by frontman Chris Koza and edited by bandmate Peter Sieve. You can read their first installment here and second here.Most of us in the van slept on our two-our northbound drive from Cottage Grove to Portland, OR, where we would be spending the night. I ... More >>

Rogue Valley tour diary, Vol. 2

​​Rogue Valley is a Minneapolis-based theatrical folk-pop band who are currently on tour. On the road are drummer Luke Anderson, bassist Paul Engles, keyboardist Joey Kantor, guitar/vocalist Chris Koza and guitarist Peter Sieve. Their tour diaries are written by Koza and edited by Sieve. Read th ... More >>

Rogue Valley tour diary, Vol. 1

​Rogue Valley is a Minneapolis-based theatrical folk-pop band who are currently on tour. On the road are drummer Luke Anderson, bassist Paul Engles, keyboardist Joey Kantor, guitar/vocalist Chris Koza and guitarist Peter Sieve. Their tour diaries are written by Koza and edited by Sieve. The road ... More >>

Jeremy Messersmith's 'Works for Words' at the Fitzgerald, 4/9/11

"Works for Words" with Jeremy Messersmith, Chris Koza, Dessa, Aby Wolf, Lucy Michelle, Brian TigheApril 9, 2011Fitzgerald Theater, St. PaulI've said this before, but it's something that bears repeating: Last month, coming down off the rush of seeing 60 Minnesota bands take over Austin, Texas for SX ... More >>

Southern Songbook's Adam Levy, Chris Koza, Dessa featured on Midmorning

Photo by Erik Hess​The Southern Songbook series is returning to the Southern Theater April 14 as part of the String Theory Festival, and this time around host Adam Levy is inviting Chris Koza, Dessa, Chan Poling, and more to explore the use of strings in modern-day songwriting. To preview the next ... More >>

Rogue Valley, the 4onthefloor, Birthday Suits round out a jam-packed weekend of music

Photo by Steve CohenDeVotchKa at First Avenue​April has historically been a busy time for touring bands stopping by the Twin Cities -- and if this weekend's overflowing concert calendar was any indication, we're in for a downright hectic spring.

Chris Koza's Rogue Valley release False Floors

Album is fourth in 12 months

Rogue Valley, Hildur Victoria featured in this week's City Pages

Photo by Joey Clark​In this week's print edition of City Pages, we have interviews with two different Twin Cities bands preparing to release impressive full-length albums this weekend. 

'To My Bees Knees' brings together 100 local musicians on one album

​Sound engineer Tom Smouse has been helping Twin Cities artists record their albums for nearly a decade, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that he decided to attempt his own foray into songcraft. With the help of 100 different local musicians, Smouse has been slowly piecing together a mass ... More >>

Heroes: A Benefit for Local Recording Artists at the Varsity, 1/28/11

Photos by Stacy Schwartz - click for slideshowEric Lovold​Heroes: A Benefit for Local Recording Artists (with the Alarmists, Brian DeRemer, Chris Koza, Kicks and Spurs, White Light Riot, and DJ Solid Gold)January 28, 2011Varsity Theater, MinneapolisLittle more than a month after that atrocious bre ... More >>

Twin Cities bands to listen for in 2011

Mally, Pink Mink, Grant Cutler, and more

Rogue Valley

Atmosphere, Rogue Valley, Recplacements Tribute, and more

Weekend Checklist: The conundrum of Mavis and Tame Impala Replacements and Eyedea Tributes

It's turkey week and the usual travel snafus are starting. As I type this, it is 8AM and I am on a Delta flight out of Minneapolis bound for Georgia. I have been up since 4:30 and my flight has already been changed four times. Alas, if you are sticking around the Twin Cities the next few days, don ... More >>

Rogue Valley's CD-release show at First Ave

Our favorite flyer this week comes courtesy of local artist DWITT, who created this gorgeous flyer for Rogue Valley's second CD-release show of the year. If you missed their last release at the Fitzgerald, now's your chance to catch Chris Koza and his bandmates' grandiose stage show.

Rogue Valley play free show at the Varsity tonight

​Rogue Valley (Chris Koza's new band) is playing at the Varsity Theater tonight as part of the Minnesota State Lottery's series of free local shows, and we were drawn in by this unique flyer design. Who doesn't love a sad platypus standing on a record? Feel better, platypus, tonight is gonna be al ... More >>

Art-a-Whirl at the 331

Rogue Valley unveil grandiose stage show at the Fitzgerald

Photo by Ben Clark​As if the mere concept of releasing four albums in the span of a year isn't epic enough, Chris Koza upped the ante on Saturday night by presenting an elaborate, multi-faceted stage show at the Fitzgerald Theater in honor of Rogue Valley's debut album. Midway through the second s ... More >>

Rogue Valley's Crater Lake is first album of four to come

Twin Cities scene veteran Chris Koza goes for broke with ambitious project

The Soviettes, Luke Redfield featured in this week's City Pages

Clippings from this week's print edition.

Big Trouble

April 10, 2009: Romantica & Heiruspecs

New Brother Ali collaboration, Bob Mould hits NYC & interviews with Heiruspecs, Romantica and Dan Israel.

Valentine's Day Show

The Hopefuls CD-Release Show

Concrete and Grass: Lowertown Music Festival

Over the Weekend: June 5-8, 2008

Pop Fiction

Humble and determined, Chris Koza prepares to release a new collection of stories wrapped up in songs

Over the Weekend: 2/15-2/17

Viva Third Ear

7/12 Morning Communiqué

7/11 Morning Communiqué

6/5 Morning Communiqué

5/16 Morning Communiqué

4/19 Morning Communiqué

4/16 Morning Communiqué

4/4 Morning Communiqué

3/29 Morning Communiqué

3/6 Morning Communiqué

2/22 Morning Communiqué

2/13 Morning Communiqué

1/29 Morning Communiqué

STNNNG in a Stunner

Picked to Click XV