Nikki Miller

Hatch Show Print, country music landmark, finds new home

Its roots can be traced back over a century ago to a spot just a hop, skip and jump from the Twin Cities. And on Monday, the venerable Nashville poster shop Hatch Show Print announced that it's on the move again, this time to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Established in 1879, Hatch Show Print is b ... More >>

Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson plan summer Minneapolis date

​No, not that kind of date, though their chemistry when performing live is more than any pair of lovebirds could aspire to. Elder statesmen of country music Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson have announced they're pairing up once again for a performance at Minneapolis' downtown State Theatre on ... More >>

Mark Chesnutt at Povlitzki's on 65, 12/16/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Mark Chesnutt December 16, 2011 Povlitzki's on 65 Several songs into a hits-heavy and lengthy set at Spring Lake Park's Povlitzki's on 65 Friday night, Mark Chesnutt played a tune that pretty much summarized the night's show, and his own musical career: a lament that mi ... More >>

Minnesota's Best Albums of 2011

Low, Doomtree, Brute Heart top best local releases

Avey Tare at Triple Rock, 12/7/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Avey Tare December 7, 2011 Triple Rock Social Club Avey Tare, pseudonymed "frontman" of the very popular "collective" Animal Collective, released an album last year called Down There, a piece supposedly inspired by crocodiles. How now, swamp cow?

Rosie Flores at Lee's Liquor Lounge, 11/17/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Rosie Flores November 17, 2011 Lee's Liquor Lounge Ever since Wanda Jackson swung through town last summer and made mention of her once home away from honky tonk home, the old Flame Supper Club on Nicollet in Minneapolis, I've thought on that long-gone place, on what it ... More >>

Puscifer at the State Theatre, 11/14/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Puscifer November 14, 2011 The State Theatre Puscifer, as far as I could tell prior to their Monday night show at the State Theatre, was a clothing line. I'd heard tell of two friends, who while traveling the great, dry, weird American Southwest had ambled upon the Pusc ... More >>

Meat Puppets at the Turf Club, 11/12/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Meat Puppets November 12, 2011 Turf Club There's something magical about seeing old SST bands. I doubt it's that the L.A.-based punk/hardcore/jazz label necessarily had a strong influence on the bands whose records they put out, but rather that founder Greg Ginn had his ... More >>

Toby Keith tops Forbes' "Highest-Paid" list

Photo by Nikki MillerGimme fifty mill and I'll sell you a Ford pickup truck!​No, he didn't out-earn Lady Gaga, who topped Forbes' list of highest-paid celebrities, but at his $50 million to her $4.5 billion, Toby Keith was at the top of the list of country artists, thanks in part to his chain ... More >>

ZZ Top at Mystic Lake Casino, 8/11/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​ZZ Top August 11, 2011 Mystic Lake Casino "Can we play some bluuuues for you tonight?" growls Billy Gibbons, his lanky body adorned in a sparkly black Nudie suit, Dusty Hill to his right, similarly adorned, and Frank Beard behind them both on a skull-decorated, double- ... More >>

Wanda Jackson and Justin Townes Earle at the Zoo, 8/6/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​​Wanda Jackson and Justin Townes Earle August 6, 2011 Minnesota Zoo Weesner Amphitheater After an upbeat opening set by Justin Townes Earle, local rockabilly band Hillbilly Voodoo Dolls provided backup duties for an hour-plus performance by Wanda Jackson Saturday nigh ... More >>

Ted Nugent at Medina Entertainment Center, 8/7/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Ted Nugent August 7, 2011 Medina Entertainment Center Ted Nugent's incantations are amusing, even charming, the first, second, third, even fourth go-round. But by the end, for fuck's sake. It's like listening to your drunk uncle complain about your aunt's bad cooking fo ... More >>

The Beach Boys at Mystic Amphitheater, 7/31/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​The Beach Boys July 31, 2011 Mystic Amphitheater The year is 1993, 30 years after the birth of John Stamos. My best friend Amy and I are sitting in her family's basement rec room, arguing again. Amy is pro-Beach Boys. I'm pro-Beatles. And we're each anti- the other. I ... More >>

Glen Campbell reveals Alzheimer's struggle

Photo by Nikki Miller​In this week's issue of People magazine, "Rhinestone Cowboy" Glen Campbell and his wife Kim reveal that Campbell's battles with short-term memory loss have been diagnosed as symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Gayngs at Coachella, Nikki Sixx phones it in at the Fitz, and more notes from the weekend

Photos by Denis Jeong Plaster​April is continuing to roar by us at a steady clip, and this past weekend our local scene was so bustling that we had to export some of our musicians out to Indio, California before the whole town overflowed.

Cinderella at the Medina Entertainment Center, 4/16/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Cinderella April 16, 2011 Medina Entertainment Center I have zero nostalgia for this band. Not an ounce. The exposure I had to Cinderella's era of music - hair metal I guess they call it? - was by way of my cousin Shawn. I think she drove an Olds Toronado and had a copy ... More >>

The Guess Who and Chuck Negron at Grand Casino, 4/9/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​The Guess Who with opener Chuck Negron April 9, 2011 Mystic Lake Casino What to expect of a performance by two of the greatest soul and blues-infused rock bands of the '60s and '70s, who are now performing in the first case as a singer without his original band, and in ... More >>

Schmeckfest: South Dakota's Mennonite "dinner theater"

Photos by Nikki MillerGerman kuchen​The scene is a community center basement in rural South Dakota. Your ticket in hand, you wait in line as one after another, satiated women and very pregnant-looking men, suspenders stretched over their stuffed bellies, exit the dining room, freeing up space for ... More >>

Fleetwood Magic at the Turf Club, 3/12/11

Photos by Nikki MillerVampire Hands​Fleetwood Magic Fleetwood Mac tribute night featuring Vampire Hands, Me & My Arrow, Nightinghales, Littlefoot, Invisible Boy and Hot Roxx March 12, 2011 Turf Club It's certainly a given and often even a little aggravating to what extent internet buzz acts ... More >>

Def Leppard and Heart coming to Minnesota State Fair

Photo by Nikki Miller​Time to enter into the musty depths of your closet and find that old acid-washed jean jacket and tattered rock tee (or just head to Hot Topic, I guess) -- you're going to have the perfect place to wear that stuff this summer. As if the State Fair weren't already the ideal sp ... More >>

Brenda Lee coming to Grand Casino, tickets on sale today

​Tickets for Brenda Lee's two March 19th performances at Grand Casino Mille Lacs go on sale today, with prices starting at $15 (plus a $5 discount for "Grand Rewards" members), and performances planned for both 2 and 6PM (so's you can eat yer buffet and head on down to bed right early, Graaaaa ... More >>

Dwight Yoakam at Mystic Lake Casino, 2/11/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Dwight Yoakam February 11, 2011 Mystic Lake Casino Aw, sookie. My appreciation for Dwight Yoakam's live show, after his Friday night performance to a sold-out crowd at Mystic Lake Casino, has now passed through three phases.

Weekend Checklist: Gimme Noise at the Sound Gallery, Dwight Yoakam, Robyn and more

For all you lucky ducks who don't work on the weekends, take heed: Sunday morning's got your number.

World's Toughest Rodeo hits Xcel on heels of "Cowboy Camp"

Photos by Nikki Miller​The World's Toughest Rodeo returns to the Xcel tonight and Saturday, with a special performance by up-and-coming chart-climber Jerrod Niemann after Saturday night's barrel racing and bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding (7:30, $10-78). The Rodeo invited us down on Th ... More >>

Charlie Parr at Hell's Kitchen, 1/29/11

Photos by Nikki Miller​Charlie Parr with Jeff Mitchell January 29, 2011 Hell's Kitchen, Minneapolis When Hell's Kitchen moved its location into the garden-level space formerly occupied by Rossi's a couple years ago, it not only gained more room for tables and booths as well as a new dinner me ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Dave King, Tesla, and more

​This weekend, like so many other weekends, is chock-full of fun, musical things for you to spend your time doing in tandem with other people who had the same idea.And we're here to help, with our humble suggestions on musical things happening this weekend.

Dwight Yoakam tickets on sale Friday

Photo by Nikki MillerDwight Yoakam at Grand Casino, September 2009​Time to get in line (virtually). It seems Dwight Yoakam is one of the few country dudes every country-hating indie rock dude would pay good money to see gyrate his hips in tight, tight jeans, and so, country-hating indie rock d ... More >>

Best Country Shows of 2010

​Given our proximity to an abundance of casino venues, the popularity of state and county fairs, big summer festivals in every neck of the woods (and on lakes and in fields), and the recent influx of urban and suburban Western-themed bars, it's no surprise we've seen plenty of great country ac ... More >>

Os Mutantes, Ariel Pink at the Cedar, 11/20/10

Photos by Nikki MillerOs Mutantes​Os Mutantes with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and Diva Dompe November 20, 2010 Cedar Cultural Center Bands running waaaay behind schedule and the ice storm OF THE CENTURY (er, uh, or of the month) didn't keep a packed house of Os Mutantes fans, Ariel Pink fans, A ... More >>

Stanley's Northeast Bar Room halts live rock shows until spring

Photo by Nikki Miller​Though the new restaurant and bar has only been hosting live music for a few weeks, Stanley's Northeast Bar Room is already halting most of its live entertainment, a move that booker Christy Hunt says will allow them to move the stage to a more suitable location and improve t ... More >>

Hank III and Assjack at First Avenue, 10/20/10

Photos by Nikki Miller​Hank III and Assjack October 20, 2010 First Avenue Panties are passé. Now, we're passing prosthetic limbs.

Stanley's Northeast Bar Room grand opening with Gospel Gossip and His Mischief, 10/15/10

Photos by Nikki MillerHis Mischief at Stanley's​Stanley's Northeast Bar Room's first show featuring Gospel Gossip, His Mischief October 15, 2010 Stanley's, Minneapolis Autobiographical sketch of the writer, 2008: drinks too much, exhibits poor decision-making skills, needs to grow up. Stasiu ... More >>

Miranda Lambert leads CMA nominations; Carrie Underwood scratches, yawns

Photo by Nikki Miller​This week, The Country Music Association announced the last of its nominations for the 2010 CMA Awards, set to air live on Wednesday, November 10th on ABC with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood returning as hosts for the third consecutive year. The awards, voted on by ind ... More >>

Rosanne Cash, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to play Fair for free

Photo by Nikki MillerNitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Medina, March 2010​Country music fans possessing abundant wealth - be sure to check out Tim McGraw (Saturday 8/28 7:30, $37-67) and Carrie Underwood (Tuesday 8/31 7:30, $39-59), both playing the Grandstand during the initial days of the State Fair ... More >>

Whose kitten is this?

​Here's a little Friday fun for our readers: We've noticed that folks in the Twin Cities music scene have some pretty goddamn adorable pets. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, we now have the opportunity to get an up close and personal view of a musician's life, right down to the animals who share th ... More >>

Footloose, Red Hot Art Fest: Freeloader Friday

Mykl Roventine via Flickr.com​Being broke is never a problem with Freeloader Friday. In this edition we have tons of really cool stuff to do. Including experimental theater, steampunk art, several art festivals, and a very special screening of Footloose. Be sure to practice your "seven degrees of ... More >>

Dear Brooks & Dunn: An open letter

Photo by Nikki MillerBrooks & Dunn at Xcel Energy Center​ Dear Brooks & Dunn, (Well, mostly Ronnie Dunn.) I'm sorry I said all those nasty things about you.

Foxy Falafel's Erica Strait: Five Questions

Photo by Nikki MillerFoxy Falafel's bike-powered smoothies at the Uptown Market​If you've been to the Kingfield, Uptown, and Northeast farmers markets this summer, you've probably seen Foxy Falafel owner Erica Strait peddling (and pedaling) her bike-powered smoothies and amazing falafel, along wit ... More >>

Arrrrre Yyyyou Rrrrready? A Live Review of Korn

​by Nikki Miller and Andrew FlanaganFor this second chapter of Rational Dialectic, Andrew Flanagan and Nikki Miller soak in the sold-out Korn show in First Avenue's Main Room, wherein they encounter a real-life vagitarian, black shirt farts, and confront head-on their checkered musical her-and-his ... More >>

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are gettin' hitched

Photo by Nikki Miller​ Nashville has flooded, the incomparable Doc Watson is playing a sold-out show at the Cedar on Saturday night, and 7th-grade Nikki's favorite band ever, Brooks & Dunn, are bringing their farewell tour to the Xcel on Friday (with Jason Aldean, who'll likely treat us to his ... More >>

Art-A-Whirl, Henry Rollins, and more: Critics' Picks

Vampire Hands and Daughters of the Sun announce 7-inch and spring tour

Photo by Nikki Miller​Two popular local psych rock bands, Vampire Hands and Daughters of the Sun, are preparing to leave on a massive month and a half tour of the US. The two bands are also getting ready to release a split 7-inch (preview the first track on the Modern Radio site), which will drop ... More >>

World's Toughest Rodeo rolls into town this weekend

Head injuries, monkeys, country music and sexism: What to expect at the rodeo.

Modern Radio celebrates 10 years at Turf and Cedar

Two nights of shows vegan cupcakes and cookies discounted wieners hot young groupies paparazzi = Modern Radio 10-year anniversary celebration.

Dizzy get busy at the Red Stag

Funky is not a four-letter word.

Shahs track featured on Pitchfork

Call it a Twin Cities coups--today, "Pablo Picasso" from Shahs' forthcoming Guts EP gets featured on Forkast.

Picked to Click 2009: Red Pens voted Twin Cities' best new band

Celebrating the 10 winners of this year's best-new-bands poll

MPR: Day of State Fair eating improves your cholesterol!

Despite their attempt to scare us with their full day of eating and calorie counting at the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" they actually gave us the greatest state fair news yet!

Slideshows: Zombie dancers, De La Soul, and the State Fair

Photo highlights from the weekend.

Randy Houser delivers roadhouse country at the Cabooze

Much as I long for the days of seeing my country music at the county fair, these stories only come from living in the city.