Minnesota/Minnesotans C or D

When I was twenty and living alone in an apartment off of Franklin, a woman from the liquor store invited me to her family's house for Thanksgiving. I think that I may have been the only person there under 200 pounds, and the only man under 6'3". They fed me like a brother, got me drunk on Schnapp's, and it was TEH BEST THANKSGIVNG EVAH.

It was just one family in NE Minneapolis, but I'll stick up for Minnesotans any day of the week. Even the screedy James Lileks.

It's been awhile for me, but I always really enjoyed Radio K. College radio sounds so beautiful on the AM band.

God, sometimes I want to move back there so badly.

I can get it in from the cities all the way to Sauk Centre which is pretty damn good. I like it better than Radio K as well. But please don't forget KUMM the praries only alternative. We have to be classic if only for our call letters. Also worth noting is Rev 105 which all us kids thought was the coolest thing ever at the time.

Yeah, that's usually around where it cuts out for me, too. But I used to have an '82 Olds a few years back that would get it just about to the rest area right before Alex. Only good thing about that car.

I used to hate MN with a passion growing up (could be because it was way out in the sticks) but now that I've gotten a little bit older and done a bit of traveling I've realized that all in all it's a pretty nice to be.

Also, it's the only place in the U.S. (well most of the upper midwest according to A Short History of Nearly Everything) that doesn't have to worry about earthquakes!

C/D:

Don Shelby/Diana Pierce
Sebastian Joe's seconded - I know of no better way to completely negate the good work done on arse by 10 mile bike ride around Lake Harriet/Steve and Sharon aaaaahghghh
Red Dragon/food at the Red Dragon

HUGE shout-out to Chris K.

haha so so right

Funniest thing: Acieed House Helen and I were at Reading one year and bumped into Kevin Cole shepherding five contest winners around the festival; I was gobsmacked. She was doing Trance Europe Express then and so it was a bit of a meeting of minds, and we all had crazy fun.

I have long considered starting a microlabel to reissue his old Radio Depth Probes WHICH HE STILL HAS THE REEL-TO-REELS OF, EVERY GODDAMNED ONE OF THEM. cough, cough.

OH MY GOD.

Yeah, Kevin is just one of those people that can get things going and those people are always evident, even when the person is working in Platters. He's also notable for not succumbing to that evil bloaty big fish, small pond thing that a lot of old scenesters get in Minneapolis.

haha Dan, I think they're all in storage in Mpls! He's mentioned it a lot, it's like he's taunting me or something.

sorry for all-caps gush but Dan and Suzy feel me I'm sure.

There was another set where he went from some evil-sounding gabber track into "People Everyday" by Arrested Development that was FUCKING AMAZING. I actually saw him do that one live at First Avenue and I've never seen a happier crowd EVER.

haha NO KIDDING! I actually pushed him into doing it--he'd written something for Rain Taxi (another reason to love MN--it's a quarterly, free lit zine) and I'd been asked by City Pages for a show blurb I didn't know anything about but knew Rod did, so I sent them to him: "He writes for Rain Taxi." The rest is history. < /bragging>

If we are going to mention the Foetus and Cheapo, then damn, let's pimp Garage D'or. Folkjourwhateverthefuck wasn't all that great to me, but there was a time there in the late 80s early 90s when it seemed like there was about ten great record stores in that city.

Thanks for reminding me it is the Como Zoo.

As Matos has waxed eloquent before, there is an incredible heritage of great music writers from Minneapolis. It's too bad that the CP is so small--there's not nearly enough room for all the talent.

Where is M@tt He1geson anyway?

pulltabs
walleye
a bunch of dive bars along Hennepin that probably aren't even there anymore
softball in the summertime
the way the road runs along the river down to Winona
the bluffs on the Missippi up there by the West Bank and by Ft. Snelling
the way that planes scrape the roof of your car on approach over there by the Airport

biggest dud ever--
waiting in line to get into a show during February

DUD:
The Vikings-Packers rivalry seeping into EVERYTHING at every possible opportunity
The new Block E entertainment center/pseudomall (except the movie theater, which has nauseating decor but fantastic seating)
Lileks
The Walker Art Center being closed for remodeling until 2016 or some shit like that
Governor Tim Pawlenty
Almost every single movie filmed here not Fargo or Purple Rain (see: Jingle All the Way, Joe Somebody, That Was Then This Is Now, Feeling Minnesota)