Editors Note: Canadian-born Serena Ryder met up with us on a rainy and windy Monday evening before her show at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Minneapolis. The singer starlet recently signed with Atlantic Records, and this performance marked the start of her new nationwide tour, this time with Paolo Nutini and Eric Hutchinson. We had the pleasure of sitting down with her in her tour bus, which she says, is her “home for the next month.” This interview has been condensed for clarity.
Schwaz: Welcome back to Minneapolis, Serena Ryder!
Serena: (in a melodious response) Hellllo, Everybody! (laughter) Schwaz: You’ve been on tour in the past, going as far as Europe and Australia, right? What have been some of your favorite moments or memories from your previous tours?
Serena: I think mostly, just the comradery that happens when you’re on the road touring with people. Being able to open up for artists and learning a lot from them. I went to Australia with Steve Earle, I was the opening artist for him, and he kind of took me under his wing and treated me really, really great. Another big, huge, awesome memory for me is when I played this festival out east. One of the people I wanted to marry ever since I was a little baby, was Steven Tyler, (laughter) and I got to play at the same festival as him. Read more…
Little Brazil is coming to play two shows in the Twin Cities before they open for pop-punk sensations The Plain White Tees. These boys will are making the first of two appearances in the Cities at the Garage on May 8th, then driving north to play at the Uptown Bar May 9th. Little Brazil will undoubtedly play songs from their recent album Son, which has been very well received, and has indie fans raving. Their, self described, sound is a bit indie, crunk, and melodramatic pop song-like. They remind me a little bit of Weezer… Landon Hedges clean and youthful sounding voice teleported me to a local county fair in the song “You and Me”, it was my ‘wonder years’ moment. I was surrounded by the contradiction of a peppy melody while I held hands skipping along to my dysfunctional relationship. Read more…
Drew Preiner, from Roster McCabe, getting glammed up. (Photo By Chuck Pitman)
The spirits of glam rock and philanthropy came into concert in Glitter Ball on Friday, April 18th at the St. Olaf College campus. Rock the Cause, a Minneapolis non-profit, and St. Olaf student volunteers organized the fund raiser to bring greater awareness and support for the HOPE Center and Open Arms of Minnesota. From the back-of-the-envelope planning stages to final band encore, Glitter Ball showcased an inspiring ensemble of Minnesota talent.
Rock the Cause connected the College of St. Olaf student volunteers, both of the charities which were recipients of the proceeds from the night, and the rock bands who entertained. Jordan Stolts, a Rock the Cause volunteer and visual design professional, created a display that incorporated both charities’ messages of education and inspiration. These were showcased throughout the entire night on a massive screen which hung to the right of the performance stage. Between the performances, St. Olaf student volunteers took the stage to convey pertinent information about the AIDS/HIV epidemic and the realities of sexual assault in our nation. The idea behind this exhibit was to educate while entertaining the audience without leaving them overwhelmed by the facts.
Rich Horton is hosting a celebration in honor of the 5th anniversary of Rift Magazine on Friday April 24 at the Hexagon Bar. The event is also in celebration of Rich’s 40th birthday. Rift is one of the few independent music and culture magazines in the Twin Cities that has successfully weathered the poor economic climate. In addition to its daily online updates the magazine is also incrementally released in print, satiating the appetites of those that still find satisfaction in page turning (myself included). So go down to the Hex Friday evening and show Rich and the band’s some love. Aviette, Mighty Fairly, Avenpitch, and Virtual CH will cause trembling walls.
Editors Note: Canadian-born Serena Ryder met up with us on a rainy and windy Monday evening before her show at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Minneapolis. The singer starlet recently signed with Atlantic Records, and this performance marked the start of her new nationwide tour, this time with Paolo Nutini and Eric Hutchinson. We had the pleasure of sitting down with her in her tour bus, which she says, is her “home for the next month.” This interview has been condensed for clarity.
Little Brazil is coming to play two shows in the Twin Cities before they open for pop-punk sensations The Plain White Tees. These boys will are making the first of two appearances in the Cities at the Garage on May 8th, then driving north to play at the Uptown Bar May 9th. Little Brazil will undoubtedly play songs from their recent album Son, which has been very well received, and has indie fans raving. Their, self described, sound is a bit indie, crunk, and melodramatic pop song-like. They remind me a little bit of Weezer… Landon Hedges clean and youthful sounding voice teleported me to a local county fair in the song “You and Me”, it was my ‘wonder years’ moment. I was surrounded by the contradiction of a peppy melody while I held hands skipping along to my dysfunctional relationship. 
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