Music
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Lone Bird Waltz”
Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz composed this “waltz for a little lone bird.”
Vansplaining, Episode 5: Chelsea Wolfe
In the fifth episode of Vansplaining, Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk drinks peppermint tea and listens to Roy Orbison with gothic rock musician Chelsea Wolfe.
John Sonofmel: Hayward’s Wayward Musician
Hayward musician John Sonofmel is finding new and interesting ways to share his music with the town he nicknames “Wayward.”
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Vansplaining, Episode 4: Mikaela Davis and Southern Star
In the fourth episode of Vansplaining, Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk performs a one-of-a-kind magic trick for Mikaela Davis and her band Southern Star.
Vanspaining, Episode 3: Cat Clyde
In the third episode of Vansplaining, Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk talks with Canadian folk band Cat Clyde about the benefits of saline vaporization.
Vansplaining, Episode 2: Lord Friday the 13th
In the second episode of Vansplaining, Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk talks with Felix and Sloane of the Austin, Texas-based brother-and-sister band Lord Friday the 13th about meditation, fonts and flying tea.
At the six-minute mark, another Duluth musician makes a cameo. Nathan Amundson of Rivulets tells a car-accident anecdote.
Featured in the next three episodes are Cat Clyde, Mikaela Davis and Southern Star, and Chelsea Wolfe.
JamesG – “Toes Up”
Former Duluthian James Geisler, aka hip-hop artist JamesG, has just released this music video, featuring the usual wheeled-sneaker stunts that have made him a TikTok star. (more…)
Charles Obije, et. al. – “Let it Shine”
Duluth-area musicians join forces with DanSan Creatives, the city of Duluth and the U.S. Census Bureau in this music video encouraging everyone to complete the 2020 census form. (more…)
Vansplaining, Episode 1: Our Girl
Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk, a musician in various bands, most prominently Low, has a new web series called Vanspaining in which he chats with other musicians while helping them unload and load gear at shows.
In the inaugural episode, Sparhawk talks with the Brighton-by-way-of-London-based band, Our Girl about magnets. Featured in the next four episodes are Lord Friday the 13th, Cat Clyde, Mikaela Davis and Southern Star, and Chelsea Wolfe.
Ben Rosenbush and the Brighton – “Duluth”
Duluth native Ben Rosenbush penned a song about the Zenith City for his band’s second album. Ben Rosenbush and the Brighton‘s 2012 release, A Wild Hunger, included a track titled simply “Duluth.” (more…)
Torment with Collin Sabbatini – “Drown in Piss”
In this recently released clip from back in the days when people crammed together tightly for concerts, Duluth band Torment performs live at Blush with Collin Sabbatini filling in on vocals for Caden Dudek, who had been recently injured in a hit-and-run incident.
Live STEAM! Brothers Burn Mountain roast Sacred Heart stage
The Brothers Burn Mountain landed the hottest, steamiest, most oppressive weather of the summer to torch the Sacred Heart Music Center altar stage with their patented end-of-the-show drum breakdown.
Note: 19th Century cathedrals were not equipped with air-conditioning.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, sound engineer Eric Swanson and video director Rich Narum were the only people on hand to capture the July 18 scorcher.
Watch with an ice cold beverage in hand.
Trampled by Turtles – “Victory”
Trampled by Turtles performs the “official quarantine” version of “Victory,” a track from the band’s 2010 album Palomino.
Video by Banjo Dave Carroll.
Patrick Nelson – “Someone Like You”
Superior native and University of Minnesota Duluth alum Patrick Nelson has a track on Elliott Blaufuss‘ Airwavs quarantine collaboration record. Blaufuss is the producer; Nelson handles drums, bass and vocals on the track.
Thirty-three artists from across America started a long-distance musical collaboration resulting in a six-track EP.
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Alive”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FlTVJtqi-s
Another new track by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “The Alchemist”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53zrUcGvY1A
Another new track by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.
James Moors – “Welcome to Duluth”
James Moors‘ “Welcome to Duluth” appeared on the 2008 album Hush. (more…)
Caden Dudek – “Sadist”
Caden Dudek, vocalist of the Duluth band Torment, has been recovering from a March 1 incident in which he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. In this video, he tests his vocals by covering “Sadist” by the Minneapolis band Reflections.
“A lot of people have been asking me if I can still scream since my accident,” Dudek writes on the YouTube video description. “The answer is YES. After six days in a coma, a tube down my throat, and heavy damage done to my lungs, healing has been quite the work in progress. I have refused to give up on getting my voice back. It has definitely changed my technique, but I really think I’m starting to get it down again. A traumatic experience like almost losing your life can really eat you alive mentally, but only if you let it. Thank you so much for the endless support, I owe you all my life.”
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Focus”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE_56wwS0D0
Another new track by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.
Smarter than Yeast – “On the Night Train”
According to David Syring, “The night train — a metaphor for where we are during the global crisis of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. This video offers a visual and musical metaphor for the sense that we are all immersed in this together as a global society, and we don’t know where the train is going.” (more…)
The Slice: Dinner Music at 2104
Duluth’s Richard Narum has been hosting livestream concerts from his living room — a venue named after his house number, 2104. Shows happened weekly in May and June, but future plans are for shows on the third Thursday of July and August.
The concerts can be viewed at youtube.com/user/duluthiscool.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Friday Night Meltdown Archives
https://soundcloud.com/9oclockmeltdown/women-of-the-forest-may-11-2013
As the pandemic seems to lose steam in Minnesota (if not the rest of the country — I’m looking at you, Superior) some of the live streaming music events have started to move back into real venues.
So looking for music, I was happy to discover that the 9:00 Meltdown, which used to be my background music on KUWS, is still available on Soundcloud, with new episodes. This one opens with a song whose refrain is “I’ll be your teenage bride,” which is not indicative of how cool the rest of the interview is.

