Andrea Swensson
@SlingshotAnnie
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Author, podcaster, music lover, otter enthusiast, mom about town. She/her.
Minneapolis
Joined August 2007
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I believe the 8 women who bravely confided in
@MarianneSCombs
. I trust Marianne's judgment as an award-winning journalist, and believe that what she said is true. I believe all survivors who make the terrifying and vulnerable decision to come forward.
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Prince: Would you like to dance?
Me: [stunned silence]
Prince: Just kidding!
Me: [stunned silence]
Prince: No, really. Do you want to dance? Just kidding! [cackles and runs away]
Me: 😳😭
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Prince, on hearing himself on the radio for the first time (Insider Magazine, 1978): ”I was driving down the street in my Datsun the first time I heard it. It wasn’t that I couldn’t believe it, it’s simply that my heart dropped to my knees.”
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Since that footage of 11-year-old Prince supporting the teachers' strike surfaced, I've been thinking about his mother and her career in Minneapolis Public Schools, and how she undoubtedly impacted him. If this interests you too, read on...
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The look on this person's face as they get to ride in the cherry while it is lifted off the spoon... it resonates deep in my soul.
(via
@StarTribune
)
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“No comment, no comment. Say a prayer, bro.” A man with an earpiece outside Paisley Park.
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Just thinking about that day Mary and I snuck three dogs into The Current's studio.
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Rock ‘n’ roll is alive, and it lives in Minneapolis. 💜💜
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It was one of those perfect summer evenings in Minneapolis. Morris, Jerome, Jellybean, Jam and Lewis. Chili sauce!
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Well this is a next-level skill: real-time sign language interpretation of an artist’s performance (in this case
@dematlas
’s “Pneumonia”) while also dancing?? Loving this addition to
#RockTheGarden
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We are elated to announce that our amazing little daughter, Aili, came into this world at 6:29 p.m. on Wednesday, August 29.
@trikno
and I are so in love!
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It feels like we are living through that eerie calm before a tornado rolls through. The warnings have gone out. The sky is green. Sirens are about to go off. Some are already hiding in their basements; others are standing on their roofs, staring in disbelief at the sky.
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It is so wild that City Pages managed to survive the rise and fall of Village Voice Media, got brought onto dry land by the Star Tribune, and was finally taken out by a pandemic. That was one hell of a 41-year run.
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Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. My last episode of
@thelocalshow
will air on April 4. It's time for a new chapter, and I'm eager and daunted to become a self-employed music writer, author, and podcaster.
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Well, fuck. My child just dropped her first f-bomb. Wonder where she learned that.
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Incredible find from Prince's 1970s Grand Central bandmate Terry Jackson:
@hclib
has a few photos of Grand Central (incorrectly labeled) in their digital collection, from when they played the demolition of the YWCA in 1974.
Source:
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October 1991: Diamonds and Pearls released, snowed on Halloween in Minneapolis
October 2023: Diamonds and Pearls released, snowed on Halloween in Minneapolis
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I’ve heard “Purple Rain” hundreds of times. I’ve been lucky enough to hear it live on numerous occasions. Just today, I watched video of Prince playing it twice. And every time, I think, “Not today, Purple Rain. Not today.” But it gets me every time. Every. Single. Time.
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I was involved in a terrifying road rage incident while trying to get home in the snow tonight. I’m shaken up but ok. Like a fool, I’d been moving through the world thinking most people don’t want to internationally hurt each other. I still want to believe it. 💔
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Oh hey, I started working at
@TheCurrent
six years ago today. Grateful to be given the space to write, make radio, wonder, try, fail, find my voice, and keep growing, always.
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No disrespect to anyone who performed tonight. But the biggest difference between Prince and, well, anyone else? Movement! He never appeared bound by the placement of a mic stand, and moved fluidly across every stage. It ensured all eyes stayed trained on him.
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I’m thrilled to say that we have four new episodes of the Official Prince Podcast on the way. “The Story of Diamonds and Pearls” begins October 12, and includes the entire founding lineup of the NPG sharing their memories. 💎💛
Teaser:
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Dear friends, some major news! In addition to writing liner notes for
#Prince1999
, I have the momentous honor of hosting the first official
@Prince
podcast "Prince: The Story of 1999," a collab between the Estate,
@TheCurrent
and
@warnerrecords
.
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Holy crap, it's August. My baby is due in August. Like, this one, this August is starting right now, today. August. Hello.
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My car just got stuck in a snowplow drift and five angelic men appeared out of nowhere to surround my car and literally lift me into the air and back onto the road. Faith in humanity: restored.
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She knows how to make an entrance.
@SheilaEdrummer
leads a drum line down the aisles to “Sign O the Times” to kick off Prince tribute.
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Looks like the Twin Cities Reader (1977-1997) and City Pages (1981-2018) print archives are now accessible and searchable through . This is an amazing resource for local music history. Here's a little ad that ran in the Reader in October '78.
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Bob Mould just sang “Love is All Around” on Nicollet Mall, a block down from the MTM statue. MY
#SUPERBOWLLIVE
EXPERIENCE IS COMPLETE. ❤️🎸
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My little one just sat down at the piano to play and said, “Mama, I’m singing from my fingers!” 😭
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Proud to stand in solidarity with my colleagues at
@TheCurrent
and
@ClassicalMPR
today as we announce our intent to unionize. Follow
@MPRMusicUnions
for updates.
#WeMakeMPRMusic
#1u
The Current's petition:
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In addition to her legendary on-air presence, Mary Lucia was also referred to internally at MPR as the "voice of the Current," as she voiced all the station IDs, promos, and bumpers since its launch. 89.3 will literally never sound the same.
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First day back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave. Everything is pretty much the same, except now there’s a tiny human across town relying exclusively on my breast milk to survive and also I’m an entirely different person with all new hopes, fears, and responsibilities.
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Last night I recorded a group interview with 13 of the 17 participants in the new
#MeTooMPLS
compilation, out next week. The conversation could not have happened at a more cathartic, healing moment. I'll share online soon, and on
@thelocalshow
this Sunday night.
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Straining to hear an acoustic songwriter over a super chatty crowd fills me with such a mellow rage.
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Today we said goodbye to our dear kitty Ralph. I am so grateful we had these 16 1/2 years together, and am dreading going to sleep without him purring on top of me tonight. My heart.
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Rare job opening just posted at
@TheCurrent
: a full-time host. This is a prime opportunity for the company to bring a new voice to the airwaves and feature them prominently.
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This morning
@andrecymone
, Manuela Testolini and Chance Howard visited
@AnwatinMiddle
to donate a classroom full of instruments in honor of Prince's birthday. Full story coming to
@TheCurrent
later today. 💜
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My decades of experience buying concert tickets and bidding for artifacts on eBay have led me here, to this moment, sweat dripping from my brow as the clock strikes 9:30 a.m. I now know that I have what it takes to sign up a 5-year-old for swimming lessons.
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Brandi Carlile is one of our greatest living performers.
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The first time I had to pitch during a member drive, I was paired up with Mary Lucia and she could tell I was super nervous. Instead of talking about the thank-you gifts, she looked over at me and said, "So Andrea, what's the worst haircut you've ever gotten?"
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Incredibly honored to be nominated in the Minnesota Nonfiction category of the
#mnbookawards
. Wow. Wow! 💜
@UMinnPress
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I believe these 7 survivors, and amplify their request for accountability and admission of truth. This is their statement, just released this afternoon.
#BelieveSurvivors
#BelieveWomen
#MeToo
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I hadn’t read this in 8 years, and revisiting it helped ease some of the weight on my heart. I still miss you so much, P. Things are pretty messed up but we march on. Last night we sang & danced to your music and felt your JOY. It continues to fortify us.
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Beyond honored and psyched to share that I wrote some of the liner notes that will be included in the reissue of
#Prince1999
. Can't wait for you to read it, and to hear this.
On November 29 the Prince Estate, in partnership with
@warnerrecords
, will reissue Prince's landmark album 1999, remastered for the very first time, along with 35 previously unreleased tracks from Prince's legendary vault.
#Prince1999
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Absolutely wrecked hearing that Mimi Parker of Low has been stolen from us by cancer. My heart aches for Alan, their children, Duluth, all who ever heard her voice and drums. What a loss.
Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but
She passed away last night, surrounded by family and love, including yours. Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.
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Thank you
@PurpleHighs
for filling the feed with Prince’s music today. Mine, in this moment:
“Bambi”
“What’s My Name”
“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?”
“Reflection”
“Purple Music”
“Joy in Repetition”
“Free Urself”
#my7princesongs
#Prince4Ever
Art:
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After postponing her
@firstavenue
show due to Covid exposure in her crew,
@anidifranco
stood outside the club and sang “Sometimes it Snows in April” to the city. My heart. 💜
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Cari update: I met up with Cari again today to gift her the Diamonds and Pearls box set (thank you
@warnerrecords
and
@SonyLegacyRecs
) and to let her know about the outpouring of love and interest in her. She was surprised and flattered. She told me, “He was my heart.” 💜
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Yesterday a cashier pointed at my pregnant belly and said "Happy Mother's Day" and I've been a little weepy EVER SINCE. Crazy how sometimes a stranger can see you in a way you haven't yet adjusted to yourself. I am in progress.
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I’ve seen
@JanelleMonae
every time she’s played Minneapolis, and this is the first time Prince hasn’t been in the room… physically, anyway. I can’t imagine what it’s like for her to be back here.
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Episode 1 of “The Story of Diamonds and Pearls” is out now. To begin, we learn how Prince mined the Minneapolis scene to form the New Power Generation—a band that first gelled in the studio during an impromptu recording of the song “Diamonds and Pearls.”
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Yes, a particularly good day: my wedding day, 2013.
@trikno
and I were serenaded by
@lizzo
and
@lydializamusic
, who led our whole family in a sing-along of "All You Need is Love." Some in attendance are no longer with us. I'll hold it in my heart forever.
#LizzoInMyLife
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I don’t know why, but I’ve been thinking a lot today about how Paul Westerberg was recording out at Paisley Park when he got the news that Bob Stinson had died, and how Prince responded by filling Paul’s studio with balloons. 🎈
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That said, his symbol being lit up across downtown Minneapolis (how did they do that?) was beautiful and touching. We all love him so much. I hope he knew that, and wish we had done more things like that when he was here.
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I cannot describe how surreal, satisfying, and intimidating it is to hold a finished copy of my book in my hands.
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Really struggling to understand how this was approved or why it was even typed out as an idea to begin with.
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*puts baby to sleep in separate room for the first time* *spends first blissful minutes alone post-baby looking at pictures of said tiny human on phone*
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The podcast that I host and co-produce in collaboration with the
@Prince
Estate and
@TheCurrent
has been nominated for 2
@TheWebbyAwards
. Such a wild honor to be acknowledged by the same voting body that gave Prince his Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
#everythingUthinkistrue
The Official Prince Podcast series "The Story of Sign O' The Times," produced with
@TheCurrent
, has been nominated in two separate categories of this year's
@TheWebbyAwards
. Voting is open until May 6.
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@StarTribune
@DishCentral
This is sexist, insulting, and irrelevant.
@janashortal
’s journalistic abilities have nothing to do with pants.
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I cannot believe the audacity of this snow. Where does it even think it’s going? It’s like a rowdy dude elbowing to get to the front of a sold-out show. We’re all full here, guy.
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You can find my book in stores this Tuesday, 10/10. Eeeeeeeeeee
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I once asked Mary Lucia how many questions she liked to prepare for an in-studio interview, and she answered zero. She would do her research but didn't like to bring in any notes, so she could stay wholly in the moment. I've been thinking about it ever since.
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I only want to hear Mavis sing “Purple Rain” from here on out. And that was the best I’ve ever heard Wendy play that solo on that song. Beautiful.
#GRAMMYSalutePrince
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My high school band director died today. Hard to overstate the impact that a figure like that can have on your life. On SO many lives. He taught me a lot about hard work, high standards, patience, and kindness. Thank you, Frank Pasquerella.
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On returning to
@PaisleyPark
as a tourist: Reflections on yet another surreal day in Chanhassen.
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This story was over four years in the making, mostly because I enjoyed having it occupy my brain. Thanks to
@andrecymone
, Dave Rusan, Jeff Levin,
@CloudsMadcats
, the
@smithsonian
,
@bananasatlarge
and many others for helping me let go.
@ArtfulLivingMag
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Feeling all the feelings. It's been a joy to spend Sunday evenings with you on
@TheCurrent
. Thank you for listening, for caring, for being on the other end of that big cosmic telephone line that is radio.
Coming up at 6 p.m. CDT join us in wishing
@SlingshotAnnie
a fond farewell as she shares her favorite songs and memories from over the years for her final episode:
Find Andrea's note about her next chapter here:
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Episode 2 of “The Story of Diamonds and Pearls” podcast is out now. Today we dig into Prince’s formative years in North Minneapolis—and meet an important figure from his early life, Cari.
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
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I wrote a few words on
@TheCurrent
's site about leaving
@MPR
after nearly a decade. It's a bittersweet moment for me, especially because I'm parting with such talented and thoughtful colleagues.
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One year ago today, Prince crashed a Ray Charles tribute at the
@ChanhassenDT
. An oral history of that night:
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If I had a $5 million grant I would buy the empty Mary Tyler Moore house and turn it into a museum/writing residency for women journalists.
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Spent the morning throwing money at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, pet store, drug store, lunch spot, tipping profusely wherever I can. I don’t know what else to do.
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For the first time in many, many weeks I have an evening off from both parenting and work. Sitting here stunned, paralyzed by the possibilities and the fatigue, acutely aware of each grain of sand as it slips through the hourglass.
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A video about Prince’s philanthropy opens the show. He was one of the first donors for Black Lives Matter.
#OfficialPrinceTribute
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Watched Wine Country last night. There is a small part where Maya Rudolph talks about Prince, and I’m still in my feelings about it this morning. It was so unexpected and poignant.
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I miss checking the timeline and seeing a nonstop stream of blurry concert pics and shaky videos and tweets that this band is KILLING IT.
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So completely fried that I just popped open a full bottle of rosé, absentmindedly threw away the cork, and headed out to the deck with it like it was a bottle of beer. I suppose I should get a glass. Or a straw...
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The
@StarTribune
was able to speak to three survivors for this story, whose accounts were corroborated by text messages and conversations with friends.
Minneapolis singer Sean Tillmann, whose Har Mar Superstar persona earned him celebrity friends and a star outside First Avenue, issued a public apology acknowledging “conduct that was harmful, abusive and selfish” after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
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This is the first time that a Twin Cities media outlet has successfully published a story about abuse that both names the accused musician and includes corroborated accounts from survivors. The first time.
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It's such a joy to continue making these podcasts for the
@prince
Estate and Sony. The first piece of this two-part series on the Purple Rain Tour is out today. May it provide you a brief respite from this heavy week. 💜
The Official Prince Podcast returns today with "The Story of Prince and
@TheRevolution
: Live." Ride along on the Purple Rain Tour with The Revolution and friends in Episode 1, "Welcome to Superstardom."
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After 35 years, I am finally learning to protect my time and energy and say no to things. All it took was the all-consuming, panicky knowledge that I am going to have a baby at any moment and my life is about to completely flip upside down.
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My favorite Minnesota snowfall is the one immediately AFTER the big hyped-up storm where everything was cancelled. No one says a peep, not even the weather guy. We all just silently scrape and shovel and sigh. We have been broken.
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I'm releasing my first book, "Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound on 10/10 via
@UMinnPress
:
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I wonder if ice cream will ever taste as good to me as it does right now, nine months pregnant on an August afternoon.
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The handwritten lyrics for an unreleased 1977 Prince song, "I Hope We Work it Out," have been acquired by
@mnhs
:
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I don't know that I have ever, or will ever have again, an interview experience quite like the one I had with
@JesseJohnsonViP
at
#PrinceCelebration2019
today. He was brave, authentic, emotionally candid, and 100% honest about his complicated relationship with Prince.
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I don’t even know why I shared this. I barely tweet anymore. Thank you for receiving me warmly. I resent the ways that male rage have contoured my life experiences. I wish everyone peace.
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So ready for Beyoncé and Jay Z tonight, likely the last concert of my pregnancy. I can't think of a better musical benediction to receive before we move on to the next phase together. Get ready, baby!
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I totally get why people get burnt out on Zoom, but interviewing musicians through my computer screen has been a major lifeline for me this year. Keeps me going, honestly.
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Crazy. Just noticed that on the same page as the
@StarTribune
recap of Prince's historic 8/3/83 gig at
@FirstAvenue
, an ad ran for Guys and Dolls—featuring the exact backdrop that Prince would borrow from the
@ChanhassenDT
4 years later for the cover of Sign O' The Times.
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Coming forward with a story like this is terrifying. These survivors have nothing to gain and everything to lose. All I can hope for tonight is that the bravery of these women will lead to meaningful change in the music community. It has to change.
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I miss making radio / making podcasts / talking into a mic / creating audio worlds to live inside.
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