Larry Long and Fiddlin’ Pete Watercott - January 10, 2024
Warming up for their American Roots Revue at the Dakota (Jan 13, 2004), Larry Long and Fiddlin’ Pete Watercott graced the studios of Poetry, Science and Wrestling with some tunes and stories, including one about the time, decades ago, they fiddled their way out an “incident” in the freight yard of Missoula, Montana, and a song about a Minneapolis violin maker. What’s become an annual show at the Dakota will feature Barbara Cohen, Robert Robinson, Tonia Hughes Kendrick, Alana Dickenson-Gaabay Aniikwaad and a band led by Michael Bland and Billy Steele
John Gorka - November 15, 2024
John Gorka came to KFAI's P, S & W on an early Wednesday in November to talk with Paul Brohaugh, and play a few songs, including one he wrote (and once performed) for a herd of bison
Riley Skinner - Surrender
Even in my darkest moments, I hope you know, there is a spark here.
Riley Skinner’s new record Surrender encourages us to love ourselves for who we are and who we might become.
She describes this record that, “...embracing myself fully as a queer person has been an act of surrendering fully to who I am. It’s meant allowing myself to fall apart and feel out of control, but also to embrace that place of chaos and find some ease and joy there.”
Lyrically and sonically, she wanders on Surrender and is never lost, a journey for the sake of itself where the destination is exactly where you are right now, but you’re just facing the dawn of a new tomorrow. The record showcases her range as a songwriter, Skinner departs from the textures of her previous work and here she glides between moods sonically and lyrically. Slow, ethereal ballads hover just off the surface of a rugged earth before they drift away and reveal the grit and the groove. The moves feel subtle, intentional, and never out of place. She allows the listener access to the most intimate parts of herself. She tells the story of what was, is, and will become from where those three overlap. No moment exists in a vacuum, all is connected and illuminated by a simple spark of hope.
The band around Skinner builds the record a sturdy foundation. Colleen Burns and Shannon van der Reck fill out the rhythm section and seem expertly to hold back the weight of the world and keep the center clear for Riley to unspool on each track. The record features additional guitars from Cooper Stoulil, flute from Margo Ramsay, and pedal steel from Zack Warpinski. The band embeds a sort of sonic grit on Carnal Otherness and Friend. They bring power that’s never overpowering. Then, deftly switch gears on tracks like Surrender and Swallow Song, a song which opens to a minimalist, graceful vignette until it crescendos with flutes and chorus into a wall of sound and wonder and memory that crashes softly back onto its own shores. The band wanders with Riley, all comfortably restless and completely steady, never settling on a single sound but always choosing the right one.
I may not ever be in the right place at the right time, but I have something worth holding onto
01 - Dirty
Great song for when you can’t tell if your searching for yesterday or tomorrow, but know that it’s right around the corner anyways
05 - You Go a Long Way
Great song for when the heat of the day has been unbearable, for when you can finally slink out into the night and feel reborn in the cool silence
08 - Guarded
Great song for when you see yourself in the mirror and recognize the person you will become
** Some of the writing in this doesn’t belong to me - I lifted some lines from Riley’s record and if you want to figure out what came from the record well you better go listen to it cause you’re done reading this.
The OK Factor - October 10, 2023
The OK Factor, AKA Olivia and Karla, prepared for their fall 2023 midwest "Traditions" tour (and corresponding EP release, in collaboration with the Swedish band Jaerv) by visiting Poetry, Science and Wrestling - Paul Brohaugh got to ask them a little about their history, and future … fortunately, part of their answer was live music right in KFAI’s studio 4
Martin Devaney -September 20, 2023
Martin Devaney came in to P, S & W to chat with Paul Brohaugh about some upcoming appearances, and to play some new and old tunes
Pop Wagner - September 13, 2023
Pop Wagner stopped by Poetry, Science and Wrestling September 13 with a couple guitars and some recordings of various ensembles he leads around the Twin Cities - he was set to play at the White Squirrel Bar in St. Paul, the 331 Club in Minneapolis, and to go on the road to Wyoming for some music and cinch making classes.
MN Driftless Trout
Depending on how you want to look at it, there’s either a brand new species of trout or a very old species now swimming in the Driftless. This August, Minnesota’s DNR released a unique, native strain of brook trout into our streams.
See, a great deal of the trout species we find here were imported into our state from hatcheries out on the east coast. About 20 years ago, the DNR investigated our streams to find if any of our native species survived amidst the imports. Their scientists compared the genetics of fish from 74 streams against genetics of species they knew had been brought in from outside our biome. They discovered a remnant, native strain of brook trout still living in a few streams in the Southeastern corner of the state.
Over the next two decades, hatcheries build up populations of this special trout dubbed the MN Driftless. They persevered through a devastating setback in 2015, where a disease spread through the brooding population. Despite this, good work wins out, and now 14 of our waterways have happy little fingerlings frolicking away.
I’m excited to say we have with us today Melissa Wagner from the Minnesota DNR, the Lanesboro Area Fisheries Supervisor…
Leslie Rich - May 17, 2023
Leslie Rich come by Poetry, Science and Wrestling May 17th to share some songs and stories with KFAI listeners, in advance of his "Jumpstart" EP release at the Icehouse in Minneapolis - he spoke with Paul Brohaugh
Philip Shorey and Orchestra - February 8, 2023
Philip Shorey and three members of the Curse of the Vampire Orchestra came by KFAI's Poetry, Science and Wrestling to preview a silent movie, for radio - the orchestra is set to play three sets to accompany the Charlie Chaplin classic "The Kid" February 10 and 11, 2023, at the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis
Paul Brohaugh - December 28, 2022
Paul Brohaugh was a surprise guest on his own program recently, and he wanted to share the song he and his nephew Henry Brown have been working on!
Larry Long - November 9, 2022
Larry Long came by KFAI's Poetry, Science and Wrestling to talk with Paul about life, and the upcoming performance of the American Roots Revue (Nov 12, 2022, at the Dakota, in Minneapolis). . .and he brought his guitar!
Sumanth Gopinath of The Gated Community - November 2, 2022
Sumanth Gopinath of The Gated Community came to KFAI's studios November 2, 2022, to play a few tunes off their forthcoming release, The Honor and the Glory of The Gated Community, which fans could pick up at their concert November 3 at Minneapolis' Uptown VFW
Philip Shorey and the Curse of the Vampire Orchestra - October 26, 2022
Local musician Philip Shorey composed music to accompany the 100-year-old silent vampire film, Nosferatu, and has been taking it around the world with different orchestras - this year in Minneapolis, his own 50-piece Curse of the Vampire Orchestra will perform the score with a screening of the film Friday, October 28 (2022) at the Skyway Theater - one night only! He stopped by Poetry, Science and Wrestling October 26 for a pre-listen, with cellist Jessica Wallerstedt and viola player Murah Hsiung
Dylan Hicks - October 19, 2022
Dylan Hicks visited Poetry, Science and Wrestling October 19 (2022) to play a few tunes and chat with Paul about his upcoming show and album release, Airport Sparrows, with his band the Small Screens
Paul Brohaugh - October 5, 2022
This is kind of a secret - Paul thought he could sneak a banjo into the studio in the wee hours of an October program. Mark did catch him, but after the fact: Paul managed to sing a few rustic lines, but heartfelt for a dear friend
Jaspar Lepak - October 5, 2022
Jaspar Lepak visited P, S & W the first week in October, 2022, as she was preparing to release her recording of "I Am Human" Friday the 7th at Gigi's Cafe in Minneapolis, and to join the Island of Discarded Women podcast Sunday evening at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis. Here are three songs, and a bit of conversation..
Charlie Maguire - September 14, 2022
Charlie Maguire stopped by Poetry, Science and Wrestling again with some tunes, and spoke with Paul Brohaugh about performing for 50 years - Paul's been a fan for about 45 of them - and about his upcoming concert at the Ginkgo Coffeehouse, Saturday September 17, 2022 - information here!
Maygen and the Birdwatcher - August 10, 2022
Maygen and Noah of Maygen and the Birdwatcher came to our studios August 10 for an early morning session in anticipation of their performance at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association's August Fest, scheduled for the 11th through the 14th in Richmond, Minnesota. Maygen and the Birdwatcher were set to play 6:30pm August 11 at the underground stage.
Chad Elliott - August 3, 2022
Chad Elliott joined Poetry, Science and Wrestling August 3, 2022, all the way from southern Iowa, with a digital connection we piped back into your analogue radios for a 10-minute mini concert, complete with songs about Minnesota campfires at the upcoming (August 11-14, 2022) Storyhill Fest in Deerwood, Minnesota. Here it is, back in digital format!
Matthew French - July 27, 2022
Matthew French stopped by Poetry, Science and Wrestling to talk with Mark Koerner about his new album, Two Sides, and to play a few tunes. The album was to be released at the end of July, 2022, with a special concert at Surly Brewing.