Scene & Heard: Minneapolis, MN

posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists

This week Scene & Heard is taking you to Minnesota. Minneapolis contains one of the most interesting and varied music scenes we’ve covered to date. Of course, one of the most notable era’s in Minneapolis’s music history was the R&B-dominanted 1980s. The city earned its position as a center for R&B due to the emergence of a certain R&B/pop icon, the artist both formerly and forever known as Prince. His fusion of R&B, pop and disco styles helped forge a truly unique sound for Minneapolis and gave it viability in the urban/R&B markets.

Currently, the scene is saturated in alternative/underground hip hop and spoken-word poetry. Some of the most notable alt rappers in the country either hail from or associate themselves with Minneapolis. Perhaps the most famous rapper is Atmosphere, who strings together intelligent lyrics about politics and social commentary. Other rappers that associate themselves with Minneapolis are POS and the hip hop collective he founded,  Doomtree. Incidently, many of these artists operate under the Minneapolis label Rhymesayers.

With the hip hop and spoken word poetry, it seems only natural that Minneapolis would have a strong affinity for writing and the arts. In fact, alongside Seattle, Minneapolis is the most literate city in the country. It is also home to a vibrant theatre and fine arts community, including the Minnesota Orchestra founded by Emil Oberhoffer in 1903. The orchestra recently hosted a collaboration with singer/songwriter Josh Ritter.

While this scene is full of great classical musicians and eloquent lyricists, it’s important to mention the pop/rock scene. OurStage band Cedar Avenue base themselves in Minneapolis. Their sound can be described as a mixture of rock and indie/pop with songs quite reminiscent of Relient K and Cartel. They support their high-energy songs with subtle acoustic chords and soaring melodies that would impress even the toughest of songwriting critics. Check out Cedar Avenue’s OurStage profile and hear for yourself.

More than anything, [the Minneapolis scene] has allowed us to meet a lot of really fun, passionate people and make some great friends, said CA. It’s really cool to be surrounded by musicians (and music lovers) that are so dedicated to their career and their art. When asked about venues, the band was adamant that there is a large number of venues that offer music every night. I like the Varsity Theater. It is undoubtedly the most gorgeous venue I’ve ever seen. The velvet curtains, leather couches, and overall vibe fit our music much more than a dark, industrial bar.

As for venue recommendations, Palmer’s Bar on S.Cedar Ave offers country, blues and rock music in a standard bar environment. The previously mentioned Varsity Theater boasts a full calendar of performances that is always kept up-to-date. Overall, no matter where you go, you should be satisfied.

Cedar Avenue won the chance to open for Hanson earlier this year and has even had music featured on the hit television show Rookie Blue. Take it from the band themselves, The Minneapolis music scene is ambitious and tons of fun.