Arts & Culture

Linda Boyd talks about symphonies in the modern world, changing audiences, the special appeal of live performance, how deciding on pieces for the Symphony is like being in a cover band, and more, on the occasion of her retirement as Executive Director of the Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra.  More at fmsymphony.org.

Chloe Marie Watterud was the North Dakota winner of the “Celebration of Music” talent search. As such, the 18-year-old recently participated in filming the Celebration of Music National Show, hosted by PBS personality Ethan Bortnick. That show will be distributed next year. She joins us to discuss her experience in California where the show is being produced.

It's an Mmmmmboppin Halloween for the California sister trio HAIM, or for a day, HAIMson. Este, Danielle and Alana dress up in blonde wigs as Isaac, Taylor and Zaz for a mimed rendition of Hanson's mega catchy hit in a new video.  "Baby It's Cold Outside" gets a badly needed update and transforms a creepy-at-best holiday (shunned?) staple into a loving ode to consent in a new version by John Legend & Kelly Clarkson. Keith Richards may own the title of Rolling Stone with Nine Lives, but his fellow bandmate Ronnie Wood can count himself lucky too. The current Stone and ex-Faces guitarist is the subject of a new documentary, the accurately-titled Somebody Up There Likes Me, which chronicles his very rock & roll lifestyle and his recovery from longtime addictions. 

Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats, whose rockabilly style stood out in the MTV era of spandex and synthesizers, pays tribute to his vintage rock instrument and some of the other "cats" who play upright bass on his new single, "Dog House Shuffle."  Baltimore electronic dance party maestro Dan Deacon, no stranger to lyrical death themes to contrast his upbeat, blippy sound, has a creepy new video out in time for Halloween that shows a decomposing woman getting eaten by maggots and beetles and then returning as a plant. And Sharon Van Etten has a new song that appears in the documentary about surrogacy, Made in Boise, which premiered on PBS last night.

Hip-hop icon, social justice activist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chuck D has been named the recipient of the 2019 Woody Guthrie Prize by the Woody Guthrie Center, in Tulsa, OK. The Public Enemy rapper, born Carlton Charles Ridenhour, was noted for, like the folk legend, holding truth to power and for shining a light on social and political issues, particularly those that impact African Americans. French band Phoenix recall in a new memoir their nearly disastrous appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2009, when Lorne Michaels gave them a backstage lecture about being too boring and their equipment almost conking out right before air time. And David Byrne made a triumphant appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this week, beautifully performing a song that appears in his highly acclaimed Broadway show American Utopia, with a young person's choir.

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile has dropped out of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit taking place in DC this week, because of the participation former Department of Homeland Security Secretary, and overseer of President Donald Trump's controversial family separation policy at the southern border, Kirstjen Nielson. Longtime and influential UK post punk band WIRE is back in 2020 with a new album.  Aussie psych-rockers Tame Impala hint at a new album with strange video on their website homepage.  And Trey Anastasio honors Eau Claire, Wisconsin native Justin Vernon with a Bon Iver cover in his hometown last night. 

https://www.instagram.com/joverdisart/

When Jo Verdis found herself unable to work in her field of music, due to brain injury, she turned to paining.  She found alcohol inks -- which are just starting to show up in the fine arts repertoire -- and they really worked for her.  Not only does she like how they look, the process of working with them turned out to be especially suited to recovering from her injury, and regaining music.

Artist Jo Verdis talks about how brain injury kept her from music, so she switched to visual art, and found music coming back.  She also talks about home traditions in her family that, while not labeled "art' were in fact artful.  "My painting doesn't come from a void".

https://www.instagram.com/joverdisart/