Arts & Culture

Emily Vieweg is a Fargo poet with a growing reputation  One particular poem she is reputed for is "Bipolar Is..."  Here, she discusses with Bill Thomas making a "Poem Video" about it, and how the poem has attached to her -- and that she is OK with that.  The piece concludes with an energetic, live-audience reading of the poem. 

Grammy-nominated country rock band Confederate Railroad was recently removed from the lineup at the Du Quoin State Fair by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who cited what he calls racist and white supremacist imagery like the confederate battle flag that often accompanies their shows. Fans and some in the media claim political correctness is behind the move and that the stars and bars is a symbol of southern pride and heritage and not slavery and racism. Brewer Goose Island has partnered with witty indie band Parquet Courts for an exclusive witbier for next weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. And baritone Jerry Lawson of longtime a cappella group The Persuasions passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was 75.  The Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa, who discovered The Persuasions, were big fans.

Bill Thomas asks Emily Vieweg (Fargo poet) what is coming up for her. She talks about working on a complete book of her poems so far (and how a grant has helped), and also about her project to convert 30 poems into sonnets.  Then we hear her read one of the poems that is not yet a sonnet. 

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the release of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," toy maker Mattel has unvieled a Ziggy Stardust Barbie Doll! It features the character's iconic forehead emblem and striped space suit, the glam-rock legend used to sport when in full alter ego mode. Texas cult cowpunk legend Jon Dee Graham went into cardiac arrest on the 4th of July after performing a set a festival just outside Chicago. Amazingly, not even one week later, the 60-year-old former member of The Skunks and True Believers with Alejandro Escovedo rocked his regular Wednesday night gig at The Continental in Austin last night.  And Justin Vernon has announced Bon Iver's fourth album, I, I will come out August 30th. What he calls his most "adult" record,  features guest turns from Moses Sumney, Bruce Horsnby, Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak.

Spoon bassist Rob Pope has quit the band. The co-owner of Harold's in Moorhead, along with Eric Odness, Har Mar Superstar and others cited the wish to spend more time with family and other projects as reasons for leaving the popular alt-indie band. Pope laid down some seriously cool grooves on well-known Spoon songs like "Don't You Evah," "The Mystery Zone" and "Inside Out." Innovative jazzman Kamasi Washington has accused a security guard at a show in Austria of assaulting his father, who is a member of his band. And longtime Montreal resident and Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler is now a Canadian citizen. He'll have dual citizenship, as he was born and raised in Texas. 

Fashion mogul Stella McCartney took in a 50th anniversary screening of Yellow Submarine last year, and was so deeply moved and inspired, she created a men and women's fashion line based on lyrics from the animated film and song lyrics from her dad Paul and his Beatles bandmates. The first line "All Together Now" came out yesterday and a bigger psychedelic collection will be out in the fall. Celebs and musicians sported a preview at Glastonbury last week. Farm Aid will take place in East Troy, Wisconsin this year. The September 21st festival features usual headliners Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp as well as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Yola, Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real and Tanya Tucker. The first Farm Aid took place in 1985! And Car Seat Headrest released the final installment of their behind-the-scenes online documentary I Haven't Done (BLEEP) This Year, which shows the genesis of a new song.