September 26, 2007
Northeast Mpls Parade
CHUCK SAYS: This is a ridiculous, laptop-recorded video from the Northeast Minneapolis parade this summer. Lorika and I provide off-color commentary. Watch for the part where I'm inexplicably compelled to yell the following at Al Franken: "Al, laptop! Laptop photo!"
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:54 AM | Comments (2)
September 06, 2007
Bancroft Midsummer Festival
Artist and teacher Paulino Brener caught these highlights of the Bancroft Midsummer Festival, an event organized by the Center for Independent Artists & The Bancroft Neighborhood Association.
Also check out Paulino's Skyride video from the MN State Fair.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2007
MN State Fair: Robot Wars
Sure, you've got a lot of the same whatever-on-a-stick every year at the Minnesota State Fair. But wait, there's more! Recent Minnesota transplant and longtime MN Stories fan Honeybunny caught some Robot Wars on camera. Let's hope flames and robots become a new tradition.
If you've got any State Fair videos of whatever-on-a-stick, or things blowing up, drop a line to story@mnstories.com.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:05 AM | Comments (3)
August 17, 2007
Just Plain Big: MN State Fair 1988
Are you ready for the State Fair... from 1988?
Chris from Matchbook Films shares this gem.
Nineteen years ago, Christa Dahlstrom--a college sophomore and Minnesota native--rented a VHS camcorder and brought it and two friends (Ted Johnson and Brian Glenn) to the Minnesota State Fair. Back at school she spent weeks learning the dorm's linear video editing system, with the help of her film-major boyfriend (i.e. me), and cutting together this irreverent and loving overview.
Food-on-a-stick, Ye Old Mill, beauty queen butter sculptures, tractors, and bull semen.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:19 AM | Comments (6)
August 01, 2007
35W Bridge Collapse
A few snippets of footage near the 35W bridge collapse. David Howell has some footage as well. If you caught any video or photos, please leave a link for us in the comments. I hope you're all safe.
MORE LINKS:
Noah Kunin's harrowing first-person account
KSTP live report (taped off tv)
Mike Mcintee probes possible causes and politics
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:39 PM | Comments (7)
July 02, 2007
Miss Hmong Minnesota
Somehow, this cheery video will put you in the right mood for a Monday. Filmed at the Metrodome in August, 2006 and posted by hmongamerica.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:20 AM | Comments (1)
June 27, 2007
Columbia Heights Jamboree
You know, you just can't go wrong with jamborees. Or Biffys. Here's a little slice of Columbia Heights by Matt Johnson.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2007
Gay Pride Weekend
It's going to be a hot weekend. Because of the temperature, sure, but it's also Twin Cities Pride. That means short shorts, naked men in barrels, and the inherent sexiness of being out and proud.
Here's a fun taste of the 2006 Pride festival to get you warmed up. If you take any video this weekend - or anytime - drop a line to story@mnstories.com.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:55 AM | Comments (2)
June 06, 2007
Finnegan's Summerfest
Here's a sobering fact: 47% of Hennepin County's homeless population is under 18. That was unacceptable to Finnegans founder Jacquie Berglund, who decided to do something about it - have a giant rock show. Finnegan's Summerfest is happening this Saturday, June 9, at the Cabooze. "4 stages, 28 bands, 1 great cause."
All proceeds will benefit Heading Home Hennepin, which plans to end homelessness in Minneapolis by 2016.
The Delilahs are having a highly-anticipated, one-time-only reunion show at Summerfest. If you were on the Minneapolis music scene in the 90's, you'll remember they're soaring pop harmonies and mandolin. Minnesota Stories has an exclusive interview with two of the band members coming up tomorrow.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:12 AM | Comments (1)
October 09, 2006
Happy Leif Ericson Day
Forget Columbus -- today is Leif Ericson Day! Here we are at the Leif Ericson monument on St. Paul's capitol grounds, dedicated on this day in 1949.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:21 AM | Comments (5)
August 09, 2006
One Last Time In The Dome
Duane Kuss writes:
It was 100 degrees outside, but inside the dome it was comfortable in the mid 70's. Yes, there's a new Minnesota Twins stadium going to be built in the next couple years, but this was one day that our family was happy to watch Major League Baseball in a dome.
In this story you'll join the Kuss family and their participation in a game on Sunday, July 30th, 2006, when the Minnesota Twins faced the league leading Detroit Tigers. You'll experience all the great fun of going to a baseball game in the HHH dome and you'll even see a fantastic come from behind win by the Twins in the bottom of the 8th.
CONTRIBUTOR: Duane Kuss, DigElogROCORI
RELATED LINKS:
Kirby Puckett in '91
Local Kirby Puckett Card Collector Remembers...
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:48 AM | Comments (1)
July 25, 2006
A Vlogger Darkly
Here's a strange Vloggercon journey, through the eyes of Starfire. What a trip.
MUSIC: Alan Sparhawk from "Solo Guitar" on Silber Records
SITE NOTE: New spam-blocking measures are in place. Please email me if you have any problems accessing the site. Thanks!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:07 AM | Comments (9)
July 18, 2006
The Opposite of a Blizzard.
Did anybody go to Green Man 2006 in Duluth? Starfire was there and says it was really hot and really windy. The 2nd stage collapsed from all the wind - here is the aftermath. Music by Ol' Yeller.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:07 AM | Comments (1)
June 27, 2006
Gay Pride
Twin Cities GLBT Pride Celebration! Did you go?
My awesome dentist was there, J&D Dental. I helped work on their web site, including this little office tour video. This has been a sincere, unpaid testimonial. Thank you.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:55 AM | Comments (10)
June 21, 2006
Northeast Parade
The Northeast Parade is the second-oldest parade in the state, full of marching band drums, Shriners, mayors, and unicyclists. Unfortunately, your intrepid vlogumentarian is under the weather and slept right through it. However, fear not! Here's a video of the 2005 parade. Just pretend it's the 2006 parade, and everything will be just fine. (Or better yet... send in a video of the 2006 parade.)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:28 AM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2006
Solstice
MEDIA MIKE WRITES: Everyone is invited to the north end of Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis to see this year’s annual Solstice Ceremony, on Saturday June 17, 2006 at 11am. This video features an Aztec dance group called Quetzalcoatlicue dancing for the Solstice in 2004. The group is organized by Susana De Leon, a remarkable person making news recently. Read Paul Demko’s column in City Pages.
CONTRIBUTOR: Media Mike
Also be sure to check out the Solstice Festival on Saturday night.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:49 AM | Comments (2)
May 10, 2006
May Day: National Priority
From Aleshia Mueller:
In the Heart of the Beast puppet and mask theater held its 32nd annual May Day Parade and Festival on Sunday, May 7, 2006.
This years May Day theme was situated around the question "what do we want Minneapolis to look like in 50 years?" The envisioned future provides for the Common Good and cultivates the Common Wealth, where each person is an honored and responsible citizen.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:14 PM | Comments (7)
May 08, 2006
Walk for Animals
This video comes to us from Dan and Jen's Animal Friends:
Yesterday was the Animal Humane Society's Walk for Animals. It was really fun. They had a lot of different animals: pigs, goats, ponies, and of course all the regulars -- Dan brought Spike. We didn't actually participate in the "walk", but the rest was like a carnival for the animals. They had free food for people and treats for animals.
Hope to see you next year; we'll be there.
Did you capture video of an event recently? Send it to Minnesota Stories.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:04 AM | Comments (4)
April 28, 2006
Flickr Photowalk
Sure, these new-fangled "video blawgs" are neat and all, but my heart belongs to Flickr. I'm not even getting paid to say that. Flickr is like eyeball surfing around the world, only not as gross as that sounds.
Every month or so, photo geeks in the Twin Cities get together for a little photo excursion, aka a Flickr photowalk. This video is from a photowalk at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul. Here are photos from that walk.
Look like fun? It is, and you can tag along on the April photowalk this Sunday, April 30 at 11am. It's at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. UPDATE: Here are the photos from the rainyday outing.
RELATED LINKS:
Sharyn's photos are featured in this video.
Dave Polaschek (photos) organized this walk.
Cafesjian's Carousel is open May 2.
MUSIC: Circus Day in Dixie (1916)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:22 AM | Comments (14)
April 18, 2006
MN RollerGirls
Hard rocking, skirt tearing mayhem? Yeah, I'd say that pretty much sums up the Minnesota RollerGirls season climax. Too bad this was my first game, because I'm going to be jonesin' for these vixens-on-wheels all summer long.
This is a taste of the battle for 3rd place between Garda Belts and Atomic Bombshells. The main event followed, with the Rockits besting the Dagger Dolls.
The next RollerGirls event isn't a game, but the 2nd Annual Wheelie Awards sounds like a good time considering fans can vote for "RollerGirl You Most Want to Land in Your Lap."
RELATED LINK: Star Tribune article and photos; Max's photos
Special props to Wet Spot for the hospitality!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:14 AM | Comments (9)
March 20, 2006
Mondo Jugglefest
MONDO Jugglefest: Serving up organized chaos since 1989. See for yourself in this video shot by juggler/unicycler/poet Marty.
MUSIC: William H. Reitz, Dill Pickles Rag (1922)
There's a lot of physics at work when you're juggling and unicycling, and falling on the ground. Local podcaster/astronomer Michael Koppelman has a video podcast explaining how all that stuff works. It's free science, folks!
DISCLAIMER: I work with both Marty and Michael at Clockwork Active Media Systems.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:23 AM | Comments (5)
November 02, 2005
Cart Parade
Duluth's Whole Foods Co-op recently closed it's doors and reopened in a new spot. How to get all the foodstuffs over there? A cart parade, of course.
CONTRIBUTOR: Starfire
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:04 AM | Comments (9)
October 21, 2005
Voltage05
Welcome to the "better late than never" weekend edition!
Twin Cities Fashion Weekend is bursting with shows and happenings for the style-curious. What better time to finally post some video from this summer's Voltage05 - Fashion Amplified show, fusing indie rock and fashion into one of the hottest events of the year.
Voltage is produced by the lovely and talented Anna Lee, who is hosting a "Hats & Cocktails" Party Saturday night with music by Mike Gunther and Suzanne, featured here talking about their sweet western-styled threads.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
October 19, 2005
Zombie Pub Crawl
I was so bummed I missed the Zombie Pub Crawl. Especially after seeing the pictures. But fear not, bloodthirsty and brain-hungry denizens. Jeremy Wilker was on the scene with his sweet-ass camera. "What do we want? BRAINS! When do we want it? BRAINS!"
RELATED LINK: Lindsey's City Pages recap
CONTRIBUTOR: Jeremy Wilker, Moonpost
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 09:14 AM | Comments (12)
October 14, 2005
Urban Explorers Fundraiser
Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness delves into the underground culture of urban exploration. From Minneapolis to Paris, St. Paul-based filmmaker Melody Gilbert follows young adventure-seekers through the forgotten and abandoned landscapes of our civilization.
Get a sneak-preview of this documentary this Saturday, Oct. 15 at St. Paul's Bobo Club (more details). You'll have the chance to meet the filmmaker and some explorers, bid on silent auction goodies (including a Blogumentary DVD), take in some live tunage, and help this film see the light of day.
RELATED AUDIO: First Crack 64. Urban Exploring with Filmmaker Melody Gilbert
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:26 AM | Comments (2)
October 05, 2005
Draft Horse Days
In case you couldn't tell, I'm a city boy. It's all too easy to be ignorant of our rural past and present. That's why I'm always grateful for our Greater Minnesota vlog hero, Duane Kuss, who bridges the urban/rural divide. He says: "A visit to the nothern Minnesota draft horse days is like taking a 100 year, giant leap back in time."
CONTRIBUTOR: Duane Kuss, DigElogROCORI
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:21 AM | Comments (7)
October 04, 2005
Minnesota Stories Calendar
If you missed Chuck talking about Minnesota Stories and video blogging on MPR's Midmorning, you can listen here. Welcome MPR denizens!
Minnesota Stories Calendar of Upcoming Stuff
SOUND UNSEEN CONTEST: That's right folks, we're having a contest. The first person to submit a new video about Minnesota music wins a pair of tickets to a Sound Unseen film. How cool is that? If you've got a video, email me. The fest starts Oct 7, so get crackin'!
MINNESOTA STORIES IN GET REAL: This is very exciting news. We're moving vlogs to the big screen at City Pages GET REAL Documentary Film Festival. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 10. Most likely starting around 3pm. This is a free screening, and I'm hoping to have all featured vloggers in attendance.
VLOG WORKSHOP: I'd like to teach... the world to vlog. You want in on the fun, right? Well here's your chance. Learn how to get from camera to vlog and RSS feed in this two-part workshop. We'll watch some vlogs and talk about content. Whether you're a filmmaker or just someone who wants to play with video and get it seen, a vlog offers you a global audience for little cost. To register, visit IFP Minnesota and click "Education." Hurry - there's only space for 8 people.
WIRELESS CITIES: Last but not least, check out the Wireless Cities conference at the U of MN this Thursday. Learn what fun we can have when Minneapolis gets a citywide wifi cloud.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:11 AM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2005
River of Relief
Storm Aid: Minnesota's River of Relief brought over 20 of Minnesota's radio stations to the Washington Avenenue bridge to raise money for American Red Cross Minneapolis. Last I heard, Minnesotans contributed around $660,000 to Hurricane Katrina victims last Friday morning. Among the many experts floating from interview to interview was my old political science professor, August Nimtz. Behind the media hoopla, two women played drum and flute - an offering of metaphysical relief.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)
August 30, 2005
State Fair: Ye Old Mill
Minnesota Stories spent a day at the Minnesota State Fair wearing spiffy new t-shirts last weekend. The weather was perfect, the animals were stinky, and the guts were big. What's not to like?
We're kicking it off with a real sweetheart of a story. Starfire's first kiss was on Ye Old Mill back in the day. Ye Old Mill's days go back 92 years, making it the oldest ride at the fair. After a fun ride he talks with Jim Keenan, great-grandson of the man who started Ye Old Mill. Enjoy.
CONTRIBUTOR: Starfire, Le Garage
MUSIC: Father Hennepin
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:52 AM | Comments (4)
July 18, 2005
Rondo Days Reunion
Before Interstate 94, there was Rondo. Rondo Avenue was the heart of the vibrant Rondo neighborhood, St. Paul's largest Black neighborhood. It was obliterated in the 1960's by the construction of 94, but every year some of those severed connections are renewed during Rondo Days Festival. I was lucky enough to witness a couple of lifelong Rondo residents reconnect with their old schoolmate they hadn't seen in 40 years.
The story of Rondo will be told through music in September 2005, when composer Stephen Newby's 'Rondo Oratorio' premieres.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:23 AM | Comments (12)
July 15, 2005
IKEA Parking Lot
Minnesotans waited years for the Swedish shopping savior. One year ago the waiting ended, and boy were we excited. The Grand Opening of IKEA Twin Cities. A line around the parking lot, and nobody minded. Were you there? We were. And many times since: IKEA couch, rugs, lamps, chairs, bed, towels, and ghostly nightlights. It's like Target, only you leave with furniture instead of toilet paper.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:54 AM | Comments (12)