December 10, 2004 - In this State of the Arts segment, MPR’s Marianne Comb profiles Outward Spiral Theatre Company, the only Twin Cities theater dedicated to producing shows by and about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered people. After a couple of poorly attended seasons, the theater is wondering whether the GLBT community needs it anymore.
December 31, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Erin Galbally presents a report on Mankato’s historic Kato Ballroom, which opened its doors back in the early 1950s around the advent of rock and roll. Before long the Kato established itself as a Mankato hotspot, hosting legends like Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and even Louis Armstrong. This New Year's Eve, the Kato revisits that history with a party celebrating its 50th anniversary. Galbally interviews Larry Bowers, manager of the Kato Ballroom, and Dianne Cory, a long-time regular, who share memories and insights of the venue. Segment includes music clip of Bobby Vee's 'Run to Him.'
January 19, 2005 - Author Tobias Wolff will open the second-half of the Talking Volumes season later this month. You may remember his memoir, This Boy's Life, which was made into a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Now Wolff is out with his first novel, "Old School." He says the story gave him the "ideal lens" through which to write about themes like class and ambition and ethics.
February 2, 2005 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles the Art Shanty Project, a collection of ice houses with an artistic flair. Visitors to Minnesota often stop and wonder at the strange collection of ice fishing shacks that appear on the lakes each winter. On this year, even the locals are stopping to stare at a group of shacks on Medicine Lake in Plymouth.
May 18, 2005 - Former Minneapolis Mayor Art Naftalin has died. Naftalin was a friend and aide to Humbert Humphrey. He also served as state Commissioner of Administration and hosted a public affairs TV show for twenty years. Friends and family remember Naftalin as a compassionate and highly educated leader who navigated the city through the turbulent 1960s. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
June 10, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on the death of 1st Lieutenant Michael Fasnacht, who was killed by a roadside bomb Wednesday near Tikrit, Iraq. The Minnesota soldier is being praised today for his love of family and country.
August 12, 2005 - MPR’s Dan Olson profiles Minneapolis big band saxophonist Charles Beasley. In interview with Olson, 80-year-old Beasley reflects on the change in race relations in this country and his experiences in big band.
August 23, 2005 - Robert Moog, who's self named synthesizers that turned electronic currents into sound, died at 71. Future Tense’s Jon Gordon talks with Charles Carlini, the organizer of the MoogFest, about Moog’s legacy.
September 9, 2005 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles West St. Paul jazz saxophonist Irv Williams, who at 86, still plays gigs and has CD releases. Roberts interviews Williams about his music style and longevity, and others in the music industry about Williams’ talent.
October 3, 2005 - Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson is being remembered today as a literary giant who did more to bring the African American experience to the stage than any other writer. Wilson died yesterday in Seattle from liver cancer. He was 60-years-old. As Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports, Wilson's passing is being deeply felt in the Twin Cities, where he lived and wrote for nearly 12 years.