So much is known but mystery remains We’ve learned something about privacy lately, namely that it doesn’t exactly exist. The case against the man accused of murdering four students in Idaho shows that cellphone tracking and ubiquitous surveillance cameras make it possible for law enforcement to learn a great deal about a person of interest. Spy satellites enable intelligence agencies to focus in on you as you park at the drive-up window and see how many Egg McMuffins you ordered and whether you take your coffee light or black. And a defamation lawsuit against Fox has subpoenaed internal memos showing that the network’s top stars managed to forget what is fact and what is not and why they should care. Read the rest of the column >>> Do you subscribe to our Substack page? It's free and delivers an extra column weekly plus Post to the Host and other extras that can be unlocked in The Back Room. Subscribe >>> |
|
This week on A Prairie Home Companion This week’s featured A Prairie Home Companion comes from Duluth in Northern Minnesota in 2012. It’s a real blast of winter weather, broadcast from the DECC Auditorium, with special guests, rocking acoustic pickers Trampled By Turtles, plus the magnificent Grand Rapids High School Jazz Ensemble. Also, the Royal Academy of Radio Actors (Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and Fred Newman), The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, and the latest News from Lake Wobegon. Listen to the show >>> Follow our Facebook fan page >>> This week’s featured GUEST PERFORMERS: The Grand Rapids High School Jazz Ensemble has been a part of the curriculum at Grand Rapids (Minnesota) High School for more than 50 years. Long ago, it served as the host band for many area proms. These days, the 21-member ensemble spends the school year performing concerts, festivals, and functions. And each May, they host their own festival — an event that’s been running for decades. This performance under the direction of Dale Gunderson. Trampled by Turtles didn’t set out to be a progressive bluegrass outfit when they first got together in 2003, but they strayed away from their rock roots, and now this revved-up Duluth, Minnesota-based group plays sold-out venues coast to coast. Among their recordings is 2022’s Alpenglow, their tenth album. Listen to “Victory” >>> Visit their website >>> The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band was led by A Prairie Home Companion music director Richard Dworsky. Keyboard player, composer, and improviser in any style, he also wrote all the script themes and underscores.( www.richarddworsky.com) Chet Atkins called Pat Donohue (guitar) one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world today. And he writes songs too — recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Kenny Rogers, and others. Blue Yonder ( (Bluesky Records) is the most recent of Pat’s dozen-plus albums. (www.patdonohue.com) Gary Raynor (bass) has performed with the Count Basie band and Sammy Davis Jr., with whom he toured for several years. He was first call for dozens of touring Broadway shows, including the first presentation of The Lion King. Gary freelances regularly as one of the Twin Cities’ favorite bassists. Peter Johnson (percussion) has played klezmer music with Doc Severinsen and jazz with Dave Brubeck. He was a drummer for The Manhattan Transfer and for Gene Pitney. He has toured the world, but he always comes back to home base: Saint Paul. When Richard Kriehn turned 10, his mom bought him a mandolin; at 19, he’d won the Buck White International Mandolin Contest. He went on to play with the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and bluegrass group 1946. He was principal second violin for the Washington/Idaho Symphony and spent six years in the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band on A Prairie Home Companion. His new project is a quartet called New Shoes. Get Shake It, Break It and Hang It on the Wall >>> Get “Radio Blues” >>> Often, Garrison wrote or sang humorous odes to the cities or locations that hosted the show. Here is a teaser of 10 Things to Know Before You Move to Duluth, along with a full video of the sketch. 1. Don’t invest in a tuxedo or evening gown. Flannel and jeans are good anywhere/anytime, unless you are getting married and maybe even then. 2. Don’t panic if you see a bear walking down the street — maybe if you see a moose, but not a bear. Watch the video of these ten things>>> |
|
Garrison Keillor (and a few friends) EVENTS Keillor & Company hits the road again for a short series of shows in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, Maryville, TN, and Frankfort, KY. We hope you can join us at one of the upcoming LIVE EVENT concerts. Check out our tour schedule. Robin & Linda Williams have also announced their concert schedule for this year (and it features two shows in July with the Hopeful Trio). Pat Donohue has some dates on his calendar as well. Try to catch one of his performances. View the EVENT page >>> Get Robin & Linda’s schedule >>> Get Pat Donohue’s schedule >>> |
|
THAT TIME OF YEAR: A MINNESOTA LIFE (softcover) To celebrate the updated softcover release (March 7th) of That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life, Garrison will answer questions you may have about his life. This will be a more personal, special edition of the March 6th Post to the Host newsletter. Email your questions for this special edition to dedin@garrisonkeillor.com. Please put PTTH in the subject line. Examples: What was his favorite part of Prairie Home? Was he friends with Tom Keith (Jim Ed Poole)? Did he write the entire show himself? What is his religious affiliation? When did his parents meet and how? Preorder the book >>> |
|
A Prairie Home Companion: The Movie We recently saw a few articles detailing the best movies to watch for free in February and a familiar title was available on YouTube so we thought we would share. A Prairie Home Companion was the final film from legendary director Robert Altman and was originally released in 2006. A prestigious cast selected for this fictionalized film account of Garrison Keillor’s popular radio program by Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Robert Altman (Short Cuts, Gosford Park) included Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah, The Client) and Academy Award winner Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada, The Bridges of Madison County), among many others. Plot: The show’s theater is about to close for business after radio station WLT is purchased by a Texas company, and the cast prepares for its last performance. The film also stars Lindsay Lohan (Georgia Rule, Mean Girls), Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson (Semi-Pro, Natural Born Killers) and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee John C. Reilly (Chicago, Talladega Nights). Watch the movie >>> |
|
The Download Project Our store has undertaken a download project and has been updating the CD product pages to include detailed track listings and easy links for downloads from Amazon and iTunes. Each release will be promoted daily with classic stories or songs on our Facebook fan page. So we hope you follow us to listen to many classic sketches or stories. Follow our Facebook fan page >>> |
|
News from Lake Wobegon Ice fishing season is in full swing in Lake Wobegon! Enjoy this tale called “Gus on Ice” from the original News from Lake Wobegon collection. The original monologue collection: 20 stories that follow the seasons of the year and will make you long for a visit to the “little town that time forgot and the decades could not improve.” Fan-favorite stories include “The Living Flag,” “Guys on Ice,” “Giant Decoys,” and “Tomato Butt.” Over four hours of classic tales in what most fans state is their favorite release. Listen to the Story >>> Get Detailed Information >>> |
|
More News from Lake Wobegon Since the weather is so good, how about a trip farther north? Let’s take a “Trip to Grand Rapids.” This classic from the second collection of Lake Wobegon stories thrills fans and gives them more than a few chuckles. |
From stories like the Lutheran pastors’ barbecue on a pontoon boat, to the 1957 Chevy and the Homecoming Day parade, these stories will captivate your attention for hours. It’s the perfect companion for any road trip! Over four hours of stories grouped by theme: Love, Hope, Faith, and Humor. | Listen to the Story >>> Get Detailed Information >>> |
|
|
|
|
|