Category: Religion

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Basilica Block Party

Every Summer, Twin Cities residents can look forward to a local music festival that has become an institution: The Basilica Block Party. Last year the festival celebrated its 20th birthday. (You should know that my employer, Karwoski & Courge, handles public relations for the festival.)

This Summer’s Basilica Block Party takes place on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11. You can buy tickets online here.

The History Of The Basilica Block Party

Basilica of Saint Mary

The Basilica Block Party started in 1995 as a fundraiser to pay for the restoration of The Basilica of Saint Mary. Today, proceeds from the party benefit The Basilica Landmark, which restores and preserves the historic Basilica. A portion of the proceeds from the Block Party also go to The Basilica’s St. Vincent de Paul outreach program, which provides services to those in need.

The Complete List Of Past Performers At The Basilica Block Party

The prominent names who have performed at the Block Party over the years is pretty remarkable.

1995 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Lucky Dube
  • Martin Zellar
  • Widespread Panic
  • BoDeans
  • Billy McLaughlin Group
  • The Delilahs
  • The Freddy Jones Band
  • Polara
  • Saturday Night
  • 1964 “The Tribute”
  • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
  • Tina & the B-Side Movement
  • 10,000 Maniacs
  • Terrance Simien & the Mallet Playboys
  • Johnny Clueless
  • Lowen & Navarro
  • Popa Chubby

1996 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Paul Cebar
  • The Billys
  • Steve Earle
  • GB Leighton
  • The Rembrandts
  • Tim Mahoney
  • Saturday Night
  • Golden Smog
  • Freddy Jones
  • Lamont Cranston
  • Dust Bunnies
  • Shawn Colvin
  • Jonny Lang

1997 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Mick Sterling
  • Cracker
  • Semisonic
  • Why Store
  • Lamont Cranston
  • Smithereens
  • Saturday
  • Tim Mahoney
  • John Hiatt
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  • Wain McFarlane
  • Johnny Clueless
  • Sister Hazel

1998 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Heidi Jo
  • Tim Mahoney
  • BoDeans
  • Mango Jam
  • Sonia Dada
  • Sister Hazel
  • Saturday Night
  • From Good Homes
  • Martin Zellar
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  • Dazy Head Mazy
  • GB Leighton
  • Freddy Jones Band

1999 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Mick Sterling
  • Burlap to Cashmere
  • Everything
  • Hootie & the Blowfish
  • Accident Clearinghouse
  • Shannon Curfman
  • Cowboy Mouth
  • Saturday Night
  • Robert Bradley
  • Los Lobos
  • Bruce Hornsby
  • 3 Minute Hero
  • Tim Mahoney
  • Del Amitri

2000 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • One World
  • Robert Bradley
  • BoDeans
  • Boogie Wonderland
  • Daniel Cage
  • Soul Asylum
  • Saturday Night
  • Scott Laurent
  • Train
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  • Moneypenny
  • Shannon Curfman
  • Jayhawks

2001 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Kurt Neumann
  • Semisonic
  • Wallflowers
  • Paul Metsa
  • Tim Mahoney
  • Marc Cohn
  • Saturday Night
  • GB Leighton
  • Bob Schneider
  • Blues Traveler
  • Scott Laurent
  • Martin Zellar
  • Indigenous

2002 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Tim Mahoney
  • Dishwalla
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  • Honeydogs
  • Midnight Oil
  • Soul Asylum
  • Saturday Night
  • Seven Mary Three
  • Spin Doctors
  • Gin Blossoms
  • Phantom Planet
  • Neil Finn
  • Sister Hazel

2003 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Frankie Perez
  • Edwin McCain
  • Suburbs
  • Panaramic Blue
  • Thorns
  • Nickel Creek
  • Saturday Night
  • Kathleen Edwards
  • Bob Schneider (cancel)
  • Suburbs (replacement)
  • Train
  • GB Leighton
  • Alice Peacock
  • Jayhawks

2004 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Wheat
  • Joe Firstman
  • Counting Crows
  • The Humans
  • Honeydogs
  • O|A|R
  • Saturday Night
  • Great Big Sea
  • Pat McGee Band
  • Five for Fighting
  • Kalgren
  • Dan Wilson
  • Shawn Mullins

2005 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Tagine
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  • Gear Daddies
  • Summit Ave
  • Blue Merle
  • Pete Yorn
  • Saturday Night
  • Olympic Hopefuls
  • Carbon Leaf
  • The Wallflowers
  • Holiday
  • Marc Broussard
  • Better than Ezra

2006 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Trampled by Turtles
  • The Fray
  • Guster
  • Wannabee Hasbeens
  • The Hopefuls
  • Mike Doughty
  • Saturday Night
  • Mat Kearney
  • Aqualung
  • Train
  • Nathan Anderson
  • ALO
  • Freddy Jones Band

2007 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • The Alarmists
  • Lifehouse
  • Amos Lee
  • The Great Physician
  • The Cat Empire
  • Robert Randolph and the Family Band
  • Saturday Night
  • The Sweet Colleens
  • Brandi Carlile
  • Jonny Lang
  • 2 Wurds
  • Plain White T’s
  • G. Love & Special Sauce

2008 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Dave Barnes
  • Augustana
  • OneRepublic
  • Wannabe HasBeens
  • NeedToBreathe
  • Ziggy Marley
  • Saturday Night
  • White Light Riot
  • Test Your Reflex
  • Missy Higgins
  • Gavin Rossdale
  • Grayson
  • Landon Pigg
  • Gin Blossoms

2009 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Erin McCarley
  • Mat Kearney
  • The Black Crowes
  • Junebug
  • Serena Ryder
  • The Jayhawks
  • Romantica
  • Rocket Club
  • Saturday Night
  • Green River Ordinance
  • Matt Nathanson
  • Counting Crows
  • Section 30
  • Tapes n’ Tapes
  • The Hold Steady
  • Tim Mahoney
  • Tyrone Wells

2010 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • One eskimO
  • Eric Hutchinson
  • Weezer
  • Hunter Hero
  • Rogue Valley
  • Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
  • Spoon
  • Dada Trash Collage
  • Kristoff Kane
  • Saturday Night
  • Ingrid Michaelson
  • Guster
  • Barenaked Ladies
  • Chester Bay
  • Robert Francis
  • VV Brown
  • Avett Brothers
  • Blue Sky Blackout
  • RedayGoes

2011 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Scars on 45
  • Lissie
  • The Jayhawks
  • David Gray
  • G. Love & Special Sauce
  • Fitz and the Tantrums
  • Michael Franti & Spearhead
  • Zoo Animal
  • Usonia
  • White Light Riot
  • Saturday Night
  • Stuart D’Rozario
  • Gomez
  • Amos Lee
  • Ray LaMontagne & Pariah Dogs
  • The 4onthefloor
  • Citizen Cope
  • Drive-By Truckers
  • Arms Akimbo
  • The Hunting Club
  • The Pines

2012 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Mat Kearney
  • The Head and the Heart
  • Train
  • Tyrone Wells
  • Imagine Dragons
  • Cake
  • A. Wolf and her Claws
  • Prissy Clerks
  • Phantom Tails
  • Saturday Night
  • The Lumineers
  • Fitz and the Tantrums
  • The Avett Brothers
  • Stuart D’Rozario
  • Graffiti6
  • O|A|R
  • The Boys N’ the Barrels
  • Farewell Milwaukee
  • Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles

2013 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Mayer Hawthorne
  • Father John Misty
  • Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
  • Matt Nathanson
  • ZZ Ward
  • Family of the Year
  • Southwire
  • The Cactus Blossoms
  • Actual Wolf
  • Saturday, July 13, 2013
  • kate earl
  • Goo Goo Dolls
  • Matchbox Twenty
  • Cloud Cult
  • Walk the Moon
  • Raphael Saadiq
  • Bomba de Luz
  • Vann Stee
  • On An On

2014 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
  • Airborne Toxic Event
  • Panic at the Disco
  • Crash
  • Michael Franti and Spearhead
  • Delta Rae
  • Eric Hutchinson
  • The Weeks
  • Black Diet
  • Stereo Confessions
  • Carroll
  • Train
  • Ingrid Michaelson
  • Caroline Smith
  • Alpha Rev
  • Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite
  • The Wild Feathers
  • Serena Ryder
  • Jillian Rae
  • BBGUN

2015 Basilica Block Club Performers

  • Weezer
  • Nate Ruess
  • Motion City Soundtrack
  • DJ Windsor
  • O.A.R.
  • Mat Kearney
  • Matthew Sweet
  • Zoo Animal
  • Rupert Angeleyes
  • Tyte Jeff
  • Wilco
  • Jason Isbell
  • Jenny Lewis
  • Fly Golden Eagle
  • DJ Zak Michaels
  • Fitz and the Tantrums
  • Echosmith
  • Rachel Platten
  • American Scarecrows
  • Southside Desire
  • Aero Flynn
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Miss Minnesota Believes Evolution Should Be Taught

Miss Minnesota Believes Evolution Should Be Taught

Yay for reason! Yay for science! Yay for facts! I admit I was dreading watching this video for fear of where our very own Miss Minnesota, Brittany Thelemann, for stating rather definitely and eminently reasonably that evolution should be taught in our schools.

I’d say it makes gives me hope for the future were it not for so many of the rest of her fellow Miss USA candidates who said No, or Yes, But or, worse, All Opinions Should Be Taught. Still, way to go Brittany! Found at YouTube from seng12900 via Washington Post.

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Basilica Block Party Lineup

Basilica Block Party Lineup

The Basilica Block Party this year is scheduled for July 8 & 9. The Basilica Block Party musical lineup will include David Gray, Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, the JAYHAWKS, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Drive-By Truckers, Amos Lee, Gomez, Stuart D’Rozario, Lissie, Scars on 45, Fitz and The Tantrums, G. Love & Special Sauce, Citizen Cope, and The 4onthefloor. [DETAILS.] Get daily music videos at Audiolicious.tv.

Babylon by David Gray

Found at YouTube from davidgrayVEVO.

Beg Steal or Borrow by Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs

Found at YouTube from TheEllenShow.

Blue by The Jayhawks

Found at YouTube from Abstractstv.

The Sound Of Sunshine by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Found at YouTube from MichaelFrantiVEVO.

Never Gonna Change by Drive-By Truckers

Found at YouTube from rspaceball.

Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight by Amos Lee

Found at YouTube from nameinamillion.

See The World by Gomez

Found at YouTube from IndependienteRecords.

Pursuit of Happiness by Lissie

Found at YouTube from LissieVEVO.

Give Me Something by Scars on 45

Found at YouTube from scarson45.

MoneyGrabber by Fitz and The Tantrums

Found at YouTube from FitzandTantrumsVEVO.

Cold Beverage by G. Love & Special Sauce

Found at YouTube from GLoveSSVEVO.

I Couldn’t Explain Why by Citizen Cope

Found at YouTube from citizencope.

Bricklayer by The 4onthefloor

Found at YouTube from mplstv.

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God And Lawsuits

Today’s Strib has a good article by Mark Craig on the Vikings’ depth at cornerback, examining who might step up in the wake of Brian Williams‘ injury. Regarding the fifth cornerback position, Mike Tice is quoted as saying, "Somebody wants it bad. We’ll find out who." Do I detect a bit of desperate motivation there?

Great line of the day goes to Pioneer Press‘ Brian Hamilton for this beauty in his article Receiving corps catching on: "And then there was the Vikings’ receiving corps, careening around the learning curve at a fairly audacious speed in their exhibition debut Saturday night."

The great thing about the Vikings’ official site is that they post audio clips of news conferences. New Real Audio feeds were posted yesterday, including Tice talking about training camp practice and about the team’s win over the Cardinals, as well as Culpepper talking about playing against Denny Green.

Fantasy Interview – God Bleeds Purple

I have a fantasy interview I’d love to see because I love the absurd and the unexpected and, annoyingly, post-game interviews have almost become predictable. I’d love to see a post-game interview with an NFL football player that begins like this:

Q: You had six catches for 123 yards and four touchdowns in an overwhelming victory. How do you feel?

A: Well, first I want to praise the Lord our God for making this all possible. He obviously wanted us to kick their asses all over the field. Their evil was palpable and it is clear that God used us not just to smite them but to humiliate Lucifer’s minions.

You’ll understand my annoyance if you caught the interview by KSTP TV’s Joe Schmit with Mewelde Moore after the game Saturday.

The rookie running back was being interviewed, of course, because of his 39-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter against the Cardinals’ second- and third-stringers. Moore was the beneficiary of outstanding blocking and mostly just ran down the field with a fighter-escort by the name of Nate Burleson to fend off any would-be tacklers. It was a nice run nonetheless.

The first thing out of Moore’s mouth after Schmit asked him about his run was the familiar refrain of I just want to take this time to thank the Lord Almighty for the blah blah blah blah. My friends and I instantly rolled our eyes and tuned out.

Remember the 1998 team with Cris Carter pointing skyward after touchdowns and slapping the viewer upside the head with God during his interviews; or Randall Cunningham spending most of his interview minutes evangelizing; the post-game prayer circles? I’d become so convinced that God bled purple and gold that I had a crisis of faith when the Vikes blew it against the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.

O God, why hast thou forsaken us?

I wish I’d had the idea at the beginning of the season rather than mid-season, but I was going to keep a running tally of Christians and Heathens on the Vikings’ roster for that season. I was going to put halos next to the names of Vikings who had publicly praised God (Carter, Cunningham, Hitchcock) and horns next to the names of Vikings I suspected of Heathenism (Robert Smith–who, I might add, has subsequently confirmed my suspicions in his new book).

McKinnie’s Confession

Today is the first time I’d bothered to read the Star Tribune‘s Vikings Diary series written by tackle Bryant McKinnie. Call me crazy, but I calculated that the odds were not all that good that a young kid busy with a professional football career would 1) not have much time to devote to a weekly column, 2) very likely would be a pretty awful writer, and 3) as a current player, would probably not provide any insight into the game for fear of either tipping the team’s hand to opponents or saying anything potentially controversial.

Well, after reading the article I was right about the absence of any football insight. The article is pretty much as advertised: A diary. A personal diary. Meaning, I got up this morning and had breakfast and then had to go to a team meeting and after that, blah blah blah blah blah. Boooooorrrring.

There is one interesting thing in McKinnie’s diary and it is notable primarily because it demonstrates the kind of lack of forethought you sorta expect from a kid in his early twenties. McKinnie writes:

"I spent my time burning some new CDs. I’ve got a friend in Miami that sends me all the new songs that are coming out down there…He sends them to me on e-mail, and I put them on a CD so I can listen to them before a game."

Hmm. It seems to me that admitting that you violate copyright laws in a major metropolitan daily, explaining exactly how you do it, and then pointing straight at the evidence might run you afoul of the Recording Industry Association of America. I would even go so far as to suggest that as a high-profile professional football player, McKinnie might be a juicy six foot eight target for one of RIAA’s infamous subpoenas.