Ross Raihala (Alpha Male) 🌈
@rossraihala.bsky.social
Pop music critic at the St. Paul Pioneer Press. All shade very necessary. Former dancer at the Grind. World weary, cynical arbiter of taste. Proud Union member. Gen X. It's pronounced Ray-la.
I like to think this is the sort of stuff I'd do if I was a billionaire. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Apple Is Opening a Music Venue Inside the Pink Floyd 'Animals' Power Station
London's Battersea Power Station, famously depicted on the album cover of Pink Floyd's 'Animals,' has become Apple Music Hall.
rollingstone.com
I replaced the ink in this printer four or five years ago. I have printed perhaps a dozen pages in the time since.
Teddy Swims and his hot dog cannon were, uh, a lot. Here's my review of tonight's show (gift link):
Concert review: Teddy Swims goes full force at boisterous Grand Casino Arena show
The crowd of more than 9,000 had more children than one might expect.
twincities.com
Teddy Swims and his hot dog cannon were, uh, a lot. Here's my review of tonight's show (gift link):
Concert review: Teddy Swims goes full force at boisterous Grand Casino Arena show
The crowd of more than 9,000 had more children than one might expect.
twincities.com
I'm at a Teddy Swims concert and he just took out a modified t-shirt cannon and shot hot dogs into the crowd.
Wondering if tonight is the night I'm going to forgo short pants for long short pants for the first time in months.
I have voted! No line at the office on Plato.
the music actually chose to die in that plane crash, in anticipation of how bad your song about it would be
Great photo of P taken by a bartender at my favorite bar
Kacey Musgraves was an absolute delight tonight. And, yes, as you may have heard, she has a giant pair of floating, low-hanging (disco) balls as part of her stage set up. Here's my review (gift link):
Concert review: Kacey Musgraves was charming and cheeky at Target Center
She joked about the possibility of one of her breasts falling out of her strappy top and told the crowd of about 10,000 that this was a family show and then, moments later, let her first of several ex...
twincities.com
I'm sure some devoted Weezer fans are going to say I'm exaggerating when I say the sound tonight was awful. But it was easily the worst sound I've heard at the home of the Wild in ages. Here's my review (gift link): www.twincities.com/2026/09/20/c...
Concert review: Weezer undone by awful sound at Grand Casino Arena
The weak material on the band’s latest self-titled album didn’t help matters.
twincities.com
Anyone else at Weezer? The sound is terrible.
Phoebe Bridgers knows how to arena-rock. My review.
Racket@racketmn.com · 2w agoReview: Older, wiser, louder, and no, not always sad, the singer-songwriter enraptured a young crowd on her biggest tour yet.
What would we, as a society, do without mediocre men who have strong sports opinions?
It still kind of amazes me that Phoebe Bridgers can sell out a hockey arena, but she did just that Thursday night in St. Paul. (On the same stage Eric Clapton played two nights ago to a much smaller crowd.) Here's my review (gift link):
Concert review: Phoebe Bridgers creates her own world at sold out Grand Casino Arena show
The 32-year-old singer/songwriter drew more than 14,000 fans, ranging from excited Zoomers to more restrained Gen Xers
twincities.com
The Wild recently switched from Ticketmaster to SeatGeek for all ticket sales. While I don't like that SeatGeek began as a scalpers marketplace, I will say their app is 100 times better than Ticketmaster's. I mean, you open it and, wham, there's your tickets for tonight's show right there waiting.
Can't believe the estate let Prince's stuff end up at a thrift store
Daddy Rex@katyrex.meatjacker.social · 2w agoI don't actually want to put kid pics on Al Gore's internet, but if y'all could see how good my 4 year old feels in the $12 suit I found at Once Upon a Child yesterday... The POSES. So good.
She comes with a White Claw and pack of Marlboro Lights.
Bring Me The News@bringmethenews.bsky.social · 2w agoAmerican Girl introduces its first doll from Wisconsin for brand’s 40th anniversary More: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/american-girl-introduces-its-first-doll-from-wisconsin-for-brands-40th-anniversary
If you just casually listen to the Bee Gees it's hard to grasp how deeply, deeply, *deeply* weird they were. Bob Stanley in his book talks about them being outsider artists, and they were. They're every bit as odd and idiosyncratic as Tiny Tim or Captain Beefheart.
it’s impossible to meet people who recently moved to minnesota and not sound like you’ve been hired by the state tourism board to immediately divulge everything you love about living here
The new all-civilians Traitors that's airing for the first time on NBC has a St. Paul native as one of 22 contestants. Her name is Abby Lee and she's an astrophysicist. Here's my interview with her (gift link):
‘The Traitors: New Blood’ includes St. Paul native (and astrophysicist) Abby Lee
“My job is pretty stressful sometimes and reality TV, specifically ‘The Traitors,’ is my way of unwinding at the end of the day,” said the Central High School grad.
twincities.com
I’m looking for a handyman that will go to St. Croix Falls, WI. There’s a dishwasher with a broken spring and some casement windows that don’t open and close the way they should. Please let me know if you know someone.
Happy anniversary to my favorite Strib review ever, of a Dave Matthews Band concert in 2010.
Eric Clapton performed what could be his final Twin Cities concert tonight. He's not my thing at all, but he's a compelling live performer (when he wants to be). Here's my review (gift link): www.twincities.com/2026/09/15/c...
Concert review: Guitar wizard Eric Clapton holds Grand Casino Arena audience under his spell
In recent years, Eric Clapton has taken a leisurely approach to touring, playing an average of 20 shows a year, with a half dozen U.S. dates each fall. The only three-time inductee to the Rock and Ro...
twincities.com
Following Macklemore's ouster four other acts have left the Ed Sheeran tour in solidarity: Lukas Graham, Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Beoga. The first three are openers, but Beoga actually plays a six-song set with Sheeran in his show. And they were the best thing about Sheeran's tour stop here.
Ross Raihala (Alpha Male) 🌈@rossraihala.bsky.social · last mo.The Ed Sheeran crowd was quite subdued, at least at first. Ed had to gently encourage them to sing along and show some more energy. Kind of awkward, tbh. Here's my review (gift link):
i'm watching this bob mackie documentary on tubi and honestly the truest mark of friendship is carol burnett being so angry she's crying that bob mackie lost the best costume oscar to chariots of fire FORTY-THREE YEARS LATER
Co-sign this! If an Oasis documentary/concert film interests you at all, go see it in IMAX while you can this week. All I really wanna know is how much Liam’s REI reward was in 2025.
Ross Raihala (Alpha Male) 🌈@rossraihala.bsky.social · 2w agoOK, the Oasis doc was *fantastic* I couldn't believe how great the band sounds, including Liam who still has one of the greatest voices in rock. If you've been on the fence, you should really go ahead and see it in IMAX while you still can.