Midweek Minnesota

By Erik Ritland

Your home for fun, entertaining music and sports talk!

St. Paul journalist, songwriter, and commentator Erik Ritland brings you Midweek Minnesota, part of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.

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FAQs about Midweek Minnesota:

How many episodes does Midweek Minnesota have?

The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.

Midweek Minnesota episodes:

October 16, 2019 Packers/Lions Controversy, Victorious Vikings, Waning Wild, Terrible Twins
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 28th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast. Midweek Minnesota is a segment on ERisB.

For this episode of Midweek Minnesota's Sports Ramble, host Erik Ritland talks with Twins and Wild analyst Peter Ripka. Topics include:
- Vikings victory over the Eagles, Cousins ceiling, importance of Dalvin Cook
- Referee controversy in Packers/Lions, including our first listener question (who is the James Harden of the NFL?)
- Replay discussion. Aren't sky judges basically just gods?
- Listener question: should the Wild look to trade?
- Listener questions on Twins accountability and how optimistic we should be for their future
- Percentages and Probabilities: Lions playoffs, Cousins prime time, Wolves win total
Thanks for listening!
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39min
September 25, 2019 Twins Playoff Rotation and Batting Order, Cousins, Keenum, Etc.
Midweek Minnesota host and Minnesota Sports Ramble analyst Peter Ripka talk a whole lot of Twins and Vikings in this episode.
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36min
September 25, 2019 Son Volt: Americana, Protest Songs, and Dealing with the Past
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.

On this Music Ramble segment, host Erik Ritland talks Americana legends Son Volt.
Topics include their new album Union, how Son Volt leader Jay Farrar deals with the past, and their current tour.
Relevant Links
- Son Volt's upcoming tour dates
- Listen to Son Volt's new album Union
- Watch the live stream of the show that Erik reviews in this episode
- Erik's original article
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6min
September 18, 2019 Vikings/Packers, Twins/Indians, Wild Preseason Begins
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast. Midweek Minnesota is a segment on ERisB.

For this episode of Midweek Minnesota's Sports Ramble, host Erik Ritland talks with Twins and Wild analyst Peter Ripka. Topics include:

Vikings talkers
- Dalvin Cook good (edgy take!)
- Kirk Cousins bad (another edgy take!)
- Would you rather: Favre to Rodgers or Peterson to Cook?
- If not Cousins, who? Bridgewater, Keenum? Umm...
- Referees bad (replay penalties, officiating is stupid now)
- Dolphins sh*t talking (bring back Culter!)
- Patriots sh*t talking (this just in: their division always sucks)
- Diggs and Thielen as divas?
- Offensive line divas?
Wild talk: Spurgeon extension, Dumba's return
Twins talk: taking care of Cleveland, adios Gibson, R.A. Dickey love, tease for next week

Thanks for listening!
...more
23min
September 18, 2019 Minnesota Songwriters, Sinatra, Ryan Adams Gossip, Beer
A low key, conversational episode with Music in Minnesota's Tom Smouse.
Segment One: Song-Telling Tuesday deep dive, Chastity Brown, Haley, Erik Ritland on songwriting.
Segment Two: Smouse's two songs, the Defeat of Jesse James Days in Northfield, Northfield antique store shopping, Sinatra, Buddy Holly, Duke Ellington in Fargo, Bob Dylan's five albums of Sinatra covers
Segment Three: Yam beer, shows we've been covering (the Who, Nathaniel Rateliff), how long should bands play?, Ryan Adams gossip.
The Midweek Minnesota Music Ramble is the local music segment of Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast. If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of Erik Ritland isn't so Bad.
Links to stuff referenced:
- Haley's Song-Telling Tuesday
- Erik's Song-Telling Tuesday
- More on the Defeat of Jesse James in Northfield
- The yam beer Erik mentioned was indeed made by Indeed.
- Recent writing and reviews from Tom Smouse
- Recent writing and reviews from Erik Ritland, including his review of The Who.
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34min
September 12, 2019 Are the 2019 Minnesota Twins Dunzo?(and some Vikings talk)
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.
For this edition of the Midweek Minnesota Sports Ramble segment, host Erik Ritland flies solo.
And he kinda goes loose cannon on the bit.
Epic rants about Michael Pineda's suspension, the Twins not being active enough at the deadline, the decline of their lineup, and more.
It ends with a harsh prediction of their season. Also, some Vikings/Falcons and Vikings/Packer talk.
Thanks for listening. For Erik Ritland's smarmy Minnesota sports commentary, visit the Minnesota Sports Ramble Twitter page.
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13min
September 11, 2019 For the Love of Twin Cities Concert Venues and Songwriters (ft. Tom Smouse)
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.

On this Music Ramble segment, host Erik Ritland talks with Music in Minnesota writer Tom Smouse. Topic include:

- Smouse's Song-Telling Tuesday, which goes in-depth with Minnesota songwriting luminaries like Heart Bones, Haley, and Chastity Brown
- Smouse's venue series (331 Club, Caydence, the Cedar Cultural Center, more)
- Host Erik Ritland's ties to Ben Kyle, Romantica, and Ringo Starr
- A special announcement about season two of the Smouse in the House venue series
- Flyover country and giving Iowa credit for Slipknot
- Shows to look forward to in the next week, including the Harvest Moon Festival, Erik Koskinen at the Fine Line, Left Lane Cruiser at the Hook and Ladder, an impressive lineup of bands from across the country at Caydence, and more
- Will Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young be here this week?
- Why Minnesota music venues are so special

Thanks for listening!
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35min
September 06, 2019 BONUS: NFL and Vikings Predictions
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.

In this bonus episode of Midweek Minnesota Sports, host Erik Ritland talks with Sports Ramble Vikings commentator Mike Coenen. Topics covered include:
- Vikings positivity: defense
- Xavier Rhodes issues?
- Vikings positivity: Thielen, Cook, Diggs
- Will Cousins take the next step?
- Flashy quarterback stats and how the quarterback position has changed
- NFC North: predictions for a fun division that is certainly up for grabs
- “Throw it against the wall” Super Bowl predictions (four different teams picked!)
- Erik’s greatest NFL prediction
- Percentages and Probabilities: Antonio Brown (recorded BEFORE he was cut and signed by the Patriots), Vikings: win division or miss playoffs?, Cousins in prime time, Andrew Luck returning to the NFL?
...and more!

Thanks for listening. For Erik Ritland's smarmy Minnesota sports commentary, visit the Minnesota Sports Ramble Twitter page.
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25min
September 04, 2019 Apology Segment, All the KFAN Bits, 2019 Twins Talk, Vikings Predictions, New Wild GM
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.
In this very first Sports Ramble segment of Midweek Minnesota, host Erik Ritland talks with Twins and Wild analyst Peter Ripka. Their fascinating, wide-ranging discussion features:
- More KFAN bits than a KFAN show
- An apology segment to a local sports team
- 2019 Twins talk: rotation, bullpen, Buxton and Sano, home runs and marketing campaigns, get to know 'em
- Controversial Twins playoff prediction
- Vikings 2019 outlook: Cousins, Cook, defense, NFC North and Vikings predictions
- New Wild GM talk
...and more!
Thanks for listening. For Erik Ritland's smarmy Minnesota sports commentary, visit the Minnesota Sports Ramble Twitter page.
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36min
September 04, 2019 Ringo, Herbie Hancock, Kesha, and Beyond!
If you love what you hear, mark your calendar for October 7th, the launch of the Erik Ritland isn't so Bad podcast.
In this very first segment of Midweek Minnesota, host Erik Ritland talks with Music in Minnesota writer Aaron Williams.
They discuss what they're currently listening to, recent shows they've covered, upcoming shows they're looking forward to, and more. This fascinating, wide-ranging podcast covers:
- Getting into jazz (Herbie Hancock, Clifford Jordan)
- David Berman of Silver Jews
- The Kinks, especially their songs "Strangers" and "Oklahoma, U.S.A."
- Legendary songwriter John Prine getting even better with time
- Guitar wizard Matt Sowell - The Americana of Western Centuries
- Titus Andronicus - Sheer Mag - Tame Impala - Kesha and other glittery things
- The Who going on and on and on and on
- Ringo Starr surprising with a lot of deep cuts
- A triple bill featuring Social Distortion, Flogging Molly, and The Devil Makes Three

...and more!

Thanks for listening. Visit Music in Minnesota to view both Erik and Aaron's reviews in addition to other great content. To listen to Erik's music, visit his website and his BandCamp page.
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37min

FAQs about Midweek Minnesota:

How many episodes does Midweek Minnesota have?

The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.