"The Story Of The Derrickman, Toolpusher, Roustabout, Roughneck, Driller And The Company Man" song

Todd Melby Roadhouse 05-14-21

Encuentro - 05/06/21 (last live program)

In downtown Minneapolis, there's a gay bar with several dance floors conveniently named the Gay 90's. 

The Gay 90’s hasn’t always been gay. The bar began as a supper club for a straight crowd. It opened in the 1950s and the name was a reference to an earlier decade, the 1890s.

Then, in 1975, the vibe changed in a big way. The owners of the Gay 90's bought a disco ball, hired DJs, and turned the 90's into a club catering to gay men. 

In this original KFAI documentary, “Fly Robin Fly: That Disco-Crazed Moment When The Gay 90's Came Out Of The Closet” by KFAI's Todd Melby, you'll hear a history of the bar featuring some of the people who worked, danced and connected at the Gay 90's. 

Theme music by Xavier Santiago. Other music by J. Melby. Thanks to the Tretter Collection at the University of Minnesota for photography and oral history audio. Image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. 

Support for the MinneCulture Podcast on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultual Heritage Fund.

Fly Robin Fly: That Disco-Crazed Moment When The Gay 90's Came Out Of The Closet

Fewer Americans are watching movies in theaters—ticket sales fell by 11 percent between 2004 and 2013. For those attending the cinema, just about every movie available is projected digitally. 35-millimeter film, once the industry standard, is now a rarity. But there are still a few places you can watch a film flicker on a dark screen. 2 below zero's Todd Melby goes inside the projection room at the Trylon Microcinema in Minneapolis.

A Night with the Projectionist

The 1996 movie "Fargo" stirred widespread curiosity about snowy winters, funny accents and bloody mayhem on the frozen tundra of North Dakota and Minnesota. The film won two Oscar awards and inspired a popular television series. But how well did it actually capture and reflect the region? In this documentary, reporters Diane Richard and Todd Melby unravel the mystery behind the parkas, prowlers and wood chippers. Check out Todd's book on "Fargo" here: https://www.toddmelby.com/book

We Don't Talk Like That: 'Fargo' and the Midwest Psyche

Minneapolis singer Jayanthi Kyle grew up listening to songs of the civil rights movement. As police-involved killings of African-Americans gave rise to the Black Lives Matter Movement, Kyle was inspired to create a new song — with co-writer Wes Burdine — that could speak to this moment in history. KFAI's Nancy Rosenbaum reports. (Photo by Uche Iroegbu)

How Black Lives Matters Got An Anthem

Bethan shares her thoughts after seeing her first ever western, A Fistful of Dollars, at the BFI...

I've Never Seen a Western: A Fistful Of Dollars

When the Minnesota Timberwolves asked Gao Hong to play the "Star-Spangled Banner" before a game, she was nervous. This would be the first time most fans had heard her  — or anyone — play the Chinese pipa. And she wanted them to love it. KFAI's Ryan Dawes reports. (Photo by Ryan Dawes.)

Playing The National Anthem On A Pipa? Gao Hong Brings It

Did you ever wonder what a toolpusher, roustabout or derrick hand does on an oil rig? Wes St. Jon, also known as "The Oilfield Cowboy," aims to tell you. Wes is a singer/songwriter from Nashville who fell in love with the oil industry while living in Oklahoma and Louisiana. He got to know roughnecks, truckers and others folks in the business. They taught him how things worked. And he wrote songs about it.

Wes St. Jon: The Oilfield Cowboy

Fresh Fruit is the longest running queer radio program in the US. It has aired on KFAI Community Radio in Minneapolis, Minn. for over 40 years. MinneCulture host Jumondeh Tweh speaks with KFAI’s Dixie Treichel, who produced a radio documentary on this legendary radio show, tracking down former hosts and gathering the history of Fresh Fruit.

Ep. 17: Fresh Fruit: Over 40 Years Of Queer Radio

I've Never Seen a Hitchcock: VERTIGO (after)

Diane Richard + Todd Melby = 2 below zero. We're a couple who make thoughtful, thought-provoking public radio stories and documentaries. They also make separate work: Both are writers. Todd's book—"A Lot Can Happen in the Middle of Nowhere: The Untold Story of the Making of Fargo"—will be published in 2021 by MNHS Press.

Wes St. Jon: The Oilfield Cowboy

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