Minneapolis, MN
Lucky Cat Records brings good fortune to iconic corner
Lucky Cat Records revives Minneapolis music history
When it comes to the evolution of Minnesota music, few intersections are as instrumental as 26th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – When it comes to the evolution of Minnesota music, few intersections are as instrumental as 26th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis.
Michelle Swanson, Lucky Cat Records owner (FOX 9)
A new spin on a local landmark
What we know:
At Lucky Cat Records, vinyl heads can get their fix from the store’s new and vintage stacks of wax, but it is also a mini-museum for the local music scene.
“With all the history here, it’s really big shoes to fill,” said owner Michele Swanson.
Swanson opened the shop this past summer after learning the historic space was available, even though the retired Delta Airlines manager had never run a record store before.
“It’s something I never planned on. There’s a pie in the sky sort of idea that came to fruition and it’s just been fantastic,” said Swanson.
When it began
The backstory:
Back in the 70s and 80s, the space was home to Oak Folkjokeopus, which was a mecca for legendary local bands like The Suburbs, Soul Asylum and Husker Du, who hung out to listen to punk and post punk records, while also frequenting the CC Club across the street for a drink.
In fact, The Replacements were discovered here when their frontman Paul Westerberg handed the band’s demo to their future manager Peter Jesperson, who was working at Oar Folk.
After Oar Folkjokeopus closed in 2001, employee Mark Trehus ran Treehouse Records in the building until 2017.
The shop sat empty for 7 years until Swanson decided to bring another record store to the neighborhood.
“This space is so special and I really wanted to make sure to honor the past, not only Oar Folk and Treehouse and what came before, but all the artists and all the music community,” said Swanson.
Dropping the needle on a new era
What they’re saying:
There are nods to the past beyond just the posters on the wall.
The sign out front is in the same font as the one for Oar Folkjokeopus.
For opening weekend last July, Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson performed in the store with a surprise encore with the son of Minnesota legend Bob Dylan, Jacob Dylan and The Wallflowers, who happened to have a show in town.
Swanson named her shop after the items she saw in every storefront while traveling in Japan with Delta, but she hopes her focus on local music will hit a groove with a new generation of fans without skipping a beat.
“It’s been just amazing being able to open a record store in this kind of hallowed spot and this place. We just hope to continue to be part of the community and to be something that’s valuable and also a place where we can continue to educate people about the past,” said Swanson.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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