Minneapolis Sound 2.0 is a series of projects and events produced by Bobby Kahn and Chosen By The Funk. Like many others, Bobby was devastated by the loss of Prince, but was incredibly inspired by what he witnessed at First Avenue the following nights. He recounted those all-night dance parties in a piece for The Current, and in that piece, he wondered why something like that could only happen to mark a sad occasion. After the piece was published, Bobby realized he should be proactive in making a more funky future for Minneapolis, and not sit around and hope that someone else does. That's when Minneapolis Sound 2.0 was born.
Bobby has seen and heard a lot of funky dancers and musicians all around Minneapolis in the past year, and Minneapolis Sound 2.0 is about bringing them all together on one dance floor, to celebrate OUR musical heritage. It's about connecting the past with the present and future. You can read more about his plans in this article on the Local Current Blog.
The first Minneapolis Sound 2.0 event took place at The Hook and Ladder Theater in December 2016. It was a variety show featuring dance and music acts, followed by a dance party soundtracked by three local hip-hop, funk, and house DJs. The event was also a fundraiser for the non-profit Hopewell Music Cooperative North, North Minneapolis only music school.
In April 2017, the MS2.0 campaign continued with a Prince tribute event in the 7th Street Entry at First Avenue featuring Detroit DJ and Prince mega-fan Moodymann. The campaign also included a feature written by Bobby for The Current about Prince's connection to Detroit and his influence over Detroit techno and house music, which was one of The Current's most well received/shared posts in an avalanche of Prince-related content over the week of the Paisley Park Celebration event.
Here is a video recap of the event, as well as some footage from the Main Room at First Avenue the following night.
Here's a video of Bobby giving a speech to explain his future plans for Minneapolis Sound 2.0 and introduce Moodymann at Deep Purple