St. Paul Pioneer Press Fort Minor Show Article

Friday, February 11, 2005

Fort Minor Promises to Bring a Major Show

January 2006
 
Saturday night's Fort Minor gig at Station 4 in downtown St. Paul is the group's first stop on its first U.S. tour. But it won't be a modest debut.

"It's 11 people on stage," Fort Minor's leader Mike Shinoda said during a phone interview last week from Los Angeles. "It's me, three of the four guys from Styles of Beyond, a drummer, three string players and three backup vocalists.

"It's a really big show. In fact, my agent said, based on the ticket price I want to offer, even if I sell out every single venue, I'm not going to make any money. So I'm paying for these shows — but I feel strongly about the music and I want people to really experience what the album is all about."
Luckily for Shinoda, his day job pays well. The rapper and vocalist is a founding member of Linkin Park, which has sold some 36 million albums worldwide over the past five years.

Shinoda's rapping in Linkin Park is just one element in a metallic mix, but in Fort Minor it's front and center. He wrote, produced and performed nearly every note on Fort Minor's debut disc, "Rising Tied."
"I was really picky about what went onto the record, but at the same time I wanted to have fun," said the 28-year-old California native. "My goal was to get back to my roots. Hip-hop is the only music that I've listened to consistently throughout my life. Run DMC's 'Raising Hell' was the first record I bought, and I fell in love with it instantly."

So far, "Rising Tied" has found its biggest success outside the United States, hitting the top of the charts across Europe and even in far-off locales like South Africa.

"We've already toured overseas, and after the current run we're going to Asia — it's a huge record over there," Shinoda said. "We wanted to be very deliberate and cautious in the States. I don't want Fort Minor to come off as just a Linkin Park spinoff — it's basically an alternative to what's going on in the rest of hip-hop."

As for Linkin Park, fans can expect a new album by the end of the year.
"I wish I could tell you when," he said. "But I'm writing for Linkin Park while I'm touring with Fort Minor. That's what I'll be doing on the bus."

If you go
Who: Fort Minor with Little Brother
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Station 4, 201 E. Fourth St., St. Paul
Tickets: $20
Call: 651-989-5151