Robin Scholer of Golden Valley:
1 Marty Stuart, State Fair. His rendition of "Orange Blossom Special" on mandolin was a nice surprise. Tight harmonies, excellent musicianship. A full house was engaged.
2 Buffy Sainte-Marie, the Dakota. She is a strong performer who shares her passion and intellect with every show. She did mostly tunes from her new album, "Power in the Blood," her best in years.
3 John Jorgenson and Herb Pedersen, the Dakota. They perform easily together on various stringed instruments, handling the vocals between them. Patrick Sauber played with them — three Norwegians playing bluegrass!
Jon Bream of the Star Tribune:
1 Lauryn Hill, First Avenue. The reclusive hip-hop/soul star gave a fierce performance, recasting many of her best known numbers and conducting her musicians on the spot.
2 Prince's biggest fan, thrillest.com. A 93-year-old Cleveland woman had a huge memorabilia collection.
3 Questlove Supreme, Pandora. The Roots drummer/music superfan has a brand-new talk show featuring his curious/nerdy mind, famous guests and musical surprises.
To contribute: popmusic@startribune.com.
