This Must Be The Place

We Finally Got Rob Harvilla on the Podcast

For more than five years, Rob Harvilla has been turning songs into stories and music journalism into something closer to stand-up comedy, memoir, cultural history, and therapy. Rob is the creator and host of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s (and now the 2000s), one of the most beloved music podcasts anywhere. He joined us to talk about the evolution of the show, why some songs refuse to die, Courtney Love, Prince, The Replacements, The Hold Steady, Lizzo, the strange cultural power of the Twin Cities, and why Gregorian chant CDs somehow became a thing in the early 1990s. We also discuss: • How Rob chooses songs for the podcast • Why he rarely approaches music from a place of hate • The challenge of balancing tragedy and celebration when telling artists' stories • Courtney Love, Nirvana, and surviving media mythology • Prince's lasting influence on Minneapolis music culture • Why the Twin Cities have always felt different from the rest of the music industry • Live, Bush, Soul Asylum, and the complicated legacy of post-grunge • The Hold Steady and writing about place • Kim Deal, The Breeders, and Midwest music legends • The greatest fried chicken mystery in American history If you love music, storytelling, pop culture history, or just listening to smart people wander into fascinating conversations, this one is for you. Subscribe for more episodes of This Must Be The Place. 🎧 Follow Rob Harvilla: • 60 Songs That Explain the 90s / 2000s • Author of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s #MusicPodcast #RobHarvilla #60SongsThatExplainthe90s #Prince #Nirvana #CourtneyLove #TheReplacements #TheHoldSteady #TwinCities #MusicHistory #Podcast 00:00 Intro 00:30 Theme song 01:20 Introducing Rob Harvilla 05:20 Book Plug 06:00 Prolific Rob writes like Hamilton.  08:30 60 songs that explain the 90’s/2000s 11:00 Rob is NOT a Hater 17:35 Andrew’s Mt Rushmore of storytellers 21:55 Casey’s Musical Past as a rapper  26:45 Rob and Courtney Love explained 33:30 Gregorian Chants and the 90s 37:30 Live and the Kings of Leon 43:15 Twin Cities Music  53:30 Chicken in Ohio in Station Wagons facing backwards 54:15 The Breeders  59:30 Play the song.

Ep:52 One of Us Pooped at a Swedish Pancake Restaurant | Diamond Lake

WELCOME BACK to This Must Be The Place — the only Twin Cities podcast where one of the hosts quietly pooped his pants inside a Swedish pancake restaurant in the late 1980s and returned to the table like nothing happened. This week we’re diving into Diamond Lake: airplane noise, bungalow history, weird Minneapolis lore, dead lakes, detached garages, Dutch elm disease, neighborhood identity crises, and the man who may have literally named Minneapolis under an elm tree. Along the way: • Casey gets assaulted by pigeons in NYC • Andrew questions whether Diamond Lake has “nightlife” • We learn why Minneapolis alleys exist • The guys debate whether Fat Lorenzo’s is actually good • A listener proposes giving away a house at the world’s greatest real estate party • BoomTimes includes free solo climbers, wingsuits, gardening shows, and existential terror Basically: local history meets public access television meets two exhausted realtors trying to hold civilization together with podcast microphones. If you love Minneapolis neighborhood lore, weird Twin Cities history, architecture, local culture, airplanes flying directly over your home, or hearing two grown men derail conversations every six minutes… this one’s for you. 00:00 Intro 01:30 Andrew's Welcome (he pooped his pants) 03:30 Pigeons carpet bombed Casey as a child 06:30 Memorial Day Recap 08:37 Neighborhood Watch Diamond Lake 09:15 Niche review 15:45 History of Diamond Lake 20:40 How Minneapolis got it's name 26:50 the 3 restaurants of Diamond Lake 29:40 Airplane Noise for everyone 32:50 Listener MailBag : Leroy P Romage III 36:00 The ultimate party 40:55 BOOMTIMES The Dark Wizard 46:20 This is a Gardening Show 49:30 The End

EP: 51 Battle Creek, Escaped Gorillas & Timberwolves Grief Counseling

This week on This Must Be The Place, we somehow go from the Blue Rooster vs. Spoon and Cherry debate to escaped gorillas, stolen clothes, Minnesota history, PFAS, Timberwolves playoff stress, and why Battle Creek might be one of the most underrated corners of Saint Paul. We dig into Minnesota statehood, the state flag debate, Pig’s Eye, Garden City, Battle Creek Regional Park, and the role 3M played in shaping the area for better and worse. There’s also neighborhood talk, local history, playoff basketball anxiety, questionable opinions about NYC, and a very important discussion about the five stages of grief as a Wolves fan. Also: • Chris Finch coaching masterclass • BooMTiMeS • Mayday Parade • Knights of the Seven Kingdoms • Shout out to our amazing clients • Casey accidentally learning too much about murderers. If you like Twin Cities history, neighborhood deep dives, pop culture tangents, and two guys slowly losing their minds on microphones, welcome home. Questions or comments? Reach us at: 📧 Email: thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com [thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com] 📞 Voicemail: 612.234.1889   TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:12 Blue Rooster or Cherry on Spoon? 05:30 This Week in MN History 06:00 MN Statehood and the Flag Debate 09:25 Casey The Gorilla Escapes 11:05 John Campbell is a clothes stealing murderer 12:55 Welcome to Garden City 15:30 Neighborhood Watch (Battle Creek) 19:50 What Niche has to say 22:10 The Hills and Nature of Battle Creek Regional Park 27:10 Pig’s Eye 31:10 3M’s role in Battle Creek and PFAS 33:15 Things to do In Battle Creek 35:30 BooMTiMeS 37:10 Timberwolves Playoff Run 40:11 The 5 stages of Grief DABDA 41:10 NYC is a trash heap of a city and people 44:00 Finch is coaching his ass off 46:09 DTF Saint Louis and Knights Tale of the Seven Kingdoms 48:44 Mayday Parade 51:40 Shout out to our Amazing Clients 52:58 END

Ep 50: Bryan in MSP, Roseville, MC Hammer and MacGyver.

We sat down with Bryan in MSP and somehow covered Roseville, mall walking as a lifestyle, tracksuits as a personality trait, and why he may or may not be personally responsible for the longest winters on record. Bryan’s origin story is exactly what you’d hope for. Equal parts internet curiosity, marketing acumen, dry humor, Twin Cities knowledge, and a willingness to just go walk around places most people drive past. What started as documenting the overlooked corners of the metro turned into one of the most recognizable local voices out there. We get into Roseville in a real way. Why it’s easy to dismiss, why that’s a mistake, and what actually makes it one of the more interesting spots in the metro once you slow down enough to notice it. There’s also a full breakdown of mall culture and average restaurants. We talk MC Hammer, Slash and MacGyver because you kind of have to if you’re talking Twin Cities identity. Tracksuits come up more than once. No apologies. If you care about the Twin Cities beyond just real estate, if you like the weird little details that make a place feel like a place, or if you’ve ever found yourself walking a mall for no real reason… this one’s for you. Questions or comments? Reach us at:📧 Email: thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com [thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com] 📞 Voicemail: 612.234.1889 00:00 Intro 01:00 MC Hammer, Slash and anonymity 02:53 Andrew’s Hello 04:20 Bryan in MSP 05:40 The origin Story 09:35 Market yourself authentically 13:15 Serving clients and work life balance 16:55 Neighborhood Watch - Roseville 21:21 Bryan ranks the best Mall Walking Malls 23:06 Shout out St. Joel 32:55 Roseville Trivia 41:46 This Week In MN History 51:50 BooMTiMeS Flea and other Parties over albums 57:15 Project Hail Mary 59:50 Dead Loch 01:02:50 Play The Music

EP: 49 Lynnhurst, Quartz is out, Professor Pee Pee and Jack Harlow's hilarious nicknames

This week on This Must Be The Place, we take a deep dive into one of Minneapolis’s most desirable neighborhoods, ranked #3 by Niche. We get into the history, the housing stock, the restaurants, and the overall feel that makes this area such an aspirational place to live in the Twin Cities. From architecture to everyday livability, we break down what actually makes a neighborhood “worth it” and why people are willing to compete to be there.   We also shift gears into a conversation around quartz countertops and the growing concerns tied to silica exposure. With bans emerging in parts of the world, we unpack what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for homeowners, buyers, and the future of kitchen design.   Plus: This Week in Minnesota History BoomTimes (with some all-time nicknames for Jack Harlow… Earl Dress Shirt, Tyler the Developer, and more) And the usual drift into whatever else feels worth talking about.   Neighborhoods, communities, culture, and a few tangents along the way.   Questions or comments? Reach us at: 📧 Email: thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com [thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com] 📞 Voicemail: 612.234.1889   00:00 Intro 00:54 Roll the music 01:22 When Doves Fry 03:00 MSP airport plays Loon sounds 04:44 Spanish Food has no flavor 08:22 Neighborhood Watch Lynnhurst 09:10 Bounds and Borders 11:15 Niche ranked #3 demographics and make-up 14:20 less white than Stillwater 15:20 Neighborhood Feel 16:30 Lynnhurst History and Architecture 18:20 The War of Richfield 19:45 Arts and Crafts as a reaction to Victorian 22:00 Neighborhoods have always evolved 24:30 TLDR 24:55 Lynnhurst Nature and Restaurants 28:30 Lynnjacent Living 30:35 CALL OR EMAIL US! You will get on the pod 31:30 612.234.1889 or thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com [thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com] 32:15 The rise and fall of Quatrz Counters 35:00 Silica and Lung Damage links 39:40 Mitigation? 41:30 This Week In MN History 47:45 Macalester Professor Pee Pee 49:00 BooMTiMeS 50:56 Jack Harlow new album and amazing internet Nick Names 56:30 Send Help 57:34 Gorillaz 58:59 Roll the music