Unbeknownst to Ray Suen, musical director for David Byrne, the Twin Cities was the perfect place to break his beloved five-string violin.

Ahead of Byrne's two "Who Is The Sky?" shows in Minneapolis, Suen was left without his "main axe" since 2007. But, in an incredible stroke of luck, he learned the maker of that very violin, Gary Bartig of Acoustic Electric Strings, lives in the area.

On Monday, with only minutes until soundcheck was set to begin at the Orpheum Theatre, Suen was informed his violin had been accidentally knocked off its stand backstage and irreparably broken its neck. Thus began a frantic search for a replacement.

But five-string violins aren't very common. (There are only four strings on a standard violin.) And no one could find a Twin Cities music shop that carries th

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