Sounding Off On Sound

Probably the best comic you never heard of, Canada-based Russell Peters is a rare find, doing the sort of ingenious stand-up you just don't see these days. Not that he's exactly unknown, having done extensive stage, television and movie work. Still, Peters has to be one of the quietest successes in the entertainment industry, drawing, for example, a respectable but hardly sold-out house to the State Theatre on May 2. In the preceding weeks the widely famous had come through and packed the place—but, ironically, not one of them was half as funny. In fact, if you go through a roster of the biggest names in the business, you'll be lucky to find a handful that who are as good as this guy.

On April 14, the Orpheum Theatre was struck by Widespread Panic, inciting a completely sold out house of revelers to create absolute pandemonium. Fans of this veteran rock powerhouse are nothing if not faithful, wildly devoted to what can only be called an extreme. It must be pretty thirsty work, because when Panic hit the State Theatre across the street on Hennepin Avenue in 2011, the bars ran out of beer before the show was half underway—so, quite sensibly, things were moved to the larger venue and the venue laid in a stronger supply of brew.

Brett Newski & The Corruption, a pretty damned good pop-rock outfit, are coming to the Twin Cities on May 4, launching their second U.S. tour at Cause in Minneapolis, hailing all the way from—you ready for this?—Saigon, Vietnam. Just when you thought you'd heard of everything.

There's no definitive word as to whether guitartist-vocalist Mark Martin is still part of San Francisco style rockers Inukshuk Pass. If he's moved on, it can't be but so far. When the premiere blues specialist did a solo set March 8, in a Wild Tymes'/The Palace Stage showcase in downtown St. Paul, IP powerhouse vocalist-songwriter Patti Ryan and bass ace Paul Weyandt made sure to get there on time, kicking the Willie-Bobo with Martin and hanging around to congratulate him afterward.