Johnny & Molly from Communist Daughter get loud at the James J. Hill Library

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Thursday night was the final night of the Loud at the Library series, a fundraiser for the Friends of the Library featuring local musicians at the James J Hill Library. The grand finale was Johnny (Solomon) and Molly (Moore) from Communist Daughter. I’m tempted to say they ended on a high note, except I’m hard pressed to call Solomon’s songs a high note. They were great; but he tells a sad tale. One audience member shouted – why do I feel so sad? Continue Reading

Record Store Day 2014: Eight record shops and $200 between two cities

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Saturday, April 19 was Record Store Day. To celebrate, my favorite nine-year-old and I visited eight record shops. I must admit I’m not a big buyer of records (or CDs), but I like to support local record shops so it was fun to be on a mission to visit as many shops as we could in a day. The Twin Cities has some great record shops!We started at Electric Fetus, a shop I visit often to see live bands and get tickets for shows. We arrived about 9 a.m., just in time for Jeremy Messersmith and Brian Tighe, and Glam Girl Donuts. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Joe Pug, Malamanya and Erik Koskinen on Real Phonic Radio at the Hill Library

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This month was an eclectic lineup for the monthly Real Phonic Radio performed at the James J Hill Library with some Cuban salsa, folky Americana, alternative country and a little poetry thrown in for good measure.Joe Pug headlined the show. He plays guitar and harmonica and sings like a non-whiny Bob Dylan. His voice or maybe the way he sings is imploring and almost urgent, especially in a song like “I am the Day I am the Dawn.” The guitar playing is a much gentler, easier steady plucking.His songs are stories that seem much older than he is. Even a song like “I do my Father’s Drugs” seems like the song of an older generation or an earlier time. Continue Reading

Three reasons you should see zAmya Theater’s Home Street Home Minneapolis

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It’s a show of the people for the people. And it’s free. So there’s no excuse not to go and every reason to make the effort to see it; I know because I was able to catch part of a rehearsal last week.Home Street Home Minneapolis is a play about the day in the life of downtown Minneapolis through the eyes of tour guide and street musician Zeke Cooper and the people he encounters. Director Maren Ward (from Bedlam Theatre) has led the troupe, many of whom have experienced homelessness themselves, through the process of writing and performing the show. They interviewed people who spend time in Minneapolis and drew from personal experiences to create vignettes from daily downtown life. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Turf Club becomes an 80’s dance club with Small Black

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I’ve never seen the Turf Club as a dance club before but that changed Saturday night when I went to see Small Black. They had a whole dance scene set up: smoke machines, bright oscillating lights and a stage full of musicians. It was like shrinking an arena show from the 1980s just for the Twin from the Cities. It reminded me of seeing the Stone Roses at an outdoor show two summers ago – easy breezy.Small Black has been called chillwave – a term that was new to me, but it’s apt. Their music is easy to like and it’s easy to dance to it. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | The Lowest Pair and Dead Pigeons at the Cedar Cultural Center: Double record release, double banjo harmony

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If I said imagine a band with one member from Minneapolis’ West Band and one from Olympia, Washington playing at the Cedar Cultural Center, I think you might be able to picture The Lowest Pair. He used to play Palmers on Tuesday nights; she used to work in a vegan bakery. They look exactly like you might think. However you might not picture the most important part: two banjos. Palmer T. Lee is originally from Minnesota he plays with The Boys n’ the Barrels; Kendl Winter is from Arkansas but lived in Olympia. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Noise to be seen and heard: Indian Burial Ground, Delores Dewberry, fire island AK, and Analscubahive at the Kitty Cat Klub

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Monday night at the Kitty Cat Club I saw what I think I expected from a noise show before I’d ever seen a noise show – but in a bar setting. I’ve been to a few noise shows now in basements and apartments or one of two noise bands playing with others at a bar but last night was all noise all night. I noticed a pulse throughout the show. Each performer picked it up or somehow incorporated a sound that beat like a pulse. Sometimes it beat like almost indiscernibly like someone resting – sometimes it pounded with rage, but it was interesting that while the waves of the pulse changed, it was always there. Continue Reading