MUSIC REVIEW | Fleetwood Mac packs the Xcel Center

By |

There is no arguing that Fleetwood Mac’s performance at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 16 was stellar. The crowd was completely into it, the band was playing well within their limitations incredibly well, Lindsey Buckingham was shredding all night, Stevie Nicks was as haunting as ever … it was a display of fantastic musicians playing very well to a crowd that was eating it up.There was genuine excitement in the air for Fleetwood Mac’s performance, and the pop that the band received when they took the stage was one of the loudest I have ever heard. Xcel was packed to the roof with grateful fans who were on their feet almost the whole time, singing along in unison to practically every track that the band performed, and it was clear that the band had these people’s attention and admiration from the moment they stepped on the stage.As stated before, the band played at a ridiculously high level, firing off very tight and satisfying renditions of some of their best works and bringing the crowd along for the ride on a wave that put them just within touch of the band’s high water mark years before, bringing you glimpses into that iconic act that has been so very successful for so very long.But in spite of how fantastic everything was, and how I, as a complete and total junkie for historic bands and popular music, and as an individual who very much enjoys Fleetwood Mac, knew how I should have been responding to it, I could not shake this overall feeling of boredom the entire time I was there.Regardless of whether it was one of their all time classics, like Rhiannon or The Chain, or even an incredibly moving performance of Landslide, moments into any given song my brain would start to wander into what the rest of my evening would look like, and I would wonder what other people were doing. Nothing felt genuinely captivating. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Martha Scanlan, Michael Rossetto and Real Phonic Band friends play Classical to Americana at the Hill Library

By |

Every third Thursday, the James J Hill Library leaves their shush at the door and welcomes Real Phonic Radio. In January, the door opened to sweet sounds of Martha Scanlan balanced nicely with a lot of much lower voices throughout the night.This is the second time Scanlan has played Real Phonic Radio. Last time she played with Amy Helm, this time with Dolorean’s Jon Neufeld. The music was softer this time. Scanlan has a very sweet voice – gentle and warbling at times like a songbird. Continue Reading

MUSIC PHOTOS | Girl Germs at Turf Club

By |

Girl Germs performed its second installment at the Turf Club on Saturday, January 10.Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Girl Germs: An epidemic you won’t mind catching

By |

Saturday night the Turf Club welcomed the second infestation of local Girl Germs. Like lots of good ideas, it’s a simple theme – local musicians paying homage to women in rock. That might mean Kitten Forever taking a pop icon like Beyoncé and making it their own. It might mean Aby Wolf striking perfect pitch of Kate Bush. There’s something for everyone, which makes the case that women can’t be pigeon-holed – they can rock any genre, any era, any taste.Also worth noting – casting for the event is gender-blind. (Which led to the most amazing performance last time around with Night Moves singing the Cranberries. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Wrestlepalooza V packs a punch at First Avenue

By |

I could write a big article about the technical prowess of the likes of the North Star Express, Zero Gravity, and the other performers involved in Jan. 9th’s Wrestlepalooza V event at First Avenue.I could give a long list of results, giving detailed recollections of the cartoonishly ridiculous number of high-flying and amazing moments involved in each and every match right down the card.I could tell you Metallagher’s setlist, and run down how their gimmick fit the show.I could tell you how Queenie Von Curves continued to fit right into the Wrestlepalooza world, and how Musette killed in an Optimus Prime themed burlesque act uniquely catered the the folks in attendance.But none of these things, not a one, would accurately describe or do justice to how amazing Wrestlepalooza V was. And by God, it was amazing.It would seem that Wrestlepalooza is no longer the best-kept secret in wrestling, as the event finally sold out First Avenue, packing almost a thousand strong into a space that was barely able to hold the rowdy and energetic crowd. The place was hot all night for virtually everything that was going on, but particularly the wrestling, as chant after chant burst from those in attendance to spur on the performers in the ring.With each passing Wrestlepalooza it seems clear that the folks running the show are drawing closer to the perfect formula, honing in on complementary acts to the fantastic mix of wrestling, of both the pure athletic and the fun, comedic sort, in the ring. Metallagher more than any previous act fit the bill for the over-the-top action in the ring, although the mess they made probably made things a bit difficult for the wrestlers who followed.Wrestlepalooza deserves a gross amount of gushing praise that is more suited to Twitter or a comments section than should be delivered in an actual article. Continue Reading

Innova Hi-Fi Club: Like a whale swimming in pink

By |

Monday night my favorite 10 year old and I went to the Innova Hi-Fi Club. It was a cold day and a Tweet from the Secrets of the City that sparked our interest in venturing out for something completely different. Here’s the Tweet that got us out the door…Innova HiFi Club: Bowed Metal Music and Ambient Tuba sounds nuts, but it’s gorgeous.It was an old school record party held at the Landmark Center with a handful of the friendliest people with an incredibly deep understanding of music. There were eight or nine of us in an elegant former courtroom on the fourth floor of the Landmark Center sitting the dark listening to ambient tuba and metal music – not heavy metal, more industrial metal.It started with Tom Heasley’s On the Sensations of Tone. On it he plays the tuba – but not tunes, tones. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Cool Jazz and more at the Khyber Pass Cafe

By |

Thursday night at the Khyber Pass Café celebrated New Year’s Day with experimental jazz with Davu Seru on drums, Nathan Hanson on saxophone and Doan Brian Roessler on upright bass.I walked in a little late and I was delighted to hear old school cool Audrey Hepburn (Funny Face) jazz, which delighted me after a New Year’s Eve marathon of Twilight Zone watching, which also featured a lot of Funny Face jazz. It was one of the first times that a jazz show brought back memories, because I’m not a lifelong jazz fan. There was something oddly comforting in the memory and then something even nicer yet when the music went more modern and it didn’t remind me of anything. It stood on its own to make a new memory.The ensemble was a new compilation, although it included three accomplished musicians. I first saw Davu Seru doing a drum duet, which was unusual and amazing. Continue Reading