|
Walk The Moon Setlist
AWOLNATION Setlist
Saturday, July 8
PreferredOne Stage Star Tribune Stage Read More
|
Day Two of the Basilica Block Party meant walking, “Walk”, and more “Walk”—
The good weather had held up and even more people than the previous day, descended on the grounds of the Basilica of St. Mary, for another ten bands and six hours of music on the festival’s second and final day.
With three stages liberally spread out along the grounds (big stage in the back lot, medium stage out front and small stage behind the church), it often meant a lot of walking back and forth, in order to see bands on all three stages. As usual with the schedule, set times overlapped, so choices had to be made about who to see and where.
Star Tribune Stage
American Housewife were exactly as advertised- two ladies (Stephanie Paquin & Maureen Rudd, formerly of Space Heater) playing authentic alt-pop culled from their first release, In Like a Lion, released in May. Any band with a tune named ‘Sing a Big Star Song’ has to be likeable, and their next local appearance is sharing the unplugged stage at the Honey Lounge on July 27.
Jackson & the Roosters is a high-energy Americana five-piece who released their second album, the appropriately titled Round Two, earlier this year. The band opened for Ike Reilly this spring, gaining them even more fans, in addition to the ones earned at this performance.
Nooky Jones is a buzzing six-piece led by charismatic singer Cameron Kinghorn blending classic funk, sly r&b, smooth jazz, and seductive soul into a blend uniquely their own. With songs like ‘Hello’ and ‘The Way I See You’ already making waves on local radio shows, their debut album is out this month, and upcoming performances include an early evening free show Aug 4 at Orchestra Hall and a couple nights at the MN State Fair.
Preferred One Stage
Enemy Planes was the first band to appear on the front church stage, with the alt-synth group choosing to all wear white and often incited the crowd in support of their full-length debut, Beta Lowdown (Rock the Cause Records). Song titles like ‘We Want Blood’ and ‘Bare Your Teeth’ aren’t actually as aggressive as their titles suggest; instead, are melodic, easily palatable electro-rhythms that float on a sonic ocean.
Walk Off the Earth was undoubtedly the most fun band to see of the weekend. The Ontario, CAN six-piece (+3 live) ensemble threw everything including the kitchen sink, into their energetic hour-long performance, including confetti cannons, drums that “blew” smoke rings when struck, a group kazoo solo, playing plastic pipes and pool noodles, and five members strumming a single guitar. Part jukebox band (they re-interpret several current hit songs) and with multi-genre songs of their own, they nearly define the term, musical melting pot.
AWOLNATION provided the most amount of rock, on an otherwise mostly folk and alternative-filled weekend, and did so with perhaps the loudest volume of any act over the two days. Appropriately on Red Bull Records, songs from their 2015 breakthrough album RUN, still get considerable regular airplay locally, with a new album due soon.
Singer/guitarist Aaron Bruno first surveyed the crowd slowly and intently with his steely eyes, but that would gradually build to all get worked out performing, during their ninety-minute set. Younger fans went berserk during songs like ‘Not Your Fault’ and ‘Kill Your Heroes’, and finale, ‘Sail’ and the band even worked in their slightly robotic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’, to start their encore on a haunting note.
Great Clips Stage
Julia Brennan is a talented local piano playing newcomer whose initial single, ‘Inner Demons’ got played on local pop station KDWB’s morning show a year ago, culminating in her being signed to Columbia Records who released her three-song EP, and this, playing her biggest local stage to date. With even more new fans earned, expect her fan base to grow ahead of the upcoming debut album.
Ben Rector is an artist we’ve seen really move up to new heights over the last couple years, with melodic and memorable songs, a growing (mostly female) fan base, and a Billy Joel-influenced sound that is custom-made for regular rotation on festival-sponsoring station Cities97. The Nashville singer still has momentum from his 2015 album Brand New (Aptly Named Records) with loyal fans crowding along the front railings, singing almost every word.
Rector comes off as friendly and personable on stage, often inviting the audience to sing along and is never afraid to croon a tender ballad or two. With two band members being Minneapolis natives, the crowd had no problem giving up their hometown love, in the form and shouts and cheers.
One of his most potent songs ‘The Men That Drive Me Places’, about the backstories of taxi and van drivers, gets lost among his other wedding-ready piano ballads, but is worth paying attention to.
Telling the crowd the band wasn’t exiting and quickly returning for an encore, Rector instead launched into his two biggest songs, the touching ‘White Dress’ and anthemic ‘Brand New’ to end his set.
Gavin DeGraw remains strong in radio rotation, consistently able to put out accessible singles, the latest being ‘She Sets the City on Fire’ from last September’s Something Worth Saving (RCA Records). The New York-based soulful pop singer had just been in Australia days before for a short tour there, but showed no signs of jet lag or fatigue from his opening ‘Chariot’.
DeGraw, in sunglasses, hat and dark coat, and band peppered hits like ‘In Love with a Girl’, ‘Sweeter’, and ‘Not Over You’ in amongst more deeper album cuts, and a couple of vintage soul covers before ending with hit, ‘I Don’t Want to Be’, the song that launched him into widespread success.
WALK THE MOON fans had been itching to see the band live since their summer 2015 Chipotle Cultivate Festival appearance had been cancelled last-minute due to incoming storms, and a family emergency scuttled their August 2016 scheduled appearance in St. Paul. The Cincinnati band made the wait worth their while, opening their ninety-minute set with ‘Up 2 U’ after their ‘Circle of Life’ play-on music.
The synth-pop foursome has emerged from the studio and recording of the next album (unfortunately, no new songs were previewed live) a follow up to 2014’s Talking is Hard (RCA Records) to re-energize themselves with a few live shows. Singer Nic Petricca didn’t talk a lot between songs, preferring to get in as much music in, before the hard stop curfew time of the night occurred.
Fans clapped and jumped in place for the frantic ‘Tightrope’, “We like to head bang to this one” Petricca said introducing ‘Lisa Baby’, and he set an ideal mood describing a utopia before the percussive-heavy ‘Work This Body’.
The crowd in unison, raised the roof by releasing their tension and mimicking lifting in the extended set-closing ‘I Can Lift a Car’, but their best was saved for last. The two-song encore consisted of current radio staple and Billboard Top Rock Song, ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and the group’s first hit single ‘Anna Sun’ from 2010’s I Want! I Want!
And with twenty bands on three stages over two days, the fans got what they wanted, in the form of perfect weather, hours of music, and another Basilica Block Party.
The good weather had held up and even more people than the previous day, descended on the grounds of the Basilica of St. Mary, for another ten bands and six hours of music on the festival’s second and final day.
With three stages liberally spread out along the grounds (big stage in the back lot, medium stage out front and small stage behind the church), it often meant a lot of walking back and forth, in order to see bands on all three stages. As usual with the schedule, set times overlapped, so choices had to be made about who to see and where.
Star Tribune Stage
American Housewife were exactly as advertised- two ladies (Stephanie Paquin & Maureen Rudd, formerly of Space Heater) playing authentic alt-pop culled from their first release, In Like a Lion, released in May. Any band with a tune named ‘Sing a Big Star Song’ has to be likeable, and their next local appearance is sharing the unplugged stage at the Honey Lounge on July 27.
Jackson & the Roosters is a high-energy Americana five-piece who released their second album, the appropriately titled Round Two, earlier this year. The band opened for Ike Reilly this spring, gaining them even more fans, in addition to the ones earned at this performance.
Nooky Jones is a buzzing six-piece led by charismatic singer Cameron Kinghorn blending classic funk, sly r&b, smooth jazz, and seductive soul into a blend uniquely their own. With songs like ‘Hello’ and ‘The Way I See You’ already making waves on local radio shows, their debut album is out this month, and upcoming performances include an early evening free show Aug 4 at Orchestra Hall and a couple nights at the MN State Fair.
Preferred One Stage
Enemy Planes was the first band to appear on the front church stage, with the alt-synth group choosing to all wear white and often incited the crowd in support of their full-length debut, Beta Lowdown (Rock the Cause Records). Song titles like ‘We Want Blood’ and ‘Bare Your Teeth’ aren’t actually as aggressive as their titles suggest; instead, are melodic, easily palatable electro-rhythms that float on a sonic ocean.
Walk Off the Earth was undoubtedly the most fun band to see of the weekend. The Ontario, CAN six-piece (+3 live) ensemble threw everything including the kitchen sink, into their energetic hour-long performance, including confetti cannons, drums that “blew” smoke rings when struck, a group kazoo solo, playing plastic pipes and pool noodles, and five members strumming a single guitar. Part jukebox band (they re-interpret several current hit songs) and with multi-genre songs of their own, they nearly define the term, musical melting pot.
AWOLNATION provided the most amount of rock, on an otherwise mostly folk and alternative-filled weekend, and did so with perhaps the loudest volume of any act over the two days. Appropriately on Red Bull Records, songs from their 2015 breakthrough album RUN, still get considerable regular airplay locally, with a new album due soon.
Singer/guitarist Aaron Bruno first surveyed the crowd slowly and intently with his steely eyes, but that would gradually build to all get worked out performing, during their ninety-minute set. Younger fans went berserk during songs like ‘Not Your Fault’ and ‘Kill Your Heroes’, and finale, ‘Sail’ and the band even worked in their slightly robotic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’, to start their encore on a haunting note.
Great Clips Stage
Julia Brennan is a talented local piano playing newcomer whose initial single, ‘Inner Demons’ got played on local pop station KDWB’s morning show a year ago, culminating in her being signed to Columbia Records who released her three-song EP, and this, playing her biggest local stage to date. With even more new fans earned, expect her fan base to grow ahead of the upcoming debut album.
Ben Rector is an artist we’ve seen really move up to new heights over the last couple years, with melodic and memorable songs, a growing (mostly female) fan base, and a Billy Joel-influenced sound that is custom-made for regular rotation on festival-sponsoring station Cities97. The Nashville singer still has momentum from his 2015 album Brand New (Aptly Named Records) with loyal fans crowding along the front railings, singing almost every word.
Rector comes off as friendly and personable on stage, often inviting the audience to sing along and is never afraid to croon a tender ballad or two. With two band members being Minneapolis natives, the crowd had no problem giving up their hometown love, in the form and shouts and cheers.
One of his most potent songs ‘The Men That Drive Me Places’, about the backstories of taxi and van drivers, gets lost among his other wedding-ready piano ballads, but is worth paying attention to.
Telling the crowd the band wasn’t exiting and quickly returning for an encore, Rector instead launched into his two biggest songs, the touching ‘White Dress’ and anthemic ‘Brand New’ to end his set.
Gavin DeGraw remains strong in radio rotation, consistently able to put out accessible singles, the latest being ‘She Sets the City on Fire’ from last September’s Something Worth Saving (RCA Records). The New York-based soulful pop singer had just been in Australia days before for a short tour there, but showed no signs of jet lag or fatigue from his opening ‘Chariot’.
DeGraw, in sunglasses, hat and dark coat, and band peppered hits like ‘In Love with a Girl’, ‘Sweeter’, and ‘Not Over You’ in amongst more deeper album cuts, and a couple of vintage soul covers before ending with hit, ‘I Don’t Want to Be’, the song that launched him into widespread success.
WALK THE MOON fans had been itching to see the band live since their summer 2015 Chipotle Cultivate Festival appearance had been cancelled last-minute due to incoming storms, and a family emergency scuttled their August 2016 scheduled appearance in St. Paul. The Cincinnati band made the wait worth their while, opening their ninety-minute set with ‘Up 2 U’ after their ‘Circle of Life’ play-on music.
The synth-pop foursome has emerged from the studio and recording of the next album (unfortunately, no new songs were previewed live) a follow up to 2014’s Talking is Hard (RCA Records) to re-energize themselves with a few live shows. Singer Nic Petricca didn’t talk a lot between songs, preferring to get in as much music in, before the hard stop curfew time of the night occurred.
Fans clapped and jumped in place for the frantic ‘Tightrope’, “We like to head bang to this one” Petricca said introducing ‘Lisa Baby’, and he set an ideal mood describing a utopia before the percussive-heavy ‘Work This Body’.
The crowd in unison, raised the roof by releasing their tension and mimicking lifting in the extended set-closing ‘I Can Lift a Car’, but their best was saved for last. The two-song encore consisted of current radio staple and Billboard Top Rock Song, ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and the group’s first hit single ‘Anna Sun’ from 2010’s I Want! I Want!
And with twenty bands on three stages over two days, the fans got what they wanted, in the form of perfect weather, hours of music, and another Basilica Block Party.
|
Walk Off The Earth at Basilica Block Party, Basilica St. Mary (08 July 2017) |
|
Enemy Planes |
Enemy Planes |
Gavin DeGraw |
Gavin DeGraw |
Gavin DeGraw |
Walk Off The Earth |
|
Ben Rector at Basilica Block Party, Basilica St. Mary (08 July 2017) |
|
Walk off the Earth |
Walk Off The Earth |
Ben Rector |
Ben Rector |
Ben Rector |
AWOLNATION |
|
AWOLNATION at Basilica Block Party, Basilica St. Mary (08 July 2017) |
|
AWOLNATION |
AWOLNATION |
Walk the Moon |
Walk the Moon |
Walk the Moon |
Walk the Moon |
|
Walk the Moon at Basilica Block Party, Basilica St. Mary (08 July 2017) |
Comments