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Flashback: Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (2011-07-08)

Setlist Kick Back Kiss Me Simple Parts Overexposure Bittersweet Giving Up El Paso Blue Not Listening One Night Stand Auto Read More Sick of Sarah Minneapolis punk rock all-girls band Sick of Sarah is currently on a national tour, but will be playing a hometown gig next Thursday, April 30th at the Turf Club in St Paul. The band will likely be playing tracks from their upcoming EP Anthem … Julie Puppets As predicted, Julie Puppets didn't really fit in on the bill, as evident by the crowd having gone away. To their credit, it is a tough act to follow Sick of Sarah. Singer Russ Staiger … Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun. … Fuzzy Machete Our friends Fuzzy Machete are celebrating their album release party for Number One Fan at the Cabooze this February 26th, 2015. ...

Like it or hate it, the 400 Bar was a great place for local bands to play. On this night in July, I ended up bicycling into the city. This night was kind of funny, a police officer on his loudspeaker told me to get lights if I’m biking at night. I actually didn’t expect it to get dark so early, but since then, I always pack a bike light when I head out.

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I underestimated how long it would take to bicycle down to the 400 Bar and ended up really late - Fuzzy Machete had just finished their set and walking off the stage. It was guitarist Tara's birthday and all, so I am personally embarrassed that I couldn't pedal as fast as I used to. I did manage to later squeeze in some insights about their "new" drummer, Chayci. Apparently it's their old drummer. And also settled my differences with Scott Bakula with singer Krissandra.

Fuzzy Machete is playing at AniMinneapolis today (July 9th). They'll love them there, with all the stuff about Star Trek and nerdy songs. You have been warned.

Hunter Valentine

The turn out for this show was pretty amazing, it was mostly women, but there were actually a good portion of men too.

Hunter Valentine started off their set with "Jimmy Dean" with the catchy chorus of "and when you walk away/you walk away with my feelings". I'm not that familiar with their songs, but I'm pretty sure they did "Scarface", and also, I think a cover of The Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

Julie Puppets

As predicted, Julie Puppets didn't really fit in on the bill, as evident by the crowd having gone away. To their credit, it is a tough act to follow Sick of Sarah. Singer Russ Staiger said on stage that they haven't played in over a year, but they seem to have to have it together from their "69 times playing the 400 Bar" (joke) (see comment below). Their set includes a full band for the first three song, then a solo three-song set, and then closing out with the full band.

The majority of the crowd was there to see Sick of Sarah, they've built up quite a fan following. You can see that this isn't their first rodeo, the band is tight and singer Abisha dance moves have been perfected from all their tours.

Sick of Sarah started off their set with their single, "Kick Back", which sounded great, but "Bittersweet" was clearly the crowd's favorite. It was a short set, and fans were demanding an encore. Always leave them wanting more.

Sick of Sarah is about to embark on the Warped Tour 2011, which should be pretty amazing, but I must admit, it's better to see them in a more intimate setting like the 400 Bar.

PS, as noted on their setlist, they also held a "Tattoo" raffle.

Saturday, 09 July 2011 at 12:22 PM
Tara Davis writes:

Hey, Tara from Fuzzy Machete here. Sorry you missed us this time, but I'm sure we'll see you again. I know this city is notorious starting shows later than posted, but with five bands on the bill, we ran a pretty tight ship an every single band started right on the dot of the announced start times.

One quick correction: Russ was actually NOT joking when he announced that it was his band's 69th appearance at the 400 Bar. It was. The Julie Puppets have been on a long hiatus, but used to be really active in the Minneapolis scene a couple years ago. They did a lot of double-bills with Sick of Sarah, and also headlined some pretty exciting shows on their own. This was their "comeback" show with a new drummer but otherwise their same line-up. As you could tell from the sight of me bouncing up and down near the front of the stage, I'm a huge fan.

Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (2011-07-08)

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Flashback: White Denim at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (2009-11-04)

Read More White Denim It’s hard to believe that the last time we saw White Denim, it was Nov 2009, nearly a decade ago. The Austin, Texas group is back, headlining the Turf Club this Thursday, September 13th. .… Brazos Brazos warmed up the crowd around nine. What I liked about them is that they have a lot of lyrics in their song. The highlight of their set is the Adrienne Rich poem turned into song. I didn't recall the title, but I'm sure it had "Africa" in the lyrics. .…

I still can’t believe that the 400 Bar is no longer around. Sure, it was a dive bar, sure it wasn’t the greatest venue in the world, but it had its moment. Seeing a show there was intimate, and you were always welcomed by the staff. Some of my very first shows were booked at the 400, and that’s a fact. So yeah, it’s hard to imagine that new, uprising bands will no longer play at the 400.

At that time, I had never heard of Brazos (aka Martin McNulty Crane), who opened the show. I can talk about them now, the Austin (now based in New York) band was touring, at the time, for their debut album Phosphorescent Blues.

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I arrived at the 400 Bar sometime after the doors opened, and the place was pretty dead. I thought there would only be a handful of people out that night, but thankfully as the night got longer, the place filled up.

Brazos

Brazos warmed up the crowd around nine. What I liked about them is that they have a lot of lyrics in their song. The highlight of their set is the Adrienne Rich poem turned into song. I didn't recall the title, but I'm sure it had "Africa" in the lyrics.

Personally, I thought the best song on their setlist is "Feeding Frenzy", featuring these lyrics "We're interlocking, we're interlocking. It's a bitter conflict, this staring contest."

In contrast to the lyrics-thing, White Denim are more like crazy pyschedelic, garagey, experimental rock 'n roll - with minimal lyrics. Whatever singer James Petralli spouted out, it didn't matter because you were so in awe of his amazing guitar-playing ability. You can just tell the guy is a rock god, the way his fingers frantically moved up and down the neck of the guitar.

I reckon these Austin lads don't care so much to slow down or stop, so all their songs are medleys - one song flow into the next, and pretty soon about six songs have passed before they have to take a breather.

If you like your music loud, loud, and loud, White Denim is the band for you. Be sure to bring earplugs.

White Denim's latest album is called Fits and is available now at their record label, Downtown Music, or amazon.

White Denim at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (04 Nov 2009)

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Flashback: Ada Jane at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (21 Aug 2009)

Setlist Winding Down The Wayside Small Sunday's Best Show 'Em Your Teeth The Right Wrong Down the Highway Go On Your Level What Are You Waiting For Is That So Wrong Just I Just Want You Near -- Encore -- Found Late Late Nights Read More Ada Jane The album is somewhat of a departure from Ada Jane’s earlier work. As I mentioned before, this is not a band too concerned with ambiguity, musically or lyrically (bona fide Minneapolis rock, ya’ll!). …

I ended up stopping by the 400 Bar to check Ada Jane, mostly due to Lara’s championing of the band. Kate & Lara were also in the audience, although I didn’t actually see them until the show was nearly over.

So whatever happened to Ada Jane? Their last live appearance was at the 7th Street Entry, opening for Birds of Chicago on 29 August 2013.

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Let me tell you: street parking was insane on a Friday night on Cedar Avenue. I thought I was late at 9 o'clock, even though the first band, the Thundercats-loving Magic Black Pumas, didn't go on until closer to 10. Off topic: there are no pumas in the original Thundercats crew.

The Escape Artists, previously known as MonthNumberColor, where singer Collin, through the power of his Three Wolves T-Shirt, tells us that he is "a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time."

Ada Jane seems comfortable on stage at the 400 Bar. I get the impression that they've frequently play or have attend shows here. Their fans seems to be an army of young dancing women, which is obviously a bonus.

Since this is a CD release party, they basically play the entire the new album, Again... Again, live - with the exception of "Near Mrs". Bonus "classic" songs from their Never Been Better album was also played: "On Your Level", "The Wayside" and "Show 'Em Your Teeth".

The highlight of the show was Dan on horns for "Down The Highway", and drummer Charlie Wilson singing on, I believe for the song "The Right Wrong".

Again... Again was recently released on CD and downloads, please refer to Lara's review. I couldn't quite figure out how their flashy website adajane.com (there's no information on how to buy the new album under the "merch" section), but thankfully there's always amazon. I see on their tour information that they are playing Arlene's Grocery in New York, which I discovered is actually not a grocery store.

Ada Jane at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (21 Aug 2009) vuart by Vu

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Flashback: Love in October at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (09 May 2009)

400 Bar Setlist An Average Idea Nature of the Experiment Circa 1989 Fortrangda Problem Dance Johannes Kepler Hey!!! New Song 2 Like Nothing Ever Happened Soft Errors Kära Gud, ge mig en själ Dubbel Tvekan New Song MN History Museum Setlist An Average Idea Nature of the Experiment Soft Errors Fortrangda Problem Lneh Permutations Dance Johannes Kepler Vi Går Till Stranden Hey!!! Dubbel Tvekan I Dream of Marie Antoinette Undone – The Sweater Song (Weezer Cover) Read More Love in October Love in October is a Minneapolis based indie/rock band, founded by two Swedish brothers, Erik and Kent Widman in 2006. They apparently moved to Mpls in the early 2000's. Erik (vocals/guitar/keyboards) and Kent (bass) are joined by Charlie Abbott …

Prior to going on a national tour in June 2009, to promote their then-new self-titled EP, the Minneapolis, by the way of Sweden, rock band Love in October, did some practice shows in Minneapolis on May 9, 2009… which included The Minnesota History Museum (in the day) and the 400 Bar (in the evening).

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Love in October is an indie band, formed in Minneapolis, but ultimately moved to Chicago. Todd's previously reviewed their record, and I've seen them live before. This time around, they are now a five-piece band, complete with new extra guitarist, keyboardist and new drummer. What hasn't changed is their Swedish heritage pride, which they proudly display their yellow and blue Swedish flag where ever they play.

Seeing them at both The Minnesota History Museum and at the 400 Bar, is like night and day. While their daytime show was a bit toned-down (hey it's tough to rock out when there's marbled statues and parents and children all around), their 'adult' show was all-out rock-out-loud. They certainly seem more comfortable and in their element in the dimly lit venue.

MINNESOTA HISTORY MUSEUM

Minnesota History Museum Setlist

Prior to the start of their daytime show, Erik came on stage to talk about why Sweden exported so many (good) music. They are the third behind the US and England, as far as music production goes. This is a feat, considering the size of Sweden is only the size of California. He goes on to talk about how this was possible due to the Swedish government decided to put .7% into the arts in the seventies. Of course, being a long-time Swedishpop fan, I knew all these facts, however, I don't think the general public knew about the Swedish arts & music program.

After ten minutes, the rest of the band joined Erik on stage and they did the indie rock thing. And yes, I was head-bopping and foot-tapping. Quite embarrassing when drummer Ivan Sosa said, "I want you to enjoy the show - like THAT GUY!" and pointed to me.

They did three songs in Swedish (including the "VI Går Till Stranden" song from their debut LP), which fit in the whole Celebrate the European "Year of Creativity and Innovation" event that was being held that day. The highlight for me was their cover of Weezer's "Undone (The Sweater Song)". Yes, I I added my own dialogue to the song: "Hey did you hear about the party? I think I'm going, but my friends don't want to go. Can I get a ride?"

INTERMISSION

Warp speed to 10:30 pm (yes I did go out to dinner and saw the new Star Trek movie), and I've ditched the 400 Bar to see Kate & Lara as they leave their show at the Cedar Culture Center (this is only practically only a few doors down the road). I wasn't really expecting to see them actually, I had noticed a bunch of people leaving the Cedar so I went over there to see if the show was over (it was). I got first hand report/review from them about the show and we talked a bit about Chalakah and 'you got moted'. Kate has a band called Crush on Kristi, and they're playing June 12th, I think. Oh also, apparently 'beard rocker' bartender from the 400 Bar was seen at the Cedar.

400 BAR

400 Bar Setlist

Love in October took off their kids gloves, you would almost think they were two different band, based on the morning and night shows. Like I have previously mentioned, they look and felt much more comfortable. Even their playing and movement style was as different as their set list for tonight. Most of the set includes new (untitled) songs.

The highlight of the show was when they asked the original Minneapolis drummer, Travis (?), to come on stage to drum for one of their older songs. He definitely still remember the beats and did a pretty outstanding job.

They seem really excited about a brand new self-titled EP coming out on May 26^th, I am assuming available on CD and definitely it's going to be on vinyl. The cover artwork features a 9 year old Erik, the shirt was recolored to red stripes instead of blue. More details about buying their records and seeing them live are all on the official website.

Love in October at Minnesota History Museum, St Paul (09 May 2009)

Love in October at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (09 May 2009)

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Flashback: Kevin Steinman & Zack Hexum at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (07 May 2009)

Read More Kevin Steinman Hexum invited Kevin Steinman on stage for a duet. Here’s some math that you might not be aware of: male singer + female singer = adorable/ovaries swelling. Female singer + female singer = sexy (or, conversely, the Indigo Girls). … Zack Hexum Zack Hexum has the “Swine Cold,” a terrible mutant strain of the original “Swine Flu.” He’s dangerous and wants to spread the virus by touching people with his hands. . …

Lara went out to check out Kevin Steinman at the 400 Bar on May 7, 2009.

It’s funny to note that 311 singer Nick Hexum is the older brother to Zack Hexum.

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Zack Hexum has the “Swine Cold,” a terrible mutant strain of the original “Swine Flu.” He’s dangerous and wants to spread the virus by touching people with his hands. Don’t be fooled by his boyish good looks—ZACK HEXUM IS A MONSTER. JK, readers! ROFLCOPTER!* Hexum is wholly sweet and friendly and a real trooper (he played a full set plus duets with Kevin Steinman, all while battling flu-ish symptoms). Even though he reminds me of a hot soap opera doctor, Hexum has that big boy voice that is always surprising coming from the mouths of such teeny, tiny human beings (see: Ben Sollee).

Thursday’s show at the 400 Bar was nice and mellow, a bit beachy (if beach jams were played under low lights in dank clubs); maybe one-part pop soul, two parts college rock, and a splash of Hollister “SoCal.” While Hexum sang confidently, head thrown back, eyes closed, heart showing—which is just, you know, sigh—I’m not sure that his lyrics had me at “hello” (mumbling musicians make me merry mrustrated). I’d hoped that “Princess of Darkness” would be a cute-sad ode to Kelly Osbourne, but it seems, instead, to be about a gloomy wallflower type (could still be about KO). Nevertheless, live versions of “Sun Still Shines” and “How Many Times” were enjoyable and people-pleasing (this was a “yeah, dude!” crowd) and very much the style of music that primetime TV drools over. Zack Hexum paging Zach Braff: “Writing any interesting screenplays about depressed twenty-something existentialists lately?”

Instead of breaking to set up more instruments, get more beer, and/or allowing patrons to smoke a motherfucking cigarette, Hexum invited Kevin Steinman on stage for a duet. Here’s some math that you might not be aware of: male singer + female singer = adorable/ovaries swelling. Female singer + female singer = sexy (or, conversely, the Indigo Girls). Male singer + male singer = asexual/mildly homoerotic**. Watching Hexum and Steinman sing together was like watching Olympic divers—attractive bodies doing impressive things, but nobody’s getting turned on. Possible repressed sexual urges aside, Steinman said some nice things about his duet partner—he considers Hexum a musical soulmate and they have a code word for calling each other to the stage (the Norwegian term for ‘meatball’). Fittingly, they covered songs by iconic bands with great creative relationships, including the Beatles (“If I Fell”) and the Everly Brothers (“All I Have to Do is Dream”). True to Steinman’s word, the pair sounded lovely; their voices complemented nicely and the harmonies were spot on. A lot of dorky things happened on that stage (Hexum played a clarinet; Steinman played the glock; too much meatball was thrown around), but I couldn’t help smiling through most of it.

After Hexum exited, Steinman and his drummer (Troy Groenke) carried on. I really like this combo when it’s not the White Stripes. If a singer-songwriter isn’t ready to go full band, a positive small progression is to add a drummer to the mix; at the very least, this helps discourage the “open mic” feel of so many solo guitar acts. I had seen Steinman play a couple months back, opening for Joe January, but in all honesty, had very little recollection of the show. I did remember, however, that Steinman met his wife through Myspace, a fact that’s completely irrelevant and fascinating to me. As a lyricist, Steinman writes about the romantic side of life—love, heartache, self journey, love, love, love. In person his mild-mannered spirit and brooding good looks suit the prose; I have a hard time not imagining him tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, scribbling furiously in his moleskin journal. While it’s difficult to breach the formulaic barriers of traditional love songs, it helps that Steinman’s M.O. doesn’t follow the route of novelty or tacky pretense; instead, he seems at a comfortable place, one where authenticity is measured by dedication to the craft. Songs like “Home” and “Love Always Wins” (it doesn’t, but thanks) are not going to blow minds, but the whole product—the melodies, the voice, the man—is just so likeable and likeability always wins. THEN, it was towards the end of the show and Steinman pulled a little trick from his sleeve, a sort of politically-charged, conversational verse with wit up the yin yang. “55 Year Occupation Blues, or, Mom and Dad Won’t You Please Come Home” questions the implications of stationing American troops all over the world and speaks of Steinman’s experiences growing up in Germany while his parents taught at special Department of Defense-funded schools. Where did this come from? Is there more? These are the questions I’m left with. (Watch Steinman perform “55 Year Occupation Blues” in Berlin HERE.)

Two things must be noted: 1). I’m getting nicer in my older age, and 2). You can find more information on both artists at their respective websites and Myspace pages (see below). Kevin Steinman will be at the 318 Café in Excelsior, MN this Friday, May 15.

* Just learned this. I think it’s a helicopter that is rolling on the floor laughing or something.

** I’m not insinuating anything on the Internet, folks, but the two musicians did close the show with a Bert and Ernie song. I think we can all guess what that means.

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Flashback: The Drones at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (09 April 2009)

Little Man Setlist Miss Some Everyone Not Quite So Close Your Eyes Soulful Undertow Seal Love of All Lifted Gold Tarots Love It Call My Name Light Years Read More The Drones As for Sleepy Sun, I The Drones are "an unconventional rock band", currently based out of Melbourne (originally from Perth). I used those quotes because I believe their current album, Havilah, fits more in the realm of psychedelic/space rock band with lots of guitar finger noodling and … Little Man Little Man is back with new music and video for “BLVD”, which you can see on YouTube. The single was recorded and mixed by producer John Fields (Soul Asylum, Jonas Brothers). .…

Australia’s The Drones headlined the 400 Bar in Minneapolis on April 9, 2009. The Perth band’s been around since 1997, and won numerous awards…. They don’t do a world tour regularly, so it was fairly exciting to finally catch the band at a small club/bar.

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Setlist

Opening up for The Drones is Little Man. I'm actually embarrassed to admit talking to singer Chris Perricelli before the show that I didn't know Little Man the warmup band. Andrew seems to know all about Little Man and filled me in about how there was a local television commercial that showed Little Man playing while some student explained how he got his degree in video editing (apparently the 'acting' in the commerical really stunk).

Anyway, Little Man played a pretty full set, which is a relief since I was so used to the 30 sets from SXSW. Sometime they would pause for applause and sometime each song leads directly into the next.

Halfway into the set, Perricelli picks up his acoustic guitar for two songs (I think "Seal Of Secrecy" and "Love Of All Time"), before going back to electric for the rest of the set. The acoustic was a nice treat, especially with the harmonica (which sort of made me think of Bob Dylan).

You can tell right away that Perricelli is an excellent guitarist with his left hand moving quickly up and down the neck of the guitar. It's no surprise why the City Pages called Little Man the Next Big Thing on their cover story for February 27^th, 2007. I did ask Perricelli the story behind this and he told me that they had sent someone over the house to interview and take some photographs. He honestly didn't know it was going to be a cover story, so he was a little shocked when he learned about it.

Anyway, I have their latest album Of Mind And Matter since early February, but haven't had a chance to give it a listen. (If you've ever seen my ridiculous pending review pile, you can understand why it takes me so long to get to things).

Listening to the album post-concert, I did recognize many of the songs on the album. This is evident on songs like "Everyone On The Floor", which is my personal favorite. Slower/sensitive songs like "Did You Now" was left off the setlist, probably for pacing.

"Tarots And Arrows" is catchy, although I felt was kind of repetitive with the lyrics at the end, but hearing this live, it made sense. The repetitive lyrics of "she's into tarots and arrows" suddenly comes to a halt, by the way.

Little Man

The majority of the album feels very 60s, early 70s to me. Some people cited that they sound like T.Rex, and I can see where they are coming with that. In some songs, I thought I hear Beatles influence ("Don't Pray To Fantasy") and even a bit of The Zombies (check out "Talisman" with that "ch-ch-ahh" sound). So if you like "classic rock", you need to check out "the next big thing" Little Man.

Clicking on the 'discography' images on the sidebar will take you to websites to buy the album. You can find out more about his record label at Eclectone Records.

PS, when I talked to Perricelli, he was generally really excited about being interviews by life-sized muppets. So I leave you with part one of the Buzz Show:

The Drones came a long way to be here at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. I have previously mentioned that singer Gareth Liddiard had a "heavy, heavy" accent. I have to correct that by adding that I did not understand a word the man said.

Kidding aside, but it was seriously hard to understand the man. They were also surprisingly louder than I thought, lots of distortion and odd feedback (probably unintentional). Listening to their Havilah album and seeing them live are two very different experience. I have concluded that this is a LIVE band.

There was no set list, I think the song order were all given out by bassist Fiona Kitschin. They started out with "Nail It Down", followed by some song, and then "The Minotaur". Right after Minotaur was an amazing bass-y song "Six Ways To Sunday", from their first album Here Come the Lies (and also their very first EP). Clearly one of the band's favorite song to play live.

I also caught "She Had An Abortion That She Made Me Pay For", from their third album, so basically their set is a mix-mash of new and old songs - making it for an effective playlist.

There were no encores, which didn't surprise me, as it was a work day and there was a moderate turnout for the show.

They have a few more US dates left, so be sure to catch them in Seattle and Portland if you can. Their latest album is called Havilah and it is available for purchase at ATP Recordings.

The Drones at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (09 April 2009)

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Flashback: AA Bondy / Dent May at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (05 Mar 2009)

Read More AA Bondy I was kind of surprise to see that AA Bondy was the opening act. Clearly his Americana/folksy/rootsy music sounds nothing like CWK's sound of energetic youth indie rock! Still, playing in front of several sold-out shows, might help spread words around - even though the audience wasn't there for him. Dent May Dent May knows he sorta-kinda-maybe sounds like Jens Lekman, thank you very much. He also gets the Stephen Merritt reference, and although the mild-mannered Mississippi native is flattered by the association, … Joe January This Thursday, Feb. 5, Joe January (formerly of Planes for Spaces) is kicking off a month-long residency at the 400 Bar in anticipation of the release of Broken Record, his debut solo album. Joe’s niche seems to be rooted in the classics: classic rock, a little folk-y, a little East Village troubadour …

Joe January photo by Brody

Lara and Kate didn't mentioned it, but Joe January opened this show. This wasn't a surprise, considering that January had a month-long residency at the 400 Bar, and was probably available well into March. All photos by Brody.

As for the rest of the show on March 5, 2009, we were mostly there to cover Dent May (billed as Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele). The headliner was AA Bondy, who previously opened up for Cold War Kids (a very odd pairing). And speaking of odd pairing, it would seem that May and Bondy are truly the 21st century odd couple. Read on!

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Dent May knows he sorta-kinda-maybe sounds like Jens Lekman, thank you very much. He also gets the Stephen Merritt reference, and although the mild-mannered Mississippi native is flattered by the association, it’s obvious he wants to distance himself just enough to establish his own niche. It makes sense, though, the comparisons; all three artists share a tongue-in-cheek humor that glorifies a very specific eccentricity—a silly reverence for serious subject matter and an almost-cutesy collection of cultural references. On top of that, May plays a ukulele, one of four instruments that are funny simply by existing (the other three are the kazoo, the recorder and the rain stick; the keytar was also hilarious until hipsters embraced it).

Dent May opened for A.A. Bondy on Thursday at the 400 Bar. It’s an interesting pairing: May with his magnificent ukulele and songs about Michael Chang; Bondy with his average-sized guitar and songs about heroin. When May stepped on stage he looked like a used bookstore employee/lover of Tron; when Bondy stepped on stage he looked like maybe he’d had a rough night. A 21^st century odd couple, wherein May’s neurotically specific prose complements Bondy’s sloppy-sad loner blues, and the rest is beautiful history.

After all, who writes about Michael Chang (“God Loves You, Michael Chang”)? Obviously, the same person who bemoans the banality of being an understimulated intellectual stuck in a small town (and stuck in apathy): “college town boy get off your ass and do something / college town boy, how does it feel to be nothing?” It hurts in a familiar way, doesn’t it? I remember when I graduated college with a stupid art degree and was forced to get a “real job” and, as a result, essentially wasted four years of private education to collate paper. This must be why May’s music is appealing to us average, middle-class Midwesterners: we’re the new breed of Benjamin Braddock—dissatisfied with life for no valid reason; bored because we have too many options, none of which require much effort or struggle (the idea of blood, sweat and tears is romantic, but getting our hands dirty is gross). When May sings “I’m over, being sober / I’m an alcoholic / I think I’ll get drunk tonight” (“I’m An Alcoholic”) it doesn’t have the same weight as when Bondy sings “Sweet, sweet heroin / won’t you be all mine / I don’t want to feel a thing / want nothing on my mind” (“Vice Rag”). This is my one criticism of May: occasionally his kitschy wit borders on tacky; and while satire is always a little derisive, it’s more effective if the satirist is truly a part of the group he’s mocking, and May seems just on the outskirts of authenticity.

However, believability aside, May certainly charmed the crowd, what with his adorable smallness, dorky-cool spectacles, crazy stage antics (jumping! While holding his ukulele!), and a genuinely feel-good aura. By the time Bondy took the stage and strummed his first bleak note, the small standing room was full and the overall mood had changed.

I was immediately reminded of that period in my life when I would drive around the lakes late at night—one continuous loop around and around, chain smoking, listening to Dusty in Memphis, and doing a lot of non-thinking thinking (you know, when your brain totally mellows but you still feel anxious); watching Bondy brought back those feelings, which sounds far too emo to take seriously, but I’m serious. I was there, man. I think this explains my current infatuation with “new” Americana/gothic alt-country folk (some day I’m going to find a perfectly succinct term for “new Americana gothic alt-country folk”; not this day). Although lyrically Bondy describes a world-weariness that comes with painful experience, the honesty and blunt poetics are capable of tugging even the purest heart. Ignoring the fact that Bondy used to front the Nirvana-esque grunge band Verbena, I’ll say this too: where May lacked some hard-luck legitimacy, Bondy completely pulled off the “I caught my wife cheating on me, my truck broke down, I have $2 in change, how much for a swill of the cheap stuff?” look. Perhaps it was the disjointed between-song rambling; rambling never implies a confident, sober, emotionally sound psyche (I wish I could remember, verbatim, the unintentionally amusing things that came out of his mouth). Whatever the reason, thank you A.A. (and also thank you, Dent) for helping me to confront cheerless self-realizations and loserish tendencies. It’s like discount therapy (with beer).

Dent May + magnificent ukulele are currently on tour with AC Newman (through mid-March) followed by SXSW and a mini-tour with Animal Collective (!). Unfortunately, for Bondy fans, it seems his only upcoming show is Bonnaroo in June. For more information on either musician, see links to their respective websites and Myspace below.

Addendum: my concert date, Kate, would like it to be known, throughout the e-world, that she would not refuse sex from any of Dent May’s band members, if they offer.

Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (05 Mar 2009) photo by Brody

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Flashback: Joe January at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (05 Feb 2009)

Read More Joe January This Thursday, Feb. 5, Joe January (formerly of Planes for Spaces) is kicking off a month-long residency at the 400 Bar in anticipation of the release of Broken Record, his debut solo album. Joe’s niche seems to be rooted in the classics: classic rock, a little folk-y, a little East Village troubadour …

It’s harder to book national bands in Minneapolis, due to the harsh winter. To keep the stage booked, venues would often ask local musicians to play a month-long residency. For February 2009, the 400 Bar booked Joe January to play every Thursday. There’s a joke in there, seeing January in February.

Anyway, Lara braved the snow to see Joe January (formerly of Planes for Spaces) on his first Thursday in his month-long residency.

Please note that the photo of Joe January at 400 Bar was taken by Brody on March 5, 2009.

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All right.  I’ll just put this out there:  Joe’s a friend of mine.  You may think this makes me biased when it comes to reviewing something that he’s created, but it really doesn’t, for two reasons:  1).  I’m always honest when it comes to art, and 2).  I’m not nice.

When I first saw Joe January perform solo, I remember thinking “okay, okay, good lyrics, good songs, but…” and that ‘but’ wasn’t even defined until later, while listening to some sad-sack acoustic whatever at home and deciding that most men and their guitars need more friends—friends with basses and drum kits.  Unless you’re Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Dylan, or Jesus it’s unlikely that you’re capable of sitting alone on stage and convincing the audience that your pain is their pain (and lest we forget that all three of those artists plugged it in/turned it up at some point during their careers (Jesus too.  Would it be tasteless to call him the original “rock revivalist?”). Most musicians require something…meaty—a guttural oomph, a pathetically somber guitar twang, even a steady, explicit beat. I’m sorry that I have to say this; in a dream world a man and his guitar could (and would) be enough—enough to convey the emotion behind a simple prose verse. But before words there was sound, and I feel comfortable emphasizing the importance of having a full, distinct sound. Basically, I’m just tired of the “singer-songwriter,” which is a horrible descriptor, because all singers should also be songwriters (and yes, I realize the naïveté of that statement. Let’s move on).

Joe’s sound is one that requires a bit of concentration; he mumbles sometimes, and occasionally pulls back from the microphone. It’s as engaging as it is frustrating (as someone who writes about music), since there were a few moments where I felt tempted to yell something socially inept, like “Can you please repeat that line, I forgot to take notes!” While he doesn’t have the voice to satisfy Belle and Sebastian fans, I’m so tearfully grateful that his style fails to suggest a twee wet dream about to flood (there’s a time and place for sedate little ponderings about cute girls at the coffee shop, like at the coffee shop). He’s not obscure at all, and I might even describe what he’s doing as obvious, but with the trickiness of semantics, I don’t want our readers to think I’m calling his music trite or played out. The contrary, actually, I use ‘obvious’ in the same way that someone might say “I understand what you’re doing because I feel the same.”

It’s also obvious that Joe is interested in the technical side of music-making; listen to his covers—“Bennie and the Jets” is no longer a showy, middle-age foot stomper (bless Elton John), instead he performs it understated, stripped of flamboyance; there’s even a slight bucolic quality (its sparse rhythm lends itself to late-night country driving). Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” theme (you heard me) is similarly made-under as a cool, semi-serious/still-funny, semi-foxy/still-funny tribute to the greatest, self-proclaimed sex machine (intermixed with Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By”; admittedly, I didn’t recognize this at first, or it didn’t register; a testament to Joe’s musical reupholstering?). Besides the covers, Joe reserved ample time for original songs, most of which, I’d assume, are candidates for his upcoming record. “Oh Lilly” is catchy enough, an anti-weepy reflection on heartache and heartbreak that ends with the question no girl ever wants to hear (“You know I want you / but do I need you?”). “Keep it Together,” one of my faves from earlier shows, resonated better with the addition of the band; other songs were played solo and sounded fine, if not slightly incomplete. Perhaps this feeling was amplified by how awkwardly everyone repositioned themselves/left the stage; I thought maybe they were practicing for the encore “fake-out.” Awkwardness notwithstanding (and let’s be real here, who doesn’t appreciate a few minutes of uncomfortable silence to buy more beer?), I thoroughly enjoyed the music and thoroughly recommend it, and yes, my biases are showing. I don’t care, go support the rock.

Joe and his guitar are playing every Thursday this month at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. He’s joined on stage by John Taillon (bass) and Dave Mehling (drums). For more information: Myspace and 400 Bar.

Joe January at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (05 Mar 2009) photo by Brody

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Flashback: Ben Sollee at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (18 Nov 2008)

Read More Ben Sollee Once upon a time the Cedar Cultural Center had an early bedtime and a comfortable elastic waistband. It was a place where white liberal Ravi Shankar fans could gather to sip tea, discuss local politics, and crazily tap …

Brody and Lara went to see Ben Sollee at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis on November 18, 2008. Based on hearing that the show was respectful and quiet, it seems like the music (particularly cellos) didn’t fit the venue. Something like this sounds like it should be booked at the Cedar Cultural Center instead of a noisy bar-atmosphere of the 400 Bar.

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Ben Sollee sings like an angel. A small, winsome angel in a JCrew pullover. It’s not easy keeping pure of thought, considering this angel plays the cello with the gusto of a wayward prep school dropout on the cusp of a musical revelation (classically trained but has a secret naughty stash of Muddy Waters albums). Part blue-eyed soul, part nu-folk, with a little easy-on-the-ears Americana thrown in, Sollee has tapped into the same ripe patch that birthed brother angels Andrew Bird and M. Ward. While he may not have quite the bearded following as Bird, it seems that Sollee has found a comfortable niche half-way between ‘quirky elegance’ and ‘coffee shop troubadour.’ His debut album, Learning to Bend, is very nice, but it feels pointless to praise a musician for his studio work when it’s obvious he’s meant to be heard in real life, in a real dirty club, really intimate and really real, flaws and all.

Ben Sollee photo by Brody

Ben and his cello played a real, flaw-filled, beautiful show at the 400 Bar last Tuesday. The crowd was respectful and hushed, which made the few minutes between songs almost unbearably polite (even the cranks that linger close to the bar were strangely mute). Perhaps everyone was thinking the same thing: who is this tiny person? I know what I was thinking: who’d a thought the cello could be sexy? (I won’t even bring up the implications of straddling a large, wooden apparatus.) I’m sure most of us attribute the cello to plain Asian girls in loose-fitting chinos and bobby socks. Besides Yo-Yo Ma, I can’t even name a professional cellist (and let’s be honest, while ridiculously talented, Yo-Yo Ma doesn’t exactly inspire tingling loins). But watching Sollee bow and strum and pluck at his instrument was…inspiring, to say the least. I could easily come up with at least a dozen more sly synonyms for ‘instrument’ (‘sleek music-maker,’ ‘big, strong love tool’) but I won’t. I already feel slightly creepy for talking so frank about an NPR-revered musician (“Top 10 Great Unknown Artists of 2007”). Nonetheless, these things must be said and the show must go on.

For me, one of the highlights of Sollee’s show was his interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” This song has been stuck in my head for, literally, the last year, ever since it became the unofficial mantra for GObama 08. It was ballsy of Sollee to take such a classic political anthem and change the lyrics, but his voice suits the style, and so I feel OK about his creative bastardization (normally I would hate him for it, on principle). Other performance highlights: a short cover of “Crazy” (Gnarls Barkley); Sollee’s preface to “Bury Me with My Car,” in which he confused us simpletons with his book smarts; A solo rendition of “Only a Song” (originally recorded with Jim James of My Morning Jacket); and the encore fake-out “fake out” (you know, when a musician/band starts to leave the stage and then makes a comment like, “I never understood the point of leaving the stage”)—Sollee said something similar but I didn’t roll my eyes like I usually do when a musician tries to be “witty,” therefore, it must be love.

Ben Sollee and his big, strong love tool are currently on tour. For more information, visit his official website at www.bensollee.com or his Myspace at www.myspace.com/bensollee.

As a side note, I’d briefly like to mention Kentucky artist, Phillip March Jones, whose work is being featured during Sollee’s tour (t-shirts, stage set). Jones is the first artist that Sollee’s collaborated with, but hopefully not the last (Sollee talked a bit about his desire to continue building partnerships with new visual artists). The stage backdrop will be auctioned off for charity at the end of the tour. Please check out: www.phillipmarchjones.com.

Ben Sollee at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (18 Nov 2008) photo by Brody

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Flashback: Matt Keating at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (26 Sep 2008)

Read More Matt Keating Matt Keating - Louisiana When I first saw that this was a two-disc release (23 tracks) for Quixotic, I must confess, I was a little overwhelm. After I gave the first disc a listen, it went down really easy. Many of the songs …

Kate and Lara went out to see Matt Keating at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis on September 26, 2008. The show seems to showcase a variety of local-ish bands, five by their count… six including the headliner.

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After getting an e-mail confirmation that I was “on the list” for this show, I arrived at the venue to disappointing news. Matt Keating didn’t have a list. Luckily, Joe, the handsome doorman, has the hots for my friend and let us in, ever so graciously (Thanks, Joe!).

I won’t hold this oversight against Mr. Keating and his associates, though (and I must tell you that I feel inclined to call him “Mr. Keating” as he sort of looks like a high school Earth Science teacher with his long hair, glasses, plain shirt and Levi’s) because he did not disappoint. But more on that later.

Five bands took the stage (5!) including: High on Stress, who didn’t sound stressed out at all, according to the handsome and gracious doorman (Thanks again, Joe!), Laarks, which featured members of the late, great Amateur Love, Mr. Keating (wait for it), Farewell Milwaukee—a delightful new band (formerly called Montreal) that my lovely and talented friend drums for (Hi, Brad!), and The Small Cities who, I’m sorry to say, I missed as I am old and needed to go to bed. Overall, it was a good night of instruments and voices collectively making pleasant sounds. But I’m not supposed to be writing about the overall so…

Matt. Matt Keating. Mr. Keating. I know I said he looks like an educator but he also sort of looks like Tom Petty (pointed out by my friend who the handsome and gracious doorman has the hots for—you’re the best, Joe!), which made a little more sense. Keating played rock that was for the people, by the people. Good old, guitar-driven, blue collar music that induces sexy hip-swaying and foot stomping on the wood floor. Honest, gritty and sweaty with nothing fancy or frilly.  These are the songs my parents used to play while cleaning on Sunday afternoons; I would protest and insist we listen to whatever sad, adolescent crap I was obsessed with at the time but would secretly love the straight-up Americana.

Keating’s band was quite refreshing to watch, also. These people genuinely enjoy performing this music; it’s obvious. I have a feeling the bass player like likes her guitar as she looked to be in complete ecstasy while punching out the drones. I’m sure all the boys and girls who like girls were in love with her (especially since her boob was dangerously close to falling out the entire show). I feel safe saying the drummer was having the time of his life and will dreamily relive these shows while shaving every morning. He could easily be a fellow faculty member of Keating’s. Maybe the cool English teacher who students see around town trying to score some weed.

Go see them, okay? Wear some tight jeans, buy a beer and prepare yourself for something strangely familiar.

Matt Keating’s tour dates and latest release, Quixotic, are available at: myspace.com/mattkeating

Matt Keating at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (26 Sep 2008) Photo by Kate

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