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Demob Happy at Turf Club (11-15-2023)

Demob Happy Setlist Voodoo Science Loosen It Run Baby Run Token Appreciation Society Mother Machine Super-Fluid Earth Mover Muscular Reflex Tear It Down Succubus Sweet & Sour America Less Is More Autoportrait Be Your Man Tour Dates Nov 16 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen Nov 17 Detroit, MI Lager House Nov 18 Toronto, ON Adelaide Hall Read More Demob Happy Brighton’s alt-rock trio Demob Happy is returning to the USA this Fall… they’ll headline the Turf Club in St Paul this November 15th. The band was last seen in the Minneapolis area in September 2019 with Band of Skulls. …

Local hardcore groovers, BlurCurve, opened up the evening at the Turf Club to an excited crowd. Their website states: We Like it loud & fast. And they certainly lived up to the billing with Kris Heur on guitar, Bob Furniss on bass, Justin Westplate (sporting no shirt and an iridescent mohawk) on drums and Alythia Scully on lead vocals and corny dad jokes. (What does the Eiffel Tower and a tick have in common? They are both parasites.)

After boisterous approval for their first song, Scully said, “If you like that, we have eight more for you.” And they played songs from their 2015 debut album and 2003 EP Pluto & The Fool, finishing the furious set with “Holy Alms.”

Demob Happy next took the stage and I have to say they were the sharpest dressed band I have seen this year. Everyone looked like they were ready for a night of champagne and caviar, except for the drummer. But you can never expect a drummer to be constricted with clothing when expending energy like an olympic prize fighter.

Demob Happy is from Newcastle, England. This is their fourth American tour and they are promoting their third album Divine Machines. They are Matthew Marcantonio on lead vocals and bass, Adam Godfrey on guitar and Thomas Armstrong wearing a white tank top on drums. They were backed by a utility musician sporting a Russian ushanka and a female singer wearing an elegant full-length noir-colored dress. Everyone looked great and they kept up the loud propulsive beat set with crowd favorites like “Muscular Reflex” and “Succubus.”

Marcantonio stated that they are in the third month of their tour and had to ask his fellow mates what night it was. He knew that he had been to the Twin Cities before but had to be reminded by Godfrey that they actually played at First Ave (twice). But one can be forgiven for mixing and forgetting dates on the backend of an extended tour, which makes their name apropos.

Demob Happy is an English phrase first used at the end of World War II when large numbers of the military were demobilized. Now the term means the ending of a long, arduous period.

Bands come alive when fans gather and amps are cranked. But it is only a sliver of time on the road. In and interview with The New Order Armstrong gave a vivid description to what can happen in between shows:

On the last US tour there was this three week period where our luck just seemed to go to sh*t. It felt like we were cursed. We broke down four times, the last of which was in 45C heat in the Arizona desert and had we had to limp into Phoenix and abandon our vehicle; our new hire car was impounded in New Orleans; we had a guitar and a bunch of Matt’s clothes stolen; we had two near-crashes; we lost a box of our vinyl; we were almost struck by lightning — it hit a tree right beside us in an explosion of white flame; there were speeding tickets; missed gigs, the list goes on. Sh*t just kept coming our way to the point where all we could do was laugh.

That’s Demob Happy.

BlurCurve BlurCurve BlurCurve

BlurCurve

Demob Happy

Demob Happy Demob Happy

Demob Happy

Demob Happy at Turf Club, St Paul (15 Nov 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Noah Vonne and Bluphoria at Turf Club (11-03-23)

11/02 Noah Vonne and Bluphoria at Turf Club Tour Dates 11/04 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean 11/05 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom 11/07 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory 11/08 - Providence, RI @ Alchemy 11/09 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs 11/10 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar 11/11 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall 11/15 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House 11/16 - Roanoke, VA @ The Spot on Kirk 11/18 - Nashville, TN @ The East Room 11/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl at Center Stage Read More Noah Vonne Noah Vonne is a Texas-born, but based in Hollywood. The blues rocker is said to fit alongside singers Janis Joplin, Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge, and Alanis Morrissette. Her debut album We Weren’t Sober was recorded … Bluphoria Bluphoria’s self-titled debut album came out in the Summer on EDGEOUT Records / UMe / UMG. …

It was a tag team maiden tour last night for two groups of musicians on the road to promote their debut albums.

Covalent Blonde opened up the evening at the Turf Club. They are a local band with a subtle R&B vibe consisting of Drew Mabusth on lead vocals, Tanner Montague on drums, Nick Benish on bass, Kevin Gamble on keys and Keston Wright on guitar.

Their name is a play on covalent bond, a term in which electrons are shared between two atoms. The band seemed to identify with this definition for they were always glancing at each other, perhaps scouting ahead as Mabusth sang with a conversational, pillow-talk hush that never was overwhelmed by the members of the band.

Bluphoria next took the stage with a psychedelic rock sound that enlivened the crowd. They met as a band in Eugene, Oregon while attending college and are now based out of Nashville, TN. They consist of Reign LaFreniere on lead guitar and vocals, Dakota Landrum on rhythm guitar, Dani Janae on drums and Rex Wolf on bass.

They share an interesting dynamic based on the fact that they all have different viewpoints when it comes to making music. Just look at their musical influences. LaFreniere cites Jimi Hendrix and Landrum, Pink Floyd. Janae comes from a punk rock tradition and Wolf looks and plays like he could audition for Metallica.

To carry on with the chemistry theme, Bluphoria is what happens when you heat up an element and the atoms speed up and crash into each other. Or as Wolf explained to The Unfiltered Magazine: “We really like to get up in each other’s faces and rock out together and jump around and go crazy.”

And that’s what they did through most of the set, still discovering what is possible as they promote their self-titled album. And since they have yet to build up their catalog, they played a few covers. One of them being Elvis Presley’s “Trouble,” a rendition that careened with a speed-metal-punk beat.

Noah Vonne started off her set by giving the Twin Cities a rave review when it came to being in the “musical know” before playing her latest single “I Call B.S.”

Vonne is from Texas and now lives in West Hollywood. Her musical sound is influenced by her Texas roots with an unabashed rock meeting the sultry, saucy blues made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Vonne cites musical influences ranging from Janis Joplin to Brandie Carlile, but leaning into some of her songs from her debut album We Weren’t Sober reminded me of the boldness of Grace Potter and Susan Tedeschi.

Speaking of boldness, although Vonne has been recording since age eleven, she took a brave leap and signed a seven-month contract on a cruise ship to confront her stage fright.

Vonne mentioned the anxiety of being on stage, but when she started singing and playing the guitar, you could see the ebbing. Rock should be fun and it looked that even with the weariness of the road, the cold weather and broken instruments, Vonne and Bluphoria were having a great time, especially when they gathered on stage at the end with Mabusth to sing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

Covalent Blonde Covalent Blonde Covalent Blonde

Bluphoria Bluphoria Bluphoria

Noah Vonne

Noah Vonne Noah Vonne Noah Vonne

Noah Vonne, with Bluphoria and Covalent Blonde, at Turf Club, St Paul (03 Nov 2023)

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This is the Kit at Turf Club, St Paul (21 Oct 2023)

This Is The Kit Setlist Slider Goodbye Bite Bullet Proof Inside Outside Scabby Head and Legs This Is What You Did Off Off On No Such Thing Moonshine Freeze Found Out Take You to Sleep Careful of Your Keepers Stuck in a Room More Change with Gruff Rhys on backup vocals This Is When the Sky Gets Big with Gruff Rhys on backup vocals Dibs -- Encore -- Hotter Colder Tour Dates Oct 24 Denver, CO, US Globe Hall Oct 26 Boise, ID, US Neurolux Oct 27 Portland, OR, US Mississippi Studios Oct 28 Seattle, WA, US Woodlawn Hall Oct 29 Vancouver, BC, Canada Wise Hall Nov 1 Grass Valley, CA, US The Center For The Arts Nov 2 San Francisco, CA, US The Chapel Nov 4 South Pasadena, CA, US Masonic Lodge Nov 8 Worthing, UK Assembly Hall Nov 9 Cambridge, UK Cambridge Junction Nov 10 Reading, UK St Laurence's Church Nov 11 Cardiff, UK Tramshed Nov 12 Birmingham, UK Glee Club Nov 14 Gwynedd, UK Neuadd Ogwen Nov 16 Cork, Ireland Cyprus Avenue Nov 17 Galway, Ireland Roisin Dubh Nov 18 Dublin, Ireland National Concert Hall Nov 19 Belfast, UK Mandela Hall Nov 21 Edinburgh, UK Summerhall Nov 22 Gateshead, UK Sage Gateshead Nov 23 Leeds, UK Leeds Irish Centre Nov 24 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy 2 Nov 25 London, UK Barbican Centre Jan 25 2024 Norwich, UK Epic Studios Jan 26 2024 Liverpool, UK Grand Central Hall Jan 30 2024 Hull, UK The Adelphi Jan 31 2024 Sheffield, UK Crookes Social Club Feb 2 2024 Falmouth, UK Princess Pavilion Feb 3 2024 Bristol, UK Bristol Beacon Read More This Is The Kit On this tour, This Is the Kit (Kate Stables) is joined by bassist Jesse Vernon and drummer Jamie Whitby-Coles. She started off with a solo song ‘Easy on the Thieves’, then as a trio … Gruff Rhys Welsh singer Gruff Rhys is headlining the Cedar on Tuesday, October 16th. As a lover of Super Furry Animals, we recommend checking out Rhys. …

Paris-based This is the Kit (aka Kate Stables) headlined the Turf Club, in St Paul, on Oct 21.

BBC Radio loves This is the Kit, playing and promoting their music. Thanks their breakout third album Bashed Out, it landed a record deal with Rough Trade (the label famous for signing The Smiths), who released their album Moonshine Freeze in 2017, and their latest Careful of Your Keepers in 2023. In fact, with the new album, it was produced by Gruff Rhys… which is why Stables asked him to join her on this tour.

Of course, we’re big fans Rhys, the Welsh musician who was in Super Furry Animals (famous for “Something 4 the Weekend”)… but also part of Neon Neon. Rhys is part of the “Cool Cymru” Welsh music movement, led by Stereophonics, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia and Super Furry Animals… so if you know, you know.

Although Rhys spoke English, his Welsh accent was hard to understand. You don’t need to understand him, as he would sometime hold up signs to give directions to the audience… which was pretty fun. For “Pang”, he asks the audience to help say back “Pang” whenever he sings the chorus.

At the end of the set, he would hold up “Audience Reaction”. Then “Claps”, “Louder!”, then “Ape Sh**!” The claps became louder and louder and some whistles and some foot-stomping. If you heard this out of context, you would get the impression that this Gruff Rhys concert was the most amazing show that the audience has ever seen. Perhaps it was, as it’s nothing you’ve heard in a long time.

It was somewhat of a bittersweet ending, as Rhys mentioned that this was his last American show, and that tomorrow, he has to fly back home.

Gruff Rhys’ forthcoming album Sadness Sets Me Free will be out January 26, 2024, on Rough Trade Records.

This is the Kit came on stage, and, of course, Kate Staples, forgot she needed to tune her guitar. If you’ve ever seen This is the Kit, the guitar tuning thing probably makes up half her show.

This is the Kit (19 Oct 2017)

As noted in Oct 2017 we commented, “Stables often tuned between songs, making for awkward unfinished stories and comments. She played acoustic guitar, but it seemed like she’s most comfortable when she’s plucking on her banjo.”

After playing “Slider”, and then re-tuning her guitar, she said that ‘slider’, to her, means a slide. But then she found out that it meant “tiny hamburgers” (specifically White Castle’s sliders), which she had no idea that is what a ‘slider’ is. Then she found out that people call a person sliding down the slide, as a ‘slider’. She ended her story with, “A slider, going down the slider, eating a slider. Music video, done!”

At this point, you know that fans didn’t go out to see This is the Kit play music from their albums… but it’s more of being fans of Kate Staples and her personality. Oh, I guess the music is pretty cool too.

Highlight of the show was Gruff Rhys came on stage to help sing on “More Change” and “This Is When the Sky Gets Big.”

This is the Kit’s Careful of Your Keepers is out now on Rough Trade Records.

Gruff Rhys

This is the Kit Gruff Rhys Gruff Rhys This is the Kit This is the Kit

This is the Kit at Turf Club, St Paul (21 Oct 2023)

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Mudhoney at Turf Club, St Paul (18 Oct 2023)

10/18 Mudhoney with Hooveriii at Turf Club Mudhoney Setlist If I Think Into the Drink Move Under Nerve Attack Get Into Yours Souvenir of My Trip This Gift Judgement, Rage, Retribution and Thyme Let It Slide Sweet Young Thing (Ain't Sweet No More) Touch Me I'm Sick Little Dogs Inside Job Almost Everything Here Comes the Flood F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers) Oh Yeah I'm Now Paranoid Core Human Stock Capital 21st Century Pharisees One Bad Actor -- Encore -- Suck You Dry Tom Herman's Hermits When Tomorrow Hits You Got It In 'n' Out of Grace Read More Mudhoney Grumpy's Bash at Grumpy’s will feature a lot of fan-favorite bands this year, including Mudhoney, Melvins, Lydia Lunch, Cherubs, The Blind Snake, and Whores. 1pm, $48. …

Legendary Seattle grunge band Mudhoney sold out the Turf Club, in St Paul, on October 18, 2023.

Opening the show was psych-rock band Hooveriii (pronounced "Hoover Three") to open. Despite the “3” in their name, this is a five-piece band, featuring Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), Casey Sullivan (vocals and synths) and Owen Barrett (drums).

Based on hearing their first few songs on their set, “Guillotine”, “The Runner”, and “Control”, I thought they sounded really good. I even wrote down a note that their song “Out of My Time” sounds like something that Graham Coxon might have written. It’s very rhythmic, and catchy guitar riff.

Most of the songs on their set came from their “COVID Record” A Round of Applause, which saw official released in 2022.

It’s hard to put into words how much Mudhoney influenced a generation of bands. Mark Arm started a band called Mr. Epp and the Calculations in 1978, before breaking up in 1984. Arm and guitarist Steve Turner would then form Green River, with drummer Alex Vincent, and bassist Jeff Ament. Green River’s debut EP Come on Down in 1985, is widely considered the first grunge record.

When Green River didn’t work out, with some members going on to eventually become Pearl Jam, Arm and Turner decided to try again under a new band called Mudhoney, in 1988. Their debut EP Superfuzz Bigmuff on Sub Pop, exploded and it quickly landed them as support act for Sonic Youth (who were fans of Mudhoney). The band also got the attention of Kurt Cobain, who listed Superfuzz Bigmuff as one of his favorite albums in his journal in 1993.

Although Mudhoney’s early success (particularly with their debut single “Touch Me I’m Sick”) helped create the grunge music genre, the band was somehow forgotten over time… perhaps overshadowed by other giants in the genre like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots. Still, fans of grunge music will fondly remember Mudhoney, and showed up to the sold-out Turf Club to see them play.

Remaining tour dates:

10/19/23 - Milwaukee, WI - X-Ray Arcade
10/20/23 - Chicago, IL - Avondale Music Hall
10/21/23 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme
10/22/23 - Detroit, MI - Magic Bag
10/24/23 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10/25/23 - Rochester, NY - Photo City Music Hall
10/26/23 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
10/27/23 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom
10/28/23 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
10/29/23 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
10/31/23 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern
11/1/23 - Atlanta, GA - EARL
11/2/23 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
11/3/23 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
11/4/23 - Dallas, TX - Sundown at Granada
11/5/23 - Austin, TX - Antone's Nightclub
11/9/23 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
11/10/23 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
11/11/23 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
11/12/23 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
11/14/23 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
11/15/23 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11/17/23 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
11/18/23 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Showroom
11/19/23 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Showroom

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Mudhoney at Turf Club, St Paul (18 Oct 2023)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Juliana Hatfield at Turf Club (10-09-23)

Tour Dates OCT 10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall OCT 11 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater Read More Juliana Hatfield As long as I can remember, Hatfield started her music career with the Blake Babies. When they broke up, she had a massive hit with "My Sister" in her newly reformed band Juliana Hatfield Three … On Being an Angel The opening acts for this leg included Austin TX band On Being an Angel, who just put out a recent EP, On Being a Tape Vol II last month, the four-track collection … DJ Jake Rudh This is billed as a Transmission (aka DJ Jake Rudh) / BNLX release show, but music fans may want to take note that at nearly midnight, The Ocean Blue is scheduled to appear. …

It seemed like the perfect way to spend a Monday night, listening to Juliana Hatfield play a solo set as she visited her extensive cannon of music. But first, her guitar.

On Being an Angel opened as the crowd filtered into the neighborhood bar. They are a quartet from Austin, TX who are on tour as a duo since Juliana is on the road all by herself. So Paige Applin and Nick Flitton took the stage with their guitars, until Nick left by the second song to head back to the dressing room. He was having troubles with his ax, so he returned with a new guitar.

On Being an Angel (07 Dec 2022)

We last saw On Being an Angel in December of last year when they opened up for The Lemonheads (with Juliana) at the Madrid Theatre in Kansas City and First Ave in Minneapolis. A chance encounter with Evan Dando led Paige to form a friendship/mentorship with the lead singer that led to the band’s first tour and a year later they are opening for Juliana.

Paige and Nick mostly played from their 2019 self-titled debut album and the just released single “Playin It Cool” which is out on American Laundromat Records on 7” vinyl, which is pretty cool. (Only 7 signed copies remaining)

Juliana next took the stage with a cover of Oliva Newton-John’s “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round.” She seemed to fiddle and tweak her guitar throughout the first few songs and mentioned that she had lent Nick her guitar, which she compared to sharing your own child.

With stops and starts she seemed to reach a level of acceptance with the sound, but not really. She had a daunting task of revisiting music that spanned over thirty years with over thirty albums as a solo artist as well as with the Blake Babies, The Lemonheads, Some Girls, Minor Alps and a one-off with Paul Westerberg as The I Don’t Cares. A daunting task indeed, complicated by the fact that it was just her and her recently borrowed guitar.

But as the evening continued and Juliana continued to tweak her equipment and peruse the multiple setlists, I was amazed how quiet it was in the room. The crowd was not there for a night on the town. They were fans, they were attentive and they were rewarded with what felt like a personal concert as if Juliana invited everyone into her living room.

It was a generous set with over twenty songs and it was in that sparse set with a voice and finicky guitar that she revealed compelling interpretations of The Police cover “Hole in My Life”, the Minor Alps song “I Don’t Know What to Do With My Hands”, “Everybody Loves Me but You” and “My Sister.”

“I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately,” Juliana said in revisiting her music. She then went on to sing the most nostalgic song she ever wrote, “Wonder Why” with lyrics that seemed to capture the evening:

I wonder why my corduroys were always light blue
And I never had a TV in my bedroom
Just a flame from an electric candle on my windowsill
And I dreamed of my melodies touching you

Juliana Hatfield On Being an Angel On Being an Angel (Paige) On Being an Angel (Nick) Juliana Hatfield

Juliana Hatfield at Turf Club, St Paul (09 Oct 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Cut Worms at Turf Club, St Paul (03 Oct 2023)

10/03 Cut Worms with Ryder the Eagle at Turf Club Cut Worms Setlist Let’s Go Out On the Town Don’t Fade Out Every Once in a While Ballad of the Texas King It Won't Be Too Long Take it and Smile Is it Magic? Castle in the Clouds Sold My Soul Living Inside Song of the Highest Tower Don't Want to Say Good-Bye -- Encore -- Last Words to a Refugee Veteran’s Day Tour Dates Oct. 4 - Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music Oct. 6 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern Oct. 8 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Bling Pig Oct. 9 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Oct. 11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Read More Cut Worms it just made sense that people were swimming on unicorn floaties while listening to the tunes of Cut Worms or Julia Holter. The installations scattered … Ryder the Eagle Starting a tad later than advertised was Ryder the Eagle, introduced himself as, “a French guy living in Mexico City.” This was his first time in Minnesota, first time in St Paul, “first time here ever.” …

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Cut Worms just headlined the Turf Club, in St Paul, in support of his new self-titled album (available on Jagjaguwar).

Opening the show was, once again, French guy living in Mexico, Ryder the Eagle. He was just at the Turf Club about two weeks ago with Oracle Sisters.

Ryder the Eagle (22 Sep 2023)

We previously said that, Ryder the Eagle was: “… a one-man-band, he certainly does it all. Not shy about being on stage, even if he wasn’t the headliner. He’s determined to entertain us. If there weren’t enough people on the dance floor, no problem, he’ll jump in and starts a dance revolution. If no one was at the bar? No problem, he’ll start playing saxophone on the bar counter.”

Much like his last appearance, he has a pre-recorded backing music. He’ll provide the vocals and saxophone, but the majority of percussion and backing vocals were played back (so his timing has to be perfect).

Setlist is pretty much the same, starting with “What is Love” (a song written for his ex-wife), “One Day”, and “Queen of the Rodeo”. The latter is the song where he’ll put on a cowboy hat and interact with the audience. At the end of the song, he’ll put the hat on a random girl.

I believe the song “Eloïse” is about his current love. He met her (on Instagram) while working in Arkansas and eventually she came to visit him in Mexico City and he bought her these cowboy boots. He said if the boots fits, then he’ll kiss her and know that she’s the one.

He ended his set with “Wounded Bird”, which had him stripping to his tank top (the last time he was shirtless), and singing on the bar.

Turn out for the Cut Worms (aka Max Clarke) show was incredible, for a sleepy Tuesday night! You wouldn’t know it until Cut Worms took the stage, and his fans filled out the dance floor nicely.

Clarke played a lot of tunes from his latest self-titled album, which is actually his third album. His debut album, called Hollow Ground was a big hit on Metacritic (thanks to Pitchfork leading the positive review).

With the new self-titled album, Clarke mentioned that he was inspired by The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson) four-and five-part harmonies, so the record comes across feeling like it was written in the 60s. You can certainly pick up the influence when you hear them play “Ballad of the Texas King” live on stage, with the jangle harmony.

Cut Worms is available now on Jagjaguwar.

Ryder the Eagle

Cut Worms Ryder the Eagle Cut Worms

Cut Worms at Turf Club, St Paul (03 Oct 2023)

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Jesse Jo Stark at Turf Club, St Paul (29 Sep 2023)

Jesse Jo Stark Setlist 666 in the suburbs so bad Dandelion slayer lipstick Tangerine April Flowers Angel Mystery Not Your Little Baby Anymore pussycat Driftwood Fallout patterns Fire Of Love Read More Jesse Jo Stark Los Angeles’ Jesse Jo Stark actually started their set ten minutes earlier than advertised. It’s literally unheard of with rock ‘n roll shows, but that meant .… Rachel Bobbitt The Ceiling Could Collapse Rachel Bobbitt 6 SONGS • JUL 15 2022 More Watch And See Gemini Ties Bandages What About The Kids For Keeps 2022 Fantasy Records, Distributed by Concord. .… she's green she's green and Haze Gazer to open. Tour dates: Aug 12 Bay City, MI, US Excellency Music Festival Aug 13 Chicago, IL, US Sleeping Village Aug 14 Minneapolis, MN, US 7th St Entry .…

Los Angeles’ Jesse Jo Stark headlined the Turf Club, in St Paul, last night, in support of her debut album Doomed.

Local shoegazing band she’s green, featuring Zofia on vocals, Teddy on bass, Liam on guitars, Raines on guitars, and Kevin on drums, opened the show. Although, according to Zofia, the group is from the area, but it was their first time playing the Turf Club. We’ve previously mentioned their Minneapolis shows, such as in August 2023 or January 2022 … but never mentioned they’ve played St Paul.

The group is still relatively new, so they’re introducing some new songs, such as “Clobber”. At least that’s the title they currently agreed on.

Their debut EP, Wisteria came out in June 2023.

Next up was Toronto’s Rachel Bobbitt, on her adventures through the USA. She’s joined on stage with guitarist Justice, drummer Stephen, and bassist Isaac. It was their first time in Minnesota, and Rachel confessed that the only thing she knows about the state is from the movie Fargo… “so no one murders anyone tonight!” she joked.

Her set included some songs from her EP The Half We Still Have, such as “Two Bit”. Although her latest release is a cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams”, she actually didn’t play that track. Instead her cover of Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More” was played. This is one of her first cover that she posted in seven years ago.

Jesse Jo Stark has a flair for the theatrics. Her stage had gargoyles, everyone is dressed in black. Her outfit is made of tight leather (which isn’t revealed until “Tangerine”). She’s created this sort of vampire or fallen angel of darkness, and it suits her music very well.

Jesse Jo Stark (10 Oct 2018)

I should point out that when I first saw Jesse Jo, five years ago, I was just blown away at her music, noting, “…I couldn’t get enough of their music! Their music sounds a bit like Angelfish (pre-Garbage), early Curve (pre-techno), and a little Mazzy Star (but not as sleepy). It’s driven by catchy muscular guitar hooks and Jesse Jo Stark’s seductive vocals.”

As you can see from the setlist, lots of songs from Doomed and not as much cover songs as her appearance at the Fine Line in 2018.

Jesse Jo Stark’s debut album Doomed is out now.

Remaining tour dates:

Sep 30 Milwaukee, WI, US Back Room, Colectivo Coffee
Oct 1 St Louis, MO, US Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Oct 3 Kansas City, MO, US recordBar
Oct 8 Vancouver, BC, Canada Wise Hall
Oct 9 Seattle, WA, US Madame Lou's
Oct 10 Portland, OR, US McMenamin's
Oct 12 San Francisco, CA, US The Chapel
Oct 15 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US El Rey Theatre

Rachel Bobbitt She’s Green She’s Green Rachel Bobbitt Rachel Bobbitt

Rachel Bobbitt

Jesse Jo Stark Jesse Jo Stark Jesse Jo Stark

Jesse Jo Stark at Turf Club, St Paul (29 Sep 2023)

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Oracle Sisters at Turf Club, St Paul (22 Sep 2023)

Oracle Sisters Setlist I Don't Wanna Move The Dandelion Hail Mary Cigale Song Who Knows Where the Time Goes Captain America High Moon The Vibes Hot Summer Most of All Asc. Scorpio Tramp Like You RBH -- Encore -- Modern Love Read More Oracle Sisters France’s Oracle Sisters will be headlining the Turf Club in St Paul at the new date of September 22, 2023 (from May 13, 2023). The group was chosen as top 100 artists of 2019 by the NME. …

Originally booked in May 2023, this Oracle Sisters show was rescheduled to September 22, 2023.

Starting a tad later than advertised was Ryder the Eagle, introduced himself as, “a French guy living in Mexico City.” This was his first time in Minnesota, first time in St Paul, “first time here ever.”

He seems to be enjoying his travels through the USA, telling us all the “French” cities he’s been in, like O’Claire (this is how we pronounce it in French, “Oh-Claare”) and Racine (“Raaa-seen”). Even if the cities weren’t French, he would come up with French pronunciations.

For a one-man-band, he certainly does it all. Not shy about being on stage, even if he wasn’t the headliner. He’s determined to entertain us. If there weren’t enough people on the dance floor, no problem, he’ll jump in and starts a dance revolution. If no one was at the bar? No problem, he’ll start playing saxophone on the bar counter.

Like Ryder, this was Oracle Sisters’ very first USA tour. The French band is composed of childhood friends Lewis Lazar and Christopher Willatt, and Finnish musician Julia Johansen (aka ‘the Queen of the Elves’).

It’s interesting to note that Lewis Lazar is an artist/painter (art from his book The Book of JibJab were used the Crypt gallery in London) and his friend Christopher Willatt is a mathematician. Lazar told me that the supergroup Summer Moon was “a band I played guitar in on the side to help out friends” (Nikolai Fraiture from The Strokes, Tennessee Thomas, and Erika Spring from Au Revoir Simone). In the meantime, he was writing his own music to created Oracle Sisters.

Art and design are a strong part of the band, as you can see from the tour poster… as well as their hand-stitched background backdrop (which was created in collaboration with art/fashion designer Pangeaaa.

The show started with just Lewis Lazar and Christopher Willatt, before the rest of the band joined them on stage. This included Julia on drums and a bassist and keyboardist. Fans seems to really like the music, in which NME described as “chilled and laid-back folk-pop songs.”

Remaining tour dates:

23 Sep – Schubas - Chicago, IL
25 Sep - Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA
26 Sep - The Jack London Revue - Portland, OR
28 Sep - Popscene/Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA
29 Sep - The Roxy Theatre - Los Angeles, CA

Ryder the Eagle

Julia Johansen Ryder the Eagle Ryder the Eagle Oracle Sisters Oracle Sisters

Oracle Sisters at Turf Club, St Paul (22 Sep 2023)

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The Nadas at Turf Club (08/31/2023)

Tour Dates 09/06 Zebulon Los Angeles, CA 09/09 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ 09/14 Oriental Theater Denver, CO 09/15 Vultures Colorado Springs, CO 09/30 Knoxville Airshow Knoxville, IA 10/27 Hoyt Sherman Place 06/23/24—06/30/24 Fan Cruise: French & Italian Riviera Read More The Nadas Iowa-based alt/Americana band The Nadas will be headlining the Turf Club in St Paul on August 31st, 2023, in support of their latest album Come Along for the Ride (due out August 11). ...

With musical fans concentrated at the State Fair to see Duran Duran and the Xcel Center to see Pearl Jam, directly between the two venues a contingent of Iowans gathered at the Turf Club to see the Des Moines band The Nadas.

Another, Iowan, Doug Collins opened the evening. He now lives in the Twin Cities and has a band called The Receptionist. They don’t make coffee or tell you the singer is unavailable, but do know how to play and provide comic relief. They are Charley Varley on bass, Billy Danker on drums and Randy Broughten on pedal steel guitar.

Billy and Randy once played in the Gear Daddies and provide a nice compliment to Collins’ country sound with its subtle twang and wry lyrics. Right from the start both were on display as he sang about wanting to get away to Mexico, as in MO, as in Missouri, which is from his latest album Too Late at Night.

The week before Doug Collins played at the Minnesota State Fair. The fair’s website describes him as having a “… nice-guy charm and smart-guy wit.” Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune has described his music as “… highly accessible, charming, wholesome…”

Enjoyable is my adjective. The repartee between Collins and his band, the well-honed sound, a cold beer, a neighborhood bar, what more could you want as Collins crooned about life at a crossroads in “Change the Sheets”; alcohol in “Drinkin’ Again” and more booze in “Alcohol and AC.” He even took a moment to sing an ode to his home town in “Davenport, IA.”

The Nadas opened with “This Mess is My Masterpiece” from their latest album Come Along for the Ride.

The band is comprised of Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith on lead vocals and guitar, Brian Duffey on bass, Brandon Stone on drums and Perry Ross on keyboards. Most would switch instruments throughout the evening except for Jason. His acoustic guitar went on the fritz and he had to stick with the electric, which wasn’t very fortuitous considering it was his birthday.

The birthday brought out some ruminating from the two leads. Mike told a funny story setting up for a gig in a town square of a small town and overhearing someone in the gathering crowd ask, “The Nadas, aren’t they in their sixties?" (Not yet.) Then Jason added that during a solo gig on a farm, he gave a couple of young helpers his CD, but the kids had no idea what to do with it.

The crowd mostly remained seated throughout the evening, but then headed to the dance floor for “If Everything Goes My Way” and “River.” Some fans grouped together for a communal hug to sing along to “Dancing Lucinda.” And not to be outdone by the opening act, there was a song about alcohol “Templeton Rye.”

And as the evening drew to a close, Mike let Jason pick the last couple of songs for his birthday. So Jason selected “Let Me Sleep” a song about trying to get some shuteye in an RV with local law enforcement rousting you awake to move you along; then “Mi Corazon” a Mexican-tinged (not MO) song that may help to explain why a band in the middle of Iowa is called The Nadas.

Or not.

Doug Collins and The Receptionist Doug Collins and The Receptionist Doug Collins and The Receptionist

The Nadas

The Nadas

The Nadas

The Nadas

The Nadas The Nadas The Nadas

The Nadas at Turf Club, St Paul (31 Aug 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Portrayal of Guilt at Turf Club (08/28/2023)

08/28 Portrayal of Guilt with GAG and Fearing at Turf Club Tour Dates Aug 30: Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Aug 31: St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Sep 01: Indianapolis, IN - Healer Sep 02: Chicago, IL - Scorched Tundra Sep 05: Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Sep 06: Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light Sep 07: Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR Sep 08: Memphis, TN - B-Side Sep 09: Birmingham, AL - Saturn Sep 10: Atlanta, GA - Slower & Harder Sep 12: New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa Sep 13: San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger Read More Portrayal of Guilt The Drums are New York’s current triple F. Texas’ Portrayal of Guilt have announced their first U.S. tour since the release of their latest, acclaimed new album, Devil Music (via Run For Cover). The tour will stop at the Turf Club in St Paul ...

It was loud and heavy, and to the delight of the crowd that gathered there was a heavy amount of thrashing.

Wanderer first took the stage with The Louvin Brothers “Satan is Real” playing them on. They are a Twin Cities band comprised of Dan Lee on vocals, Mano Holgin on drums, Jack Carlson on bass and Brent Ericson on guitar. They launched into a high-octane, at times blistering pace, playing songs from their debut album “Liberation From a Brutalistst Existence.” And as quickly as they started, they were done as Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen” started playing through the main speakers.

Fearing was up next. They are based out of Oakland California with James Rogers on bass and vocals and Brian Vega on guitar and vocals. Their sound is described as dark coldwave. It had the feel of 80’s synth music stripped down to its core. The themes were still bleak, but not as much screaming and distortion as the previous act.

Fearing’s latest release Destroyer will be available on September, 29^th.

Gag was up next and they instantly upped the thrashing level. Luckily, I was standing behind a half-wall when the moshing commenced. What I found surprising is that no one looked upset or angry. Instead everyone had big smiles on their faces even if those faces were about to get accidentally slapped or elbowed.

Gag is based out of Olympia, Washington. They are comprised of Adam Barnes on vocals, Jose Mora on guitar, Ian Jeffries on guitar, Jeff Caffey on drums and Paden Reed on bass. They were loud, their sound was heavy and they were having a blast. They definitely sent a jolt through the crowd, as Vice Magazine best described in February 2016: “Like all the best punk and pop, the songs are over before the listener can fully acclimate, but the bewilderment is part of the thrill.”

Portrayer of Guilt finished off the evening with an impressive set. NPR described their music in a November 2018 article as: “… hardcore, noise, grindcore, death metal, powerviolence and turn-of-the-century scream…” (The album being reviewed was Let Pain Be Your Guide.) They are based out of Austin, Texas with Matt King on guitars and vocals, Blake Given on bass and James Beveridge on drums.

Fearing Wanderer Wanderer Fearing Wanderer

Fearing	Gag	Portrayal of Guilt
Gag	Gag	Portrayal of Guilt

Portrayal of Guilt at Turf Club, St Paul (28 Aug 2023)

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