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Ha Ha Tonka Setlist
Tour Dates
6/3 - Indianapolis, IN @ White Rabbit Cabaret
6/4 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom 6/6 - Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch 6/7 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 6/8 - Rochester, NY @ Abilene Bar and Lounge 6/9 - Providence, RI @ Firehouse 13 6/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ MilkBoy 6/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory 6/14 - Washington DC @ DC9 Nightclub 6/15 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe 6/16 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House 6/17 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar Read More
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Last night at the Turf Club, Missouri roots-rockers Ha Ha Tonka and my favorite Wisconsin troubadour Trapper Schoepp pulled me from my self-imposed semi-retirement and jostled awake my sleepy mid-week evening with some foot-stomping jams.
Was it a good Wednesday? Yeah. Hell yeah.
As a former resident of Green Bay, I was charmed to learn that Trapper Schoepp’s newest EP was written all about the city’s Bay Beach, an east-side amusement park nestled on the bay that happens to be celebrating 125 years of existence this year. Schoepp treated the Turf crowd to a performance of Bay Beach Amusement Park in its entirety with help from Shades bandmates Justin Krol on drums, Quinn Scharber on guitar, brother Tanner on bass/vocals and a 3-piece horn section lovingly called “The Horns”. The EP consists of six songs that navigate you through the park’s different rides: “Tilt-A-Whirl,” the Elvis-formerly-owned “Zippin Pippin” roller coaster, and “Bumper Cars.” The best ride in the whole place (in my humble opinion) is called “The Scat,” a ride where you are strapped to the side of what looks like a giant deep fryer and aggressively spun you around until you feel physically ill. Schoepp has some fun with this one (how could you not?), borrowing a few lines he overheard a kid lament during the ride: “I feel weird, I feel numb and I wish this would end.” Musically, the songs have an early rock-n-roll feel. This is captured best on the show opener, “Welcome to Bay Beach,” a swaggering track that references the rockabilly classic “Brand New Cadillac”. After wrapping up the EP set, the Shades eased into a selection of fan favorites like “Pins and Needles” from 2011’s Run, Engine, Run and “Tornado Alley” from last year’s Rangers and Valentines.
The good vibes continued with Ha Ha Tonka who kicked off their rousing hour set with “Race to the Bottom” the killer first track to their brand new record Heart-Shaped Mountain. The 13-years-strong sextet features lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Roberts, guitarist Brett Anderson, drummer Mike Reilly, multi-instrumentalist James Cleare and Slash-look-alike-contest-winner Luke Long on bass. These guys have a reputation for putting their blood, sweat and tears into each live show and last night was no different. The band’s energy was contagious as the club erupted into dancing, shout-singing and fist-pumping. I’m used to this kind of response from concert-goers later in the evening, but fans of Ha Ha Tonka do not waste any time! They are a very committed fanbase, something Roberts acknowledged after thanking the crowd for taking in a rock show on a school night.
Something that Ha Ha Tonka effortlessly excel at are crafting gorgeous layered harmonies with each member contributing his voice. This was showcased best on “Hangman,” a jaw-dropping acapella number from 2007’s Buckle in the Bible Belt. The band’s jauntier songs (like “Lonely Fortunes” and “St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor”) often hide bleak subject matter; loss, betrayal, a depleted faith in humanity. But this isn’t lost on anyone - we take our bitter pills with a healthy side of garage-rock honky tonk, please and thank you.
An already spirited setlist was punctuated with two great covers: “12-inch 3-Speed Oscillator Fan” originally by Big Smith (“Are you ready for some bluegrass?”) and a barn-burning rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” - the latter causing a most epic sing-a-long in the audience and featuring an appearance by Schoepp’s horn crew.
Get in on the Ha Ha Tonka train: Heart-Shaped Mountain out now on the famed Bloodshot Records! And check out Trapper Schoepp & the Shades’ EP Bay Beach Amusement Park on Xtra Mile Recordings!
Ha Ha Tonka is excited to announce that they will appear on Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco on June 22nd!
Was it a good Wednesday? Yeah. Hell yeah.
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Trapper Schoepp
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The good vibes continued with Ha Ha Tonka who kicked off their rousing hour set with “Race to the Bottom” the killer first track to their brand new record Heart-Shaped Mountain. The 13-years-strong sextet features lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Roberts, guitarist Brett Anderson, drummer Mike Reilly, multi-instrumentalist James Cleare and Slash-look-alike-contest-winner Luke Long on bass. These guys have a reputation for putting their blood, sweat and tears into each live show and last night was no different. The band’s energy was contagious as the club erupted into dancing, shout-singing and fist-pumping. I’m used to this kind of response from concert-goers later in the evening, but fans of Ha Ha Tonka do not waste any time! They are a very committed fanbase, something Roberts acknowledged after thanking the crowd for taking in a rock show on a school night.
Something that Ha Ha Tonka effortlessly excel at are crafting gorgeous layered harmonies with each member contributing his voice. This was showcased best on “Hangman,” a jaw-dropping acapella number from 2007’s Buckle in the Bible Belt. The band’s jauntier songs (like “Lonely Fortunes” and “St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor”) often hide bleak subject matter; loss, betrayal, a depleted faith in humanity. But this isn’t lost on anyone - we take our bitter pills with a healthy side of garage-rock honky tonk, please and thank you.
An already spirited setlist was punctuated with two great covers: “12-inch 3-Speed Oscillator Fan” originally by Big Smith (“Are you ready for some bluegrass?”) and a barn-burning rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” - the latter causing a most epic sing-a-long in the audience and featuring an appearance by Schoepp’s horn crew.
Get in on the Ha Ha Tonka train: Heart-Shaped Mountain out now on the famed Bloodshot Records! And check out Trapper Schoepp & the Shades’ EP Bay Beach Amusement Park on Xtra Mile Recordings!
Ha Ha Tonka is excited to announce that they will appear on Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco on June 22nd!
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Ha Ha Tonka at Turf Club, St Paul (31 May 2017) |
