Django Django 2018 Tour
Django Django Setlist
The Shacks Setlist
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London’s Django Django stopped by the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis on Thursday, touring in support of their latest Marble Skies (Because Music / Ribbon Music).
What made this show extra special was for the fact that this was officially the venue’s first show under the ownership and management of local booking powerhouse First Avenue. The truth is, things are pretty much the same as it always was, except perhaps now with First Avenue’s friendlier crew. As we’ve already seen in the past few years, First Avenue booked and ran a lot of their shows that didn’t quite fit on First Avenue’s main stage or the much smaller 7th Street Entry. Much like what First Avenue did for the Turf Club (buying the venue in 2013), they’ve now expanded it the Fine Line. I only wished that they had saved the punk-ish Triple Rock Social Club, which is now turned into a grocery store.
Anyway, opening the show was New York’s The Shacks, an odd jazzy, dream pop duo of guitarist/songwriter Max Shrager and singer/bassist Shannon Wise. What made them really stand out is Wise’s strange singing (and speaking) voice. I would describe it to sounding like a whispering child, like if you ever heard Cyndi Lauper softly speaks.
Midway into their set, after “This Strange Effect”, the band went on an extra long band instrumental jam session, while Wise disappeared from the stage. She would emerge in a slinky silver dress (and cape!) to continue the set with “Strange Boy”.
These kind of costume changes are rarely seen, especially for the smaller stage, and especially for an opening act. Still, it got our attention. Despite a poor choice of band name, we do like their music and stage performance and really looking forward to their next appearance.
When Django Django (David Maclean, Vincent Neff, Jimmy Dixon, Tommy Grace) first came on the scene with their self-titled studio album, we were raving about them when they appeared at SXSW 2012. It took them a year, but eventually the band did make their first appearance in Minneapolis at First Avenue in May 2013. There was already a huge buzz for the band at that time (selling out First Ave), and we said, “Their music can be described as a unique mix of older rhythms, drum & bass and indie rock mixed with futuristic bits/bytes – with three of the members also from experimental outfit The Phantom Band and drummer/producer David Maclean being the brother of Beta Band’s John Maclean, it becomes obvious that the band enjoys its improv and building on a beat.”
Taking a page from their previous appearances, the band chose to play in near darkness with only brief flashes of lights with a video projection. The audience didn’t seem to mind, as they danced away to the dancing rhythm and beats of Django Django and shouting “whooo!” with the band’s music. Clearly the people who came out on a Thursday were glad to see the band again.
Django Django’s brief North American tour for Marble Skies continues below:
What made this show extra special was for the fact that this was officially the venue’s first show under the ownership and management of local booking powerhouse First Avenue. The truth is, things are pretty much the same as it always was, except perhaps now with First Avenue’s friendlier crew. As we’ve already seen in the past few years, First Avenue booked and ran a lot of their shows that didn’t quite fit on First Avenue’s main stage or the much smaller 7th Street Entry. Much like what First Avenue did for the Turf Club (buying the venue in 2013), they’ve now expanded it the Fine Line. I only wished that they had saved the punk-ish Triple Rock Social Club, which is now turned into a grocery store.
Anyway, opening the show was New York’s The Shacks, an odd jazzy, dream pop duo of guitarist/songwriter Max Shrager and singer/bassist Shannon Wise. What made them really stand out is Wise’s strange singing (and speaking) voice. I would describe it to sounding like a whispering child, like if you ever heard Cyndi Lauper softly speaks.
Midway into their set, after “This Strange Effect”, the band went on an extra long band instrumental jam session, while Wise disappeared from the stage. She would emerge in a slinky silver dress (and cape!) to continue the set with “Strange Boy”.
These kind of costume changes are rarely seen, especially for the smaller stage, and especially for an opening act. Still, it got our attention. Despite a poor choice of band name, we do like their music and stage performance and really looking forward to their next appearance.
When Django Django (David Maclean, Vincent Neff, Jimmy Dixon, Tommy Grace) first came on the scene with their self-titled studio album, we were raving about them when they appeared at SXSW 2012. It took them a year, but eventually the band did make their first appearance in Minneapolis at First Avenue in May 2013. There was already a huge buzz for the band at that time (selling out First Ave), and we said, “Their music can be described as a unique mix of older rhythms, drum & bass and indie rock mixed with futuristic bits/bytes – with three of the members also from experimental outfit The Phantom Band and drummer/producer David Maclean being the brother of Beta Band’s John Maclean, it becomes obvious that the band enjoys its improv and building on a beat.”
Taking a page from their previous appearances, the band chose to play in near darkness with only brief flashes of lights with a video projection. The audience didn’t seem to mind, as they danced away to the dancing rhythm and beats of Django Django and shouting “whooo!” with the band’s music. Clearly the people who came out on a Thursday were glad to see the band again.
Django Django’s brief North American tour for Marble Skies continues below:
10/06 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
10/08 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/09 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
10/11 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/12 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
10/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
10/15 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
10/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade: Hell Stage
10/08 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/09 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
10/11 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/12 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
10/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
10/15 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
10/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade: Hell Stage
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Django Django at Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis (04 Oct 2018) |