W♥M (Archive)

The Honeydogs at Loring Park, Minneapolis (08 August 2016)

Setlist Vermillion Billows (Shouldn't Take It So Hard) Broke It Buy It Sandstorm Rumor Has It Left Alone Wheels Particles or Waves 10,000 Years Art & Vandalism Look Through the Sun (Photokeratitis) Arguing with Fiction Devices Devil We Do Blue-Backed Speller Read More Honeydogs The game started with Minnesota's legendary The Honeydogs. The rather large seven-member league, led by star hitter Adam Levy, rose to popularity when they played …

Rumor had it… and it was true –

Americana group The Pines, who were scheduled to play the latest Monday installment of the Walker Art Center co-sponsored Music and Movies in Loring Park, had just cancelled.

A gig in Canada the night before had delayed their entry back to Minnesota and so on the morning of; the event was left without a band until The Honeydogs, with just a few hours notice, were able to admirably fill in, playing a 55 min.-long set before the scheduled movie (John Waters’ Hairspray).

The group, led by lead ‘Dog Adam Levy, has coincidentally just put out a new 11^th studio album, Love and Cannibalism (on Simon Recordings) the result of a successful PledgeMusic campaign which had premiums that even included Levy personally preparing a home-cooked meal for you.

Opening with ‘Vermillion Billows (Shouldn't Take It so Hard)’, Levy and band (he on guitars, keyboards; Ryan Paul Plewacki: guitars; Peter Anderson: drums; Peter J. Sands: piano, keys; Trent Norton: bass; Matt Darling: trombone; and Steve Kung: trumpet) maybe chose that song (the new album’s opener) deliberately, perhaps responding to those in crowd that hadn’t heard previously about The Pines cancellation.

The band plays a harmonious blend of power-pop, with a touch of Motown and Memphis soul (courtesy of the horns) and classic British rock, with new album sounding the most upbeat and rocking, in years. Levy has had a rough couple of years, losing his son (channeling that into his 1^st solo album), in addition to the normal ups and downs of being a working musician, but has the band back in the right direction.

“We’re doing mostly new songs tonight… here’s an old one… but not by Lynyrd Skynyrd!” Levy said cheekily, before going into the irresistible 1997 pop of ‘Rumor Has It’, which got a handful of people young and old, up from their lawn chairs and blankets, to dance on the lawn.

The new ‘Art & Vandalism’ got bumped down from the order on the written setlist, after Levy instead intro’d ‘Wheels’, a love song about the road, but the new song found its place after a horn-filled ‘10,000 Years’ and was dedicated to the Walker Art Center in the process.

Levy scanned the mostly-attentive crowd, saying “I’m really happy that very few people are playing with their devices right now” before playing ‘Devices’.

“It was a pleasure to be the substitute teacher for the night”, Levy said launching into their final song, the chugging ‘Blue-Backed Speller’ complete with swampy guitar solo, more horns, and a thanks from Levy to the kids running around in front of them for the set.

As a sign that summer’s end in near, the Music and Movies series in Loring Park ends this Monday, with a special evening beginning with a pre-movie performance from Bruise Violet, DJ work by Sean McPherson of The Current, and the 1929 silent movie classic Man with a Movie Camera-- complete with a live score by producer, DJ, and beatmaker, Big Cats.

Setlist

Honeydogs: Adam Levy

Honeydogs: Adam Levy

Honeydogs

The Honeydogs at Loring Park, Minneapolis (08 Aug 2016)

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Grant Hart at Loring Park, Minneapolis (01 Aug 2016)

Setlist Reflection of the Moon on the Water Terms of Psychic Warfare* Is the Sky the Limit Shine Shine Shine Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill* What's an Angel Doing So Far from Heaven* Pink Turns to Blue* 2541 Back from Somewhere* Green Eyes* Flexible Flyer* Colorado My Regrets * Hüsker Dü song Read More Grant Hart It’s been 35 years since Hüsker Dü released their debut record Land Speed Record. To celebrate, one of Hüsker Dü’s original founding member Grant Hart (joined by The ...

Monday in Minneapolis means movies, music and more!

Never minding the above alliteration, these are the so-called dog days of summer but get an early week respite every Monday in August in downtown Minneapolis with a Walker Art Center-sponsored Summer series of Music and Movies, presented outdoors in the heart off the city in Loring Park.

For this year’s first installment, legendary  Hüsker Dü founder and co-songwriter Grant Hart played an hour-long set in between sets from DJ Jake Rudh and before The Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night.  The event coincided with the 35th anniversary of the recording of Land Speed Record in the 7th St Entry and was a related event to the Walker exhibition Chris Larson: Land Speed Record on view through January 8, 2017.

Hart and new band, The Glandolinian Army Band (though it was billed as Grant Hart Associated) tore through a set of primarily Hüsker Dü and Hart solo material, with the singer in a good mood and cracking jokes to the picnic blanket crowd perched on the sloped lawn.

Hart began his set with 2009’s ‘Reflection of the Moon on the Water’ but not before he queried the audience about co-sponsor Suburu’s cars, and joking “how come I got stuck with The Beatles… anyone out there sick of The Beatles?!” during the intro.

The first Hüsker Dü song, ‘Terms of Psychic Warfare’, wasn’t from Land Speed Record, rather from 1985’s New Day Rising, and the new band (Dylan Richie and Timothy Alleick) adapted to the song well.

‘Is the Sky the Limit’ and ‘Shine Shine Shine’ were the first to represent Hart’s last studio effort, the sprawling 2013 album The Argument.

Hart joked about the popcorn available for sale for the movie, from the co-op grocery tent located nearby- “it’s free, right?” he questioned and when they shook their heads otherwise and held up two fingers, he replied, “peace to you too, free popcorn over there, it’s peaceful too”.

The latter half of the set was mostly Hüsker songs, including ‘Green Eyes’, a staple of Hart’s live shows, and 1985’s ‘Flexible Flyer’, a Hart-penned tune from his former band’s fourth album, Flip Your Wig.

Hart and band ended their set with ‘No Regrets’ from his 2009 album, Hot Wax prefacing it by saying somewhat deadpanned, “here’s one of our favorites, we hope you like it too”.

If you missed the outdoor concert, Grant Hart and his band returns to the stage again next Monday in Minneapolis, at the 7^th St Entry, where the 35^th anniversary of Land Speed Record is celebrated and two-thirds of Hüsker Dü reunites as part of a related panel discussion.

Setlist

Grant Hart

Grant Hart

Grant Hart with Chris Larson

Grant Hart at Loring Park, Minneapolis (01 Aug 2016)

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Chipotle Cultivate Festival - Loring Park, Minneapolis (22 Aug 2015)

Atlas Genius Setlist Symptoms Stockholm If So A Perfect End Centred On You Back Seat The Stone Mill Molecules Trojans X Ambassadors Setlist Loveless Hang On Love Songs Drug Songs Unsteady Naked Gorgeous Renegades Jungle Anderson East Setlist Devil In Me Only You Quit You Lonely Keep the Fire Burning Stay With Me (The Faces cover) Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, and Forget 'Em Satisfy Me Read More Cultivate Festival We still can't believe the lineup to the Cultivate Festival 2015 show. Originally Misterwives was scheduled to appear, but they had to cancel their appearance. Not to worry, X Ambassadors .... Walk The Moon The latest song, "Shut Up And Dance" was the #1 song on Spotify charts... and it's a good indication of what's to come when they release their sophomore album on RCA Records later this year..… Atlas Genius The Australian band recently played the U.S. festival circuit (Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and Osheaga), and I can’t help but wonder whether the road is wearing on the boys. … X Ambassadors The evening’s performance at downtown club Mill City Nights, started with an opening 45 min. set from New York alternative four-piece, X Ambassadors, who has had a recent EP out, The Reason …

Mother Nature always wins—

We learned that again over the previous weekend as the Chipotle Cultivate Festival came to town for a day long adventure of food, ideas, and music.

Having just completed its fifth year, the one-day free festival  included cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, live music, local food artisans, breweries, wineries, a special Chipotle festival menu, and other activities emphasizing fresh food made with sustainably raised ingredients.

Gavin Kaysen

Chef appearances included Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods), Gavin Kaysen (Spoon & Stable), and Richard Blais (Top Chef: All Stars), with DJ Christopher Golub spinning between the five scheduled musical acts.

In addition, there were a handful of interactive experiences focused on sustainable food – including issues surrounding GMOs, how to make guacamole, and the reality of processed foods, as well as a Kid’s Zone.  Surly Brewing teamed with the festival to create a Rhubarb Farmhouse Ale saison exclusively for the event as well.

Hippo Campus

The crowd at the music stage began swelling very early on, as local favorites Hippo Campus played first, with a spirited 40 min. set that included new single, ‘South’ (EP out Oct 2 on Grand Jury Records)as well as favorites from their debut EP, Bashful Creatures.

The St. Paul foursome with a peppy Vampire Weekend-esque indie-pop sound has a large area following and includes guitarist/ vocalist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton and drummer Whistler Allen. “We’re gonna finish off with a classic”, Luppen cheekily said, ending with the title track from their initial EP, “…have a burrito for me”, Luppen added.

Anderson East

The southern soul of Anderson East was next, the Alabama native touring in support of his third and latest, Delilah (Low Country Sounds/Elektra). His slightly raspy voice echoed his Baptist upbringings, with East saying early on, “Did anyone bring their dancing shoes? ...you’re sure gonna need ‘em!”.

A crack band with organ and slide guitar backed the singer, even adding in a mid-set cover of The Faces’ ‘Stay with Me’, slightly slowed and less manic than the original, simmering with Southern spices.  Ending with ‘Satisfy Me’, East’s set clocked in at the same running time as his major label debut, a too-brief 32 min.

X Ambassadors

Clouds started to thicken and the wind picked up as X Ambassadors took to the stage for their 40 min. set.  The Ithaca, NY band actually has a local connection, as lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh spent most summers growing up, in nearby Prior Lake, and had many of his extended family in the audience.

The band’s debut full-length, VHS (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records) is making waves, thanks to breakout second single, ‘Renegades’  (which has also been smartly placed in a Jeep commercial)and the crowd was on their side from the beginning drum beats of ‘Loveless’ feeding on charismatic front man Sam Harris’ eagerness to interact with the crowd.

Harris broke out his saxophone for the first time in the set on ‘Love Songs Drug Songs’, the crowd sang along to the chorus of ‘Unsteady’, and the band ended with ‘Jungle’, the album’s initial single done with Jamie N. Commons on record.

Atlas Genius

Flashes of lightning veined the nearby sky as Adelaide, Australia band Atlas Genius came out to their intro music of Etta James’ ‘At Last’.  The Aussie band has a new album, Inanimate Objects (Warner Bros Records), out just last week, and offered a preview of several of the new songs during their 40 min. set.

“This is beautiful”, singer/guitarist Keith Jeffery remarked after the first song, “Let’s pray to the gods of rock ‘n roll that we have no rain”.  ‘If So’ got the crowd clapping, while the crowd heeded Jeffrey’s request to “dance your pants off” on ‘Back Seat’, getting everyone to crouch down then jump up in tandem, saying “that was exactly right” as the song finished.

The first two songs from the new record followed, ‘The Stone Mill’ and current single, ‘Molecules’, with biggest applause reserved for their final song, ’Trojans’, which reached number 4 on the alternative charts.

With the sky darkening and rumbles overhead heard louder, the crowd (many of whom were mimicking Walk the Moon’s colorful face paint on their cheeks) soon received the bad news that a storm was fast approaching and the band would not be playing their headlining set.

A chorus of boos predictably rang out, but were hushed when the band themselves took to the stage to apologize to the audience, even ad-libbing in an acapella verse of ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ to try and appease the crowd.

And with that, an orderly crowd exited the festival as dark skies loomed; happy to have had a free day of music, food, and fun, but less than enthused that Mother Nature managed to get the last word in.

Walk the Moon at Chipotle Cultivate Festival - Loring Park, Minneapolis (22 August 2015)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Gary Louris & friends (The Jayhawks) at Loring Park, Minneapolis (27 July 2015)

photo courtesy of Walker Art Center Setlist I'd Run Away Stumbling Through the Dark Useless Creatures* Lovers of the Sun* Waiting for the Sun Isabel's Daughter* Need You Tonight* Ace* I'm Gonna Make You Love Me Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces* Pretty Roses in Your Hair* Blue Comeback Kids* Save It For A Rainy Day 9 More Days* Tailspin * new song Tour Dates 08/15/15 Omaha, NE "Maha Music Festival" 08/24/15 Fish Creek, WI Door Community 09/10/15 Wilmington, DE World Cafe Live 09/11/15 Lancaster, PA Chameleon 09/12/15 Lockn' - Interlocking Music Festival 09/19/15 Saint Charles, IL Arcada Theatre Read More Walker Art Center The Walker's Summer Music & Movies event is kicking off next week at Loring Park. Before the 1968 film Barbarella, Jayhawks' Gary Louris and friends …

Monday meant movies, music… and Jayhawks?!

Gary Louris

The recent installment of The Walker Art Center’s Summer Music & Movies in Loring Park had paired Gary Louris with the ‘60s sci-fi camp classic, Barbarella; but it became a not-so-secret secret earlier in the afternoon, that it would actually be The Jayhawks playing a free show before the Roger Vadim movie was shown.  And, park goers got an extra-special treat in getting to hear no less than nine new songs, from the next Jayhawks album.

The Music & Movies event itself runs just a month on Monday evenings, with next Monday’s August 17 closing event featuring Lotte Reiniger’s silent animated The Adventures of Prince Achmed  with a live score by Mark McGee’s ensemble MAKR’s Coven.

The Jayhawks had actually played this event prior, way back in 1986, though the current incarnation is the so-called ‘90s version of the band - Gary Louris: guitar, vocals; Tim O'Reagan: drums, backing vocals; Karen Grotberg: keyboards, backing vocals; Marc Perlman: bass; and Kraig Johnson: guitar; and hadn’t played live since a Pamplona, Spain festival show in mid-April.

Starting with 1995’s ‘I’d Run Away’, people bobbed and nodded from their blankets, snacking on chips and home-brought sandwiches under draping trees, with some getting up to dance on either side of the small outdoor stage.  This year’s event theme was “Bigger than Life” and that became apparent as Louris and co. tuned up for song three of their hour-long set on this windy, warm evening.

“The real reason we’re playing here is that we’re trying out a lot of new songs”, Louris confessed to applause, saying the band would be convening in September to record their new album.  ‘Useless Creatures’  (about “underpaid high school teachers”, Louris said) had a whimsical, swirling guitar riff anchoring it; while ‘Lovers of the Sun’ played on a Beach Boys vibe and the group’s exact harmonies, to be a potentially ideal summer song, and led perfectly into hit, ‘Waiting for the Sun’.

‘Isabel’s Daughter’ sounded just like the band’s mid ‘90s work, with jangly guitars and Grothberg helping on vocals, and ‘Need You Tonight’ wasn’t the INXS song, but a folky quieter number Louris wrote while  in Nashville. ‘Ace’ was not a tribute to the Kiss guitarist, but an echo’d, reverb’d song with a dark edge to its lyrics.

Setlist

Despite its title, ‘Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces’ was the most up tempo of the new songs and eminently hummable, after which Louris stated his “no shorts on stage” rule for band members, to crowd laughter. ‘Pretty Roses in your Hair’ was a slow churner that fellow MN band Low could easily guest on,  and the new ‘Comeback Kids’ featured plenty of harmonica and a guitar riff perfect for driving.

The new ‘9 More Days’ was written about a long distance relationship, with Louris mentioning it was bassist Perlman’s birthday the next day (though that had nothing to do with the song) before the band ended with 2003’s ‘Tailspin’.

This Monday evening was anything but a tailspin as everyone present felt fortunate to hear not only their favorite Jayhawks songs, but also be among the first to hear almost a new album’s worth of brand new songs for the first time live – a perfect cure for any Monday blues.

Gary Louris & friends (The Jayhawks) at Loring Park, Minneapolis (27 July 2015)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Blind Pilot at Tour de Fat Twin Cities- Loring Park, Minneapolis (25 July 2015)

Setlist The Story I Heard Go On, Say It Which Side The Colored Night Just One/I Know Half Moon Moon at Dawn 3 Rounds and a Sound One Red Thread We are the Tide Read More Tour de Fat New Belgium brewery again brings its Tour de Fat festival back to Loring Park this Saturday. The completely free event features a bike parade, vendors and booths, beer on tap (of course), and a handful of musical acts …

“Beer, bikes, and bemusement” were on tap and the order of the day as New Belgium Brewery’s Tour de Fat hit Minneapolis’ Loring Park, for a return visit recently.

The eclectic event is in its fifteenth year, covering ten U.S. cities this year through October, and celebrates the continued use of bicycles as a primary mode of transportation.  A fundraising bike marathon/parade started the day, with people and their bikes often dressed in outlandish costumes, and ended in Loring Park, culminating with games, food and beverage tents, oddities, and live music.

The musical headliner for the Minneapolis stop was Portland indie folksters, Blind Pilot, who haven’t been heard from on record since 2011’s We Are the Tide (Expunged Records), but new music appears to be in the offing, as a handful of new songs were heard during their afternoon 55 min. set.

The band is no strangers to bikes themselves, having completed a bicycle tour in 2008 from Bellingham, WA to San Diego, CA, carrying their instruments on custom bicycle trailers and playing at two dozen stops along the way, and their laid-back folk stylings went down as easy as a pint of New Belgium’s own, Flat Tire Amber Ale.

Israel Nebeker

Harmonies were polished by lead singer/guitarist Israel Nebeker, stand-up bassist Luke Ydstie, and banjo/mandolin player Kati Claborn, with a touch of class (and a Cake-like sound on some songs) with trumpet by Dave Jorgensen and vibraphone by Ian Krist.

Timing is right for the band to re-emerge on the scene as similar sounding bands like The Head and the Heart, Lord Huron, and The Lumineers, have all recently gone on to higher heights.  Singer Nebeker congratulated the crowd for Minneapolis being voted the most bike-friendly city and ‘Half Moon’ soared liked a soft glider with its lyrics, “so hold high have faith your reasons;  your flashing sparrows chasing with them;  don’t you forget you come from nothing;  that wind is calling my name”.

The contemplative gentle songs and in-between song tunings made a few restless in the afternoon heat, but most just raised a pint, and leaned back to take in the easy going tunes. Just after 40 min in, Nebeker realized time was growing short, so gave the audience a choice on what to cut from the setlist, skipping ahead to ‘3 Rounds and a Sound’ from their 2008 EP.

Ending with the title track of their most recent album with its opening lyrics, “Our time is ever on the road; the ride is in what we make”, the bike theme seemed to come full circle with Jorgenson’s trumpet playing adding an appropriate elegance.

Though Webster’s defines bemusement as the act of “causing someone to be confused and often also somewhat amused”, we’ll just say we were satisfied with Blind Pilot, playing free in the park, amidst quirky costumes and bicycles, beverages, and carny fun.

Tour de Fat dates:

08/15/15 Boise, ID Ann Morrison Park (w/ Lake Street Dive)
09/05/15 Fort Collins, CO Civic Center Park (w/ Nahko and Medicine for the People)
09/12/15 Denver, CO (w/ The Suffers) City Park (w/ The Suffers)
09/19/15 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate (w/TBD)
09/26/15 San Diego, CA Golden Hill Park (w/TBD)
10/03/15 Tempe, AZ Tempe Beach Park (w/TBD)

Blind Pilot at Tour de Fat Twin Cities- Loring Park, Minneapolis (25 July 2015)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com