Violent Femmes Setlist
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The Violent Femmes is returning to the Midwest with the “Viva Wisconsin” Tour … and thankfully, as a warmup show, the trio (Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, and John Sparrow) decided to headline the over-sold-out show in Minneapolis’ First Avenue mainroom on Wednesday night (October 18th).
With a warm Brian Ritchie introduction, local duo Teenage Strangler (drummer Dylan Ritchie and guitarist Nate Grumdahl) opened up the show.
The highlight of their set was a cover of Hüsker Dü’s ‘Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely’ dedicated to the late Grant Hart.
The duo ended their 30-min set with a song they announced as ‘Details Oriented’.
Starting their show with an instrumental Conga line march around First Avenue, the band went up the stairs and down the other end, eventually ending the song on stage. The started off their most popular song, ‘Blister in the Sun’, with over 1,500 fans singing/screaming to the lyrics at the top of their lungs.
This is the fourth time I’ve seen the Violent Femmes, and there’s really nothing like it - hearing everyone (and I mean everyone) singing along to the songs. It’s not just the popular songs (‘Gone Daddy Gone’, ‘Kiss Off’, etc.) but even for the lesser-known songs like ‘Prove My Love To You’.
With such a strong following in the Midwest, especially Wisconsin and Minnesota, the band can really do no wrong when it comes to touring in the area. Just wish that they do it more often, especially after disappearing from the music scene in 2000 to 2015.
Joining singer, banjo, guitar player Gordon Gano, guitarist and xylophone player (for ‘Gone Daddy Gone’) Brian Ritchie, and percussion, cajon, and sometime charcoal grill player John Sparrow, was the Blaise Garza on saxophones and, I believe, a local girl helping out on saxophone for the Conga Line.
The highlight of the show was the encore, starting with a slower paced a capella song and following a double-wammy of ‘American Music’ and ‘Kiss Off’. There wasn’t a soul not singing along, and you can hear their teenage angst coming through with lyrics like, “Did you do too many drugs? I did too many drugs!” to “You can all just kiss off into the air. Behind my back I can see them stare. They'll hurt me bad but I won't mind, they'll hurt me bad they do it all the time. Yeah! Yeah!”
If the Minneapolis show is any indication, their upcoming “Viva Wisconsin” shows will be unbelievable. I can confirm that if you hang out at the merchandise table, the band will appear after the show to sign vinyls and CDs and talk to fans.
Tour dates:
With a warm Brian Ritchie introduction, local duo Teenage Strangler (drummer Dylan Ritchie and guitarist Nate Grumdahl) opened up the show.
The highlight of their set was a cover of Hüsker Dü’s ‘Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely’ dedicated to the late Grant Hart.
The duo ended their 30-min set with a song they announced as ‘Details Oriented’.
Starting their show with an instrumental Conga line march around First Avenue, the band went up the stairs and down the other end, eventually ending the song on stage. The started off their most popular song, ‘Blister in the Sun’, with over 1,500 fans singing/screaming to the lyrics at the top of their lungs.
This is the fourth time I’ve seen the Violent Femmes, and there’s really nothing like it - hearing everyone (and I mean everyone) singing along to the songs. It’s not just the popular songs (‘Gone Daddy Gone’, ‘Kiss Off’, etc.) but even for the lesser-known songs like ‘Prove My Love To You’.
With such a strong following in the Midwest, especially Wisconsin and Minnesota, the band can really do no wrong when it comes to touring in the area. Just wish that they do it more often, especially after disappearing from the music scene in 2000 to 2015.
Joining singer, banjo, guitar player Gordon Gano, guitarist and xylophone player (for ‘Gone Daddy Gone’) Brian Ritchie, and percussion, cajon, and sometime charcoal grill player John Sparrow, was the Blaise Garza on saxophones and, I believe, a local girl helping out on saxophone for the Conga Line.
The highlight of the show was the encore, starting with a slower paced a capella song and following a double-wammy of ‘American Music’ and ‘Kiss Off’. There wasn’t a soul not singing along, and you can hear their teenage angst coming through with lyrics like, “Did you do too many drugs? I did too many drugs!” to “You can all just kiss off into the air. Behind my back I can see them stare. They'll hurt me bad but I won't mind, they'll hurt me bad they do it all the time. Yeah! Yeah!”
If the Minneapolis show is any indication, their upcoming “Viva Wisconsin” shows will be unbelievable. I can confirm that if you hang out at the merchandise table, the band will appear after the show to sign vinyls and CDs and talk to fans.
Tour dates:
10/22 - Wausau, WI - Grand Theatre *
10/23 - Oshkosh, WI - The Grand Opera House
10/24 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre *
10/25 - Eau Claire, WI - State Theater *
10/27 - Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theatre *
10/28 - Chicago, IL - The Vic *
10/29 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre *
*w/Special Guest Brett Newski
10/23 - Oshkosh, WI - The Grand Opera House
10/24 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre *
10/25 - Eau Claire, WI - State Theater *
10/27 - Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theatre *
10/28 - Chicago, IL - The Vic *
10/29 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre *
*w/Special Guest Brett Newski
Teenage Strangler |
Teenage Strangler |
Violent Femmes |
Violent Femmes |
Violent Femmes |
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