TONIGHT ONLY! Washington state’s The Lonely H will be gracing the fair city of Minneapolis with their mighty classic rock chops at Lee’s Liquor Lounge. The band is touring in support of their 3rd full-length album, titled, “Concrete Class”.
The new album features everything you would expect to hear from a band that lists The Eagles, Rod Stewart, The Doobie Brothers, and The Allman Brothers as musical influences. That is, get ready for some rocking rhythm guitar smothered in powerful vocals with a little horn sprinkled on top for good measure. Want to give it a taste, check out Diggin’ A Hole.
The Lonely H take the stage at 9:30 and are followed by the best band in Minneapolis, A Night In the Box, at 10:30.
I want to start out by saying that The Decemberists’ music has never touched me the way it has so many of their fans. That said, I believe they are pushing the boundaries of art-rock with some degree of brilliance. Their most recent release, “Hazards of Love”, is a testament to their desire to craft the perfect rock opera – and it largely succeeds in doing so.
BUT, this article is not about their music. It is about their live show on Saturday in Minneapolis. I attended the band’s sold-out performance at the Walker Arts Center’s “Rock the Garden”, and I’ll be damned if The Decemberists didn’t put on the best live show I have EVER seen! Seriously.
This band put on a show worthy of a Broadway residency. Lights, costumes, acting, music – it was all there, perfectly choreographed and beautifully executed. During the finale, I even got goosebumps!
It was the type of show that can turn a guy onto listening to a band’s music (”Hazards of Love” is spinning in my iTunes as I write this).
I love it when ukuleles cover songs. I play the uke myself and have always felt it to be a quirky instrument in the sense that it doesn’t get much airtime. But when played correctly, it produces some of the most brilliant sounds. Here is an example of a girl playing a banjo-ukulele – the old Gloria Gaynor classic, “I Will Survive”:
Anyone who caught last night’s show at Club Underground in NE probably knows already: we DO have rockabilly here in the mini-apple, and you’d be a weak-kneed sumnabitch to tut-tut that fact. For anyone interested in the punk rock diaspora and it’s many mutations — or even if you’re a just a fan of 50’s Americana, this is something to check out. Last night was a good look at the spectrum of this genre, with rockabilly punk Vinca (whose smoking hot lead singer just popped out a kid), to the snarling greaser rock of Dead Town Revival, to the spooky psychobilly goodness of The Reckless Ones. The show’s hosts, The Spent .50’s brought it full circle with some classic garage punk ballads at the end. (It all comes back to the garage.) Just as fun seeing the acts at a show like this is looking at the audience members, who often dress -and dance- the part. I tell you, all the tattoo’d legs kicking out of cocktail dresses and cuffed jeans were something to behold!
By clicking on any of the band’s names above you should be able to find a show in the near future. Perhaps you should even check out the next Hot Rod Hearse show at the favorite throwback venue Lee’s Liquor Lounge on June 10th. See you there!
Story telling is the task of folk balladeers, who often lose me completely in their appeals to “the masses” or attempts to wail out the cries of a dying planet. There are some, however, whose personal experiences are a much-needed footnote to history, especially for any of us so inclined to get a little back story on the larger events.
Patrick Callan’s “Tales of Folk Punk Nothing” might fill you in on the world of a Minneapolis punk rocker deep beneath the radar of the pop, post-punk, and indie-pop whatever that reigns here today. His stories are deeply personal and intensely local, painting a picture of a Minneapolis before the condos. These rough stories played by a pair of hands that sound just as rough haven’t lost me at all, and I might catch one of his shows at The Kitty Kat Club on June 7th, or at Acadia Cafe on June 20th.
Today, I received an email from Patrick Callan, a Minneapolis-based guitarist who recently released a new record titled, “Tales of a Folk Punk Nothing.” While I have only heard the 3 tracks he has posted on MySpace, it is clear that this guy has some songwriting chops and sings with a refreshing passion. Plus, he’s got a song about Minneapolis!
I’ve always had a thing for Eminem. I suppose I just find him to be refreshing. He doesn’t push boundaries, but he operates on the fringes of pop-rap. His new single, We Made You, is more of the ear candy that we have come to expect from Eminem, blending his usual fast-paced raps with catchier-than-hell pop hooks. At the end of the day, he is artistically no better than 50 Cent, but he sure is more entertaining.
