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Every. Single. Time. (always caught up in the hype)

~ dansarles ~ Leave a comment

Every. Single. Time. The music legends from my fragile, identity-formation period reunite or play a smattering of one-off concerts, I freak-out and immediately start hatching plans to be one of the faces in the sea of other devotees.

Just one thing about that… the shows never seem to live up to my sky-high expectations. I always leave the show feeling something like disappointment.

It is not to say that (watch out for names dropping) The Replacements, The Pixies, Neutral Milk Hotel, or Pavement didn’t put on great reunion shows-or continue to do so. The issue is that; a lot of the time those bands are playing exactly what they recorded 10-30 years ago. To make things worse, I just spent $100 and had to be too close to a bunch of other hipster dorks.

I seem to never learn.

Maybe, I don’t care though.

Maybe, I need to readjust my expectations, when I attend these; Reunions, Reboots or ‘Years-Active-Windows’.

Maybe, I need to tell myself; I already know, pretty much exactly, what I am going to see.

Last March, I had the opportunity to receive a check mark, or a half check mark at least, on my concert bucket list. I was able to see one of the greats from my youth, at Tree House Records in Minneapolis. There was an in-store performance by Lætitia Sadier of Stereolab. It was free, it flew relatively under the radar and I had a great spot to see her play. It was incredible and I know how lucky I am to have had the chance to see her.

Sadier

Her performance was spellbinding. There it was- that conspicuous voice of Stereolab. She performed a solo set on an old fender mustang that she borrowed. Her flubs were excusable and her banter magnetizing. Her repertoire consisted of solo songs and a couple of Stereolab tunes.

Although, it was a wonderful experience, I kept thinking to myself; What am I missing? What am I missing from allocating more of my time and money towards seeing the established musicians from my past and not going to see the artists that are lesser-known and bringing something new to the the world? Maybe instead of seeing Kraftwerk, I should put more energy towards seeing some new upcoming band from Minnesota.

kraftwerk
Kraftwerk | Northrup | Wed. Oct 7

I have had conversations about this very topic with my friend Sean. These conversations have provided me with some insight into the issue. He said something to the effect of; “So many people spend their entire lives based upon the identity they created for themselves when they were 17. They never question what they are missing out on. Don’t you want to get more out of life?”

I do.

I do want to keep on wanting to see new and different perspectives and I want to keep learning. But, there is nothing wrong with revisiting the classics.

Now, if only there was some way to learn about new worthwhile music.

What about yourself? Tell me a reunion you were super happy to see, and or something new that blew your mind!

The Very First Time… EVER!

~ Keith Yanes ~ Leave a comment

Ducky

If there was a legitimate study looking to find what the average age was that people were exposed to music for the very first time… EVER, what do you think the results would look like? I’d like to look at every little moment of opportunity we have to hear music for the very first time… EVER! First I’d like to mention that I’ve never had a child or been in a hospital while someone close to me was giving birth so I am rather ignorant on the whole process as far as hospital practice works. But I’m going to use my imagination and, as humans do best, jump to uneducated conclusions in graphic detail.

Straight out of the gate; you’re crowning. Congratulation? Not yet, be patient! First the top of your head. Then your “eyebrows”. Then right as your eyes are about to show, your ears flap out and boom, you are charmed with the sounds of the outside world (that is if you are born with hearing. Grim, I know, but let’s be realistic here). As long as we’re frozen in this moment, we can hypothesize that you’re doing you’re very first celebrity impression… Wilson, from Home Improvement! Ok, let’s not stray too far here. While in the womb, yes you could hear sounds, but it was mostly your mother’s heartbeat and muffled sounds vibrating through your mother’s body. So maybe we’ve already been exposed to music at this point. Alright, there is it, article is done now thanks for reading… Nope, let’s make it a rule of this game of “The Very First Time…EVER!” that you couldn’t be inside your mother (shut up). Moving forward, you’re pretending that you’re giving Tim Allen advise through a fence and, all of a sudden, your dad’s cell phone pollutes the air because he forgot to turn it off before watching his child enter the world. Thanks a lot dad, I guess my first song was Yakety Sax being sung by chicken voices. And thanks for checking in, grandma, but we’re kind of in the middle of something. (Disclaimer: If you were born in the early 90’s or earlier, cell phones wouldn’t have been an issue, so let’s be thankful for that. And, for all I know, electronic devices aren’t allowed in a delivery room anyway so thank you for being flexible with me while I tell stupid jokes.)

You’ve been delivered. Excellent! They poke here, slap there, wipe this, snip that and so on. What I’d like to know is this: How common is it to hear music playing in the hallways of a hospital? I can’t recall hearing music played publicly anywhere in a hospital but I’ve never been to every single hospital in the whole world. If they did play music it’d be very subtle, and as a dumb little baby you’re worried about what the hell is going on right now, not “Ugh, a slowed-down instrumental version of Hotel California!” Another thing I’d like to know is this: When they put you in that room with all the other babies, (ya know that room where they mix all the babies up to see if people are paying attention?) do they have music playing in there? As a parent and a “customer” of the hospital, would it be bad form to request that my baby listen to something specific I chose? Can I slip my Walkman into the incubator so that my baby’s first experience with music is anything other than Wonderwall as they’re being carried through the lobby?

Side note: I absolutely love the thought of a human being’s first exposure to [the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity] (definition of “music” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary) being the sound of a loved-one’s voice singing to another. This really hits close to home for me because I remember a specific song my mother used to sing to me before bed when I was a young boy. As a musician today, if I ever play or sing this song or even remind my mother about this song, I can never get past the first line because it brings her to tears. They’re happy tears, but nobody wants to see their mother cry, so I never get to finish. So maybe your first experience with hearing music was the sound of your mother’s voice singing something very special to you as she held you in her arms for the very first time… EVER!

Duckling

So they release you from baby jail and you’ve finally made it out into the world. We survived birth and we’re feeling great! Let’s assume that my previous scenarios never happened. Our ears have only had the pleasure of hearing the strange ambiance of our surroundings. People sound like adults from the cartoon Peanuts and everything else sounds like a door opening and closing, or the unsettling sounds of a hospital such as continuous beeping and people screaming in agony. But now… I think what we’re about to encounter next could be that special moment where a majority of us get to hear music for the very first time… EVER! This is exciting. I wonder what it could be.

Mom is cradling baby as if she is securing the last Tickle Me Elmo left on the planet. She is helped into the back seat of the vehicle by dad, being sure that everybody is comfortable and safe in their respective seats. After nine months of pregnancy, dad knows by now that if he accidentally pinches the skin of her hip with the seat belt he will surely be sent back to the streets where he belongs. Click. Safe! Dad then swiftly makes his way around the car to the driver’s seat, his first brief moment of solitude after several stressful hours of hurry-up-and-wait while being surrounded by family and hospital staff. With this tiny window of time all to himself, what is going through his mind? Probably something like, “Wow, I’m a father!” or maybe he’s a dick and thinking, “Great, now I have to actually make full stops at stop signs.” Or perhaps he’s thinking (and there might be a very small percentage of us who would take one second to ponder this), “This is our first time alone as a family, together. There should be a soundtrack for this special occasion.” Let’s hope you don’t get caught in this powerful situation unprepared.

There it is, straight from my imagination to yours: a loose narration of the first leg of our lives. I’ve begun painting this picture and now I want you to take it from here. Together, we can hold our lives under a microscope set to “age regression” hoping that we can zoom in on when we were enlightened with the phenomenon of music for the very first time… EVER!

(If you are a believer that one can move from womb to hospital to vehicle to your new home without catching even a teensy glimpse of music, I would love to hear from you. I know it’s possible, but what are the chances? Let us discuss!)

-KY

Blood on the Tracks Express, a No Apologies Party

~ dansarles ~ Leave a comment

If there is one city in the world that doesn’t need an excuse to party, it’s Duluth, MN. It’s in the air they breathe, in the beer they drink, the wild rice burgers they consume. I should use “we”, since I still feel a very close connection to the city that I left a mere 2 short years ago. Alas, I am now a big city outsider with starry eyes.

No, Duluth needs not a single excuse to party-they are the party! They are the people others around Minnesota, western Wisconsin and select parts of Canada look to to provide the good times. The people they look to keep their glasses and hearts full. Duluth is 2 parts innovation and 8 parts hospitality.

bld trx 3

It’s this feeling and vibe that emanates out of the somatic woodwork of the walls and dwellings in Duluth. It’s this sentiment that gives Duluth it’s fuel and motivation to keep the Homegrown music festival raging on the verge of control and out-of. It’s  this same sentiment that gives Duluthians another great opportunity to cut loose, the Duluth Dylan Festival.

bld trx 1

Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, and a the majority of people there want you to know that. And this is fine. I was raised in Hutchinson, MN. A city who proudly claims Les Kouba and Wally Pikal (the former a world renowned water color painter, the latter a performer best known for his ability to play 3 trumpets while simultaneously hopping on a Pogo Stick). Cities love paying homage to the success stories they birth and nurture. Duluth is no different. The first shadow Bob Dylan ever cast was in Duluth.  It was small back then, but rather large now. He’s been back to perform a few times, but none of which have been very memorable performances. Just sort-of in and out.

It’s almost better this way. I already sort-of imagine Bob Dylan as a ghost. His stories are, year-by-year, being filled with hyperbole and greater imagination. The movie “I’m not There” from 2007 is an epic semi-biography where Dylan is played by a black kid, Cate Blanchett, Mason Jennings. The film definitely plays off this notion of mystique surrounding Bob Dylan. I might be letting the idea of Bob Dylan get away from me a bit too much, so I’m going to reel it in here. The Blood on the Tracks Express, a 6 hour train ride from Duluth to Two Harbors and back is a wacky adventure filled with drunk characters and insane amounts of fun. There’s almost nothing Dylan about it other than the occasional Dylan cover by some of the bands or Jamie Ness and Brad Nelson playing Dylan songs as their band the Boomchuck’s pseudonym, the Free Wheelers.

bld trx 2

This year’s train ride features The Black Eyed Snakes, Feeding LeRoy, Wolf Blood, Tin Can Gin, Clover St. Cronies, and the Social Disaster. The Boomchucks will most definitely do their Free Wheeler set at the Two Harbors VFW (or Legion I can’t remember) while the bar slings cheap tacos and dollar jello shots between train trips. I’ll be playing with Andy Olmstead at Fitger’s Brewhouse as Gabe Douglas and his Silverback Colony rock the Red Star directly after the train arrives back at the Fitger’s complex. Designed to be rowdy and adventurous, it sounds like this year will not be an exception to the party. See you on the train!

nate and gabe

Nacho

Art-A-Whirl { Nate’s Art-A-Whirl 2015 }

~ dansarles ~ Leave a comment

Art-A-Whirl certainly is a special time of the year. NE Minneapolis is overrun with art, music, and gangs of bicyclists. Having lived in NE for 2 years now I have experienced the phenomenon a few times and it is a really fun and slightly overwhelming few days. This year I’m taking steps to try and make sense of the madness, so I have compiled a list of shows that I will most certainly not miss. Although some of the time slots are in conflict with each other, the distances are short enough and my 1985 Gitane road bike is swift enough where I believe I can make half and half, not the most ideal listening situation, but that’s what you get when faced with these sort of tough choices. Here are my picks for Art-A-Whirl 2015:

Friday, May 15:

4 pm – Hennepin County Millionaires Club – Sociable Cider Werks
7 pm – Fattenin’ Frogs – 612 Brew
8 pm – Zoo Animal – Fair State Brewing
9 pm – Viva Knievel – Bauhaus Brew Labs
10 pm – Traveling Suitcase – 331 Club

Saturday, May 16:

3 pm – Rich Mattson & The Northstars – Indeed Brewing
3 pm – BBGUN – Bauhaus Brew Labs
4 pm – Matt Latterell – 331 Club
5 pm – Erik Koskenin – Indeed Brewing
6 pm – Nathan Miller – 612 Brew
6 pm – American Scarecrows – Indeed Brewing
7 pm – Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band – Indeed Brewing
8 pm – Retribution Gospel Choir – 331 Club
9 pm – Cactus Blossoms – Grumpy’s
9 pm – Chris Koza – 612 Brew

Sunday, May 17:

1 pm – The Lowland Lakers – 331
2:30 pm – Bernie King and the Guilty Pleasures – Sociable Cider Werks
4 pm – General B and the Wiz – 331
5 pm – The Pistol Whippin Party Penguins – 331
6 pm – Romantica – The Anchor Fish and Chips
7 pm – Southwire – 331

Chatting with a few of my musical colleagues, they have an array of messages pertaining to both their bands and Art-A-Whirl in general.

“It will be the Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins first year playing art a whirl, and we are very excited to play at the 331 club on Sunday at 5! We have been attending as fans for years and are honored to celebrate 20 years of art a whirl this weekend! Two members of our band live in the heart of Northeast, and have enjoyed seeing art a whirl grow each year. Between the great art and live music, it’s hard to decide where to be at any time of the day. Throw in some delicious food trucks and you’re ready to roll. (On bikes, that is). If parking is an issue, ride your bike! However, a lot of folks are onto this method of transportation, and it might get crowded on those bike racks. Oh buckets, we can’t wait for the weekend! Cuz everybody’s weekend, weekend, weekend!” – Ryan Schallock aka Doug Canyon of the Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins. Catch them at 5 pm on Sunday at the 331 club.

“The first time I went to Art-A-Whirl, I was there to babysit two people on a mushroom trip who wanted to be outside. It seemed to me like 331 Club owned the whole show, which is funny, because there were only maybe 40 people watching Charlie Parr that afternoon. Years later, it’s…well, it’s bigger. Noah, who plays in my band, is playing 3 other gigs in NE this weekend. Aside from a few tented vendors, I’ve never even seen other forms of art at Art-A-Whirl. Did music steal other art’s thunder on this one? I could tell you I’m glad to be playing Art-A-Whirl, but I’m a NE MPLs dude, so it’s closer to the truth to tell you that I’d be depressed if I weren’t playing it. And hey, Retribution Gospel Choir. They’re good. The weather is going to be great. Wear sunblock. Eat a really big breakfast.” – Matt Latterell. He’ll be playing almost every cut off of his record, to be released in the fall, Phase and Field, 4 pm at the 331 Club’s outdoor stage on Saturday afternoon & on Friday evening at 8pm slinging guitar with Zoo Animal.

“I lived in Nordeast for a few years and always loved Art-A-Whirl weekend. It was amazing watching bands, art, and people. I must admit, I was always a bit envious of the bands because I wanted to be playing so badly. Now that I’ve gotten the opportunity to play with my band I’m gonna bring my all to the set! 612brew has always been a huge supporter and a believer in my band’s music, they’re amazing people and are making some of the best beers in the city.” – Nathan Miller. Him and his band the Unstoppable Company will be on the 612 Brew stage at 6 pm on Saturday afternoon.

“A band’s music is a piece of art in itself when you see it live versus just hearing it on recording, and Art-A-Whirl is a place where people can go to hear or see the art that is created by artists that call Minneapolis home. It’s a guaranteed good time for all, and a great way to experience a talented artistic community.” – Mark Larson of the Fattenin’ Frogs, they’ll be stomping their rootsy blues and old timey dance grooves at 612 brew on Friday at 7 pm.

“This will be our first year performing and attending Art-a-Whirl, but we’ve heard such great things. I’m really looking forward to being there. And after you’ve seen it all, we’ll sing for you on Sunday at the 331!” – Jerree Small of Southwire, performing with her band of heart-throbs at 7 pm on Sunday evening at the 331 club.

So there you have it folks, another list of Art-A-Whirl recommendations by another musician who’s been around long enough to know it’s really fun and worth while to not only promote your own music, but also that of your diverse and talented friends. Once again, can’t stress the importance of the ever handy bicycle (gonna play dad here and also suggest a helmet and solid lock). That reminds me, I need to go right now and get the old two wheeler fixed. I feel a 30 mile weekend coming on! See y’all out there. You can find me among the art. Stay fun, stay safe, stay wild.
Nacho

A Prairie Home Companion

~ dansarles ~ Leave a comment

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a Minnesotan institution- A Prairie Home Companion (APHC). Now, this may be heresy, but I never really understood A Prairie Home Companion. At least, I never understood what made it so special. Why is it that APHC has such allure? What makes APHC equal parts folksy and sophisticated discourse? How did this saturday afternoon radio show turn into such a powerhouse of music and writing? How did it become as good as it is?

My wife, Ash, is into APHC. She loves it and grew up listening to it. She has wanted to go to a APHC recording for a long time. My interest in the show has only been cursory: I rarely listen to APHC and I have never sought out tickets to attend a live recording. Admittedly, though, I was hoping the opportunity to attend a show would arise. Let’s just say, if a call-in contest for APHC tickets came on the radio, I’d call at least a couple of times.

Then one day, the opportunity came along and I won a pair of tickets through my work!

The experience was pretty great. Ash and I happened to have a pretty late breakfast that day, which set us up to have a delicious, late lunch in St. Paul (EVEREST mmmm.), which is important  because you have to be at the Fitzgerald theater by 4:30PM

The tickets I won through my work turned out to be pretty incredible:

box seats!

I was so excited to have box seats- it was completely unexpected! I knew this was going to be an amazing way to experience the show, especially since the house was packed. Also, it is my understanding that tickets are pretty hard to come by for APHC. This was also illustrated from my wife and I waiting in the Rush line for a few minutes until we realized the will call line was on the other side.

The curtains rose, and the music erupted. The house band for APHC is pretty dang tight. The monitor headphone wearing multi-instrumentalists are fantastic at reacting to Garrison Keillor’s whims. They started off a tune as Garrison Keillor walked out and did some crowd work and sang. This was so the crowd was warm and ready to cheer when the broadcast officially began.

A Prairie Home Companion

The broadcast itself was exactly what I would expect from an episode of APHC. Garrison Keillor singing a duet with a beautiful female vocalist (Heather Masse: The Wailin Jennys), an episode of Guy Noir, a bluegrass band that is spot on (The Gibson Brothers) and of course the lyrical Lake Wobegon News.

I think it was important that I went into the experience totally open and ready to appreciate it for what it was. The crowd was surprisingly diverse, but definitely a bit older than other events I usually attend. I have never seen such a jovial group of elders- a lot of people looking to crack jokes, make new friends and connect over their mutual love of APHC. It added to the charm and it definitely fit the motif of APHC.

The experience has changed my view of APHC. I appreciate it more, but I still don’t understand the reverence. Has Garrison Kellior established some sort of prose that I am not picking up on being a casual listener? Or is it just folksy, charming and genuinely enjoyable? I don’t know, but at least now when I encounter people who aren’t from Minnesota/Wisconsin/North Dakota I can, at least, speak with some expertise on APHC having attended at least one show.

Lonnie Llama

~ dansarles ~ Leave a comment

Keith has been working on a bunch of solo tunes, lately.  After all of these years of him calibrating his musical chops and playing with a plethora of outstanding musicians, it’s fun to see him return to his solo stuff.

I want to share this with you; it is not quite Rocky Raccoon- so let’s call it Lonnie Llama.

[audio https://db3f45affd010b9bfbdd86a922a45f6ec78d0714.googledrive.com/host/0B1dVWGzsNpXdTUticUNrS1BMOTQ/Rocky.mp3]

llama

Riding In a Van

~ dansarles ~ 1 Comment

Nate wrote this piece about being the road a few months back. Please enjoy!

Riding In a Van

by Nate Case

Traveling The States definitely has its perks. You will experience all that the different regions of this fine country have to offer, such as seeing different cities, and meeting new, interesting people.  I could go on and on about the joys of tour, but I’m not really very interested in that.  I’m more interested in telling you the objective reality of a weekend on the road. playing rock and roll music, cracking jokes, and drinking beer.

It all starts early Friday afternoon (sometimes Thursday depending on the weekend). We waddle over to Silverback Manor (Gabe Douglas’ self-proclaimed gorilla mansion) and load the van full of gear. Most of the time, we forget something. Usually it is a super mundane item like an amp or guitar stand. But, sometimes, the stars align and on those lucky days we have all our crap in the van with plenty of space for band members and the occasional tag-along. Friends are always welcome in the van, but the trip is not for the faint of heart.

Once the vehicle is loaded, and the menial errands are taken care of (bank deposits, online merchandise orders UPS’d) we make a beeline in the direction of our destination. For the most part, we’re setting the cruise control west/east on either I-94 or north/south on 35W. It’s at this point when screen time really sets in, hard. We each lose ourselves in the comfort of our smart phone. Be it Facebook, Twitter, Reddit or the Huffington Post, hours are spent with our eyes buried in technology. A Spotify playlist is set up and everyone in the van can add songs to it with their personal device. This folks, is one of the greatest perks of technology. Radio Democracy! A trading of emotion and novelty through song. If you feel like hearing Suzanne Vega’s 1987 hit, Tom’s Diner, you can HEAR Suzanne Vega’s 1987 hit, Tom’s Diner. Just throw it on the list and have a little patience.

Patience is the key to riding in the van with 3 other dudes for hours of your weekend. You don’t necessarily have to be classified as a patient person, I know I’m not, but you DO have to force yourself to be patient in certain situations that might be out of your control. In a lot of ways it’s easy to be patient. Throw some of your favorite jams on the playlist, get comfy with an excess of blankets and pillows, kick back and enjoy the ride. Other times, this idea plays out a bit differently, and your patience can be tested. Hungry? Have to pee? Cramping up? Ask nicely, and the van will stop in a timely fashion. This is where it’s important to try and align yourself with the common rhythm of food and pee breaks. If the rhythm is thrown off, everyone gets grumpy and grumpy is no fun.

I think it’s important at this point to take a paragraph and go off on a little gas station tangent. Gas stations are one of the most culturally interesting, yet completely overlooked, aspects of American society. Every state/region has different things to offer and different ways of presenting them, but when it all boils down they’re all pretty much the same.

Whether it’s the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with a hint of lime in the Southwest, the nation’s largest selection of sunflower seeds in the Dakotas, or the sheer volume of meat and cheese choices that dominate the Wisconsin Snack-scape, each pit stop has its nuances. When  traveling on lengthier tours, we tend to frequent truck-stops the most. The benefits of the truck-stops are plenty. They ALWAYS have a hot/warm(ish) selection of food to choose from (whether or not the food is at a quality level to consume is for a different conversation). Hot dogs, corn dogs, pizza, chicken strips, potato wedges, nachos; truck-stops are great for their selection of brown food. Another perk of the truck-stop is the overabundance of toilets. This might seem a bit weird to dwell on, but let me tell you, the last thing I want to do is wait for my band-mate who has been in the comfortable spot for the last 5 hours on the van to go #2. The 3rd greatest thing about the truck-stop is their wacky memorabilia and merchandise. Can koozies with stupid puns? Check. Ignorant trucker hats? Yep. Magnets, shot glasses, stickers, flashlights, stuffed animals, Nascar T’s, glass figurines, ceramic figurines, and aluminum figurines? More than you can imagine.