It’s going to be a great week of live music in Minnesota.
There aren’t any bigger shows of note early in the week, at least from bands on my radar, but this gives me a chance to point out the residencies section at the top of my calendar.
For example, you’ll find on Tuesdays, the International Reggae All-Stars play at Bunkers in Minneapolis’ North Loop, or that in St. Paul, Dark Horse Eatery typically hosts any number of musicians from Minneapolis’ jam scene — this week it’s mandolinist Gavin Haskin with Mike Hedding and guitarist Willie Christianson, one of two brothers that have played with Haskin and Hedding in Brotherhood of Birds.
And there’s more listed on Tuesdays.
Things heat up on Thursday.
The aforementioned Brotherhood of Birds open for the Crowe Boys at Turf Club in St. Paul.
Twine guitarist Will Effertz hosts his free monthly WE Collective gig at 56 Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis that night.
I’ll even mention the Pixies and Modest Mouse play Surly Brewing Festival Field in Minneapolis because
Friday is even busier, with the Black Pumas also playing at Surly Brewing Festival Field out in the Prospect Park corner of Minneapolis.
Duluth’s Alan Sparhawk is bringing his funk-band Derecho Rhythm Section to Icehouse on Eat Street that same night. Meanwhile Twin Cities-based ska band Lost Island Society is headlining at Amsterdam Bar in St. Paul. I’ll admit I’m giving LIS some play here because the band’s saxophonist, Spencer Muhich, is both a friend and roommate. LIS and Linus are both releasing albums at this show.
Duluth’s chill psych-folk band Babie Eyes is playing the only show it currently has scheduled at craft soda maker Utopia Borealis’ one-year anniversary party in Esko. Attendees are asked to RSVP (click here for that) to the event, which is out between Cloquet and Duluth.
There’s more listed on Friday, but you’ll have to head over to my calendar (click here) to find out what else, haha.
Sometimes we take The Big Wu for granted in Minnesota because they tend to play a few shows in the Cities every year. I’m going to try to not be that guy and instead hit the Hook & Ladder Theater in Minneapolis Saturday.
It was an amazing feeling for me when The Big Wu played Twin Ports Music Festival, which Feed the Dog guitarist and vocalist Jon Miller and I organized at Earth Rider Brewery last August.
I’ll mention one addition to the calendar: God Johnson at The Hook and Ladder on Oct. 4. No other details were available.
The Minneapolis jam band has been inactive for years save for the well-attended 20th anniversary party/benefit show at Fine Line Music Cafe last November.
Eau Claire, Wis., artist/sculptor Steve Bateman did the show print, which Jason Fladager posted on Facebook.
Bateman also did the masthead art for this website. He’s a long-time friend dating back to our high school days in the early 90s in the suburban Chicago area.
His most well-known piece of art is the giant banjo at Blue Ox Music Festival in Eau Claire. This one below that Mike Gordon took a picture with at last year’s Blue Ox fest was another banjo he sculpted with re-used materials.