Crumb, a psychedelic rock band from NYC, plays the Varsity Theater on Friday night.
It will be the first time for me seeing this band, which started popping up in my Spotify playlists years ago.
They definitely have some dreamy, synthy, chill songs, but they also have a knack for up-tempo rock that maintains level of melancholy trippiness.
The band is supporting their latest LP, AMAMA, released earlier this year.
I love the vocals from multi-instrumentalist Lila Ramani, particularly on the band’s 2019 LP Jinx. Keyboardist Bri Aronow also plays saxophone throughout the band’s catalog, which goes back to 2016. Rounding out the band is bassist Jesse Brotter and drummer Jonathan Gilad. The four met at Tufts University and formed to work out some of Ramani’s song ideas.
Friday’s show is part of a mini-run of shows through the Midwest. They tour the country more extensively in August, September and October. For their full tour scheduled, go here.
The Wood Brothers play The ROC in St. Louis Park today (Monday).
The band, featuring bassist Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin & Wood, has been quite busy touring recent years, and I am truly happy for Wood and the commercial success he’s had playing with his brother, Oliver. Must be an absolute dream come true.
I’ll add, however, I truly miss seeing the funky, improvisational madness of Medeski, Martin & Wood, which hasn’t toured together in years. They managed to play one show back in 2022 at the Brooklyn Comes Alive festival, the only show the band, which formed in 1991, has played since or at the roughly 30-year mark as a band.
Medeski, Martin & Wood is a legendary band bridging the gap between jazz and jam, and the world still needs them, is begging (for them to tour).
OK, I am begging.
Just watch this video from the 2005 Newport Jazz Festival, if you need to be reminded why. It’ll be 35 minutes well spent.
The Will Effertz Collective returns to 56 Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis Thursday night for its monthly show, and I believe Will Effertz will be back at it at Gluek’s following that gig for the epic jams that he and Frogleg’s Demitri Rallis have been curating at that historic downtown spot. Things start up at Gluek’s around 9:30 p.m. and go late.
Saltydog, the Duluth funk jam rock band, has a trio of appearances up north Thursday and Friday in Walker, Bemidji and Nevis, including at Brigid’s Pub in Bemidji Thursday night, and MuskyDays in Nevis on Friday. Check Jam in the Stream’s calendar for more details.
The Big Wu has a couple of outstate appearances, including a show in Silver Bay on Friday. While tickets are free, organizers ask that attendees acquire a free ticket. Again, head to my calendar for the link to acquire said ticket. They also play the Minnesota Original Music Festival on Sunday in St. Peter.
Every week, I do like to also mention shows that are coming up or recently added to the calendar. I’m looking forward to the MonoNeon show at Fine Line on July 27. He’s an incredible bass player and song writer. I plan on also catching Saltydog that same night at Icehouse.
Todd Clouser, a Mexico City-based musician and guitarist originally from Minneapolis, is bringing his A Love Electric three-piece band to Minnesota. The band doesn’t typically tour in the U.S., but will be hitting both Minnesota State University in Mankato on Oct 4, and Berlin in Minneapolis on Oct. 11. It doesn’t look like there will be a reprise of the Clouser, John Medeski and JT Bates trio at Icehouse this year, Clouser said in a recent correspondence. But he did not rule out for the future. A Love Eletric just dropped a new single last week, Superbro.
Ghost Funk Orchestra is playing the Green Room in Uptown on Aug. 13, and Buckethead has a show at First Avenue on Aug. 14.