Tag Archives: First Avenue

Short Takes: Catching up on late April shows

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(Harry’s been a busy boy lately – too busy, it seems, to stay on deadline. To make up for the long hiatus between posts, Harry offers this trilogy of brief reviews of recent shows of note.)

GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!: JIM JAMES, FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/21/13

Jim James and band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/21/13

Jim James and band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/21/13

Artists draw their inspiration from all sorts of unusual places, as we know. For his first solo effort, My Morning Jacket front man Jim James found his inspiration in the 1929 book, “God’s Man: A Novel In Woodcuts,” The resulting album, “Regions Of Light And Sound Of God,” is a challenging work for the listener, full of overt religiosity and thoughtful musings about life, relationships, and our place in the cosmos. Far from evangelical proselytizing, the references to God and the biblical imagery in the songs provide a framework for us to contemplate the mysteries of life, both great and small. Clearly, there’s a lot going on in Jim James’ head these days.

The album was played in its entirety at First Avenue, with a touring band made up of musicians other than James’ band mates from My Morning Jacket. The production was fittingly high tech, with lots of loops and tapes augmenting the on-stage instrumentation. Sonically, it was one of the more impressive displays in recent memory.

Jim James on the stationary Flying V guitar.

Jim James on the stationary Flying V guitar.

James himself focused primarily on his singing, stepping up to a Gibson Flying V affixed to a mike stand for the occasional solo, as well a few surprising forays on the alto sax. He is blessed with one of the finest, purest, most emotional voices in all of rock music, and he knows how to use it to its best advantage. Starting out with the hushed opening lines of “Daylight Come, Daylight Go,” James and the band moved smoothly through the nine songs on the new CD. A certain r & b-flavored vibe runs through a number of the tunes, allowing James to let out his inner Marvin Gaye on selections like ‘”A New Life,” and “Know Til Now.” The beats were hypnotic and infectious, rippling through the crowd while James alternately prowled the stage like a caged tiger or glided from side to side like an awkward figure skater.

One comes away from a show like this with a clearer understanding of the motivation behind Jim James taking a temporary hiatus from My Morning Jacket to record this album. Far from being a mere vanity project, “Regions Of Light And Sound Of God” is an album James had to make, apart from the band. The themes come from a different, more spiritual, place than that which provides the source for My Morning Jacket’s material. Never fear, however; the more profane side of Jim James will be on full display when he returns with My Morning Jacket for this summer’s Americanarama tour, with Bob Dylan, Wilco, and Richard Thompson.

JOY TO YOU, JOSH RITTER, FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/25/13

Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

It hasn’t been an easy time for Josh Ritter lately. As he explained to the First Avenue audience midway through his energetic set, he came home from a tour not long ago to learn that his marriage to fellow musician Dawn Landes was ending. Eventually, this personal crisis became the source for much of the material that appears on his new album, “The Beast In Its Tracks.” Far from being a buzz-kill, this brief mention led to a longer commentary about marriage and relationships, leading to a nice segue to the catchy, upbeat “In Your Arms Again” from the new CD. Making lemonade out of lemons, that’s what true artists do.

The son of college professors, Josh Ritter has been writing and recording music since 1999. His wordy, narrative lyrics, clever imagery and catchy melodies merit comparison with Bruce Springsteen’s early recordings, such as “Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ,” and “The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle,” albeit with a lighter pop sound than Sprngsteen’s barroom rock. Meet the new Boss, not quite the same as the old Boss.

Josh Ritter, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

Josh Ritter, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 4/25/13

Ritter took the stage alone, strumming his acoustic guitar to the wistful “Idaho,” a paean to his home state, from his breakout 2006 release, “The Animal Years.” One by one, he was joined by the members of his longtime backup group, The Royal City Band (who take their name from a line in one of the other songs on “The Animal Years,” “Thin Blue Flame.”). From there, the wistful tone continued with “Southern Pacifica,” from 2010’s “So Runs The World Away,” before changing the mood with “Hopeful” from the new album. Ritter was energized now, bouncing up and down and urging the Royal Citizens on.

The set list was well chosen, mixing in ample selections from the new disc with all the favorites the crowd came to hear. “Lillian, Egypt,” was an early highlight, with its driving, clap-along beat and colorful silent movie imagery. “The Curse,” a waltz tune about a love affair between a mummy and a museum worker (I told you he was imaginative!) led to the single from the new album, “Joy To You, Baby.” with longtime friend and band mate Zach Hickman switching from electric to upright bass for this ballad. The kiss-off “New Lover” segued nicely into “In Your Arms Awhile,” both from the new record. Taking a chance on the sophistication of the crowd, Ritter began playing one of his earliest recordings, “The Starling,” then stepped away from the mike to let the audience take over. They did not disappoint, with a respectable portion of those assembled singing out verse and chorus, to Ritter’s obvious delight.

After the very catchy, upbeat “In Your Arms Again,” (not to be confused with “In Your Arms Awhile” also from the new album), Ritter dropped to his knees, cupped his hands around his mouth and howled at the unseen full moon outside. The audience, taking its cue, began howling as well, which could only mean one thing: “Wolves,” was next. This song, from “The Animal Years,” exemplifies the best of Josh Ritter’s writing, with its dance-happy beat, clever lyrics and singalong chorus. It was a true crowd pleaser, with most of the main floor audience happily bouncing up and down in time to the catchy beat.

Ritter and the Royal Citizens were on a roll now, moving into “Right Moves,” and the power ballad “Kathleen,” with the crowd with them all the way. By the time the show ended, with another wordy, infectious tune, “To The Dogs Or Whoever,” Ritter had a grin on his face so wide it looked as if it was locked in place. While it was no doubt cathartic, post-break up, to channel his emotions into his writing, it had to be equally cathartic to cut loose in front of an appreciative audience. Here’s to the healing power of rock ‘n roll!

GARY LOURIS TO THE RESCUE! DAKOTA JAZZ CLUB, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 4/29/13

When Nanci Griffith had to cancel her 2-night engagement at the Dakota for the second time in less than a year [hoping all is well with you, Nanci!], it left the booking agents at the Dakota scrambling for a replacement. Fortunately, a worthy replacement was found in the form of Jayhawk-in-chief, Gary Louris.

Gary Louris, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 4/29/13

Gary Louris, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 4/29/13

Louris has been out of circulation for awhile, wryly noting early on in his set that he had been “shipped away, due to problems with my ‘usage,'” a euphemistic way of stating that he’d been in treatment. Sporting a shorter haircut but looking and sounding healthy, Louris was backed initially by the opening band, Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets. Eschewing his trademark red Gibson SG electric guitar, he instead accompanied himself on a Gibson acoustic all night, as well as harmonica. This would not be a night for showing off his underestimated guitar chops; instead, the focus was on his songs, and, in particular, his collaborations with other writers and his lesser-known solo work.

“True Blue” from his as-yet only solo album (another is in the works, he assured us), “Vagabonds,” was the set opener, followed by a self-described “B-side” from “Vagabonds,” called “Three Too Many.” Louris’ voice was strong, self-assured, and apparently well-rested. He introduced another B-side from the “Vagabonds” sessions, “Baby Let Me Take Care Of You,” by wryly noting “as if ‘Vagabonds’ isn’t obscure enough!” The song had a gently rolling folk-rock cadence, vaguely reminiscent of 70’s country rockers Poco.

Switching to more familiar territory Louris and the band played the first of several old Jayhawks faves, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” from the 2000 “Smile” album, before closing out the Okemah Prophets portion of the set with the hard driving “The Love That Binds.

Louris next did a brief solo set, featuring a number of his collaborations, starting with “Everybody Knows,” co-written with The Dixie Chicks, and featured on their 2006 album, “Taking The Long Way.” Louris strained to reach the high notes in that song, displaying both his courage and vulnerability in tackling a tune intended for female voices. The solo set also included “Need You Tonight,” a collaboration with the band Sugarland, and “Jennifer Save Me,” from the 1998 Golden Smog album, “Weird Tales.” The latter is an easygoing alt-country song, similar in style to many Jayhawks compositions. Another Golden Smog tune, “Gone,” was followed by a song Gary Louris co-wrote with Chris Thiele of Nickel Creek, called “Jealous Of The Moon”.

At this point, the first of several guests was introduced, sister Jayhawk, Karen Grotberg, who took to the grand piano onstage for the Jayhawks’ classic “Smile” Grotberg added beautiful but compact solos to the song, where Louris might have otherwise stepped out on electric guitar. “Morning Star” featured sweet harmonies between the two long-time band mates, after which Louris turned his head toward the stage entrance and hollered out “Are Tim and Marc there?” Sure enough, drummer Tim O’Reagan soon emerged, along with bassist Marc Perlman, and from that point on it was a mini-Jayhawks concert, with only Mark Olson missing.

Four-fifths of The Jayhawks

Four-fifths of The Jayhawks

The songs included “One Man’s Problem,” “Better Days,” “It’s Up To You,” and the crowd-pleasing finale of “I’d Run Away” and “Save It For A Rainy Day.” For the encore set, Louris trotted out another “Vagabonds” outtake, “In The Window,” then back to the Jayhawks treasure trove for the rollicking “Tail Spin.” Yet another guest was waiting in the wings to join him, Chan Poling, keyboardist for the beloved local dance-punk band, The Suburbs, and more recently with the quirky jazz trio, the New Standards.

Chan Poling, sitting in with Gary Louris

Chan Poling, sitting in with Gary Louris

Poling provided the spare piano accompaniment for the only cover of the evening, Harry Nilsson’s “Without You.” Once again, Louris strained to hit the high notes of the climactic chorus to the song, but hit them he did. For the finale, O’Reagan and Perlman rejoined Louris for the rousing Golden Smog classic, “Until You Came Along.”

As much as it was a treat to see Gary Louris performing again, and with old friends and band mates, it was encouraging to hear that he has taken steps to get sober and healthy. Judging by this performance, there’s plenty of life and lots of new songs left in this highly-regarded, veteran musician. We’ll be the first in line when the new CD comes out.

Americana Queen Reigns Supreme: Lucinda Williams at The Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, 2/6/13

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Lucinda Williams, with Doug Pettibone

Lucinda Williams, with Doug Pettibone

Minneapolis has become something of a second home for Lucinda Williams. Her 2003 release “World Without Tears” included a song called “Minneapolis,” and also “Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings,” purportedly written about Paul Westerberg of The Replacements. In 2009, she married Minnesota-born Tom Overby onstage at First Avenue, in a post-concert service that was surprisingly moving, given the unholy setting. With her apparent affinity for the Twin Cities, it was no surprise that by the fourth night of her five-night “residency” at the Dakota, she seemed completely at ease; comfortable in her surroundings, friendly and gracious with the crowd, and calm and self-assured in her delivery. None of this detracted from the passion and conviction of her performance – the best of the half-dozen times this writer has seen her.

Following brief opening sets by Ben Kyle (Romantica) and The Kenneth Brian Band, Lucinda and her longtime guitarist, the incomparable Doug Pettibone, took the stage and opened with “Can’t Let Go,” a song written by St. Paulite Randy Weeks – yet another local connection! – from her 1998 masterpiece, “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road.” Doug Pettibone was already making his presence felt, with sharp, focused lead and bottleneck slide work on this uptempo breakup song. Reaching back nearly 25 years to her eponymous 1988 release, for the next number, “Big Red Sun Blues,” it was clear that Lucinda was going to make the most of her deep catalogue by sprinkling her set list with obscure gems, as well as more familiar favorites.

The title track to “Car Wheels” certainly fell into the latter category. Introducing it, she told a deeply personal story of having debuted the song at the intimate Bluebird Café in Nashville, before an audience that included her father, the writer and poet, Miller Williams. Afterward, he commented that she must have been the little girl in the verse: “Chld in the back seat, about four or five years / Lookin’ out the window”. In complete and convincing sincerity, Lucinda said that she had never realized that until her father pointed it out to her, so complete was her immersion in her writing.

Slowing down the pace, Lucinda next chose the title track to “World Without Tears,” an achingly beautiful ballad that showcased her world-weary voice to its best advantage. Doug Pettibone switched from his Strat to a big hollow body Gretsch for the tender solos on this one, adding understated harmony to Lucinda’s vocals, as he did all night. Keeping the mood somber, Ms. Williams told of having been inspired to write “Memphis Pearl” in 1984, by the sight of a poor woman digging through trash cans, looking for food. The gentle, bluegrass-flavored song tells the story of a fallen angel, a girl whose high hopes and big dreams are sadly unrealized. It is a common theme of Ms. Williams, who relates tales of the downtrodden and those living on the fringes of society, without ever becoming maudlin, condescending or judgmental.

"Back in Memphis she was a pearl"

“Back in Memphis she was a pearl”

Lucinda kept the mood subdued and intimate with “Tears Of Joy,” a love song to Tom Overby, from her 2008 release, “Little Honey.” Introducing the next song, “I Don’t Know How You’re Living,” Lucinda noted that it was written for her younger brother, “who I haven’t seen in many years.” Incredibly sad and moving, featuring sublime echo-effect guitar work by Doug Pettibone, the pairing of the song with “Tears Of Joy” was breathtaking. Where “Tears Of Joy” celebrates the emotional catharsis of falling deeply in love, “Don’t Know” reminds us of the pain and longing that comes from being estranged from someone we were once close to. “I don’t know how you’re living / I don’t know where you are / And you may not be willing / To open up the door.” The yin and yang of interpersonal relations, encapsulated in two songs. Stunning.

To bring us out of our doldrums, at least momentarily, Lucinda debuted a new song, “Stowaway,” a mid-tempo rocker that’s sure to appear on her next album. “Born To Be Loved,” from her most recent album, “Blessed,” was next, followed by “Everything Is Changed,” from 2007’s “West,” featuring Miss Lily Mae Rische from The Kenneth Brian Band on fiddle. Lily Mae and her fiddle stuck around for “Jailhouse Tears,” giving the song a more country, less rocking feel than the studio version (that paired Lucinda with guest vocalist Elvis Costello). The ease with which Lucinda traded verses with Doug Pettibone erased all the bad memories of her tortured attempt at the song during her 2008 First Avenue appearance – simulcast on the internet – when she stopped and started the song four times before finally being able to finish it.

Returning to the land of broken dreams and tragic characters, Lucinda noted that “you meet a lot of beautiful losers in this business,” and told the story of Blaze Foley, a gifted songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and John Prine, among others. But, possessed by his own demons, he barely eked out a living on the fringes of society before being shot and killed in a senseless confrontation. “Drunken Angel” from the “Car Wheels” album is Lucinda’s tribute to this singular talent, whose life and death are straight out of a Greek tragedy.

The tempo picked up and the set list continued its wide range thereafter, as Lucinda debuted another new song, a driving, soulful number that might be titled “I Need Protection (From The Enemy of Love),” followed by the title track to 2001’s “Essence,” with Doug Pettibone producing stinging notes on his Gibson SG. To amp up the proceedings, Lucinda switched from her big Gibson acoustic to a Telecaster for the remainder of the night, starting with a Delta blues number by Little Son Jackson, “Disgusted,” followed by a ferocious version of “Change The Locks,” then a new version of “Joy” (recorded as part of a compilation to support the West Memphis Three), and a hard-rocking ‘Honey Bee” to close out the set.

Before starting the encore, Lucinda complimented the crowd, saying “y’all might be the liveliest audience yet!” She then opened the three-song encore with “Blessed,” an inspired piece of songwriting that takes the biblical Beatitudes and turns them around 180 degrees. Instead of the meek, the humble, the poor in spirit being blessed by the diety, it is we who are blessed by them: “We were blessed by the girl selling roses / Showed us how to live / We were blessed by the neglected child / Who knew how to forgive.” It is a brilliant, thought-provoking piece of songwriting. Not wanting to leave us with anything too heavy, Lucinda brought Lily Mae and the rest of the Kenneth Brian Band back on stage for the rollicking Hank Williams party tune, “Jambalaya,” and a hand-clapping, foot-stomping gospel cover, “You Know You’ve Got To Get Right With God.”

The little girl in the back seat of the car is all grown up now, and she’s moved behind the steering wheel. The tank is full, the engine is well-tuned, and those tires still have a lot of life left in them. The road ahead is wide open and there’s still a lot of this sweet old world left for Lucinda to discover. We’ll all be waiting for her when she swings by next time, to tell us all about it.

JD McPherson, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 11/29/12

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For his third foray into the Twin Cities in five months (!), the pride of Broken Arrow, OK brought his retro rockabilly show to Minneapolis’ premier downtown night club. JD McPherson is a throwback to the early 50’s, his songs reflecting his many influences from that era, including Fats Domino, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Bo Diddley. Relentless touring behind his only major label (Rounder) release, “Signs & Signifiers” has paid off, as he played to a nearly sold-out, enthusiastic crowd on a mid-week date late last month.

Back in June, when he debuted at the Fine Line Music Cafe, JD was breaking in both sax and keyboard players, and both seemed understandably tentative at times. By now, however, both sidemen (regrettably, unnamed) have dozens of gigs under their belts and the entire combo – including doghouse bass player, singer, producer and collaborator Jimmy Sutton, and drummer Alex Hall – click along like a well-oiled machine.

Opening with the smoothly-rocking “Dimes For Nickels,” JD quickly diverted the spotlight away from himself and onto the rest of the band for “You’ve Got To Lose.” Jimmy Sutton slapped the upright bass with a flourish, the keyboard player pounded the 88’s like a latter day Jerry Lee Lewis, and the sax man offered his own tasty solo. Sutton introduced “Country Boy,” with more windmill turns on the bass, a la Pete Townshend and the set list moved smoothly along through “I Can’t Complain,” “Signs & Signifiers,” and “Your Love (All That I’m Missing),” a bouncy 50’s tune that JD introduced as “the Everly Brothers meet The Smiths.” JD chooses his covers carefully, resurrecting the early 60’s chestnut “Farmer John,” originally recorded by The Premieres. Once again, the piano solo was exceptional.

There were a couple of new recordings on the set list, not on the S & S CD. He recently put out a 7″ vinyl 45 of “North Side Gal,” the first single off the CD, but on this night he also played the “B” side, “Abigail Blue,” another catchy rockabilly number. And, just in time for the holidays, JD recorded a rockin’ new Christmas song, “Twinkle Little Christmas Lights.”

By the time he closed the set with “North Side Gal” and “Wolf Teeth,” the floor was churning with moving bodies, like bees in a hive. The encore was a generous four-song mini-set, pushing the entire show nearly to two hours. In a way, it was unfortunate that the house was as packed as it was; this would have been the perfect band for the swing dancers to show off their moves. Maybe next time he’ll come to a ballroom somewhere nearby, for one big swinging sock hop. Then we’d all be “Scratchin’ Circles on the Old Dance Floor.”

A Massive Night with The Hold Steady, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 11/24/12

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This past weekend was homecoming weekend for The Hold Steady, who played two shows at their favorite venue, First Avenue. Although officially based in Brooklyn for the past several years, lead singer/songwriter Craig Finn grew up in Minneapolis, as did drummer Bobby Drake. Lead guitarist Tad Kubler is from Janesville, WI (perhaps the second most famous Janesville native, after erstwhile Republican VP nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan) and spent several years in the Twin Cities, most notably with Finn in The Hold Steady’s predecessor, Liftr Pullr. Rounding out the ensemble are bassist Galen Pavelka and guitarist Steve Selvidge – the newest member of the band, having replaced keyboardist Franz Nicolay, who departed in 2010 to pursue a solo career. Selvidge had previously been a member of Lucero, and the hard rock chops he honed in that bend mesh well with Kubler’s own formidable guitar prowess.

Craig Finn is an enigmatic figure; a curious combination of the sacred and the profane. With his nerdy glasses and Cost Cutters haircut, he resembles a grown up altar boy, yet he rants, raves, gyrates and gestures onstage like a holy roller possessed by the spirit. His songs chronicle the hard-partying, substance-abusing lifestyle of the young urban adult, while also interspersing images and references to his Catholic upbringing. Jesus is never too far away from the Party Pit.

The duality of The Hold Steady experience was on full display from the moment Finn and the band took the stage on Saturday night. Spreading his arms like Jesus on the cross, Finn began the set with “Multitude of Casualties,” from the “Separation Sunday” CD (“She drove it like she stole it / She stole it fast and with a multitude of casualties”), leading into the anthemic “Stuck Between Stations.” Finn worked the stage from one side to the other, leaning into the audience and exhorting them on like a fundamentalist preacher. Keeping the momentum high, the band segued into “Hurricane J” from 2010’s “Heaven is Whenever.” Although the song begins relatively quietly, it erupts in a hard pounding chorus that had half the house pogoing up and down in unison. It also featured the first of a handful of crowd-surfing episodes, as the swarm at the front of the stage belched up some regrettably heavy-set fellow, who was soon swallowed back into the morass, never to surface again.

THS debuted only a few new songs, although there is purportedly a new CD in the works, to be released sometime in 2013. “Wait Awhile” fared the best of the new lot, with Finn commenting afterward that the title “didn’t seem very rock ‘n roll,” but he preferred to turn the concept on its head, as in “wait awhile before stopping” drinking, partying, or whatever excessive behavior you’re engaged in. Primarily, the band stuck with old favorites, which suited the audience just fine. Tad and Steve shared a nifty guitar break during “Rock Problems,” and Tad followed that up with some tasty slide work on the ballad, “The Sweet Part Of The City.” After an unidentified new song, Finn and the boys blasted out “You Can Make Him Like You,” leading into “Constructive Summer,” both of which once again whipped the house into a frenzy. Finn introduced the equally crowd-pleasing “Chips Ahoy” as “a song about a boy, a girl, and a horse.” Way to fire up the pogo machine, Craig! It also marked the beginning of several singalongs, as the fans eagerly joined in on the “Whoa-aho-aho-aho”s.

More favorites followed: “Sequestered In Memphis,” began with a thunderous intro; “Southtown Girls” featured Tad and Steve trading guitar licks; and, of course, no Hold Steady show is complete without a rendition of “Your Little Hoodrat Friend.” Finn once remarked, self-deprecatingly, that The Hold Steady has “two and a half guitarists,” a wry comment on his limited instrumental abilities. But on this night, and on this song, he actually played some lead, with Tad and Steve joining in, creating an almost Allman Brothers-like sound.

Closing out the main set, THS turned to another singalong number, “Massive Nights,” from the “Boys & Girls In America” release (more “Whoa-ohs” for the lyrically-challenged among us to mouth), finishing the 85-minute show with “Slapped Actress,” from “Stay Positive.” And, what better way to end the evening than with the title track to “Stay Positive,” as an encore, given a lengthy treatment by the band. Midway through it, the band broke the song down to a slow, subdued tempo, giving Finn the opportunity to deliver a final sermon. He acknowledged that he’d expressed these sentiments on other occasions, yet he said there was simply no other way to describe it: “There is so much JOY in what we do!” With that, the band brought up the volume, allowing Finn time to traverse the stage from side to side one last time, hands folded in front of him as if in prayer, leaning over to thank the adoring fans at the front of the stage. We’d all partied hard, we’d been to church, and now it was time to go home.

Capsule Reviews: The Week In Review, 10/14 – 20/12

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[Top: The Psychedelic Furs, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, Sunday, October 14, 2012;
Middle: Calexico, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN, Tuesday, October 16, 2012;
Bottom: Publicity still for the movie “Charlie is my Darling; Ireland 1965”]

(Our sleep-deprived Northern correspondent, Harry Gebippe, reflects on a veritable musical cornucopia in the Twin Cities for the week just ended.)

There was something for everyone – and too much for anyone – if you were looking for reasons to go out to see live music in the Minneapolis – St. Paul area this past week. From the bars to the theaters, concert halls and arenas, it seemed as though a number of bands and artists were looking to get their obligatory Twin Cities dates in before the snow flies. Teen idol (formerly Tween Idol – my, they grow up fast!) Justin Bieber did the shake-and-bake on the Timberwolves home court. Speaking of Justin: just in time for Halloween (rim shot, please!), the newly reconstituted – and seasonally-appropriately-named – Smashing Pumpkins shook the creaky, sonically-challenged old Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, while the original lineup of 80’s sludge rockers Dinosaur Jr. rocked The Cabooze. Like up and coming female pop songsters? Then you should have been at the State Theater for Regina Spektor. How about the blues? Johnny Copeland’s daughter, Shemekia, brought the house down at the Dakota. Prefer your music acoustic? Bela Fleck teamed up with the Marcus Roberts trio for some furious banjo-pickin’ jazz, while Leftover Salmon noodled and jammed their way through . . . whatever entered their heads at the moment. Alt-country more your bag? Then shame on you if you missed the Old 97’s celebrating the 15th anniversary of their “Too Far To Care” release at First Avenue. Did I forget anyone? Oh, yes; renegade country pickers Whitey Morgan and the 78s lit up Lee’s Liquor Lounge downtown, while in Uptown, Commander Cody punished the 88’s at Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues Bar to close out the week. Whew!

And you know what? We didn’t see any of the above, and we still managed to fill our musical plate and push away from the table stuffed and satiated. For starters –

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14: The Lemonheads and The Psychedelic Furs, First Avenue.
The front men of these two bands were a study in contrasts. Where Evan Dando of The Lemonheads was reserved and workmanlike, by contrast Richard Butler of the P Furs was all about the show. Dando churned out big thick chords on his white Gibson SG to accompany his 90’s college-radio friendly songs (“Down About It,” “It’s About Time” “It’s A Shame About Ray”) but was terse in his comments to the audience. Still, the cognoscenti were singing along to every tune and the loud ovation at the end of the ‘Heads set gave way to an equally loud groan when the large TV screen began lowering, signaling that there would be no encore. Like the Lemonheads, the P Furs played it smart and safe, sticking to the tried and true old songs, which the crowd lapped up like free beer. Opening with “Only You And I,” the band quickly segued into their second biggest hit, “Love My Way,” with R Butler belting out the lyrics with that distinctive foghorn voice. He prowled the stage from side to side, whirling and twirling, slapping hands with the fans up front, and generally acting the male equivalent of a diva. The set list was strong, leading up to the inevitable crescendo of “Pretty In Pink.” It was surprising that this mega-hit, with its instantly recognizable power chord opening, was neither the set closer nor the first song of the encore. Equally surprising was the arrangement, in which the power chords were nearly drowned out by Mars Williams’ sax. Although still a crowd pleaser, it came off more Springsteenish than the familiar post-punk anthem. As The Missus and I left the club at the end of the night, smiling and humming the chorus to that song, I noticed for the first time the color of the wristband the door guy puts on you when you enter the club. Pink. And pretty, too.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16: Calexico, Fine Line Music Cafe
It’s a challenge to attempt to define Calexico’s sound. As the name implies, the band has one foot on either side of the border, melding Latin jazz and traditional Mexican music with North-of-the-border rock and country. The songs are alternately dreamy and ethereal (“I can hear the desert in their music,” commented The Missus) or punchy and up-tempo. The 2-man trumpet section of Jacob Valenzuela and Martin Wink dictates the pace and mood, from the urgency of the new single, “Splitter” to the slow-building “Victor Jara’s Hands,” off the 2008 release “Carried To Dust.” In this, their first Twin Cities appearance in over 2 years, the band offered a generous sampling of new songs and old standbys, the latter including a stunning version of “Crystal Frontier,” (reputed to be wounded Congresswoman Gabby Gifford’s favorite). This is truly an international band, including the aforementioned Mr. Wink, from Germany, Spaniard guitarist Jairo Zavala, and Latinos Valenzuela and Sergio Mendoza (keys). Given the varied backgrounds of the band members, the multi-influenced sound of the band is not surprising; if anything, the surprise comes from the fact that the co-leaders of the band are a couple of Anglos, Joey Burns (lead vocals, guitar) and John Convertino (drums, percussion). It would be tempting to add a comment here about how much better this world would be if nations could cooperate as beautifully as do these diverse musicians. But, I’ll demur.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19: “Charlie Is My Darling,” Parkway Theater
OK, this wasn’t a live show, but it was a major musical event nevertheless. “Charlie” is a black and white film chronicling the Rolling Stones 1965 sweep through Dublin and Belfast. The movie was filmed by Peter Whitehead, at the direction of Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who claimed, in a post-movie interview with Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, that it was never intended to be released commercially. Instead, said Oldham, given the Stones’ exploding popularity (“Satisfaction” had just gone to # 1), the idea was to get the band used to the ubiquity of cameras – not just in interviews or during performances, but in virtually every aspect of their lives. The title itself comes from Oldham’s observation that “the camera loved Charlie [Watts],” a comment I found curious, since the predictable space-eater, Mick Jagger, seemed to find his way into more frames than any of the other Stones.
The concert footage was riveting. The band hit the ground running in the first show, with “This Could Be The Last Time,” and never let up. Jagger showed us the manic dance moves he’s replicated thousands of times in the four-plus decades since, teasing the audience by doffing his white jacket and swinging it back and forth toward the front row, before tossing it backward toward the back stage. Psych! “Time Is On My Side” and others from that era whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Pandemonium broke out, with fans and security personnel alike being pushed aside and trampled by a couple dozen determined concert-goers who stormed the stage, running amok, knocking over equipment and bringing the show to an abrupt end. I wonder how those folks feel about their grandkids moshing, slam dancing and crowd-surfing today? The more candid, off stage footage was equally intriguing, showing the Glimmer Twins working up a new composition in their hotel suite, or goofing on Elvis tunes while getting progressively drunker. Excerpts of backstage interviews with each individual Stone were both humorous and revealing. “I’m not a musician,” declared Charlie Watts, “I just play drums.” “The future as a Rolling Stone is uncertain,” intoned Brian Jones. And, Mick Jagger’s remark to close the movie: “There isn’t any secret [to the Rolling Stones]; it’s all pretty obvious!”
Before the movie started, the video for the Stones’ brand new single, “Doom and Gloom” (from the greatest-hits-plus-two release “Grrrr”) was shown. Just when you thought it was time to write their obituary, the band proves that there’s still life in those old bones. Calling the song “classic Stones” is both cliche and understatement. It is a stunningly good, hard rocking tune, albeit with somewhat apocalyptic lyrics. Sure, it’s only rock ‘n roll, but we like it, love it, yes we do!