MinneapolitanMusic

Say what you will about Thom Yorke's interactions with the public, but I happen to fancy the band and man quite a bit and really appreciated Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot's recent interview with the lead singer of Radiohead and his bandmate, Jonny Greenwood. Even though this isn't local, I couldn't resist sharing it with as many people as possible. DeRogatis and Kot host a weekly radio show, Sound Opinions, on Chicago Public Radio, and the show has recently been picked up by the Current for rebroadcast at 9am on Saturdays. Thankfully, for late weekend sleepers like myself, the show is also available on their website for download.

Check out last week's show, which has the interview with Radiohead. It's one of the only times I have heard Thom Yorke sit down and honestly discuss his music and feelings on a number of current issues, quite the treat.

Come watch me spin my favorite local albums! It's free and I may or may not require that guests break out into an impromptu dance party. You know you like me, you like local music, and you like free stuff, so you really have no reason to miss it.

What: Me being totally awesome!
Where: Hexagon Bar, Mpls (South Mpls off 26th and 26th)
When: 10pm TONIGHT

Please come. Thank you.

This is still a week away but it is Friday afternoon and I am using any excuse I can to procrastinate all real work...

First, you must go here and read my Tim O'Reagan article that just came out in the Pulse. Do it! Now! Seriously.

Second, Tim O'Reagan will be playing at the Electric Fetus next Friday at 6pm. His new album, "Tim O'Reagan," comes out Tuesday. Hooray!

Last night I got home from work, kicked off my shoes, and contemplated staying in for the evening despite my plans for heading out to the Fine Line for Leroy Smokes. There is something about coming home from work and sitting down on the couch that makes me want to stay in forever. Nonetheless, I eventually talked myself into going and rounded up a few friends to come with.

When we got to the club, the doorman stamped my hand with the word ADDICT spelled out in tall, bright blue letters. I rubbed my hand a bit, wondering if I'd be able to wash it off before work in the morning, since it so clearly hinted at my alternate life that I try desperately to hide from "the office." Before I had too much time to mull it over, though, I was swept into the crowd and handed a cocktail and pushed up toward the dancefloor, and all of a sudden I was so relieved to be back in the swell of it all. It had been almost two weeks since I had seen a show, and it was about damn time for a fix.

The concert was great. There was an entertaining mix of people, hollaback girls and hoodrats and posers and cool cats, some hip-hop stars and some just wannabes, all with at least one drink in their hand. I really dug a guy called Golden who rapped about being a rapper in Minneapolis, and about taking the power away from the "radio rappers" and making songs real again. He rapped about saving music "like Nirvana wiped out the hair bands." He rapped about his idols, and how he hoped to be better than all of them someday. Most importantly, he rapped about things that were relevant and real, and he made people listen.

I Self Divine was not as interesting as I expected them to be. I thought that their raps and beats were a little repetitive and not very danceable, but it did make a great contrast against the vibe of the room when Leroy Smokes hit the stage. I'm going to write up a review of the show, so I don't want to blow it all here, but those guys know how to make a party erupt in the middle of the dancefloor. Plus I'm just a sucker for hip-hop groups with live backing bands.

So now I'm at work, and, as I figured, the stamp won't wash off my hand. I wore long sleeves today, pulled down past my palms, so my boss won't see my other life and realize that the bags under my eyes are from staying out until the wee hours on a school night.

I've gotta find a place where it's ok to be an ADDICT.

Here's hoping that all of you have time this week to tune into local cable access Channel 6 to catch this week's episode of SearchMode TV!

Sandra and O Valle were kind enough to come out to the HowWasTheShow.com 4th Anniversary Party last month, armed with their video camera, and they had so much fun that they stayed for the entire night of festivities. This week's episode is all about HowWasTheShow and the party, including a small appearance/interview of me and "bossman" David de Young. I also just zipped over to their website, and they posted great video footage of all of the acts at the party: The Debut, Stook, the Alarmists, David de Young, White Light Riot, and Alva Star. The online videos are great quality, too, so if you missed the party you can get an idea for how the show was. (Oh man, I just punned my own website.)

When: Thursdays & Saturdays @ 9 PM: June 22, 24, 29 & July 1st.
Where: Metro Cable Network's Channel 6.


I am looking forward to a great weekend full of live music, cold glasses and more. Some shows I strongly recommend:

• Thursday: Leroy Smokes CD Release Show w/ Rhymefest, I Self Devine, Truth Maze, Kanser and more at the Fine Line. A night of hip-hop and sunshine, for sure.
  


• Friday: Jose Gonzalez at the Cedar, Fiery Furnaces and We Are Scientists at First Ave, The Beatifics at the Hexagon. All good bets, I'm going to try to make two of the three.


• Saturday: Mason Jennings, Mason Jennings, Mason Jennings. Orpheum. Yes.
  

First off, thanks, Greg, for that kick in the ass I oh-so-needed to get back on the blog again. Why does summer make me so flaky?

I have just returned from a long, long weekend (i.e. we left last Tuesday evening) in Chicago, and it was glorious. Well, except for the part where the boys tried to do some home improvements and my brother-in-law dropped a cast iron sink on his finger. That wasn't so glorious. But we did get to wander around downtown (actually, everyone else knew where we were going, but I staggered aimlessly behind them with my eyes to the sky and my jaw half open like the innocent little farm girl that I am), we visited a few beautiful landmarks, and then we had an extremely hung over day at the Zoo and a less toxic day at the Botanic Gardens.

This whole last week has really got me thinking about the future (yes, I know, everyone is shocked that I am burrowed deep in contemplation instead of clacking out my reviews like a good girl) and what is going to happen when we finally up and relocate. I already knew I didn't deal well with grandiose topics, but there is something terrifying about going out into the real world, and being smack dab in the middle of downtown Chicago was about as real a world as I have ever felt. Please don't laugh, because this is sort of embarassing, but I actually gasped when I saw a chic looking woman step out in front of me on the curb, casually hail a cab, open the door and get whisked away. There was something about the tumultuous power of the buildings and the swells of crowds and business of traffic lights and trains that made me want to lay down in the street just to take it all in. I know, I'm sorta sheltered and weird about things such as these, but it was somehow magnificent.

So here I am, back in Minneapolis, and I am totally and completely on the fence about it all. I know that we will move no matter what, but there are things about this city that are so friendly and safe and familiar, I worry that I am going to get lost in the swooshing of the bigger city.

And more importantly, I am now required to conduct a poll: what on earth should this blog be called? "MinneapolitanMusic: Now with 100% more Chicago"? "ChicagoanMusic...well, at least for a while anyway till she changes it back"? Help!

Oh, and also, it has been over a week since I have seen/heard live music. The shakes have subsided a bit but I am definitely ready to meet someone somewhere where there is a band on a stage, hold a cold glass in my hand, take notes, put in my earplugs and find myself all over again. Wanna come?

For some reason I always have the temptation of starting out blog entries with, "Hello, how are you?" like a child writing a note to a friend. But I am older now, and responsible for crafting more captivating introductions. Let's try again...

I am coming back from a weekend (or two or three of them, actually) full of excitement and the freedom that comes with being able to drive around with the windows down and wake to sunlit rooms in the morning. My mind is active, yet hard to focus at times, and I am trying to convince myself to keep attending shows even though I'd rather be outside frolicking in the breezy dusk of summer, grilling with friends, and playing ridiculous drinking games like one we tried last weekend called "Slap the Sack" (don't ask). Apparently, summer makes me especially poetic, although I don't much care for the actual task of writing poetry and sometimes I even make myself sick with my unintentional overuse of fluffy, flowery words in my writing.

Friday night was full of rock stars. I went to Big V's to wish Mei Young well as she leaves Drive 105 and the beloved Radio Homegrown behind to pursue a career in voice-overs. After many, many years in local radio I know that she will be missed, and even though I have only met her in person a handful of times, she has always radiated such kindness and warmth that I am sure her colleagues are going through Mei withdrawal this week. Mark Mallman was there, along with a myriad of other local music noteables, to read dramatic interpretations of Foreigner lyrics at Mei's request. Mallman did an especially hilarious dramatic reading of a fan story (Mallman read the one by Nick K.), with Dan Israel backing him up on acoustic guitar.

Another highlight was when I convinced Dan to play "Angel From Montgomery" by John Prine, which brought back all kinds of memories of seeing him many years ago (well, five years ago anyway) at Ginkgo and other coffee shops. Hearing him sing that song, as well as his own song, "Overloaded," was enough to make me go all soft inside and I knew it was about time to move on to the next event.

David and I headed over to the Varsity for the Alarmists CD release party, which was packed with people by about 9:30. It was business as usual, with a quick trip backstage to visit the skeletons and a lap around the room to say hi to friends. Openers Low Lustre sounded great, and brought a throng of screaming girls to the front of the stage to shriek at their every move, which was amusing. And then it was time for White Light Riot.

WLR started into an amazing set, which caused a few of us to look at each other in awe as the boys relished the power of playing a big stage with great lighting and sound. But then something startling happened. It wasn't obvious at first, since the band was backlighted for the most of one song, but as soon as the stage lights cut out and the house lights shone on the front of the band, you could hear the whole crowd gasp in horror - the entire right side of lead singer Mike Schwandt's face was covered in blood. Turns out he cut himself with the end of his own guitar in some sort of move that probably defied physics, and the cut required stitches - but Schwandt refused to stop playing. He picked up a towel, dabbed the side of his face calmly and continued into the next song, insisting that the show go on. It was a total rock star move and I was impressed, if not a little horrified.

Saturday night I had a quiet night out at the theater with my Dad; we went to Park Square Theatre to see "Steel Magnolias" and it was fantastic. It made me wish that I went to the theater more often, as I really love the feeling of an entire audience laughing and crying their way through a well written storyline. The play was put on by a cast of six women, which I found particularly intriguing, as the story includes other characters but they are only described by the women rather than acted out in person. It was an enjoyable play that passed quickly, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good show.

That's all for now.

Hugs and Kisses,
MinneapolitanMusic

***Tumbleweed blows lazily across floor of MinneapolitanMusic***

Tumbleweed: Where did she go?
One remaining blog reader: Who the hell knows. I am so out of here.

***Tumbleweed saunters on down dusty trail***