March 2024 Recap

Things are going to get crazier and crazier as the year goes on.....

James Fitzgerald

Feb 15, 2025

3.1 Greensky Bluegrass at Palace Theatre

GSBG is a phenomenal and oftentimes psychedelic bluegrass band from Kalamazoo, MI that has been playing for 25 years!

Tim Carbone, fiddler extraordinaire of Railroad Earth, joined in for a couple with Greensky:

Opening the show were The High Hawks, led by Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades’ Adam Greuel. Throw in Tim Carbone and what you’ve got is a supergoup of strings.

3.5 Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins at 331 Club

PWPP are a string based Minneapolis band that’s been arounf for quite some time, featuring

I first knew the song Streets of Bakersfield through my fondness for Dwight Yokum, not knowing it goes back a few decades before him to Buck Owens.

Streets of Bakersfield:

3.6 Charlie Parr at Electric Fetus

One of the best things about The Electric Fetus is their somewhat regular in-store performances from local and even national artists. I’ve attended many of these in the past and have seen Charlie Parr play there at least one other time. I think this was the first occasion I’d ever actually talked to him and had the opportunity to tell him how much I’ve appreciated his music going back to at least 1999, when I was in college in Duluth and religiously attended his weekly Wednesday night ‘Midweek Blues Bracers’ at Fitger’s Brewhouse that went on for quite some time. He smiled and said he remembered those days well and looked back on them fondly. His guitar playing style (all self taught!?) and songwriting are so unique and timeless.

My pal Shane and I awaiting having our new Charlie Parr albums signed by the artist.

3.7 Otoboke Beaver at First Ave

Japanese punk rockers Otoboke Beaver, a four piece all female band, were not on my radar until the day of the show, but it sounded outrageously different and fun and I was pretty much enthralled throughout their set. They were loud, rowdy, frenetic, and in yo’ face, the way a punk band is supposed to be. They are definitely on the rise and will likely not play a room as small as First Ave (this evening’s show was sold out) in this town again. Since this show they’ve played all over the world, including the Glastonbury Festival and in front of fan Dave Grohl at a festival in Denmark this summer, where he called them ‘the coolest fucking band I’ve ever seen’ before dedicating a song to them. Well yeah they are really fucking cool, and they rock. Couldn’t understand any of the lyrics of course, but their energy and that of their songs was universal!

3.7 Demitri and Friends at Gluek’s

with Jon Miller, Joe Barron, and Olivia Q of Useful Jenkins.

3.8 Dead Days of Winter at Day Block Brewing

This incarnation of Art Hoffman’s Grateful Dead tribute featured Art on keys, Javier Trejo and Will Effertz on guitar, Robert Eubanks on bass, JT Bates on drums and Doug Christiansen on percussion. A fantastic lineup to tackle one of the greatest songbooks in existence!

A moment of Terrapin Station:

3.9 Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Henhouse Prowlers at Fine Line Music Cafe

Adam Greuel of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades had been in town just 8 days prior with his other band, The High Hawks, who were opening for Greensky Bluegrass at the much larger Palace Theatre across the river. (Fine Line holds 650 vs 2600 at the Palace.)

But tonight Horseshoes were performing in a headlining role. Their five piece made up of guitar, bass, fiddle, banjo and harmonica brought some fast picking and support from Henhouse Prowlers.

Henhouse Prowlers:

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades performing traditional American folk song ‘Darlin’ Cory’:

Henhouse Prowlers hopped onstage for the last couple numbers of the night

3.14 Demitri and Friends at Gluek’s

featuring Gregg ‘Cheech’ Hall on guitar, Art Hoffman on bass, Eddie Juntunen on keys and Derek Fagerwold on drums. Stellar lineup this week that played, among other songs:

Stop-Go (WSP)

Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band)

Melissa (ABB) Art H on vox

Big Boss Man Greg H on vox

Lay Down Sally

I Shot The Sheriff AH

Soulshine GH

One Way Out GH

Midnight Rider AH

I Walk On Gilded Splinters DR

ST8 To Hell GH

Deal DR

Railroad Blues GH AH

Pressure Drop

Chilly Water:

3.15 Ike Reilly at Turf Club

I’ve been a big fan of Ike Reilly since 2006. His music, marked by provocative, clever and sometimes downright funny songwriting and a powerful rock and roll band behind him, has developed somewhat of a cult following over the decades he’s been performing. Although I did see him play at First Ave the night before Thanksgiving in 2005 (I was there to see Trampled by Turtles open the show) and at Green Man Festival in Duluth in summer of 2004, it wasn’t until my wife Brianna properly introduced me to his mastery of the Irish tradition of storytelling in 2006 that I caught on to his brilliance. She had interviewed and befriended Ike in her then role of music editor at the Minnesota Daily, the U of MN’s student newspaper. Since then I have seen him play at least a couple dozen times in various settings. One memorable occasion was when he opened for Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine at the intimate 300 capacity 7th Street Entry. Brianna and I got to hang out backstage after Ike’s set, while Morello was on stage. After the show we all gathered at O’Donovan’s across the street and eventually Brianna and I carried Ike and Tom Morello’s guitars back to their hotel for them.

For the last few years, Ike has had a couple of his sons occasionally tour with him, and this night at the Turf featured one of the young Reillys.

Put A Little Love In It:

Duty Free:

3.16 Teague Alexy and the Paddy Wagon at Aster Cafe

This seasonal band performs traditional Irish songs and some of Teague’s originals up in their hometown of Duluth and for the past few years somewhere in the Twin Cities as well. Teague and Eric Berry released an album of traditional Irish songs and a couple of originals in 2017. Teague is another fantastic Irish American storyteller, so much so that he’s published a book of short stories. The Paddy Wagon features Eric Berry of Trampled by Turtles on mandolin, Owen Mahon of Saltydog on stand-up bass, Jacob Mahon of Saltydog on banjo, Clancy Ward on fiddle and clogging from Sarah Cagley.

3.16 Savage Aural Hotbed at 331 Club

These dudes are amazing and don’t play very often so definitely go see them when you have the opportunity! They play all manner of percussion, and I’ve seen them play buzzsaws as well, with sparks flying about like some kind of post apocalyptic industrial drum circle.

3.17 Shamrock Shakedown at Uptown VFW featuring Saltydog, Frogleg and Feed The Dog

aka Feed the Salty Frog. All three bands command a sizeable following so this event at the somewhat recently remodeled VFW in Uptown was packed with holiday revelers.

Saltydog:

Feed The Dog:

Frogleg:

Compared To What:

3.19 Burning Blue Rain at Green Room

with Lighter Co and Saltydog! This was a Tuesday night residency in Uptown, with three great bands for this event. It also marked my first time seeing two of the three bands.

BBR:

Little Wing:

Lighter Co:

Saltydog:

3.21 WE Collective (TWINE) at 56 Brewing

This week’s edition of the WE Collective at 56 saw all four members of Twine take the stage and play among other tunes, my favorite Twine song Lou and Luna, Buddy Miles’ Changes and two ABB songs, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Hotlanta! Kevin Fowke really shines on the Allman Bros tunes and the interplay between Will and Kevin is always impressive.

3.22 Roots Within at Hook and Ladder

with opening sets from the Joe Barron Band and Joe Dunn (solo, but with Joe Barren and John Hanson):

3.23 Ragged But Right at Tuttle’s

Ragged but Right plays mostly Jerry Garcia Band material, so a lot of Motown and old school soul and Bob Dylan songs.

3.24 Fruition at Parkway Theatre

The roots/Americana band from Portland made a stop in South Minneapolis on a snowy Sunday night. It was my first time seeing them and I enjoyed their earnest tunes and organic sound!

I was a lil skeptical when @willyteataylor said Bob Dylan never resonated with him as a songwriter until It's Not Dark Yet But It's Getting There but I was quickly onboard with this performance and his detailed storytelling thereafter.

opener Willy Tea Taylor

3.27 Lenz and Frenz at 331 Club

Time for the March installment! Guests included Jon Sullivan, Jon Miller, Mike Hedding, Joe Shehan, Alex Gelking, Nate Anderson, Jessi Mae and Cadillac Kolstad

Billy Eilish’s When The Party’s Over

3.29 Twine at Shaw’s

Funky Bitch>

That's What Love Will Make You Do (11 min)

Sissy Strut

Let's Go Get Stoned

Liz Reed

Revolver

Ain't No Use

Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad

Got To Get Better In A Little While

Ain't My Cross To Bare (presumably for Jesus on Easter Eve)

III

Hotlanta

First Tube:

3.30 Jason Fladager and Friends at Excelsior Brewing

JFlad bday show with GR Svendahl on bass, Annie Hicks on vox and Steve Fine on drums.

3.31 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood

It was Steve Fine’s 67th birthday, sadly his last. He would pass away just a few months later. I was a big fan of Steve and was glad to have got to know him a bit the last few years, as he kept the rhythm in many bands over several decades and played over 600 Sunday night shows with the Shotgun Ragtime Band. He’ll be remembered fondly and missed greatly. Here he is keeping the beat during Scarlett Begonias.

The rest of the show went something like this:

SRB #667, Steve's 67th Birthday!!

Promised Land

Little Red Rooster w harp

Me and My Uncle

Mama Tried

Tom Thumbs Blues

Row Jimmy

Sisters and Brothers

Iko Iko

Samson and Delilah

Truckin'>