November 2025 Recap

Showvember delivered with David Byrne, Molly Tuttle, Galactic, Dogs in a Pile, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Twine! Plus, a first visit to Minneapolis' brand new BBQ joint/music venue Animales.

David Byrne - 11.3.25 at the Orpheum in Minneapolis:

11. 1 Jones Gang at Memory Lanes

This was rumored to be the Final Show ever from the Twin Cities longest running (since 1996!) Grateful Dead tribute. It was unclear if that was serious or not, or if bassist Lee was joking about moving forward as Jones and Co. Set two at the bowling alley went like this:

Samson and Delilah
Harder They Come
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Dear Mr. Fantasy>
Hey Jude
White Rabbit
Truckin’
Stella Blue
Music Never Stopped

11.3 David Byrne at Orpheum Theatre

A spellbinding show from David Byrne and his merry bunch of blue suit clad cohorts - 5 dancers/singers and 7 musicians who moved around the stage with elegance and ease. The dancers intermingled fluidly with the three percussionists, two guitarists, keyboardist, and Kelly the bass player, who perhaps accompanied Byrne more than any other performer throughout the show. At points there was a saxophone and a washboard and more in the mix as well, as the instruments were switched out for different songs as they dexterously ducked on and off stage.

I was thrilled to hear ten Talking Heads songs throughout the show. “Heaven” opened the show, followed by the new song “Everybody Laughs”, which has really grown on me despite me finding it a little hokey initially. That is part of the magic of David Byrne though, his earnestness. That was on display later when he later mentioned that love and kindness are considered punk/counterculture nowadays.

He used a photo of a tree with orange leaves that he snapped right here in Minneapolis on the screen for a moment, and talked about riding his bike around town. As it turns out, he rode his bike to the show, and parked it and locked it outside the stage door, which happens to be right below the patio of McKenzie’s where I was having a post show pint. A father and son waited for an autograph, so I stuck around to see if they had the right idea. Moments later, out walks David Byrne, just feet from me, where he casually unlocked his bike, signed some autographs, and shook a few hands, all the while wearing his bike gloves. I was too starstruck to shake his hand but I got a couple pictures and said ‘thank you David!” as he rode away, heading into the night, south on Hennepin Ave. A moment later I was happy to tell a couple of the dancers great show and give them high fives.

“Life During Wartime” included some footage of ICE agents in American streets and being outrun by that guy on the bike in Chicago (that footage got laughs and cheers).

For “My Apartment Is My Friend”, the screens showed images of his Manhattan apartment, where he told us he felt safe during the pandemic.

Byrne’s 2018 American Utopia show, also held at the Orpheum, was instantly one of my favorite shows ever. It was among the most inventive and mesmerizing shows I’d ever been to, and this might even top American Utopia, as the Talking Heads numbers as well as solo songs “Like Humans Do”, “Everybody’s Coming To My House” and the brilliant “Strange Overtones” from his album with Brian Eno. Davis Byrne is one of the greatest artists of our time and we are lucky to have him.

“Naive Melody”:

Never seen such inventive band introductions:

“Life During Wartime”:

“Burning Down The House”:

And here’s David Byrne leaving the show, riding off on his bike after signing a few autographs and my pal’s t-shirt!

Pretty funny that I took a picture of the marquee from the exact same spot as I did 7 years ago!:

11.6 David Huckfelt’s Mystery Lights #1 at Animales

Happy that Brianna and I made it to the first of what seems like a really promising series of music! Singer/songwriter David Huckfelt will lead a different group of artists the first and third Thursdays of each month at the brand new Animales BBQ restaurant, which opened just a couple weeks prior. I think this place has the potential to become a real hot spot for Americana/folk/Country type artists and fans. Most shows will go from 8-10pm. You can tell that music front of mind in the design of the space, which is refreshing and rare. They say there will never be a cover charge but they encourage tipping via an option on the menu when you order food or the traditional tip jar. There is ample seating with tables, comfortable booths facing the stage, high tops, and a long bar. There’s also a play room for young kids and a large outdoor space that seems like it will be great for events in the summer. The two set show featured some great old school blues and Dylan songs, and closed with John Prine. In addition to Huckfelt (formerly of The Pines) on acoustic guitar, there was a Hanson on bass, a Hanson on Drums, and Jake Hanson on guitar if I remember correctly. There was also a trombone (!) for the first few songs of the evening and on harmonica was a seasoned blues guy (and for one song, Huckfelt’s son of perhaps six years). Some of the tunes played were:

Mama You Been On My Mind

Shake Your Hips

They Call Me The Breeze

Shame Shame Shame

Til I Fell In Love With You

Mellow Down Easy (Little Walter)

Summer’s End

11.7 Jimbo’s Forever Young Tribute to Neil Young at Tuttle’s

It was an all-star group of musicians and a packed house Friday night for Jim Hinkley’s annual tribute to Neil Young, who turned 80 this month! Everyone in the band sang at least one song - Art Hoffman on keys, Daryn Christenson on drums, Jim Hinkley on bass, Alex Gelking on guitar, and Lee of Feeding Leroy on acoustic guitar.

11.11 Aurora Borealis in …The Outer Atmosphere?

Nature’s best light show was visible over much of North America, as far south as Missouri. At home in South Minneapolis, it was the brightest and most dazzling display of Northern Lights I’d ever seen, and I lived up in Duluth for seven years.

Simply spectacular, what a treat! Here are a few of my favorite shots, taken in my back and front yards:

11.12 Twine at Bunker’s - One Year Anniversary!

First set was just three songs, including a dynamite “Dark Timber” and the second set was anchored by a smokin’ “Lou and Luna” followed by the debut of Genesis’ “That’s All”. I really enjoy that you never know what the next song might be and that they continue to build their repertoire. The band was joined by sound guy and flutist Gage in the third set. Congrats on a great first year fellas!

Really cool live art blending skyscrapers and the Aurora Borealis from mariel_rose_garcia_muralista!

11.13 Galactic with Angelica Jelly Joseph at First Ave

Absolute fire show from Galactic with singer Angelica ‘Jelly’ Joseph! They are simply one of the most consistent and reliably funky bands out there. I swear I could watch Stanton Moore play drums all night, and I pretty much did whenever I managed to take my eyes off the dynamite Ms. Jelly. One highlight for me was when they brought out the horns of opening band Low Down Brass Band from Chicago. In addition to Galactic’s duo of sax and trumpet, the two trumpets, two trombones and one tuba from Low Down combined to create a huge brass funk ensemble. Later in the set, Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” and Dr. John’s “Qualified” made my night - I adore that Dr. John song and everything associated with the Night Tripper. Someone asked me if I’d seen Galactic before and aah, yeah, at the first Bonnaroo if not before then, and many times since, including a memorable show opening for Widespread Panic in Somerset and at the Cabooze with Chali 2na of J5 maybe ten or fifteen years ago. Also the Palace a few years back, with Lettuce, and at Jazzfest last year and in 2016.

Stanton was wearing a Tipitina’s t-shirt, the famous NOLA venue that he and his bandmates bought a few years ago.

Low Down Brass Band:

11.13 WE Collective at Gluek’s

with Snowman, Scott Yonke, Sam McKinney on drums and Shamus on guitar, in addition to Will on guitar.

Double Yonke:

11.14 Molly Tuttle at Varsity Theater

Fantastic show from an outstanding and all too rare all female band. The mandolin player also played fiddle, the electric guitar player busted out a dobro here and there, and the drummer played washboard for the acoustic, old-timey bluegrass portion of the show. Molly got a huge applause when she tossed her wig, a really fun show! She brought out opener Joshua Ray Walker for a duet and the other opener, Cecilia Castleman, to play guitar on a song as well before closing with a cover of the Icona Pop/Charlie XCX song “I Love It”.

With opening act Joshua Ray Walker:

Icona Pop/Charlie XCX’s “I Love It”:

11.15 Dogs In A Pile at Fine Line

with opening set from Chicago band Sneezy, who also opened for DIAP a year and two days before this show, also at the Fine Line.

Dogs have continued to be leaders of the new, young school of jam band and are an engaging and energetic band.

Sneezy:

11.16 Shotgun Ragtime Band at Driftwood

#752!

11.19 Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Fine Line

The much buzzed about PPPP were in town for the first time in six years, and played to a full room of excited fans, with support from rising band Dizgo, who had the room nearly full with their funky sound by 8pm. Though I am woefully unfamiliar with Pigeons' songs, a couple sounded familiar because the band gets a fair amount of play on Sirius XM’s Jam On 309. A very familiar song was “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that featured lead guitarist Jeremy Schon dipping into both Zep’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and the Chicago classic “25 or 6 to 4”. The four bandmates made a sound bigger than you’d expect, as the two guitar players (Schon and singer/rhythm guitarist/wildman Greg Ormant) were using some cool pedal features. The band got together in 2009 at the University of Maryland and been steadily growing since. Definitely a heater of a show!

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”:

11.19 Twine at Bunkers

Post Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Party!

11.26 Twine at Bunker’s

TWINESGIVING! It was the night before Thanksgiving and the Twin Cities had just been hit by about 6 inches or so of sloppy, heavy snow, the first storm of the season. The usual array of Wednesday regulars were present along with a great many who don’t often stay out so late on weeknights. The band brought in a special lighting rig to shoot a live video and around 300 people were in attendance.