I didn't realize quite how much live, local music my wife and I were going to this spring. I think I'm actually missing a few in this list. I'm definitely missing Sammie because it was at the White Squirrel and we were pretty far from the stage [ironic, given it's about 100' long....maybe] and left after someone decided our booth was a good place to relax and tip over his beer on me [right before shattering it on the floor]. I was mad, but you can't go to live music without getting splashed now and then. As long as you don't get pulled over on the way home, it's not the end of the world. I have narrowly avoided being peed on at live music as well, but nothing recent. Those were the wilder days when I smoked, drank vodka against a car tire, had Kyle pour me in a car, shared a portapotty with a make-or-break female stranger-became-acquaintance, and dealt with a verbally abusive boyfriend. This is why getting older and wealthier is better. My kid has benefitted from my willingness to purchase much better seats/viewing.
Coming up, I suspect it'll be even more events given we made friends of some folks who do lawn concerts that Sarah introduced us to at a gig. I know my calendar, compared to previous years, looks like I'm doing little other than finding some music and a beer.
Jill Sobule at Hook and Ladder. The "I Kissed a Girl" singer, although that was her pop moment in the sunlight. We've seen her there once before. She is fantastically liberal and the songs don't mince word at all. At all. She story tells as much as she sings and it's pretty wonderful for a small venue like Hook and Ladder. I was just up near there today to grab a beer at Arbeiter Brewing and write, but the Juneteenth Celebration by Arbeiter, Hook and Ladder, Moon Palace, and others is off the damn hook. I love me a big event, but only if I'm cycling there, and the recent flooding and construction has gotten in the way. I did realize I can drive to the other side of the river, park, and pedal from my parking spot. But that was a late realization because "drive" in the context of cycling is usually the furthest thing from my mind. Last Friday I did a sixty-miler, almost entirely because I needed to go around the closed down areas. Positive: I learned I need a better saddle and shorts, which I ordered. Negative: saddle sores were proof I wasn't pedaling south and I need a better plan if I'm trying to bike locally.
Kelley Smith with Sarah Morris at the 318 in Excelsior. We've been there a few times. Talk about a close-up venue. If I had a foot fetish, I could massage Sarah's feet. THAT'S A JOKE. We took my sister in law there with us once to see Sarah. I think it's been three times so far? Nice perk is if you don't want a beer, it's also a coffee shop, so you have non-alcoholic alternatives.
Here's Sarah. Fun fact about this gig, she told a story about how much she had a crush on Paul Douglas when she was younger [my sister had a crush on a local newscaster who is famous for a photo of himself really bloody after taking a deer to the front window; she sent him a love poem when she was a tween]. Apparently someone in the audience new Paul and gave him a ring and he was there at the end to blow her mind. I've met him before in a tech situation - he's known for creating some of the microweather services and has presented for those of us in IT.
No, not music. But I pedal to a number of gigs when I can. My personal joke is that you know I really like you if I'm willing to pedal to where you're playing. I've pedaled to the state fair for Sarah, and Edina commons, and ... see below ... Shakopee/Chaska. In this instance, I pedaled up to Richfield Wild Mind to see Leslie Vincent.
No sultry crooning this time. Well, not exactly. She'd have a hard time not laying down sultry vibes. But she went full ukulele in this case. Fun aside, not long after this we were at a dinner with friends and I stepped outside [Merlin's on Lake] to bump into a guy wearing a Horror Con hoodie. I noted it was a nice hoodie and by chance did he produce content versus just going? He said yes, he had two movies/shorts there the previous event. I replied, "I played games with a bunch of people who know Leslie Vincent from the Horror Con, and I was just at her gig." His response, "I know Leslie!", and then we chatted for a few moments. Board games, cycling, horror movies [I've backed a number on Kickstarter], music....all my hobbies are starting to swirl like a drain.
We met a guy who'd just moved to Minnesota from Cali with his girlfriend and then lost his girlfriend who was getting into the local music scene while at Leslie's event. I think we've found ourselves meeting more and more people lately as we can recognize regulars versus newcomers.
Northerly Gales [Celtic music, including one of my favorites, Galway Girl, although I much prefer the Fiddler's Green version to Ed Sheeran] yard concert. Absolutely beautiful day. Ironic, given several of these have been moved because of the amount of rain we're seeing in the Twin Cities lately.
Surge and the Swell, with Surge losing his voice, at the Summit Brewery. We know Aaron [right] from my days as a dev/manager at Thomson Reuters [TR]. He's doing Spanish for elementary students now as well, so we were treated to an excellent rendition of the Ice Age song. Bunch of TR expats in the audience I hadn't seen in a very long time.
Smokin' Joe at 11 Wells Distillery in St. Paul, on the other side of the homeless camp [seriously - I pedaled up there and had to avoid a bit of laundry day on the bike trail]. I didn't pedal up there to see him [sorry Joe], but rather...
...Emmy Woods. She's a Minot girl and I'm sure if we dug deep enough, we have relatives in common. My family drove up to join me as there was a little shopping pop up going on, and the drinks and food truck were excellent.
I might be going backwards as this is one of the older events. Clare Doyle and Goat Roper at the Ice House. Jen's knees were still pretty messed up, so they gave us the owners booth as he was out for the evening. Great line of sight. She's got a very Dolly Parton vibe.
Stardust, who were having their launch party at Ice House, same night. Yes, the lead singer is tall. It's not perspective.
Sarah at the White Squirrel. I've been over there quite a bit because I've started having coffee while working at Five Watt "next door" at Keg and Case. I like being able to take a break from Jira to go play a few balls of pinball.
Sarah and Matt watching....themselves? No...there are frequently guests. There was a Hawaiian theme that night, although I wasn't appropriately dressed.
My drink from the White Squirrel. They have an interesting [and delicious] selection as long as it's not being poured on you by a drunk.
And finally, most recently, Hackamore Brewing in Chanhassen, Matthew French and Sarah Morris. I pedaled the 30 miles or so to this one and Jen met up with me. Wow, a truly beautiful day except for that climb out of Shakopee up the 6+ percent grade hill that I thought my give me a heart attack. Met Sarah's dad and had genuinely nice conversations with a number of concert goers. And someone gave me a free beer, so it was extra exciting [used my bonus beer money to buy Matthew's CDs]. They're very enjoyable together.
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