Cake, they've got the groove

Last night I spent 'an evening with' Cake at the State Theater in Minneapolis. Playing to a sold out crowd, Cake entertained and involved the age-diverse audience (even though lead singer John McCrea joked that most of us probably weren't born when their deput album came out) and put on a show comparable to no other.

The hits poured out one after another as folks got up out of their seats and sang along. Cake repeatedly engaged the audience in their music so we were one mass of voices chanting the already spoken-sounding lyrics. Stand-out hits including 'Sick of You', 'Federal Funding', and 'Long Time' from their newest CD 'Showroom of Compassion' were played alongside old-time favorites like 'Never There', 'Rock-n-Roll Lifestyle', and 'Short Skirt/Long Jacket'. Even if you didn't know a song, you felt like you did because of the way McCrea easily and smoothly sings out the non-chalant and smart lyrics. The style of Cake's music cannot be categorized easily as they have aspects of many types of music. The trumpet and signature vibraslap sounded crisp and refreshing.

It was a relaxing evening which is what the band wanted as there was no pre-determined set list and we were told we didn't need to be shouting songs out... whew what a relief! An intermission broke up a long, almost 2.5 hour show.

Jeff Tweedy takes on a raucous crowd in Minnesota......

Who: Jeff Tweedy of Wilco with opening band Snowblink

Where: Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

When: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Highlights: One Wing, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Walken, Jesus, etc., Hummingbird, Theologians

Photo by OpenEye/Mike Flickr (photo not from Rochester show)

Jeff Tweedy had his hands full last night.  Playing solo to an audience of 1,170 the magnetic Tweedy had to deal with the following: a man child in the front who brutishly shouted, "nailed it" after one song, a balcony girl who chirped, "whatever" when he claimed all the songs he was playing were requests (Tweedy, rightly so, jokingly replied that she had a "shitty attitude"), a girl next to me repeatedly screaming "I love you Jeff Tweedy" and the pièce de résistance: after a pause from Hummingbird lyric, "remember to remember me, standing still in your past, floating fast like a hummingbird" a high pitched, singsong male voice echoed, "hummingggggbiiiird" causing the audience to erupt into fits of giggles, leaving Tweedy to reply at the end of the sing-and-whistle-along song, "Nice job, nice job, except for that one guy back there.  He kept jumping the gun."  


I quickly concluded that intimate concert settings don't make people act any differently than they would at an arena concert with 10,000 people.    


Tweedy handled the attention-starved hecklers with wit and his infusion of lively conversation was a delicious bonus to his unquestionable talent.  Tweedy surrounded himself with six acoustic guitars on-stage and cracked out the old harmonica for a few numbers.  His thumb picking was hypnotic, but then you've got his voice.  Does Jeff Tweedy not have the best rock and roll voice of all time?  Ok, ok 2nd best, because I have to give first place to Eddie Vedder.  You can argue with me all you want, but I'm sticking to it.  It's raspy, spirited, deep, sometimes nearly a whisper.  When he launched into the heart achingly beautiful "One Wing" singing, "you were a blessing and I was a curse, I did my best not to make things worse for you" the ice-block I've been encapsulated in all winter began to melt a little.  


"Jesus, etc." and "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" had the audience shyly murmuring the lyrics, while "Theologians" and "A Shot in the Arm" injected buoyancy.  After a standing ovation from a voracious crowd, Tweedy took the stage to deliver a boisterous "Casino Queen", followed by the sweet little Golden Smog tune "Pecan Pie".   


For the second encore we were treated to a truly raw performance - no microphones, no amplifiers, just Jeff Tweedy and his guitar, at the edge of the stage, belting out the lyrics to "Walken".  The man is a Midwestern wonder.   


And I simply cannot write this review without mentioning the alluring opening band Snowblink.  Featuring the luscious, velvet vocals of Daniela Gesundheit with Dan Goldman on guitar, Snowblink immediately captured the crowd's attention and it wasn't simply because of Daniela's antler-adorned guitar.  Together the Toronto based duo creates a quirky sound of ethereal folk, which translated into a wonderfully soothing, enrapturing performance.  

Coming soon.....

Review of the Jeff Tweedy solo show in Rochester, MN should be up Wednesday.  Wilco is one of my top five favorite bands of all time, so I am curious what the show will be like with just the lead.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, enjoy one of my favorites, Pick Up the Change (singing doesn't start until 0:58 seconds in):

Rural Alberta Advantage commandeers bodies at First Avenue....

Today I bring you a concert review of a wonderful band called The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Location: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Date: Friday, March 25th, 2011
Highlights: Don't Haunt This Place, Stamp, Frank, AB, In the Summertime

Photo: Joe Fuda

Taking up a position in the back of the sold out venue, I wasn't sure what to expect, but from the first song to the last, I found my body jerking around like a muppet (that's just how I dance OK).  The thing that amazed me most about this group is that they only have three people, yet the sound they created was so capacious it overflowed into every crack of First Avenue.  Most songs didn't even include guitar; bass or acoustic.  But they made sure to fill up that space with anything they could find.  There were keys, clapping, drum sticks beaten together, tambourine and I think I heard xylophone at one point from multi-instrumentalist Amy Cole.

Lead singer/guitarist Nils Edenloff had a unique, powerful, rolling voice that demanded attention.  Just when you were getting lost in the valley of sound, his voice unexpectedly surged, delivering a vigorous slap to the face - I don't know about you, but a face slap is a great way to get my attention.  This is one of those bands that thrives at live shows.  

Drummer Paul Banwatt played as if his hands might cease to exist tomorrow, unleashing on the audience a fury of movement I haven't seen since somebody zealously shook a stop sign at a bluegrass festival in Denver.  But I don't need words to convince you, see for yourself  in this live video below from Toronto:



The crowd was abuzz with his talents - I don't think one person in the audience wasn't moving - the band was sending telegrams through the floor imploring our feet to do crazy things.  Dealing with a rough Minnesota winter, we were all transported to a sundrenched daydream when they launched into the gorgeous, mesmerizing In the Summertime: 



This is a MUST SEE live show featuring a gracious, passionate, energetic band.  The Rural Alberta Advantage told the audience the show at First Avenue was one they'd never forget and I guarantee those of us lucky enough to be there felt the same.