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Live Music Isn’t Quite Dead Yet
You’re not gonna find a lot of pro-COVID voices over here at Racket. We’ve been pretty clear from the start that this thing is Not Good. And in addition to the death, long-term disability, and social upheaval it’s causing, it’s still taking its toll on local culture too. If you scroll on down to this week’s listings (I’ll wait up here for you to get back) you’ll notice fewer shows than you might expect. Partly that’s just a seasonal lull—it always takes venues a few weeks to ramp back up in the new year. But the spread of the Omicron variant, with Minnesota’s infection rate hitting a record 15.6% today, has also led to a series of postponements and cancellations, even pushing First Ave’s treasured Best New Bands showcase to March 4. While this might give you uneasy flashbacks to the full shutdowns of 2021, the idea is that a momentary pause might be enough to keep more drastic measures at bay. Let’s all hope this will “flatten the curve,” as we used to say in the early pandemic days. Many shows are still happening, but if you do go out, double check to guard against last-minute cancellations.
RIP Alan Jesperson, godfather of Twin Cities bluegrass
If you know Twin Cities bluegrass, you know Alan Jesperson. A mainstay of the scene since forming the Middle Spunk Creek Boys in the late ’60s, he hosted a long-running show on KFAI, booked bluegrass at Dulono’s for years, and organized the annual Labor Day weekend Laughing Waters Festival at Minnehaha Park. This week, it was reported that Alan Jesperson died, age 74, of natural causes on December 30, 2021. Jon Bream has a nice obituary for Jesperson over at the Strib to round out the story for ya. And if Jesperson’s name sounds familiar to the non-rootsily-inclined, that’s because you know of his brother, Peter, who nurtured Minneapolis music as Twin/Tone Records co-founder and Replacements manager. Neat detail from Bream’s obit: Peter J. rented the mandolin that Paul Westerburg played on “I Will Dare” from brother Alan’s bandmate in the Boys.
Residen-Season Soldiers on
The rise of winter music residencies seemed like a nice new little tradition to ease us through the dark and frigid months, but these showcases, like a whole lot else, have been endangered by our old friend SARS-CoV-2. Andrew Broder has cancelled two of his planned residency shows (though he’s still on board for the latter two), and Kiss the Tiger has postponed their weekly series of rock ‘n’ spoken word performances, Stone Baby, till March. But rest easy, fans of musical regularity: Charlie Parr and the Cactus Blossoms are still residencing away (on Sundays and Mondays, respectively) at the Turf Club. The latter, who have a new album, One Day out next month, just released a video for one of its tracks, “Everybody,” which features vocal assistance from the great. As Stereogum put it, “A lot of cool people seem to be very impressed with the Cactus Blossoms.”
It’s Never Too Late for an Record Release Show
Annie Mack’s Testify EP came out almost a full year ago. But, as you may remember, last January the live music scene was shut down for real. So the Minneapolis-born, Rochester-based bluesy, gospel-tinged singer will be at the Dakota tonight to belatedly celebrate her recording’s birth. What is time anymore anyway? (Without looking, tell me what year it is. See?) A lovely rootsy recording, Testify was cut during the pandemic, with great playing from drummer Noah Levy, bassist Aaron Fabbrini, and guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker and vocal support from Tonia Hughes and Sara Renner. If you haven’t listened yet, you still can. That’s the great thing about recordings. You can listen to ’em years after they’re made. You can even buy the EP here.
Friday, Jan. 7
Brian Charles Tischleder and Friends Album Release @ Aster Cafe
R Factor @ Bunkers
Annie Mack (Album Release) @ Dakota
Beneath Green, Killed by Kiwis, Full Catholic @ Day Block
Common Choir, Ex-Regime, Junior Choir, Linus, Clothesline @ Eagles 34
JVP: Little Trios @ Icehouse
Mr. Peter Parker & DJ Snuggles Present: The Main Ingredient @ Icehouse
Nitti Gritti @ The Loft
Matt Arthur, Erik Brandt @ 331 Club
Saturday, Jan. 8
The High 48’s Bluegrass Brunch @ Aster Cafe
Taylor James Donskey & Friends @ Aster Cafe
Belfast Cowboys @ Bunkers
Jay Young & the Lyric Factory @ Dakota
Via, the Issue @ Day Block
Cash Flow @ Eagles 34
Wanaku @ Icehouse
The Neighborhood Trio @ Icehouse
Yetep @ The Loft
Dosh with the Nunnery @ 7th St Entry
Anima, the Lake Effect @ 331 Club
Fit For An Autopsy with Enterprise Earth, Ingested, Signs of the Swarm @ Turf Club
Hipshaker @ Uptown VFW
Jung Yeller @ White Squirrel
Sunday, Jan. 9
Swing Brunch with Patty and the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Dr. Mambo’s Combo @ Bunkers
Red Hot Django Peppers @ Icehouse
Charanga Tropical @ Icehouse
Cornbread Harris: Church of Cornbread @ Palmer’s
Kal Brewster’s Millions @ Palmer’s
Free Truman, Vanity Plate, Getting By, With Iowa In Between, Ready Ready @ Part Wolf
Charlie Parr (Sunday Residency) with Kyle Orla @ Turf Club
Monday, Jan. 10
Mother Banjo & Friends @ 331 Club
Matt Arthur & Friends @ 331 Club
The Cactus Blossoms (Monday Residency) with Humbird @ Turf Club
Subtle Transients @ White Squirrel
Tuesday, Jan. 11
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunkers
Paul Harper Quartet @ Dakota
mewithoutyou with Unwed Sailor @ Fine Line
Fuzzy Math Jazz @ 331 Club
Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello @ White Squirrel
Kinda Fonda Wanda (Tuesday Residency) @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, Jan. 12
MN Songwriter Showcase hosted by Nick Hensley @ Aster Cafe
Dylan Saifer @ Bunkers
The Sweet Remains @ Dakota
Rotimi @ Fine Line
Neal Francis with Dos Santos @ 7th St Entry
KFAI House Party Presents Mark Cameron Band @ 331 Club
Dan Israel @ 331 Club
Nights With Tim @ White Squirrel
Thursday, Jan. 13
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunkers
Hot Club of Cowtown @ Dakota
Inner Wave with Girl Ultra @ Fine Line
Yellow Ostrich with Fruitpunchloverboy + Lupin @ Mortimer’s
Front Porch Swingin’ Liquor Pigs @ Palmer’s
The Dodos @ 7th St Entry
Annie Frazier @ 331 Club
Led Zeppelin 2 @ Varsity Theater
