Music
Concert notes, set lists and personal impressions fill this category. From the dreamy Americana of Lord Huron to Coldplay’s stadium spectacle and intimate performances at the Dakota jazz club, I share what moved me in the moment.
The World is Waiting by The Long Honeymoon
My friend Lee Zukor has been playing in The Long Honeymoon for a while. Sadly Tammy and I have not made it to one of their shows, yet, but a couple days ago I got an email that their first album was out. I checked out “The World is Waiting” and liked it a lot so I bought a copy on Bandcamp.
We all listened to it twice on our drive this weekend up and down the North Shore. We thought it had a distinctly Minneapolis sound. It gave us Jayhawks, Gear Daddies, Honeydogs kind of notes at times. Jangly with good hooks. 🎶 Grab a copy and give it a listen!
Tammy and I saw Mumford & Sons for the second time tonight and for the second time they were incredible live. We like their music but there is something about the energy they bring on stage that is so powerful. The setlist was great. I loved the aesthetic and how they had it all setup. 🎶
John Prine: Songs & Souvenirs
I never got a chance to see John Prine play. There is a list of bands that I really regret never seeing play live. Hüsker Dü is on it. So is The Replacements. And so is John Prine. When he passed away in 2020 I was sad that we lost such an amazing songwriter.
I don’t remember how I found John Prine but I know it was on a CD run that I picked up Great Days: The John Prine Anthology and listened to disc 1 of that set many, many times.
Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques both toured and played with John Prine for well over a decade. They took the stage at The Dakota and led a great evening through the Prine catalog and encouraged the audience to sing along the verses. It was a gift from them to us — to be able to hear those songs and enjoy the music even though Prine is gone.
They also raise funds for Prine’s Hello in There Foundation from each show. Wonderful stuff. 🎶
Downtown for The Dakota’s 40th Anniversary Block Party. Awesome event. Tina Schlieske on stage right now! 🎶
My cousin Josh introduced me to David Francey and his album Right of Passage has become a favorite of mine. 🎶
Ruthie Foster at the Dakota
We got to see Ruthie Foster play at the Dakota tonight. She did a solo set — just her and her guitar named Pearl. We hadn’t seen Foster play before but my Mom is a big fan of hers and I can see why. Her songs were amazing and she added so much with the stories behind them as well. I could have kept listening for another hour easily. What a great musician. 🎶
Lord Huron at the Armory
Lord Huron put on a good show tonight at the Armory. It was Tammy and my first time seeing them. We aren’t that familiar with their music but enjoyed the show a lot. Their sound reminded me of something David Lynch would like. And the complex story lines of their songs reminded me of The Decemberists a bit.
At Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin for Coldplay: Music of the Spheres! 🎶
We saw Suzanne Vega tonight at the Dakota. She played a variety of old and new songs and it was all very good. We even got the very first performance of a new song — Galway! 🎶
My cousin Josh recently shared a cappella renditions of Wild Mountain Thyme and Red is the Rose — both beautiful songs that I could listen to over and over again. 🎶
Mason Jennings at the Dakota
Tonight we saw Mason Jennings play at the Dakota. It was a wonderful show with a wide selection of songs from his portfolio. Plus he always had fun stories to share about the songs. He still has such a unique voice. 🎶
The New Standards were at The Dakota tonight for their regular Preener’s Eve Show! We are fans of the band and of this show specifically. Tonight seemed even a bit better than they always are. Such a wonderful evening. 🎶
If you’d like to “listen along” with our family our Christmas Things playlist on Apple Music is the vibe that we like. Many classics with some more niche add ins. 🎄🎶
We saw Tina Schlieske’s Birthday Show at The Dakota and it was incredible! She was joined by her sister Laura and they hit a ton of great songs and pulled in a bunch of covers too. It got so fired up by the end that people were standing up and dancing, at a jazz club, and she sang from a table! 🔥
Tammy and I went to a very cool small performance by Gary Louris of The Jayhawks and Golden Smog at O’Shaughnessy Distilling. Just him and his guitar for 90 minutes.
The New Standards put on an incredible show at The Dakota tonight marking their 20 year anniversary as a band! We had a great night returning with our friends Mike & Ellen Rock for the show.
Drinkin' Hat
My cousin Josh performing this original song “Drinkin’ Hat” that his brother Gabe started and they “worked out” together. It even has a callout to our Grandpa and Grandma. Love it. 🎶
The Pretenders opening up for the Foo Fighters at Target Field. 🎶
We saw The New Standards play tonight outside on the rooftop of the Hewing tonight. They did a good performance as always but while the venue had promise the execution was difficult. There seemed to be more people there than the space could really handle or the bar could serve.
