NYE Runaround 2005 at First Avenue on 12/31/05

By: David de Young
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Mei w/ Mark Mallman at the Entry - See the whole set of photos from the night. Mei Young of Drive 105 accompanied me on this New Year’s Eve Runaround on December 31st, 2005. Here’s a summary of our stops and what we encountered along the way. STOP #1: Nami (Featuring sushi, sushi and sushi) Never attempt something l...

The Alarmists at The Turf Club on 12/30/05

By: David de Young
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The Alarmists at the Turf Club - Photo by David de Young (view the whole set here) “Hello, Everybody. We’re the Alarmists. We’re here to entertain,” lead vocalist Eric Lovold casually announced just before the band sliced like a sharp knife into their first song “Soldados.” The mid-tempo rock song with eleme...

The New Standards at Dakota Jazz Club on 12/30/05

By: Andrea Myers
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The New Standards at the Dakota - Photo by Andrea Myers Ever since all the great jazz clubs in town decided to dance the relocation shuffle a couple of years ago, I have been leery about attending jazz concerts, mostly due to the sterilized feel of the new Artist’s Quarter. When I stepped into the new Dakota Jazz Club & Restau...

White Light Riot and The TV Sound at The Turf Club on 12/22/05

By: Andrea Myers
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The TV Sound at the Turf Club - Photo by David de Young (click here for full gallery) I knew it had been too long since my last visit the moment I walked in the door of the Turf Club, and the place looks great. The bar has been redesigned and pushed back to relieve the tightly packed hallway of people that I was used to confrontin...

Haley Bonar with Michael Morris at 400 Bar on 12/16/05

By: Andrea Myers
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Haley Bonar and Chris Morrisey at the 400 - Photo by Andrea Myers (click for larger version) Minneapolis songwriter Michael Morris opened Saturday’s concert at the 400 Bar with a strong, lyrically poignant performance. He played with a diverse group that included an accordion player and cellist alongside the more typical bass, drums, keys ...

First Avenue 35 Year Bootlegs CD Release Party at First Avenue on 12/14/05

By: Andrea Myers
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Mike Watt w/ Golden Smog and friends at the First Avenue Bootlegs CD release Party - Photo by Steve Cohen (Steve's set of photos from this show.) A faint electric spark hung in the air as opening band The Mood Swings played the main stage at First Avenue and local music scene notables roamed the DEMO photo exhibit i...

Doomtree Blowout at The Varsity Theater on 12/10/05

By: Cyn Collins
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The Doomtree Collective, in warmer days - Photo by Josh Syx from their website. One of the best live shows I've seen this year, Saturday’s Doomtree Blowout at the Varsity Theater featured the entire crew of 10 together on stage for the first time in nearly two years. Each member of the Doomtree Collective is charismatic and tal...

Mason Jennings with Jeff Hanson at First Avenue on 12/10/05

By: Andrea Myers
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Mason Jennings at First Avenue - Photo by Steve Cohen of musicphotography.com In a rare solo performance, Mason Jennings played an abbreviated acoustic show to a sold-out crowd of squished fans at First Avenue with opener and fellow local singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson. Hanson set the pace for the evening with an excellent set, proving that his ...

Low Christmas Concert at First Avenue on 12/9/05

By: Greg Sietz
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Alan Sparhawk and Low at First Avenue - Photo by Chuck Olsen Though they played only about six songs, Duluth's Trampled by Turtles opened the evening of music Friday at First Avenue with a musical roller-coaster of unbelievably fast bluegrass tunes mixed with slower, more thoughtful numbers. The fun the band was having infect...

Reticence CD Release Party at Triple Rock Social Club on 12/9/05

By: Andrea Myers
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Two extremely talented opening acts paved the way for Reticence at the CD release party for their debut album ReMedial at the Triple Rock Social Club. The first act was Bill Mike, an energetic performer who is becoming a staple of the local music scene. Bill Mike performed with his band, drummer Steve Goold and prolific bassist Chris Morrissey (Mason Jennings, Haley Bonar), and the trio formed a tight unit of deliriously fun hyper-rock. Th...