In the aftermath of holidays, there’s still lots of great local music options, despite it being a light week for touring bands coming through Minnesota.
Three highlights include TWINE resuming their weekly Bunkers residency Wednesday night, Saltydog’s headlining spot at Turf Club Friday with Chicago’s Hot Like Mars and Duluth’s Between Howls, and Charlie Parr’s second of four Sundays at the Turf Club.
Listen, there’s a lot of great music coming this week, as I’ll point out, but if you’re not surprised that I led with those three artists, then you just know my taste.
Mentioned below are the following performers or jams: International Reggae All Stars, the Old Town Tuesday Night Jam at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon, Bruce Woodman’s Open Jam at Carmody’s Irish Pub in Duluth, Jay Bee & the Routine, Kung Fu Hippies, Greg Schutte, Katie Gearty, Max Krauth, Jason Dixon Line, Brandyn Lee Tulloch, Poetic Roots, Obi Original, Singing Tony, Jackson Hurst, Chase & Ovation, EFMI, Greater Goods, Sean Anonymous, a David Bowie Tribute featuring Audrey Robinson with Clay Fulton & The Lost 40, Hair of the Dog, Jo Jo Green and Faith Boblett, The Jambronies, The Daily Norm, Ced Ba’Etch’, The Infidels: A Bob Dylan Tribute featuring Dan Isreal, Terry Walsh and Steve Brantseg, Shotgun Ragtime Band, Dr. Mambo’s Combo and the Open Jam at the White Squirrel in Saint Paul.
Tuesday, Jan. 6
International Reggae All Stars’ weekly residency at Bunkers kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ($10 cover).
The Old Town Tuesday Night Jam is weekly open jazz-forward session at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. There’s no cover.
Up in Duluth, Saltydog’s Mahon Brothers play at Zeitgeist from 5 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday in January.
Bruce Woodman hosts an open jam at Carmody’s from 8 p.m. to at least 11 and sometimes much later, lol.
I might as well mention the open mic at Sir Ben’s from 7 to 10 p.m. every other Tuesday. This is the off week.
I happened to hit all of three of these last week and let me say, I couldn’t believe how amazing a night I was having on a Tuesday watching my friends perform. Two highlights were catching Jerree Small of the inactive Duluth band Southwire sing the song “God,” and Teddy the dog howling along with his owner (sorry, name escapes me), Woodman and Jacob Mahon over at Carmody’s at like 12:30 a.m.
TWINE held More the Merrier at The Cabooze, with special guests The Mahon Brothers of Saltydog, Mae Simpson and Aaron “Heatbox” Heaton on Dec. 26. They are itching to return to Bunkers after two Wednesdays off.
Wednesday, Jan. 7
TWINE resumes their Wednesday night residency at Bunkers after a couple of weeks away because of the Holidays. They still managed to play a couple of big shows during that period at The Cabooze (Dec. 26) and at Bent Paddle in Duluth (Dec. 31). There’s a $10 cover.
In Superior, Wis., near Duluth, I’ll mention your first of three chances to catch Charlie Parr this week. Thisis a ticketed show at the Cedar Lounge. Some of my favorite Duluth musicians in Sonja and Lee Martin of Feeding Leroy, Elsa Krantz and Jocelyn Mickelsen are supporting Charlie. If I didn’t have my Wednesday night gig shooting pictures and tinkering with the lights for TWINE at Bunkers, I would make the trek up north for this.
I’ll mention here that Charlie, who I met with recently for an interview that will soon be published here, is also playing here at Earth Rider’s taproom every Wednesday this month. These are all ticketed shows.
Lee “Big Country” Martin of Feeding Leroy will be part of the support for the opening Wednesday of Charlie Parr’s Earth Rider month-long residency, Jan. 7. Martin, here, along with Colleen “Boss Mama” Myhre were among many that joined Saltydog during Bent Paddle’s New Year’s Eve bash last week.
Thursday, Jan. 8
Jay Bee & the Routine also keep their weekly Bunkers residency going on Thursdays from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. There’s a $10 cover.
Friday, Jan. 9
Duluth’s Saltydog will be releasing their third LP at the band’s headlining debut at Turf Club. Hot Like Mars, one of the hottest jam bands out of the Windy City, is opening in support, as are their Duluth friends, the duo Between Howls. The doors are at 7 p.m., and music starts at 8 p.m.
The Kung Fu Hippies’ Annual Tribute to the Grateful Dead is at the Parkway in Minneapolis. Special guests include Greg Schutte, Katie Gearty and Max Krauth with Jason Dixon Line opening. The all ages show starts at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.)
Icehouse is hosting an event called Reggae Got Soul featuring Brandyn Lee Tulloch and Poetic Roots with special guests Obi Original, Singing Tony and Jackson Hurst. The doors open at 6 p.m., a DJ spins at 7 and the main event starts at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Prince tribute Chase & Ovation plays their monthly gig at Bunkers at 9:30 p.m. There’s a $20 cover.
EFMI and Greater Goods, a pair of newer jam bands, share a bill at Terminal Bar with music at 9 p.m. There’s a $10 cover.
At the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, First Avenue is hosting its Annual 19th Happy Birthday Janis with doors at 6:30 p.m. and show 7:30 p.m.
Sean Anonymous hosts his 20th Annual Birthday Party at the Fine Line with a number of artists on the bill including P.O.S. and Anonymous backed by a live band that includes members of the Minneapolis jam scene such as Feed the Dog bassist Nick Spielman and keyboardist Kevin Dorsey. The doors for this 18 and over show open at 7 p.m., with music at 8 p.m.
Down in Winona, Charlie Parr has a show at Masonic Center with doors at 6 p.m., and music starting at 7 p.m.
In Rochester, Thesis Beer Project is hosting a David Bowie Tribute show with
with a trio of Rochester artists in Audrey Robinson with Clay Fulton & The Lost 40, Hair of the Dog, and a pair of Minneapolis-based artists in Jo Jo Green and Faith Boblett. The show kicks off at 7 p.m. and there’s a $10 cover.
Up in Duluth, local jam band The Jambronies put on a free show at Bent Paddle at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 11
Charlie Parr’s Turf Club residency continues with a pair of guitarists in The Daily Norm and Ced Ba’Etch’ in support with doors at 7 p.m., and show at 7:30 p.m. The Daily Norm is the solo project of Kae Layne, who is from Connecticut but based in Minneapolis, while Ced Ba’Etch’ is originally from France but now based in Madison, Wis.
The Dakota is hosting The Infidels: A Bob Dylan Tribute featuring Dan Isreal, Terry Walsh and Steve Brantseg with doors at 5:30 p.m. and show 7 p.m.
Dead tribute Shotgun Ragtime Band hosts consecutive Sunday No. 760 at the Driftwood in South Minneapolis. Phine and Friends kick off the free show at 6:30 p.m. The music tends to wrap up at 11:30 p.m.
Dr. Mambo’s Combo keeps the state’s longest-running weekly residency going at Bunkers from 9:30 p.m. to about 1 a.m. There’s a $10 cover.
Last but not least, this Sunday is White Squirrel’s Open Jam, which will be hosted the second Sunday of every month. It’s put on by the same crew that held the Zen Jam at Palmer’s before that institution closed: Caley Factorial (Color Chord), Jeremy Rose, Ruby Blue (Red Eyed Ruby) and Bryce Tuitt (Confucisaurus).
Get more details at my full Minnesota music calendar here.