I’m moving the Weekly Minnesota Roundup to Sundays in an effort to get this post published in a consistent and more timely manner.
This is the perfect week to do so: In addition to the two amazing long-standing Sunday-night residencies (Dr. Mambo’s Combo and Shotgun Ragtime Band), upstart jamband Greater Goods (featuring guitarist Kevin Fowke and bassist Brett McNamara) has a midnight show at Mortimer’s tonight.
I’m looking forward to a trio of shows around my birthday (the same calendar day that The Warlocks played their first show in 1965) this week, starting with The Greyboy Allstars at Amsterdam Bar in Saint Paul Tuesday, followed by Mac DeMarco at First Avenue Wednesday and, later that night, the closest I get to a church, TWINE’s weekly residency at the legendary Bunkers.
But there’s so much more mentioned below, including Obi Original, L.A. Buckner, Only Every Monday’s return to The Cabooze patio, the Jam Turkeys, the Old Town Tuesday Night Jam at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon, The Cherry Pit Jam at Berlin, David Huckfelt’s Mystery Lights, WE Collective, Jaybee and the Routine, Between Howls, Socktopus, Cornell ’77 Turns 49 at The Hook and Ladder Theater, Mid West Music Fest (including Saltydog, Hot Like Mars, Feed the Dog, Texas Toast, Erik Koskinen, Sugar Lads, The Lavender Project, Gregg Hall and the Wrecking Ball, HIAHLI, Maygen & the Birdwatcher and more), Bent Paddle’s Festiversary featuring Kiss the Tiger, Gochujang, Boss Mama and the Jebberhooch and Tin Can Gin), and Eli Winter Trio.
Sunday, May 3
Shotgun Ragtime Band plays consecutive Sunday No. 776, with Jim Hinkley and Drew Peterson kicking things off at 6:30 p.m.
Obi Original and The Black Atlantics continue the Icehouse residency, with doors at 8 p.m. and music at 9 p.m.
Dr. Mambo’s Combo, the band that continues to be blessed with the presence of Sonny T. on bass, who played in Prince’s New Power Generation, starts their weekly Bunkers show at 9:30 p.m.
As mentioned above, Greater Goods has a midnight show at Mortimer’s. Demitrious Rallis is a guest guitarist.
Monday, May 4
The Jam Turkeys, led by Curly Jefferson, aka Jacob Mahon of Saltydog, have a free show at Bent Paddle Brewing in Duluth starting at 6 p.m.
Geoffrey Fischbein’s Only Every Monday returns to The Cabooze patio. Fisch kicks things off with a set at 6 p.m., followed by Izzy Cruz (7 p.m.), Eli Bentley (8 p.m.) and Art Beagle’s Backup Band (9 p.m.).
Last but not least, drummer L.A. Buckner’s new Icehouse residency — L.A.’s Monday Nights — continues, with doors at 7 p.m. and music at 8 p.m.
The Greyboy Allstars bring major firepower with the likes of Karl Denson and Robert Walter to Saint Paul’s Amsterdam Bar Tuesday. PHOTO BY ADRIAN VEGA; COURTESY OF THE GREYBOY ALLSTARS
Tuesday, May 5
The Greyboy Allstars make a rare appearance in Minnesota, bringing two of the baddest jam musicians in saxophonist Karl Denson and keyboardist Robert Walter to Saint Paul’s Amsterdam Bar. The doors are at 7 p.m., and music at 8 p.m.
Graydon Peterson’s Old Town Tuesday Night Jam at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon in Northeast Minneapolis starts at 10 p.m. and goes late.
Wednesday, May 6
Canada’s Mac DeMarco, one of the most popular psychedelic rock acts in the world, returns to Minnesota for the first time since performing at the Palace Theatre in 2019 (his last scheduled performance at the Palace in 2022 was canceled).
The all ages show is a hard sellout, which was not helped by the smaller choice of venue in First Ave. The doors open at 6 p.m., with British Columbia’s Mock Media scheduled to open the show at 7 p.m.
Thanks to DeMarco’s show and my own birthday celebrations, I’ll be heading to TWINE a little late this week. Put another way, I’ll be heading to church late this week.
You never know who might sit in with TWINE at their weekly Wednesday Bunkers residency. Three saxmen joined Brian “Snowman” Powers last week. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Last weeks’ TWINE show was helped by a trio of saxophonists that joined Brian “Snowman” Powers on stage. They had all come over from nearby jazz club Berlin, which has been hosting The Cherry Pit Jam, an open jam that runs from 10:15 p.m. to about 12:30 a.m. There’s no cover for this jam — and guitarist David Feily, who also came over from Berlin, is the latest musician who has spoken fondly of the jam.
Thursday, May 7
David Huckfelt’s Mystery Lights has a free monthly show at Animales BBQ in Minneapolis, with music from 7 to 9 p.m.
Duluth folk duo Between Howls and Minneapolis hip hop jammers Socktupus kick off a trio of shows, this one at Icehouse, with doors at 6 p.m. and music at 8 p.m. The Confused, a Minneapolis funk jam band, also are on the bill.
WE Collective, led by TWINE’s Will Effertz, plays a weekly show at Gluek’s in downtown Minneapolis starting at 9:30 p.m.
Jaybee and the Routine also have a weekly residency at Bunkers starting at 9:30 p.m. Feily is also in this band.
Between Howls plays a trio of shows with Socktopus in Minneapolis, Duluth and Grand Marais. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Friday, May 8
White Iron Band play their rescheduled show at Floyd’s Bar in Victoria at 7 p.m., with the Stringdingers opening up.
Between Howls and Socktopus continue their Buds Tour at Bent Paddle in Duluth for a free show starting at 7 p.m.
Cornell ‘77 turns 49, the annual show commemorating what many consider to be the Grateful Dead’s peak show (I don’t necessarily agree with that notion) returns to The Hook and Ladder Theater’s Under the Canopy in South Minneapolis, with music at 7 p.m. The Cellar Kings also play an after party inside starting at 10 p.m.
But the main lineup includes Terry VanDeWalker of The Big Wu, Max Krauth, Chad Whittaker, Annie Frazier, Mark “Munchie” Collins of Shotgun Ragtime Band and others.
The first day of Winona’s Mid West Music Festival includes Saltydog, Hot Like Mars and Feed the Dog, among others. It’s at multiple venues.
Gochujang brought the funk in a tight set to Norway Hall Event Center at Duluth’s Homegrown Music Festival Friday. They’ll be bringing that same energy to Bent Paddle’s Festiversary Saturday. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Saturday, May 9
In Minneapolis, Eli Winter Trio plays a show at Cedar Cultural Center starting at 8 p.m. Winter opened and sat in with Charlie Parr at Turf Club this past January. He’s an incredible guitarist.
Bent Paddle’s annual Festiversary includes Kiss the Tiger, Boss Mama and the Jebberhooch, Gochujang and Tin Can Gin, which kicks off the music at 2:30 p.m. The Duluth brewery has fostered a lot of amazing musical talent on its Cosmic Lounge Stage, which was an early home to Saltydog.
Mid West Music Festival in Winona continues with Texas Toast, Maygen & the Birdwatcher, HIAHLI, Gregg Hall and the Wrecking Ball, Sugar Lads and The Lavendar Project, among others at multiple sites.
Between Howls with Socktopus’s Buds Tour concludes at Up Yonder at Harbor Light in Grand Marais, with music from 8 to 11 p.m.
As always, for more info, including ticket links, and a full music calendar, head over to Jam in the Stream’s Minnesota Music Calendar here. It’s updated weekly.