The Wake

Quacking microphones, awkward pauses, and an overall enticing performance marked the release of Now, Now Every Children’s first EP, Not One But Two, this last Saturday, February 16th. The show was hosted by The Beat Coffeehouse in Uptown Minneapolis.

Band members Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar), Brad Hale (drums, vocals), Britty Hale (keyboards) and Justin Schweim (bass) combined to form Now, Now Every Children in the summer of 2007. Since being signed in October by Afternoon Records – joining the likes of Mouthful of Bees, One for the Team, Haley Bonar and I, Colossus – the band has been diligently balancing live performances with the recording of two EPs and full-length album due in May.

The audience at the coffeehouse quickly surrounded the playing area as Now, Now opened their five song set. Heads bounced to the rhythm …

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Yesterday, after a friend talked me into it, I decided to see St. Vincent’s show at Cedar Cultural Center. St. Vincent is the stage name, or as she called it “superhero name,” of Annie Clark. Before her solo debut this past year she was member of The Polyphonic Spree and toured extensively with Sufjan Stevens. Whenever I hear a female indie artist who can shred I’m instantly reminded of Cat Power. The fact that they share awesome names is not the only thing they share, but also their quirky stage presences. In Chan “Cat Power” Marshall’s case it often turned into an awkward live show (until recently), but Annie’s head jerks and squalling guitar freak outs were part of a centered and dynamic performance. She opened the performance with the loopy “Now Now.” Again and …

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The Hip Hop Live show, in First Avenue’s Main room on the 11th, showcased three MCs; Brother Ali, Ghostface Killah, and Rakim. Though from drastically different backgrounds, the three artists share a bond through a common, continuing the fight for the survival of Hip Hop as vital music and a respected art form. It’s an uphill battle these days. Hip Hop over the last 8 years has slowly eroded into lack luster MCs with glossy images and major labeling backing. Fortunately, there are those who still believe. Acts like The Roots, Living Legends, Atmosphere and Del the Funky Homosapien, are carrying the genuine Hip Hop torch, and First Avenue is always the place to catch these fleeting opportunities in the flesh. Openers, The Rhythm Roots Allstars begun the night with some of their original …

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The Pantages was packed with people of all ages excited to see the band Stars perform. The band threw roses and praises from the stage. The lobby was bustling and the merch table was flooded. “Last time we played in Minneapolis, about 45 people showed up,” Torquil Campbell told the crowd, which promptly erupted into cheers and applause.Stars is touring for their new album, In Our Bedroom After the War. Opening with “Take Me to the Riot”, the single from their new album, the band carried the energy of that song through the rest of the show. The setlist for the show was composed mainly of songs from In Our Bedroom, broken up nicely with older fan favorites like “Elevator Love Letter”, “One More Night” and “Soft Revolution”. At one point, the stage lights were …

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In this day and age, it’s no wonder that a fictional animated metal band can blow away an audience. That’s exactly what Dethklok, the band featured in the show “Metalocalypse” on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, did on Wednesday Nov. 7 in the Great Hall at Coffman Union. Despite being billed as the opening act for …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Dethklok not only stole the main time slot but proved to deliver mind-numbing metal as good as any metal act today. Every aspect of the show was torturously, exhilaratingly brutal.Getting into the concert was ridiculously painful. It turns out that on the official Metalocalypse website there was a ticket section hidden away where people could sign up for tickets to the show. 800 tickets were given out over the Internet, …

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It is often forgotten how bands begin. They play dingy holes in the wall, arriving five hours prior to their gig, lost in cities that they’ve never been to. They ride around in a not-so-white van for hours until they get to another strange town. Then they get stuck in the middle of Minnesota’s Iron Range, blinded by blizzard conditions, driving on right through the storm. Last year Tokyo Police Club canceled their Minneapolis date when they got stuck in Minnesota’s harsh winter weather after an arduous two day trek from Toronto, the band’s hometown. Once the band got to its next tour stop in Milwaukee their luck didn’t get much better. When they went to Michael’s Restaurant, across the street from the venue, they were a bit letdown.“This guy is like, …

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Our beloved Dinkytown; the hot spots are too numerous to count. From a hung-over morning at Al’s Breakfast, to a drunken stupor into Mesa’s pizza, or a custom “waterpipe” from the Hideaway, it’s a fine tradition. When it comes to the matter of evening date activities, is there any competition? The Varsity Theater, on any given night, can be your sure shot option. With its comfortable interior and diverse lineup of acts, you’re likely to find your night. Matt Pond PA’s performance on Oct. 8th exemplified this matter to perfection.Hailing from New Hampshire, Matt Pond PA brought in a casual crowd with their edgy, but sensitive, appeal. The couches and sofa chairs formed a giant horse shoe around the stage and offered couples a chance to mingle. Kicking off at 9:00 O’clock, the stage front …

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The best part of October 2nd’s Deerhoof concert at the Walker Art Center (held in the McGuire Theater) was the audience’s first reaction to Deerhoof’s opening song: laughter. Singer Satomi Matsuzaki came out bowing, bass in hand, while John Dieterich laid down screeching guitar brickwork for the band’s opening song. Drummer Greg Saunier propelled the song into one of its many stop and go sections, while Matsuzaki led into a chorus of “Beep Beep Beeps.” That was the punch line, and it was hilarious. Throughout the show Deerhoof turned their audience on its ear with guitar dissonance and drum syncopation. Instead of making the music less coherent, they were able to play through all of their set as if it was an hour long medley. Deerhoof was one of the …

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Canadian indie-rock outfit Arcade Fire has only been around since ‘03, but their live show has become the stuff of legends. Their September 30th show with LCD Soundsystem at St. Paul’s Roy Wilkins Auditorium showed the Twin Cities what all the fuss is about. Dance-rock group LCD Soundsystem opened with a solid, energizing set. Their catchy sound, characterized by pulsing beats and repetitive lyrics, pulled the crowd in and got everyone moving. Songs like “Yeah” and “North American Scum” pumped up the volume and the excitement, and the disco ball added to the dance-club atmosphere. Frontman James Murphy revealed his self-aware sense of humor with dry onstage banter, half-mocking and half-embracing rock show clichés like taking a moment to introduce the band members or encouraging louder cheering from the audience. A few members of Arcade …

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Two CD releases and two Minneapolis shows that had the campus talking this spring were Nebraska-bred Bright Eyes, and England’s own Arctic Monkeys. Both shows left their attendees satisfied and energized, while both disks led to much appreciating and contemplating. Given the themes of these two albums, a spring release was perfect for college students and high school seniors around the globe. Each represent universally confronted questions which arise every spring. High School seniors must ask themselves, off to college or work at home? Current University students are forced to make a similar decision; will it be one last summer with the parents or the first out on their own? As U students walked across Washington bridge, spring breezes adding color to their faces, songs from these new CDs sparked their thoughts. As high school …

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On May 7th, the Arctic Monkeys sailed into First Avenue on a wave of hype and high expectations. They didn’t disappoint. The venue was swelling with British pride and swagger. The Monkey’s crew of roadies were some of the most overtly British creatures seen outside of a Guy Ritchie movie. They bantered amongst themselves, none too shy of vulgarities, or to the same obscure slang heard in Arctic Monkeys’ songs, recognizable only to born-and-raised Brits. The majority claimed large beer bellies from endless eves spent at the pub. The one skinny roadie earned the title of strangest with his long, blonde ponytail and his cut-off denim plum smugglers. In the crowd, soccer jerseys were common and the chants heard at Premiership games across the pond echoed off the walls. On top of this, an entire …

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Cold War Kids craft a demographically confused sound. Though the group is based out of southern California, they’re contenders for the dirtiest alt-blues group crown (excluding the White Stripes, of course). Together since ’04, they rose to prominence in ’06 with the release of their heralded full-length debut, Robbers and Cowards. Playing several high status festivals over the summer, the group ended the year on many a top 10 list. On March 7th, the group played their first ever Minnesota show with their friends, Delta Spirit, in the opening slot.To much dismay, the scheduled opener for the evening had been canceled. Tokyo Police Club, a new group from Canada, found themselves in the midst of the snow storm and out of a gig. Fortunately, the evening’s headliner came prepared with one of the best shows …

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“This next band is Rock … the way it used to be, Rock … the way it SHOULD BE, and ROCK … THE WAY IT ALWAYS WILL BE … WOLF-MUTHAAA!!!” This summer, Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell bestowed the band with this grand introduction on the festival’s second day. The band, feeding off the crowd’s excited roar, took the stage at a run. They picked up their instruments in mid stride and threw the riotous crowd into a time warp frenzy of free loving, eternal rock. This powerhouse trio from Australia has been blowing minds around the globe since their full length debut in May 2006. On February 28th, the group blew into the Myth in Maplewood as part of their current North American tour. It at happened on that night that it began to snow. …

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Sunday, February 11 the Twin Cities Theater Company presented the last of eight performances of The Shape of Things at the Old Arizona Theater. Local acting teacher and consultant Randy Reyes directed the play, written by Neil Labute in 2001.Buddy Haardt, a University of Minnesota Guthrie Theater Professional Actor Training Program student, stars as Adam, a somewhat nerdy and socially awkward undergrad at a small university. While working as a guard at the local art museum Adam runs into Evelyn (Kate Lawrey), a rebellious art student working on her masters thesis. Adam, who has hardly even talked to a woman since he came to college, is immediately flattered by the attention Evelyn gives him. After the two begin dating he starts to change, responding to some gentle prodding from his new girlfriend. …

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Interpol’s single Slow Hands, from the new album Antics, is already a friend to me the way a song that is really great always is. It isn’t an easy thing to write broken-heart lyrics and make them authentic. Vocalist Paul Banks manages to sound a bit menacing, in a gentle way, while in regret or in remembrance of this ache. The bite of the action is there in the sound and the words. Slow Hands has already been the soundtrack to a dream or two of mine, and I find myself humming it as I would an old favorite.
When I got my copy of Antics, it immediately went to number one on my first-thing-in-the-morning rotation. The songs are all really solid in a good way and explorative enough to make me wish there was …

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