The Wake

A unique convergence is happening at St. Paul’s Minnesota Museum of American Art: combing art with rock’n’roll. The museum’s program, “Art Here 1st Fridays,” brings local bands such as Melodious Owl and Aneruretical together with American artists to make their work more accessible to youth culture.

The museum’s current show “Abstract Painting in Minnesota: Selected Works 1930 to the Present” melded well with the exuberance of Aneruretical and Melodious Owl on February 4. Before the bands began their performance concertgoers meandered from painting to painting, experiencing what the museum has to offer its younger patrons. The artwork is vibrant, much like the music. To start the night Aneruretical mounted the stage to generate their bass-driven, hyper-hipster rock. There was no false veneer covering their notes that rang out fresh and invigorated. The trio sliced through a half hour set with well-executed twisting-tempo changes. The young band was also willing to play hopscotch with melody and rhythm, making for a more mature sound.

Likewise, the second band of the evening, Melodious Owl, put on a similarly amped-up performance. Apparently The Rapture and Hot Hot Heat have dance minions in Minneapolis. Squirrelly beats, poppy melodies, and zany lyrics constituted the “it’s chic to be geek” dance music the band doled out. Picture three indie nerds, an Ipod, and one noble saxophone manically creating music. That’s Melodious Owl’s style and the crowd loved it. Besides having an artful post-techno sound the band also had strong stage presence due to its lead singer, Wes Statler. Statler engaged the crowd by shouting various commands and performing a choreographed dance with his bandmates, Jon Kuder and Joe Berns. As the performance progressed, Statler slowly removed pieces of his clothing ending the show by taking off a mesh tank top to bare his gaunt chest. Melodious Owl, although young, command a musical prowess and enthusiasm that one can’t help but admire.

However the concert only complemented the art exhibit, which features the abstract paintings of local artists. A range of styles and concepts can be found in the works. Bruce Anderson creates a Pollack-like play with paint in his “Lover’s Embrace.” The piece features layers and swirls of greens, yellows, blues and blacks to form conceptual lovers holding one another. Baroque styling inspires Jil Evans’s “Capriccio” series. Her paintings mimic volume, harmony, and chaos through line, color and composition. Her three works envelope classical and pastoral influences while presenting a modern experience. The show also covers art deco, retro flair, color pallets and shapes, topographical uses of time and space, pop culture and graffiti references.

In combining these two art forms the Minnesota Museum of American Art has a good thing going. An appreciation for music and art can concurrently exist for a younger, and frankly, less-stiff crowd.

The next “Art Here 1st Friday” event will feature The Monarques. For more information check out the Museum’s website www.mmaa.org.