Cake Crumbs... Bits of the D

Tonight one member of Cake in 15 was lucky enough to score a ticket to the Get Out the Vote tour at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. Because we had other plans tonight, we went purely for "the D." Tenacious D, that is. Jack Black and Kyle Gass rocked the house by basically catering to the crowd's desire to hear the most popular tracks from The D's self-titled album. I was running late, I'll admit, so I walked in to "Wonderboy," which made me so very happy. I have a huge closet love of that D album, and I was excited to see it being performed live in front of me.

"Wonderboy"

Of course, it's not Tenacious D without some potential offense, so I hope you're offended with this bit of "Fuck Her Gently." heh.

"Fuck Her Gently"


Overall I found the guys to be amazing live. Just as expected, they put all their energy into their performance. The vocals were clear, the guitars were rockin' and the audience was going nuts. I wish there'd been more, but they ended with probably their biggest and oldest song, "Tribute." Ahhh happy, happy me.

Beastie Boys Pre-Sale!

The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium has announced that the Beastie Boys Swing State Voter Awareness Tour, with a knockout lineup featuring live performance sets by Beastie Boys, Ben Harper, Tenacious D, and others, will make a stop at The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul on Saturday, November 1 at 7 PM.

Pre-sale tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on Thursday, October 16 from 10 AM - 10 PM or when tickets are no longer available. Tickets are subject to applicable Ticketmaster fees. Ticket limit is 8.

Internet Presale password = VOTE

Live blogging from MGMT / Beck at the Roy Wilkins

Well kids. There's generally good news and bad news in every story. While MGMT were better tonight than the last time I saw them, it means little when most of the betterment comes from a big stage and light show that's meant for headliner Beck. The show wasn't as sloppy or annoying, but actually proved to be... well, boring. The guitar work still wasn't anything to rave about, and their biggest "hit" Time to Pretend lacked any punch. The tune is still one of my favs to blast from my car radio while driving around with the windows down, but live it lacked the lustre even my car speakers add. It makes one a bit sick when there are better bands who provide gallons of entertainment, yet remain for the most part, unrecognized by the masses. Here's hoping Beck is a better time.

8:40pm: Beck just started, opening with 'Loser,' and the crowd is finally pulsating. His stage setup is sparse, but the lights on stage are pretty sweet - like old Hollywood set lights. I have to admit this is better than I expected.

8:58pm: Timebomb! Nah nah nah nah!

9:05pm: The rest will probably have to wait until I'm home. Stupid phone battery! Also, the backdrop is pretty sweet - changing constantly, with photos in pixelated black and white.

9:31pm: Jed from Mpls is kicking tambourine ass and taking names. Hilarious!! Devil's Haircut now!

9:53pm: Seriously?! Lost Cause followed by Where It's At? Holy shit!!! I can die happy (well Beck-wise anyway).

10:00pm: Crowd going ballistic for an encore. Damn. Forgot my earplugs. I am going to be so deaf. It is the drummer's (Scott) birthday and crowd is all singing Happy Birthday. There's a cake on the drumset. Beck points to Scott and says "Now play!" Cute.

10:08pm: Beck thanks MGMT for opening. Starts playing one of their songs, but "I can't sing that high." hee

10:58pm: Home! Good show. Beck did well and made it all enjoyable. It wasn't the best show I've been to, but it was decent entertainment for a Tuesday night. Woot!

Ted Leo issues digital charity EP for RNC violence victims

You can download the EP from Touch and Go Records here.

Selected excerpts from the EP liner notes - by Ted Leo

For a very brief moment, it seemed like people were actually reporting the truth. The surveillance, pre-emptive detention, arrest, and beating of journalists, protesters, and watchdogs by the St. Paul police department, the Ramsey County sheriff's department, and the FBI was so egregious that it couldn't be allowed to pass without comment. I heard WNYC's Bob Hennelly compare the treatment of RNC protestors to the fact that Trojan condoms had a product booth inside the building at the Republican National Convention, saying, "It seems as if free speech exists only for those who can pay for it." I heard the name "Amy Goodman" actually spoken by, and written about in,the "mainstream media" after her roughing up at the hands of the St. Paul police. The story of the ABC cameraman who was smacked around and had his video camera smashed was about to bring down the righteous indignation of a formerly complacent press. And the license and viciousness and carelessness with which these acts and the banal bullying that seemed to be a constant around them - infiltration of peaceful (and not so peaceful) groups by police spies and agents provacateur - the omnipresent pepper spray repeatedly maiming eyes that were only challenging with looks - stun guns, tear gas, and concussion grenades launched on a citizenry trying yet again to be heard - was finally coming under proper scrutiny.

...But real people were hurt in St. Paul, and real people have bills to pay, and real people need funding to continue their good works. We (the band and I) were all feeling these events as deeply as we could from our 1200 mile remove, and so as not to feel entirely powerless, and in an attempt to contribute SOMETHING to that continuation of those good works, we wrote a song and recorded it, along with another new one we'd already been working on that's pertinent to election time politics,and two covers we enjoy and that also have timely sentiments. It's a small thing, but as the particle collider that cranked up at CERN yesterday will continue to reveal, all big things are made out of smaller things. Thanks for your contribution in purchasing this EP.

Thanks to James, Marty, and Chris for getting right behind this idea, along with Molly at Indivision, and everyone at Touch and Go. It feels good to work with good people!
And thanks again to you for helping Democracy Now! and Food Not Bombs.
Stay informed, stay alive - resist and survive.

xo - TL

Ted, you continue to rock my world. Thank you from all of us in the Twin Cities!

*Thanks also to You Ain't No Picasso for the tip!

Get Out The Vote at the MMAA

Saturday, September 13
The Minnesota Museum of American Art
$10 - All Ages
$5 Students
Art @ 5pm
Music @ 5:30pm

ART HERE will feature a special exhibition of AIGA Get Out the Vote posters. Images will be digitally projected on the walls of the MMAA raw space gallery. Complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be served while available. Must be 21 or older to be served alcoholic beverages.
MPIRG will be on hand to register people to vote.

The upstairs patio will feature live music from some of the best local bands in the Twin Cities metro area. This will be the last concert on the patio during the 2008 season. In the event of unfavorable weather, the concert will be moved into the gallery.

Music by:
The Running Scared - 5:30pm
A Night In The Box - 6:15pm
Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lappelles - 7:15pm
Birthday Suits - 8:15
Solid Gold - 9:15

What I did this week - The Republican National Convention

This week I worked for a liberal media group called The UpTake, which consisted of 15 or so videographers and photographers who documented the convention. We had live streams online of events as well as video of protests, concerts, raids, etc. You can see it all here: www.theuptake.org.

I was at four protests which all ended in tear gas, pepper spray and concussion grenades. Interesting, to say the least. It was pretty disappointing that I couldn't get closer to the actual convention, however. Sort of hard to do with 15 foot metal fences throughout downtown. St. Paul itself was dead. No one was really outside the perimeter of the Xcel Energy Center and the police presence was very scary and it all seemed like major overkill. It was a police state in all sense of those words. Riot gear, police on horses, bikes, foot, snipers on buildings.

There was a lot of tension between the public and police for most of the RNC. Obviously there were people who aggravated the situation and deserved to be arrested or needed tear gas to be dispersed. However, there were a lot of altercations where I witnessed the police as aggressors. Police maced and pepper sprayed photographers who were following police instructions, tackled reporters who were well identified as reporters, and pushed unaggressive people out of the way before even asking them to move. Reporters and photographers from City Pages, KARE 11, FOX 9 News and The UpTake were all arrested. There were, of course, a few protesters who made things bad for everyone. The "Black Bloc" anarchists who infiltrated the "Students for a Democratic Society" march on Monday broke store windows, pushed anything not nailed down into the street, and attempted to create barricades against the police. These people were definitely the minority though. Most of the students in the protest yelled at them and asked them to stop the vandalism. It was a sad state much of the time.

The worst that happened to me was walking through an area that was pepper sprayed about 30 seconds earlier. Yuck. I can't imagine getting a direct hit of that stuff. It's gross. Any time I was in danger I got out of the situation. A few of our reporters were arrested or detained, but all had the charges dropped as they were just there to document and not participate or condone the actions of the protesters or others. I was within a block of the tear gas and such more than once, but always made it out of the area without incident.

You can view the photos I took (along with some from others at The UpTake) here:

Day 1 of the RNC
Day 2 of the RNC
Day 4 of the RNC

Cheers -
Stacy

The Republican National Convention is Here

I spent today roaming the streets of St. Paul with members of The UpTake, a liberal media organization. You can check out a slideshow of some of the protests below. Also keep tabs on the convention via The UpTake's website here with continuing live coverage.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

You can also view photos of yesterday's Liberty Parade down Nicollet mall here.

Storyhill Plays Patio Nights at the Minnesota Museum of American Art

I know what you're thinking. "We have a Minnesota Museum of American Art? Where's that?" "St. Paul" is the answer you desire, and you'll find the MMAA has more to offer than you might expect. For the past five summers the patio at the museum has opened itself to a wide variety of local acts, ranging from STNNNG to Mark Mallman to Storyhill. I was lucky enough to enjoy the Storyhill show from the confines of the museums "cafeteria," as Minnesota decided to bestow a bit of rain on its concert goers.

Once upon a time Storyhill was known as Chris and Johnny. This was the early 1990s and the boys were extremely popular on the college circuit as an acoustic duo. The music evolved and outlasted various geographical moves from each of the men, and finally they became Storyhill. The lush vocal melodies and precise guitar arrangements have created a rock solid fan base for the band. The crowd at the MMAA hooted and hollered for more, bringing the boys back up for more than one encore.

Alas, I am not a writer and lack the words to convey the emotional lift one experiences at such a show, and so I leave you with photos taken in an extremely dark cafeteria at the MMAA on a rainy August night.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

You can listen to the album via the band's label here.
Check out more about the Minnesota Museum of American Art here.

Set list after the jump



Set List
Absaroka
Blazin
Mary
Sacramento
Angel
Weave Your Way
What Was Wrong
Well of Sorrow
Full Circle
Better Angels
Happy Man
White Roses
Give Up the Ghost
Paradise
Joe Snow
Hard Wind
Great Divide
Spaces
Somewhere
Loose
Good Rain

(These may not be in exact order/100% correct, as they were taken from Storyhill's actual set list... and I know they played "If I Could" at the end too)

Feeling Minnesota?

Usually, this is not my bag. But since I can't stop it and it threatens to overwhelm lives unless I roll with it, here are a few things that seem pretty cool to do during the RNC in the Twin Cities. More info on all events after the jump.
(Photo by Richard Avedon)

Hail to the Chief: Images of the American Presidency
August 2 - September 21 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis
FREE Exhibition

8 is Enough: A Concert to End Our Long National Nightmare
August 27 at the Turf Club, St. Paul
$20 donation requested - Benefit for Barack Obama

Civic Fest
August 29 - September 4 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Spark24
August 31 - Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis
FREE

Liberty Parade and Concert
August 31 - Down Nicollet Mall to Loring Park, Minneapolis
FREE

Second Annual Black Dog Block Party
August 31 - September 1 in Mears Park, St. Paul

Take Back Labor Day Festival
September 1 on Harriet Island, St. Paul

Wake Up World w/ Daily Show Co-creator Lizz Winstead PLUS Special Hootenany w/Jim Walsh and Billy Bragg
September 2 - September 04 at the Parkview Theater

(Ripple Effect) Day Festival
September 2 on the Capitol Lawn

Event info after the jump!



Hail to the Chief: Images of the American Presidency
August 2 - September 21 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis
Free Exhibition
Designed as a non-partisan view of the American presidency, this exhibition features a selection of original works of art from the MIA’s permanent collection and various historical material from several important private collections that focus on presidential themes. The exhibition comprises more than 90 objects, including paintings, sculpture, drawings, original prints, posters, photographs, manuscripts, glassware, porcelain, and metalwork. Among the objects on display are presidential portraits, including a marble bust of George Washington in classical garb by American sculptor Hiram Powers, candid photographs of former presidents and presidential candidates, including Richard Avedon’s celebrated portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower; presidential proclamations and hand-signed documents; a presidential flag from the Oval Office, and various presidential campaign materials.

8 is Enough: A Concert to End Our Long National Nightmare
August 27, 7:30pm at the Turf Club, St. Paul
Benefit for Barack Obama featuring (with set times!):
SKOAL KODIAK (1:15AM)
STNNNG (12:30AM)
POS (11:45PM)
LOW (10:30PM)
DOSH (9:30PM)
KILL THE VULTURES (8:45PM)
TAPE N TAPE (JOSH GRIER AND JEREMY HANSEN OF TAPES N TAPES) (8:00PM)

Civic Fest
August 29 - September 4 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
CivicFest is a vibrant civic festival celebrating Minnesota and American history, democracy, and the U.S. Presidency. The event, produced by the Minneapolis Saint Paul 2008 Host Committee, will be held August 29 through September 4, 2008 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
CivicFest is a once-in-a-lifetime family-friendly experience, featuring more than 35 educational and entertaining exhibits, including; historic memorabilia and artifacts, a scale model of the White House, a re-created Convention floor, a stage featuring live performances, an actual President’s official limousine, a full-scale replica of the White House Oval Office, multimedia and interactive exhibits featuring significant historical objects, an interactive kiosk that explores the lives and administrations of the twelve 20th – century Presidents, and a 60,000 square-foot Marketplace, showcasing a variety of products to the CivicFest audience, with an emphasis on locally produced and designed merchandise.

Event Hours:
Friday, August 29 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 30 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 31 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday, September 1 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 2 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 3 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 4 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Spark24
August 31 - Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis
FREE
(Yes, these times are AM)
2AM-6:30AM
ORCHESTRA HALL

2-2:30
THE ALARMISTS
2:45-3:30
CLOUD CULT
3:45-4:15
CHRIS KOZA
4:30-5
WHITE LIGHT RIOT
5:15-5:45
LUCY MICHELLE & THE VELVET LAPELLES
6-6:30
THE NEW CONGRESS

Liberty Parade and Concert
August 31 - Down Nicollet Mall to Loring Park, Minneapolis
FREE
The Liberty Parade is a Minneapolis first - a full-scale art and music celebration, a march in support of democracy and freedom of expression - And, it won't happen without you! Yes, YOU! Pull out your tubas, decorate your bicycles, dust off your art car, build a float, break out your flags and twirling batons, and take to the streets in celebration of your ideas of liberty and freedom of expression.


Concert in Loring Park features: The Dillinger Four, Retribution Gospel Choir, Happy Apple, STNNNG, The Brass Messengers, Mama Digdowns Brass Band

Second Annual Black Dog Block Party
August 31 - September 1 in Mears Park, St. Paul
Sunday, August 31 (3:00 to 10:00 PM) (order of performers TBD)
Carnage, Anthony Cox, Spaghetti Western String Company, Aviette, Backstreet Boogie Band, Big Quarters, Soul Tree


Tuesday, September 2 (3:00 to 10:00 PM) (order of performers TBD)
Boots Riley & The Coup, Ill Chemistry, Junkyard Empire, Kill the Vultures, Los Nativos

Take Back Labor Day Festival
September 1 on Harriet Island, St. Paul
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)—representing 2 million working people—will sponsor a festival to celebrate workers’ achievements and to promote a New Vision for the 21st Century that includes:
* Affordable, quality healthcare for everyone;
* Wages that can support families;
* Freedom to join unions without intimidation;
* Retirement security.
Featuring: Billy Bragg, Mos Def, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Tom Morello, The Pharcyde

Wake Up World w/ Daily Show Co-creator Lizz Winstead PLUS Special Hootenany w/Jim Walsh and Billy Bragg
September 2 - September 04 at the Parkview Theater
These shows are 21+
Shoot the Messenger is a NY based comedy troupe performing, Wake Up World, a satirical morning show from the brain of Daily Show Co-creator Lizz Winstead. A live comedy show incorporating multi-media elements, it gives us the world as seen through the filters of Wake-Up World, Americas only 6-hour morning show.

Wake-up World is the flagship news show on 24/7 possibly the worst twenty-four cable news network-ever. Wake Up World is an indictment, both hilarious and scathing - not only of the newsmakers, but of the news media that gives us what ever is easiest for them.

(Ripple Effect) Day Festival
September 2 on the Capitol Lawn
By creating a safe, positive space for artists, activists, and the general public to gather, Ripple Effect will take the energy spurred by the Republican National Convention and use it to create a movement for tangible progressive change.

Through the inspirational power of art and music, Ripple Effect will
attract thousands of like-minded individuals to the St. Paul Capitol lawn, where they will be given the free space to participate in the the burgeoning global movement for justice, equitability, and sustainability.

FEATURING: MICHAEL FRANTI, ANTI-FLAG, DEAD PREZ, WOOKIEFOOT w/MATISYAHU, I SELF DEVINE, INDIGO, B. DOLAN and PROLYPHIC, TRU RUTS, THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING ROADSHOW, MEDEA BENJAMIN (co-founder of CODEPINK & Global Exchange) WILL STEGER (polar explorer and global warming activist)

Electronics Recycling for FREE! April 11/12

Get on it people! You know you have old TVs, computers, tape recorders, VCRs and video game systems that don't work.

From the Star Tribune:

An ambitious electronics recycling drive is scheduled for two days this month in the Twin Cities, with dropoff sites that should be very familiar to Minnesotans.

At no charge, people can bring their unwanted electronics to the following locations on April 11 and 12 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.:

• Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Rd. S., Shakopee

• State Fairgrounds, 1265 N. Snelling Av., Falcon Heights

• National Sports Center, 1700 105th Av. NE., Blaine

• Grace Church, 9301 Eden Prairie Rd., Eden Prairie

• Ecolab Schuman campus (April 12 only) Eagan Building F, 655 Lone Oak Dr., Eagan

To find out about other recycling electronics opportunties in your community, see www.startribune.com/a3663.

R.I.P. Nick Mancini 1926 - 2007

Yeah, this has nothing to do with music, but my heart is sad.

The founder of one of my favorite places in the world died Tuesday night of respiratory failure. Nick Mancini owned Mancini's Char House on West 7th in St. Paul and his sons own it now. If you've never been there, it's high time you check it out. Great food, wonderful hospitality and feeling of family... even if you're not a Mancini.

To read more on Nick and the Mancini family, there's a nice article in the Pioneer Press today:
He made his steakhouse, and himself, St. Paul icons

We'll miss you Nick!

HowWasTheShow.com's 5th Anniversary Party!

Great lineup! Here's the details for those of you too blind to read the poster:
June 9, 2007 at 9pm
Turf Club
$5 / 21+

Featuring local bands:
Estate
Mouthful of Bees
Jeremy Messersmith
The Slats
First Communion Afterparty

Here is the fantastic poster created by Steve McPherson (thanks Steve!):



Why the tree you ask? Because the traditional 5th anniversary gift is wood. I expect a pencil or ream of paper gift from each of you attending.