Paul Westerberg and the Painkillers at Pantages Theatre on 11/5/04

By: Karla Ludzack
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It’s not as acoustically sound as The Guthrie (where Westerberg played several solo shows that same year), but The Pantages Theatre which re-opened in 2002 after a complete renovation, did provide a great backdrop for Paul Westerberg's first show with a full band since 1996. When I arrived at the venue Friday night, the scalpers were out in full force, which may explain why that show had sold out so quickly. Shortly af...

Robyn Hitchcock at Cedar Cultural Center on 11/3/04

By: David de Young
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This is supposed to be a Robyn Hitchcock review. Forgive me if it’s interrupted with other realities. Given the events of the past two days (i.e. First Avenue closing and Bush winning the election), that cannot be helped. The Jonathan Richman, Robyn Hitchcock and Jesse Denatale show was the first national show to be re-located from the ill-fated First Avenue which shut its doors at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. When I arrived at the Cedar Cultura...

Drive By Truckers with Centro-Matic at The Metro on 10/30/04

By: David de Young
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Mike Cooley of Drive By Truckers at First Avenue Wednesday, October 27th, 2004 - Photo by Karla Ludzack (click for larger version) Wednesday night I arrived at the ill-fated First Avenue in Minneapolis to the show headlined by Alabama’s Drive By Truckers just in time to miss the final song by middle band Centro-Matic. I had ...

Drive By Truckers with Centro-Matic at First Avenue on 10/27/04

By: Karla Ludzack
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Two of the South's best bands, Drive by Truckers and Centro-Matic, came to Minneapolis on October 27th. If you didn't get the opportunity to see them, you missed a hell of a show. Runner and the Thermodynamics from Boston opened the evening. Overall, I wasn’t impressed. Their brightest moment was when they closed with The James Gang's Seems To Me. Centro-Matic was next. Their sound is built up in layers so it often take time to sink in, unless they play something that l...

Wilco at Orpheum Theatre on 10/26/04

By: Karla Ludzack
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Jeff Tweedy performs with Wilco on Tuesday night at the Orpheum - Photo by Karla Ludzack (click for full size version.) From the opening bars of Poor Places on Tuesday, I knew I was in for a much different Wilco show from the one I experienced the previous night. I can unequivocally say that the second of Wilco's two-night stand i...

Wilco at Orpheum Theatre on 10/25/04

By: David de Young
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Wilco - Publicity photo by Danny Clinch This review is dedicated to the guy who flipped off the audience during the first song of Wilco’s set at the Orpheum in Minneapolis. It pissed off Jeff Tweedy enough that he commented on it later in the show in one of the longer audience chat-up bits, saying that he had really been offended ...

Interpol with Secret Machines and Hail Social at First Avenue on 10/19/04

By: David de Young
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Interpol - photo by Pieter van Hattem Tuesday night’s bill in the First Avenue Main Room was a sold out, full on, triple band blitz. Generally I hate being jammed up against my neighbors at First Ave at sweaty sold out shows to catch buzz bands that just keep getting buzzier like Interpol. (Death Cab for Cutie, for example, I gene...

Death Cab for Cuties with Travis Morrison at First Avenue on 10/16/04

By: Jim Brunzell III
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When I first saw that Death Cab for Cutie was coming back to First Avenue, I shrugged it off. I’d seen Death Cab five times since the fall of 2000 and had no real intention of seeing them a sixth time. The times I’d seen them before it seemed like they didn’t give a shit that they were in a band. They looked confused and lethargic. But I kept going back to see them, hoping the next show would be better. Well, here I am reviewing their show. Why? Two words: Tra...

Ike Reilly CD Release Show at 7th Street Entry on 10/15/04

By: Karla Ludzack
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Ike Reilly strikes a pose at the 7th Street Entry on the first night of his two night CD Release Party which would conclude at the Turf Club on Saturday. Photo by Karla Ludzack. (Click for full size version.) There’s hardly another live act out there that can compete with The Ike Reilly Assassination in terms of energy, fun, or...

Andrew Bird at Bryant Lake Bowl on 10/12/04

By: Karla Ludzack
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Andrew Bird - Publicity photo Chicago singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird paints pictures with his music. He conjures up images of peace, love, despair, joy. Even death. But he's always playful with his subject matter, so don't worry about not having a good time. For example, how many artists do you know who could use the phrase, "...what a d...