Life is Music™

10,000 Lakes Music Festival will not be back in 2010.  Announced today, the wonderful midwestern music festival held for the past seven years in Detroit Lakes, MN will be on an indefinite hiatus due to financial issues.  Minnesota Public Radio reported on their website that promoter Rand Levy said the costs involved were so large the event can’t pay for itself, and that only two of the seven festivals broke even.  Levy says he wants to take a year off and rethink, and the event may come back in another form in future years. 

“We want you to know we have heard your voices as community and the 10,000 Lakes Festival wants to deeply thank all of our fans, artists and attendees for seven amazing years at Soo Pass Ranch,” festival promoter Rand Levy said in a statement.

2009 brought in headliners Wilco, Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews Band.  Approximately 17,000 fans attended the 2009 festival, yet according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune, promoters were expecting a much larger attendance. 

Despite adding a more mainstream headliner, Dave Matthews, fans didn’t turn out in 2009 as organizers had hoped. Levy said before the event he expected 10,000 to 15,000 people to buy single-day tickets for the Matthews finale, in addition to those with full festival passes. Shortly before the July 25 headlining set, an organizer estimated overall festival attendance around 17,000.

10,000 Lakes Music Festival has hosted a mix of national touring acts and north country favorites since 2003. Past performers include: Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & RatDog, Trey Anastasio Band, John Mayer, 311, Mike Gordon, Wilco, O.A.R., String Cheese Incident, the Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Galactic, MMW, Leftover Salmon, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and The Roots.

I am a great believer in quality over quantity, therefore 2009 was a good year for me musically.  I hope the new decade is filled with more great music for everyone.  Here are my top nine concerts of 2009.  Minnesota ROCKS!

1. The Hold Steady at Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis, MN 7.11.09- Wow, wow, wow!  This show was a musical riot.  It was spiritual.  It was energetic.  It was a perfect summer evening.  When The Hold Steady play Minneapolis one can expect fireworks, but I didn’t expect this.  Standing front and center of The Hold Steady’s preacher, Craig Finn, as the historic Basilica of St. Mary church shadowed the crowd from behind is something I will never forget.  I have been a part of many rock concerts, but there are only a handful of shows I have witnessed that compared to this.  The band was insane and the crowd was dieing for more.  It was a fist-pumping, musical uniting, rock-n-roll religious experience for the ages.  This was easily a top 10 concert ever for me.
2. The Decemberists at Walker Art Center – Minneapolis, MN 6.20.09- 2009’s version of “Rock the Garden” was a great success.  It was a hot summer day but thankfully when the headliner, The Decemberists, hit the stage, the sun had finally surrendered.  The band wasted no time working straight through their gorgeous 2009 rock-opera album, The Hazards of Love.  The addition of Becky Stark who played the role of the beautiful princess, and Shara Worden who played the evil forest queen was priceless.  Their added theatrics made this much more than any old rock concert.  I witnessed poetry in motion.  Singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy, appeared to be having a blast as 10,000 fans rocked across the grassy landscape behind the wonderful Walker Art Center.  Once again the crowd was terrific making this an unforgettable summer evening.
3. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at The Turf Club – St. Paul, MN 4.15.09 – This was the most soulful concert I witnessed in 2009.  The former Drive-by Truckers singer and guitarist has been on his own for a few years, and on this night he showed all of the strengths of that experience.  Jason Isbell’s voice is pure.  Very few voices move me the way Isbell’s can, and I was fortunate to witness him at his very best this night.  His backing band, the 400 Unit, must be complimented as well.  They played flawlessly to a respectfully attentive sell-out crowd.  This night was beautiful, and leagues better than when they returned to the The Turf Club on November 20th.  That night they sounded tired.
4. Wilco at 10,000 Lakes Music Festival – Detroit Lakes, MN 7.23.09 – Leave it to Wilco to cue “The Price is Right” theme song before stepping on stage.  Wilco was the main stage headliner on Thursday night of the seventh annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN.  Having the alt-rocking powerhouse band, Wilco, headline a night at a predominantly jamband festival had me a bit worried, but Wilco prevailed, even while being under the barrage of glowsticks at one point.  Although Jeff Tweedy is the singer/songwriter of the band, there really is no leader.  Wilco is a band, the very definition of it.  Each member is a master of their instrument and while a good portion of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with their work, Wilco proceeded along with their eternal professionalism and had the crowd rocking.  Most of the material was from their 2009 album, Wilco (the album), but they balanced their set wonderfully with songs from the past.  This show was fantastic, and added a wonderful mix to a wonderful festival.
5. Umphrey’s McGee at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 1.31.09 – Night two of Umphrey’s McGee’s three-night run at First Avenue rocked!!  Just over a week after the release of their brilliant prog-rocking album, Mantis, the band introduced the new tunes with force while mixing in plenty of older favorites.  Friday night was for the rookies, but this night was for the pros.  First Avenue was filled with the hardcores, making it an amazing experience.  The night opened with the heavy head-bobbing “Push the Pig”, and ended with an awesome “Syncopated Strangers > Cemetery Walk II > Syncopated Strangers” mash.  This was an amazing night that shook the cold winter blues.  I’m grateful for the new friends I made this weekend.
6. The Swell Season at The State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN 12.5.09 – This was a beautiful show.  The Swell Season are made up of The Frames’, Glen Hansard, and Czech pianist, Marketa Irglova.  Together they won a an Academy Award for Best Song from a Motion Picture for the ballad “Falling Slowly” from the low budget Irish film, Once (a must see if you haven’t already).  On this tour they were supported by Hansard’s band, The Frames.  The night was mixed with songs by the duo, Glen Hansard playing solo, and together with the addition of The Frames.  They even included a nice cover of “Two-Step” by the Minnesota band, Low.  The State Theatre was the absolute perfect venue for this wonderfully moving show.
7. The Jayhawks at Basilica Block Party - Minneapolis, MN 7.10.09 – Seeing the Basilica of St. Mary gospel choir back up The Jayhawks on “Blue” while rain fell steadily is one of my biggest musical highlights of 2009.  There was a lot of anticipation for this show since the only other date the band reunited for in 2009 was for a festival in Barcelona, Spain.  It was unfortunate that it rained through most of the concert, but the packed crowd welcomed the music with little regard.  All night the fans could be heard singing along to the songs of these Minneapolis alt-rocking legends.  And Gary Louris’ guitar work impressed me more than I ever could have imagined.  I am very grateful to have been a part of this show.
8. Trampled by Turtles at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 11.6.09 – There is no questioning that this band is for real.  Trampled by Turtles is a quintet from Duluth, MN who play their own brand of bluegrass.  On this night they were on, and the sold-out crowd that packed First Avenue to witness it were blessed with an amazing performance.  I’ve seen Trampled by Turtles a lot of times, but this night was special.  A Radiohead cover started things off, and from their they hammered through songs from their four albums and also tunes from their currently untitled fifth album which is due next April.  It was a great night to celebrate Minnesota, a great night to celebrate Trampled by Turtles.  This band deserves the success they are starting to see.
9. Dan Auerbach at First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN 3.7.09 – I am probably one of the only ones around who think that Dan Auerbach is better with his solo band than he is with drummer, Patrick Carney, as the duo, The Black Keys.  This show at First Avenue made me realize how great of a songwriter Auerbach really is.  He plays guitar like an old bluesman sitting on a front porch, yet with catchy bounce that is hard to resist.  His solo album, Keep It Hid, that he was touring behind is fantastic.  The band, Hacienda, acted as his band on the record and tour and they were very impressive.  The addition of My Morning Jacket’s, Patrick Hallahan, on percussion certainly didn’t hurt matters either.  This was a great show.  Dan Auerbach is a legend in the making.

Glen Hansard

The Swell Season ended their 2009 US tour in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, December 5th. The unlikely Oscar-winning duo made up of The Frames’ front man, Glen Hansard, and the soft spoken Czech, Marketa Irglova, were nothing short of brilliant.

The always lovely and eternally heartbroken Rachael Yamagata opened the show to a filled State Theatre of considerate yet enthusiastic fans. Yamagata’s set was short and sweet, with her imagery of each song oftentimes leaning towards the fixture of love, and her troubles in keeping it.

Glen and Marketa took the stage alone and opened their set on their knees with “Fallen From the Sky”; a pinging digital drum track from a small Casio keyboard provided the rhythm. Marketa looked a bit like a gypsy while wearing a traditional eastern European skirt and blouse, while Glen Hansard looked like a true Irishman, bushy red hair and beard moreover. Together they put on one of the most sincere and intimate shows I can remember.

Glen Hansard is a true singer/songwriter. He is earnest, appreciative, and genuine with a tattered acoustic guitar baring the skeletal structure of his passion. He and Irglova worked through a few songs as a duo before The Frames also took the stage to add more instrumentation. They worked through most of the songs from the fantastic movie Once (which everyone must see), other Swell Season songs, a few older songs by The Frames, and towards the end of the set Hansard covered “Astral Weeks” by fellow Irishman, Van Morrison. His poignant playing of that song induced a standing ovation.

Throughout the evening Glen wasn’t afraid to keep the crowd’s consideration with some lively endearing banter. Before a song when an 18th century violin was accidentally knocked over from its stand by The Frames’ violinist, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Glen took several minutes to heal the beautiful instrument with some monk-like chanting. Thankfully the instrument lingered unscathed. But when he took time to describe the old women he had met recently who had lost her son in the World Trade Center attacks, I think a good portion of the crowd was on the edge of tears. From that story he went to the rim of the stage and half screamed out the most dynamic song of the night, “Say it to Me Now”. It was truly chilling.

One of the last songs he played solo was a traditional Irish song that he dedicated to the last remaining member of the original Irish rock-n-roll band, The Clancy Brothers, who had passed away just the day before. This time it was Glen who seemed to be on the edge of tears as he had the crowd singing along, “Raise a glass”.

The Frames have been around for twenty years. Their intricate playing complimented Hansard and Irglova beautifully, not once overpowering the duo as they embarked on perhaps their last US gig together for some time. Throughout the evening the tension of their relationship was palpable, and those emotions rang through every song.

Glen Hansard took the show out with an all-acoustic and unplugged version of “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” by Bob Dylan. The full cast of the night’s show including Rachael Yamagata joined in. The song started at the front edge of the stage and ended with Hansard leading a snaking march around the stage with everyone following. The crowd was singing along, “Hoo wee, Ride me high, Tomorrow’s the day my bride’s gonna come, Hoo wee, Are we gonna fly, Down into the easy chair?”

I went to this show with no expectations, and left thoroughly in awe. The Swell Season were fantastic on this chilly late fall evening in Minneapolis. It was clear that Glen Hansard warmed the hearts of many though. He is a shining man. His love for music is real.

The Swell Season at The State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN 12.5.09 Setlist
Fallen From the Sky (duet)
Lies (duet)
Low Rising
Feeling the Pull
In These Arms
The Moon
If You Want Me (sung by Irglova)
Fantasy Man (sung by Irglova)
Say It to Me Now (Hansard solo)
Leave (Hansard solo)
What Happens When the Heart Stops? (Hansard solo)
Astral Weeks (Van Morrison cover, Hansard solo)
Traditional Irish song (Hansard solo)
The Court of Newton (violin solo by Colm Mac Con Iomaire)
Alone Apart (sung by Irglova)
Two-Step (Low cover)
When Your Mind’s Made Up

Encore:
Falling Slowly (duet)
High Hope
All This Means Nothing Without You (sung by opener Rachael Yamagata)
High Horses

Second encore:
Red Chord
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Bob Dylan cover)

The Swell Season sell out the State Theatre

The Swell Season

Glen Hansard of The Swell Season