Category Archive: Live Events

Say Yes to free music!

Posted at 9:40 AM on September 21, 2009 by Barb Abney (0 Comments)
Filed under: Live Events

Langhorne Slim's latest effort is Be Set Free. It hits the shelves tomorrow. But you can grab the tune "Say Yes" in advance, for free, on our Song Of The Day podcast.

If you're a new subscriber, you'll also receive new music from The James Buckley Trio, Hockey, Jay Reatard and Mason Jennings. Later this week we'll be featuring new music from Monsters of Folk, Sea Wolf, Arctic Monkeys and new local music from The Pines.

Langhorne Slim has done a couple of in-studios with us. First, back in 2005 with Mark Wheat and last week when he joined me and gave us an even deeper taste of Be Set Free.

Langhorne Slim will be returning to town on October 25th for a proper public performance at The 400 Bar.

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10KLF Update - And it all comes to a close.

Posted at 6:48 PM on July 26, 2009 by Lindsay Kimball
Filed under: Live Events

We're officially on the road on the way home. Unknowingly, we were camped next to the Fest Taxi camping, so we got to take part in their post-festival celebrations including bagpipes and drums. It was a fitting end to a long weekend.

Saturday was "Dave Day." Folks were lined up at the gates well before doors to get a spot for the show that would take place at least 10 hours later. People and their chairs and blankets were lined up all day long in anticipation. At 8 p.m. Dave Matthews Band took the stage to an uproar of applause. Dave Matthews himself soaked it in for a couple of minutes before striking the first chords of his set, which lasted about two and a half hours.

Near the end of the DMB set, I attempted to make it to two shows at once. William Elliott Whitmore from Lee County, Iowa was playing in the Saloon at 11:30 p.m. while Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings were set to play at 11:45 p.m. at the Field stage. Things were running a bit slow at the Saloon for William Elliott Whitmore - his tuning pedal was broken and his pick ups were running hot. I got to hear about a half song before I had to race to the other stage. What I did hear of the set, I liked, but I'm basing that on a small sample size. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings drew a large crowd, which she wowed for an entire two hours with her non-stop dancing and singing. She wasn't able to pull as many people up on stage as she usually does, but she managed to nab a young guy named Jake and take some time to teach him how to treat a lady. The set ended with demands from the audience for more - always a good sign.

I made my way after the show to the RV with half of the crew deciding to stay up to watch the sun rise. Big thanks to the Summit, Onion, and Cloud Cult folks for a wonderful weekend of music!

10KLF Update - The best show in daylight

Posted at 5:58 PM on July 25, 2009 by Lindsay Kimball
Filed under: Live Events

Ozomatli just finished their 10KLF set, and I'd put this in the "best show in daylight" category. At least it's in the running. First of all, I don't salsa dance. I've tried, but for the hour and a half that Ozomatli was on stage, I was a pro. Second, I don't speak Spanish, which means I don't understand half the Ozomatli lyrics, but it doesn't matter. I tried to sing along anyway. I'd also put this in the category for best "end of set." I've seen bands jump into the crowd before and sing their closing song, but Ozomatli had everyone singing that soccer song "Ohlay ohlay ohlay ohlay..." and dancing along. I managed to elbow my way into the circle of players to snap some rad photos. They'll be posted on the site soon.

10KLF Update - Friday in and out of the concert bowl

Posted at 12:00 PM on July 25, 2009 by Lindsay Kimball
Filed under: Live Events

After the thunderstorms subsided on Thursday night, everyone woke up to a windy and much cooler morning. Cloud Cult was scheduled to play at 2 p.m. on the Barn Stage. I wandered over there with host Jade to catch their set. The place was packed as we arrived just before they stepped on stage, and the audience had a disproportionately large number of kids checking out the show with their parents. They started with the haunting song "Love You All" as each band member took the stage one-by-one. As their set continued, Connie Minowa and Scott West began their painting a couple of songs later. What began as streaks on a canvas slowly morphed into a rabbit on one canvas and a person with a guitar on the other. Cloud Cult played for about an hour and a half and played a bunch of crowd favorites including "Pretty Voice," "Story of the Grandson of Jesus," "Happy Hippopotamus," and "Everybody Here is a Cloud," and finished the set with "Take Your Medicine." While the band left the stage and music came up on the P.A., but the audience kept shouting and asking for one more song. As one of the stage techs started unplugging microphones, the crowd gave up and headed for the exits.

The Main Stage on Friday night dedicated to Widespread Panic, but locals Trampled by Turtles opened the night with a set at 6 p.m. with a large (and loud) crowd. There was a hip hop showcase going on at the Lake Sally Campground, so a bunch of us ventured west to check it out. When we got there, Mayda was in the middle of her set. Yoni followed up her set and played two new songs. I'd never seen Yoni before, but he mixes Yiddish into his songs while he raps and sings. Kanser was headlining the hip hop showcase. The DJ pumped up the crowd with Arrested Development's "Tennessee" and had everyone dancing. Kanser brought up several guests throughout the night. As the sun was setting, the stage got dark and the show continued with just one lantern (one bright lantern).

There are a bunch of small stages around the concert bowl that aren't officially part of the 10KLF, and they dot the different campgrounds. Word about these shows travels by flier and word-of-mouth. There are DJ sets and jam bands and performance art going on at any given time at the campgrounds.

With one day left, I'll see about stumbling upon some more random shows. Dave Matthews Band plays tonight as well as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

There's the music, and then there's the show

Posted at 2:17 PM on July 25, 2009 by Julia Schrenkler
Filed under: Live Events

The 10,000 Lakes Festival isn't different from other live shows in that there's more than the aural experience. Whether absolute strangers greet you with a hearty, "You're special!" or the toughest decision of the day is trying to watch fire artists, random hula hoopers, or a team of people decked out in glowsticks dancing... there's a show. On the other side of the security barrier some bands invest heavily in lights and interactive installations. While Lindsay Kimball tracked down music in and out of the bowl, I tried for photos at WookieFoot's night show.

As we experience both the music and the show, we'll try to bring it to you. The photo slideshow on the 10KLF page is updated regularly, but those seeking instant gratification can follow thecurrent10kl on Twitter, because I try to frequently update with images.

Check Saturday's music schedule and hey, don't be shy, comment here with some photo requests.

10KLF Update - Music and rain are quite the combination

Posted at 9:56 AM on July 24, 2009 by Lindsay Kimball
Filed under: Live Events

Last night was a barrage of music from start to finish. I'd just finished checking in with Mary Lucia and conducting an interview and Theft of the Dial with Glenn Kotche, the drummer in Wilco (which we'll be airing some time next week probably), so I didn't make it into the concert bowl as The Honeydogs took the stage at 6 p.m.. Here's one of the wonderful things about 10KLF - while I wasn't actually in the venue, I could hear their whole set quite easily from anywhere. Whether I was working or grabbing dinner, I was still able to rock out to the Honeydogs from wherever I was.

Mason Jennings began his set around 7:30 p.m. His set moved from politics to the politics of love. At one point he asked the audience if they wanted to hear some love songs. "Yes. Please." was immediate response. He played songs from most of his albums including some of my faves - "Lemon Grove Avenue" and "Be Here Now."

Clouds were coming in and had an ominous look to them as Wilco stepped on stage. I had my fingers crossed that they'd be in sparkled jumpsuits like they've got pictured on their new album, but they were rocking normal attire. They were also rocking their hits - "I Will Try to Break Your Heart," "Jesus Etc," "Impossible Germany" as well as a bunch of jams from their new album, "Wilco (The Album)." As their set was coming to an end, there was lightning in the west as Jeff Tweedy made the announcement that Wilco will be coming back in the fall. They'll be at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul on October 2nd. And here's another heads up - sign up for Cross Currents, The Current's weekly e-newsletter for the link and password for the Wilco ticket pre-sale. The link will be in Wednesday's Cross Currents for the pre-sale taking place next Friday.

After the Wilco set finished, the throngs of people shifted to the other three stages in the bowl. Many of them made their way to the Field Stage, like me, for Atmosphere's set. The lightning was becoming more frequent, and we weren't too far into the set before the rain started falling. I took shelter underneath the emergency exit just east of the stage. The big fat drops of rain didn't deter the music. When the rain let up shortly thereafter, people came out of their rain shelters and headed back to the stage. But that wasn't the end of the rain. An intense down pour with lightning and thunder cut the set short, and we raced back to our campsite to get out of the rain.

There are a bunch of photos from last night and more 10KLF coverage here.

...and tune in today at 4 p.m. where I'll be doing another check-in with Mary Lucia. You can listen to yesterday's check-in right here:

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Friday at 10KLF

Posted at 10:10 AM on July 24, 2009 by Julia Schrenkler
Filed under: Live Events

Lindsay Kimball and I are comparing calendars this morning. As she recaps last night's shows, I'm looking ahead. We have a pretty good day at 10KLF in the works, and you can tag along:

* Follow the thecurrent10kl Twitter feed for brief updates. Mornings are slow, but the action ramps up continuely during the day and evening. Scroll back in time to discover just what happened at the Wilco and Atmosphere shows.

* On the event page, Watch the photostream for pictures of the festival grounds! We'll also get band pictures including images of Cloud Cult, Corey Chisel and Wandering Sons, and Trampled by Turtles.

* Listen to The Current at 4 p.m. to catch Lindsay Kimball giving Mary Lucia the scoop.

We're not alone up here though. I'll be uploading pictures from Matt Perkins, and if you're at 10KLF you can even share your festival photos with MPR. Know I'll work them into the slideshow. The Current's Jade drove up and had this to say about the evening:

"I got up to the 10KLF yesterday just as Mason Jennings was hitting the stage. After being swooned and soothed by the local songster, Wilco took over to the theme of the Price is Right and did a little face-melting...and created a little glow stick riot."

I expect there will be plenty more of that today. Follow along and find out!

10KLF Update - A Family Show...Akron/Family

Posted at 5:39 PM on July 23, 2009 by Lindsay Kimball (1 Comments)
Filed under: Live Events

The day's first band on this second day of the festival was Akron/Family. I got to the Barn stage a bit late after helping some of the folks from Cloud Cult into our campsite. I arrived to find a captive crowd that seemed to be slowly taking in the day. Much of the audience was lounging in the grass with several eager fans up front. One of my favorite parts of this stage is that it's covered with a huge sun screen - you're able to enjoy the outdoors, but you're not going to fry. I figure this is the smartest part of the concert. If you expect to make it until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., you're going to need a little shade.

The set was high energy and complete with solos and a cool breakdown/freestyle. The last song they played was "Everyone is Guilty" from their new record, "Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free." I absolutely LOVE that song, so I was getting my dance on until I was taken aback by the intense (and amazing scream) that the bassist and singer let out a massive scream. Mixed with the cacophony of sound, it was an epic end to the show.

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10KLF: Going green in the land of sky-blue waters

Posted at 11:33 AM on July 23, 2009 by Julia Schrenkler (1 Comments)
Filed under: Live Events

Ginny Black, and Organics Recycling Specialist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, was on site at the 10,000 Lakes Festival. When I caught up with her, she was elbows-deep in a recycling bin, making sure the right recyclables were in the correct holder. She politely declined shaking my hand upon introduction, for obvious reasons.

WE Fest and 10KLF (as produced by Face) is in it's final year of a 2-year, $75,00 grant from the MPCA. The efforts are specific to composting and plastic/paper/cans recycling. Baker explained nearly everything in the VIP hospitality tent, which supplies meals to hundreds of campers, is recyclable or bio-degradable. The plates are paper, the "silverware" a compostable corn-based PLA plastic - even the Summit beer cups are PLA.

On inquiry Baker noted a few exceptions: the chip & nut bags are not recyclable, and the sanitary hand wipes come in a foil-based package. She went on to say recommendations on alternatives are in the works, and that the organizers are trying to work with the other vendors to make the entire event more green.

Baker's dedication to that is obvious, since she's willing to dig through music festival garbage bins to sort and recycle. (Seriously... consider that for a moment.) We leaned forward to shake hands at the end of our conversation and both stopped at the last moment, laughing. Ginny Black is hands-on, and I expect to find more people just like her here.

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