Mayor RT Rybak Stage Dives and Crowd Surfs at First Avenue during Rock for Democracy

You probably will hear it here first folks, unless you were there or someone who was there told you about it.


Making references to the late, short, "funny-looking professor" with the crazy hair who was once our senator, Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak fires up the crowd of 1,350 at First Avenue. (1,250 paid entrances should have raised a good chunk of dough for the Minnesota DFL). (Click for full size photo)


Rybak made his bid to become the first mayor of Minneapolis to crowd surf at First Avenue. Anyone want to challenge his claim? Aside to RT: Next time, you might want to flip over on your back to protect the, uh, giblets, you know. (Click for larger version)


Meanwhile, over at the Bastille Day celebration in Uptown, there seem to be a good 800 more people watching headliners Quintron and Miss Pussycat. (Click for full size.)


Back at First Avenue Sideways plays their brand of instrumental mod rock featuring Jessy Greene and Gary Louris.


Festivities at First Avenue are interrupted for a mock "press conference" featuring howwastheshow.com writers Shawn Boyd (left) and Nancy Jane Meyer (right)interrogating an ersatz Gee Dubya Bush (center.) When asked about the elusive weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, GW pulled out a plumb and let it swing back and forth before the audience, repeating, "There are weapons of mass destruction. There are weapons of mass destruction" until he hypnotized himself and ran from the stage screaming insanely.


Earlier in the day again back at Bastille Day vocalist Jenn Gori ledThe Bleeding Hickeys in an awesome and inspiring show. $3 PBR's were the perfect beverage to drink while watching this lively act. And Gori made use of an extra long mic cord to jump into the audience and sing to individual members including a couple of 4 year old girls sitting on a blanket who seemed to enjoy the special treatment.


More Bleeding Hickeys. The Bleeding Hickeys music is self-described as "out of the garage, and on to the dance floor punk rock."


Trailer Park Queen is a "Parody Band" at Bastille Day. Their covers of Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band" and Courtney Love's "Doll Parts" were okay with a casual listen, and really funny if you were actually paying attention. Oddly enough at Bastille Day, when the fat lady sang the show was still far from over.