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New Year's Resolution #1: Get to 100+ Twitter followers by Groundhog's Day.

Why? 'Cause my Twittering is my bestest work ever. (Or at least my most concise.)

http://twitter.com/howwastheshow

HowWasTheShow/Minneapoliscast CD Reviews for December, 2007

HowWasTheShow's special holiday podcast, featuring 9 songs and 8 guests.

1. Humanboy – “Something Familiar” – selected by Jason Nagel (http://www.myspace.com/humanboy)
2. Alicia Corbett/Tea & Sympathy – “1st & 3rd” – selected by Mei Young (http://www.myspace.com/corbettinorbit)
3. Terry Eason – “Megalomaniac” – Selected by David de Young (http://www.myspace.com/easonic)
4. Dreamland Faces – “Je Sais Comment” – Selected by Jon Behm (http://www.dreamlandfaces.com/)
5. Dance Band – “Shake Your Baby Maker” – Selected by Stacy Schwartz (http://www.myspace.com/mydanceband/
6. 757s – “Repeater” – Selected by Pat O’Brien (http://www.the757s.com)
7. Little Sister – “Fever” – Selected by Jen Paulson (http://www.myspace.com/littlesistermpls)
8. Sick of Sarah - “Hello Good Morning” – Selected by Andrea Myers (http://www.myspace.com/sickofsarah )
9. Trailer Trash – “Do You Hear What I Hear (You Really Got Me)” – Special Holiday extra (http://www.trailertrashmusic.com)


MP3 File

Utah Phillips Benefit Concert 12/15/07 at the Eagle's Club

Press Release:

Utah Phillips Benefit Concert
Saturday, December 15th - 6 PM
Eagle's Club - 2507 E. 25th St.

The "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest" has a bum ticker:

U. Utah Phillips, a former NPR host who was blacklisted in the state of Utah after an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 1968 on the Peace and Freedom party ticket can be described as a raconteur extraordinaire, a radical historian well-versed in the sorrowful details of the bloodiest social justice struggles of the last century, a hobo, and one hell of a musician whose songs can break your heart and bring your blood to a boil.

Sadly, Utah Phillips has recently been forced to quit performing because of Cheyne-Stokes - a respiratory condition that causes severe disturbances in breathing and debilitating heart irregularities, leaving him with no means of support.

So on Saturday, December 15th, come join friends, admirers, and kindred misfits at the Eagle's Club (2507 E. 25th St) at 6 PM for a benefit concert featuring:

• Duluth's own favorite son, Charlie Parr (6 PM sharp)
• alt-country rocker Bernie King
• the sad folkie from North East, Gabe Barnett
• fiddle player Mary Dushane
• the mustachioed man who can tell you a story whilst entangling you in a lasso, Pop Wagner (& friends)
• the Joan Baez of the Twin Cities, Maureen McElderry
• a couple who actually hung out with Bob Dylan and aren't just making it up to sound cool, Judy Larson & Bill Hinckley
• classically-trained guitarist gone folkster, Phil Heywood
• the "pit bull of folk," Paul Metsa
• who's-your-daddy-Papa John Kolstad
• the mysterious bearded man who plays so well that it requires a different Hawaiian shirt each time, Dakota Dave Hull
• and Peter Lang whose talent needs no corny byline in a press release.

So come on down to the Eagle's and give a little back to a man whose part in the struggle for justice and whose gifts as a story teller and musician have kept the oral and musical traditions of resistance alive and kickin'!


This event is sponsored by the Twin Cities General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World

Bride of Frankenskate and Post-bout bash

The North Star Roller Girls kick off the first bout of their second season Saturday night, October 27th at 6:30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. As Napalmer told us in this month's HowWasTheShow podcast, the most terrifying batch of women on eight wheels this side of the Mississippi outgrew their digs at the Cheapskate in Coon Rapids, where they skated for the 2006-2007 season, and have moved on up to the larger facility for season number two.

Doors for the bout, dubbed "Bride of Frankenskate," are at 6:30. The bout is at 7:30. Tickets are $10 advance, $12 at the door. (Buy your tickets in advance from Indie Tickets.) Halftime show music by Stockcar Named Desire. Bout DJs by Radio K.

Afterwards, come on over to Stasiu's in Northeast Minneapolis, where the girls will be winding down with Rank Strangers, The Slats, Action Versus Action, and The Revamps at a pre-Halloween party sponsored by HowWasTheShow.

When I wrote the press release for this party, I said this would be an out of hand event. Believe me, I was not exaggerating. Truly, I'm a little bit scared. But by all means, come on down!

Dan Israel and Stook! performance and Interview

For your listening pleasure, here is the third HowWasTheShow Artists Series Podcast. This month we feature Dan Israel and Stook!, who stopped by the HowWasTheShow studios recently to play some songs and talk about their upcoming CD Release Party at the Varsity Theater on Friday, October 26th, 2007.

This hilarious 34 minute audio interview includes live performances by both singer/songwriters.

MP3 File

Elvis Perkins plays the Mad Ripple Hootenany

As I mentioned yesterday, Elvis Perkins has been in town since Thursday. Friday evening he played the first of the second season of Mad Ripple Hootenanys (or is it Hootenanies?) at Java Jacks in South Minneapolis. Perkins played 4 songs, including the haunting "Doomsday," (first-come, first-served link to live recording of that song) which the songwriter said had been born of trouble he has remembering names, "Emile's Vietnam in the Sky," "Shampoo" and "While You Were Sleeping."

Also helping to kick off the first hoot were Jenny Dalton (who releases a new CD of remixes of songs from her last album Fleur de Lily at the Kitty Cat Klub on Friday, October 26th, Peter Lochner, guitarist from Stook's band The Jukes (Stook & The Jukes also release their new disc When the Needle Hits the Wax at the Varsity Theater, October 26th), and local singer/songwriter Carl Franzen. Of course, the Hoot was again headed up by it's instigator, Jim Walsh.

I had made a resolution to get to the Hoot earlier this year and made it in time tonight to get a front row seat, and it was literally a row of comfy theater chairs right by the stage, which made for a prime vantage point for a few photos.

View a slideshow of my Hoot pictures here, or view the set at the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/howwastheshow/sets/72157602286006897/detail/

Elvis Perkins in Minneapolis

There are some people out there who still don't know who Elvis Perkins is. And I've talked to some people who had heard he is the son of Anthony Perkins (true) but weren't aware of what a truly awesome songwriter and performer he is in his own right, all ties to familial fame aside. Elvis Perkins is the real deal.

Perkin's debut album, Ash Wednesday, has been out since early 2007 on XL Recordings and it's one of my favorite national releases this year. Fans of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen will surely enjoy him, but I think it's fair to say he really found his own distinct voice early in his career, and I hope there's a lot more to come.

Elvis Perkins is in Minneapolis tonight and tomorrow for shows at the Fine Line (tonight) and 400 Bar tomorrow. You will kick yourself later if you missing seeing him.

I caught up with Elvis Perkins at the Borderline in London this summer (see above photo) and in case my photo set got buried in the rest of my travel images, I provide this link to that set here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/howwastheshow/sets/72157600994381317/

Note in my photo Elvis is playing a guitar called "Kid Harpoon." Where it came from, no one seemed to know. It just turned up on stage after Perkins started having technical difficulties with his pickup early in the set. Here's to Kid!

Also on that London bill was an up and coming band called The Wallbirds, who provided a perfectly complimentary yet distinct set and who are selling out shows all over England now after an appearance at the Reading/Leeds Festival in August.