I wasn’t going to write a post about the event on Thursday night but events like what took place on Thursday in venues like The Parkway Theater in South Minneapolis deserve more attention than they get so, although short, I wanted to go a post regarding the showing of The Blues Brothers at this gorgeous theater with a live performance from local band Low Rats.

The Parkway Theater is a gorgeous 365-seat theater in the heart of south Minneapolis. I had been to this theater a few times pre-Covid for some shows and remember falling in love more and more with each visit. Although it has been quite a few years since I have been able to experience the magic of the place, I instantly felt at home and comfortable as we checked in and found seats (after grabbing a drink, of course). The audience was a bit light as the lights went down and local band took Low Rats took the stage but everyone scattered throughout the stunning theater was attentive and ready for a rock show and that’s exactly what Low Rats gave them.

The chicken wire around the stage went over my head and their opening cover of the theme from Raw Hide also left me a bit confused, Low Rats’ quick set proceeding the screening of ‘The Blues Brothers’ was flawless. I promised this wasn’t going to be a long post and I will stick with that but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how great Low Rats sounded on Thursday. I have seen these guys before and will surely see them many more times but they will never get old to me. Their sound is a straight-up good ol’ fashioned rock n roll sound with punk tendencies which I feel is an underrated sound since The Hives and The Strokes kind of fell off the map. It’s fun and upbeat making you want to dance and smile while not being too harsh or aggressive. Honestly, it was the perfect way to kick the night off even if it didn’t completely match the movie that followed their set (although the band was quick to point out that John Belushi was the reason FEAR was on SNL and the reason that punk on SNL almost died). Regardless of if it fit or not, it worked for me and actually got me out to see a movie which is a rare occurrence.

I’m not a movie person so my opinion on The Blues Brothers. I will say that it was my first time seeing the movie and, quite honestly, I just don’t get the hype but that’s not the point of this post or even my Thursday night. The point of it all is just how amazing events like this are. It blends creative worlds together in a perfect way and showcases not only the treasured buildings scattered throughout the Twin Cities but also the diverse musical line-up that can be found here.

Big ups to everyone involved in making Thursday night so amazing. Also, shout out to Joe Holland of Low Rats for convincing the theater to show The Blues Brothers. According to the vocalist of the band, Joe begged and pleaded for this even to happen. According to Joe, he just had to ask nicely. Regardless, my Thursday night spent at The Parkway Theater was amazing and I truly hope to see you at one of their other live music/ movie events coming up (or literally anything else they have on the calendar as every event at The Parkway has been amazing and they seriously have THE BEST popcorn ever). They have some stellar ones on the books including my personal favorite movie, Almost Famous, with local act Cindy Lawson kicking the night off!

Grab tickets to that event and many more HERE!