Welp, it’s official. I have another cat. That’s not how my Thursday was supposed to go, but after this little guy literally jumped into my car on Wednesday night and a vet appointment to make sure he was okay, it’s official that he’s mine (and I have the vet bill to prove it). It’s a weird feeling, and my head was all over the place on Thursday during the day because of it. Do I really need another cat? Absolutely not. But I’m calling it fate, and I’m so excited to have this little guy in my crazy household. I was ready to get away from the chaos and ready for a show, but at the same time, I was worried about him as I left the house on Thursday night for my first show in a couple of days. Was he scared? Did he have enough food and water? Was he mad at me? Like I said, my head was all over the place, but thankfully, I have The Ike Reilly Assassination at The Turf Club to soothe my heart and soul.
Born Michael Christopher Reilly, Ike Reilly is a bit of a legend. He has been doing his thing for years and has released eight albums dating back to 2001, with a smattering of EPs and other releases. His sound is iconic to the point where Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine fame) has called Reilley “one of the best American songwriters of the last 10 years.” I feel like I see Ike Reilly’s name come across town multiple times a year- both solo and with his band but I’ve never taken the time to clear my schedule so I could see why there’s so much hype around him- until now. Thursday night was my first time checking out the myth, the man, and the legend of Ike Reilly, but it surely won’t be my last.
I instantly brought the average age of the sold-out Turf Club down by about forty years when I stepped foot inside. It was an unfamiliar demographic for me, but one that excited me. Sure, I was the youngest one there and probably the only patron to buy a vodka Redbull throughout the night, but just seeing so many older people out and enjoying a night on the town made my heart flutter. Given the crowd’s average age, I wasn’t expecting to feel the sense of electricity that I did. I promise I’m not trying to dog on old people here, but I was expecting people to just be lingering in the back, huddled around tables as they caught up about the neighborhood kids who won’t stay off their lawns while sipping on water. Instead, people were packed tight right up against the stage, excitedly talking about their Ike Reilly stories while they waited for the talented musician to take the stage. It felt kind of weird not to have my own Ike Reilly story, but hearing everyone praise this man in their excited tones definitely set the stage for the night and raised the bar a little higher than it had already been set for this act.
They didn’t disappoint. A hair after 8 PM, Ike Reilly and his band (including his two sons) stormed the stage and instantly swept the entire audience (myself included) off their feet. The vocals and overall vibe of The Ike Reilly Assassination is very Bruce Springsteen meets The Replacements with a slight Pogues influence (and I swear I’m not saying that just because of the Pogues cover that they did). There was never a point where the group’s sound felt super intense, but there were many moments when the power almost overtook me. Everything about the band behind Reilly was perfect. They were definitely in the pocket throughout the night but, more importantly, were clearly having fun performing the songs that they do night after night. From the faces they were making to the way they interacted with each other and the audience, you could just tell that everyone on stage on Thursday night was truly grateful and excited to be there.
I don’t know what songs The Ike Reilly Assassination played on Thursday night other than The Pogues cover that I caught, but I know that when the band left the stage after just about an hour of playing, there was a sense of disappointment that the cast over the audience. Don’t get me wrong, an hour of performing can’t be easy for people to pull off. It takes energy to get on stage and play your heart out, but an hour did feel a bit short. People started heading for the door, but just when they got there, the band came back on stage and jumped right into another set that lasted well into the night. Truthfully, I had gotten my fix. The music of The Ike Reilly Assassination wasn’t quite for me, but I enjoyed it. For everyone else, nothing would have been enough. This band could have played well into Friday afternoon, and people would have still been left wanting more. It was magical to see this as an outsider and a perfect way to spend my Thursday night.
I have one last thought on Thursday night, and it’s honestly more important than The Ike Reilly Assassination’s performance (sorry, not sorry, guys). It takes a special person to go to shows night after night, but I’m not the only one who does it. I have met so many amazing people in the local scene here in the Twin Cities who do it, and although they may not have a blog or do photos, their contribution to the local scene is truly insanely amazing. Front Row Paul is one of those people. He is a true legend (and even got a huge, heartfelt shout-out from the band on Thursday night). He goes to shows night after night and, as his name may suggest, is always in the front row. Paul recently got a devastating diagnosis. I won’t get into it but, the fact that he was still at this show on Friday night warmed my heart so much and honestly made me tear up a bit even though I’ve only formally met Paul once or twice. For the foreseeable future, I will be adding a link to a GoFundMe that has been started for Paul at the bottom of every post. If you can spare it, please consider donating. This guy is a legend and the kind of guy that I look up to because, although no spring chicken (sorry, Paul), he never stopped going to shows.
Line Up:
Venue: The Turf Club
Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable
Average Age of the Crowd: 58
Crowd Surfers- 0
Stage Divers- 0 ish
Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10
Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0
Broken Bones- None Noticed
Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing
Fights- None Witnessed
Pukers- 0
Passed Out People- 0
Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0
How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-
Ike Reilly Assassination – 0
Celebrity Sightings – Front Row Paul
Overall Score – 8 out of 10
Show on Deck — Ignite / Death By Stereo / The Slow Death / Powerdam
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