Girl at the Rock Shows

It has been sixty-nine days since the amazing Paul Engebretson left this world. The loss of Front Row Paul was a gut punch to the entire Twin Cities music community and to anyone who knew him. He was a force. He was a passionate man, and his passion (outside of his beautiful family) was local music. Paul was at every show right there, in the front row. He always had a local band shirt on and wasn’t afraid to travel to see his favorite local band of the moment. His death sent aftershocks throughout the scene, and I feel like we are still trying to grapple with the loss. Every show, I find myself looking at the front row as if I’m going to see him there as a bit of an acknowledgement that I had picked the right show to spend my night at, because, for me, that’s who Paul was. I knew that if he was at the same show that I was, I had picked right. Every time he was at First Avenue Mainroom and I was in the photo pit, I would feel him tap my shoulder for a high five. I didn’t know Paul well personally, but he is someone who I looked up to, and having to go on without seeing him every once in a while has been difficult not just for me, but for everyone.

The local music community came together and threw a hell of a party in Paul’s honor over the weekend. With sixty-two acts over twenty-three hours at Palmer’s Bar on the West Bank of Minneapolis, it felt like time stopped in the Twin Cities over the weekend as we all celebrated just a handful of the fantastic acts that Paul was passionate about. It was just music, friends, and the spirit of Front Row Paul floating through the air and it was perfect.

Did I have to see every single one of the bands that performed this weekend? Absolutely not but Ann (of Mostly MN Music) and I decided that, had this been for someone else and had Paul been around (which, I know he was– you could feel him in the air and in every smile seen this weekend), he would have done the same. It didn’t matter how exhausted or hungry you were. You stayed and you saw every single band perform so that’s just what Ann and I did.

Before I bombard you with coverage (albeit short) of every single band that played on Sunday, I want to, again, give a huge shout out to Christy Costello. Christy is the one who booked all of these acts and made sure everything went smoothly (which it did)! I can’t even imagine what the process looked like to book this beast but she did it and deserves a standing ovation (and multiple pots of coffee) for what she did. I also want to thank everyone else that helped pull this off. I know I’m going to miss some people so I’m not even going to try and list them all but you know who are. To the staff of Palmer’s- You guys are the real MVPs. They were all great from the sound staff to the bartenders, they were on top of it and just added to the flawlessness of the night. Lastly- to Paul’s family and loved ones. You guys are so loved in this scene, and I’m sure this weekend wasn’t an easy one for you, but please know, Paul’s spirit is so alive in the town, and it’s not going anywhere!

Now for the insane line-up of Sunday!

Local singer-songwriter Jason Chafee got Sunday started off right. His set was full of passion and emotion, but also felt fresh like a sunny morning (which it was).

Although it was early in the day, Scott Allen and his band brought an electric kind of energy. This group had the early rising crowd getting in the perfect mood for the day and gave us an infectious sound to dance to.

The Rodents were a good ol’ fashioned rock band whose sound filled the air with ease. I loved how you could see that the guys in this band were more than just seasoned professionals- they are friends and that came through with the spirit that radiated from the stage.

Things shifted inside for a hot minute for Tommy Bentz. The talent of Tommy was insane and I feel bad for anyone who opted to stay outside rather than trek in for this set.

Catching Elour on Sunday was a treat. This is a heck of a band and vocalist Elizabeth Ghandour will never not leave my jaw on the ground. Even though, like everyone else’s set, Elour’s time on stage was short, Elour left me stunned with their sound and Elizabeth’s siren-like voice.

Will I ever get sick of seeing Twin Citizen live? Absolutely not. The talent of this band comes through loud and clear and will leave you absolutely mesmerized, much like they did to me on Sunday.

Up next was St. Dominic’s Trio. I really can’t put into words how much fun this band brought to the stage and that “fun bar” was only raised by the addition of three horn players that led perfectly into The Belfast Cowboys’ set.

The Belfast Cowboys is the exact same band as St. Dominic’s Trio only with the addition of the horns creating a bombastic sound that floated through the air so perfectly.

Tony Ortiz was next and, although just a duo after the larger-than-life sound of The Belfast Cowboys, Tony and his bandmate kept the energy high as they powered through a couple of songs.

I don’t get to see Martin Devaney enough so seeing him on Sunday was a treat and a half. Martin’s sound is raw but perfect with relatable lyrics and a staggering amount of heart.

Heart continued to soar through the air as Katy Vernon took the stage. With just her ukulele in hand, I loved how Katy dedicated her set to Front Row Paul in so many ways including playing new songs that she wanted Paul to hear (which I’m sure he did).

Annie & The Bang Bang hit the crowd with an urge to dance in all of the best ways as they took the stage. The always electric band was on point on Sunday but, honestly, Annie & The Bang Bang are always on point.

I have been waiting to see Miss Georgia Peach live ever since she was on the radio show I co-host from time to time. I loved hearing her country-tinged songs live and loved how, although not much of a country fan, she had me sold with every song she and her amazing band performed.

Leslie Rich & The Rocket Soul Choir brought a slightly serious tone to the day. Leslie Rich spoke about how hard the past few months have been for him and everyone else including the passing of Front Row Paul. Although it was a somber moment, Leslie Rich & The Rocket Soul Choir used their time on stage to honor our fallen friends and loved ones in a beautiful way.

Where do I even begin with The Sex Rays. This fun and quirky band was a stand-out for me. They had swagger and attitude that riegned supreme throughout their short time on stage.

It was time to head back inside for a quick set from Fletcher Coulee. This trio was full of life, and although again people seemed to opt to stay outside, leaving inside fairly quiet, they didn’t hold back.

Constant Insult brought a ferocious set to the outside stage that was full of heart, angst, and passion.

There was a time when I was seeing New Rocket Union perform a lot, but then it came to a halt. Their set on Sunday was a great reminder of just how powerful this local duo is.

Fret Rattles continued the party with their punk meets rock sound that comes with a unique retro twist. This band has been around for quite some time and you could feel that with the way they were able to have fun on stage while also giving the audience a flawless product.

I had never heard of Yesterday’s Numbers prior to Sunday but I instantly fell in love. This punk leaning rock band was right up my alley and one that I hope to see again very soon.

I’m not a huge fan of Bob Dylan but, like I learned yesterday with The Pixies and Led Zeppelin cover bands that performed, that won’t stop me from loving on a local cover band like Mind Over Time. With the guest appearances of Christy Costello and Orion Treon, Mind Over Time made Bob Dylan fun for me and was a great addition to the line-up.

What happened next was absolutely the brightest spots of an already blinding weekend. Ike Reilly of The Ike Reilly Assassination is not local but he and Paul formed a friendship. The last show I saw Paul at was actually the Ike Reilly show at The Turf Club so to have this legend fly in just to pay his respects to Front Row Paul was stunning. Add the fact that he did a set with local band (and one of Paul’s favorites) the Shackletones and then adding Christy Costello onto the stage on top of all of that– yeah, I may have cried a bit while watching this amazing moment happen.

The night didn’t end there. We still had two bands performing outside and three inside. Products Band was up next outside. Their unique noise-inspired punk sounds were the perfect soundtrack to keep the night going.

I didn’t know anything about the next band I was about to see but, after talking to a buddy, I realized just how big of a deal it was that I was about to see The Hypstrz. One of the most underrated punk bands of all time, it apparently takes a lot to get this band to play these days and they have only done it a handful of times. I am beyond honored that they came out on Sunday and I love the fact that they did it for Front Row Paul. I was truly in the presence of giants as they played through their set.

The party moved inside for The Silent Treatment. As always, this band was all of the place stylistically from anthemic rock to intense punk with a slight rockabilly undertone. Regardless of where this band took their set, they were on point.

Cerveza Muscular brought a darker sound with more metal undertones to the inside stage at Palmer’s which helped keep me going even though, at this point, I was ready to throw in the towel.

Closing out the insane line-up and beautiful weekend was The 99ers. Their sound was full of life but, overall, a bit more chill than some of the previous acts of the day making them the perfect way to close out a perfect marathon of a day and weekend.

And there you have it– sixty two acts in two days. I know a lot of people doubted that Ann and I could do this and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some points during both Saturday and Sunday where we both thought about throwing in the towel but this festival was too important to miss a single moment of.

Front Row Paul may be gone from this physical world, but he was absolutely in attendance throughout the weekend. We love you, Paul. We love you and we miss you.