Girl at the Rock Shows

My first day back to work after a week off is not going as well as I’d hoped. I knew that I was going to walk into an insane pile of emails and work, but I wasn’t expecting my coffee to spill all over my car, leaving me short on coffee for this insane day and smelling of hazelnut. Any other day, I would take this as a sign that it’s going to be a rough day, but not today. Honestly, anything could happen, and I would keep a smile on my face because of what I got to experience Sunday night at The Dakota in downtown Minneapolis.

Glen David Andrews is New Orleans. He lives and breathes the culture and sound of that town. As I’ve mentioned a few times before, I’ve never been to New Orleans. It’s on my list of places to visit, but just hasn’t come to fruition as of yet. With musicians like Glen coming to the Dakota, do I really need to? He truly brought New Orleans to Minneapolis with this boisterous and full-of-life performance on Memorial Day. Okay, I’m lying. I know I still need to visit this famed town and really immerse myself in the rich culture that comes with it, but it was nice to feel like I was on a vacation down there while only having to drive a few miles from my house.

Although I was absolutely at this show for the traditional and bombastic New Orleans first line style that Glen is well known for, I appreciate the range of the setlist. There were those iconic, parade-esque tracks, but also tracks that showcased the soul of not only Glen, but also his band. Joined by an absolutely stunning vocalist (whose name I didn’t catch and I don’t want to even attempt to butcher it– my apologies), there was a give and take of beauty and power throughout the set, and the audience was ready for wherever the night was going to go. From an absolutely stunning rendition of “What A Wonderful World” to a small snippet of “When The Saints Go Marching In,” the setlist truly ran the gamut of all things from tempo to vibe to style to range. Whether it was a slower, more tender kind of love song or a party anthem, everything heard from the stage was full of life and, more importantly, passion.

The Dakota isn’t a stuffy club by any means, but it is the kind of place where you spend the majority of a set in your seat enjoying a delicious meal or one of the club’s tasty drinks. Glen wasn’t having that. Within the first song, he had the entire audience on their feet, and although we were given breaks throughout the night where we could resume eating and drinking, I felt like sitting in a seat and just letting the music wash over me was a bit like a sin. From the music to the larger-than-life personality of Glen David Andrews, you just didn’t want to sit; you wanted to dance, let the music take you over, and follow your heart wherever it may go. It wasn’t just the audience who was expected to move; Glen also refused to stand still. The first song showcased him parading around the audience and getting people to feel like they were part of the show, not just at the show. Maybe it helped that it was a good buddy’s birthday celebration on the balcony of the audience, which added to the party-like atmosphere, or maybe this is just how Glen’s shows always go. Either way, I loved how he broke down the barrier between stage and audience and instantly had people feeling like they were part of the show.

Clearly, I was already in love with this man and his insanely talented band (who had just recently gotten together, which absolutely blew my mind because they were so tight as a group), but this was all just the beginning of my love surrounding the show. Towards the end of the set, Glen told the audience that we were “taking it outside!” My gut instinct was, ” Cool! We’re going to storm the street and have a good ol’ fashioned street party, but then I thought about it more, the audience, although not as old as some of the crowds I’ve been part of at this venue, didn’t quite seem like the street-party kind. That’s absolutely me judging, and I’m not proud of it, but I started to settle into the idea that we weren’t taking it to the streets; this was meant more figuratively, and that we would, more than likely, just parade around the classy club. Glen and his band kept playing, and he kept on repeating, “Taking it to the streets!” I looked at my boyfriend sitting across from me and gave him that “What is going to happen” kind of look. Then, out of nowhere, my gut said to pack up, get my camera in hand, and head for the door. I’m so glad I listened to my gut.

Within minutes, Glen was leading the audience out of the Dakota and into the half pedestrian mall, half bus route kind of street that The Dakota sits on. It was as funny as it was fun to watch. People waved their napkins, tissues, whatever they could find in the air as Glen paraded down the street with his trombone in hand. Before long, I noticed another sound– a drum. I was confused. The band was still stuck on stage as none of them seemed to be equipped for a more marching band style show, so where were the drums coming from? That’s when I saw a familiar face– the drummer of Jack Brass Band. I don’t know if this was planned or if it was sheer coincidence that he had his marching bass drum with cymbal attached just ready to go, but why question a good thing? The crowd wasn’t huge, but it was mighty, and it was nothing but smiles and cheers as we all marched like the world’s most unequipped marching band up and down Nicollet Mall.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and, eventually, the march was led back to the Dakota but not before getting the attention of a cranky cop who was quick to yell at us for blocking the street (okay, there was a bus coming so I guess the yell was warranted but, come on, how was that cop not dancing and smiling with us all while comedically leading us off of the street and back onto the sidewalk). Even as things were led back into the candlelit venue, it was smiles all around, and you could just feel a sense of electricity in the air, even as tabs were closed out, chairs pushed in, and the venue was left empty for the night.

I didn’t know who Glen David Andrews was when walking into this show on Monday night. Truthfully, there just wasn’t much happening around town, and I was in the mood for a show. Kind of like when my gut said it was time to grab my camera and head outside so I could get photos of people leaving the crowd and “taking it to the streets,” I was more than thankful that I went with my gut and came out to cover this show. I’m not going to say that it was life-changing or a religious experience, but holy heck, this is one show that I will not soon forget.

Line Up:

Glen David Andrews

Venue: Dakota

Smell-O-Meter: The delicious food of The Dakota

Average Age of the Crowd: 51

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Glen David Andrews – 0

Show on Deck – Mildred / Cowboy Thoughts / The Envies

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