Girl at the Rock Shows

One of the booking agents I work with frequently in New York City is in town for an independent music venue conference happening throughout the Twin Cities this week. I tried my best to meet up with him, but as I often warn people, my schedule is the absolute worst, and it just never happened. I texted him Wednesday evening, apologizing that it never worked out, but asking if he was having a good time in town. He was quick to respond, saying that Minneapolis is such an amazing place, and, honestly, he was right. It’s not that I take living here for granted, but I definitely think I get a bit jaded by just how amazing it is. I mean, after this conversation, I jumped in my car and headed over to The Turf Club in Saint Paul to see Tommy Stinson perform. Yes, Tommy Stinson of The Replacements fame, in a small and intimate, 350-person capacity venue. The Twin Cities truly are a magical place, and that was in the spotlight on Wednesday night.

The crowd was still growing as opening act Karla Rose took the stage. I’m not sure how Brooklyn, NY-based Karla Rose and Tommy Stinson connected, but it quickly became clear that it was fate. Karla’s set was soft and sweet with this slight southern twang and an insane amount of heart. Everything from her tender love songs to her attempt at a diss track (which, I’ll admit, had some zingers in it but, truly, I don’t think this woman could come off as spiteful or angsty even if she tried) was stunningly gorgeous. Her voice was smooth, and the way she called the entire audience to attention, even though it was clearly an audience who was there to socialize and catch up with old friends, was just as stunning as her music.

After a quick little opening set from Karla, Tommy took the stage with nothing more than a guitar in hand and a microphone positioned in front of his face. He wasted no time plunging the older audience into a world of nostalgia while also proving that he is not just his past. From new to old songs, Tommy proved track after track that he was a born musician. Some of that was because of the sheer talent that could be heard and his genius use of words, but it was also the way he commanded the audience. Although I’d like to think that Karla set the stage for this with the way she was able to pull people out of their personal conversations to pay attention to her, I also think some of this is due to the sheer star power of Tommy and the way he, too, can command an audience with ease.

After a couple of solo songs, Tommy brought up his buddy Roger Shattuck. Roger is a phenomenal bassist from the south who recently moved up to Minnesota, who stood next to Tommy for a few songs, accompanying him on upright bass. The bass added a sense of beef to the sound, but that’s a given, right? What isn’t a given is how this beef added a whole other layer of personality to the set. Tommy turned from a lone frontman to a band man. The way these two men worked together was pretty cool to watch. You could tell that Roger knew he was on stage with a true legend and was intently listening and watching every cue Tommy was giving him as far as when and what to play, but, at the same time, you could feel a bond of friendship between the two. There were laughs, smiles, and Tommy accusing Roger of being out of tune at one point (and it was barely out of tune, but, due to Tommy’s talent, he could hear it and it had to be fixed before the two could play another song).

It was this kind of energy that radiated throughout the night. After a few songs with Roger, Karla came up and joined Tommy with her stunning vocals and some beautiful violin work. Again, I’m not sure how Karla and Tommy met, but when they were performing a couple of songs together, it was clear that it was meant to be. Karla’s softness against Tommy’s more rock n’ roll kind of vibe created the most beautiful world to get lost in, and it was amazing to watch the way both musicians respected each other’s space and notes.

Following a few songs with Karla Rose, Tommy ushered up the Al Church Band. Al Church is a local legend, and his band is absolutely bar none. I would call them a variety band, but it’s not what you think. Al Church and his band are just one of those groups that do a little bit of everything, and they do every little bit absolutely perfectly. From funk to rock to soul to everything in between, I’ve heard Al do it all, and that’s what made this band such a perfect match for Tommy. We got to hear it all. Nostalgic rockin’ anthems to more heartfelt and tender love songs. Regardless of what the vibe was, every note was perfectly placed, and every crescendo felt like a giant mountain to climb rather than just a blip from the soundboard. Everything was intentional, and everything came off as flawless while remaining emotive, and it all made for a truly engaging and captivating set that lasted long into the night.

Wednesday night’s show was the first of a small string of performances for this group of people. As Tommy explained, he wanted to throw a festival, tour it around, but keep it cheap enough for the masses to come out and see it, so this is what he came up with. He nailed it. The way there was always a new person on stage or a new configuration of people gave this show a festival vibe. Tommy said he set this whole thing up because he just wanted to make some music with some friends, but I think he knows that he has something golden here, and I am just honored to have been able to be part of the first night of the tour.

Line Up:

Karla Rose

The Al Church Band

Tommy Stinson

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 54

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)-

Karla Rose – 0

Al Church Band – 1

Tommy Stinson – 0

Show on Deck – LEFTöVER CRACK / sadplant

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