I'd never heard of them until I booked them. And guess what? They're amazeballs! They played one of the strongest sets I've seen in a long while and even inspired a couple of elder gents to start dancing, all without the use of cover songs. Kudos guys! This band is talented, entertaining, funny and well-connected with the audience. Every element necessary to pull off a good show. The lead singer reminds me a bit of Eddie Vedder at times. Kind of sexy. (Yes, I am a 90's kid and damn proud of it! Some of the best music ever written came out of the 90's)!
I often feel I have so much more to learn as a musician when I host shows at The Hat Trick. The talent that rolls through here has been flooring me, recently. Why is this not one of the most prominent music venues in St. Paul??? Centrally located in Lowertown, great stage, cozy room, dance floor... In my opinion, it's easily St. Paul's best-kept secret. But I have to say, I truly hope the beans get spilled and soon! All of this amazing talent needs to be embraced!
who blew through my open mic a about two months ago. (Which, by the way is every Monday night at Hat Trick from 8-11pm). Couple of gals from Nashville, who were indeed, very lovely. Turns out they are from Minnesota, but live in Nashville and were home visiting for a few weeks and so decided to pop in to an open mic. They put on an unexpectedly dynamic and entertaining performance. I little bird told me that they are coming back to Minnesota on August 20th.
You have Citizen Arms who just blows me with the most raspy-smooth voice I've ever heard come out of a man. His lyrics send picturesque emotional landscapes cascading through my imagination and I get lost in his driving reverie.
Then there's the stunning Poeina Suddarth, an L.A. native who rolled through on her Midwest tour two weeks ago. Now Poeina is an absolutely top notch musician, but she's also one of those personalities that you just feel so grateful to have met because her energy and charm are simply infectious. I literally couldn't get her out of my head for days after running into her at the Ginko open mic (just two days after I missed her at my own open mic due to being on vacation). I was mezmerized by her stories about her travels and experiences, like spending her last 5 bucks to take the bus to perform a song she had written for a producer who wanted a "love song" for his film... and then sent her away empty-handed complaining that "your love song doesn't have enough war in it..." So - while picking away at a new tune I've been working on - she popped into my head again, I decided find her music and acquire it. How very fortuitous to find an email from her at that very moment. We had a few exchanges in which I got to express my gratitude and admiration for her music, and then I did download her EP. It's absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend that you do, as well. Few singer/songwriters can pull off hard rock, folk, and opera all in one beautifully unique compilation. She just launched a Kickstarter to try to fund a trip to Europe. Good luck Poeina!I fully believe in Kickstarter. I funded my band's album that way. We weren't making crap at shows and it would have taken a decade to save up enough money to fund it ourselves. Artists are losing financial support across the board and this is a great way for us to keep moving forward and making music. Without fundraiser projects like Kickstarter, many talented musicians would never have the opportunity get there music recorded and heard. I encourage you to check it out and pledge something reasonable for a project you would like to see succeed!
Much thanks for reading and please support music in any way you can! The world appreciates it!
