Local Licks

      This past year, I made me second trip to Lutsen for the Snowball Music Festival which includes a weekend of skiing and three nights of really good regional bands. Last time I went two folk bands blew the doors off the place and I was absolutely amazed. Pert Near Sandstone from Minnesota around the cities played an amazing set that included a clogger equipped with the wood shoes and all. The guys in the band are super talented and I've been lucky enough to meet a couple of them and they're pretty awesome guys. The other group that played was Trampled by Turtles, another folk group that was absolutely amazing. They played with a tempo and fervor that was surreal to listen to at the concert. It was a great time and we even had a jam with a bunch of locals and fest goers at the hotel during the weekend.
      The trip this January was also a blast, minus the 40 mph winds, and we got treated to a group called Roster McCabe and they play a kind of techno-rock music that was pretty incredible. The lead singer rocks a huge fro while playing keyboards, the guitar players are sick, and the drummer had a monster fro and was super talented as well. I was digging their music, but then they played a Led Zepplin cover of Kashmir that was fucking sick...I was in heaven.
    I think it's awesome that there is a ton of regional bands that are talented and have the desire to commit to their music and the daily grind of touring. To me, these are the types of band that really drive the music industry. It's not the prima-donnas that have songs written for them, it's the groups and individuals that craft their lyrics and music from personal experiences, both good and bad, and pour it all out on the stage when they're performing, then will have a beer with you after the show. We are lucky to live around this area because the local music scene is actually very strong, and bands like Roster McCabe and Three Beers til Dubuque and Charlie Par are usually playing within driving distance.
    To give you an idea what I'm talking about, I've posted three videos down below. The first one is Roster McCabe with Kashmir. Second is Pert near Sandstone, and the third is Trampled by Turtles. Enjoy and get out there to support your local smaller bands!

Pert' Near Sandstone

                                                        Trampled by Turtles