They Can Make Me Like Them

I am now officially a Hold Steady fan. I saw them at Grand Old Day a couple years ago after Separation Sunday came out. Really liked the music, but Craig Finn's speak-singing drove me nuts.

But...after a couple Boys and Girls in America reviews that said Craig Finn actually sings, I decided to give the new one a listen. I love it! Well, except for Chillout Tent... But I can even handle the lapse back into speak-singing on Same Kooks.

Luckily, a friend of mine became a hard-core fan with Separation Sunday and was up for hearing them at First Ave last night. The show was great. They played all of the the ones I liked, and didn't play Chillout Tent (though it would have been cool to see Dave Pirner come out on stage...) I'm not an "I have to be in the front row" person, but this is one show that I really wished I had been. The first 3 rows had to feel like they were the only ones in the room many times, when Mr. Finn leaned in and sang lovingly into their eyes!

Random facts: the keyboard guy is a dead ringer for a young (everyone's favorite comedian)Gallagher and Mrs. Finn's (mom's) favorite song off the new disc is Southtown Girls.

Word of the Day: Busking

Something the Moral Majority should be pontificating about, perhaps? NO! Busking is just playing music or performing entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money. The Brits use it more commonly.

I came across the word in an article about those cuties Old Crow Medicine Show in the Sept/Oct 2006 No Depression. Marty Stuart is exclaiming " 'I missed them between the two Opry shows that night-- and then learned that they were out busking in front of the Ryman, after their encore!' "

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about busking.

Restaurant: Nala Pak (formerly Udupi)

My friend and I checked out the former Udupi Cafe on Central last night. It reopened this year under new ownership, after the former owner got in trouble for employing illegal immigrants.

After being relieved to learn that they served alcohol, we ordered the appetizer sampler. Though the vada, paneer pakora, samosa, etc. were tasty, all were deep-fried. A bit too heavy to eat more than one item. For my entree, I had the Special Rava Masala Dosai. Yum. The dosa was tender but crispy with a nice onion flavor. The filling consisted of mashed up potato and onion. Not sure if it was the filling or the dosa, but there was a nice level of heat to it. I forgot they are about the same diameter as the tire of an 18-wheeler and only got through half of it.

The atmosphere, unfortunately, is not even as good as the old Udupi, which wasn't exactly Chez Panisse itself. Cold tile floors, unpleasantly-shaded empty walls, and terrible lighting. And if that isn't enough, the very kind owner enthusiastically told us about the 3 big-screen televisions that will soon hang from the ceilings...

Word of the Day: Shibboleth

Shibboleth: a word, pronounciation, custom, practice, or behavior that is distinctinve to a particular group.

I came across this word in an interesting Rift Magazine article about what First Ave was like in 1987. "At the time, the club also employed several iffy skinhead types that made me seriously uncomfortable. These were the guys with neck tattoos before visible tats became a hipster shibboleth in the mid '90s."

Read more about this fascinating word courtesy of Answers.com, and don't forget to check out the website of the famous Dallas, TX instrumental rock trio Shibboleth...

Musical Enlightenment

Sunny and mid-60s in St. Paul. A perfect day to lay on the grass, drink beer, and listen to great some great music at Summit's Big Brew. I got there just in time to hear Tapes 'n Tapes. They sounded fine, but I was expecting them to sound somehow bigger. The last time I heard was them was last December at the 400 Bar, pre-Pitchfork hype. The 400 seemed way too small for them then, and I thought with all of the outdoor festivals they've played since then, they would sound huge.

Next up: The Suburbs. The only stuff I knew was what was played on Minneapolis radio in the 80s: "Life is Like" and "Love is the Law. " I didn't particularly like it. I was mystified as to why they were considered so important to 80s Minneapolis scene, since they sounded so pop-lite. They played some of their early punky stuff Saturday, and now I understand! Girl Ache was a highlight for me.

I have a terrible habit of not paying attention to musicians with boring names and do not have an big appreciation for singer/songwriters, so Richard Thompson's set seemed like the perfect time to stand in the ridiculously long beer line. I wish I had paid closer attention. It was amazing how much one man playing an acoustic guitar could fill the place. And his lyrics were clever, Hots for the Smarts being one example I remember.

Soul Asylum was up next. I was curious about them, but not particulary excited as I always associate them with Runaway Train, a song I really don't like. They were awesome live. Again, now I understand the hype. I never realized how many of their songs I loved but didn't know it was them. Exhibit A: Somebody to Shove.

Things turned strange when my favorite band in the lineup entered the stage. My coworker and fellow Cake fan had told me about how he couldn't decide if he loved or hated them like, saying that he had seen at least two shows where John McCrea was a total asshole. I had only seen them once live at First Ave and they were awesome. I didn't understand what he was talking about. Again, now I know. I'm not sure if McCrea was drunk or just liked to stir up the crowd, but he was undoubtedly an asshole. Accusing fans of stealing his music and not knowing Buck Owens' music, berating them for calling out song names, whining about why in America they can't get a disco ball to work. Their set was entertaining in a totally different way than I expected, though if they hadn't played "Going the Distance" and "Never There" I might have felt differently.

Perhaps now that you've read a Big Brew review in English, you'd like to read one in French!

Restaurant: Peninsula

I've been on a "I must try new restaurants" kick lately, so a friend and I sampled the new Malaysian place in town, Peninsula, last night. My only other experience with Malaysian food was very good: a place called Rasa Sayang in (of all places) Golden Valley, had a wonderful chef when they first opened. (Unfortunately but not surprisingly, the suburbanites never tried the place, or if they did, they did not take to it. Chef Chen left and the food just hasn't been the same since.) I've wanted to check out this new place ever since it opened in January.

Luckily, Peninsula opened in a part of town that gives it a good chance for survival. And after sampling the food and atmosphere, I'm confident in saying that its chances can be upgraded to excellent. We started off with Popiah, a Malaysian style steamed spring roll stuffed with jicama, egg & bean sprouts. The jicama and bean sprouts were tender and tasty.

For the main course, I tried Mango Chicken. Though not the most adventurous choice I could have made, it was wonderful to the sight and the taste. It was served in a hollowed-out mango shell and burst with fresh mango and sweet pepper. It was not designated as spicy, but I was pleasantly surprised that it had just the right amount of spice to give it a little heat. I also sampled my friend's Beef Redang, and it's wonderful combination of flavors made me want to return tonight! I don't expect much for atmosphere in ethnic restaurants, so the space was a surprising as well. The high ceiling and large room were balanced by warm, dark wood flooring and trim and just the right level of light. This combination made the space feel full of energy, yet intimate at the same time.

Restaurant: Morelos Mexican Grill

A friend and I sought refuge from the gray, rainy days that kept us from doing the Headwaters Ride this year, and found it in the margaritas and tasty food at Morelos Mexican Grill in Richfield. The restaurant is in a former Godfather's Pizza, but you can barely tell. I couldn't tell you whether the decor was authentic, but it was so bright I didn't care. Colorful blankets and other paraphenalia hung from the ceilings, and the bathrooms had rows of painted tiles and a what looked to be a hand-painted sink.

I only tried a combination tostada (w/carnitas), tamale (w/chicken), and enchilada (w/beef), but all were tasty. What impressed me most was how NOT greasy they were. I definitely want to go back and try some of the more adventurous items. The margarita was a little weak, but very flavorful.