#batteryboy

Rebecca Marx There is a resistance happening in the hearts and minds of many in our country, and right here at home Cobey Rouse, the frontman for the local band batterboy has created ComeToUnity—Artists & Action Concert Series to build a community for the purpose of making positive change. The first concert is happening on February 26th at The Nomad World Pub to support the ACLU (American Civil…

Article – Desney Cody – Intern at The Warming House

Desney Cody “Working here has given me hope that doing what you love is something that can actually be achieved and I don’t have to settle for anything less.” (more…)

You Don’t Need To Disappear

Today was one of “those days.”

It started off pretty normally. Wake up. Check social media (IT’S MY JOB I CAN’T HELP IT). Shower. Entertain and feed the tabbies. Head to work.

I’d say the morning was fun, even. Work was busy, and I enjoy my coworkers, and was even lucky enough to have a friend visit during my late lunch. But a wrench was thrown into my day when I dropped my phone for the…

Batteryboy will perform at Icehouse in Minneapolis tonight to celebrate the release of their new album before the silence breaks.

Last Thursday was the opening night of Music in Mears 2016 and the beginning of a 36-hour whirlwind of seeing local music. 

After missing Dusty Heart at Acadia in March and arriving for their set at Indeed during Art-a-Whirl fifteen minutes late, I finally arrived in time to see an entire Dusty Heart set at Mears Park. Dusty Heart, a collaboration of local folk/country singer-songwriters Barbara Jean and Molly Dean, were the perfect opening act for Music in Mears 2016. 

Knowing the weekend would bring a heat wave, the largest opening night crowd ever for Music in Mears basked in the partly-sunny early evening skies as a steady breeze cooled attendees and carried the aroma of food trucks across the park. Children danced and played and older attendees sat in lawn chairs facing the stage as Dusty Heart began their set. Combining traditional Americana covers with original material, the ladies played a forty-five minute set. Cigarettes and Matches was the highlight of the set, showcasing the tight harmonies and multi-instrumentalists Barbara Jean’s fiddle playing. 

After Dusty Heart finished playing I stopped for a cup of coffee at Black Dog Cafe, before hopping on the Green Line and riding back to downtown Minneapolis. I caught Canadian band Plants and Animals in the Entry before heading over to the West Bank to see Church Dads play the second week of their Minneseries June residency at Nomad World Pub.

I arrived halfway through Church Dad’s set, during their cover of Frank Ocean’s Swim Good, ordered a beer and settled in to hear the rest of the set. The band shined on Don’t Make Me Wait, from the new Dick Scully EP. Lead singer Paula’s vocals had a smokiness to them not found on the recorded version, perfect for the Nomad setting. The bottom end of the song grooves and the keys make for a delicious jam. Closing out their set with a cover of Rihanna/McCartney/Kanye’s FourFiveSeconds, the band members took turns on vocals in a fun ending. 

I’m excited to see what happens with Church Dads during and after this residency. Having seen up-and-coming bands like Bones and Beeker and Jack and the Coax complete the Minneseries residency this year, it is interesting to see bands come up with new ideas to keep each show fresh. Church Dads still have two weeks left (and Silverback Colony is on the bill this week), so check them out.

After Church Dads finished playing, I heard word Private Interests were playing across the street at Palmer’s Bar. Private Interests were a late addition to the Memory Lanes Block Party and put on a very fun show under the tent (due to the rain), so I wanted to see how the band sounded indoors.

On their Facebook page, Private Interests cite only Cheap Trick and early-mid 20th Century American and Russian literature as influences and they are not lying about Cheap Trick. Private Interests has riffs for days. Imagine if Iron Maiden and Green Day had a child, the child absorbed all of his parents musical knowledge and then decided to cut an album during his rebellious teenage phase and you sort of know what Private Interests sound like. 

Friday night I was able to see one of my favorite local bands, batterboy, perform at the Warming House. It was my first visit to the Warming House and I enjoyed the intimate venue as well as the hospitable hosts (and the Cran-Rasberry La Croix) 

Savannah Smith opened for batteryboy, playing in front of a full house with her six string while perched on a stool in the middle of the stage. The crowd, mostly middle-aged seemed to enjoy Smith’s set from the beginning. Her unique style of vocal phrasing and vulnerability were a perfect match for the room and her humorous between-song banter kept the mood light amid all of her sad songs. Smith’s cover of Magnetic Fields Book of Love was a brilliant choice, performed at the perfect moment during her set. 

After a brief break, batterboy took to the tiny stage, managing to fit all five musicians and all of their musical equipment onto the stage while retaining enough space to play their instruments. The show was advertised as a chance to hear the band play their upcoming album Before the Silence Breaks with the opportunity to pre-order the album (and receive bonus material with the pre-order). 

Despite the intimate size of the room, the band was able to tailor their sound to fit the room. Before playing Recover, Cobey Rouse (lead singer, guitarist) advised us they were scaling back the song for the room but that it would be the rocker on the new album. The scaled back version rocked though, with a fantastic electric guitar riff and driving beat. A highlight of the evening was hearing the reworked Remember Me Now (from the original batterboy limited release North), now featuring distorted guitars and cello. The song received a rousing applause from the die-hard batterboy fans familiar with the original version. In a rare treat, the band was able to bring the trombone player who recorded in the studio with them for the show and hearing a trombone live on You Don’t Need To Disappear was special. 

Batteryboy sounded great and the new album is going to be amazing. You can pre-order the album Before the Silence Breaks here and also catch the band for their album release party at Icehouse on August 5th (with refundpolicy favorite, the Ericksons, sitting in as special guests).

After batterboy’s set had ended and I had pre-ordered my copy of Before the Silence Breaks, I moved on to the Nomad World Pub to join a birthday celebration featuring several local bands. Fury Things took the stage shortly after my arrival and played a blistering half-hour set, concluding with covers of Green Day, Beastie Boys and Husker Du. I’ve seen Fury Things a number of times now, but on the heels of seeing batterboy I was reminded of the Fury Things acoustic set at Southern Theater Sessions II back in late-2014. Talking with the band after their set at Nomad, they did not rule out playing another acoustic set in the future when I mentioned how rare the Southern Theater Sessions set was. If it happens, it will be a can’t-miss show.

On tap this week:

Friday, 6/17:

Erik Ostrom, at the Warming House, opening for School for Girls (get tix here)

Stone Arch Bridge Festival, now including a free Soul Asylum set on Friday night

Saturday, 6/18:

My favorite weekend of the year–Rock the Garden! It is only one day this year (going old-school) and has moved temporarily to Boom Island, but the line-up is killer and it is Grrrl Prrty’s last show ever, so another can’t-miss show.

Sunday, 6/19:

Interview – Cobey Rouse of batteryboy – before the silence breaks

By Rebecca Marx Photo Credit: Jason Larkin batteryboy has been keeping us wanting and waiting, and in this day of instant musical gratification and sensory overload, maybe that is just the right thing to do. (more…)