Music

When J.D. Steele approached me a year or so ago about doing a write-up on a trip he’d made to Kenya, it was the first time we’d interacted. I wasn’t sure what to make of this famous guy from that famous singing family. Was he some slumming missionary, snatching up grant money to perpetrate like he’s so into The Motherland while his only real interest was in souping up his profile? But I watched the homemade DVD he gave me and immediately learned that nothing could be further from the truth. This cat cared about the youngsters he was working with—you could see it just in the way he looks at them. So of course I was delighted to do the write-up. MORE »

The beautiful thing about a truly gifted musician is that he or she can cut it in any style under the sun. It’s even beautifuler when you’ve got a group in which all the players are that talented. MORE »

When I heard that local theatrical punk band the Danger Board were hosting an “eighth of July BBQ,” having previously experienced their wild shows performed in costumes, featuring audience participation games including a xylophone contest—I knew this would be one firecracker of a show. MORE »

Hoot night doesn’t get much more upscale than the Poets’ Groove Open Mic at the Blue Nile, hosted by Kevin Washington and Desdamona. Desdamona is a reigning name in Twin Cities hip-hop. She’s worked with producing legends Sly & Robbie to release The Ledge and The Source (which she recorded with ace R&B rockers The New Congress—or, at least, members thereof). Kevin Washington, widely known as one of the top session drummers in town, is also a member of the band Moveable Feast. He has recorded with the likes of the Jayhawks, Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls, and Alicia Wiley. MORE »