I am Seth Langreck, an English/writing studies graduate student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. This semester I am conducting a directed research study focusing on sound/music in the Duluth community. At this moment, I have a relativity open topic and its area of focus can change based off the information I collect. Since I have spent the last seven years in Eau Claire, I am looking to interview people/promoters who have held concerts in non-traditional venues (living rooms, basements, backyards, in stores, etc.).
My main emphasis in this analysis is intended to be centered on reasons, motives, inspirations, and/or rationale for hosting a concert in a non-traditional setting (mainly, a non-commercial setting), but if you have experience in any of this (being a promoter or musician or audience member) I would like to hear what you have to say. If you want to give your two-cents about other venues in Duluth, that is fine; again I want to get an understanding of smaller scale music communities and what maintains them.
You can contact me through email at langr017 @ d.umn.edu. Thank you for reading this and I hope that our conversation will continue an already vibrate music scene.
36 thoughts on “Research in non-traditional music venues”
Paging Dr. Narum.
As Mr. Praslowicz notes, the best recent example would have to be Southwire and Communist Daughter performing in Rich Narum’s living room on Feb. 17 (photo above by Rich Narum), but my all-time favorite is probably Haus Meeting performing live at Mr. Movies in 2007.
I have heard Rich Narum’s name being thrown around, but I have not found a way to contact him. Can he be contacted?
I’m sure he’ll see this post within the next 24 hours.
Cool.
I sent you an email. Thinking back on my time behind the mic, I’ve played far more “unusual” venues than traditional or commercial ones. It’s a bummer how many of those places are gone or closed. Sunhillow Books, Bohemia Arts, the Banana Hammock, the Maxi Pad… Damn.
Sure, I can be contacted. However, you should be certain to ask Paul why the Mr. Movies Haus Meeting is his favorite … he is both wise and thoughtful.
It would also seem reasonable that you talk with Lee Anderson regarding his recent “Coffee & Cigarettes” event that was held around the first of the year. That was a swell event.
You can also do a bit of research regarding our house shenanigans by going here to 2104.us.
Ruvelson’s compound, Bob Carlson’s bookstore apartment studio, the Shaky Ray, that other house off 21st, the Owls Club, Mindy’s BYOBBQ basement…
There is another house off of 21st?
I believe that Adam is referring to Chad Johnson’s joint … just across the street from our house.
Chad Johnson’s house was home to the Retribution Gospel Choir Homegrown BBQ 2009 show.
And the Black-eyed Snakes Friday-night Homegrown After-bar 2010.
Holy shit you hit the mother of all thread bullzeyes Seth. How did you know this would be the terry cloth tent-inducing question of PDD holy grailhood? Narum looks 110% Swedish Mafia in that last photo, or like a blond version of that creepy dude in Mulholland Drive.
Does anyone remember the string trio that used to play the washroom in the early days of the Luce?
Haus Meeting at Mr. Movies was pretty cool.
In March of 2011 I held a potluck/acoustic house show deal. It was pretty successful for what it was – 45 people gathered eating shared dishes and being merry whilst people took time to play. Many people from the area shared their tunes (Members of Loup-Garou, the People Say Fox, Portage, Lions&Creators, Excuse Me Princess, Sarah Krueger, etc.).
Also, Ms. Ariane Norrgard (of Snobarn) used to host house shows frequently in her basement.
Anyone have any photos/stories about the Alamo (had punk shows/raves in the 1990s)?
And the RecyclaBell, which was before my time.
We did a couple of punk shows at Animal House (corner of 15th E and 1st) back in the 70s. There were some pretty good party/shows at Emerson in the 80s and 90s. Prove and Ochre Ghost occasionally have music as does the glass artist dude…
Thanks to anyone who posted. I’ll be getting in touch with the people that expressed interest in this project over the course of the next two days.
Hippie Dick’s Basement must not be overlooked. Also, my buddy Mike Wilson is the unsung hero of the underground/punk show circuit in Duluth, putting on shows from the Merritt Rec center (out on 40th Avenue West to basements all over town). I have his contact info, if you want it.
By the Way, the Haus Meeting Mr. Movies gig … brilliant. I know who’s responsible for setting that up. Included in that “tour” were: the Miller Hill Mall, the Holiday Mall and the Radisson pool. True!
Thanks. My old roommates in Eau Claire said that Wilson would be a key player in the punk community. I’ll be sure to get ahold of him in the next seven days.
It’s been my observation that Bluestone (from the “Duluth Complex”and old growth white pine rafters have a particular acoustic property. Basement rock shows, the back wall at RT’s … Stonehenge was built with the same type of rock.
Mike Wilson seems to host many basement shows at his current and previous residences. Last year I went to a punk show in his garage which also happened to be his bedroom.
I just noticed my Mike Wilson post is redundant.
Either way, what a great topic. Good luck!
A couple of observations on the Haus video include the singer looks strikingly similar to Steve O’Neil and the first random guy checking out movies has a connection to the police sex predator wanted list – he has since been captured I would imagine.
It sounds like the greatest show ever. I’ll hunt around Facebook tonight and contact him and the other people mentioned on this post.
Langreck, I hope that when you say you’ll “contact him” tonight, you aren’t talking about St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O’Neil, who is certainly NOT the lead singer of Haus Meeting. The singer is Bob Monahan, aka brautigan, who commented up there ^^^.
Pretty much the same guy.
Hey, I meant Wilson. Mike Wilson. I heard about him in Eau Claire over the past year through people when my old roommates played a show with whatever band the Sinn brothers were in at the time.
I think I met the Crash Test Dummies at a basement show Giljunko or the Black Labels played at the Kat Box.
@in.dog.neato I remember the bathroom sets at Luce. I do not remember the name of the band. They were under 21 at the time, and I believe some were still in high school. Their motive was exposure, they would come down and play during busy shows and people would throw change into a tip jar. I remember one of the young men being excited that they made over $15 dollars one night.
It’s 10:31 CST. KUMD narrator Mike just ate his shit-words when he said I didn’t know who wrote the song Train Kept a Rolling, citing it as a seminal early example of punk rock. I can only heartedly agree by saying that if all punk bands sounded like this, I wouldn’t want to get them all in one room and tape them to each other for my next art project.
That is the most Montgomery Wards looking Harmony I’ve ever seen. The fret board looks like the Ho Chi Minh circa 1972. So punk.
There is, of course, the Dylan train.
What version of the “Train Kept A-Rollin” did he cite? Is it Bradshaw, Yardbirds, Areosmith, or any of the thirty bands that played it? I didn’t listen to show. Can anyone add in the missing part (the version he is referencing) so I can see his position?
Seth