I have a bit of a reputation for eating a lot and eating well. Besides music it's probably number two in my heart so even though I'm far from rich I make sure funds are available. I wanted to attempt to start the weekend off healthy so I went to
Goda Cafe on 34th & Nicollet for their rice & vegetables plate. They have a number of goat, beef and chicken dishes as well but when I'm in the mood for lots of rice and vegetables I go here. The owner and all of the staff have always been extremely nice. Be sure to take them up on the complimentary cup of soup before your meal. Delicious. $8.70 for a gigantic and very satisfying meal. It's actually two meals a lot of the time.
Late night Friday hanging out with a friend on West Lake. It was the
first time in a long time that I had witnessed the carnage of a weekend evening in Yuptown
without just passing through in a car or on a bike. I don't tend to be
easily rattled but some of those people scared me. Don't get me wrong,
I'm no better than anyone else but a few different times I found myself
wondering where they come from. Then again I graduated from college in
2004 so I'm probably just getting old. While taking a number one in the
facilities on Lake & Bryant I took note that a fan of the Greatest
Punk Band in Minneapolis had also previously visited. Seems they got a
couple of letters flipped though.
Stopped into
Muddy Waters for a couple of bloody mary's before heading home to charge batteries for a "Rock n Roll Yardsale" hosted by
Regal Treats. The yogurt parfait was especially comforting in my already sleep deprived state. Cab call #1 of the day to
24/7 so I could get over to the Venture Village neighborhood in time to record.
Solid looking line up right? Solo
Hyperslob sets are somewhat rare these days and not to be missed. Taylor is one of the best songwriters in Minneapolis be it with a band or solo. Apparently something had happened to his acoustic guitar but he kept everyone's attention just fine playing punk songs on this here ukulele. I can't wait for people to hear at least some of this recording.
If you've been stopping by Empty's Tapes in the past year and a half of so you know that I am a big proponent of Phil's songwriting and his
InBOIL catalog. Phil did mention to me that he didn't feel right singing such sad songs on such a nice & sunny day when he just wanted to hang out with friends. He did a bang up job nonetheless.
Made it inside in time to catch Regal Treats (members of Teenage Moods, Cadette, The Miami Dolphins and Unicorn Basement) for the first time. Damn they are GOOD! I think they've only played a few songs but definitely keep an eye out for them this summer. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for
Hollow Boys. My batteries were running low and I needed to head home to charge them for HK. Call #2 of the day to 24/7.
OK friends, time for the main attraction of the night.
Empty's Tapes Presents: HK Underground V.
I never give
Mr. Downs any input on what I'm looking for in a show poster. He's a highly skilled and creative person so I give him complete reign and he always comes up with amazing posters be it for my shows or anyone else. I'm sure my roman catholic family members love this one.
This was the first ever show
Dreamless has ever played with current line up. Three of the members had previously recorded & played as The Kafka Dreams. I for one am very impressed with the tracks on their bandcamp which is why I wanted them to play a show behind Hell's Kitchens stellar PA system. Everyone I spoke to at the show about this set were also extremely into it.
SVOBODA has quickly become my favorite metal band in Minneapolis and if you ever get the chance to see them you'll understand why. They're actually playing tonight at Memory Lanes and again on
June 7th. The set at HK was beyond excellent. It felt great to look around the room and see so many people enjoying themselves so I could image how good it felt to be playing the music on stage.
Myrrh has been one of my favorite local bands ever since I found out about them a couple of years ago. They have no official recordings online or even a website but there are sometimes cassettes available at the shows. There's also a couple of live recordings available on Empty's Tapes. Myrrh began as a duo with Jackie from Brute Heart on viola and Andie from Mother of Fire on drums but added one of the fellas from the late great Lighted on lap steel guitar. This was the 2nd time ever that they Myrrh trio had ever performed. Damn, what a way to end an evening!
Booking shows is not one of my favorite things to do and even though I only do it bi-monthly it can be pretty stressful. I do try to book bands that A) I love and B) people may not be as familiar with so others have a chance to check them out. If you know me you know I'm a pretty humble guy but it is a good feeling when you get asked several times a night "Who is this band? How can I find out more about this band?" Thanks to Mike and to Hell's Kitchen for allowing these shows to happen in the first place.
Apparently one of the guys from
this band ended up staying for all 3 sets and was so impressed that he insisted that I come back to one of their three 6 figure tour buses to talk about music. Very hospitable guys in the mood to party. They were living large on the bus but after a while I placed my 3rd call of the day to 24/7 to head home.
Sunday afternoon was round two at TFATT house for the 38th annual May Day celebration and parade that was "rained out" last weekend. So many friends, familiar faces and new introductions. Ended up making it to a few different houses to say hello. A personal highlight was being able to sit down with some true Minneapolis OGs for a bratwurst and some beverages. I've always greatly enjoyed people able to hear stories of what was going on in the Minneapolis music community back in '79-'85 when I was either not born yet, just born or 5 years old. A huge thanks to all of those guys for allowing me to sit in the circle for a few.
Back to TFATT house to grab gear for recording
Sorry OK in Powderhorn Park. As I got down to the park I noticed that Edwin S. was playing in a new Cuban Son influenced band either containing members or Malamanya or perhaps they were just sitting in for that set. Would have arrived early to record that but had no idea it was happening. Edwin scribbled the address of a house party they were playing later that night onto my forearm but I never made it. Sorry OK brought it to the park. Two words: energy & energy but I still have to play back the recording to see how it turned out.
On my way out of the park Ben texted me about
The Shakin' Babies playing at a house nearby so I stopped to check it out. They were indeed as good as everyone had been telling me they were around town and I was glad I stopped. It was time to say goodbye to Powderhorn for now and call 24/7 for a lift to Psychic School.
Kitten Forever were going to play followed by Phil doing another solo InBOIL set. 4th show recorded in 2 days. More great music, more great friends. The End.
01/01/12: Obligatory picture of the Muddy Waters Breakfast on New Years Day. Two eggs your way, choice of protein and home fries (my favorite home fries in town). She went up 50 cents on the new menu but at $7 it's still a damn deal. 
01/04/12: Steamed broccoli at Asian Taste (formerly The Great Sun)...yeah we all prefer the original name. The food at this place is tops. Along with all the favorites they also offer a Hibachi Grill as well as a wide variety of sushi made before your very eyes. They also feature one of the best happy hours downtown. $3 drinks & taps from 4-7 & 10-close. 
01/14/12: After taking an out of town friend to Sun Street Breads we had to laugh a bit at the irony of our order number the day after Friday the 13th. 
First time at Sun Street Breads I went with The Southern Fried. Two nice pieces of fried chicken coupled with some of the best biscuits & sausage gravy I've every had. Chances are I'll probably still be thinking about this sandwich as I near the grave. 
01/16/12: Unable to get the Southern Fried out of my mind two days later I went back to Sun Street Breads to try the biscuits & gravy proper. Delicious! How did they know that I'm a grapefruit fiend?
12/31/11: Speaking of biscuits & gravy when Muddy Waters rolled out the new brunch menu it was the first thing I had to try. Both the biscuits and mushroom gravy (sausage available) were excellent. Biscuits are on the small side but still pretty excellent. 
01/21/12: Also on the new menu at Muddy Waters is the Southwest Sweet Potato Hash. I've had it 3 times now and it's currently one of my favorite breakfasts in Minneapolis. It never disappoints. 
01/28/12: Also on the new menu at MW is the Wet Burrito served enchilada style with a combination of ranchero and cheese sauces. I'm always a bit weary ordering Mexican dishes outside of the choice spots but this was pretty stellar. You'll probably find me eating another one at 2933 Lyndale Ave South this Saturday. 
01/29/12: Buffalo Chicken Po' Boy Guts (I'm telling you the bread is not necessary) Cook's Revenge at The Triple Rock. The Cook's Revenge can be anything...you never know what you're going to get but sometimes you get something pretty mind blowing! It also helps to know the cook.
I've always enjoyed the mac n cheese at The Triple Rock. I'd have to do some digging to recall what show was going down on 10/13/11 but I'll never forget the first time I ordered the mac n cheese with pickled jalapeno. Highly recommended and if you're my friend Josh you might ask for a hot dog to be chopped up in there as well. As always it comes with a healthy slice of toasted french bread.
If you know me you know I'm a wing fiend. 10/23/11 with buffalo wings at The Cedar Inn on 42nd & Cedar, which in my opinion serves the best wings in all of South Minneapolis if not the entire city. They do the full quarter wing, no TGI Friday's drummy action here. I believe a half dozen is only $7.99 (most places charge $9 or $10 for a bunch of drummys) and they are available in plain, buffalo and an "Asian" sauce which is sweet and delicious. They're made in small batches in some kind of pressure cooker that closes from the top and is spun shut. 
10/24/11 chips & salsa at the Hola Arepa food truck. Even though you can't go wrong with a single item on this menu (yes, including the arepas) if I was in a hurry last summer I would stop by the Hola Arepa truck and grab an order of chips & salsa. At $2 it's definitely a speedy and economical way to fill your stomach. Plus you get to try your choice of 2 stellar salsas with 4 or 5 options. 
One of the main stand outs from last year's street food season was certainly Natedogs. Hell, I don't even really care for hot dogs but these were the best I've ever had. I'll let Nate do the talking here; "I serve up quality wieners & brats sourced from Pastures A Plenty in Kerkhoven, MN. I make my own homemade sauerkraut and 3-5 different housemade mustards, including a rotating beer mustard that I make with local beers." To be honest I can't stand mustard of any kind and I'm not from the East Coast so I'm down with ketchup on my dogs. With that said, knowing that Nate is a purist I never once asked him for ketchup. I always opted for the "naked dog" (10/27/11) or maybe some caramelized onions. I'd dare say some of the freshest and cleanest tasting hot dogs in the Upper Midwest. 
I recently stumbled onto The Simple Sandwich in the skyway. My go to is the vegetarian wrap with a wheat or spinach tortilla with pepper jack or provolone and lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, jalapenos & green peppers (no thanks to raw onions & mushrooms). If you dislike mustard and mayo as much as I do then don't forget the "spicy cranberry" spread. A steal at $4.99 on Wednesdays. 
Vegetarian Pho from Lotus To Go Go, a thing of beauty. After a good night of self-abuse I crave a bowl of this more than anything else. 
A couple of weekends ago (12/04/11) Muddy Waters started offering a "Cuban Breakfast" special at brunch. It's not on the menu yet (available again last weekend) but you can ask for it. Two eggs your way, two tortillas, rice & beans and fried yucca topped with a house made salsa. Chorizo can be yours for $2. With any hope this is a permanent addition to the brunch menu. 
Last week in the middle of recording the first 6 nights of the Doomtree Blowout I realized that it might be best to camp out Downtown for a few nights instead of running back and forth to South. All of the sudden I figured it might a good idea to eat Andrea Pizza for 3 days in a row. I was right, it was a damn good idea. True New York style, 18" with 8 gigantic slices that will last one person for several meals. Some of the best pizza I've had in years.
