Grand Old Day 2009 Report

(Private Dancer)

Private Dancer were the first band I saw Sunday (after the migraine inducing I-94 closings caused me to miss Gospel Gossip), and they ultimately provided the best set of the day. The five piece band (with an additional tambourine player joining in for the performance) played one of the most entertaining and engaging sets I have seen in quite a while. Like their previous outdoor performance this summer, the band played a loose and raucous set that was heavy on covers while still featured some songs from their excellent debut album Private Eyes. The rollicking renditions included classic songs by the Rolling Stones, Them, Love, David Bowie, T. Rex and the Count Five. Lead singer Alex Achen quipped part way through their 50 minute set that he assumed the Grand Old Day crowd would rather hear covers than their songs, so they continued playing them. Amusingly, they kept saying “this is a new song” before tearing into classic songs that were written before they were even born. While I would have loved to hear more of their great original work, it was cool to see the band rip through some classic material.

(Private Dancer)

(Private Dancer)

(Private Dancer)

When they were not barraging the unsuspecting early afternoon crowd with garage rock classics, they were amusingly talking about everyone else at the event. With a Lenny Bruce like wit Achen took it upon himself to systematically poke fun at everyone from the sponsors to the DJs who played between sets. He shared his thoughts on the event’s main sponsor, Jagermeister (mentioning among other things that tastes like shit and speculating that it is actually deer blood), before sarcastically throwing Jag visors out towards the crowd. He also took on the DJs who cut into their set time, calling them “different creatures” than musicians as he didn’t even attempt to hide his contempt. (It didn’t help the DJs cause that Private Dancer’s blistering set was bookended by two lackluster, unoriginal DJs that only served to help prove his point.) Private Dancer once again proved why they are one of my favorite Minneapolis based bands and put on a show that proved impossible to top the rest of the afternoon.

(Private Dancer)

(Private Dancer)

(Private Dancer)

(Private Dancer)

(M.anifest)

(M.anifest)

(M.anifest)

Next up we ran down to check out a few songs from Ghanaian rapper M.anifest on the hip hop stage. M.anifest has been growing consistently over the last few years in the local scene and is emerging as one of the best local emcees around. He never lets his socially conscious rhymes get in the way of the booming beats and smooth flow of the songs, and shows the levels emcees can obtain without lurching towards the lowest common denominator. He got the crowd to dance and sing along with him, his DJ and a backup vocalist all throughout his set, one which proved to be a highly entreating part of Grand Old Day.

(M.anifest)

(M.anifest)

(M.anifest)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)>

(Solid Gold)

After M.anifest were local boys-gone-big Solid Gold, who played to a pretty nice sized crowd on the Dixies Stage. The band, which has now expanded into a five piece band, played their atmospheric electro-rock to the great joy of the gathered masses. Like Private Dancer before them, Solid Gold made light of the omnipresent Jag ads, at one point throwing one of the giant inflatable bottles from the side of the stage into the crowd, which amused the increasingly drunken audience. Like the many times I have seen them before Solid Gold put on a stellar set that surely won them some new fans and allowed for the large crowd gathered for them to see the band that many people feel will be the next to break out of the Minneapolis scene.

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(Solid Gold)

(First Communion Afterparty)

(First Communion Afterparty)

Finally, we caught the last few songs from local collective First Communion Afterparty. The band melds the appeal of a Brian Jonestown Massacre-type swirling garage rock with the droning noise punk of Sonic Youth to great effect. Their live show is always impressive and Sunday afternoon proved no different.

(First Communion Afterparty)

(First Communion Afterparty)

(First Communion Afterparty)

(First Communion Afterparty)

[Review by Josh Keller, photos by Jon Behm.]