Friday, August 22, 2008

'It wasn't just Bob Dylan that came out of this city'


Tracy Lundeen's right with that "Bobby Die-lan" quote -- and he should know: He was the singer for Guided Tour and QuickBreath, two of Duluth's greatest offerings in the Me Decade. If you're reading this outside of the upper Midwest, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. While that is a shame, there is a quick remedy for all of this: Buy the "Duluth Rocked" compilations Lundeen and partner Jeff Jarvinen have put together and hear Duluth's musical output from before Dylan's time to roughly around 1981. Learn more about Lundeen's company and former groups in "Back When 'Duluth Rocked,' There was QuickBreath," my main feature in this weekend's Duluth Budgeteer.

Elsewhere in the bin...

"Razzle-Dazzle Broadway Musical 'Chicago' Hits Up the DECC" :: I speak with lovely lead Melanie Waldron (she plays Velma Kelly in the production), who has worked with up-and-coming playwright Patrick Flynn on "Untitled Masterpiece" -- making waves at NYCFringe this year -- and in the student films "Dog Eat Dog" and "Jargon."

"Rock Plaza Central's Chris Eaton Sure Liked the Brewhouse" :: Buzzed-about Toronto act Rock Plaza Central recently performed a set at Fitger’s Brewhouse, so the Budgeteer sought out frontman Chris Eaton, a self-described “beer tourist,” to see how the trip went. Choice quote from the man behind the mix tape must "My Children, Be Joyful": "Sometimes you think you understand who will like [your music], but you never do. I’m constantly surprised by who comes up to talk to us after shows. When ['Are We Not Horses'] came out, I was kind of worried people would find the concept of robotic horses who think they are real horses too hokey. But instead, it just seemed to find a lot of people who sometimes feel like they don’t belong, or who aren’t sure what makes them who they are."

"Discover Duluth: Jay Cooke State Park, Vol. I & II" :: Jay Cooke is something special. It holds it own against powerhouse Gooseberry Falls up Minnesota's North Shore because getting there is half the fun. The latest in my pretty, pretty pictures series "Discover Duluth" guides you through this popular park near Carlton with not one but two photo galleries. Prepare to (hopefully) be amazed!

Finally, mark your calendars: A bunch of Duluth musicians -- including Greg Tiburzi and, reportedly, Charlie Parr and Haddie Peterson -- will get together at Sacred Heart (where Low has made so much magic over the years) Oct. 2 to perform the Beatles' self-titled album -- aka "The White Album" -- in its entirety!

Well, that's it for this week's shameless Budgeteer plug!

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