If you were looking to spice up your Saturday evening, The Turf Club in St. Paul was the place to be. Two great acts – The Dig & Dan Croll rolled through town as part of Dan Croll’s North American leg of the “Emerging Adulthood” Tour. It was a packed house at the iconic Turf Club – a venue that’s played host to a slew of primo bands over the decades. After watching both of these bands rock the Turf, it’s no doubt they are both well on their way to a primo status of their own.
Opening up the evening was New York based four-piece The Dig. However, The Dig wasn’t just a name on the ticket to fill the bill, but rather a band that played with the aplomb of a massive headliner. The Dig’s 70’s, psychedelic sound sits in that space of feeling both familiar and foreign at the same time. It would be easy to spew off a handful of bands like Portugal. The Man, The Strokes, Beach House, STRFKR and our local favorites Night Moves, etc. that The Dig vaguely sounds like, but there was still a freshness to their sound and set that was refreshing. Their roughly 55-minute set felt more like a headliner than again, just some random opener.
Frontman and bassist Emile Mosseri stage presence was captivating to say the least. With stage moves reminiscent of a young James Morrison, Mosseri put on a hell of show with support from David Baldwin (guitar/vocals), Erick Eiser (keys/guitar) and Mark Demiglio (drums). The Dig even got the crowd at the Turf dancing with a bit of direction, “so this is a dance song, you’re gonna swing back and forth ok?” Mosseri joked. A few standouts from their set were the vibey, sexy I Already Forgot Everything You Said, the jangly, rocky Self Made Man and the hooky Astronaut. With a bit of standup-esque banter sprinkled in between songs, it’s safe to say The Dig made some new fans in St. Paul last night.
Dan Croll and his band took to the stage shortly after 10:15. Thanks to The Dig’s set and the many drinks flowing at the bar, the crowd was plenty loosened up by the time Croll took the stage. Dan Croll is one of those artists that has been consistently solid. From his debut album Sweet Disarray to the sophomore follow up Emerging Adulthood, Croll has created a sound that is sunny, synthy, pop-rock goodness. It’s feel good, it’s dancey, it’s fun. It’s just what you want to listen to on a Saturday night.
“So I heard it’s Saturday, is that right?” Croll said with a smirk in between songs. “Are you guys ready to have a good Saturday night” he continued through his charming Liverpool accent. And the crowd was ready for just that.
There truly wasn’t a dull moment in Croll’s set. Playing for a little over an hour, Croll and his band didn’t miss a beat. It was one of those sets that you couldn’t take your eyes off, and couldn’t help but to just dance along to. Croll’s vocals are pristine, the harmonies are tight, the tracks are hooky. Dan Croll’s set was damn near perfect at the Turf. With the perfect smattering of new tracks as well as classics like Compliment Your Soul and From Nowhere, there really wasn’t much more you could ask from Croll. The feel good, polished, dancey set from Dan Croll was the perfect way to spice up a Saturday night.
Dan Croll and The Dig continue their tour on Tuesday in Seattle. Stay tuned with both of these bands as we hope to have them back in town very soon.
Set List: Intro / Compliment Your Soul / Away From Today / One Of Us / Can You Hear Me / 24 / Wanna Know / January / Only Ghost / Think Aboutchu / Be Alone / Eminem / Bad Boy / Educate / Swim / From Nowhere / Tokyo / Home
