New Granada Theater Opens Doors With Prog Rock Titans Nektar, March 3

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Uptown’s newest addition to the music scene is the Granada Theater.  March 3 will kick off their arrival in a big way with 70s Prog specialists Nektar.  Tickets and details can be found HERE.

It’s always exciting when the Twin Cities introduces a new music venue.  At a time when most cities are seeing doors close, music fans in Minnesota have been treated to some superb new choices in the past couple years.  The Palace, Armory, The Fillmore and now The Granada.  That new venue would appear to have a fair amount in common with The Varsity.  It’s a gorgeous place.  It is also setting out to walk that fine line between music stage, corporate event center, upscale wedding reception space and restaurant.

For those of a certain age, Nektar fit easily within the parameters of the unfettered Progressive Rock scene of the mid to late 1970s.  Although they never achieved the commercial success of peers like Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis, they were a well respected commodity.  As was the formula for success of the day, early albums were highly conceptual in nature.  Structure and limitations were discarded in favor of free form floating psychedelic jams.  The album Remember The Future cracked the Top 20 on the US charts with the follow up Down To Earth also charting.

Over the years, the band became a revolving door of tremendous musicians.  Bassist Carmine Rojas, who later went on to play for Bowie, Rod Stewart and Joe Bonamassa is a prime example.  In 2016, founding member Roye Albrighton passed away.  Rather than allowing the loss to stop the band, Nektar regrouped with early members and began touring again in 2019.  The album The The Other Side is a collection of previously unrecorded Nektar music.

While Nektar never left us with the legacy of some of the aforementioned bands, what they were able to do was survive for 50 years.  They survived with continued loyalty by players who contributed to their early success.  Expect explorations of far flung astral planes, plenty of theatricality and high end musicianship.

In a brand new venue.  Obviously, up for the challenge of presenting a theatrical band in the best possible light.  What could be more fun than that?

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