Looking at the crowd at yesterday’s sold out show at the Turf Club, I don’t think many of them were dealing with a sugar/grease high from the nearby State Fair. A very interesting mix of older punk music fans – some still looking punk others having settled into a more conventional lifestyle, and younger folks mixed in. So despite my corny intentions State Fair references will have to be limited to the drummer’s sticks that were taken through some cool twirls and tosses.
The first band was Minneapolis’ Teenage Moods. On the brighter side of the genre, the 4-piece of Gordon, Jillian, Nikki and Pork Chop drew a good number of fans into the Club early. Their songs had good energy and good natured banter on stage kept things lively.
Set List: Pool Hair / Sweet Ses? / Pop Bomb / Her Reality / New Pop Jam / So Low / Strange New / Sheer / Sadness / (not readable)
Things got a bit harder when the Magnolias took over the stage. Centered on singer/guitarist John Freedman since they were founded in 1984 the band is, as they put it, “complicated fun”. Songs were hard, fast, and short. Catching a bit of fresh air later in the set I noticed the sound coming out into the street sounded rough (in a very good way), dangerous and very proper for the venue.
Set List: Hello or Goodbye / Beat Skip Jump and Wink / Everyone has Gold / In my Nightmare / Top of the Charts / Walk a Circle / Kissing the Ground / Don’t pack it in / Poker Face / Torture Yours / Down and Out / Radio is Dead / Tear up this Town / Old News / Nothing much to do
Prior to taking the stage Muff singer Kim Shattuck set up sitting at the front of the stage to the delight of her fans (especially a couple with cameras). After “Big Mouth” the set went with several songs from the remastered “Blonder and Blonder” album. Shattuck and bass player Ronnie Barnett were chatty interacting with fans between songs. The band was tight and the whole set felt relaxed (as relaxed as punk can get) and fun. It was obvious the Muffs were having a great time and that energy jumped right into the audience. I am really enjoying that many bands that got their start in the 80s and 90s are overcoming whatever broke them up and returning to their fans more mature without having grown old. I am happy to report that that is the case with The Muffs, and The Magnolias as well.
Set List: Big Mouth / Nina / On + On / Sad Tomorrow / No Holiday / That awful Man / My crazy Afternoon / Red Eyed Troll / End it All / Down Down Down / Won’t come out / Saying Goodbye / Honeymoon / To that funny Place / Lucky Guy / Agony / Ethyl my love
