The Posies started their “Secret Pop Up” tour yesterday in St. Paul at the Nautilus Music-Theater. The location was only revealed to ticket holders 24 hours before the show.
Getting everyone in the mood were the Melismatics, one of my personal favorite local bands. They have a long running friendship with the Posies and Jon Auer has produced one of their albums. The band has been quite busy with a Midwest tour, Ryan Smith joining Soul Asylum on their tour as guitar player and apparently working on a new album.
The chemistry between Pony and Ryan is always a highlight of watching them and this time was no exception. Their set was fast and the band seemed to have a ton of fun. They ended with their signature jam reminiscent of rock bands of the 70s with a punk vibe. At one point Ryan asked it if was hot in here? Nope, all the heat is coming from the stage!
What stands out to me about the Posies pop up shows is that they are all about the loyal fan experience. Playing super small venues (each show has 100 folks or less) won’t make them rich, but then I doubt that’s their intention. The venue was not oversold, there was plenty of room. It felt like we were invited over to their house and they had cleared their living room to play a set for us. A very intimate and special experience. Come on, this is the Posies! The band that had the Current’s Brian Oake almost giddy to interview them. Founding members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow added drummer Frankie Siragusa. Their last album “Solid States” was released this spring and they opened their set with “We R Power!” from it before diving into almost 40 years of music writing.
Pony from the Melismatics joined them for a couple of songs – including a killer rendition of “The Glitter Prize”. Throughout the set the band chatted with their fans and displayed a wicked sense of humor. There was a running joke about “Pumpkin Spice flavor” and when thanking Pony, Auer mentioned she was working on her solo album “Express” (that one took a moment to sink in). The Posies sounded tight – they had been in the Twin Cities a few months ago and according to them, the songs where “more seasoned”. Overall the Posies achieved what they aimed for: A great, unique experience that will reside with each and every audience member for a long time.
