Perhaps the coolest thing about reporting on the Minnesota Music scene is that you get to experience some really fine new bands as they begin to find traction. Without a doubt Mae Simpson Music fits that description. There’s a new EP titled Did You Make It Back? in the can which is scheduled for formal release at The Cedar next month. In the interim, the band is offering an intimate acoustic listening party, food, drinks and Q&A at El Diablo Guitars in the St. Anthony neighborhood. Tickets are very limited. Details and your ability to purchase can be found HERE.
This event is worth our attention for three legit reasons. The first is that this band lays down serious, high energy rock and soul. Organizers of Roots Rock and Deep Blues Festival gave me a heads up last summer to be sure to check out the band. They delivered the goods. A dance party erupted on the pavement. When a local band demonstrates those type of chops, the community needs to support it. That’s what makes the MN scene as vibrant as it is.
Second, is that new bands trying to kick open the door to success have financial challenges most of us don’t fully appreciate. Studio time, mixing and producing a product, particularly vinyl, is exorbitantly expensive. Once you’ve made it and have a record contract behind you, things are different. In those early years, young artists have to make sacrifices and dig deep in their own pockets to deliver us the music they want us to hear. So think of this event as your best way to help offset the costs they’ve incurred in creating something special for us, the fans.
Finally, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to engage with artists we admire simply because the good ones are usually playing in larger venues with too many people to connect personally. MSM is already on this trajectory. This is a completely different scenario than the band that’s playing to empty club. Mae Simpson just came off First Avenue’s Mainroom stage as part of the 2020 Best New Bands showcase. She followed that up with a sold out performance at The Dakota. You can bet that The Cedar will be stuffed when Did You Make It Back? formally drops. This is your chance to get a preview and find out what makes these people tick.
If you’re the type of music fan who scans the previews that TCM produces, you are probably somebody who attends your fair share of shows. If you attend a lot of shows, you know it’s a fact that most of our events take place in the same venues, using the same format, regardless of genre. When was the last time you found your way into something more intimate, personal and unique? Try it, you’ll like it. And you’ll support one of the best new bands coming up the pipe. You snooze. You’ll looze.