There’s nothing worse than rock and roll being taken too seriously. It’s supposed to be a bit dangerous. A bit out of bounds. Anything but politically correct. Rock and roll brought down a government. Coined the phrase “The Woodstock Generation”. Most importantly, nobody ever said that rock and roll needed to be, or even should be, intelligent.
If that makes sense to you, the place to be August 22 is at The Parkway Theater. First, because the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap will hit the big screen. Second, and no less important, because the Twin Cities own current version of that legendary hard rock band, Saint Small will perform live, prior to the screening. Tickets and details can be found HERE.
For those who have yet to make it down to the south side to The Parkway, it’s Cool! We need more multi-functional spaces for great music, movies and those special kind of fans to gather. This is an organization doing great work and they deserve our support.
There are three types of music fans in the world. There are those who have watched Spinal Tap often enough to quote it as effectively Rocky Horror Picture Show devotees. Then there are those who take their rock and roll a bit too seriously and can’t appreciate satire with a sharp blade. (Rod Stewart reportedly was offended by the movie. Then again, Phil Collins and Stevie Nicks weren’t crazy about their South Park episodes, either. Draw your own conclusions here, fans!). And finally there are those who have yet to figure out where phrases like “But these go to 11!” or “Hello Cleveland!”come from. Drop one of those lines at the dinner table or around the water cooler (do those still exist?). If you get a blank stare, drag them to The Parkway.
Admittedly, Spinal Tap can always be found on Netflix or on demand somewhere. That’s why plugging in local heavyweights Saint Small is the match to light that pyre and get us out of our recliners. For music fans who haven’t stumbled across this amalgamation of detritus and refuse from some of the Twin Cities’ seminal hard rock bands, it’s time to make their acquaintance. Twin Cities Media introduced Saint Small in a big (and entirely too serious) manner late last year. If you have a pile of unwanted time on your hands, it’s still worth a READ.
Bottom line is that the combo makes for a damn near perfect night. Spinal Tap is to the British Invasion as Saint Small is to what makes the Twin Cities rock scene one of the greatest in history. Didn’t Rolling Stone once write: “On what day did the Lord create Saint Small. And couldn’t He have rest on that day, too?”
While we can expect tried and true anthems like Skate Sharpener and The Ballad of the Opening, Opening Band, rumor has it Saint Small is working up their own versions of Tap classics. Why else would the boys be seen rehearsing with three bass guitars? Why would neighbors be calling the police over obscene lyrics pouring from their basement?
But don’t be late. The live band goes first. That’s also to be expected. “If I told them once, I told them a hundred times! Put Spinal Tap first, and Puppet Show last.”
