Tina & the B-Sides has been a band that I have been aware of since moving to Minneapolis in 1991 but somehow, I have never seen them live. Saturday’s show at First Avenue gave me a chance to change that. When I arrived, a good-sized crowd had already gathered, and not just to get out of the rain that had plagued outdoor events in the Twin Cities all day long.
Opener High Up calls Omaha, NE home and surprised the heck out of me. I had not heard them before and was not ready for the mix of Soul and Gospel delivered with a punkish attitude (with horn section) from stage. Singer Christine Fink commands the stage with dramatic moves and vocals. High Up won over anyone in the crowd who had not deliberately come early to see them and earned some of the longest applause for an opener I have witnessed at First Avenue in quite some time.
Set List: Before The Storm / System / Torn Up / Domino / Make A Plan / Glorious / Al To Basement / Girl Walking / 2 Wks
The set started with Tina alone on stage being joined by gradually by the B-Sides. After a few songs, she greeted her fans with “It’s been a while, I recognize many of you”. And that summed up the spirit of the evening – many in the crowd have been fans since Tina and the B-Sides heyday and some of the moms in the front row brought their daughters and were not afraid to show they were having a great time.
A few references to getting old and a few comments about the political climate were made and added to the genuine, no BS vibe coming from stage. Tina and her band where here to play music, have a blast and share their joy with their fans.
Set List: Play That Fool / Abandoned In London / More Than That / There Was A Time / Stay-What You Don’t Need / Ballad Of Sonny And Cher / It’s All Just The Same / Grey Jumbo / Let Me Be / Fervor / Kentucky Song / Matter Of Time / Don’t Bring Me Down / Tell Mamma / Gimme Shelter / Young Americans / Blue Sky / Let’s Go Crazy / Dr. Feelgood Encore: Gib Capo 5th / Pass Your Audition
