A couple shows from the MN State Fair!!!
Sorry I’ve been away so long, but a new job has been keeping me busy since shortly after last year’s Summerfest, which I unfortunately did not get to attend this year. However, I have seen some good shows in the past year, including Kamasi Washington, Matthew Sweet, Devon Allman, Bill Frisell w/ The Bad Plus, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, and many more. This year for the 2018 MN State Fair, I’ve already seen Tower of Power twice (great shows) and Ben Haggard (very, very good). However, it’s the two concerts that followed that I want to talk about tonight!
8/30/18- MN State Fair (Schell’s Stage)
It’s a bright, Thursday afternoon, I get to the Fair’s North Entrance, and I dart right over to the Schell’s Stage on the West End side of the fair. I’m preparing to take in the talents of Randy Sabien & The Fiddlehead Band. Randy Sabien is a violinist who swerves between jazz, country, country swing, rock and various permutations. With this particular band it covered the country/country swing/rock side of the pendulum, although with lots of improvising so also never straying to far away from also being under the jazz label. I have one album from Randy Sabien (from either the late 70′s or early 80′s), and I know I enjoy his playing and nothing changed my mind in that sense while seeing him live. His band consists of 3 fiddle players (including himself), an electric guitarist, a keyboardist, an electric bassist and drummer. Together they combine to bring the music to life as you have the crowd listening attentively and several dancing to the music. Flowing largely between typical country swing (e.g. Asleep At The Wheel) and then taking that style but playing it completely instrumentally in an extended form for other songs, which they then are able to seamlessly drop covers in of rock songs is something this band is able to seemingly, easily do over the three sets. I want to mention 3 of the covers that really stood out, one from each set. In the first set, they did a beautiful instrumental take of The Grateful Dead’s ‘Stella Blue’ as a gorgeous country/jazz ballad. The second set brought a track from Richard Betts’ debut album “Highway Call” (aka Dickey Betts from The Allman Bros.), ‘Hand Picked.’ That song was taken in an extended somewhat country swing arrangement of the song that saw great playing and soloing by the entire band. The third set brought the most unexpected cover (in my eyes at least) as the band went from a country/jump swing tune and segued right into an almost straight ahead, blues rock instrumental of The Allman Bros. ‘Whipping Post.’ The band absolutely tore through their rendition of the Southern Rock staple and finished up with another fine cover of a song that they made their own to the point that I had to ask my friend what the original was (I knew instantaneously that I recognized the song), but have once again forgotten what it was, but that ended their final set with a bang! It was a great afternoon spent with Randy Sabien & The Fiddlehead Band!
9/2/2018- MN State Fair (Leinie Lodge Stage)
It is still cloud covered after some early morning rain, but the sun is to be out soon, and The Secret Sisters are about to give life to the MN State Fair. As the two sisters, Laura and Lydia Roberts, take their version of country/folk/early blues with vocal influences that sound like it pulls from early girl groups, Everly Brothers, etc. (they even covered a CS&N song, which one escapes me) to the stage the crowd cheers in anticipation. Before starting they warned the crowd that most of their songs were depressing, so hold onto whatever happiness you had already achieved at the Fair. That sort of wit played out in between songs with the sisters, much of the comedy coming at the expense of the other sister in various ways. The focus, of course, was on their beautiful songs, that showcase the amazing vocal and harmonization abilities that these sisters have. I love their tremendous vocal ranges which take them from haunting to joyous, always perfectly fitting their songs. I should mention, along with singing, one of the sisters plays acoustic guitar as well, and then they have a pair of brothers that back them on bass (and very occasional electric guitar) and drums. The band provides the perfect support for The Secret Sister’s beautifully crafted original songs (they pulled from all three of their albums), and the covers which are admittedly tough to tell if you don’t know the song well, because they do such a great job of picking songs that they make them sound like it is their song. They put on a wonderful show, and their in between song banter is nearly as much fun as their music is to listen to, even if it is almost all depressing! The Secret Sisters not only had some people, myself included, who knew what they were getting ready to hear musically but I think they added a whole lot of new fans today thanks to their great live show!
They have 2 more sets tomorrow (9/3/2018) at 1 pm and 2:30 pm, which I am looking forward to seeing.
This was written Under the Influence of...Joe Satriani- Engines Of Creation, Bill Frisell- This Land, and Little Feat- LIve At Ultrasonic Studios
