Pizza Luce Block Party 2015

 

I looked up in the sky before we left the Pizza Lucé Block Party. The backdrop was the beautiful skyscrapers of Minneapolis with a giant stage on the ground and thousands of people surrounding me. That’s when it hit me. I made the right choice moving to Minneapolis, why would anyone ever leave?

Last Saturday was the Pizza Lucé Block Party. It was a full day of great pizza, cold beer, good friends, and amazing music… everything that makes me fall in love with this city more and more day after day.

You could not beat the line-up. There was everything from Doomtree rappers Sims and Mike Mictlan to, the local punk heroes, Dillinger Four. There was something there for everyone.

I went to McNally Smith College of Music up here in the Twin Cities. It is a small music school that employees some of the most experienced people in the music industry. I looked up on stage right when we got there and playing drums was my booking and promotions teacher. In between bands was my hip hop history teacher curating that whole festival. How awesome is that? I feel like that is something that only happens up here. The teachers I had really are in the industry. I have yesterday to prove that.

The crowd was a mixed bag of old and young. Regardless of age, everyone was a having a great time just enjoying the music and the beautiful Minneapolis summer day. There was a handful of people who seemed to be there for just one of the musical acts but over all, it seemed like people wanted to see it all.

 

I have been wanting to see Dillinger Four for a while now. Every year they play D4th of July at the Triple Rock. D4 is an outdoor festival held over the 4th of July weekend that Dillinger Four puts on and headlines. It seems like every year, I have the best of intentions to go to D4 but it never happens. I always regret not going because they are a staple in the Minneapolis punk scene. Well, yesterday I finally got to see them for free and it was amazing. The crowd seemed a bit tame for a punk show but like I mentioned, people were just there for a good time, not necessarily because they were diehard fans. There was a small pit that broke out during their set. I’m pretty sure that in said pit, people were saying “excuse me” as they lightly pushed other people around. How’s that for ‘Minnesota nice’?

Sims was the highlight of the day for me. Sims is a member of Doomtree, that rap collective I always talk about. He is by far, one of my favorite members of the group. I love his lyrics and his energy and, come on, he’s super cute! Cute enough for me to apparently tweet at him, “Marry me?” Yes, I was a little bit drunk by beer number 7. The fact that he actually replied to my drunk tweet is yet another reason I love him. Here he is, Sims, a world famous rapper who just got back from an European tour. Sims, a Minneapolis native that has gone further than that rapper from your hometown. Sims replied to my tweet saying he is taken but I could be his “safety.” Yeah, that all sounds dumb, and I was pretty drunk but the fact that he tweeted me back.. that’s what the Minneapolis music scene is all about…. musicians are in the community, they still talk to their fans in their hometown no matter how big and successful they get.

All of the other bands were great. My slice of Athena pizza from Lucé (Minneapolis) tasted absolutely amazing. The cold Summit (Saint Paul) beer kept me cool and drunk throughout the day. Everything about yesterday screamed local and that’s what I loved.

Minneapolis is a beautiful city. I wear my Minnesota tattoo proudly because of days like yesterday.