The Posies at Patrick’s Cabaret, Minneapolis (21 May 2016)

Setlist

We R Power! Unlikely Places Squirrel vs Snake Dream All Day Scattered March Climes with Cindy Lawson of The Clams Licenses to Hide The Glitter Prize   The Sound of Clouds Rollercoaster Zen Titanic The Plague Throwaway Please Return It The Definition M Doll Burn & Shine Solar Sister — Encore — I May Hate You Sometimes Any Other Way Thirteen (Big Star cover) September Gurls (Big Star cover) Grant Hart Apology King Midas in Reverse (Hollies cover)

Tour Dates

 

Call it a Power Pop Pop-Up…


The longtime Bellingham, Washington band The Posies have again returned to action, with a new album in tow (Solid States on My Music Empire/Lojinx) and a unique series of special personal and intimate pop-up shows, usually to crowds of less than one hundred, with the secret location details, not announced until just before the show.


The venue in Minneapolis turned out to be at Patrick’s Cabaret, a converted firehouse creatively re-decorated and known to host eclectic sometimes experimental shows in a relaxed setting, which turned out to be an ideal venue.


Unfortunately, with the building sold to new owners, The Posies show is one of the last there, as the organization must leave by end of this month but will continue hosting events at similar area venues around town.


In existence since 1986, The Posies had quite a catalog to draw from for their two-hour set, with core members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow  joined on drums by Frankie Siragusa for their first outing since the recent deaths of former members Darius Minwalla and Joe Skyward.


The venue had three rows of limited grandstand seating to face the performance area and the overflows stood in front and to the sides of the band.  The band’s sound has been slightly updated for the new album, leaning a bit more electronic, though keeps the pristine two-part harmonies, whip-smart songwriting, and hummable melodies fans have come to know them for, for over two decades.


Eager to showcase the new songs, the band kicked off with the first two songs from Solid States, ‘We R Power!’ and ‘Unlikely Places’.  Stringfellow alternated between guitars and keyboards (often taking both on in the same song) while Auer kept to guitar; both shared singing duties.


“I know you guys are really into gophers” Stringfellow remarked, introducing the new ‘Squirrel vs. Snake’, noting a Caddyshack re-make might be happening, to a handful of boos from those keeping the original film in high regard.  Radio hit ‘Dream All Day’ was played early on, with Auer commenting it being the only Posies song featured on MTV’s Beavis and Butthead.


The new ‘March Climes’ was one of the more electronic sounding new songs on record, but performed live, the keyboards did not overpower the song and it fit neatly amongst the more traditional Posies songs.

Vocalist Cindy Lawson of local ‘80s indie-rock band The Clams was brought up mid-set, to sing along on a couple songs mid-set, with Stringfellow trying his best to comically make pun wordplays in his introduction of Lawson.


The new ‘Rollercoaster Zen’ was heartfully dedicated to their two late former band members while ‘Titanic’ unleashed drummer Sirgusa with a sweaty fury in the not-well-ventilated room. Though the newer songs were well received, the crowd of mostly thirty and forty year olds responded noticeably to older favorites like 1996’s ‘Throwaway’ and ‘Please Return It’.


Returning to the new, the band played ‘The Definition’ and the keyboard-driven ‘M Doll’ with drummer Siragusa again excelling on a blistering ‘Burn & Shine’ , before he retired to the bar to have a well-deserved drink.


The encore (which changes nightly) brought out just Stringfellow and Auer and played like an unplugged or in-store set, even more personal than the main set and featured a string of older and cover songs.


After teasing with riffs from Night Ranger’s ‘Sister Christian’ and other arena rock songs, the double play of Big Star covers, ‘Thirteen’ and ‘September Gurls’ drew the strongest crowd response of the evening thus far, appropriate since both are in the reunited version of the legendary alternative band as well.


An aching ‘Grant Hart’ was next, also appropriate since the ex-Husker Du drummer still lives in nearby South St. Paul (though unfortunately was not present) and the duo ended with the melodic ‘King Midas in Reverse’, reprising their 1995 Hollies cover, done for a tribute record.


Playing smaller venues to purposely few crowds is a boon to any fan of the band or ‘90s power pop in general, so look for The Posies to hopefully come to your town, in a secret pop-up location for a unique concert experience.