David Wax Museum at Icehouse (05/19/2023)

“It’s been a while since we’ve been to Minneapolis,” said David Wax, looking around. “I’m a little worried about the round.”

It was an intimate setting with a proscenium thrust surrounded on three sides by tables. So Wax wanted to make sure everyone was able to enjoy the show for he knew quite a few people in the crowd.

Neopolitan kicked off the evening with an eight-song set. “It’s not Neapolitan like the pizza,” said Harry Edstrum. “But Neopolitan like the band.”

Formed in 2016, the Minneapolis band has the unique geographical distinction of having its members from different states:

Neopolitan played songs from their debut EP, Yesteryear, starting off with “On Your Time,” I’m Already Gone” and “God’s Hot Car.”

A highlight was “Dressed in Red” a song that had the band leaning into a more muscular, honky-tonk sound. Edstrum then invited his sister, Sigrid, onto the stage to sing a duet from the Gillian Welch song “Look at Miss Ohio” before finishing the set with “Blue Bird,” “They’re Gonna Find Me” and “Let’s Ride.”

David Wax Museum next took the stage and started off the evening with the infectious “Best Lover” from their latest album You Must Change Your Life.

Fronted by the married couple of David Wax and Sue Slezak, David Wax Museum burst onto the scene at the Newport Music Festival in 2011 with a mix of American and Mexican Folk music or as the New York Time described in 2012: “…a lively rustic cross-border mix.”

Their latest album seeks to explore even more with their self-titled song sounding like the type of breezy, uplifting song you would hear on the radio in the 70’s.

Uplifting was definitely the theme of the evening, especially when Wax played the tiny Mexican guitar, the Jarana, Slezak moved from the fiddle to the accordion and Alec Spiegelman played the saxophone for “Ahululco.”

Wax said it had been quite a journey to release this album, a setback coming last Thanksgiving when visiting family in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, he collapsed on the treadmill, ended up in the hospital and was told that he needed a heart catheterization. It was during those moments in the hospital with his whole life on hold that Slezak sang to him a song that he wrote for the new album, “Be Patient.”

David Wax Museum will end their tour in Wax’s hometown, but Minneapolis also felt like a reunion. Wax said his mother is from Minneapolis and he had quite a few relatives in the crowd.

Both Wax and Slezak were grateful for being able to be back on the road and gave a special shout out to Van who volunteered to step in and help drive, run the merch table, corral their two kids and provide overall support while Wax still recovers. Wax also said he hoped it wouldn’t be another three years before they are back in Minneapolis before ending the evening with “Love Comes Around” and “Yes, Maria, Yes.”

Remaining tour dates:

May 20 – Columbia, MO May 26 – Wellesley College Reunion * June 3 – Boonton, NJ * June 4 – Red Bank, NJ * June 5 – Red Hook, NY * June 5 – Woodstock, NY * June 29 – Martha’s Vineyard July 14 – Richmond, VA *

July 30 – Lancaster, PA Aug 3 – Syracuse, NY * Aug 4 – Albany, NY * Aug 5 – Newfane, VT * Aug 6 – Chocorua, NH * Aug 7 – Cliff Island, ME * Aug 9 – Yarmouth, MA * *duo performance