The Honeydogs at Green Room, Minneapolis (July 25, 2025)

Thirty years after their debut album The Honeydogs held an album release party for their latest Algebra for Broken Hearts at the Green Room in Uptown.

It was the first time for me at the Green Room, a cozy place, as if The Dakota and The Varsity had a child and the child took on the best characteristics of both parents. There is the swank with intimate places to hang out (Varsity) and nice muti-level sight lines as well as the ability to order an upgraded burger (Dakota).

For all its Uptown hipness to the venue there was a casual, chatty atmosphere when Molly Maher and her band took the stage.

“This is f*cking family night,” Molly said for she knew many in the crowd.

Like The Honeydogs, Molly has been playing on the local scene for quite some time. Her style is Americana melding with the blues. Her influences are Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt. She picked up the guitar at eighteen. Her first gig was at the 400 Bar playing between 12 Rods and Mason Jennings. She found musical homes at Lee’s Liquor Lounge and Turf Club as well as a five-year residency at Nye’s.

After a couple of songs, Molly laid into “Cry Baby”, infused with Lucinda Williams’ tears, which gave her bandmates Erik Koskinen and Paul Bergen plenty of opportunity to take turns with guitar solos.

Molly, Erik and Paul were joined on stage by Steve Murray on bass and a drummer that would do double duty for the night, Noah Levy.

Molly played a trio of songs from her well-crafted 2020 album Follower with “Run Run Run”, “Bird Song” and “Storm Cloud” before wrapping up her set with the gleeful “Monkey”.

The Honeydogs started in 1994 with brothers Adam (guitar and lead vocal) and Noah Levy (drums) joining forces with Trent Norton on bass and Tommy Borscheid on guitar. Their debut self-titled albums with hit song “I Miss You” pointed them to a bigger stage. But after relentless touring with their hit album Seen a Ghost, Tommy left the group and Adam started pointing the band in other musical directions to get the band out from under the Americana label.

There was a gleeful look to the band as if their reunion with all the original members turned back the clock back thirty years. They recorded their latest album in five days under their longtime producer Justin “Strawberry” Fields who, like Noah, was doing double duty for the evening by playing the keys as well as some mean cow bell.

Adam said they were having fun playing the old as well as the new. In fact they started off with the new “Attic Brain” before highlighting their new album with “Captain” and “Irish Goodbye”.

Still, there was plenty of time in the evening for the old with “Rumor Has It” and
“Kandiyohi” with its country twang and foot on the pedal.

Like Molly, Adam knew many in the crowd, whether longtime fans from the beginning that lined the back or students he is currently teaching who worked their way to the front of the stage. “So good to see you,” he said. “You’re my favorite people in the world.”

Adam even brought some special guests on stage, with Barb and Samantha, from his “other” band providing backup singing with “I Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Righteous Came the Stranger”. Then his daughter, Ava, joined him on stage to sing along with “Losing Transmission” and “I Miss You”.

Then back to the new with “Algebra for Broken Hearts” for an encore followed by a Rolling Stones cover “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” which had Matt Darling coming on stage to play an extended trombone solo.

The Honeydogs

The Honeydogs

The Honeydogs

The Honeydogs

The Honeydogs

The Honeydogs

Molly Maher

Molly Maher

Molly Maher

Molly Maher

Molly Maher