Saltydog at Turf Club (January 9, 2026)
It was a jam band evening with Duluth band Saltydog headlining a sold out show at Turf Club in St. Paul.
- Hot Tasty
- Don’t Get Comfy
- Comfy Jam
- The Funk
- All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover)
- Big Mama
- Hammer & Nail
- Hurt People
- Tonic & Gin
- Gone
- Lookin’ At Me
- Freight Train (Fred Eaglesmith cover)
- Stay
- Lately
- Fisherman
- Wild Woman
- Cowboy Killers
7:00PM
BETWEEN BOWLS
8:00PM
HOT LIKE MARS
9:05PM
SALTYDOG
10:25PM
Bucking the stereotype that no one goes to shows in the dead of winter, it was yet another early January show that was completely sold out. This time, it was a bit of the north shore invading the Twin Cities, with a jam night of funk music at Turf Club in St. Paul, with Duluth based band Saltydog headlining things.
The evening got started with the Superior, Wisconsin based wife and husband duo called Between Howls. Ren Howl (vocals, violin, and guitar) and Nick Howl (vocals, guitar, & harmonica) released their debut album Cabin Fever in 2025 and were making their first appearance at Turf Club with their roots, Americana sound. The dual vocals, with high tenor and lower alto was a pretty brilliant match and made for a fun sound all set. An early number Hammer & Nail had a great pairing of the strummed guitar with the violin, as Nick sang his way through. An early call out to the traveling Duluth crowd (it seemed a significant percentage if the cheers were accurate), the couple were sweet and earnest, and I think these times call for more of that. Ren took lead vocals on Hurt People and Nick’s supporting guitar work was stellar. Tonic and Gin might have been the best example of their work, with the duo vocals mixed with great violin over the guitar. This was a pretty excellent example of folk Americana and the skill was simply superb. Lookin’ at Me was a brutal take on philosophy in these United States. Between Howls had won over the crowd, with the audience stamping along on Freight Train. Jacob Mahon from the headliner was called up on stage to help sing a song that had been written “at an Air B&B this last summer”, and the joy was apparent. Lately was a gorgeous number with the lyric “lately I’ve been hoping” ringing solid. Wild Woman let Nick take lead vocals and tell the story with Ren’s supporting violin, and Between Howls ended their 45 minute set with Cowboy Killers, a fast paced number that had audience clapping, dancing, and cheering throughout.
Hot Like Mars was up next and the only out of towners (hailing from Chicago and driving up the same day!) they are also a relatively new band, having released their first album One Way Ticket Up in 2025. It had gotten pretty packed near the stage by the time the quintet (vocals/dual keyboards, guitar, guitar/backing vocals, guitar, and drums) got going. They came out with the funkiest of funk in Hot Tasty as if to dispel any rumors about what they were all about. The double keyboard set up from Anthony Perry made for a great range of music, and it centered the Hot Like Mars sound. The crowd was having a great time at the front of the stage, and was cheering for the different musical sections. Those lead vocals were almost blues-like at times, and the band was in that funk/blues mode as they improvised around the main number of Comfy Jam. A classic bit of “I got to take it higher” was perfectly played and Hot like Mars was having a blast with their first show of 2026. They went into The Funk, a lengthy number that showed off talent and let different members of the band have center stage, including the jazziest keys of the set. It also had a call back to the hit Shining Star interlaced, which was a clever addition. A grateful call out to the audience reception after the long day of driving, Hot Like Mars kept it going with their final song being a cover of All Along the Watchtower and closing out strong.
Saltydog finally took to the stage. With their newest album Runnin’ Again in soft release (and being more formally released at this show), the Duluth band came to stage as a sextet (vocals/drums, two guitars, keyboards, percussion, and bass) and immediately went into their music. This definitely had that 70’s jam session feel of multiple bands, but also had its own distinct direction. That drummer as lead vocalist is a very distinct thing, and the band was physically set up to focus attention to the back of the stage for Owen Mahon. (Side note: Weirdly, the set up also seemed to make getting good angles on photos more difficult, though I am unsure why.) High flying keyboards from Gavin St. Clair helped that opening number take flight and Saltydog had the audience in hand as they ended the first two numbers off their new album. As many have noted the rough conditions of today’s world, we got the following quote from Jacob: “In a world full of Darth Vaders, be a Luke Skywalker” that resonated with the audience. Though the band had the skills for the expected musical interludes, they also did a great job with their vocals and harmonies, adding to that older era jam feel. (Side note: Shirts on fans in front of me included Grateful Dead, Phish, and other genre appropriate bands, so they knew what they were coming to hear.) Those longer instrumentals were highlighted by the dual percussion, with bongos from Bryan Johnson making a good way to launch unique musical sections off of. And while some of these songs included extremely extended music, Saltydog found ways to put some chapter markers in there to continue to bring the crowd along. They also seamlessly worked to the next song, and that continuous flow was a critical part of the experience. The first noticeable break in the music got huge cheers and the band’s thanks for the crowd support and the openers. A more country sounding number truly felt like a Grateful Dead song, and it was impressively done. As the night began to wind down, you wouldn’t have known it from the band or the crowd’s reaction as the dancing and cheering continued unabated. Saltydog ended the marathon evening and then Duluth area had shown up strong on stage and in the audience.
