Polem Setlist

Turn down the lights
Chumbungus
18 Weeks
Polem
Mundane in the Mystery
Whack Attack
Brains
Dirty Looks
Venison and Pan Fish

Eat Street is a stretch along Minneapolis in South Minneapolis that has long been known for a diverse set of restaurants and very recently become extremely well known as the site of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. There are a number of events going to support the broader community and Icehouse was hosting a jazz event with all proceeds going to various good causes, with Polem and BCE Trio playing.

As I headed towards Icehouse, it was towards the end of the daily remembrance that is happening across Minnesota, and being just a block and a half north of where Pretti was killed, it was a very busy time with a huge number at the vigil. Getting inside Icehouse was instantly a transformation to a quiet, intimate space, as the performance was on a side stage, rather than the larger space, where we saw Kiss the Tiger in September 2025.

Polem was up first. The trio (Mike Wolter on guitar, Kameron Markworth on stand up bass, and Joey Van Phillips on drums) started and that electric guitar from Wolter on Turn Down the Lights was center stage, though the interplay with bass and drums made for a mellow mood. That second number let Markworth shine on bass, with some good riffs and an extended lead section that had the crowd fully engaged. In the first break, Wolter introduced the band and noted that all of the songs were originals he composed. Polem went back into the music and 18 Weeks was a perfect continuation of a light sound that was belied a pretty complex musicianship, with Van Phillips getting a moment to work through a solo, with some great brush work. Wolter had a dry sense of humor that was on display in the second break, but it was all business again with some really lovely guitar work in Mundane in the Mystery. There was a little more dissonance and minor chord work and then Polem went into a brighter sound in Brains as they headed towards the close. Dirty Looks initially had a slight Americana feel and was the quietest number of a pretty chill set. They contrasted that with their loudest and most upbeat number to end their nearly hour long set, and Polem finished strong.

Finishing the night was BCE Trio. Featuring Emma Garau on drums, Chris Bates on stand up bass, and Bryan Nichols on keyboards, this had a fairly funky jazz sound, as those bright keys from Nichols were flying on the first number. The long number also gave Garau the chance to shine with some impressive drumming right out of the gate. And when Bates got a featured section, it became clear that all three of the musicians were very skilled and could follow each other in some very different directions. We even got some theremin sounding work out of the keys, which put an exclamation point on the range of jazz sounds BCE Trio had. And a bow string on the bass to help finish the marathon 15 minute plus song had the band put a stake in the sand about all the places they could go sonically. I don’t know if it was specifically a change to a new song, but Garau’s focused drumming and Nichols very different sound on keys suggested we had moved into a new number. This was session jazz at its core, with the band taking their opportunities to take the sound to different places while always supporting the overall vibe. Over thirty minutes in, and I wasn’t sure we had actually gotten to song number three (reminiscent of the Charlie Parr Trio in April 2025). But it also didn’t matter, as BCE Trio kept the music coming, with Bates on point to introduce the band and get moving with sharp bass work to start the next song. This one seriously thrummed along, and the distorted keyboards highlighted this more dissonant number, though it also had sections of clear jazz keys work as well. A final call out regarding the donations to local groups, and BCE Trio completed their hour long set with a flourish and yet another example of a community coming together to support each other.