The Lemon Twigs at Fine Line, Minneapolis (May 1st, 2026)

 

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a show by The Lemon Twigs. I think they’re great — smart, effective songwriters who wear their influences (60’s British Invasion, 70’s AM pop-rock) on their sleeves. Nothing wrong with any of that. I like them when they’re a little more “psych” than “sweet”, but the music that inspires them achieves both goals at once. The crowd ranged in age from “young” to “me” to “gray-haired guys in ponytails”. They would all be looking for something slightly different — I can imagine fans who grew up with Apples in Stereo, and guys who grew up with the Archies.

Any comparison to influences, of course, is limiting. The Lemon Twigs can give you so much more than that: Sloan-esque indie hooks, Marr-class guitar jangle, and Rundgren’s version of “AM radio, but deeper”. After a triumphant opening run (“My Golden Years”, “I’ve Got a Broken Heart”, “What You Were Doing”, “The One”, “In My Head”), I was again unsure. This was all very sweet, but it was so good. The brothers were leaping in unison. The harmonies were tight. The rhythm section sounded amazing together. (As good as Fine Line ever does, which means “as good as where you’re standing”.) As the band transitioned to “Flash in the Pan”, Michael D’Addario joked: “This is a song from my brother’s solo album. Did anyone in the crowd hear that record? No? OK, well.” I’m not sure if they knew that I was approaching a sweetness overload, but this — brotherly needling — was surely the antidote.

“Look for Your Mind!” was introduced as a “psych freak out”, and that was another way to bring the sugar levels down — exactly the punch I was looking for. But that was short-lived, with a long run of syrupy, sunshiny songs about being in love. By the time the set ended, I was feeling a little like a kid who overdid Halloween again.

But we got a break before the encore, and Brian came out to play two solo songs (“Joy” and “Corner of My Eye”). The whole band came back for “How Can I Love Her More?”, all of which helped me catch my breath and cleanse my palate.

The Lemon Twigs make no apologies for who they are: thoroughly original songwriters, toying with the conventions of their influences, playing as only they can, to a crowd that truly appreciates all of that. While playful and goofy, it’s awfully sincere — but by the close, I was won over.

Opener Josephine Network (who also opened for Lemon Twigs in 2023) brought their own flavor of tribute: carefree, denim-clad, 70’s AM party-rock. (At one point, a bass guitar was lifted high and played behind-the-head. Been a while since I’ve seen that.) Josephine herself said that the project has one main point: “you can rock, too”. Their songs are solid, but I’d believe that more fans came away remembering the attitude and the spectacle.