For the first day of 2026’s Art-A-Whirl, the annual NE Minneapolis tradition, I made my way over to Sociable Cider Werks. Let’s just say parking was…unkind. After a recalculation on strategy, I finally worked my way onto the premises. The open building where the brewery was flanked the back, while you worked your way through food trucks and art stalls before getting to the raised platform for the bands. I caught Rhino Shrine midway through their first song Nice to Meet You. The quintet (guitar/vocals, guitar/vocals, keyboards/trumpet/vocals, bass, and drums) were in matching paint-splattered jump suits, as they were into the art theme. This was good alt rock though they also had a pleasant bit of 70’s rock influence in their sound. The trumpet appeared on the second number and it also came with the mix of guitars on the instrumental. Making jokes about last year’s weather (quite cold and rainy!) to this year’s mid 80’s and sunny got us a joke about that the lack of breatheability in the jump suits, “but we’ll make do”. Little Canada started with a bang and excellent guitar riffs to balance the harder edged singing. Hard Hat had a long bass intro and Rhino Shrine played around a bit of reggae vibe at points in that one, although that 70’s rock sound was also evident when we hit the guitar instrumental. Saying that they were “going to get back in the recording studio one of these days”, the band headed into a section of newer, unreleased numbers. The inevitable slower song had some great dual back up vocals and the shift in vibe was perfect for the gorgeous day as the sun slowly started working its way down. Closing their set with an anthem-like intro that gave way to the faster rhythms of the song, Rhino Shrine had been exactly the right start (for me anyway) to the music weekend, as they also headed off stage and started ditching the jumpsuits.

Up next was Owen Trelstad and the Occasionals. Trelstad is a singer & songwriter playing some indie pop rock, who plays both solo and, like tonight, with a a band. On as a quintet (vocals/guitar, keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums), it was with the vast majority of Rhino Shrine (sans jumpsuits) backing up Trelstad. The opener, In Love or Alone, was off the new EP 17 and set the tone immediately, with acoustic guitar and Trelstad’s fairly unique singing style, a little smoky, with a higher range and a tone that treads lightly. It played well and really brought the crowd’s attention. The next song was the title track to the EP and the keyboards really helped the song fly. A covers, including Everlong, were right up the band’s alley and had great drums to close out. That Cage the Elephant’s Trouble also worked great told you the range Owen Trelstad and the Occasionals had. Back to the originals, the band started with a live debut of Pardon My Tone, which had some Noah Kahan vibes, and that mix of bright, jaunty music with slightly satirical lyrics seemed a great spot for the band. The smooth guitar kept the happy vibe going for the audience and the start of the weekend was going great. Wasting All My Time had the synth heavy keys but really featured Trelstad’s vocals. Closing on Begin Again, Owen Trelstad and the Occasionals finished with the sun going down and the lights going on in a perfect late spring / early summer moment.

Closing things out for the evening was Keep For Cheap. The prairie rock band is one we caught in February with Durry at First Avenue. The quintet (vocals/guitar, vocals/bass, guitar x 2, and drums) came out banging and that mix of Americana folk with straight rock was so much fun. Noting it was their third straight Art-A-Whirl at Sociable, you could see the happiness of the band and crowd, and in these times, that’s notable in the best possible way. Guitarist Abe Anderson was killing it in the early going, but the dual vocals of Autumn Vagle and Kate Malanaphy were the calling card for the band. Segway had Vagle recalling her time working for Segway tours, which sounds truly horrific, but at least a good song came of it and the folk rock tones came shining through. Those interleaved harmonies were pretty brilliant and who was lead and who was support didn’t matter. A good word to Trelstad had a call out to all of the Hamline Pipers in the crowd, which got a significant number of cheers. With Malanaphy now on guitar and lead vocals, it was a perhaps the crunchiest rock number of the set and had Anderson getting a moment. If you’ve read much of my work, dear reader, you know my proclivities for great drumming, and Grace Berg had it on display throughout.

Malanaphy had an entrancing guitar intro as the band continued to ride that line of folk and rock and Bert Northrup had a very bright electric guitar solo and the repeated dual chorus of “forgive me” before the devolved guitar ending was sublime. The pure energy that Malanaphy and Vagle threw into those vocals was almost chilling and with Anderson headed into full reverb pedal effect, Keep for Cheap was in complete control. Pennywise was a relatively new song and those rock influences were winning out on this one. Show You How was a brand new one (“we started playing it live last week”) and Berg got to crush on the entrance. Going back to an early number had a lullaby like song with the singers holding some beautiful thirds harmonies. Wiggle was a brand new song with Anderson suddenly on a steel lap guitar and was a bouncy folk number. We got a more Americana number right near the end, with the band reminding that full stretch of genres they can play and Malanaphy getting to go off vocally. Ending on the quieter Lakehouse, Keep For Cheap had brought us home on a wonderful Art-A-Whirl kickoff.