Although it feels like a long-lived institution, the White Squirrel Bar in downtown Saint Paul is only five years old. They celebrate their anniversary in style, with a full day of music, on both the outside and inside stages, with a small market attached. I got over to a small part of Kev Fest 5, catching the end of the outdoor bands on a beautiful summer day.

After spending a little time browsing through the market tents, I found a space as the Mortiholics were setting up. With perhaps the briefest of self-descriptors, “weekly rocknroll at Mortimer’s Bar”, the band did, in fact, have a weekly gig over at the Minneapolis stalwart bar for several years. The quartet (vocals/guitar, bass, saxophone/keyboards, and drums) had a very comfortable rock sound, and the early sax solo confirmed the high energy ethos of Mortiholics. Even as they went into a country number (an original, it turned out), it was a particular rockabilly version and the sax solo actually fit. A cover of The Letter was a good song to pick up the energy on the original, with bass flying from Joe Hammond, one of our favorite locals. A seamless transition had the band show an imperious attitude, which must be a requirement for a house band. Unsurprisingly, these guys were locked in with each other and as the breeze picked up, this was such a pleasant way to spend the early evening. Another original had an audience member come up to start the song off with cowbell, adding a bit more whimsy to an already fun set (the quick head nod mid song and instant pick up of the cowbell was perfectly done). Ain’t Gonna Worry (About the End of the World) was written for these times, and its rumbly guitar and bass were a nice driver for the darker lyrics. “We’re going to bang one more out for you” was a perfect intro to the final run of the Mortiholics’ rocker of a set.

Up next was Deep Fakes (aka DPFKS). The quintet (vocals/guitar, keyboards/vocals, guitar, bass, and drums) were sound checking and the patio (which had been well attended) had filled out completely in the change over. The stage was all very full, with the second guitarist actually standing next to the stage. This was a solid indie rock sound, with vocal mics on reverb, and guitars fueling the full sound. A heavy synth vibe start had all three strings layer in before vocals kicked in on Use My Voice, and when those killer drums took off (and boy howdy, did they ever), the band had hit a great early moment. A near EDM intro had a fabulous bass riff, and Deep Fakes was eating up, and their musicality was very impressive. A great instrumental section let guitar, keys, and drums go off and this was an explosive set. New American Anthem “for the stormy days ahead” soared and hit its mark with the repeated lyric “violence and money”, but it being a banger rock song to boot seemed too much to ask. Dear reader, the surprising power of these songs is why I often seek out local music and I’m constantly reminded how talented the Twin Cities music scene truly is. A new song, Carry the Weight, got us a “hang with us” and had both vocalists with lead moments. Heading towards the end, the band kept cruising and pedal boards were in full use. Ending on Different Kind Light, Deep Fakes had absolutely crushed it, closing the outdoor portion of Kev Fest in style. Hopefully, there will be many more anniversaries for what is truly becoming a legendary venue in the local music scene.