Bartees Strange shines wholeheartedly at sold-out Turf Club

Bartees Strange performed at the Turf Club on Monday, November 7, 2022. He was joined by openers They Hate Change and Smidley. Sara Fish for MPR

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November 08, 2022

According to Bartees Leon Cox Jr., last night was the “coolest Monday ever.” That’s because it was the D.C.-based artist’s first show to sell out under the moniker Bartees Strange.

It was a bit surreal to walk into a bar in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood and stand close to a musician who’s been praised by almost every major music publication lately. Given his ascending popularity, it was surprising to see Strange’s Twin Cities tour stop would be at the Turf Club. For those who managed to secure tickets before the show sold out, the smaller-than-expected venue gave way to an intimate performance.

Man looks down as he plays acoustic guitar — Bartees Strange performed at the Turf Club on Monday, November 7, 2022. He was joined by openers They Hate Change and Smidley.
Sara Fish for MPR

Since the release of his debut album, Live Forever, Bartees Strange has leaned so deeply into his idiosyncrasies that calling his music genreless could be considered platitudinous at this point. Yet, “indie-rock” anchors Strange’s style; hybrid genres stem from there in every direction.

Much of his music is perfectly constructed for an arena rock show. Songs like “Mustang,” “Boomer,” and “Wretched” vibrate with a hardcore quality. Strange’s final strum on “Mustang” was aggressive enough to whirl his body in a circle. When covering the vocalist’s “favorite band in the world,” the National, the band reimagined “Lemonworld” in an amped-up form.

The only time Strange took his hands off a guitar was for “Cosigns,” a R&B track from Farm to Table that he rapped over. For “Flagey God,” guitarist Dan Kleederman produced echoing electronic elements by blowing into a small instrument placed over his guitar strings. No matter what hybrid genre songs fell into, each was heartfelt.

People often say that hearing music live gives new life to it, and that statement was particularly true for “Hold the Line.” Written during the pandemic’s lockdown period, the song is dedicated to Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd. Strange didn’t need to comment on the fact that the George Floyd Memorial was only a few miles away to leave a powerful impact.

Strange held ineffable spiritual energy. Unpretentious confidence combined with his deep, powerful voice enraptured eyes and ears. Concentrated facial expressions accompanied each rapid guitar strum as if he were feeling the music inside himself.

A subtle theme of self-love lingered as the night progressed. He introduced “Heavy Heart” as a song written during the pandemic when he was doing well personally, but surrounded by heartache. It’s about accepting that celebration can be used to refuel during unfortunate times. He advised that people not live in guilt when thriving.

Person wearing an electric guitar holds both hands to their head — Bartees Strange performed at the Turf Club on Monday, November 7, 2022. He was joined by openers They Hate Change and Smidley.
Sara Fish for MPR

They closed with “Hennessy,” a song that Strange has played since the age of 16; it’s his thesis for music making. He was one of the only black children in Mustang, Okla., so he had to grow up quickly. He’s always wished that people would look beyond the stereotypes of black people and love him for himself.

The most intimate moment was a seemingly impromptu encore. After exiting the stage, and before the audience even started cheering for another song, Strange quickly returned. They played a couple extras to celebrate the show selling out. Sitting on the edge of the stage, Strange snapped his fingers to ambient music and played one more cover: “About Today” by the National.

According to Strange, the sold-out show was even more special because it was the band’s first time in Minnesota. That wasn’t accurate. A person at the very front of the stage informed him that he had, in fact, visited St. Paul at Palace Theatre when opening for Car Seat Headrest. Apologizing, he claimed that bandmates insisted that they played in Wisconsin, which was of course met with a, “F*ck Wisconsin,” somewhere in the crowd.

The facts were confirmed: They had played in Minnesota before. They were playing in Minnesota again. And it likely won’t be their last time sharing potent music live for fans in Minnesota.

As impressive as Bartees Strange was, the second opener didn't fade from memory. For those who showed up early without ever hearing about the hip-hop duo They Hate Change, a few may have walked about eager to explore their catalog. The Tampa rappers, Vonne Parks and Andre Gainey, served clever lyrics to accompany hazy lo-fi beats, which they described as a Gulf Coast sound of post-punk disco. The duo stared in each others eyes as they bounced around with inexhaustible chemistry.

Person holds a mic, looking and pointing at the camera — Bartees Strange performed at the Turf Club on Monday, November 7, 2022. He was joined by openers They Hate Change and Smidley.
Sara Fish for MPR

First on stage was Smidley, a last-minute addition to the bill. (Pom Pom Squad, unfortunately, had to cancel due to gear stolen in Italy.) The indie rock band usually performs with four to six people, but only showed up with frontman Conor Murphy and a drummer, so they relied heavily on backing tracks from someone’s iPhone. The floor was sparse when Murphy began, and he asked the punctual attendees to be gentle with them. He was explicitly nervous, saying, “I’m not scared. I’m excited about how scared I am.” Their new album will be released this Friday, and it was their first time playing some songs live. Murphy used falsetto to detail songs about breaking one’s own heart, and sometimes, that relatable feeling is all people need to hear.

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