Margo Price never misses a beat during First Avenue show

Margo Price performed at First Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 Steven Cohen for MPR

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February 21, 2023

Margo Price has had one heck of a busy six months. Back in October, she released her deeply personal and vulnerable memoir, Maybe We’ll Make It, to critical acclaim. She then embarked on a book tour supporting it. Last month, she released her fourth studio album, Strays — also to critical acclaim. And she, once again, hit the road on the “Till the Wheels Fall Off” tour.

Not only were the wheels still attached when Price took the First Avenue stage on Sunday night, they were rolling at full speed and with only a power she could control.

To kick off the night, actress and singer-songwriter Lola Kirke delighted the crowd with her unique blend of ‘80s and ‘90s country twang and more synth-laden pop. Wasting no time, Kirke was already strumming her guitar as the First Avenue screen began rising to reveal her and her band. Kirke was sporting a sparkling black, fringed leotard with equally sparkly cowboy boots, a fashion mash-up that worked perfectly with her genre-bending sound.

Joining Kirke onstage were Ellen Angelico on guitar and pedal steel and Alex Wong on drums and synth. Angelico and Wong also pitched in on backup vocals, and together, all three voices created beautiful three-part harmonies throughout the set. From their first note, the trio’s energy never let up — musically and in their demeanor. Between Kirke’s ear-to-ear grin and constant movement onstage, it was clear she was there to have a good time. Her charm was palpable, and her voice captivated the crowd. Meanwhile, Angelico’s masterful playing and Wong’s rock-solid drumming kept momentum throughout the 40-minute set.

To end her set, Kirke embarked on a beautiful cover of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The song offered one final opportunity for the trio to show off their impressive harmonizing abilities and for Kirke to ham it up for the crowd one last time. With a final “Thank you, Minneapolis,” Kirke, Angelico, and Wong left the stage, and the screen came back down. (Kirke said she’ll be back playing 7th Street Entry in August.)

As Price’s showtime neared, the screen went back up, and her backing band of guitarists Jeremy Ivey (who doubles as Price's husband), Alex Muňoz, and Jamie Davis; bassist Kevin Black; keyboardist Micah Hulscher/ and drummer Dillon Napier filed onstage. Napier took his place at one of the two drum sets onstage. More on that later. Shortly after, Price herself joined, barefoot and wearing a long, draping sheer red dress with an acoustic guitar strapped on.

The ensemble immediately began playing the grooving psychedelic opening track off Strays, “Been to the Mountain.” The band was tight, and Price’s voice, pristine. It simultaneously sounded exactly like it does on the album and like something that couldn’t possibly ever be accurately captured on record.

Midway through “Been to the Mountain,” Price ditched her guitar and grabbed the mic and a tambourine to work the stage a little. She eventually went right to the edge to get as close to the crowd as she could, shaking her tambourine the entire time while Ivey ripped a harmonica solo. Switching instruments again, she put the tambourine down and grabbed a cowbell for the remainder of the song.

The organized chaos of Price switching instruments multiple times and running from side to side was a common occurrence throughout the night. Rarely did she end a song playing the same instrument as when it started. But switching between solo vocal duties, acoustic guitar, egg shaker, tambourine, and cowbell was just the tip of the iceberg.

Margo Price plays the drums — Margo Price performed at First Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023
Steven Cohen for MPR

Remember that second drum set? On more than one occasion, Price sat behind it and played alongside Napier without missing a beat — both at the kit and vocally. She first showed off her drum chops during “Change of Heart.” About midway through the song, Price took off her guitar, retreated towards the awaiting drum kit, and immediately began keeping time with Napier. The drum duo played together with such intensity that it felt as though they were keeping rhythm inside the very souls of the crowd.

Each time Price sat behind the kit was, of course, impressive. But it was during “That’s How Rumors Get Started” that she really outdid herself. Price ran offstage as an extended mid-song jam session broke out amongst the band. Moments later, she reemerged wearing a pink glittery fringed leotard and black sparkly stilettos heels. She headed straight for the drums to finish the song behind the kit — wearing stilettos. It had to be one of the more impressive wardrobe changes to ever occur at First Avenue.

Throughout the night, Price and co. treated the crowd to a set spanning all four of her studio albums. While the majority of the setlist was off of her latest release (including a live debut of “Lydia” and the unreleased title track “Strays”), she also included several of the songs that got her where she is today. “Four Years of Chances” and “Tennessee Song,” both off of Midwest Farmer’s Daughter and All American Made’s “Don’t Say It,” each received a raucous crowd response.

But it wasn’t just her own songs that got Price where she is, and she was sure to pay homage with several covers of her influences. On “White Rabbit,” Price channeled Jefferson Airplane vocalist Grace Slick’s deep and powerful voice. During a cover of Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up,” Price once again sat behind her drum kit, singing while she played and putting her own spin on the song of debauchery. Price’s version of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” was absolutely phenomenal. Her resplendent voice and Davis’s twangy vibrato-soaked licks offered the perfect update to the iconic feminist anthem. Finally, during a cover of Wings’ “Let Me Roll It,” Price was joined onstage by Kirke to help with vocal duties and for some dueling fringe.

Margo Price smiling and playing acoustic guitar — Margo Price performed at First Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023
Steven Cohen for MPR

By far, the most prominent display of Price’s influences and past coming together came midway through the encore. After playing through most of “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)” off of Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, Price and the band seamlessly transitioned into Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” followed by Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River” before circling back to finish “Hurtin’.”

This “booze medley” was a not-so-gentle reminder of Price’s past struggles with alcohol. She’s been sober for just over two years now, and her life looks much, much different from when she first penned “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle).” Rather than shy away from that past, she leans into it, seemingly (and rightfully) as a point of pride for how far she’s come since then.

Price closed out the show by heading down into the crowd for the end of “Let Me Roll It.” As she stood atop the barrier, embracing her fans, it was clear that no one, including Price, wanted the night to end.

“Thank you so much, Minneapolis! We love this city so much! See you on the highway.”

Margo Price