Alan Sparhawk leads night of thrills and surprise at Turf Club
by Cat Grimm and Steven Cohen
April 08, 2024
Friday night marked the first concert in the Minnesota Music Month series with a night dedicated to Radio Heartland. The first of anything is always exciting, and The Turf Club was busy for hours before doors with a quiet hum of excitement. Artists filtered in and out of the venue for soundcheck as amps and cases slowly filled the stage. Offstage, coffee brewed in preparation for the long night ahead.
Doors opened at 6:30, ushering in a steady flow of people and at 7 p.m., Radio Heartland host, curational wizard and Americana aficionado Mike Pengra took to the stage to welcome the audience and to introduce the first act of the evening.
Kelley Smith graced the stage breathless from pre-show warmups, excitedly greeting the gathered crowd. She was joined by bassist, guitarist and occasional trombone player Jed LaPlant, the two beginning the evening in earnest as acoustic guitar and hand-plucked bass notes filled the venue followed by Smith’s melodic and haunting vocals.
Smith’s set was a labor of love, the influence of people she holds dear in her life evident as she wove anecdotes between songs of a banjo mentor, a beloved grandmother, a favorite poet, a love story still in motion. The drifting harmonies carefully crafted between Smith and LaPlant a preview of a hinted album on the way. As the set drew to an end, Kelley left the audience with a statement poised as a question that really served as more of a reminder: “What an incredible thing we’ve got going in Minnesota, eh?”
Joe Rainey took to the stage next with producer Andrew Broder, diving straight into the music after a warm introduction by enthusiastic host of The Local Show, Diane. Stage and crowd were bathed in turquoise light as thunderous drums and Rainey’s strong voice danced their way through the space. The layering of traditional pow wow singing, electronic production and spoken pre-recorded interludes melded seamlessly into one another with the constant beat of the drums serving as building blocks for the world Rainey and Broder sonically constructed.
A set wrapped in acknowledgement, Rainey continuously drew threads of connection between his presence on the stage and his many influences. One of his songs was introduced as a, “…very old song I grew up listening to with my father, my uncles…” and he gave special mention of his deep care for his family, his Lakota ways, and the Indigenous women who played such a prominent role in his community. A shoutout to the Timberwolves had the crowd cheering as Joe stated it “Feels good to be home.” Rainey ended the set on parting words noting that despite the tumultuous times, “…the one thing that can be certain is how we treat each other and Mother Earth.”
Maygen and the Birdwatcher came next, filling out The Turf Stage with all six of their members —impressively spreading across the width of the stage. Lead singers Maygen Lacey and Noah Neumann created wonderfully tight harmonies with Noah’s raspy undertones beautifully balancing Maygen’s sweet and airy vocals. This was further complemented by a whole medley of instrumentation with Nik Pellinen on banjo, Allen Guindon on drums, Chase Rabideau on bass and Jesse Moravec switching between mandolin and fiddle.
The set itself was deeply interactive as Maygen and Noah bantered with each other and the audience between sets and got the crowd clapping during several songs. Many of the pieces were environmentally oriented as they sang about Minnesota snow-ins and rhododendron flowers. Kazoos, tambourines and even bird whistles making guest appearances gave an inherently playful feel to the set as a whole, furthered by the band teasing the audience about an album in the works.
The final act of the evening was Alan Sparhawk, who was joined by his son Cyrus and accompanied by drummer and friend Al Church. This show marked one of the highest-profile returns to a Minnesota stage since the passing of the beloved Mimi Parker — Alan’s wife and lifelong bandmate, and Cyrus’ mother. There is no going around the larger hardships of life, only through, and as Sparhawk took to the mic, all other noise in the venue stopped — a collective making of space for whatever was to come next.
The set felt like a full-body scream. Like the rush of air back in after a long breath out. Emotive, explosive, experimental. Father, son and friend in a world of their own making. Bouncing both literally and figuratively Sparhawk launched himself across the stage and across sounds as he ricocheted between more of the traditional guitar heavy sounds he’s known for and a couple pieces with a vocal synthesizer and electronic effects.
During a rapid-fire hot seat with the audience between songs, he volleyed answers back into an adoring crowd. New work coming in September! Seeds for the garden started ten days ago! When asked where he was now, Sparhawk's simple reply was, “I’m with you.”
In full, it was a wonderful evening infused with storytelling, heartfelt banter, kind words of encouragement, and excitement for future projects. Each act was evidently rooted deep within the love and communities that have influenced them thus far, names and legacies passed forward with care — speaking perhaps to the magic of Radio Heartland itself.
