Duluth Songwriter Showcase, Sacred Heart Music Center, Duluth, MN- 3/23/24

Duluth Songwriter Showcase
Sacred Heart Music Center
Duluth, MN
Mar. 23rd, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS288)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

More pictures here: Link

Set 1

1. Intro
2. Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold- If It Hadn't Been For Love (The SteelDrivers cover)
3. Hannah Rey- Break Through
4. Hannah Rey- Make the Coffee
5. Hannah Rey- Without You
6. Hannah Rey- Chip
7. Hannah Rey- Dream Death
8. Shane Nelson- Memories
9. Shane Nelson- Burn It Down
10. Shane Nelson- Mason Lowe
11. Shane Nelson- Favorite People
12. Skarlett Woods- Close to You (Braver These Days)
13. Skarlett Woods- Minnesota Farm Girl
14. Skarlett Woods- You and I (Santa Cruz, CA)
15. Skarlett Woods- Me, I, Me, Me (w/ Erin Aldrdige on fiddle)
16. Outro

Set 2 (Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold)

https://dannynfrank.wixsite.com/smokygold

1. Intro
2. Dead and Gone
3. Out on the Prairie
4. Sailboat (Cascade Crescendo cover)
5. Three Cord Love Song
6. Shakin' the Dust
7. Penny's Bone > One More Try
8. Look Up (w/ Angie Frank on vocals)
9. The Doot Doot Song (Half a Cup of Coffee)
10. Dark Times
11. Where I Belong (w/ Joe Scarpellino on vocals)
12. What's the Use
13. Down by the Water
14. A Price Above Rubies
15. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan cover) (w/ Hannah Rey, Shane Nelson & Skarlett Woods)

Danny Frank- Vocals, Guitar
Harrison Olk- Banjo, Vocals
Joe Scarpellino- Bass, Vocals
Erin Aldridge- Fiddle, Vocals

Archive.org

Presenting some of the finest northland music makers, Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold will host their 3rd Annual Songwriter Showcase at 7 pm Saturday, March 23 on the beautiful Sacred Heart Music Center altar stage.

This one-time-only event features three singer-songwriters performing a solo set of their original music for a live audience, discussing the craft of songwriting, and sharing stories that inspire their music. Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold will conclude the night with a full band performance.

2024 featured artists are: Shane Nelson, Hannah Rey and Skarlett Woods.

Frank said the inspiration for this event emerged in part by reflecting on his own journey as a singer songwriter, and in part through his admiration of the multitude of gifted songwriters and performers in the Twin Ports area.

“Songwriting lives at the heart of all music, regardless of genre or instrumentation. It is a process of self-reflection and storytelling mixed with creative melodic expression," said Frank. "I have always been amazed at the sheer number of musicians in the Duluth area who write and perform their own original music. Many of these people are my dear friends, and comprise a beautiful, passionate, and supportive community. My vision for this event is to showcase a small fraction of that talent by highlighting some singer-songwriters who are pillars of this community, and who have inspired my own craft.”

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Tapers notes: Every year I seem to pick up a new annual tradition when it comes to concerts/fesitvals, and this is one of them I attended last year for the first time and I will continue going to as long as Danny puts it on. I was very familiar with Skarlett going in to the night, I knew Shane's name but wasn't familar with his music, and Hannah was completely new to me. Danny just has an ear for picking out great talent for this showcase, because they were all excellent and gained new fans that night. I would encourage anyone to listen to the 3 artists from the first set, and to check out Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold's new live album (from last years showcase) available on all streaming platforms. I was hoping to get a SBD feed for this, but it was being broadcast on YouTube so all their inputs were being used. Sound is pretty good here, the venue tends to have some echo, but I've figured out sitting in the lower part of the venue cuts down a lot on that.

Check this performance out on YouTube.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

Hurray for the Riff Raff, Amsterdam Bar and Hall, St.Paul, MN- 3/15/24

Hurray for the Riff Raff
Amsterdam Bar and Hall
St. Paul, MN
Mar. 15th, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS287)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

More pictures here: Link

NNAMDÏ

https://www.nnamdi.live/

1. Some Days
2. Touchdown
3. Going Crazy
4. Wasted
5. Armoire
6. Dibs
7. My Life
8. Glass Casket
9. Sudafed > It's OK

Archive.org

NNAMDÏ is an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter based in Chicago, Illinois.

Hurray for the Riff Raff

https://www.hurrayfortheriffraff.com/

1. Intro
2. Alibi
3. Buffalo
4. Hawkmoon
5. RHODODENDRON
6. Dynamo
7. Colossus of Roads
8. Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)
9. The Body Electric
10. Vetiver
11. SAGA
12. Hourglass
13. The World Is Dangerous
14. Ogallala
15. Wave of Mutilation (Pixies cover)
16. Pa'lante

Alynda Segarra- Vocals, Guitar
Yan Westerlund- Drums
Parker Gregory- Electric Guitar
NNAMDÏ- Bass

Archive.org

Fans of Waxahatchee, Big Thief and any other lyrically driven folk-rock act of the day should finally take note of Alynda Segarra and their New Orleans-based ensemble. Their new record, "The Past Is Still Alive," sets the high-water mark of a nine-album discography and stands as one of the year's best LPs so far. Produced by Bon Iver affiliate Brad Cook, it's laced with character-driven songs about train-hopping gutter punks, a beaten trans woman and other people struggling to find America's so-called freedom. Chicago experimenter Nnamdi opens.

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Tapers notes: Always great to see Alynda and Hurray for the Riff Raff. I've felt for a while now that Alynda is one of the most important songwriters of this generation, and the new album did nothing but cement that thought. They play the entire album here, plus a few from the back catalog. The recording here is pretty good quality, there was almost no chatter throughout the show, which was great. You could tell everyone there was focused on the music and lyrics, which speaks to the power of Alynda's presence. This was the last show of this part of the tour, but they are constantly touring, I would definitely recommend seeing them if they are in your area.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

Wayne Hancock, The Hook and Ladder Theater, Minneapolis, MN- 3/11/24

Wayne Hancock
The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge
Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 11th, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS286)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

-Thanks to Wayne for allowing me record.

More pictures here: Link

https://www.facebook.com/train.viper

1. Intro
2. Reefer Boogie
3. Draggin' Me Down
4. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (Fats Waller and His Rhythm cover)
5. Lost Highway (Leon Payne cover)
6. Johnson City
7. Thunderstorms and Neon Signs
8. Highway 54
9. PBR Boogie (Sebastien Bordeaux cover) (Sebastien Bordeaux on vocals)
10. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You) (Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys cover)
11. Juke Joint Jumping
12. Miller, Jack and Mad Dog
13. Poor Boy Blues
14. Dog Day Blues
15. Cold Lonesome Wind
16. Viper
17. Tulsa
18. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) (The Ink Spots cover)
19. Rock 'n' Roll Ruby (Warren Smith cover) (Sebastien Bordeaux on vocals)
20. Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys cover) (Sebastien Bordeaux on vocals)
21. Walking the Floor Over You (Ernest Tubb cover)
22. Route 66 (Bobby Troup cover)

Wayne Hancock- Vocals, Guitar
Sebastien Bordeaux- Bass, Vocals
Christopher "Slim" Parker- Guitar, Vocals

Archive.org

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Tapers notes: 2nd night in a row of seeing Wayne, definitely a fuller crowd this night. Some of the same songs as the previous night, but a few different ones as well. I was able to get a SBD feed for this show, but the mix was not great. The vocals were so far down in the mix and the electric guitar was so up front it was almost impossible to listen to. Definitely a bummer, but thankfully I was running both SBD and audio for this show, and this recording sounds pretty decent.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

Wayne Hancock, Rollie's, Sauk Rapids, MN- 3/10/24

Wayne Hancock
Rollie's
Sauk Rapids, MN
Mar. 10th, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS285)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics + Soundboard > Tascam DR-60D > SD Card > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Aligned in Audacity > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

-Thanks to Wayne for allowing me record.

More pictures here: Link

https://www.facebook.com/train.viper

1. Draggin' Me Down
2. Viper
3. Johnny Law
4. Highway 54
5. Dog Day Blues
6. PBR Boogie (Sebastien Bordeaux cover) (Sebastien Bordeaux on vocals)
7. Killed Them Both
8. She’s My Baby
9. Walking the Floor Over You (Ernest Tubb cover)
10. Happy Birthday Julie
11. 87 Southbound
12. ?
13. Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee (Stick McGhee cover)
14. Miller, Jack and Mad Dog
15. No Loving Tonight
16. Drinkin' Blues
17. Thunderstorms and Neon Signs
18. Rock 'n' Roll Ruby (Warren Smith cover) (Sebastien Bordeaux on vocals)
19. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It (Clarence Williams cover)
20. Smell That Bread
21. What's the Matter With the Mill (Memphis Minnie cover)
22. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) (The Ink Spots cover)
23. A-Town Blues
24. Cold Lonesome Wind
25. Hoy Hoy (Little Johnny Jones cover)
26. That's What Daddy Wants

Wayne Hancock- Vocals, Guitar
Sebastien Bordeaux- Bass, Vocals
Christopher "Slim" Parker- Guitar, Vocals

Archive.org

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Tapers notes: My first time seeing Wayne, and it did not disappoint. I was supposed to see him at the same venue a year or so ago, but he had a motorcyle accident and had to cancel. So when I saw this show pop up and another in Minneapolis the next night, I knew I was going to both. It's not often you get to see a living legend, but Wayne definitely carries that title well. His band was really great, both of them are great musicians in their own right. All in all, a great show, and the sound is great on this as well.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

Charlie Parr, The Electric Fetus, Minneapolis, MN- 3/6/24

Charlie Parr
The Electric Fetus
Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 6th, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS284)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

-Thanks as always to Charlie for allowing me to record.

More pictures here: Link

https://www.charlieparr.com/

1. Intro
2. Ten Watt
3. Stray
4. Portland Avenue
5. Boombox
6. Sloth
7. Little Sun
8. Outro

Archive.org

Electric Fetus is excited to have Charlie Parr return to our stage for an in-store performance on Wednesday, March 6th at 5:00pm. Following his performance, Charlie will sign copies of his forthcoming CD and LP, Little Sun. Little Sun won't be released until March 22nd, but we're able to have it for sale early at this event, thanks to our friends at Smithsonian Folkways. No passes are needed for this event.

More about Little Sun:

Over the last couple of decades, Charlie Parr has crisscrossed the world on tour more times than one can count. He also has released over a dozen albums of his songs, acclaimed for their poetic simplicity. Little Sun, his most ambitious album to date, was recorded with Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket) and features Parr augmenting his raw and affecting songs with stunning full-band arrangements. The remarkable backing band here includes Marisa Anderson, Victor Krummenacher, Andrew Borger, and Asher Fulero. Masterfully channeling the philosophical and transcendental qualities of the blues, Parr takes us on a journey through the winding streets of his imagination.

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Tapers notes: This was supposed to be a Matrix recording, but the SBD portion sounded so distant and echoey it wasn't worth including. I think the sound guy plugged me into a mic that was off stage for announcements before and after the show, that's about the only thing I can think of. But, that being said, this is still a good recording, no real flaws to speak of. As always, check the samples and judge for yourself. Also, be sure to check out Charlie's new album that comes out on March 22nd, it's quality as always.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

IV & The Strange Band, James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW Post 246, Minneapolis, MN- 3/2/24

IV & The Strange Band
James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW Post 246
Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 2nd, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS283)

Lineage: Audience Recording using Zoom H2 internal mics > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

More pictures here: Link

Pine & Fire

https://pineandfiremusic.com/home

1. Intro
2. Train Cries
3. Workin' Folks Life
4. Recession Blues
5. Hold My Head Up High
6. Give Me Your Word
7. John Henry (Trad.)
8. Only as Holy
9. Left Behind Blues
10. Dance on the Ashes
11. Gas Can

Jobi Adams- Vocals, Guitar
Brandi Foster- Vocals, Mandolin, Banjo

Archive.org

Pine & Fire is a D.I.Y. folk music duo from the north woods of Minnesota. They blend traditional roots music influences with a modern punk sentiment, creating a unique and driving sound. Together they sing original songs woven with themes of love, escapism, home, and growth.

Possessed By Paul James

https://www.ppjrecords.com/

1. 40 Days & 40 Nights
2. When It Breaks
3. There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely
4. Come Back in My Mind
5. Nightmare Waltz
6. Feed the Family
7. Ferris Wheel
8. Asleep With Both Eyes Open
9. Heavy
10. Hurricane
11. Sweet But Bitter Life
12. 38 Year Old Cocktail Waitress
13. Older in My Body
14. Dragons
15. 3 AM
16. We Welcome You Home

Archive.org

Konrad Wert is a man of many voices. As a special education teacher, he is articulate and intentional.As an advocate for justice in education, he is passionate. But as an artist and musician, better known by his stage name Possessed By Paul James, his voice is expressive, holding rest and action in tandem. In truth, "Paul James" is a fiction, a combination of the names of Wert's father and grandfather. Those who have seen him perform, however, would agree he seems possessed by something. Wert has still been able to release 5 full length albums, two of which topped Bluegrass Billboard charts in 2013 & 2020. Possessed by Paul James’s upcoming 6th album, titled Fighting For Our Own Survival, set to release "sooner than later".

IV & The Strange Band

https://ivandthestrangeband.com/

1. Intro
2. Diddle
3. Reincarnation (Roger Miller cover)
4. Inbred
5. Hang Dog
6. A.A.
7. Today
8. Drinking Sad
9. Deep Down
10. Son of Sin
11. Neskowin Ranger
12. Monkey Trick (The Jesus Lizard cover)
13. The Bleed
14. I'm Gonna Haunt You
15. Malice
16. If The Creek Don't Rise

Coleman Williams- Vocals, Guitar
Hunter Mellish- Bass
Lee Trent- Pedal Steel Guitar
Ethan Salas- Guitar
Hunter Edwards- Drums

Archive.org

As the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and only son of Hank 3, Coleman Williams spent years waging an internal battle with the expectations thrust upon him by his own lineage. He represented the fourth generation of country music's most legendary family — hence his nickname, "IV" — and the pressure to launch his own career was enormous. Although Coleman would eventually make his mark with Southern Circus — the genre-bending debut from his band, IV and The Strange Band, combining southern storytelling and country textures with 100-watt guitar amps and DIY attitude — he needed to break free first and discover his own musical approach along the way. Southern Circus is his homecoming: an album that finds him not falling into a legacy, but earning it.

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Tapers notes: Pretty good sound on this recording, no real flaws to speak of. I had never heard of Pine & Fire before this show, but was really impressed by them. Coleman & the band were great as always, playing a variety of genres throughout the set.

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"

Josie Sanken, Powder Ridge, Kimball, MN- 2/17/24

Josie Sanken
Powder Ridge
Kimball, MN
Feb. 17th, 2024

This is a "Midwest Sounds" recording (MWS282)

Lineage: SBD > Tascam DR-60D > SD Card > PC > Mastered in Adobe Audition > Track splitting using CD Wave Editor > Compressed to FLAC Level 8 using dBpoweramp > Tagged with MP3 Tag

-Feel free to re-master, share freely anywhere else, convert to MP3, just never ever sell it. Also, if you like this show, please support the artist by buying/streaming their music, buying a ticket to a show or buying merch.

-Thanks as always to Josie for allowing me to record.

More pictures here: Link

https://www.facebook.com/JSANKENMUSIC/

Set 1

1. Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver cover)
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2 cover)
3. No One Else on Earth (Wynonna Judd cover)
4. Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver cover)
5. You Belong With Me (Taylor Swift cover)
6. Royals (Lorde cover)
7. Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days) (The Judds cover)
8. Radioactive (Imagine Dragons cover)
9. Tennessee Whiskey (David Allan Coe cover)
10. Ring of Fire (June Carter Cash cover)
11. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
12. What's Up? (4 Non Blondes cover)
13. Follow Your Arrow (Kacey Musgraves cover)
14. Million Reasons (Lady Gaga cover)
15. What I Like About You (The Romantics cover)
16. Strawberry Wine (Deana Carter cover)
17. Free Fallin' (Tom Petty cover)
18. Vienna (Billy Joel cover)
19. Some Days You Gotta Dance (The Ranch cover)
20. Something in the Orange (Zach Bryan cover)

Set 2

1. Drift Away (Mentor Williams cover)
2. Parachute (Chris Stapleton cover)
3. Setting the World on Fire (Kenny Chesney cover)
4. A Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay cover)
5. Iris (The Goo Goo Dolls cover)
6. Harper Valley PTA (Jeannie C. Riley cover)
7. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)
8. Heads Carolina, Tails California (Jo Dee Messina cover)
9. Someone Like You (Adele cover)
10. When the Stars Go Blue (Ryan Adams cover)
11. We Danced Anyway (Deana Carter cover)
12. Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover)
13. Desperate (Wo)Man (Eric Church cover)
14. Wagon Wheel (Bob Dylan cover)

Archive.org

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Tapers notes: None

"Got a mind to ramble, got a mind to roam
I’m travelin’ light and I’m slow coming home"