Soul Asylum 30th Anniversary MTV Unplugged / Grave Dancer's Union at Minnesota State Theater
Review by: Dan Michener, Writer/Photographer @insomniac199
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Minnesota State Theater. Photo Credit Joseph Doyle
Where It Started
So here’s my Soul Asylum story. In 1988/1989, I was a freshman at Apple Valley High School. Just a few minutes south of Minneapolis/St Paul. One day, I walked into my freshman Art Class. My friend, Susan, ran up to me.
”Hey, Dan! I’m gonna lend you this cassette. The band is from Minneapolis, they’re called, “Soul Asylum,” I think you’ll like them”
I brushed the skater bangs out of my eyes, grabbed the cassette half-glancing at it, and said something to the affect of, “Ok, I’ll check them out.” But I was thinking, “no way they’re better than the Dead Kennedy’s!” After school, I popped the cassette in and listened. I was blown away. “Sometime to Return,” “Cartoon” and “Beggars and Choosers.” Fantastic. I loved the bright guitar opening on, “Sometime to Return,” the energetic, optimistic opening melody right out of the B-Major Scale coupled with Dave Pirner’s gravely, frustrated vocals. It was this cool dichotomy of uncertainty and hope. With its line that grabbed me, “come and get me come and take me there,” The song was a sense of, “hey things are changing, and we’re all a bit scared.”
It fit the 14 year old me well. I stayed up late, watching MTV’s 120 Minutes catching early Soul Asylum videos and blown away I was seeing a Minnesota band on Cable TV. People in California, New York, Florida and probably legions more around the world were sharing in this unique experience: the Minnesota sound.
Soul Asylum obviously made it real big. By 1993, Grave Dancer’s Union was released. With the mega hit “Runaway Train,” it quickly became a reconizable 1990’s anthem. As Alternative went mainstream, MTV aired a special Unplugged featuring the band: Dave, Mr. Murphy, Grant and Karl. By 1993 I was in college. Working in a hot kitchen full time, managing college and generally too busy to really pay attention to a lot of music. But I still made time for Soul Asylum. I know I watched the MTV Unplugged Special a lot, and whenever it came on, I always thought, “Hey! That’s our band!”
So I’ve been a fan a long time. Even through line up changes, I’ve always “dug ‘em”. Soul Asylum has had some competition, I went through a crust-punk spurt, listening to bands like Doom, and Sore Throat (famous for 5 second songs). Some really fast speed metal/death metal bands like Carcass (saw them around 1991 in Minnesota) I even went through a weird Eric Clapton phase (don’t ask); but Soul Asylum is a band I’ve always enjoyed. The band is a testament to Mr. Pirner’s song writing style, musicianship and sense words euphonious quality: the little twists of phrases that make a song memorable. It’s not luck, it’s skill, To craft a song takes practice and more practice. David Lee Roth once called it, “putting in your fifteen summers.”
It’s now 2023. I still love local music. I can’t wait to see killer bands like New Rocket Union, Silent Treatment, Misery (they’re doing a reunion soon!) The Silverteens, Loki’s Folly, Flamin’ Oh’s, 5Cent Reality, Run Westy Run, Fret Rattles and Oh So Many More. Soul Asylum is a band that’s traveled well with me. Songs like “Doomsday” “Hopped Up Feeling” “Super Sonic” and others in their body of hold up (would it kill them to throw Doomsday into a show?!?!?)
Unplugged 30th Anniversary Show
April 20th, 2023, was the 30th Anniversary of the famous MTV Unplugged Show. Not a re-hash of faded glory; but a reimagined show. Drawing on that body of work to deliver one of the coolest nights of music I’ve ever experienced. Guitarist Ryan Smith spent countless hours researching the original performance and writing the string/orchestra arraignment for the the night. The whole sound was just so lush, warm and deep. It meshed so well with Mr Bland’s drumming, Jeremy Tappero’s Bass, special guest (check this out!) Ivan Neville’s keyboards and Dave’s voice still contains the same bit of frustration and energy he always delivers. It’s just great music: honest and direct
I could go on and on, but rather, I encourage all of you to look at the set list and take a listen via your preferred means. I think you’ll get where I am coming from:
Someone to Shove, Crazy Mixed Up World, String of Pearls, Freak Accident, Lately, Without a Trace, Homesick, Runaway Train, Never Really Been, Stand Up and Be Strong (covered by Prince), Black Gold, What Will Become of Me (new song, so this is a guess at the title), If I Told You, Sun Maid, New World, Misery, Farmer John, Eyes of a Child and Made to Be Broken.
I’ve experienced some great concerts over the years: Social Distortion at First Avenue in 1990. In 1996, I saw Chris Isaak and a young, unknown opening performer, Fiona Apple. In 2015 I saw Foo Fighters at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul. Dave Grohl was injured and sang from a thrown…it was seriously a good show. But the hometown bands will always have a place in my heart. Maybe it’s because they are playing to the real die-hard faithful, the locals who make it out on a Wednesday night or a Sunday afternoon set somewhere in the Twin Cities.
Soul Asylum, even with lineup changes and that natural evolution in writing, style and performance, is still, “our band.” They are the band from Minnesota that made it; they’ve toured the world but come back to Minnesota, faithfully.
Dave Pirner wrote a song that has probably touched more lives and made more of an impact on people than he’ll ever realize—But I know it gets old! I get it! And there are some true Minnesota Music nuts who measure the band, “Pre-Grammy Nominations,” and that’s okay. But the song’s importance can’t be denied.
I hope they are all proud of that….past and current members along with Mr. Pirner.
Dave Pirner, spent a great deal of time away from Minnesota. Living in places like New York and New Orleans, always connected to his roots, but distant from the scene. He’s recently come back to the Minneapolis full time. Once again, a resident of this beautiful city, full of music, and loyal fans.
So welcome back, Mr. Dave Pirner. I’ll be the dork up front with the camera :-)
