Alan Sparhawk, left, and Charlie Parr, right. Photos by Jill Fisher.

The collaboration between Charlie Parr and Alan Sparhawk, which is on offer by Earth Rider at Cedar Lounge in Superior on Tuesday evenings through-out this January (tickets required and may be sold out by the time you read this), is one I was both eager and apprehensive to witness. I became an immediate fan of Parr’s when I first heard him three or so years ago. With Sparhawk, I remember him from the early days of Low—back in the mid-90s when I was working and living in Duluth and not all that into music. More recent exposure to him and his music had left me a bit confused. So I had a hard time imagining these two musicians melding well.  

How wrong I was. The Curmudgeon and I were shut out of their first performance on Jan. 2 but were able to secure general admission tickets for the second Tuesday, Jan. 9 ($12.50 apiece, no press pass for this event!). We got there early to get seating, played free bingo while we waited for the music to begin and at 7:30 pm the first haunting notes by Sparhawk on his solid body Danelectro guitar cut through the bar talk.  

Alan Sparkhawk

Sparhawk’s first numbers were the beginning of a full out emotive performance that reeled from excruciating pain (dissonant sounds one rarely wishes to hear) to mindful observations set to a seemingly simple tune. How can someone “like” or “love” some of what Sparhawk presents? His song “Heaven” is an anguished holler founded on biblical text but updated with angry obscenities: “You motherfuckers are gonna pay…no more rich or poor, no more fucking war when Jesus comes.”  

Contrasted with his intense, idiosyncratic musical expression is a very chatty, approachable and subtly humorous person who emerges between songs to engage with his audience. And then he returned to what I noted as a “screaming song” (I didn’t catch any of the titles other than “Heaven”). With a no holds barred delivery, Sparhawk seemed almost to have shocked attendees into silence. In the unusual quiet of the bar (only the clinking and clanging of the barkeeps were otherwise audible) he sang of life’s to-do list: “Research, write things down, attend to details…” in a clear, almost angelic falsetto voice.  

To summarize the impression I had of Alan Sparhawk from just this one set (doing my best to rid myself of previous judgments), is that he was like a lone sage crying in the wilderness, giving advice set to melodic riffs. His clear voice was particularly lovely on the last number “Don’t Take Your Light Out of Me;” a requisite prayer for many. Sparhawk is definitely a one-off in my experience. His shows are less entertainment than a cathartic experience. The short break was needed.  

Then came Charlie at 8:15 with his resonator guitar and an upbeat song that was greeted with cheers and dancing. Parr’s rhythmic stomping and lyrical commentary on social ills within catchy tunes was the antithesis of Sparhawk’s personal microcosmic expressions. Parr was joined for this performance by his “soul brother” David Hundrieser who gave us some really hot stuff with his accompanying harmonica and Liz Draper on bass guitar. She is a performer, producer, educator and music director based in Minneapolis who teaches bass (upright and electric) as well as plays. Together the trio rocked the place with songs we know and a new one too: “Little Sun” the title track of Parr’s latest album. The song “817 Oakland Avenue” (“…spread it around…”) is a favorite with good advice; “Cheap Wine” is a sad tale which nevertheless makes one want to move one’s body.  

The moment I was anxious about arrived when Sparhawk joined Parr and company for the third set. Would it work or not? And it sounded just fine with some sparks igniting the musical combination. There were a couple of songs in which it seemed like a bit of Sparhawk had rubbed off on Charlie (don’t ask me which song, I didn’t catch most of the titles) with some high wailing notes in his vocals. And there was a bit more edginess to this set that put me in mind of Elvis Costello’s influence on Paul McCartney in their collaborations, though that isn’t a great comparison. In any case, it was a very entertaining third set that completed the evening’s concert to everyone’s satisfaction.  

So, seeing and hearing Alan in good form sent me back to listen to the few Low CDs I have (the 2007 Drums and Guns, 2011’s C’Mon and 2013’s The Invisible Way). It has been a while since I last played them. Sparhawk’s voice sounded higher and younger, his lead vocals are sweet and his harmonies blended beautifully with his late wife Mimi Parker’s. That his voice during the Cedar performance sounded deeper, a bit lower in range wasn’t a bad thing—he can still hit those high notes—and I think it actually bodes well for his vocal longevity. It will be interesting to see what further direction Sparhawk takes his music. 

Blues Jam at Shaw's

The day before this extraordinary performance found me at Shaw’s Bar and Grill in Northeast Minneapolis to enjoy the regular Monday night Blues Jam there. I can’t say enough about how great it is to see young players get up and show their stuff with the backing of Allen “Captain” Kirk (drums) and his compatriots Jason Mederios (lead guitar and vocals), Pierre Lewis (keyboards), Casey Frensz (saxophone) and George Moye (bass guitar). This small joint, filled with music memorabilia, is an example of how a good stage and a good sound system provides wonderful opportunities for up-and-coming musicians to cut their teeth performing. We got to see several that definitely seemed ready for prime time—Aureio on drums with Ben Tapia on guitar; another guitar/drum duo; then a new keyboardist; and lastly vocalist Wain Anthony McFarlen. Believe me, these were no slouches when it comes to playing in front of an audience.  

My observation is that a successful open jam highlights the need for some framework in order for it to be enjoyable by an audience. (I’m not referring to the kind of Grateful Dead-like jamming some bands get into on stage.) With a three or four piece backup band, of the quality of Captain Kirk’s, young musicians sound good, thus gaining confidence as well as experience. Organizing it so one or two newbies are invited onto the stage, sometimes trading places with those in the backup band, keeps the mojo working for the band as well as the crowd. I do wish we had something comparable to this here in Duluth.  

The Desire Store

On Friday evening, Jan. 12, the band The Desire Store went up against Homegrown’s Winter Fiasco’s full evening lineup at Sir Ben’s, Blacklist, RT Quinlan’s and Pizza Lucé for its vinyl album release gig at Carmody Irish Pub. This trio, comprised of Laura Burke (fiddle and bass guitar), her husband Eddy Burke (acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Jason Keppe (saxophone, electric bass and box drum), has markedly evolved since I last saw them (and wrote about them in the March 16, 2023, issue of the Reader). They performed all the songs on their new self-titled LP album with each side a set. I didn’t arrive in time to hear their live version of Side One, but did hear all of Side Two, plus a “short song” they snuck in. The original songs demonstrated their musical versatility. One that everyone liked was the fun “Chasin’” with fast lyrics and a driving rhythm. You’ll have more opportunities to see them since they have a residency at Carmody on Wednesday evenings. Check them out!  

Magic Bus

The opportunity to see a new band, Magic Bus, got me out on the cold Saturday night, Jan. 13, to the  Powerhouse in Proctor. Not too many folks showed up to see this latest group of rockers which is their loss. Yes, Magic Bus is a bar band that does covers—but what a selection of covers they performed. Billed as playing 70s and 80s hits and New Wave tunes, every one was danceable and well played.  

Magic Bus formed about a year ago and one would think its name references the song by the Who but, no, it was actually one pulled out of a hat! The band consists of father and son, Daron Helmer (electric guitar, harmonica) and Leighton Helmer (bass), respectively, Marvin Pomeroy (drums) and Bella Hanson (keyboards, electric guitar). All sang, but Leighton was the primary lead vocalist, and could he belt them out. He wasn’t born when these songs came out, but that was no matter. He evidently grew up hearing his dad’s music and had internalized it. Daron was hot, both with his guitar licks and harp playing (especially on “Everytime I Roll the Dice” by Delbert McClinton). Bella held her own on keyboards and, though young, gave a good full out rendition of “All Right Now” by the British rock band Free. She’s someone to keep tabs on. Pomeroy kept up a strong driving pace throughout the evening. I especially liked his ticking-of-the-clock ending on “Too Much Time on My Hands” by Styx. This latest addition to our local music scene deserves to be heard much more in the New Year.  

Upcoming: Blues fans will want to get to the West on Thursday, Jan. 25 for the Lamont Cranston concert. If you are a Charlie Parr fan, put March 2 on your calendar to hear him at Sacred Heart Music Center in connection with the release of his latest record Little Sun.