The Rangers at West Theatre. Photo by Jill "jillybones" Fisher.

The Rangers took the West Theatre’s stage a week ago Sunday, Nov. 23, to kick off a week’s worth of divergent musical expression.

The Rangers, a new band, was brought together as the brainchild of Keith Secola, an Ojibwe-American who grew up in Parkville/Mountain Iron and who now lives in Tempe, Arizona. This was the last of four gigs they played around our region (the first in Virginia, the second at the Hook & Ladder in Minneapolis and the third in St. Cloud).

Before The Rangers took the stage, special guest, Virginia native Paul Metsa opened for the group with two original compositions: “Jack Ruby” and his recent “No Kings, No Crowns,” penned with Alan Sparhawk.

He was sounding good!

The Rangers is a 10-piece band whose members all have their roots in Minnesota’s Iron Range, hence their name. Members, in addition to Secola, are: John Metsa (Paul’s brother, now living in Orr; bongos, electric guitar), Rosemary Berens (from Nett Lake, Bois Forte Reservation; acoustic guitar, vocals), Sharon Rowbottom and Dan Boyer (a married couple from Virginia who perform as R&B; guitars, vocals), Steve Martinetti (from Virginia; keys, mandolin, guitar), Tim Wright (from Virginia; bass, vocals), Chris Petrack (from Virginia, now living in Eveleth, drummer), Germaine Gemberling and Rich Mattson (partners living in Sparta; acoustic and electric guitar, respectively and vocals),.

One member of the band, Tim Saxhaug, was not with them on this tour.

The playlist was a complex and interesting mix of songs that drew inspiration from current political disputes and long-standing Native American issues.

One of the first numbers was “No Place Like Home” [anymore] that turns this familiar saying on its head to tell a heartbreaking story about the loss of home. Rowbottom sang lead on this haunting melody, with special accompaniment by Secola on wood flute.

An abrupt change of mood was effected with the tune “Want You Back,” a perky love song driven by bubbling percussion. Fun! Then they seesawed our emotions with “Without A Crown,” having lyrics that addressed hot political topics. The three women harmonized wonderfully on many tunes throughout the show.

“Who Is The Man On The Buffalo Nickel?” was sung and introduced by Rose Berens. It had heartbreaking lyrics that asked, “…was he paid off in beads? Shiny trinkets?...Did he know the end was to come, where he could go, carrying a gun. Was he the only Indian America ever loved…John Bigfoot was his name.” Her evocative calling in the manner we associate with Indians made this song searingly memorable.

There was a short intermission, during which the group’s debut album, Ranger, was available for purchase by way of an “honor pay box.”

The second set included “The Moment” from their CD. It was a soliloquy by Boyer with Secola accompanying him that told of Native American spirituality and philosophy. This piece triggered deep thoughts and a meditative state in me. It referenced Friedrich Nietzsche, theologist and philosopher, and the Greek god Dionysus, who represents who we are as humans, noting that the real place we live is in the moment. It ends with the admonishment to “cherish the earth” saying “the only reason we are alive is because the Earth is alive.”

The concert, which covered all the songs on Ranger, included a few others such as Secola’s 1992 composition “NDN Kars” along with his newest, “Broken Down Hero.”

It’s a shame that so few folks made it to this Sunday evening concert, but perhaps word of mouth will ensure a greater turnout when The Rangers perform again. Be on the lookout for them sometime in early 2026.

In the meantime, you might wish to purchase the CD Rangers. It’s a great listen; I highly recommend it.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, I once again made my way to Zeitgeist, intent upon hearing the Gavin St. Clair Trio after hearing Gavin play solo at Sir Ben’s (Nov. 20 Reader).

Gavin St. Clair Trio

Backing Gavin was Alex Piazza on bass (who also plays with Big Wave Dave and the Ripples) and Owen Mahon (of Saltydog) on drums.

For this performance the trio was expanded to include Alex Nelson on keys.

This evening was our first taste of winter, with rain turning to snow during the two hours from five to seven. The broad expanse of windows facing East Superior Street provided passerbys a view of the musicians and their listeners. It’s the kind of scene that enhances the street life in this stretch of downtown Duluth.

Gavin was quite animated as he played 12 original compositions, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. The set lasted an hour. Among the numbers performed were a few I especially enjoyed: “Dark City Nights,” “Drawn” (as in “drawn back to you in every lifetime”), “You Said Yea,” “Slightly Different Light” (with mysterious harmonies), “Let My Guard Down,” “Miracle By My Side” and “Gamble Either Way.”

I found all of his songs to be well-constructed with distinct melodies and poetic lyrics that struck me as a kind of soul music.

I was appreciative of how well the three backup musicians meshed with Gavin and each other. Their accompaniment was sensitive to the words Gavin was singing, especially Owen’s subtle drumming and Nelson’s interspersed highlights on the keys.

I was just as impressed with Gavin on this occasion as previously, if not more so, because of the evident range of his talents. We can look forward to him performing at Zeitgeist on Tuesdays in February.

I stuck around for the second hour of music by Peat Boggs, whose residency at Zeitgeist ended this evening and whose music I’ve previously reviewed (Feb.13, 2025, Reader).

Peat Boggs

Gavin joined members Charlie French (electric guitar, vocals), Cole Webster (acoustic and resonator guitars), Ben Wagener (electric bass) and Chris Shea (drums), who were as equally compelling this evening. On some of their instrumental numbers, in particular “The One That Got Away,” they sound similar to the atmospheric jazz of the band Landscapes.

On other tunes they decidedly delved into a beat poet vibe, with Charlie’s words and vocal inflections accentuated by his bandmates. The songs they performed were a preview of what will be included on their first album. I’ll be on the lookout for the launch of that.

A seasonal, by now traditional, offering was a concert by the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) at the  West Theatre on the night before Thanksgiving Day, Wednesday, Nov.26. Promoted as a Chicago Tribute band, with plenty of horns, on this occasion it played a fair number of Steely Dan covers that, from my surveying, delighted many of the near-capacity audience.

DTA

Paul Lemenager was the lead singer who clearly conveyed the depth and feeling of the original band. Plus, the two female vocalists, Julia Collins and Tanya Moore (band leader Greg Moore’s wife), added much to the swing of this music.

The concert had an intermission and the band concentrated on Chicago hits in the second set, so we got to hear “Does Anybody Know what Time It Is?” and other hits including “Wishing You Were Here.”

Tanya Moore

As usual Ian Hopp on drums and Manny Eisle on guitar added immeasurably to the blast of sound. Then there was Marshall Dillon ripping it up on the 1970 hit “25 or 6 to 4.” Trombonist Jacob Berk, who joined this evening’s ensemble, having driven up from Austin, Minn., was highlighted on the final number “Only The Beginning.”

A special treat was in store for DTA concert goers: Gina and Marvin Lee played before and after the show in the adjoining Alhambra Lounge. This is a happy development and one hopes the stage in this posh lounge will be used by other musicians on other evenings, even when a concert at the West isn’t scheduled.

After the actual Thanksgiving holiday, it was on to Earth Rider’s Cedar Lounge tap room on Friday, Nov. 28, to hear Water Cat. The Curmudgeon and I arrived early to be sure to get a seat so we got to hear a band new to us: the Squid City Slingers opening for Water Cat.

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Squid City Slingers

This trio, which settled relatively recently in our area, formed in Mankato during college years, then moved to the Twin Cities before finally relocating in Duluth as its base. Members are Chris “CC” Cuellar (who still resides in Minneapolis, on guitar), Ricky Olson (standup bass) and Sydney “Squid” Wojszynski (fiddle). Her nickname provided the inspiration for the band’s name.

CC and Ricky exchanged instruments at one point. Ricky and Sydney traded off singing lead vocals while CC provided harmonies. They were a high energy band that teetered on the edge of bluegrass, but with enough swing and jazz in their repertoire to gain our appreciation. They sang a couple originals (“Feed My Fire” and “Envy the Birds”) along with covers, including the Beatles’ 1968 “Blackbird.”

Squid’s fine voice did justice to Dolly Parton’s “Little Sparrow.” I believe this band will find an enthusiastic following as they establish themselves more permanently here in our parts.

Water Cat is a whole other experience. I had seen them just a couple of times two or three years ago, once at Carmody Irish Pub, another at Breeze Inn. This evening the duo, consisting of Henry Bullard and Emma Musto, showed just how much they’ve grown into their unique World Music repertoire.

Water Cat

Henry began by playing an instrumental on a “Kora,” a West African instrument that is basically a 22-string harp attached to a large, rounded calabash gourd. What a lovely sound it made in his hands.

These two musicians are able to transport us to other lands with their beautiful songs and lovely harmonies. The Edith Piaf hit “La Vie En Rose” is always nice to hear, especially when Emma sings it so sweetly in her native tongue. Then they sang the Spanish song “Santa Maria” as well.

But beyond such covers, the two had wonderful originals —“Feathers,” “Songbird Sky” and one whose name I didn’t catch but was about getting dumped only to discover one was better off for it. If you are in the mood to hear such romantic and wonderful songs, check them out at their Ursa Minor gig on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Rounding out our packed week of diverse music found us at Wussow’s on Saturday, Nov, 29, for a rare appearance of the Fractals.

Before that band took the stage, we heard a couple of songs by another band unknown to us: the 3-Spot. I was happy to hear them perform one of my favorite tunes, “City Of New Orleans” by Steve Goodman. They followed that up with “Early Morning Rain” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Fractals

After that, it was a wild performance that was billed as a birthday bash for Marlan Perhus. Frontman Barry Pirkola is quite the showman with all sorts of antics and get-ups. I’m not sure I was comfortable with the lyrics of “Do The Crusher,” where Barry donned a mask and acted out crushing a partner’s neck, but most of the covers were benign, such as Buddy Holly’s “Well Alright.”

Backed by Jimi Cooper (electric guitar), Darryn Wallace (bass guitar) and Marvin Lee (drums) they put on a no-holds barred show. Barry gave a striking vocal impersonation of Elvis Presley on the number “Don’t” then gave us a rousing rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis, Tennessee.”

But the most interesting moment was when Perhus joined the band to create other worldly feedback noises holding a walkie-talkie up to a microphone as accompaniment to the cover of the B-52’s “Planet Claire.”

After one crazy oldies song after another, Jimi and Barry closed the evening with the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.”

Who could ask for more?!