Throw a bunch of names of musicians in a box and randomly draw them out to create new bands. It could turn into rock and roll magic, or it could be an odd sight to see and a strange sound to hear. Either way, Rock and Roll Kamikaze has been implementing this method to create a unique rock show for the past 21 years.
How did this all start? "It was just mainly a way to get everybody to get to know each other." says Heiko, the lone coordinator of the event. Over two decades ago, there was a sense that some bands didn't very much like each other - perhaps because they didn't know each other - so Heiko took action. There are no stipulations as to who gets tossed into which band. "You could hypothetically have three vocalists, three drummers, and a xylophone player." Working with what they have, bands need to perform one pre-determined cover song, and additional original songs.
This year's event features six bands, each with 25 minutes of stage time. Social hour starts at 9pm on Saturday night at Pizza Lucé in Duluth with the music starting at 10pm. The event will feature a host for the first time. Musician Venus de Mars will kick off the night with some tunes, and then emcee through the remainder of the show. Tickets are $10 at the door.
You can hear Community Connection every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am on Northland Morning.
