Back at Clyde Iron Works, Superior Siren brought their moody elegance to the main stage, treating us to new material including a song called “Meet Cute” that lead Siren Laura Sellner described as being inspired by falling for someone at first sight. “It didn’t last,” she added. In the lobby, Clancy Ward and Kyle Ollah greeted incoming fans with a popup performance of duo fiddle tunes.
In an example of perfect counterprogramming strategy, Superior band Opal was scheduled at Beaner’s while the Sirens did their thing at Clyde; aside from both playing music and dressing in black, the two bands are complete opposites. Opal’s heavy riffs channeled through Marshall amps drew an enthusiastic capacity crowd. We were a little puzzled by the number of older folks hovering at the back until a glance at our guide told us that one of the more abrupt musical transitions we’ve seen at Homegrown was about to happen, with Jazztime taking the stage next. Just another reminder of the eclectic nature of Homegrown.
Clyde Iron Works gradually filled throughout the night. Duluth enthusiastically welcomed Mary Bue back with a seasoned Twin Cities band that included Mollie Maher. Next up, Alamode was full of fresh energy after a hiatus of several months, getting the whole joint grooving. During “My Mistake” Bob Monahan, aka Peter Pain, ran up onstage and jumped off into the crowd.
In the lobby, Ryan Nelson of Mallards had somehow been reunited with the inflatable mallard that disappeared from the Pizza Luce stage after their set earlier in the week. (There was talk of offering the duck as a sacrifice for Bratwurst’s set; find out if that happens tonight at Izzy’s at 11:15.)
Post-Clyde the crowd poured into the Gopher Lounge after 10 to catch Zenith City Groove Collective, who pulled off a super groovy set. No vocals, just funky bass lines, spicy rhythms, wailing sax and hot guitar licks filled the room.
Hip/hop performer Beyondbliss kicked off the night at the Kom-On-Inn, announcing a special guest midway through and bringing Duluth native Cannon onstage to do some beatboxing, to the crowd’s delight. Snippets of hip classics like Big Daddy Kane’s "Ain't No Half Steppin" and Cypress Hill's "Insane In The Membrane" spiced up the mix.
In another eclectic Homegrown transition, keyboard and acoustic guitar duo The Trash Cats, dressed in matching ties and suspenders, were next, bringing some quirky lyrics to the Kom-on-Inn stage. One song, according to the lead singer, was inspired by "George W Bush, Hunter S Thompson, drinking whiskey at 4 in the morning, and my wife Jessica." They also paid tribute to the late Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit with a cover of that band’s “My Backwards Walk.”
Over at the Gopher Lounge, Ire Wolves once again demonstrated why they’re one of Duluth’s best hardcore bands.
At Mr. D’s, several flavors of rock acts, starting with Average Mammals, culminated in the much-anticipated Black-eyed Snakes show. Their 12:30am start time was delayed as the sound guy tinkered, and the sizeable, restless crowd pressed up against the stage in anticipation until things finally got underway close to 1. The late hour didn’t deter most fans from sticking around for the entire blistering, raw blues performance.
Tonight's festivities kick off with unofficial SoupB4Soup event at 2104 E. Superior Street, a soup potluck featuring several performances, including Amy Hzl's only Homegrown appearance at 5:30pm.
It's a warmup for Soup Town night, when the action moves to Superior with a trolley connecting the various venues. It all comes home to Duluth at the end of the evening with three performers at the Reef Bar.
Tonight's fashion theme: Throwback Thursday. Time to get retro, whatever that means to you!
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This Homegrown Week on KUMD is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.