This was my first jaunt out to Caterwaul, deep in the filthy heart of the noise rock mecca of Minneapolis. I had intended to go in 2020 but I guess some wild events went down and it didn’t happen (not exactly sure what though). I have only been to this town once and it was over twenty years ago and for a single day. My previous visit had only two objectives- be at the show the band I was on tour with was supposed to play and go to Extreme Noise Records, both of which were achieved, with a side quest to Mall Of America for absolutely no discernible reason. So I don’t remember much about the town.
So this was all new to me, more or less. I got in pretty late on Thursday night and just took the train to where I was staying, which was situated almost exactly halfway between the two venues the fest was to take place at. So people talk shit about how Portland is some crime-infested anarchist warzone, but riding the train at midnight in Minneapolis was some next level Thunderdome type shit. Nothing but meth heads and tweakers running rampant on that metal box and making no qualms about lighting up right on the train. So that was pretty awesome.
As evidenced by this article being written in the present I did manage to make it to my sleeping quarters alive.
FRIDAY
I had the entire next day to just chill and do whatever. So I walked around. A lot. I definitely re-visited Extreme Noise and found a white whale record I’ve been after for years at a very reasonable price- Undertow, “At Both Ends”, as well as a sick Ire LP. Once again, Extreme Noise comes through and then some. Ate some good food, walked over the Mississippi River, and enjoyed the nice weather.
When it came time to hit up the show things were already pretty hopping. I’d been to No Coast the last two years and like half the audience at that were here as well so it was a lot of familiarity and friendly faces.
Asbestos Worker opened things up and the last time I saw Josh dude was using a butane torch to light up weed wax like it was his job, so seeing him shred riffs (with a full band!) was a more enjoyable experience and they slayed.
The cheery cats in Moon Pussy did their thing next and they’re always a delight. A raukus, noisy delight.
I was most excited to see Facet because, well, I’m putting out their record and I haven’t seen them since they first got started in some little Portland dive. They got way better over the last three years and they played most all of the new record and it absolutely crushed and I think the getting-more-crowded room agreed as I saw a lot of Facet shirts over the next couple days. Excellent Unwound-riffy hardcore worship.
So, I’m supposed to espouse how Facet were the best band and all that, but Wailin’ Storms gives them (and honestly, most bands in general) a run for their money. That band is just incredible live. I remember seeing them several years ago and had my eardrums ruined by their incredibly dialed-in but painfully loud evil heat. It’s like Samhain but slower, maybe with some Young Widows low-key worship, but more swampy. They’re just an amazing band and impress every time.
I’d never seen or heard Elephant Rifle until tonight but knew they were on tour with Facet. But man are they fun. I mean, the band kicks ass and are wildly talented dudes. Their singer has like a 200 foot mic cord and spent most of his time in every possible spot in the venue except the stage. At one point (I was standing in the back) he passed about 3 feet in front of me and a couple seconds later caught a wiff of stank only a week on the road without showering can produce. Glad I saw, happier that I kept my distance.
Tongue Party closed out the night with I guess a reunion set? However, I think they were pranking the audience as they just did basically techno synth dance music instead of gnarled, chunky riffs. Soooo that was a thing that happened.
SATURDAY
Cheap food, coming your way
I literally spent the entire day and night at the venue so I knew I was going to beat going into it and made sure I got plenty of coffee in me prior to the days events. It also helped that Palmers was next to some great (and very reasonably priced) vegan (Hard Times Café) and vegan-by-default food spots (numerous North/East African establishments). It was all outside and in the shade and it was a beautiful day out so that also helped a bunch.
There were so many bands this day I can’t get to them all, but here’s the highlights:
Curve opened up with some cool shoegaze-y rock and I’m certain that name has been taken like 5 times.
Them Teeth I’ve known of for a long time and heard a bit of their music, but it did not prepare me for how kick ass their set was. Just face-punching piles of riffs somewhere between a hardcore band, Keelhaul, and hating your job and fantasizing about dropping an anvil on your boss.
Them Teeth want you to eat cheese or die.
Grizzlor are my dudes and they once again traversed the wastelands of America to make people feel bad. Job accomplished. They exude negative feelings like no one’s business and do so through their extra-crispy, choppy noise rock fury.
Grizzlor being grizzlords
This was the first time seeing the apparently immortal Traindodge. They’ve been a band since the 90’s, sound like the tightest kick-ass rock of the 90’s, and are quite possibly some of the most humble and kindest humans in middle America, as evidenced by how friendly they were post-set and their sense of excitement about everything happening that weekend (as in the least jaded middle aged guys I may have ever met). Their music is impossibly tight, smart, and recalls every good thing about Midwest bands of lore.
I enjoyed Salvation in the past and their No Coast set last year, coupled with their most recent record, has made a true believer out of me. They continued to impress upon me with their set this time as well. Hard hitting, sleazy and heavy.
I’ve seen videos of Djunah do their thing, but to witness it live was really cool. Musically it’s a similar to the likes of Emma Ruth Rundle (particularly in the vocals) but more straight up rock and while it’s not the sort of thing I’d listen to a lot it’s incredibly impressive to see how it is played in a live setting. Imagine having to split your brain into three simultaneously fully-functioning parts- playing guitar with your bands, playing bass pedals with your feet, and singing (not just yelling, like actual singing parts) all in tandem and all of it fairly complicated. Quite a feat.
Multicult closed out the outdoor part of the day/night with an awesome set of their super math-y/tone worship songs that are as impressive as they are complex and ass-kicking. They got a huge response that was well-earned.
Multicult had a dang fest named after them
Then it was off to the other venue for the night stuff.
I caught Naw and they completely ripped shit up. I’d heard a little of their stuff but it just did not do justice to how rad they were live. They went from totally furious choppy punk blasters to grungey, almost melodic parts and were just wild. Very impressive. Great name too.
Naw.... more like 'yeah'
Big’n were the off-the-rails force of nature I’ve come to know and love. Tons of repetitive stop-start rippers to take your head off (if the singers antics with the mic stand didn’t first). At one point their drummer tore the shit out of his knuckle and when someone tried to give him a bandage he just stuck it to his head and went on playing like his life depended on it.
The guys in Child Bite closed it out and you know they’re undeniable with their thrashy, freaky, crazed punk rock. They’re the real deal and you can’t classify ‘em cause they will just steamroll right over you.
And so some 14 hours later I was ready to collapse and that’s exactly what I did once back at my spot.
Late night Child Bite makes for a tired baby.
SUNDAY
I vowed to take it easy today after such a crazy long day yesterday and that was my attempt. A big breakfast with a bunch of coffee helped but honestly, there were a lot of bands today that I was super excited to see. Though not on my list, Powerwagon played kind of early and brought some variety with their big ‘ol stoner riffs. They did open with a cliché of “Did you all make it to worship this morning? Let us help you with that.” Yeah, yeah I get it. St. Vitus rules.
People got pretty excited about Mr. Phylzz but I guess I just don’t really follow. ’68 does the exact same thing- a couple dudes in suits going crazy with freak out rock. I know it’s an exciting live bit, it just didn’t catch me I suppose.
First time seeing Reptoid. Again, I knew the deal but it was impressive to see in action- one man band with a mic built into a face mask while smashing drums hooked up to like a million effects and a sound system blaring punishing industrial noise rock. Wild.
Art Grey Noiz Quintet was a group I knew absolutely nothing about. But these dudes show up looking like a scuzziest lounge lizards on earth with barely-buttoned shirts, bad combovers, way too many rings and blood that’s probably permanently at least 10% alcohol and proceed to just beat the shit out of the audience with their super scuzzy, saxophone-backed rock n’ fuckin’ roll. Their drummer stood up the entire time and it looked super weird and unsettling. It was dudes from Lubricated Goat if that gives any indication, which it should.
Art Grey Noiz Quintet drank all the booze and smoked all the cigarettes in Minneapolis.
Kal Marks might have put on one of the best sets of the weekend. They’re just amazing, and it was basically criminal their set got cut short a bit. But in the time they had they laid down an excellent set of music that kind of defies classification- way too heavy and crazy to be indie rock, way too smart and angular to be metal. It’s just good.
I don't typically take good pictures but this is a good picture of Kal Marks
Chat Pile closed out the night and it’s insane to see how many people came out just for them. The place was packed front to back when they played and I’m stoked for them. I still find it crazy to think about the moment they’re having with almost mainstream acceptance given how weird their music is.
At the night show Rid Of Me opened up and while I’ve seen them all in other iterations of bands this was my first go around with this group and their stuff is simply wonderful. I’m looking forward to the next record they put out, which should be sometime this year.
Cherubs are the kings of Texas.
Their tourmates in Cherubs played next and once again, trying to move around in the room was next to impossible. But the kings brought their swirling mess of warped noise rock. They never play the songs I want to hear, but it kind of doesn’t matter because everything is always awesome.
I didn’t get to see much of Distorted Pony but I did notice their added percussion and how cool that was to add in for a different sort of sound.
USA Nails was next and I feel incredibly lucky to have seen them twice in two years since they’re from another country and they can barely tour as is. Even with a fill-in on second guitar they were just as, if not better than, when I caught them last year. The most catchy noise rock you will ever hear. Total earworms of noisy goodness by some of the most pleasant people you’ll ever meet.
England re-invades America via USA Nails
MONDAY
It was a holiday but even then you gotta show up for fun in the early afternoon. However, before all of that I made sure to take my man Bobby out for breakfast for all his help over the weekend with carting my ass around and chumming up on label biz.
There were a lot of bands this day that I was essentially too tired to really devote a lot of attention to but I will say that having Another Heaven open was a good way to start out a beautiful summer sort of day with their 90’s-infused alternative rock very much in the vein of Hum if they were consistently more upbeat. Very enjoyable indeed.
Later in the day Still/Form played and I’d been waiting all weekend to see how they would do. It was really cool for them to come out for this and I think the audience, which had grown quite a bit by this time, really got into their murky and disturbing heaviness/weirdness. I’m sure they made some new fans through this set.
Sludgey, weird Portland creepiness from Still/Form
Vincas were another band I’d wanted to see for awhile as a couple other times I was supposed to see them didn’t happen. They just have this cool and original dark punk/post-punk sort of thing happening that also has a sort of southern heat to it putting them in their own category. They sounded excellent and it was cool to finally catch them.
By the time Nerver played the place was again packed, which totally surprised me for a holiday/Monday night. They brought the thunder riffs once again.
OK, so Flipper closed things out. Shannon Sellberg from Cows sang for them and that dude is every bit the freaky weirdo of lore that I expected. Sporting a Raggedy Ann wig all day and mousetraps on his ears was just the start. Falling into the drums about a minute into the set was an indicator of what was to come. If everyone there was not on acid or cheap drugs before they started they probably were by the end just due to proximity. I mean, it was a mess but it certainly was a spectacle to behold and I imagine a lot of the crowd was there for the spectacle.
This is the calmest, least weird photo of Flipper to exist
So there ya have it. It was a great (re)introduction to a cool scene, meeting lots of new friends and re-visiting with old ones. I know I kind of dunked on how filthy the city was when I first got there, but I had basically a whole day after the fest to just wander around town and hit some really beautiful city walks around lakes and eat some incredible soul food so I guess jokes on me. But I guess that’s the comparison with this crazy music- yeah, it’s ugly, weird, and objectively sketchy on the surface. But you get down to it (and the people who love it) and there’s some real shine and beauty to it all.
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