Rock rock rock rock rock and roll high school
For the past three weeks, Sister #2 and I have spent each Monday evening at the Minneapolis Central Library (incidentally the library is brand new and stunning) taking a rock and roll class.
The class, called “Upper Mississippi Shakedown: Anatomy of a Scene” wasn’t really a class but rather a lecture series moderated by Chris Osgood of the Suicide Commandos.
Rock and roll class was capital A - Amazing!
Each week had a different musical era as the topic and a special guest speaker. The first class started off with Tony Glover of Koerner, Ray, and Glover. Of course now that it’s been three weeks since the first class, I can’t remember much of what was talked about. What I remember most is Osgood saying that the first time he remembered seeing Glover perform, Glover was playing with Jim Morrison and The Doors. Monday night wrapped up with Matt Fink (aka Dr. Fink) from Prince & the Revolution and New Power Generation.
But my favorite session was with Grant Hart of Husker Du and Nova Mob . It was awesome.
Maybe it’s because that early 80s scene is what most interests me about Minnesota music or it could have been that Osgood and Hart talked quite a bit about the Longhorn (which I’m a little bit obsessed with), but Hart’s night was my favorite night of class.
Grant Hart night had an extra bit of magic because, Bob Mould is to Sister #2 as Paul Westerberg is to me. She was so excited and engaged in the lecture that she could barely sit in her own skin.
He was witty and engaging, and seemed really quite candid about his feelings towards Mould (”Sure,” he said. “I rip on Bob all the time, but when Magnet did it, it was like ‘hey, that’s my guitar player.’”)
Of course my absolute favorite part was when Hart mentioned how angry Bob was when Twin/Tone decided to go with that “other” Minnesota band. Ha!
The class was so awesome and fun that I hope hope hope they offer it again next year. Hell, I would take a class if all they did was have Osgood and Hart sit up on the stage and talk about the Longhorn days.
I could scream.
26 Jul 06 at 8:07 am #Did Osgood talk about his job? He is a wine distributor who goes to France all the time to export small batches to USA. He’s just as passionate about that.
26 Jul 06 at 8:25 am #Nothing that cool happens around these parts.
& IF there ever was such a class in my area, the guest speakers would be from Phish *blech*.
26 Jul 06 at 10:45 am #