Rock the Garden 2020

[tikited]

Another terrible line-up. I might ride my bike over to catch a glimpse of Joseph but the rest bore me to tears.

Saturday, June 20, 2020
1–10 pm on the Walker hillside
Great bands. Great art. Great outdoors. Explore it all on Saturday, June 20. Join the Walker and The Current in celebrating new and important voices shaping the future of music’s history.
Lineup:

• Tegan and Sara
• Brittany Howard
• Poliça
• Joseph
• Jay Som
• Altin Gün
• Dua Saleh
• Gully Boys

 

[Bad Gopher]

Nothing all that exciting, I agree. Saw Brittany Howard in 2015 with the Alabama Shakes, and I hate to invite scorn for dissing a sacred cow, but they were forgettable live.

 

[GoodasGold]

Wash your hands!

 

[Nokomis]

Nothing all that exciting, I agree. Saw Brittany Howard in 2015 with the Alabama Shakes, and I hate to invite scorn for dissing a sacred cow, but they were forgettable live.

Also forgettable recorded.

 

[Nokomis]

Another terrible line-up. I might ride my bike over to catch a glimpse of Joseph but the rest bore me to tears.

Saturday, June 20, 2020
1–10 pm on the Walker hillside
Great bands. Great art. Great outdoors. Explore it all on Saturday, June 20. Join the Walker and The Current in celebrating new and important voices shaping the future of music’s history.
Lineup:

• Tegan and Sara
• Brittany Howard
• Poliça
• Joseph
• Jay Som
• Altin Gün
• Dua Saleh
• Gully Boys

I like some Tegan & Sara songs. But not enough to get me to buy tickets. Some of my favorite concerts were at RtG with a great diversity of bands. Doomtree followed by Trampled By Turtles followed by The Hold Steady is pretty awesome. But you're right; the past few years just don't seem to be on the same level.

 

[Frink]

Even the die hard Tegan and Sara fans I know acknowledge that their music has become to lightweight over the years.

 

[GopherNE]

My first time was last year, do people even like The National? Music is so boring and un-interesting. Probably won't be going back this year.

 

[Nokomis]

My first time was last year, do people even like The National? Music is so boring and un-interesting. Probably won't be going back this year.

How was Courtney Barnett? I like some of her songs, just not two in a row. Even Dem Atlas & Bad Bad Hats seem better than this year's lineup.

 

[Bad Gopher]

How was Courtney Barnett? I like some of her songs, just not two in a row. Even Dem Atlas & Bad Bad Hats seem better than this year's lineup.

My friends saw Barnett at SXSW several years ago when she was still a buzz band, and they loved her.

 

[tikited]

My friends saw Barnett at SXSW several years ago when she was still a buzz band, and they loved her.

I saw her at the Varsity when she first toured the states. I thought she/band was raw and pretty great. She cried a little when she spoke of never playing for a crowd that big before.

I saw her again at her first Rock the Garden visit. She was fine. I don't think she is a great festival artist.

 

[GopherNE]

How was Courtney Barnett? I like some of her songs, just not two in a row. Even Dem Atlas & Bad Bad Hats seem better than this year's lineup.

Bold sums it up - performances closely match what you hear on the radio. I mostly enjoyed myself, and my wife enjoyed the full show.

Edit: Should add that Dem Atlas got everyone (including us) crazy hyped. The man was pouring sweat in the hot weather.

 

[Frink]

Didn't Low Cut Connie play there last year? I've seen them at First Ave and they put on a fun show. They have a nice mix of Mott the Hoople and Big Star.

 

[Nokomis]

Since we're reminiscing, my favorite concert of all time is when The Decemberists played RtG. They played the full Hazards of Love album straight through, which is a concept album about, well, the hazards of love. If you know the album, you wouldn't think it would translate well to an outdoor festival concert, with all the interludes and such. But wow...did they deliver!

 

[Bad Gopher]

Didn't Low Cut Connie play there last year? I've seen them at First Ave and they put on a fun show. They have a nice mix of Mott the Hoople and Big Star.

Were you at the one where sweaty-ass singer guy (Adam Weiner) wandered into the crowd and starting hugging people? That's the one I was at, and yep, I got hugged.

 

[Frink]

Were you at the one where sweaty-ass singer guy (Adam Weiner) wandered into the crowd and starting hugging people? That's the one I was at, and yep, I got hugged.

Ha ha! I was at the one last November and didn't see that, though I had to step outside for a few minutes during the set. Can't say as I've ever had an interaction like that with a performer, though I did get a couple swigs of Jack Daniels from the bottle Robert Pollard handed me from the stage at a Guided by Voices show.

Eventually I'll have to meet up you with you, tikited and Nokomis at a show. I'd suggest you join me Saturday at Drive by Truckers but that's been cancelled, along with everything else.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Ha ha! I was at the one last November and didn't see that, though I had to step outside for a few minutes during the set. Can't say as I've ever had an interaction like that with a performer, though I did get a couple swigs of Jack Daniels from the bottle Robert Pollard handed me from the stage at a Guided by Voices show.

Eventually I'll have to meet up you with you, tikited and Nokomis at a show. I'd suggest you join me Saturday at Drive by Truckers but that's been cancelled, along with everything else.

I AM ON BOARD WITH THIS! Once all the smoke clears, of course. Have been planning to go the Mid West Music Fest preview at the Hook and Ladder the weekend after next, but now seriously doubting that.

 

[CutDownTheNet]

Not to worry, cuz I’m sure they’ll cancel the whole RtG shindig anyway. The fresh outdoor breezes might sound more healthy, but the wind just carries respiratory micro-droplets from a much larger set of potentially coronavirus-infected attendees right into your mouth and nose.

That being said, When you get the chance to see Polica in a healthy setting, you should go, as they are typically awesome. Probably best local band to go national since The Hold Steady. In fact, why are they not the headliners? Tegan and Sara? How bland.

 

[oak_street1981]

Rock the Garden has been sliding a bit. I really liked the atmosphere at Boom Island Park a few years back, plus the line up (at least one) was pretty great that year.


I am a little surprised Minneapolis does not make more use of that Boom Island site as a concert venue. I do not think the NIMBY complaining about the "noise" is too much a factor there (maybe set up costs are huge). Kenwood has to be a lot tougher in terms of hosting a big event.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Piggybacking on this thread--the Mid West Music Fest (Winona, early May) is postponed, too, of course. I wouldn't be surprised to see it turn up in the fall, two weeks before the La Crosse installment.