More than halfway through the summer, wallets are unsurprisingly losing weight.
So it is with great relief that Music Mondays have arrived. The summer music and movies series at Loring Park presented by Walker Art Center kicked off Monday, July 30, and will run weekly until Monday, Aug. 20.
Pictured (left): Rogue Valley, Pictured Below (top to bottom): Night Moves, Oliver Mtukudzi, and Brute Heart.
This year’s theme, In Dreams, corresponds to the Walker Art Center’s Midnight Party exhibition. The free exhibition run August 13 to August 20 between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The festival opened on Monday, July 30, with electro-country group Night Moves, which grooved the crowd before the showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s mystery thriller Spellbound. Monday, August 6, the Zimbabwean veteran Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi will energize the crowd before the viewing of musical comedy, Artists And Models, which features the dynamic pairing of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The Monday following, the grassy sounds of Rogue Valley will pave the way for international film The City Of Lost Children.
As a special treat, the final Monday, August 20, will combine the music and film as one affair. At dusk female trio Brute Heart, with added help, will perform an original composition to the film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. The finale will take place at the Walker Art Center’s open field, rather than at Loring Park.
Each band performance, with the exception of the August 20 date, will start at 7 p.m., with the movie counterpart set to show at approximately 8:45 p.m. The August 20 performance and movie start approximately at 8:45 p.m.
A (very) brief look at the bands:
Night Moves: An electro-country/soul four-piece sure to stoke your groove bone while simultaneously relaxing your spine, allowing you to wiggle like jelly until you come to a rest in your lawn chair. Fresh from opening for Jeremy Messersmith at First Avenue, Night Moves is on a hot streak of funky sets. Who would have thought throwing a synthesizer into a country lineup would rock so well? Did we mention these guys are local?Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits: With more than 50 a
lbums under his belt, this cultural icon has been putting out music since the late 1970s, and hasn’t lost an ounce of spirit. Mtukudzi delivers a cool sub-Sahara African vibe. Get ready for international instruments and music with elements from all over the globe. Whether it is adding some jazz guitar or singing in the Zimbabwean language Shona, the performance is sure to mix it up. Mtukudzi has won numerous awards as well as a lifetime achievement award in Africa. His country loves him, and Minnesotans are sure to love him as well. Make sure you bring the family for this one.Rogue Valley: Chris Koza leads the Oregon-based countryside breezy, Rogue Valley. With combinations of self-described “meandering moody pop music” and indie folk/Americana rock, its relatively new formation works not as a crutch, but rather brings a refreshing breathe to the indie scene.
Brute Heart: The female trio is a colorful and imaginative collective whose widely varied use of sounds and instruments allow for communication without words. Described by writer Warren Wills as a “hypnotic experience that lacks any trace of rock bombast or overindulgence,” Brute Heart pushes through the frothy foam layer of instrumental expression to further explore the language of sound, drawing in the audience with abstract art rock. With such a diverse line up of music and film, there will be something for everyone at the park. It is the perfect way to relax and enjoy the warm Minnesota weather. After dancing and singing along for an hour, you will be able to lay down a blanket and watch a timeless film with loved ones. Or maybe you have the blanket down the entire time, that’s up to you. Regardless, with classic films and awesome music, Minnesotans will have more reasons besides a cherry and a spoon to stop by the Walker Art Center.
