So it’s Black Friday today. And instead of shopping, you’re here… and we’re rocking. Let’s do this:
Black Flag – Rise Above, Damaged. Buy it… (and support MNBeer)
Black Francis – Threshold Apprehension, Bluefinger. Buy it.
Ballerina Black – Microphones in the Mattress, Cattle Arithmetic. Buy it.
Big Black – Bad Penny, Songs about Fucking. Buy it.
Black Sabbath – War Pigs, Paranoid. Buy it.
Our friends from Junkyard Brewing in Moorhead are celebrating tonight from 4pm to midnight. Over the course of about a year, they’ve moved from a tiny brewery in the corner of a woodshop to a brand new brewery and taproom.
Should you find yourself in Moorhead, be sure to stop by. They’ll hold a ribbon-cutting at 5:30 and tap a dry-hopped cask of Hop Habbit. Public tours will follow at 6:30 and 8pm. Later that night they’ll have music from Diane Miller and Mark Reitan.
Check it out!
Photo: Junkyard Brewing
I grew up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and graduated from high school in 1993. I hung out with some of the “weird kids,” kids in accelerated classes and the high school swim team. Though traditional “cool” probably wasn’t seeping out of my pores, I managed to have a good time and had arguably okay taste in music fueled equally by a young uncle, Thrasher skateboard magazine, 120 Minutes, snowboard video soundtracks, KJ104 and the Flipside fanzine.
Today I give you a few selections courtesy of my high school self. I’m giving myself bonus points for including a couple of bands I’d entirely forgotten about (Buffalo Tom and Seaweed). Enjoy!
Buffalo Tom – Birdbrain. I forgot all about this band, but played their first couple of albums pretty heavily in high school. No surprise that J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) produced this album.
Pixies – Head On. High school friends introduced me to the Pixies and I fell in love. This seems fitting as I didn’t have a girlfriend for the bulk of my high school years. This song is a Jesus and Mary Chain cover… I never cared for Jesus and Mary Chain, but whatever. This is good.
All – She’s My Ex. I’m fairly sure I became familiar with the Descendents offshoot band, ALL, thanks to 1990’s “Snowboarders In Exile.”
Seaweed – Bill. Much like my “discovery” of Sunny Day Real Estate, Seaweed fell into my lap thanks to the fact that they were on Sub Pop records and grunge was huge at the time. I never really thought of the band as a “grunge” band per se… I just thought they rocked out pretty hard.
NOFX – Bob. Again, I have my snowboard days to thank for this one…
Photo: Insight Brewing Co.
Do you remember when we only had something like seven breweries in Minnesota? It really wasn’t that long ago. Today we add another to the tally, Insight Brewing Company. Their taproom opens at 4pm today (Friday) at 2821 East Hennepin in Minneapolis. O’Cheez food truck will be there and The Dead Pigeons will be playing in the evening as well.
Beer? But of course. How about Chiswick Porter, Curiosity IPA, Yuzu Pale Ale, Lamb and Flag English Ale and Saison de Blanc?
Go check them out! Welcome to the scene, guys!