the substars

I am pleased to announce, albeit on somewhat short notice, that the substars will be playing the Eagles Club in St. Paul this Friday. This is another DEMO showcase that once again features an eclectic mix of bands that will totally give you something to talk about between drinks, which is really an ideal scenario for a Friday night if you ask me.

So come on out!

7:00 doors
7:30 Charles Nyberg
8:30 UZZA
9:30 The Planktonics
10:30 the substars
11:30 Deepsoul Deities

Friday, June 5, 2009
Eagles Club
287 Maria Street, St Paul, MN (ample street parking available)
$5 suggested donation

The Eagles Club show a few weeks ago was a pretty good time–thanks to all who attended–but now it’s time for us to return to Minneapolis for a one-night homestand at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis. This is another DEMO showcase, this time with a pretty poptastic lineup that people who find us listenable would seem likely to enjoy. Check out the links below for a taste of what to expect, and do come grace us with your presence!

7:30PM doors ($5 suggested donation)
8:00PM Charles Nyberg
8:45PM Ruben
9:30PM Josh Von Mink
10:30P the substars
11:30PM Andre Borka (and band)

Acadia Cafe
329 Cedar Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Phone: 612-874-8702

flyer

I know it’s been a long time since we rapped at ya, but we’re getting our show on Saturday, March 14 in St. Paul. DEMO showcases such as this have historically been pretty sweet due to the diverse nature that tends to characterize the typical bill, and this evening is no exception. Bob Frey does simple, melodic folk-pop reminiscient of Cat Stevens. His new CD, Like A Train, was recorded at Crazy Beast Studio in Northeast (which was also where The Traces’ did the Paint It Red EP, and his bio also states that’s he’s the brother of James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces. Thus, Frey would also be useful for connecting me to Kevin Bacon within six degrees should the need arise. Self-Sufficient Flying Machine does alt-folk on the old-timey tip, with banjos (!!!) and what not. Plasmastic Brain Spasm will ostensibly bring the funk.

So, yeah, it’s gonna be bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. But we ain’t no hollaback girls. Except Andy, anyway. And this is a new venture for DEMO, so it’d be really cool if you came and helped that most excellent organization get off to a good start in their partnership with a new venue.

7:30 doors
8:00 Bob Frey
9:00 Self-Sufficient Flying Machine
10:15 the substars
11:30 Plasmatic Brain Spasm

Eagles Club
287 Maria Street, St Paul, MN (I guess there is ample parking available)
$5 suggested donation

Belated thanks to everyone who came out to the Terminal a few Saturdays ago. Flink and Trumpet Marine (formerly known as Ryan K Sutter and some other folks) rocked the house and we had a pretty good time ourselves. I always feel so predictable up on stage, playing a song and then mumbling about drink specials or tax cuts and then playing another song. So it was nice to be among friends who were able to remind me that that’s actually what bands are supposed to do.

Anyway, maybe we’ll do something rocking later this fall, in which case you should stay tuned and be the first to know.

For our Saturday show…

We are getting back down to business this Saturday, September 27 with a rousing rock show at the Terminal Bar in northeast Minneapolis. Bringing tha noize along with us will be Ryan K Sutter (formerly of Trumpet Marine) and Flink. We’ll play some new stuff. Ryan’s got a whole new thing going on. And Flink has been on my list of bands to play a show with sometime since I played with the The Traces and we’re finally doing it. Sometimes dreams do come true.

the substars w/ Flink and Ryan K Sutter
September 27, 2008 – 9 P.M.
Terminal Bar
409 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis

9:00 Ryan K Sutter
10:00 the substars
11:00 Flink

Parking: there are metered spots all over that are enforced until 10. But I think 1st Ave NE behind the bar is not metered and people tell me there are usually free spaces.

Come or we will cry!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Acadia Wednesday night. From the looks of the crowd that showed up, people enjoyed hell of pints and black bean burgers. That gives us a warm fuzzy inside.

FYI, here’s our set list, with MP3 links to the album versions:

Ivan pt. 2
Stars
Buildings
Without A Sound
Airport Song
Hiawatha
Lake Superior
Sulk (in the city)
Six Hours From Milwaukee

Though I’m dreadfully behind on updating this site, it probably would be good to share with all of you that we’re back in business after an almost-year-long hiatus and will be performing at the new Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 18 2008 with some other excellent musicians who we really dig.

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A belated thank you to everyone who came to our Red Room show a couple weeks ago. We felt kind of out of our element there for all kinds of reasons, so it was really great that we got so much support.

For anyone who missed our Acadia show, you’ll be pleased to know that we’re playing there again this Thursday at 9:45. The Acadia is cool, we hope to be incrementally more entertaining than last time, and it’s a freaking Thursday! So, you know, stop on by!

I was at the Police concert at the Xcel last Tuesday (which, every local newspaper review notwithstanding, was awesome). On the way in, some girls wearing Cities 97 t-shirts were giving out set lists for that night’s show. Not only were they correct; they included the encore songs.

Some may say that this isn’t very rock and roll, but perhaps we’ve had enough of this whole “spontenaeity” thing in pop music. So, without further ado, I present to you our set list for tonight’s show at the Loring:

1 – How You Remind Me
2 – Hotel California
3 – Paint It Red
4 – Quarter-Life Crisis
5 – Glory of Love (from Karate Kid II)
6 – Freebird
7 – Never Gonna Give You Up
8 – Dvořák – Symphony No. 9, in E Minor (New World)

Encore
9 – Summer of ’69
10 – Closing Time
11 – 4’33″

Be sure to show up and hear your favorite tunes!