Bands talk Bands at Mid West Music Fest 5

If you were not at the 5th annual Mid West Music Fest this last weekend then I feel for you. I really do. I’m sure you’ve heard by now from your friends on Facebook and Twitter about how cool it was and how great the bands were, and we know you’ve surfed the #MWMF5 hashtag on Instagram. But maybe you’re one of those unassured types. Maybe you’re that kind that had all the cool albums before they were cool and doesn’t trust the flawed opinions of the average music listener on social media who doesn’t even know Husker Du or what the relative minor of G major is. Well — then this review is definitely for you. It might also be for the unpretentiously inclined, as well though.  We thought it would be cool to see what bands and musicians from this year’s Mid West Music Fest had to say about their peers. We asked band members to give us their favorite shows of the weekend.

Here’s what they said:

 

Jack Norton and the Mullet River Boys @ The Eagles Club Saturday

 

The only performance I stayed for the entire time was Jack Norton and the Mullet River Boys. Jack and company put on a “show”. It wasn’t just music. There was tap dancing. Sing-a-longs. Jokes. He even incorporated a kindergartener’s request for a diarrhea song. They played at the Eagles Club, which added to the overall aura. The light guy even shone a blue light when Jack was singing a song about feeling blue. True entertainment from start to finish.

– Lucas Stangl from Coconut and The Duke (ukulele, melodica, guitar and vocals)

 

 

Ed’s (no name) Bar Saturday Night

 

Following our set at the Acoustic Café on Saturday night, Laura (GNGD singer & guitarist) and I crammed into Ed’s (no name) Bar and caught most of Farewell Milwaukee’s set. Their beautiful harmonies à la CSNY were especially stunning on their cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless.” Afterwards, We Are The Willows swept us back to the 1940s with a set of songs inspired by letters exchanged between frontman Peter Miller’s grandparents during World War II, and then whipped us forward to 1999 with a cover of “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. Watching these bands was a wonderful end to an inspiring weekend.

– Colin Scharf from Good Night, Gold Dust (guitar and vocals)

 

Anonymous Choir @ The Winona Art Center Thursday

 

Anonymous Choir brought staggeringly lush harmonies and beautifully orchestrated ballads to Winona last Thursday. Lead singer Nona Invie plays piano and was backed by a choir of five (sometimes as high as fourteen). The Winona Arts Center, located in an old church, provided perfect acoustics and ambiance for the show. Anonymous Choir played songs by Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, and Neil Young. They perform cover songs exclusively, but I wouldn’t call them a “cover band” anymore than I would call Osmo Vänskä a “cover conductor.” And, let’s face it: every time you’ve left a live show disappointed, you’ve thought, “I just wish [whichever disappointing band] was a choir singing After the Gold Rush in an old church.”

– Matthew St. Francis/Matthew Francis Byrnes from The May North (banjo, guitar, fiddle, clogging, vocals)

 

Jeff Ray and Hurricane Harold @ Broken World Records Friday

 

I loved seeing Jeff Ray and Hurricane Harold play Friday night in the Broken World Records front room. Their playing was truly inspired and the crowd was having a blast. Jeff’s east/west raga influenced slide playing sits me right down every time, and Harold was channeling Little Walter only to turn on a dime and be uniquely Hurricane. It was amazing! Such a treat to see them here in Winona on such a supercharged night.

– mike munson (guitar, vocals)

General B and the Wiz @ Levee Park Stage Friday

 

I’ve known General B for over 2 years now, and watching them grow and evolve as musicians and friends over these past 2 years has truly been a thing to behold. After our set on Friday, our friends took the stage, and they owned it for over an hour. It’s weird watching your friends perform and captivate an audience, it creates this aura around them on stage and you think ‘I’ve partied with these dudes many times, hung out and shot the shit with them and there they are, larger than life!” I sang along to nearly every song, and I know I saw many other people in the audience doing the same. Not only are they wonderful performers, they also have the songs to back it up, and they proved it Friday. It was a very surreal night, to say the least.

– Dan Schiltz from Ruben (bass, guitar, vocals)

The Weathered Heads @ The Eagles Club Saturday

 

My favorite band was definitely The Weathered Heads. They played Saturday night at the Eagle’s Club and rocked the house. They had incredible original songs and were extremely crowd pleasing. They had a lot of talent and were great to watch. I also enjoyed watching General B & The Wiz. They were well rehearsed and had a very high energy level. The fest was great!

– Austin Weatherhead (guitar, vocals)

The People Brothers Band @ Levee Park Stage Saturday

 

I have to say that The People Brothers Band show at the levee was fantastic. Everyone on the stage knew exactly what they were doing and looked like they were having great fun with it. The artists that got up on stage with them and played made the whole experience amazing. They did absolutely everything right when it came to putting on a good show, and I’m excited to see them again in the future.

– Alex Miller from Category U (vocals)

The Cactus Blossoms @ Broken World Records Friday

 

Immediately after our set on Friday night at the Levee Park stage, we wound up at Broken World Records to catch a beautiful set by the Cactus Blossoms. These guys have a sound that’s the perfect combo of old and new. Danceable, and enjoyable if you’re just wanting to sit back and sip a beer. A lot of talent on that stage!”
– Seth Duin from General B and The Wiz (guitar, vocals)