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Secret Someones (from Brooklyn) "Let You Go"
In June of 2015, my wife and I saw a young power pop quartet, opening for Ingrid Michaelson, that blew us away. They had tight harmonies, killer hooks and a dynamic sound that reminded me of the Bangles. I spoke with the charismatic band members after their gig and offered to shoot their next Minneapolis show. With the help of a host of fine Twin Cities shooters, we shot their show at the Varsity. This is one of the songs from their eponymous debut album. Watch some short interviews with the band here. |
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DakhaBrakha (from Ukraine) "Baby"
Our friends, Liz & Di, invited us to a concert by DakhaBrakha after hearing them perform on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. We had no idea what we were in for, but were blown away by their unique vocals and instrumenta-tion. After their first show, when we heard they were coming back, I contacted the band on Facebook because I wanted to video their show. They agreed and we joined them at the Dakota for an intimate performance. To make the finished video even better, a number of my talented friends joined me to shoot and produce the video. You'll see all of their names at the end of this video. |
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Ruthie Foster (from Texas) "Small Town Blues"
One of the joys of our partnership with Hopkins Center for the Arts is the exposure to such high calibre talent as Ruthie Foster. Ruthie is a power house of a singer, surrounded by a talented group of musicians and blessed with a rich, soulful voice. This video gives you a small taste of the intimate rapport she establishes with her enraptured audience and the magic she can weave in such a straightforward tale of disappointment and defiance. As you can see, the crowd loved her. And we were delighted to be there to capture the magic. |
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Bajofondo (from Argentina & Uruguay) "Circular"
One of the most dynamic and memorable live shows I've ever attended. Bajofondo is often referred to as Electrotango, but they've evolved into being much more. As group leader, Gustavo Santaolalla (Oscar winner for the "Brokeback Mountain" and "Babel" soundtracks says in an interview at the beginning of this video, "Bajofondo music is Bajofondo music." I was honored to be able to meet and capture this unique band live. If I had more time, I'd love to edit one of their more uptempo numbers, because these musicians can jam! |
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Belfast Cowboys "Cleaning Windows"
Each summer, the Minneapolis Park Board hosts a series of concerts at Lake Harriet Bandshell. Perhaps the most beloved (and well attended) shows of the bunch is this one. Founding member and lead singer of the band, Terry Walsh, brings great energy to this band of stellar local musicians who are known for their covers of Van Morrison, but also have a growing list of original tracks. We were proud to put together a team of videographers to capture this show on a hot summer day in 2021. It was a great experience for our team AND for the band. |
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Davina & the Vagabonds "Muddy Water"
I happened upon Davina one day while looking at a client's "likes" on Facebook and seeing her band listed. I checked out the music and thought, "Hey, my wife Pam would really like this, too." Davina and her crew are one of the hardest working bands in the Twin Cities. They work hard, but always make it look like they're having fun. I shot this at the now demolished 400 Bar in Cedar Riverside. I did it as a test of my newest camera at the time. Just me, the camera and a clean board feed. As you can see, it was a very dark bar. But Davina and her Vagabonds really lit the place up. |
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Jill Mikelson's "Happy Birthday Janis"
Jill is an immensely talented local singer who, years ago, did a big Tribute to Janis show at the Ordway and has now made it a yearly tradition at the Cabooze in Minneapolis. Jill has a powerful voice, an exhilarating stage presence and a warm and winning way, both with her audiences and even casual friends like me. She also has a band called Jill and the New Gruv, that performs whenever she can find time between her full-time job and her new life with her best friend, husband and bandmate (who you can see on the drums in this video). |
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Kate Havnevik (from Norway) "Unlike Me"
I first discovered Kate after she released her critically acclaimed electronica-infused album, Melankton, back in 2006. When she came to the Cabooze opening for Owl City in 2009, I contacted her about capturing her show. As a emerging artist, she was game. Her show was great fun, but it was the worst experience I've ever had shooting a show. Owl City had just released "Fireflies" and the place was packed with intense teenagers who didn't appreciate a middle-aged dude with a tripod taking up space at their concert. I'm still traumatized by that night, but the balm was meeting Kate and capturing her original music. |
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William Within (from Minneapolis) "Amuse Me"
This original song is the band's entry for the 2016 NPR Tiny Desk Concert Contest. The video was also named City Pages' Top 5 Must See Minnesota Videos of the Week in February of 2016. I met the boys working with their frontman, Alex Simpson, who's also a sound engineer at Audio Ruckus Recording. As well as being the frontman, Alex also did the final sound mix for my Secret Someones and Dakhabrakha videos (below). Alex engineered this live take. The video was shot in the band's house by Dave Dennison, Andrew Hatling and me, Gary Bingner. I also did the final edit. WILLIAM WITHIN is: Alex Simpson - Vox/Gtr Derek Rohlf - Violin, Tom Steffes - Gtr, Mark Engelmann - Rhodes, Mitch Schumer - Bass,Toby Ramaswamy - Drums |
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Billy McLaughlin "Tap Daddy"
Billy is an artist I met while shooting some video for a Washburn high school in Minneapolis. Billy's story is an amazing one. His is actually a tale of two careers--the one before he developed Focal Dystonia and the one after, when he had to completely re-learn how to play the guitar with his opposite hand. (Imagine being the King of Penmanship and then having to try to regain your crown by writing as magnificently with your opposing hand!) Besides being a talented guitarist, Billy has become an inspiration with his can-do spirit...that and his rock star locks. |
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HALEY "Raggedy Man"
I can still remember the first time I heard Haley. I was shopping with my wife, Pam, at the Patina at 50th & Bryant (the original one--before it burned down). And they were playing Haley's "Big Star" album. It sounded great. SHE sounded great. So I asked a sales person who was singing...and bought the CD on the spot. When I heard she was opening for Dar Williams at the Zoo, I sought her out to see if I could shoot the show. It was my first big show and my friend, Cory, helped me capture it. I once asked Haley if she liked the video. She wrote back that she had problems with the concert "for personal reasons". Despite her review, I was glad I was there, capturing a Big Star in the making. |
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Ivan Konev with the Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra
My friend, Walt, and I met when we both played tuba for the Honeywell Community Orchestra. While my bass has sat idle for years, Walt continued to play, until recently, with a number of local organizations, including the LHCO. At this performance, under the direction of Yuri Ivan, the guest was a fast-fingered pianist named Ivan Konev. Here is just a sample of his skills, as well as nice example of what of the intimate kind of footage you can get when the director likes your work and lets you get up close and personal. |