New Rocket Union, Silent Treatment, Silverteens and Rich Mattson and the North Stars at Uptown VFW
Review by: Dan Michener, Writer/Photographer @insomniac199
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Four Bands and One Cool Night
April 22nd, Uptown VFW. Minneapolis. Fast becoming one of my favorite venues. The sound is excellent and it’s a really big hall! In fact, it’s deceiving from the outside; but the Uptown VFW is a great spot to catch live music. Awesome food next door and very cool people running the joint. I’ve seen a few really great shows here: Dead Boys, Suzi Moon, Fret Rattles and the Dolly Rots, so it attracts some great live acts.
New Rocket Union
First up was New Rocket Union. A two-piece band that delivers so much energy. In fact, I am not sure they stopped long enough to take a breath. They played a super tight set, just straight punk rock. The first time I saw them was pre-pandemic, at the Entry opening for Flatfoot 56; I became and instant fan. “Wait’n for You,” “Do You Wanna Know,” and “Hypnotized” are favorites of mine. They always play them good and loud
The Silent Treatment
Up next was The Silent Treatment. WOW! They are so much fun to watch. They cover some classic punk tunes like the Dead Kennedys, Dictators (they’re cover of “Stay With Me” is soooo cool), The Stooges and many others. Plus they have awesome originals like, “Yup Guy” and “Keyboard Warrior” (Check it out on Bandcamp). ….And don’t mess with Claire. I’d hate to run into her in a dark alley
The Silverteens
Not to be outdone, The Silverteens were third in the stack. They are just a plain fun rock band. They always play with this bright, upbeat sound that is incredibly catchy. It’s a band you watch, tap your foot and smile as you watch them tear it up. They do an amazing cover of the Plimsouls, “Million Miles Away,” which I always look forward to.
Rich Mattson and the Northstars
Ending the night was the amazing Rich Mattson and the Northstars. I’m new to them, to be honest—-but I know they’ve been around a while. My first intro was actually last winter in Duluth (yes it’s cold, but it’s always cold in Duluth), Mr. Mattson joined the Scarlet Goodbye on stage for a song. Rich Mattson and the North Stars play this very cool combo of Folk, Americana and Sixties Rock. If you’ve seen the Netflix documentary, “Laurel Canyon,” you get a good glimpse into the band. That very cool ‘60s sound runs deep in Rich Mattson’s songs. Their latest album, “Out There” should be in everyone’s listening rotation. “Greetings from the Island of Guitars” is my go-to song on that record.
It’s kind of hard to top a night like this! It was a really good mix of styles, genres and approaches to music—-but each band is masters of their respective crafts. There is a little something for everyone in a bill like this—-this would be a real rockin’ lineup for the Minneapolis Open Streets Festival along Lyndale Avenue (hint, hint).
See ya at the next show!
