AUCTION

The Tukes shocked the ANT crowd last year by performing the first original song in the North Richfield basement band's history. Their mid-tempo rocker "Sweet 1689 (Shakopee)," about obsessive, lost love at The Renaissance Festival, was made more amazing by the fact that not a single member of the band had once attended a Renaissance Festival, nor been dumped. Ever.

Seeking to take this year's ANT performance to an even higher level, The Tukes have added a second guitarist and written a plethora of notes and words. However, at press time, none seem to be in the correct order.

Sounds like: Radiohead in a pillow fight with Bob Seger at a medium-security prison camp.

Drummer Bryce Johnson is a lawyer at Griffel & Dorshow. Guitarist John Laravuso is a lawyer at Lindquist & Vennum.

The critically acclaimed Noisy Withdrawal has endured yet another difficult year commercially. As a (one hopes not final) indignity, the band was recently evicted by its landlady. While confirming that no security deposit was returned, Laurie Hartman (vocals, guitar) insists that "no one is saying we trashed the place." Prolific songwriter Steve Beck (guitar, vocals) complains that the band is "still having a hard time getting our material heard." According to Beck, it is even difficult for him to get a serious listening to a new song "from the other band members." The band continues to feature guitarists Jake Holdreith and Ryan Johnson, along with Chris Hunt (guitar, trumpet, vocals). Guitarist Charlie Broadnax appears this year on bass, while drumming is (as always) provided by the steady hands and feet of Bob Rubenstein (guitar).

This year's show will likely feature an eclectic mix of power-pop covers, including especially songs already covered successfully by someone more famous. According to Holdreith, the show will not include "that one song that we discussed but I really don't like, and neither does Laurie." Another band member hinted that the show also "will not include a bunch of obscure, crappy punk songs from the 80's." The interview became less productive after this last comment, but the show promises more of the band's trademark B or B+ musicianship, occasionally tight harmonies, guitarwork, and really excellent rock & roll attitude.

The Twin Cities needs a new guitar hero. Now we got one. Featuring guitar phenom Zeb Cruikshank, The Voodoo Chiles is a three-piece rock and blues juggernaut paying tribute to the finest rock and blues, from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Of course, we are talking about their own music and their popular versions of songs by many great artists like Buddy Guy, Earl King, Bob Dylan, the list goes on... We are surprisingly agile. We can do sets that include strictly SRV, strictly Hendrix, strictly rock, strictly blues, strictly jazz, and even a strictly instrumental set. See, that is what I meant by agile. Take us in your hands and mold us like clay. We are a fun bar band. We do special personal events, corporate gigs, and parties. We'll host your meat raffle and just about anything else legal that puts us in the black, baby. If you would like this kind of band at your wedding, you are definitely our kind of people. We'd love to play for you. We'd love it if you told your friends, family, and distant relations about us. Tweet us. Friend Us. Facebook Us. YouTube Us. Flickr us. Pour some sugar on us. Invent new technologies and promote us that way. Blues is cathartic. White hot guitar is cathartic. We got both, so a Voodoo Chiles show is nearly a guaranteed catharsis. Check us out.

More band details coming soon!