Minneapolis

[garth cartwright]

Hi Adam - can you see me waving at you across in Cali? I'm in downtown Minneapolis!

I went to Carnival on Monday and you are right to stay away, far too crowded - at one point the jam in Ladbroke Grove was dangerous, if anyone had panicked or acted aggressively there would have been serious injuries. And the sound systems were rubbish. Didn't even find a good dub one. All techno or dancehall. Nice floats and dancers tho'.

Came home, packed and flew to Minneapolis. here to interview Weird Al Yankovic at the State Fair. First time in the city of Prince. Worked all yesterday - the Fair was a trip, just epic in every sense - and fly home this eve'. The things we do to earn a living!

Will get a chance to look around downtown MN today and take lunch with Michael Dregni. No time to visit Hibbing (a couple hours north) but hope to see Paisley Park.

[Adam Blake]

Hi Garth, There you are! No, sorry, I'm too busy being lazy to wave! The weather here is being very kind - unlike Southern California, the climate up here is a bit like Scotland - and I am taking every opportunity to sit in the garden and read. It's blissful. Have fun in Prince-land! See you back in Blighty.

[jackdaw version]

Why, Garth, me old spar, you missed your opportunity to drop in here and visit me and then ride the tour bus with Weird Al across the states! He played the Northwest Washington Fair, just north of me, a couple of weeks ago. If he's on the fair circuit, you'd have seen a fair (sorry!) old slice of a strange subculture in the US.

Here's a Q&A with him if there were any questions you forgot to ask:

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/08/24/1584642_a-qa-with-weird-al-will-the-king.html



http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/gobham/photos/weird-al-yankovic-at-the-lynden-fair/

Even a video from the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipc8QgGQyvU&feature=related

PS For those who wonder, I'm fairly (that word again as an adverb!) sure that Garth and I would get on fine in the real world after a period of "adjustment" (aka a couple of beers) to our individual styles. Anyway, as a matter of principle (and my desperation for good company), all recognized SotWorld Forum members are welcome to seek refuge in my woods. I'm really quite nice irl and have good food and drink and sounds.

[garth cartwright]

Thanks for the Weird Al post - will read it when over jetlag. He is a very nice guy - a huge Zappa fan! - almost supernaturally calm and nice (gets mobbed when he steps outside of backstage but allows all to take photos/signs autographs), a vegan and quietly intelligent ie he doesn't reveal a lot but I got the impression of a thinker: gets on well with Matt Groening (has been on Simpsons twice) and I think has a similar approach to US society.

Excellent band - have been with him 30 years - the guitarist makes Hawaiian slack key music in his spare time.

The Fair was a trip - the kind of place David Lynch could employ as a setting. Massive spectacle with all kinds of animal demonstrations including a rodeo, folk art (quilts etc), lots of funfair stuff and foodfoodfood. Most of it fried. Lots of XXL Americans. Free stages host quality artists including Rosanne Cash.

Minneapolis reminded me of a Kiwi city like Christchurch (pre=earthquake): flat, built on a grid, very green and leafy, lots of wood houses, busy but dull downtown. Saw the club Prince shot Purple Rain at - apparently he keeps a very low profile and never plays MN thesedays. Just does London and Vegas. Mike Dregni told me how in the mid-80s would open the club to rehearsals - you'd pay $10 and get to see him work his band for 3 hours!

The Replacements remain beloved - I always liked some of their songs but never fell fully for them. Preferred Husker Du.

Rob Hall recommended a bbq takeout that indeed turned out to be the best in town -thanks Rob!

[Rob Hall]

Glad you had a good time Garth. Don't forget to let us know when the interview is being run. In the interests of fair play, I should point out that the BBQ recommendation was not mine - it came from a friend, and I just passed it on.

[jackdaw version]

Stumbled across this:

http://www.mnstatefair.org/

because of this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tkqs1#synopsis

(which I stumbled across in a way that is irrelevant to this topic — but was more or less completely by chance).

One wonders if some publicist has been working overtime. Or is it just the time of year for state fairs? (It is.) And is Minnesota just the hot/cool one this year? (But why? Surely not because of that awful CD Prince gave away with The Mirror?)

[sumaniuot]

Hi Garth, There you are! No, sorry, I'm too busy being lazy to wave! The weather here is being very kind - unlike Southern California, the climate up here is a bit like Scotland - and I am taking every opportunity to sit in the garden and read. It's blissful. Have fun in Prince-land! See you back in Blighty.

Thanks for the helpful info Adam. I have been to Scotland but never to Minneapolis. I hope I am not too late to enjoy the good weather there. Now gotta scoot and plan my travel to Minneapolis. :D



Sumanto Naskarcragm