The Gilded Age

June 29, 2006

Tonight I went to see the Como Avenue Jug Band, but one of the opening acts ended up stealing the show.

Tonight, I went to the Varsity Theater to see the debut of the Como Avenue Jugband’s new movie. The film was awesome, and so was the jugband, but as much as I love the jugband, the hightlight of the evening was one of the opening acts, The Gilded Age. They were just supurb. Their sound is a quirky and eccentric mix of Appalachian folk fiddle, old-school country, gipsy-esque music, and other more modern things like Hollywood Town Hall-era Jayhawks and maybe even the Violent Femmes. It was without question the best old-timey music I’ve heard in the Twin Cities since moving here. I’ll definitely be checking them out in the future.

The Gilded Age at the Varsity Theater, 2006-06-28

By the way, the Varsity Theater is an excellent venue for live music. I don’t think there’s a seat with a bad view in the building, and the place is filled with comfortable sofas and leather armchairs. It’s like seeing a show in a bar or a club, but with the low-key comfort of a coffee shop. I was impressed.