Sponsored by KFAI Radio
Friday, March 24, 2023
7 pm Doors // 8 pm Music
$20 Advance General Admission // $30 At The Door
All Ages
Ticket Purchases are Final and Non-Refundable
It's been 40 years since pioneering Celtic-punk-folk band Boiled In Lead's first show at the Upper Deck in 1983.
With their star still on the wall, BiL roar back after a three-year hiatus as a guitar-forward band with new material and radical rearrangements of old favorites.
The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band will escort BiL onto the Parkway stage.
The Twins of Franklin open the show with their personal songwriting and dynamic voices.
Since 1983, BiL have been innovators in bridging traditional music from many cultures with the sound and attitude of a rock band. A Boiled In Lead concert combines darkly-tinged folk ballads and originals with instrumental dance music from Ireland and elsewhere. Winners of multiple Minnesota Music Awards, the group has toured throughout the US and in Europe. In the Twin Cities, BiL are honored with a star on the outside mural of First Avenue.
Now – the band’s 40th Anniversary year – Todd Menton (guitar) and Drew Miller (bass) are joined by drummer Mo Engel. A versatile Twin Cities music vet, he’s played with the Hot Head Swing Band, Chan Poling, Saddle Sores and many more. A special guest may pop in from time to time.
Enthusiastic, powerful, technically brilliant, playing a wealth of instruments with extreme dynamics, Boiled In Lead routinely demolishes genres with its highly-identifiable sound. An Onion A&E quote describes the band’s approach: “…the prime purveyor of a style of Celtic music infused with punk-rock attitude, developing over the years with a hard-driving swirl that combined Irish folk with heavy rock and elements of styles from all over the world. …one of the best bands Minnesota’s ever produced. …even without amplification, Boiled In Lead can summon up furious punk-folk energy.”
The Twins of Franklin are not, in fact, twins. They are two dear friends and Minneapolis musicians Becky Shaheen and Laura Lou. After being regularly mistaken as twins for years as best friends, roommates, and each other’s solo backup singers, they decided to embrace the label when they formed their duo in 2017.
The twins released their debut album "Low" in February 2020, and are thrilled to share this very personal piece of work with the world. Tom Smouse of Music in Minnesota described it as an album that's "filled with traditional folk elements, with spouts of dance, pop, and even anthem rock. Each song takes you through a different lens and aspect of songwriting from The Twins of Franklin." Their live set is fueled by their dynamic voices.
The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band was established in 1962 to preserve and advance Celtic piping, drumming, and dancing. They are one of the oldest existing pipe bands in the Upper Midwest. Members of the band have performed with national acts including the Chieftains, Green Day, Blink-182 and Rod Stewart as well as alongside local acts. A fixture in parades, celebrations, dances, the band adds a sense of tradition and spirit of pageantry to every program in which they participate.