My dear friends: in reporting on our evening at Palmer's Bar in Minneapolis on Sunday I'm not sure what should be included and what should be left to ferment in the whiskey soaked annals of the bar's checkered past. Our evening began with a white-knuckled navigation of the Minneapolis freeway system, being the first real driving experience in heavy urban traffic with the trailer. Having arrived in the West Bank (which is only marginally safer than the region of Israel bearing the same name), we scanned the dismal parking situation until we found a suitable spot large enough for Rocinante's proud and healthful girth.

A brief inspection of Palmer's interior quickly revealed that this night was likely to be among the most memorable that we've shared. An extremely diverse crowd was at once welcoming, the staff was incredibly polite and considerate, and musicians were setting up on a dimly lit stage in the corner. We noticed that the piano was held up on cinder blocks and that there were chains suspended from the ceiling. Additional musicians continued to shuffle in. We took our seats and sat attentively as the band began.


This gentleman here is Cornbread Harris. He is 82 years old, has no teeth, and has been playing music twice as long as I've been alive. There were two separate film crews present, each filming a different documentary about this man, which may give you an idea of the level of mystique that surrounds him. He doesn't drink, doesn't go to the doctor, and can still tour for weeks at a time or capture the heart of a young girl. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. At one point, he was giving a rundown of the events that were to take place that evening. He seemed to be reading off a slip of paper and mentioned 'Tomahawk', which I thought might be a new misinterpretation of Tumbledown House. I was delightfully mistaken.. More on that later.

Cornbread shares the stage with a slick, fast-handed rockabilly piano player named Cadillac Kolstad, who recently returned from New Orleans. Cadillac wears his hair in a thick top-heavy pompadour that is reminiscent of a cross between Elvis and a funeral director. As the music heats up, Cadillac's foot starts pounding, he stands, beats his hands on the piano, and the once impecabbly groomed pompadour flails wildly, spilling greasy hair all over his face. Amazingly, after the song is over, he whips out a comb and with a couple of well honed swipes, his 'do is back to its original position. This band uses no electricity for its instruments (vocals being the only exception) which I have an increasing amount of respect for. So many acts these days rely on excessive volume to hold their audience captive, and it's extremely refreshing to see a band that doesn't need electricity to convey intensity.

After Cadillac pounded out a few more numbers, a few gals strutted in dressed as Native American vixens, and I saw that Tomahawk was not another mispronunciation of Tumbledown House, but was in fact a Cherokee themed burlesque dancer. Of course! I should have known! So she proceeded to get up on the piano and stomp her moccasin-clad feet so hard on the lid that I was almost certain she would break through the wood. Lo and behold, she commanded a keen sense of balance as well as a thorough understanding of the structural integrity of a vintage piano. As the night progressed, clothing may or may not have been removed, and I may or may not have pictures that won't be posted here.

In conclusion, I must HIGHLY recommend that anyone in the Minneapolis area go check out Cadillac vs. Cornbread on Sunday nights. Like all good things, this too will someday end, and I pity the fool who has the opportunity to witness such a unique and respectable act and passes.

Our set was received very well, and we thank all of the kind folks who bought CDs, showered us with generosity (and whiskey), and put us up for the evening (thanks Adam). The night wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the Hard Times Cafe, which is a seperate blog entry all together.

We begrudgingly left Minneapolis, and spent a relaxing evening camping near Lake Wissota near Eau Claire, WI and headed to Madison, which easily captured our hearts with Laotian cuisine, hip coffee shops, and close views of the lake. We look forward to our show at the Glass Nickel tonight, and a great lineup tomorrow with Montana Skies in Sheboygan. An article was written about the Sheboygan show. You can check it out here.

Also, check out more info (including some great youtube footage) on Cadillac, Cornbread, and lady Tomahawk here.

Cheers!
TR