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Big Wave Dave horn section. Photos by Jill Fisher.

Though some may be happy to see the end of 2023, this past year has been fabulous for our local music scene. The year went out with a bang (so to speak) with some incredible performances.

Here are some that I was lucky enough to see: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with the music of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi at the West on Thursday, Dec. 21; Virgil Caine at Powerhouse on Friday, Dec 22 (great show, great dancing); Woodblind’s Ska music at Sir Ben’s on Saturday, Dec 23 (fun stuff); the Owls Club Big Band at Vikre Wednesday, Dec 27 (a blast of brass!); and the soothing sounds of the jazz quartet Landscapes at Rathskeller that same evening, followed on Thursday, Dec. 28 by the Belfast Cowboys at the West Theatre.

The Belfast Cowboys, a band based in Minneapolis had never headlined in Duluth before, according to its leader Terry Walsh. Walsh sings lead vocals, plays guitar and harmonica (and piano on some gigs, but not this one). Others in this nine-member, horn-driven band include Dan Kowalke (lead guitar, backing vocals), Joe Baumgart (bass), Dave Haugen (drums, backing vocals), Joe Loskota (keyboards, backing vocals), Paul Gronert (sax), Matt Hanzelka (trombone), Tim Martin (trumpet) and Vic Volare (sax, flute). I must note, however, that Walsh and drummer Haugen played with the Infidels at Sacred Heart Music Center during Duluth Dylan Fest the past couple of years.

Belfast Cowboys

I saw the Belfast Cowboys in a wonderful outdoor concert at the Lake Harriet Band Shell in Minneapolis a few summers ago, so I was pretty excited to see them at the West; and boy did they ever deliver, exceeding the high bar of my expectations. The band is known primarily as a Van Morrison cover band and Walsh called attention to this fact, introducing “Brown Eyed Girl” by saying they would get it “out of the way” soon after taking the stage at 7:50 pm. Other Van Morrisson tunes they covered included “Domino” (in a medley with “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg), “Into the Mystic” (nice fog-horn sounding sax was highlighted on this number), “Listen To The Lion,” “Gloria” (really? I associate this song with Patti Smith!), “Cleaning Windows” (a real rockin’ number), “Satisfy” (they got into it with a sustained jam) “Tupelo Honey” (beautiful flute and trumpet solos), “I Shall Sing” and “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile).” Several of these were requests from the audience, which Walsh invited – unusual in a concert venue like the West. The Cowboys performed a couple of other covers as well, among them a rousing rendition of “Ophelia” by the Band. Refreshingly, there were several original compositions by Walsh. “Hard Working and Poor” was an insightful commentary on the present state of our country. “Looking For the Northern Lights” composed together with Rich Mattson and other BC members blasted us with a “wall of sound” that featured a strong electric guitar, trombone solo and a psychedelic-sounding ending. A rather goofy original with a reggae beat was “Spitball It,” which Walsh explained was inspired by peers’ comments (Rich Mattson being one, leading him to give a shout out to Rich Mattson and the Northstars and to Sparta Sound). The lyrics of this song reference elementary school high jinks and a notorious baseball spitballer. This is a tight, hard-driving band with what I must point out has a super guitarist in Dan Kowalke.

This Belfast Cowboys show received an A+ rating from all the audience members I quizzed after the show – both those familiar with them and those for whom this was a first exposure. One person commented that Walsh was in particularly fine voice. For once I was in total accord with the audience. The Cowboys were obviously having great fun playing for us. They couldn’t say enough good about The West Theatre and how commendable Bob Boone was for pulling concerts like this together. Walsh wondered aloud why they hadn’t played here before and expressed his wish they’d be invited back.

Here’s what Rebecca Lindquist, host of The North radio’s Saturday Blues Show, posted on Facebook about the concert: “OMGOSH!! Can you sing G-L-O-R-I-A … ?!! The Belfast Cowboys blew away The West Theatre last night with amazing Van Morrison Covers as well as their own original songs! I really had no idea, when I bought that ticket, what we were getting into … it turned out to be $20 very well spent!” I couldn’t have summarized it better myself.

When I saw that Indecent Proposal was to play at R.T. Quinlan’s on Friday, Dec 29, I decided I had better check them out, see how they’ve evolved since I last wrote about them more than a year ago. I must say, this is a band to watch because it appears that they’re really going somewhere. Leader Josh Brown is simply entrancing with his eccentric performance and persona (he’s usually scantily dressed). If that’s all it was, I wouldn’t hype them so much but, together with his band members Jevin Joki (drums), Terry Beckman (bass) and Jason Owens (electric and resonator guitars), he belts out satisfying takes on classic numbers. Included this evening was “The Weight,” “Champagne Super Nova” by Oasis, Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay,” “Tennessee Whisky,” “Chocolate” by The 1975, “Californication,” “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” John Mayer’s “Heartbreak Warfare” and “My Hero” by Foo Fighters.

Indecent Proposal

With Brown and the band’s original compositions mixed in, the result is a funky forward groove that suits both listeners and dancers alike. These gems included “Feeling Good,” “The Cage” and “Lovin’ You.” If you are in the mood for some mesmerizing music, you can catch Indecent Proposal again at R.T. Quinlan’s on Saturday, Jan. 20, and again on Feb. 17.

The next evening, Saturday Dec. 30, was given over to Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold at Carmody’s. I need not write much about this stellar group as I have extolled it in a recent column. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Gavin Haskin with his mandolin sat in for the absent Harrison Olk (home with a brand spanking new baby – congratulations Harrison!). Haskin, who hails from the Twin Cities, took the lead vocals on the Paul Simon song, “I Know What I Know” and did some cool jamming with Erin Aldridge on fiddle.

Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold

Also joining in was Lee Martin on pedal steel (always a great addition) and Sonja Martin singing several of her own compositions. These additions and substitution gave us some variation from the regular Smoky Gold repertoire, which is good no matter how wonderful the band’s own music is.

And so we come to New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, I missed all of the many musicians who played the day away at Wussow’s Concert Café from 8 am to Midnight. I heard from many that it was a fun mash-up.

However, that evening I was able to take in an hour of the Roaring 20s Party at the Rathskeller, where the Hot Club of Duluth was doing their thing. Jimi Cooper was absent from this gig as he is off on an adventure in South America. (I wonder what new and exotic music influences he will bring back with him.) Filling in for him on electric guitar was a top student of his (Cooper teaches at UMD), Kyle Gill. He fit in with the group nicely. Folks who attended the soirée were decked out in their flamboyant 1920s finery, providing a visual complement to the sounds of that era.

Then it was on to Blacklist Brewery to hear Fenestra Funk, which was scheduled to play at 10 pm. But this was a big disappointment as the group had to cancel due to one of its members testing positive for COVID.

Thus Big Wave Dave and the Ripples stepped up and began their set earlier than the advertised start time of 11:15. What I found fascinating was the much younger age of the crowd than typically comes out for BWD. They evidently had come out to hear Fenestra Funk and happily got into the horn-driven sound of BWD.

As usual, the dancing got underway instantly with the rockin’ sound this band produces immediately upon taking the stage. After the let-down of no FF, it was gratifying to have that band’s sax player and lead vocalist, Michael Schell, sit in on several numbers to play some soul-satisfying sax solos. With midnight come and gone, the entire crowd was still hopping and bopping. I haven’t stayed up to celebrate New Years Eve for a long time, but boy I’m sure glad I made it to midnight this year.

Wishing you all a happy music-filled 2024!