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The Repairmen at Fitger’s Barrel room. Photo by Jill Fisher. 

What a blast it was sending off 2024 dancing to Big Wave Dave and the Ripples at Blacklist Brewery on New Year’s Eve. And now we see a whole new fresh year before us. 

Spending the first evening of 2025 at Earth Rider’s Cedar Lounge hearing Charlie Parr (on his own) seemed to be a good omen for the musical time ahead. On the second evening of the year, it was off to see The Repairmen at the Fitger’s Barrel Room.

While The Repairmen has been a band kicking around Minneapolis from 2006 to 2019 with changing membership under the leadership of Garth Anderson. He had a day job back then working as a band instrument repair technician for Eckroth Music. When he relocated to our region six years ago the group settled into its current configuration, which he considers its true realization: Anderson (electric guitar, lead vocals), Tim Rubin (bass, vocals), Joshua Tesch (pedal steel guitar) and Jeremy Roseth (drums).

Anderson told me that at heart he’s a drummer. As such he provides percussion for several other local bands (Janie & the Spokes, Landscapes, Kroma, et al) but he has expanded his musical talents to include acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar and harmonica! 

I first saw The Repairmen during last year’s Homegrown Music Festival at the Gopher Bar & Grill. It was a rockin’ gig,  which was the first time these players performed together in public. This past Thursday’s evening performance was just its third and had a totally different vibe to it in response to the intimate setting of the Barrel Room.

These four musicians were appropriately decked out in gray work shirts and pants, complete with glow-in-the-dark name tags; Rubin added a leather vest to his ensemble. 

The lighting (by drummer Roseth) was dramatic, turning the stage alternatively from blood red to cobalt blue to bright white. As for the playlist, it consisted primarily of original tunes by Anderson, with a couple others by Rubin and some covers.

The Repairmen's dramatic lighting

The restrained drumming and quiet singing made for deep listening music. The lyrics have literary references, express philosophical musings and offer some sage advice. 

“The Duluth Song” made explicit Anderson’s heartfelt appreciation for this city (a total musical contrast to Merv Griffin’s bouncy tune about “the Christmas City” that is Duluth). 

Another original was “Living on the Dying Side of Life,” which goes beyond a personal sense of mortality and disease to register the appearance of ghosts, a life beyond this one (as in the line “Light in the tunnel and it’s just beginning”), the human plight and ultimately forgiveness. It was followed up by “Gospel Plow,” a traditional African American spiritual based on the biblical passage, Luke 9:62 and recorded by Bob Dylan on his 1962 eponymous album. They covered another tune from that same album which was Dylan’s rendition of “Fixin’ To Die,” a blues tune by Bukka White. Sticking with Dylan they performed “Girl From the North Country.”

As I soaked in the many original tunes I couldn’t help thinking that The Repairmen must have been influenced by Low’s so-called “slow core” music. Indeed, Anderson’s song “Mimi” is a tribute to that band’s music in general and the late Mimi Parker’s drumming in particular. 

Also the sound is sometimes close to that of Landscapes, naturally enough since Tesch, like Anderson, is a member of that group. “Boom” or “Boom Boom” is a tune about annihilation, which had other members of the band chiming in on the refrain, “What will they say in a thousand years?” Heavy stuff. “Gone” offers guidance about “picking up the pieces and finishing what you start.”

The non-stop, two-plus hour set included more originals such as “Entropy,” “Travis Bickle” (named for the cabbie character in the movie Taxi Driver), “Victoria” (after a character in the TV show Dark Shadows) and “No Excuses.” 

Rubin’s original, “Brown Delight” is a swinging country song about whiskey that was distinct from the other tunes played this evening, showcasing the band’s versatility. 

Likewise, the last two numbers “CockRoach Survives” (on which Roseth had a chance to show off his own drumming skills) and the encore “He Rose to the Top” were decidedly more spritely than most of the numbers played this evening. I hope to see more of The Repairmen in the year ahead in the expectation of being surprised by how and what they play next.

In the meantime, Landscapes will be playing at the Barrel Room 7-9 pm on Wednesday evenings and/or Kroma playing at the Rathskeller on Thursdays.

So much music was happening on Saturday, Jan. 4, it required skipping around to see what’s what. That afternoon it was the first of 17 jazz performances at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in the Depot. 

Depot Jazz Quartet

The Depot Jazz Quartet under the leadership of Randy Lee will perform each Saturday afternoon from 3 to 6 pm through April. 

At this year’s debut they played tunes ranging across six decades – from old-time New Orleans jazz (formerly called Dixieland) to the improvisational classics such as “Oleo” by Sonny Rollins. They played their usual finale piece, “Take the A Train” with their own quartet spin. It left folks with a warm feeling as they retreated into the frosty twilight. 

This unusual and casual venue is a wonderful place to enjoy (or be initially exposed to) jazz primarily because people come to actually listen rather than socialize with background music. It’s a deal at $7 (or become a Depot member and get in for free).

At 6 pm that evening it was on to Sir Ben’s to hear Misisipi Mike for a couple hours. He’s a favorite who plays mostly his own clever compositions, some more serious than others, but all are worth a listen. I particularly like one in which he advises drinkers “just don’t take it too far.” I find that song to be a particularly appropriate admonition for bar patrons in general. 

Of course he includes the occasional cover such as Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” One can enjoy a drink and something to nosh while enjoying the music here but sit up close if you wish to catch the full impact of the lyrics and tunes as there is plenty of bar chatter to accompany the music.

To cap off my musical excursions on this weekend night, the Curmudgeon and a friend took a 20-minute drive out to The River Inn Bar & Grill in Scanlon. Playing there was The Reckoning, a father and son rock and roll band based in the Twin Ports.

Shawn Bourgeault and his son Ryan both play electric guitar and sing; Mike Thorene plays bass and Garrett Ness is the drummer. The first and only time I had heard this group play was at the outdoor courtside stage at Pier B back on August 9, 2023. Their music was intriguing enough that I noted it but didn’t review it then. Thus this was my chance to catch up with the group.

The Reckoning

Warning: The Reckoning is LOUD. It plays well-known covers from the late 1970s, 80s, 90s and early 21st century. These song titles give you a sense of what to expect: “Rebel Yell” (Billy Idol, 1983), “I Wanna Rock (Twisted Sister, 1984), “Jump” (VanHalen, 1984), “Highway to Hell” (AC/DC, 1979) and the profanity-laden “Crazy Bitch” (Buckcherry, 2006). On the other hand they did play some country tunes; one was a request—The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishin’ In The Dark.”

The 20- and 30-somethings in attendance knew all the lyrics to these songs and crowded the dance floor right from the start. The driving rock sound is not “listening music” but it certainly amps up the celebratory mood for occasions like 21st birthdays. The band’s raucous and driving sound almost forces one to dance.

It was the first time I’ve been to The River Inn and I had heard it is quite the active place for local music. It struck me as being much like the Powerhouse in Proctor, with an ample stage and dance floor. 

The only drawback for dancers here is the carpeted dance floor. But the bar and pool tables are separated enough so that lots of different activities can happen without infringing on the others. 

For all you rock and rollers out there, you can catch this rollicking band at Mr. D’s in West Duluth on Saturday Feb. 1, starting at 8 pm.

ADDENDUM: Peter Yarrow, of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary, died at his home in New York City on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. We at the Reader send out our heartfelt condolences to the Yarrow family and everyone who loved the wonderful songs he wrote and performed for the West Theatre audience on April 10, 2024. Rest in Peace Peter!

Upcoming: This Friday, Jan. 10, is Homegrown’s Winter Fiasco. This year all the music venues are in Superior, with three close enough to walk between if the weather isn’t frightfully cold—Superior Tavern, The Main Club and Havana’s. The fourth, Tower Avenue Tavern, isn’t so far away either so those hearty enough  could make the trek. There’s quite a lineup of talent to experience. 

For all the details see duluthhomegrown.org/2025. As for me, I’ll be sure to see Laurie BoeDee at Havana’s at 7:30 pm. Whoopee!