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Yev performs at Duluth’s Best Bread. Photos by Jill Fisher.

This past week has provided an interesting mélange of music, some familiar, some brand new. I guess that’s what keeps me getting out to hear all the good noise we have here in the Northland. 

It began last Sunday, June 22,  when I made a return trip out to Lake Nebagamon and the late afternoon Sunday Fun Day at Wasko’s. 

I knew what to expect: a jam session with local greats Jim Hall and Lee Martin taking turns on lead guitar then switching to fiddle and pedal steel, respectively. 

And, of course, there were several others in the mix – Ron Finstad who typically contributes his spoons percussion and Britney Johnson (new to me) providing vocals on “Proud Mary” and “House of the Rising Sun.” 

Another couple, whose names I didn’t get were also on hand with djembe and electric bass. The group jammed away on a selection of covers by Dylan, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Ween and several of Willie Nelson’s. including “Whiskey River” (a foreshadowing of a concert later in the week at the West Theatre). 

And if this wasn’t enough to entice us to make the trip to Wisconsin, there was the usual potluck dinner (gratis) with fabulous pumpkin bars with real cream cheese frosting for dessert.

After taking a break, I got back out on Thursday, June 26, to make sure and see singer-songwriter Yev at Duluth’s Best Bread, an intimate venue in downtown Duluth. He is Ukrainian-American, having immigrated to the Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood with his mother at age seven. 

As it happens, I met Yev Rosso (then known as Eugene) when he first arrived in the U.S. because his mother married a college friend of mine. Having moved to New York State shortly thereafter, I pretty much lost touch with the family, so it was especially meaningful to meet him nearly 30 years later and to be amazed by the depth of his talent.

Now this isn’t just me singing his praises. Yev was a recipient of the Cedar Cultural Center’s Cedar Commissions Emerging Talent award last year, which fueled the creation of a 10-minute music video filmed in Norway (See it at yevmusic.com/media) and his self-titled debut CD that, in his words, was “a project rooted in themes of struggle, resilience and identity.” His music has received rave reviews from across the U.S. and been described as soul stirring, at once deeply personal and universally relevant.

On this evening Yev soloed with his electric guitar and drum machine, singing nearly all the tracks from his CD, which had a polished production with a backup band. 

Beginning with “Refugee,” Yev gave us a musical examination of what wars mean for people who are forced to flee if they are to live. His own interviews with Ukrainian refugees provided the subject for this song. 

His second number “Oi Chi To Kin,” the lyrics in Ukrainian  (translated as “Whose Force Is Standing”) reflected his love of old Ukrainian folk songs. Other tracks combined these Ukrainian experiences with an American sensibility. 

Another number, “Tempest Lullaby” makes explicit the travails of a mother trying to comfort and soothe her children to sleep while explosions and sirens fill the air and bombs are dropping nearby. Yev’s beautiful, pitch-perfect tenor voice together with a searing falsetto gives additional emotional expression to his compositions. 

In one interview, Yev said Mahala Jackson’s version of the spiritual “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” inspired his version (“Motherless Child” on the CD.) It blends the reports of losses so many Ukrainians have suffered with his own story of his mother dying when he was just 17. 

The lyrics in “Kozak’s Lament” reflect the thoughts of a Ukrainian soldier who, even as he lay dying, feels he has “so much more to give.” “Last Prayer”  yearns for a peaceful co-existence between polarized people while “Witness” speaks to the necessity of resilience in the face of powerful silencing mechanisms. 

Yev mixed in several appropriate covers that conveyed ideas related to the war and personal history such as the Beatles’ “In My Life” and Dylan’s “Knocking On Heaven’s Door.” It was a wonderful introduction to a special performer that we hope to see more of.

That same evening, after hearing Yev’s heartrending songs and stories of Ukrainian’s suffering in the war with invading Russia, I experienced a complete reversal of mood when I got over to the West Theatre to the hear Whiskey River band.

Whiskey River

I hadn’t ever seen or heard them before, or had I? When I first searched for Whiskey River information online it came up with a band based in Chico, California; my second attempt netted me “Whiskey River, a classic rock and country rock band from Lancaster, Ohio, formed in 1975.” Another was one playing at Mulligan’s in Garner, North Carolina, on July 5. 

Indeed, I hear tell that there’s a Whiskey River band in virtually every state of this union. When I finally located the right Whiskey River at whiskeyriverbandmn.com and read that they had packed places like the Cabooze in Minneapolis from the early 1970s into the ‘80s, I couldn’t fathom why they were unknown to me since I lived there during those years. Especially since I definitely remember getting to the Cabooze to see Lamont Cranston. But then perhaps I did hear the band back then and was so busy dancing I didn’t think to remember its name. And now the band is called “Whiskey River…downstream.”

This reworking of the name not only distinguishes the band from others using the Whiskey River moniker but is also an acknowledgement of member turnover. No, this isn’t a tribute band. Three “alumni” of the original band  were on stage that evening. They are Dave Waggoner (acoustic guitar, mandolin, vocals), Danny Naslund (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Norm Steffen (drums, percussion). Three newer members rounded out the band: Kenny Krona (acoustic and electric guitars, vocals), Curt Stone (acoustic and electric guitars, vocals) and, the newest, Tony Don Tracy (bass guitar, vocals). 

Well, you couldn’t tell that these six hadn’t played together forever, they were that tight. With five out of the six providing vocals, the band has a pleasing variety to its country rock sound. 

Oh, and have you caught on from my recent columns that I’ve become a solid fan of this genre?

At any rate, not having any extraordinary expectations for the concert despite the accolades, I was amazed at the musicianship, the energy and danceability of what was performed. Not having followed the band the past 50 years, I didn’t really recognize any of the songs. However, I was in the minority as most of the audience were clearly long-time fans who knew the songs and their lyrics by heart. 

“Hickory Maiden” was the first number, followed by the memorable “Tryin’ To Get You Off My Mind.” I was also taken by “Heart Without a Will.” They even worked in a couple covers: a funky “Ophelia” and a gender-bending version of “Stand By Your Man.” 

Beyond the many classic hits the band played were newer originals written by Danny. On several of the tunes I noticed that Krona and Stone were playing in unison which, Curt Stone informed me, is called double leads – a technique that helped define the original Whiskey River’s sound and one it remains faithful to. It was wonderful, revealing the excellence of both electric guitarists. In short, there wasn’t a clinker in the entire playlist!

One of the elements of concerts by bands made up of seasoned musicians is that you get to hear some stories from their past, often with a moral to them. This was the case when Naslund told of an incident in his Esko high school chemistry lab where he and his lab mates were goofing around. Reportedly Coach Russ Davidson (who was in the West audience!) caught them at it and heard Danny say that some other lab group was doing the same, “Nas” (as the coach always called him) was given a stern talking to saying “Never compare yourself to those behind you!” Clearly Naslund took the admonishment to heart, the result being an invaluable member in this accomplished band.

For those who missed the show at the West (and aren’t headed to Bayfront Festival Park to hear Trampled By Turtles) you can see them this Saturday, July 5, at Doc’s Sports Bar Pavilion in Sturgeon Lake, Minn.; music starts at 6, $5 cover. The band will also be back up in the northland in August and September. See whiskeyriverbandmn.com to follow this iconic band!

Getting back into the swing of going out on successive nights for live music, the Curmudgeon and I took in another unfamiliar group that played at Carmody Irish Pub the following evening, Friday, June 27. (They also played on Saturday, the 28th.) It was Jef Cierniak (electric guitar), who hails from Ely, together with others from our region – GR Svenddahl (bass guitar), Tom Griffith (electric guitar) and Andy Messerschmidt (drums). 

From left, Jef Cierniak, Andy Messerschmidt, GR Svenddahl, Tom Griffith.

With little notice, we heard through the grapevine that this was a group not to be missed. I’m so glad we made it to this relatively late show that began at 8:30 pm. The mostly instrumental music was incredibly eclectic, with intricate rhythms, calypso and Latin beats all in a freeform electric flow led by Jef’s remarkable guitar playing. I only wish we had been able to get back to hear more the next evening. I will try and track this Jef guy down and get out to hear him again. It could be worth a trip to Ely!

But on Saturday, I was committed to getting out to “Rock the Park”— a multi-band concert at Memorial Park that’s become an annual event in West Duluth to benefit the Valley Youth Center. The weather was very cooperative this year with temps in the mid-to-high 70s for a change. And though I was happy to see several musicians and bands I’ve seen and written about numerous times (Tommy Wotruba, Born Too Late and Virgil Caine) there was one new to me I wanted to check out: the Minneapolis-based Voodoo Lovechild. 

I probably should have guessed from the name alone that this was pretty much a heavy metal band. (“Hair band”?) So my first impression was not so good, yet, as they got into some songs I actually knew from my younger days (e.g. Led Zepplin), I became more interested. 

The female lead singer is Tara Vilene. She is backed by Sonny Griffin (electric guitar), Brett Ahlgren (bass) and Chuck Viergtz (drums). This band formed about two years ago and they sounded not half bad. The drummer was very good and each of the players held their own, though I wouldn’t necessarily say they were tight. I’ll leave it at that so that folks who dig this genre of music can decide for themselves how good they are. 

As for the headlining act, Hellcat, that started at 9 pm,  I got the hell out of there while I could still hear.

UPCOMING: The Fourth of July holiday and weekend is loaded with music options. Though I will skip writing about them, I’ll be out there enjoying it as much as possible no matter what the weather! Have a happy and safe 4th!