The group called The Strangers, and the various configurations of bands in which they play, is no stranger to the local music scene, and have attracted critical acclaim, all while being stalwarts in Burkhardt.
The Strangers again play the Willow River Saloon on Friday night, Jan. 15. Founding member Steve and well-represented guitarist Rich, have performed together since high school, which is many years, and Steve said their set list is heavy on ’70s classic rock.
Steve also regularly runs sound at The Willow, so he has seen hundreds of bands perform there and knows what acts are the most stellar, and the Strangers and accompanying bandmates are near the top of the list, Steve said. Most of these musicians are local, or at least have strong regional ties. (In his day job, Steve also owns a series of area convenience stores, including the one across the street from The Willow).
He raves about the lead singer, Nikki, in both the Strangers and other area bands, with whom there is some mixing and matching. Included in that realm is the group Nikki & the Ruemates, which includes her beau, that being the aformentioned Rich.
Acoustic country blues is a growing thing in Minnesota, and Nikki pulls off the same re-animation trick for hippie folk-rock, too, having disarming, convincing vocals and being an unguarded, very personal songwriter, which means that by turns, music of her bands is dreamy, sexy, gritty, smooth and always intimate, wrote reviewer Tom Surowicz in the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune, about the Ruemates in particular. Nikki also is said to have a piercing but sweet, achy warble in her voice that makes her perfect for her genres. And she too can play a killer guitar, and has been compared to Memphis Minnie and Iris DeMent in her originals.
Also looking back, Nikki was a finalist on the annual “A Prairie Home Companion” talent contest at the age of 16. In that moment, she was said to sing like it’s 1967 and she’s auditioning for Elektra Records.
In more than one band, Rich plays a lot of resophonic guitar, as well, and has been reviewed as raising up the Muddy Waters and Blind Willie McTell covers from being more than mere coffeehouse workouts.
“In a music industry where most artists seem to take yesterday’s remix as a starting point, it’s refreshing to hear music that has the nerve to dig a little deeper and look a little further back,” wrote Youa Vang in the Twin Cities City Pages about the Ruemates.
Also added to the Strangers mix, on bass and keyboards, and — you guessed it — also on guitar is Dan, who is described by Steve as being a quick study who can pick up fast on how to play a song, even if he does not know it well. Such was the case recently when a patron made a request for Desparado by the Eagles.
– For something on the other end of the area, at Shiner’s in Lakeland, you can find some targeted specials that are set apart by the fact they are offered all day and night, every day. You know the direction this is taking when seeing a sign on the back wall at the edge of the bar rail that says, “Combat veterans parking only, all others will be deployed.” Under this heading, “Local hero,” such veterans, and EMS, fire and law enforcement personnel, and school teachers, get 20 percent off. (To elaborate on what the signs say at Shiner’s, that’s 10 percent on food and 10 percent on liquor). They might have to show some ID, but hey, flipping out your badge is not hard to do. Another special is 10 percent off for people coming from the St. Mary’s Point skating club and showing one of their jerseys or jackets — whether hungry after attending a kid’s practice or getting together after a game, your choice.
– And across the St. Croix River at Pudge’s, the pour-it-from-a-hopper tradition continues, this time with four Wisconsin craft brews, these being fairly well-known, not the kinda obscure kind. Your $20 gets you 96 ounces of Wisconsin beer that goes well beyond Miller.