Band of blues brothers from the St. Croix Valley make The Avenue electric first — twice in a month

A youthful Stillwater-based trio is attracting lots of regional attention, to the point where they are playing the prestigious First Avenue venue in Minneapolis not once but twice in a month-long period.
They come roaring into the avenue on the heels of high praise from a Grammy Award-winning guitarist who also has played the St. Croix Valley area, that being Scott Holt who has performed in concert at Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse between Hudson and Houlton.
Colin Campbell and the Shackletons held an EP release concert for The Horizon Lines on Dec. 27 at the venue’s 7th Street Entry, and they will go back on Jan. 18 for a concert in its mainroom, of the best new bands of 2016, which is sponsored by The Current and Radio K. And they hope to be back in Stillwater in a week or two.
The band of brothers — who often fit the blues style by playing in like-minded, colorful suit jackets — consists of Colin Campbell, age 20, on guitar and vocals, Cameron Campbell, 21, on bass, and Evan Campbell, 16, on drums and “screaming” background vocals, Colin said.
But getting back to guitarist Holt, who performed in the band of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, he said this about Colin and his kin: “Colin is one of those young guys that just has that fire in his eye.”
That fire did not come about in a flurry. “I can’t say we have ever had an official start. We have always lived together and always had instruments, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that we put an official name on it and started gigging under it,” Colin said.
The band is writing and playing songs rooted in the rich influence of the iconic “Minnesota Sound,” influences of which are readily apparent in their music, Colin said.
He added the group is also “living a double life” as both a knee-buckling, indie rock band as well as a stomp-your-foot-through-the-floor blues band, adding they have been generating buzz throughout the Twin Cities area and beyond.
Despite their young ages, the band has shared the stage with Jimmie Vaughan, Melissa Etheridge and the Wallflowers. Early in 2017 the band will travel to Beale Street in Memphis to again represent Minnesota at the International Blues Challenge. Known for his hot blues guitar licks, Colin opened on the main stage at the 2013 Chicago Blues Festival as part of a national all-star band of emerging talent.
“The 7th Street Entry to us feels like a home field advantage at this point, so we always look forward to playing there. We are so dumbfounded in the most joyous way about them asking us to play as part of the best bands of 2016 in the mainroom,” Colin said. Their band is listed first among the six that will play as part of the best-band show. “If I’m not mistaken the poster has it in alphabetical order. So we (currently) have no clue what the (order of the) lineup is,” Colin said.
“I know Nick Elstad from Sleeping Jesus, who is also playing. He’s a great dude,” Colin said. “And I’ve never met the members of Tony Peachka but they are a super rad all-girl punk band and I’m excited to finally see them. The band ‘tabah’ is playing as well and they were included in First Avenue’s ‘Replacement’ tribute, as were we, and we loved them from what we saw.” Colin is referring to his group’s recent invitation to play the annual tribute show for the stalwart Minnesota-based band The Replacements.
“I adore Stillwater, but sometimes it’s very hard to bust into their scene,” Colin said, adding that there are so many longtime bands that play the clubs there almost weekly. “We have played a handful of shows and fests downtown though, and the outreach has always been very supportive. But we find more places to play and places to play louder in the Cities.” The group does have another downtown Stillwater gig tentatively being arranged for late January.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18 concert in First Avenue’s mainroom are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. To order, visit www.firstavenue.com.