Mary Lucia with Laurie Lindeen - Photo by Alexa Jones
It was a beautiful, hot summer night in the Twin Cities as we sat in the cool comfort of St. Paul's Fitzgerald Theater, and The Current's weekend DJ Bill DeVille spun one of the best before-show/intermission music sets I have ever heard. We sat in anticipation for the nights amazing line-up. Laurie Lindeen, former front-woman for the Minneapolis all-girl group Zuzu's Petals, would share thoughts and stories out of her book Petal Pusher that came out in May, her memoir and publisher-subtitled "Rock and Roll Cinderella Story."
Finally the lights came down and Mary Lucia (one of my personal heroes) came out and did a great welcome intro and invited Laurie on stage. She was dressed in a silvery sequined dress and cowboy boots and endearingly carried her purse on stage with her, just like she and her Zuzu's Petals bandmates used to bring their purses on stage back-in-the-day, because "where else would you put them?" It amused me, as I would think there would be a safe place to store a handbag when you're having a big-time showcase of your work and talent in one of the best theater/performance venues in town. The Uptown or 400 Bar, my friends, it ain't.
The first act of the night was Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate, with a song that Laurie prefaced as "A song that has been on all my mixes for years." He took the stage with the look of the elder statesman of Rock that he is. This would start the show's feel of being a live mixtape, with the bands there recording every whim and fancy just for her. It was wonderful. They would speak of Lindeen's love of musicals, as John Eller followed that up by playing a cover of "'Til There Was You" which seemed to please her immensely, and also featured a blink-and-you-might-miss-him Paul Westerberg as he sat in on drums.
Paul Westerberg and Laurie Lindeen - Photo by Alexa Jones
Westerberg, dressed all in white like a holy man, with the exception of his shoes and red-tinged glasses, played solo next. Before playing his smallish yet satisfying grip of performances, he warmed up with an endearingly shabby version of the Stones' "Mother's Little Helper." His backing band was a collection of greats: Ed Ackerson, Jim Boquist, Marc Perlman and Linda Pitmon. When he would return later, he would play a winsome version of Lerner and Loewe's "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face." I sat there fighting back any tears welling up in my eyes, but it wasn't so easy for Laurie Lindeen during her husband's sweet serenade. I wasn't watching a Rock and Roll legend, I was just witnessing a lovely moment between married folks.
Back and forth between chatting and bands, there was a rocktacular and heartwarming Zuzu's Petal's reunion for a couple songs – complete with Coleen Elwood's flailing hair and bass prowess and Linda Pitmon's fabulous drumming. It was one of the most intimate showcases of multiple talents that I have seen in a long time. The combination of the banter between Lindeen and Lucia was wholly intriguing, given their bond of their long relationship (Lindeen is married to Westerberg, who is also Lucia's brother). With the intertwining of great performances by legendary local acts like Westerberg, former Jayhawk and Original Harmony Ridge Creekdipper Mark Olson, and former Babe in Toyland and "Minneapolis Music Ambassador" Lori Barbero. This title was notable in the last song of the night as they were preparing to converge, and Lori was nowhere to be found. Mary Lucia joked:
"She's probably down at the Greyhound station welcoming people."
But she would come out, and most of the night's featured players would get on stage to play Lindeen's favorite song as a youngster - The Monkees' "Daydream Believer." It was absolutely spectacular and joyous, with Barbero flitting about the stage taking pictures and singing backup with Lindeen and Elwood - and the beaming faces of all the legendary musicians was like watching a surreal high school reunion.
The Current will be replaying this show on the air and streaming online next Sunday at 5 p.m. I highly recommend listening, and physically or mentally recording it, as it is something I know for sure I will want to listen to over and over again for years to come.
See also: a photo gallery of the event by Steven Cohen.
