Muskellunge
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Noise Pop Masters from MN. "In a Mess, In a State, and a Second Too Late". Seated pic: Billy Briggs. Live pic: Jason Kokal.
Reba Fritz: vocals, guitar, songwriter; John Crozier: guitar, songwriter; Ben Boyd: bass; Eric Tretbar: drums; Bryan Hanna drums
11/15/2022
Thanks, Krista, for championing local music!
11/04/2022
I’m behind in sharing this good news because I really got stuck with what to say.
We got archived.
Never been archived before.
Grateful, yeh.
Honored? Yeh.
Muskellunge’s final release was chosen to be in the MN library system, meaning you can listen with your library card.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the public library system, I think it’s the most undervalued and stunningly gracious system in the US.
Anyways, yeh, big feelings and special thanks to Jeff Radford for his work with this, and for checking back a few times when I missed his messages.
https://hclib.musicat.co/albums/muskellunge-in-a-mess-in-a-state-and-a-second-too-late
P.S. It’s also Bandcamp Friday if you wanna buy the album or limited release cassette. That means we get the whole purchase, no cut for Bandcamp. $4 is all, what? Yeh, band closing sale. 😏
https://muskellungempls.bandcamp.com/album/in-a-mess-in-a-state-and-a-second-too-late
Links in bio as well.
10/05/2022
04/01/2022
THANK YOU for your support, for coming to shows, for giving us shows, for buying and/or playing our music, back then and/or recently.
We still have a few of these left and dropped the prices. It’s Bandcamp Friday, after all.
https://muskellungempls.bandcamp.com/merch
03/31/2022
My new gig. Come dig.
03/30/2022
Feeling sharply sentimental as I unpacked my gear backpack for the first time since the last show. Which turned out to be The Last Show. I’ve had my amp and gear bag sitting in the hall since March 11, I didn’t realize I was avoiding it.
We were just going one show at a time w John, but it was going so well and we had such light and jolly practices (not like the old days) and the plan had changed to be more like we would keep working on stuff and play very occasionally.
But of course been here before. I take a broader perspective most days - I know things fall away naturally when you’re ready for something else. And I’m ready to do my own thing.
But still, miss the Muskie gang and the lively chats at practice. We made something good together that won’t be replicated. So it goes.
Happy Friday.
Mixing down two live versions of songs we recorded before the last show. Man, am I lucky to have talented friends who work for cheap + beer. Thanks, Jeff Kearns
Hope to release these soon.
One of the new songs, “Call Your Horse Now” that we introduced last week The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge Vid credit Krista Wax
Lyrics:
Block of houses on a cornfield road/ She was the youngest born/ Born in a thunderstorm.
King of Summer smiles stolen stars/ Who would expect you to know/ The sorrow joy can hold/ or the expense of hope.
03/16/2022
And here's the one of us covering Charlie's song "Blues for Whitefish Lake 1975." Listen to the original and compare.
Thanks for the vid, Ann Treacy
Mostly Minnesota Music
03/16/2022
You wanna see some vids from last Friday's show?
This was the collaboration we did w Charlie Parr - we played this one of mine "Ask For It" in his style (sitting and spare instruments) and then we played one of his in Muskellunge style (loud and big).
Thanks, Ann Treacy, Mostly Minnesota Music for posting these.
Just wanted to let y’all know that that was our last Muskellunge show.
I had lunch with John yesterday at Runyon’s- that’s our after practice hang out place, great fries- and he told me he doesn’t want to play out anymore.
It’s not the surprise that it was 30 years ago, when we had labels calling and I was expecting us to tour and, you know, go for it. We started this reunion with the simple plan of putting out the old songs as a way to honor them, and it was a big deal that John agreed to play a show - any of you who know him and our history know he doesn’t play out anymore. But things went well, and so we took it one show at a time.
Anyways, I’m sad, but I see the reunion was a way of getting my musical confidence back. So many door are open now, I am bubbling with ideas and plans, and I’ve made so many new friends and connections.
The timing is fine, I fell like in a good place to start on my own. I have been working on songs that are more vocal centered, like the one Charlie Parr and I collaborated on. We recorded it, so look for that on my own page,
Thanks for the support and following me, and us, along on this ride back into the past, coming full circle again into the present. Ben, Jesse, and I will still work together.
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3021 Hennipen Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
55307