Best Old Newsmans: Volume VI

A long overdue intro column for my TC music Substack, Best Old Bands

What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?

Announcing the 20-year reunion with myself

Photo: Sean Barnard

The author in the studios of the Brian Oake Show podcast.

Editor’s Note: If the Brian Oake Show episode #470 brought you here, welcome. Please allow me to reintroduce myself and my Substack platform where I write about local artists and repost (restack) a lot of national political content. My latest original post on TC music will always be at the top. Click there to reach my music article archive.

By Jim Meyer, March 29, 2025

You may ask yourself, how did I get here? I sure do, but let me explain.

Writing long-form features and calendar event highlights about Twin Cities music was nowhere on my list of things to do in 2025. I had a nice run as a local-music columnist at both City Pages and then the Star Tribune variety section from about 1993 to 1997, then five years at Sam Goody/Best Buy HQ until 2002.

But I didn’t miss chasing deadlines every week, looking for new stories or looking over my shoulder for anyone I may have crossed. Didn’t miss waiting for the phone to ring with news that some band broke up, or lost their label deal, or a cherished artist had died. For sure it was mostly fun, but after nearly 20 years of constant publishing, I was fine to leave town and care for in-laws in Dakota County.

When I retrained as an LPN in long-term care, I worked PM or overnights so clubbing was not an option for about two decades. But in the last year I’ve needed a change of pace from the physically unhealthy work/sleep/eat/repeat of 3^rd shift life. As I ventured out to gigs on nights off or early sets before work, I noticed that notable musicians from the ‘90s were still at it, often doing very different and highly original new kinds of music than before, or better versions of their trademarks.

Veteran artists can fall into a dangerous range if they have had prior success, but not mass stardom. They aren’t the hot news of the moment, but not legendary enough for a regular lookback like your Jayhawks, Dessa or Tommy Stinson. That’s my cue.

It Was Time for a Return

There is a new online news magazine in the cities called Minneapolis Times. It’s clearly a more centrist counterpunch to the many left-leaning and influential news sites and neighborhood papers. (Conversely, urbanist upstarts feel the old establishment has too much power. And so it goes, and so it goes.) Terry White’s Substack Better Minneapolis is essential reading that is often shared there. Other MT contributors offer a needed second opinion on our local politics.

I applaud their efforts, but I felt their pages needed some A&E to take the edge off, so I pitched them on the Flamin’ Oh’s who still sound great to me and seemed a good fit for their older demographic. Alas the Oh’s piece didn’t land there, and it’s a blessing. Main man Robert Wilkinson recommended I just post it on Facebook, but I had a better idea.

I had started a Substack to voice some of my concerns about local governance, but I couldn’t hang. Political op-eds are tough if you are not a retired watchdog nerd or on a full-time reporting beat with deep sources, strong command of policy history and council committee actions past and present. I decided to move that Flamin’ Oh’s piece here on the ‘stack and cross promote my format change from being a local municipal reviewer to local-music reviewer (again). The laudable local site www.racketmn.com had revived the dreaded Picked to Click poll of Best New Bands last November. I titled mine Best Old Bands to bring the fight for the right to party past age 40 (or 60).

I thought the Oh’s piece turned out well if I say so, and the band’s legion of fans seemed touched. I remembered how fun music reporting could be when the magic happens. It’s all too beautiful, and I got high. One thing led to another, and before I knew I’d written four more full features in six weeks plus some concert reviews and calendar highlights in my precious spare time. Barbara Cohen was generous to share her life story and profound career developments. Our House: Tribute to CSNY seemed way overbooked into the Fitzgerald Theater and I had to explore why. And I couldn’t let a St. Patrick’s Day go by without a check-in on Boiled in Lead ahead of their 42^nd Anniversary Concert.

If I may be so bold, my first five pieces felt like Mini-Mojo mag articles where I had space – maybe too much -- to go deep with band histories and artists’ reflections. I think all five of the subject selections belong in a sort of local music Hall of Fame and I hope to maintain such a standard. So many good stories, so little time.

My God. What Have I Done?

This B.O.B. column is off and running before I really did any strategic branding, monetizing, or marketing. Even the name is up for reconsideration. All I know is there is a lot of creative music at various levels and not enough reporting about it. So I hope there’s room for one more platform that strives to feature artists unlikely to appear elsewhere, at lesser-known small venues or pop-ups. Berlin is a new favorite club of mine, and Icehouse maintains, thank heaven. Parkway Theater does a remarkable job staging local artists in a showcase room. Believe me there are other stages off the beaten path.

The column needs work on presentation and promotion, but Substack is my hands-on way to re-learn new media, desktop design, reporting, researching and reviewing as I relive some good times and good people from the heyday.

And I approach it with a more mature appreciation for exactly how much blood, sweat and tears goes into the shows we enjoy; The rehearsals, loading gear and maintaining instruments, sound checks, hustling gigs and juggling bookings, break-ups and make-ups, often for low money and lost sleep. And don’t forget venue techs and managers, without which we’d have nothing but the sounds of silence.

I’m open to suggestions on what you’d like to see. I may do the occasional national artist features, some comedy, album reviews, Q&As, theater or whatever may strike me (and maybe a little news and politics in measured doses). As I say on each post, Jim Meyer was a music reporter a century ago. He’s a willing patron of the arts but won’t turn down gig invites, story ideas or free demos at meyerforhire@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading and consider subscribing. I don’t have a paid level. Take that dough and go see a show.