A ‘Kind Country’ Kind of Night
My favorite part about seeing a local artist at a local venue is not the music. The music is always something I most definitely come for and enjoy, but it takes second place to the additional perk of getting to see all of my local friends. However, live music in tandem with friends makes for a final product far more desirable than either component by itself. Add in local artist Melanie Klimpel’s live painting, and the night almost achieves festival status.
Queue Kind Country at The Square Deal, and everyone comes out to play. Whether for music, friends, or both, this show did not fail to deliver.
Due to obligations from which I could not escape, I was unable to attend the first 90 minutes of the show, but trustworthy sources informed me that the opening band, Irie Minds, was an act I indeed regretted missing. A four piece reggae-rock band consisting of David Ostrom, Carson Raethke and Sam Licari all on guitar with Cayle Wendorf on drums. All four members of the band contribute to the vocals. Irie Minds performed mostly covers, many of which were of Sublime. Their set included some original tracks, as well.
As a person who considers reggae to be one of the sexiest genres of all time, I hope to catch them sometime in the near future.
Next time, Irie Minds.
Act two of the show was quite different. The night moved from Irie Mind’s reggae-rock directly into The Watermelon Slush, A three-man acoustic act that comprises Peter Klug and Ben Scruggs both on guitar and vocals, along with Ryan Vee on drums. Although Vee is not yet technically a member of the band, plans to make him permanent are in the making.
The Watermelon Slush, as described by Klug, is “down-home country-folky music comin’ to you straight out of southeastern Waseca County.”
This is a style they execute very well. The Watermelon Slush played all original tunes and set a relaxing mood while still providing the energy to get people moving, making for a very smooth transition into the night’s final performance.
The Minneapolis based band is described by its vocalist and mandolin player, Max Graham, as “a bluegrass band that always ends up somewhere else.”
A flawless testament to the versatility Kind Country has to offer. Coupled with high-energy strumming and stage presence, this band has the ability to turn almost anyone into a fan, whether they like the genre or not.
Accompanied by Graham are Mitch Johnson and Brandon Johnson on guitar, Joe Sheehan on bass, Chris Forsberg on violin and Chris Wittrock on drums. For this particular set, they were accompanied by Johnny Kovarik on banjo, part of the band’s “extended fam.” They’re a group of artists who join Kind Country periodically, but are not full time members of the band. Various members of the band contribute to vocals alongside Graham.
As a frequent show-goer, I’ve seen many a dead crowd. This crowd, my friends, was very alive. And as the night progressed, so did the energy. With a plethora of originals and a few covers, Kind Country had the ammunition to fill two sets, both over an hour long.
Despite being a bluegrass band, I heard influences of reggae, funk, and blues incorporated into a few of their tracks.
The collaboration of the seven created nothing short of a damn good time. Surrounded by friends and strangers alike with the common objective of losing ourselves in the music. A notably engaged crowd moved enthusiastically to the rhythm of fast paced strumming and vocal harmonies. As the show drew nearer to its close, the crowd size did thin out to no one’s dismay. More space on the dancefloor only meant more eccentric dancing to the remaining members of the crowd.
The consumption of alcohol may have also played a role. Drinking and bluegrass never fail to be an entertaining combination. Just trust me when I say that Kind Country did the majority of work.
Kind Country is Mitch Johnson (guitar), Brandon Johnson (guitar), Max Graham (mandolin), Joe Sheehan (bass), Chris Forsberg (violin), and Chris Wittrock (drums).
Photo by Tim McG Photography
Keep on doing work, Kind Country.
For tour dates and more information, visit www.kindcountryband.com/
Story by Shane Adams
