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WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? IMPROV MADNESS AT TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL

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WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? IMPROV MADNESS AT TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL

TROY –  The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are proud to present their new improv tour: WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?, appearing live in concert at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Friday, October 23rd.

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, Ryan Stiles, and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Audience participation is key to the show, so bring your suggestions and you might be asked to join the cast onstage!

This particular style of improvisational comedy is rife with countless gags, one-liners, hilarious games and even songs so good you will hardly believe they were made up on the spot. The teamwork and trust that it takes to perform a show with no script is apparent, but when the best of the best do it, they do it effortlessly. Watch them build entire scenes, characters, and storylines right before your eyes as they take you on a white-knuckle ride through endless chuckles.

Ryan Stiles’ television credits include roles on “The Drew Carey Show” and “Two and a Half Men,” while Greg Proops has lent his vocal talents to animated characters in Star Wars: Episode 1, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Brother Bear. However, both got their start as comedians and are excited to return to their funny-bone-tickling roots.

Jeff B. Davis is also a highly experienced improv comedian and starred in the cult classic cartoon series, “Harmonquest.” He has also starred in “Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show” and “Improv-a-Ganza,” while gaining fame for his spot-on impressions of Christoper Walken, Keanu Reeves, and Jeff Goldblum.

Joel Murray is the youngest of the nine Murray brothers, including Bill Murray, but has become a star in his own right. Though he has over 250 sitcom appearances, he is best known for his recurring roles like Freddy Rumsen on “Mad Men” and Eddie Jackson on “Shameless.” He has also appeared in One Crazy Summer, The Artist, Scrooged, and Bobcat Goldthwait’s God Bless America..

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running TV show as well as some exciting new ones, featuring musical direction by Laura Hall. All ages welcome.

Tickets are now on sale at TroyMusicHall.org.

Whassup in the 518? – Weekend Shows – 5/1 – 5/3

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Whassup in the 518? – Weekend Shows – 5/1 – 5/3

Whassup in the 518?

Weekend of May 1–3, 2026 · Capital Region, New York

May is here, and the Capital Region isn’t easing into it. This weekend delivers a Broadway powerhouse, a Grammy-winning jazz drummer, a metal triple-header, a sprawling outdoor festival, an iconic folk room packed with a legend, drag royalty in Saratoga, and enough local color to fill every stage from Troy to Cohoes. Here’s everything worth knowing.

FRIDAY, MAY 1ST

& Juliet

Proctors Theatre  ·  Schenectady  ·  8pm

Shakespeare’s Juliet doesn’t die in this one — she drops Romeo, grabs her friends, and goes out dancing. The North American tour of this Grammy-nominated Broadway smash has been packing houses coast to coast, and it’s easy to see why: a book by the Emmy-winning writer of Schitt’s Creek, choreography that doesn’t quit, and a jukebox catalog built entirely from Max Martin — the man behind more No. 1 hits than anyone alive. “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time.” You know every word. Also plays Sat 2pm & 8pm and Sun 2pm.

Monét X Change

Universal Preservation Hall  ·  Saratoga Springs  ·  7:30pm

Two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Monét X Change is one of the most charismatic performers in drag today — sharp, hilarious, and genuinely gifted as a vocalist. UPH is one of the best intimate venues in the region, a restored 19th-century church with acoustics that make everything sound like it was built for the room. This one will sell out.

Lacuna Coil: Sleepless Empire Tour w/ Escape the Fate & AXTY

Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  Doors 6:30pm, Show 7:30pm

Milan’s Lacuna Coil have been one of the most consistent acts in gothic metal for nearly three decades, and their dual-vocal attack — Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro trading lines over symphonic crunch — never gets old live. Escape the Fate provide sharp post-hardcore support. Empire Live’s main room is the right size for this kind of show.

The Dying Poets Tour: Poet The Band / Major Moment / The Almas & More

Empire Underground at Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  7pm

Downstairs at Empire, the Underground stage hosts a six-band showcase headlined by Poet The Band alongside Major Moment, The Almas, Outta My Head, At Lights Wake, and Psychomanteum. A strong night for anyone who lives in the alt-rock and post-hardcore space.

Sweet Baby James: The #1 James Taylor Tribute

Cohoes Music Hall  ·  Cohoes  ·  7:30pm–10pm

Bill Griese’s Sweet Baby James show has earned a devoted following for one simple reason: it’s genuinely stunning. The Cohoes Music Hall — a 150-year-old jewel box of a room — is the perfect setting for a night built on fire and rain and Carolina in my mind. If you’ve been putting this one off, stop.

The Wheel

Rustic Barn Pub  ·  Troy  ·  8pm–11pm

The Capital Region’s most dedicated Grateful Dead tribute band takes over the Rustic Barn for a Friday night run through the Dead’s bottomless catalog. Free-flowing, good-natured, and reliably loose. The Rustic Barn is exactly the right room for it.

A Tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Lil’ Cease & The Frank White Experience

Lark Hall  ·  Albany  ·  8pm

Lil’ Cease isn’t just a tribute act — he was there. A founding member of Junior M.A.F.I.A. and one of Biggie’s closest collaborators, he’s one of the few people who can perform this music with actual firsthand authority. Lark Hall’s intimate 300-capacity room should make this feel immediate in all the right ways.

Luko Adjaffi & Gold Sun

Putnam Place  ·  Saratoga Springs

Luko Adjaffi brings West African percussion and melodic tradition into a contemporary live format that’s equal parts concert and dance party. Gold Sun joins for what should be a warm, rhythmically rich night in the heart of downtown Saratoga.

Bimbo Nite Rave: Bimbos in Space  (21+ w/ valid ID)

No Fun  ·  Troy  ·  8pm–11pm

No Fun’s recurring Bimbo Nite Rave is exactly what it sounds like: a queer-inclusive, unabashedly loud dance party. The space-themed installment promises costumes, beats, and the kind of energy that No Fun does better than anyone on River Street.

QUICK HITS FROM BAR PEOPLE — FRIDAY, MAY 1

More live music across the region at barpeople.com

Albany County

6pm  Tame the Rooster  @  Allied Brewing, Altamont

7pm  Donna Tritico Band  @  Hedge Bistro, Altamont

8pm  The Schmooze  @  Creekside Restaurant & Bar, Catskill

6pm  Dan Sherwin  @  Normandside Country Club, Delmar

6pm  Justin Joyner  @  The Scarlet Knife, Latham

7pm  Ill Funk Ensemble  @  The Bunker, Latham

Saratoga County

6pm  George Krakat  @  Powers Pub, Clifton Park

6:30pm  Margo Macero  @  Peddlers Bar & Bistro, Clifton Park

Rensselaer County

6pm  Brandon LaRocca  @  Hudson Brewing Co., Hudson

SATURDAY, MAY 2ND

& Juliet  —  Matinee & Evening

Proctors Theatre  ·  Schenectady  ·  2pm & 8pm

Two bites at the apple today. The matinee at 2pm makes this a genuinely great option for families or anyone who wants to be home before midnight. The evening show at 8pm is the full late-night theatrical experience. Either way, it’s the best thing on a Broadway stage that’s come through Schenectady this season.

Nate Smith

The Egg  ·  Albany  ·  8pm

Nate Smith is the kind of musician who makes other musicians stop and stare. A multi-Grammy-winning drummer, composer, producer, and bandleader, he has played with Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Brittany Howard, Childish Gambino, and Norah Jones — and still manages to be one of the most-watched drum educators on the internet. His latest record, LIVE ACTION, is a sprawling, joyful producer’s statement. The Egg’s Swyer Theatre is an intimate room that suits his sound perfectly.

The B-Street Band: A Tribute to The Boss

Cohoes Music Hall  ·  Cohoes  ·  7:30pm–10pm

34 years and nearly 5,500 performances in, The B-Street Band were the first tribute act in the world dedicated to a living performer, and they remain the gold standard for Springsteen tributes. The Cohoes Music Hall — already atmospheric enough on its own — turns into something approaching a genuine event when a band this good is on stage.

Wolfgang Collective

Rustic Barn Pub  ·  Troy  ·  7pm–10pm

Wolfgang Collective work in the space where folk songwriting meets soul-driven groove, and they do it with enough energy to fill a room twice the size of the Rustic Barn. A strong local act for a Saturday night that doesn’t ask much of you besides showing up.

Raisin Sound — Launch Party

Lark Hall  ·  Albany

A local music launch party at one of Albany’s best independent venues. Raisin Sound brings their sound to Lark Hall’s 300-capacity room on Hudson Avenue for what should be a celebratory, high-energy night. Watch this one.

Livingston Taylor  —  Two Performances

Caffe Lena  ·  Saratoga Springs  ·  4pm & 8pm

Livingston Taylor has been performing for over fifty years and still plays with the warmth and precision of someone who genuinely loves the room. Brother of James Taylor, yes — but very much his own artist, with a catalog and a stage presence that stand on their own. Caffe Lena is one of the most revered small folk venues in the country (the Library of Congress called it “an American music treasure”), and 110 seats means there isn’t a bad one in the house. Two shows: 4pm and 8pm.

The Spring Thing  —  2nd Annual

Hangar on the Hudson  ·  Troy  ·  Doors 3pm, Music 4pm–10pm

Eight Capital Region acts. Two stages — one inside, one in the back lot. Food from The Ale House. $20 advance, $25 at the door. The Hangar’s Spring Thing has quickly become one of the best arguments for the strength and variety of the local scene, and this year’s lineup backs that up: Rover, Mud Wasp, Kimono Dragons, Take Steps, Zan & the Winter Folk, Geoff Gordon feat. Troy Pohl, Stella & the Reptilians, and Brick Windows. Rain or shine. 18+ (kids 12 & under free with an adult).

Demon Hunter: There Was a Light Here Tour w/ Convictions

Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  Doors 6:30pm, Show 7:30pm

Seattle’s Demon Hunter have been one of the most prolific and consistent acts in heavy Christian metal for over twenty years. The There Was a Light Here Tour finds them in strong form, with Convictions providing support.

Locked in a Vacancy

Empire Underground at Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  6:30pm

The Underground’s intimate 350-capacity room hosts Locked in a Vacancy for a Saturday night rock show.

QUICK HITS FROM BAR PEOPLE — SATURDAY, MAY 2

Full listings at barpeople.com

Albany County

7pm  Josh Clevenstine  @  Across The Street Pub, Albany

7pm  Off The Record  @  Albany Distilling Co., Albany

Saratoga County

6pm  Steven & Shannon Gray  @  Powers Pub, Clifton Park

6:30pm  Rick Bolton & Maggie Doherty  @  Peddlers Bar & Bistro, Clifton Park

5pm  Midnight Choir  @  Dancing Grain Farm Brewery, Gansevoort

Rensselaer County

7pm  Harmonic Duo  @  American Legion, Wynantskill

SUNDAY, MAY 3RD

THIS LUMINOUS EARTH — Albany Pro Musica

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall  ·  Troy  ·  3pm

Albany Pro Musica and Orchestra Pro Musica close their season at one of the most acoustically perfect small concert halls in North America. The program is ambitious: Jake Runestad’s Emmy Award-winning Earth Symphony — a choral symphony that moves from environmental wonder to grief to redemption — paired with Morten Lauridsen’s transcendent Lux Aeterna. If you’ve never heard a world-class choir fill the Troy Music Hall, this Sunday afternoon is the place to fix that.

& Juliet  —  Final Schenectady Performance

Proctors Theatre  ·  Schenectady  ·  2pm

The last chance to catch the tour’s Schenectady run. A Sunday matinee that’s genuinely worth treating as a proper afternoon out.

Deicide w/ Rotting Christ

Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  6:45pm

Death metal royalty: Florida’s Deicide have been one of the most controversial and sonically devastating acts in extreme metal for 35 years, and Greek extreme metal legends Rotting Christ bring their own decades of credibility to the bill. Empire Live on a Sunday night, for the people who need it.

Prince Daddy & The Hyena w/ Remo Drive

Empire Underground at Empire Live  ·  Albany  ·  7:30pm

Prince Daddy & The Hyena make the kind of emo that’s genuinely hard to categorize — raw, melodically smart, emotionally unguarded — and they’ve built a real following for it. Remo Drive are an equally compelling indie-emo outfit. The Underground is the right-sized room: small enough to feel close, loud enough to matter.

QUICK HITS FROM BAR PEOPLE — SUNDAY, MAY 3

Full listings at barpeople.com

Albany County

2:30pm  Eliot Lewis  @  Lark Street Tavern, Albany

Saratoga County

5pm  Bobbie Van Detta  @  Charlton Tavern, Ballston Lake

Have a show we missed? Email the editor. Listings updated weekly every Thursday. Welcome to the 518. Go hear something.

 

Alice Howe & Freebo @ Caffe Lena, 4/24/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Alice Howe & Freebo @ Caffe Lena, 4/24/2026

Alice Howe & Freebo brought their songs back to Caffe Lena.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Caffe Lena here …

Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play,” Presented by Playhouse Stage Company

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Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play,” Presented by Playhouse Stage Company

ALBANY, NY (April 28, 2026) — Playhouse Stage Company, the Capital Region’s professional musical theater and premier arts education organization, today announced its summer 2026 season at Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park. In a new direction for the beloved summer program, PSC will present Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play, a musical adaptation of Mo Willems’ enormously popular children’s book series, as a capstone summer event at Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park during the week leading up to Labor Day. Every seat at every performance will be completely free for this family-friendly production.

The production represents a strategic collaboration between Playhouse Stage Company and the City of Albany under Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs. Mayor Applyrs worked with the organization to maintain Albany’s support for the Park Playhouse program, by leveraging Albany Community Development Agency grant funding. Together, the partners are refocusing the summer offering on what has always been at the heart of Park Playhouse: introducing young people to the arts and providing families with accessible, enriching cultural experiences.

“For 38 years, Park Playhouse has been a place where anyone can experience live, professional theater for free,” said Owen Smith, Producing Artistic Director of Playhouse Stage Company. “This summer, we’re going back to the roots of that mission. Both the City and the nonprofit arts world are facing real economic challenges right now. What matters is how we respond to them. We’re choosing to focus our resources where they can make the deepest impact — on young people and families. Because the kids who fall in love with live theater this summer are the audiences, the artists, and the community leaders of tomorrow. We are exceedingly grateful to Mayor Applyrs and her team for the value that they place on this program.”

Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play brings Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig to life in an infectiously tuneful, smartly written musical that’s as delightful for adults as it is for children. The show, which PSC has previously offered to school field trips, has a shorter run time than past Washington Park offerings, making it an ideal first theatrical experience for kids as young as toddler age. “We want to create a welcoming environment for young people and families,” Smith said, “and help kids to fall in love with getting off their screens, getting out into their community, and seeing what the live performing arts has to offer.”

Performances will take place across the final two weeks of August, with a mixture of 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM showtimes from August 16-26, 2026.  All performances will take place during daylight hours, so families won’t need to navigate the park after dark. The late summer timing is intentional: weather patterns are statistically more favorable and temperatures more comfortable later in the summer, allowing families with young children to enjoy the show with a reduced risk of the extreme heat and severe storms that have often affected recent PSC summer programming earlier in summer months.

For the first time in Park Playhouse history, every single seat will be free, including on the ground level. This breaks down any and all barriers to entry for Albany residents and guests. All audience members are welcome to bring a chair or blanket and sit close to the stage for this interactive, engaging musical. A small section of accessible seating will be available to reserve at no cost through the Playhouse Stage box office for patrons with mobility challenges or others for whom bringing a chair may not be possible.

Playhouse Stage Company will partner with local youth summer camps, religious and civic institutions, and summer school programs to welcome groups to performances throughout the run. Organizations interested in arranging group attendance are encouraged to contact the Playhouse Stage box office.

“The arts are essential to any thriving community, and I am proud to say that the City of Albany will continue to support Park Playhouse and the critical community outreach work of Playhouse Stage Company. Partnering with local summer youth groups and civic institutions to offer opportunities for youth to view performances speaks to Park Playhouse’s level of intention,” said Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs. “This is the exact kind of investment our residents have identified that they want to see. Creating opportunities for cultural enrichment that is accessible to families of all income levels is how we will continue to turn the lights back on in our City. I am thrilled to collaborate with Park Playhouse on this initiative and look forward to bringing this vision to life.”

“Park Playhouse has been part of the fabric of this community for nearly four decades, and the organization’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion has never wavered,” said Benita Zahn, Board President of Playhouse Stage Company. “This summer’s program reflects the creativity and resilience that defines this organization. I couldn’t be prouder of the direction we’re heading.”

In addition to its Washington Park programming, Playhouse Stage Company will present a full summer season of musical theatre at its year-round home, the historic Cohoes Music Hall, including Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Footloose: The Musical, and 13: The Musical. Tickets for the summer productions at Cohoes Music Hall go on sale to the general public on May 1 at playhousestage.org or by calling the box office at (518) 434-0776.

About Playhouse Stage Company

Playhouse Stage Company (Park Playhouse Inc.) is the Capital Region’s professional musical theater and premier arts education organization, now in its 38th season. The company operates three interconnected programs: Park Playhouse, presenting free outdoor summer musical theater in Albany’s Washington Park; Cohoes Music Hall, a year-round presenting and producing calendar at one of the oldest operating performance venues in the United States; and Playhouse Stage Academy, a comprehensive youth theater arts education program serving more than 10,000 students annually across eight Capital Region counties. Playhouse Stage Company compensates all of its performers, musicians, designers, and technicians. For more information, visit playhousestage.org.

New Performance Announcement! Jason Isbell at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

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New Performance Announcement! Jason Isbell at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

TROY, NEW YORK:     Making his Troy Savings Bank Music Hall debut, Jason Isbell will perform on Thursday, November 5th at 7:30 PM. Pre-sale for the show starts Thursday, April 30th at 10am and tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday May 1st at 10am.  Learn more below about the show:

Six-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jason Isbell is one of the most respected and celebrated artists of his generation. The North Alabama native possesses an incredible penchant for identifying and articulating some of the deepest, yet simplest, human emotions, and turning them into beautiful poetry through song. Isbell sings of the everyday human condition with thoughtful, heartfelt, and sometimes brutal honesty.

After releasing multiple critically-acclaimed albums, appearing in an Academy Award-nominated film, Killers of the Flower Moon, and touring the world with his band, the 400 Unit, Isbell began 2025 with a change of pace. A solo record. Simply Isbell and his voice and an acoustic guitar, an all-mahogany 1940 Martin 0-17. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in NYC, ‘Foxes in the Snow’ further demonstrates his pure talent as a songwriter and musician. As Stereogum so aptly put it, “the barebones intimacy re-centers the artist behind the persona and serves as a reminder that this guy can write a damn song.”

Tickets are on sale at 10am, April 30th to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Members.  Anyone can become a member and gain access to the pre-sale.  Single tickets go on sale the general public Friday May 1st at 10am  via phone, (518) 273-0038, in person, or online at  TroyMusicHall.org.  More information on the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and upcoming programs is also available on the website at www.troymusichall.org.

Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, and Antonio Sánchez @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 4/23/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, and Antonio Sánchez @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 4/23/2026

The incredibly talented trio of Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, and Antonio Sánchez played the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Thursday.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Troy Savings Bank Music Hall here …

 

Please Don’t Destroy: LIVE Coming to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

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Please Don’t Destroy: LIVE Coming to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

TROY, NEW YORK:     Saturday Night Live sketch performers Please Don’t Destroy will perform on Saturday, August 22nd at 7pm. Pre-sale for the show starts Thursday, April 30th at 10am and tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday May 1st at 10am.  Learn more below about the show:

Please Don’t Destroy is made up of Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy. They are currently writing and making videos for Saturday Night Live – favorites include “Three Sad Virgins” featuring Taylor Swift and Pete Davidson, “Good Variant,” “Hard Seltzer”, “The Stakeout”, “Hangxiety” and more. They’ve been beloved repeat guests at NBC’s annual Miley Cyrus’s New Year’s Eve Party. Even before their viral videos online, the guys performed live sketch together all over NYC – since then they’ve headlined at the Netflix is a Joke Festival, the New York Comedy Festival, were featured at The Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas, and consistently sell out colleges and marquee shows across the country. Ben, John, and Martin wrote and starred in their first movie “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain”, produced by Judd Apatow, now streaming on Peacock.

Tickets are on sale at 10am, April 30th to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Members.  Anyone can become a member and gain access to the pre-sale.  Single tickets go on sale the general public Friday May 1st at 10am  via phone, (518) 273-0038, in person, or online at  TroyMusicHall.org.  More information on the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and upcoming programs is also available on the website at www.troymusichall.org.

A conversation with Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Ian Losz
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A conversation with Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

By Ian Losz.

A survivor of the turbulent grunge era of rock, Dave Pirner, lead singer and founding member of SOUL ASYLUM, sat down with Ian Losz for Xperience Monthly/RadioradioX prior to their sold-out show at Saratoga’s Universal Preservation Hall.

RRX: Let’s talk technology, Dave. You had a very rare album out called “Time’s Incinerator” (1986) that only came out on cassette tape. Is that true

Dave Pirner: That’s correct.

RRX: You’ve come a long way from the days of cassette tapes.

DP: I don’t remember what the last cassette we put out with a recorder was, but we did put out a limited cassette with one of the albums.

RRX: On Soul Asylum’s video of “Misery,” it shows a CD factory making compact discs.

DP: Right.

RRX: So you’ve seen the different cycles of how music is found, played, and listened to. How do you listen to music now?

DP: Vinyl. Yeah, I got a turntable set up. A whole mess of records. It’s like a thing. I mean, you have to get up and turn it over, you know.  You do some extra work, but it’s pretty easy with a computer or whatever to have a playlist for you.  But I like the way vinyl sounds and I have the stereo in the living room, and I don’t know how other people do it anymore, but it’s good to me.

RRX: Sure. It’s a way people can become invested in the music.

DP:  Yeah.

RRX: So let’s talk pop culture …

Some amazing bits and pieces struck me. You guys released “Clam Dip & Other Delights,” featuring your bass player, Karl Mueller, posing as a parody of Herb Albert’s “Whipped Cream” album cover.

DP: Yeah. When I was a little kid, the one record my parents had that intrigued me was Herb Albert’s “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” because there’s a woman covered in whipped cream on the cover. Which kind of got me into the music, and then I became a trumpet player. And then later decided to sign for A&M Records (Albert’s record label). So it’s a crazy connection.

The justice of, let’s cover Karl in clam dip, was just another one of those stupid ideas that you’re kind of kidding around, but Karl was game.

RRX:  You guys played at President Clinton’s inaugural event. And then you worked on Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” and “Clerks II” films. Did you change anything in your compositions for those musically?

DP:  I’ve always been a movie fan. Scoring the music for “Chasing Amy” (another Kevin Smith film) was probably one of the more fun work experiences I’ve had.

It kind of became a thing, where I hadn’t made, at least professionally, incidental music. It kind of got me into this headspace where you know, all kinds of music can be incidental.  It got me into a situation where the actors became the voice, the vocalist scoring the conversation.  And I did it all by myself. All the instruments and stuff. It was great. I always loved his (Kevin Smith) sensibilities and his movies.

RRX: That leads to your connection with social, somewhat political, and economic aspects. You were part of fundraising in North Dakota after the Red River flood.  You’ve been a supporter of the Kill Kancer program, in honor of the late Karl Mueller, who died of cancer. And in Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” video, you featured missing children, which was edited to show local children as it was broadcast globally. And with your Minneapolis (home of Soul Asylum) in the news …

DP: Minneapolis has had a terrible winter. Being involved in that stuff is really important to me. It’s the least I could do – play some music that raises awareness or raises money for people who need help.

Those were some cold, cold protests over the winter.

RRX: Those are tough people, Dave. Spiritually, physically, mentally.

Before Soul Asylum, you played as Loud Fast Rules and also Proud Crass Fools. You have an album called “Slowly But Shirley”(laughing). Rock people love the tongue-in-cheek stuff. Obviously, as time has passed, you’re not necessarily playing it loud and fast now. How does it feel to be bringing live music acoustically to audiences now? What’s changed?

DP: (laughing) nah. I mean, the process is pretty much the same. It’s very … a whole hell of a lot of travel. Just going to where people are … which is here. And you know – lucky me.

It’s a sold-out show, and it’s acoustic. You know, so I miss the really, really loud situation where no one can fucking talk. So that keeps me on my toes.

RRX: Is there maybe a little part of you that wants to break out in the middle of these acoustic sets?

DP: Yeah. I’m ready to play my Marshall (amplifier).

RRX: I’ve read a lot of criticism and descriptions of Soul Asylum and your music. I found what I thought was interesting.  It’s only one person’s point of view, but sometimes fans can say a lot in one sentence. It said, “When these dudes were on the airwaves, life was just better “.

DP: Yeah. It’s nice that rock bands were so popular for a while.

RRX: Thanks, Dave.

DP: No problem. Thanks, my friend.

Read another interview with Dave Pirner here …

Afghan Whigs @ Bearsville Theater, 4/25/2026

Dean Giagni
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Afghan Whigs @ Bearsville Theater, 4/25/2026

Set list:

PARKED OUTSIDE
I’M HER SLAVE
LIGHT AS A FEATHER
WHAT JAIL IS LIKE
66
HOUSE OF I
ORIOLE
GOING TO TOWN
MATAMOROS
GENTLEMAN
ALGIERS
CATCH A COLT
SOMETHIN’ HOT
PLEASE BABY PLEASE
DEMON IN PROFILE
I AM FIRE
MY ENEMY
SON OF THE SOUTH

Photos by Dean Giagni.

More from Dean Giagni here …

400 Batteries – The Weird Side of the Internet

Staff
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400 Batteries – The Weird Side of the Internet

400 Batteries – The Weird Side of the Internet – by Liam Sweeny,.

I’m lazy as hell. I’ll admit it. The one cool thing about lazy people is that we’re the ones that are going to find the quickest and easiest way to do something. We’ll find it, and find it easily quick; the Hot Pocket’s turning into pocket. When I’m trying to figure out what story to bring to your attention, I’m like Goldilocks: how much BS do I have to stack on top of this innocent dewey-eyed junk news story to help you all avoid eye contact while you’re waiting for the bus with it being too much?

Some stories don’t come close. You can’t stretch a moose on the loose. It produceth few jokes. You can squeeze out three Bullwinkle jokes maybe, and then you’re just trying to find funny ways to complain about your kids.

Some stories you know you can’t tell to someone who’s only killing ten minutes time because you’d only get to their name. But you find the sweet ones.

Drake Anthony. He’s an eccentric science maniac, his words, who is equally passionate about pushing the limits of the common world. One day, he decided to see what 400 car batteries could do if you wired them together.

So here it is. The very feather of Maat lands between two equal truths, that this story could go either way. Cast your lots.

400 car batteries. A thousand pounds of copper to make a switch that can withstand 160,000 amp. This amperage vaporizes metal. Which is what he did; he melted a pipe.

I’m a science maniac too. So I carefully measured the batteries. They’re a hundred fifty each, grand total sixty-five thousand. Another four thousand for the copper. Sixty-nine K. So his experiment was to melt a pipie and invent the most expensive way to get someone to say ‘niiice…’

You win, Mr. Anthony. Come get your Klondike bar.

 

 

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