Show #9 01/25/06

Where:

Uptown Bar and Cafe
3018 Hennepin Ave. S.
Mpls.

When:

01/25/06

Who:

Band of Northern Aggression
Mise en Place
Paste?

Set list:

• Greetings Spacelings


• Another Gesture


• Subpar Criminals


• Blackmail Sweet Blackmail


• The Map


• The Plot


• Greetings Earthlings


• Assault and Flattery


• The Radio


• Cheating in Film School


• Expectrum


• The Test

Photos by Karla Suckling:







Last Wednesday, Mise en Place joined their friends Paste? and Band of Northern Aggression for a special evening of music at The Uptown. It was Mise en Place's triumphant return to The Uptown, where they last left their mark in blood on the stage this past December. Once again, there may or may not have been a clandestine recording of the performance, which performance may or may not be publicly revealed in the next decade or so that Mise en Place plans to rule the Edina metropolitan area.

Paste? started out the evening with their fresh-faced take on guitar-driven pop music. Mise en Place enjoyed their set, and we will be joining the gentlemen of Paste? again next Friday night at The Leaning Tower in Dinkytown . . . not to be missed, of course.

Mise en Place took the stage and, in their usual workmanlike fashion, provided loud rock music in 2.75-minute intervals, in the spirit and fashion of Hanson, over the course of about 43 minutes. From curveball opener "Greetings Spacelings" to fan-favourite closer "The Test", Mise en Place displayed their usual discipline, speaking between songs only to pitch their sexy women's tee shirts to any and all takers amongst the crowd of disinterested friends of the band, who felt obligated to attend yet another show. [Incidentally, tee shirts are available for purchase for twelve United States dollars by e-mailing or ringing either your favourite band member or drummer Shaun Westphal.] Other than their shameless tee-shirt pitching, the band stuck to their typical boy-band mantra, lacing their pretty NKOTB-esque melodies with pummeled toms and hammered strings amplified using electrical circuitry. It's a simple formula: excitable (and drunk?) rhythm section plus shoegazing (and strung out?) guitars equals ready-made success in the independent rock music genre. Once at least two of the members of Mise en Place develop "habits", you will be notified on this blog that the band is "official" . . .

Band of Northern Aggression closed the show with some amazingly rocking music, per their usual approach to the stage. BONA would have pretty much obliterated the memory of Mise en Place were it not for their prominently displayed advert for El Mise . . . worn in the form of a durable and aesthetically pleasing tee shirt by BONA bass machine Sara Van Norman.

Again, Mise en Place extend their most gracious thanks to Paste? and BONA for this latest venture to The Uptown. Now, onward for the army of Mise en Place supporters who feel obligated to humour the band with their presence at various stops along the way of this hopeless trainwreck. The next stop is, of course (AGAIN), The Leaning Tower (Dinkytown location) . . . the date is FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, and the show starts at 10:00 p.m. Please join Mise en Place for (too many) drinks before the music starts. And be prepared to stick around for Paste? at the witching hour . . .

Finally, Mise en Place would like to take this occasion to send a special word of thanks to Bill Miller, the evil genius behind the remarkable Mise en Place grid logos with which you will become familiar in the coming months and years. Mr. Miller is a remarkable talent, and the band greatly appreciates his work.

As always, check out the website for the latest and the MySpace to see the band's new grid logos and to hear the band's live-in-the-studio takes of a few of your Mise favourites. And stay tuned for some news about some more complete studio recordings, coming your way later this year . . .

Show #8 01/05/06

Where:

Big V's
1567 University Ave W
St. Paul

When:

01/05/06

Who:

Mise en Place
Paste?
Tuskaurora

Set list:

• Cheating in Film School


• Twenty Seconds


• Greetings Earthlings


• Greetings Spacelings


• Expectrum


• The Map


• The Test


• The Plot


• Another Gesture


• Blackmail Sweet Blackmail


• Subpar Criminals


• The Radio

Last week, on Thursday, January 5, 2006, your favorite band rang in the new year at Big V's in St. Paul (the urban center of government in Minnesota, incidentally) with a set of rock-and-roll music that, sadly, most of you missed. This was Mise en Place's second trip to the eastern metropolitan area, and Mise en Place was happy to venture nervously across the river to play to the deceitful strangers in that mystical land. Mise en Place remained civil, but wary, in their endeavor. The band followed Tuskaurora's blues-infused rock and Paste?'s happy metallic pop with their typically self-absorbed take on the boy-band genre. Mise en Place utilized guitars, drums (plus sticks!), and electricity, to raise the eyebrows of Big V's patrons. The band opened with "Cheating in Film School", moved on quickly (and rudely) to "Twenty Seconds", and finally formally said their special brand of "hello" to the crowd with "Greetings Earthlings", which caught the attention of both the onlookers inside Big V's and pedestrians within a three-block radius of the club. By the time the band closed the show with "The Radio" at approximately 1:00 a.m., January 6, 2005, the remaining fans -- both old and new -- could hardly contain their enthusiasm, due either to Mise en Place's mind-blowing performance or to the fact that the show was finally done and sleep (or a hookup with one of the colorful locals) was on the horizon. Mise en Place now plans to return closer to their Edina home for a show at The Uptown on January 25, 2006 (yep, that's a Wednesday night) at 9:00 p.m., and the band is bringing along their friends Band of Northern Aggression and Paste? for the blockbuster affair. Also, keep your eyes open for news of a series of shows involving some of your favorite Mise en Place venues in February and March. As always, check www.miseenplace.us for the latest . . .