Stu Previews the Skyline Music Festival Since the Twins Haven't Done Anything in a Week

Not much going on in Twins Territory right now. No one traded Bobby Kielty for Shannon Stewart or anything like that. If you want to read anything on the club, I'd recommend going to friend-of-the-blog Aaron Gleeman's place and read 6,000 words on the pitchers and position players and their performance at the season's midpoint. (Nickel version: not that good!)

By all accounts, last weekend's Kenny Chesney/Zac Brown Band concert at Target Field was a success, the outfield grass notwithstanding. However, despite my lifelong residency in out-state, country music-loving Minnesota, I know very little about Kenny Chesney or the Zac Brown Band. The former is a tiny dude who wants to be Jimmy Buffett with a drawl, and the latter has the song about getting sand in your ass with your toes or something. Hey, whatever floats your boat, Zac. Twinkie Town don't judge. I think that's right.

What I can do is preview next Friday's Skyline Music Festival with some authority, as all four acts playing Target Field that night are in my "formative years" musical wheelhouse. For those attending/thinking of attending, here's what I can tell you:

• Gear Daddies. The pride of Austin, Minnesota. They've been playing live beyond their annual Christmas reunion gigs at the Fine Line a fair amount of late, and I enjoy them. Martin Zellar, the lead singer and predominant songwriter, is finally starting to age, but he's still a handsome devil. Some jerk in a cowboy hat should cover "Statue of Jesus" and have a #1 song. Yes, they'll probably play the Zamboni song. RIYL: bar bands that play their own (good) songs, un-ironic Neil Diamond covers.
• Matthew Sweet. Will be covering his 1991 album Girlfriend. It was the best album of that year (which also saw the release of Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's 10), and I'll fight anyone who says different. RIYL: Beatles, Badfinger, Big Star, Beach Boys, and probably some other great bands that don't start with a "B."
• Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Will be covering their Sister Sweetly album, of which both "Broken-Hearted Savior" and "Bittersweet" were played to death on local radio in the early-to-mid '90s. They were never my cup of tea, but Chris Mars, the drummer from the Replacements, drew one of their album covers, so they're not totally irredeemable. RIYL: Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, other bands I don't like.
• Soul Asylum. Will be playing their Grave Dancers Union album a.k.a. the one with "Runaway Train" on it. Dave Pirner, the one with the long hair and the holey jeans and the Winona Ryder, is the only original member left. Since he's the lead singer and wrote most of their songs, I guess that's okay, but Dan Murphy wrote their best song ("Cartoon") and his guitar/harmony vocals helped make them the best live band on the planet when the first George Bush was President, so caveat emptor. RIYL: nostalgia, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. So, yes, they're the perfect band for this particular moment in Twins history.