Caravan cruises at Paramount
Published 7:00 pm Saturday, October 27, 2012
4onthefloor lead singer Gabriel Douglas during the band’s set Friday night at the Paramount Theatre, part of the eight-city Caravan du Nord tour. Eric Johnson/ photodesk@austindaily herald.com
Mary Lucia, a host on 89.3 The Current, warned people in the crowd that they may need ear plugs.
She also warned the Paramount Theatre audience to be ready to “get your faces rocked off.”
But from the sounds of it, the small crowd was more than ready for eardrum-numbing music.
“Turn it up, boys,” one fan yelled just before 4onthefloor’s set.
Me and My Arrow guitarist Jacob Grun during the band's set Friday night. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Minneapolis bands 4onthefloor and Me and My Arrow, along with local act Angel, performed at the Paramount Friday night with Caravan du Nord, an eight-city tour sponsored by the Minnesota Music Coalition and The Current.
“Thanks for sharing your Friday night with us. Cheers, Austin” 4onthefloor singer Gabriel Douglas said. His raised water bottle was greeted with raised glasses and whoops from the crowd.
Austin band Angel, fronted by singer Angel Val, opened the night with country-tinged rock.
Me and My Arrow, a more indie-based group, followed with a set that had many fans covering their ears, though most didn’t mind.
“That was awesome, man,” one woman said after the set.
Though the crowd was small, it was active, especially for 4onthefloor, when a few people danced in front of the stage. 4onthefloor capped the night with the group’s burly blues, equipped with a multi-guitar punch and plenty of yells from Douglas on bass drum-driven originals and an amped-up cover of Neil Young’s “Down by the River.”
The show was a change in pace for the two Minneapolis bands, and in a way, it was a return to their roots.
Both Douglas and Brian McDonough, guitarist and keyboardist for Me and My Arrow are from outstate Minnesota.
“It’s really cool for us to not play in Minneapolis,” said Douglas, who is originally from northern Minnesota.
Angel lead singer Angel Val sings during the band’s show Friday night at the Paramount Theatre. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
McDonough, originally from Faribault, said he had family attend the show because it was about the same distance, but at a more convenient time than a late Minneapolis bar show.
“To them, its more comfortable to come here than it is to go watch us play at a bar,” McDonough said.
McDonough and Douglas admitted the two Twin Cities bands are different, but noted they have two key similarities: They’re both loud and both passionate about music.
The two said they were excited to take part in the Caravan du Nord and potentially introduce their music to new fans.
“We’re way into playing for new people,” McDonough said.
