Tapes 'n Tapes

For better or worse, musicians are often measured by their ability to quiet things down a bit and go acoustic. It's a funny little anomaly within a creative outlet that often rewards and encourages deafening noise, but an important one. It suggests--and, truthfully, indicates--how diverse and talented a band is. Tapes 'n Tapes are the latest band to brave the gauntlet, but it doesn't seem like stripping down is going to be much of a challenge for them. In many ways a lot of their material seems like loud acoustic songs, anyway. For a band who claims they didn't really know what they were doing during the recording of their first album, they have carved out was has thus far proven to be a pretty impressive career. But the question remains: Can they pull off an intimate, acoustic show at a small club? All signs point to yes, and judging by the hype that's been surrounding this event (yes, we're calling it an event) the signs aren't wrong. We had the 'Mats and we had Hüsker Dü, but they never really seemed as interested in giving back to the city that birthed them as they seemed stuck here. TNT seems more outwardly proud to be from our goofy Midwestern burg, and this three-night mini-tour of the Twin Cities is a hell of a way to do right by it. With Chooglin' and Red Pens. 18+. (Photo by Nirazilla)
Sat., Oct. 3, 9 p.m., 2009