dozen countries, from Mexico to Germany to Greece, what’s not to love? While you eat, enjoy entertainment that celebrates the world’s diverse cultures with dance performances, music and art. This free, family-friendly community event is an easy way to take a trip around the world in a single afternoon while learning more about the varied heritages of community members from Austin, Minnesota and beyond.
(we don’t blame you), know that you’re also supporting Life Mower County, an organization that provides services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the area. lifemowercounty.org/tomc2019
facebook.com/TasteofNationsAustinMN
and more. There will also be food trucks and live music, as well as both outdoor and indoor games. Check back on the event’s website for more details; last year’s events also featured an evening contra dance, silent auction, Earth Day yoga, tree planting, lawn care workshops, community trash cleanup, comedy performances and demonstrations of electric vehicles. Also, you’ll have an opportunity to hear from officials on local efforts to preserve the environment. northfieldearthday.com
Taste of Nations
America: 50th Anniversary Tour 7 p.m. April 26 Mayo Clinic Eventer Center, Mankato
10th Annual Taste of Mower County 4-7 p.m. April 26 Holiday Inn Conference Center, Austin
11 a.m.-2 p.m. April 25 Austin Packer Arena, Austin Austin’s annual Taste of Nations is known for drawing a big crowd, and it’s growing every year. Now in its 11th year, it’s getting bigger and better than ever. With food samples available from over a
Enjoy a wide range of food and beverage tastings from Mower County’s best restaurant chefs and home cooks. Last year’s offerings included a little of everything: pork sandwiches, jalapeno poppers, macarons, pizza, enchiladas, Bundt cakes...the list goes on! Stick around for games, a cash bar and a range of entertainment, along with a silent and live auction. While you’re eating as much as possible
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the classic rock favorite America. The band made its name on the Top 40 charts in the 1970s with hits like “A Horse With No Name,” “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway” and “Lonely People,” and continues to appeal to cross-generational audiences. While it’s mainly a rock band, the group is also known for dabbling in pop, folk, jazz and Latin rhythms along with former bandmate Dan Peek’s country-rock sound. Decades after the band members originally met in high school, they’re still touring with the same lyrical storytelling and internationally appealing sounds that made their name way back when. mayoclinichealthsystemeventcenter.com
ALBUM REVIEW By Daniel G. Moir editor@southernminnscene.com
A
ustralian CBD-influenced psychedelic favorites deliver an insightful and well-formed collection of songs based on a common subject that unites everyone. Album Grade: A-/B+
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
There are several subjects that all writers inevitably tackle during their creative life. Many of these are quite obvious with love, loss and journeys among the most common. Eventually, just about every creative person draws their attention to the more subtle points of time. Time is the one topic that covers all the bases. Time impacts both love and loss, ultimately focusing on the very journey through time itself as a person ages. On The Slow Rush, this is where Tame Impala’s studio wunderkind multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker finds himself concerned with. The Slow Rush states its intents with the album’s first track, “One More Year.” Here, Parker finds himself physically in the same space as he was a year ago and takes a moment to reflect on what has changed, and more importantly, what perhaps has not changed. The driving standard time beat and hypnotic, repetitive groove of the song reflect both the forward progression of time as well as the singer’s observation of lack of personal change despite it. The Slow Rush benefits greatly from this type of start. Much like a retail organization might look at current year results among comparable
stores against that of the prior year, it serves as a control group for the ruminations to come. Musically, the sonic repetition perfectly matches the ambivalent viewpoint of the album’s character as they assess their situation. There is an admission that they haven’t done much over the prior year and are just fine with that. “On Track” has a mid-tempo ballad groove with lush keyboard instrumentation as Parker attempts to justify his seeming lack of personal progression in life when questioned about it. The feel created in the music is laconic and equally formless, darting unexpectedly as if to reflect the searching nature of the lyrics. Parker’s wispy high tenor voice throughout the album serves as both a counterpoint and reflection of the lyrics sung. Replete with a slinky, vibrant bassline, “Lost In Yesterday” is a fond bit of nostalgia on how bad previous situations are viewed through the rose-colored glasses of “now.” Far more than just easy romanticism, it is also an opportunity to discard the negative feelings that haunt and tend to hold people back. The drive is not to live in the past, but to learn and take all the baggage and “lose them in yesterday” as part of an effort to move into a more positive present day. Things begin to change as the album moves to its conclusion with the song “It Might Be Time.” Musically similar to Supertramp’s “The Logical Song,” the repetitive driving keyboard part is vibrant and insistent. Similarly, the lyrics also reflect a growing sense of anxiety and maturation as well. Here, the protagonist admits a growing unease and realization that maybe it is time to leave past lifestyles behind. It acknowledges the effect
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time has. “You ain’t as young as you used to be.” “You ain’t as cool as you used to be.” The sensation that friends are growing up and moving on leaves behind the creeping feeling that perhaps something is missing as a result. It is a small step, but an important one. The Slow Rush is filled with surprising melodies and electronic flourishes throughout its 12 tracks. While lyrical themes are complex and well formed, The Slow Rush is also an album that you can dance to as well. A rare collection that works to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Fittingly, the The Slow Rush closes with “One More Hour” to bookend the opening track. Here, instead of a relentless drum beat driving the piece, it is a keyboard played much like the drums in the previous “It Might Be Time.” When a drum beat does emerge, it is subdued and played with a much more relaxed feel. Here, time serves as a comfort, an opportunity to assess lessons learned from it, and most importantly, to take a proper inventory of what is ultimately important to the individual and how they want to focus on over the time left in life. A common theme perhaps, but Kevin Parker masterfully explores it to a satisfying conclusion on Tame Impala’s fourth album. One of the first remarkable albums of 2020 so far. Bottom Line: Stocked with thoughtful lyrics, solid rhythmic grooves and fresh, sprightly melodies, The Slow Rush is the first great album release of 2020.
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