General B and the Wiz to bring indie-blues to Rochester's drive-in concert series
There’s a lot to unpack when describing the week five headliner for Riverside Concerts’ Car Park Concerts series, set to perform Wednesday, August 12. Their name is long, the six-person lineup is large, and their on-stage antics are endearing and humorous at the same time — information overload in the form of music.
It’s all a little weird, but somehow satisfying — just how General B and the Wiz likes it.
The indie-blues sextet made a habit of touring across the Upper Midwest for the better part of the last decade, making regular stops in Rochester along the way. Ahead of their show on August 12, we talked with guitarist Seth Duin about the adjustments the band has made since Covid hit, how their rollicking live show will change for a crowd of cars, and how the Med City has fit into their broader plans while on the road.
What were your plans for summer 2020 pre-quarantine? How have things changed?
We had quite a few plans that sadly got scrubbed! Summer is always a busy time for Minnesota musicians, when it's easy traveling with no snow on the roads, outdoor fests, block parties, the works. We were really looking forward to a busy June through August, but this is the way of the world now. A few festivals shifted to an online streaming format, but I think we are all a little tired of watching people on screens in boxes. It's hard not to get discouraged when reading reports of what live music is going to look like for the coming year, but we have to keep our heads up and hopeful that some of our favorite venues will make it through this tough time.
In the absence of shows, what has the band done? Are you writing or recording new music, or trying your hand at live-streaming?
We've taken this time as a bit of an unplanned break, which I think can be healthy for bands who work hard year round! Before the pandemic, we had been working on a handful of new songs that were really helping to bring some new excitement and energy into our live sets, and we are excited to record these songs as well. That said, we are a band committed to social justice — and in the wake of the George Floyd murder, we found ourselves more focused on the needs of the Twin Cities community in helping and showing up where we can. Logistics can be hard in these times of Covid, but I suspect we'll be able to record a lot of the new material in the coming months.
What’s exciting about the new format and playing shows in a new way?
It will be very strange to play in front of a drive-in parking lot full of cars, that's for sure! So much of our live show is about the audience, and making them feel welcomed, and in for an exciting and memorable time. It'll be interesting to try and provide that for folks in their vehicles. At the end of the day, this band started as a group of good friends who are simply excited about music, so on a selfish level it'll be fun to get back into some of that routine that we miss so much.
You guys have really hit the Upper Midwest hard when playing live shows… how has Rochester fit into those plans? What have you enjoyed about the town?
Rochester has always been a bit of a wild card for us! When routing tours, you're always looking at maps and trying to fill in the locations between some other shows based on the tour routing or fan bases — and every time we come back to Rochester we are so pleasantly surprised. We love how the community really rallies behind live music, between Summer street shutdowns, the Rochester Thaw, and breweries like Forager and Thesis Beer Project that have become havens for live music, and welcoming spots for bands like ours. I think the first time we played in Rochester would have been 2012 or 2013, and it's so fun to have watched from a distance how the music scene has evolved even just over the last few years.
What does it mean to be able to play to people in person again?
It feels like a bit of a party! Opportunities for bands to do shows beyond a live stream or a backyard pop-up are very rare right now, so we won't take this for granted. We are grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to playing for people even if it seems weird, listening from a car. Give us an 'ol toot from the horn if you're into it!
Why is it important to support artists and musicians through tough times like this?
Would you want to live in a world without music, theater, dance, film, or art? Sounds pretty boring to me. Bands, musicians, artists, creators like us have spent most of our lives working on crafts that lost their primary paths of income. Not that it makes us special — we are fully aware of the state of the economy, the amount of jobs lost, and others who struggle to pay the bills. But we need music and art in the world, especially now when so many are struggling. Your dollars at the merch booth, buying a t-shirt, or a record, help more than you know!
Reservations to see General B and the Wiz are available now. Get your free spot in the parking lot by calling Riverside Concerts at (507) 328-2200.
