Checking In with Michael Twente of Hard Rain, Headliners for the 2023 Duluth Dylan Fest Kickoff Party

As many of you know, Duluth Dylan Fest will commence this weekend with events at the Historic Duluth Armory in the a.m., a Heaven's Door bourbon and whiskey samplings at Cashwise Liquor and Super One Liquor (Central Ave.) plus a special Highway 61 Revisited airing on The North 103.3 from 5 - 6. 

That evening we'll be celebrating the Duluth Dylan Fest Kick Off Party with music by Hard Rain – All Things Dylan. 

Earlier this week I finally caught up with Michael Twente of the St. Louis-based Dylan tribute band Hard Rain. Twente and his bandmates will be center stage delivering the goods at the Earth Rider Festival Grounds. (Tickets at Eventbrite.)

The band officially got its start in 2002, Twente said. It was originally going to be a one show deal featuring Bob Dylan songs. It went over so well they thought, “Why don’t we keep this going?” 

And they did keep it going for a little bit. "We opened for Leon Russell a couple times." But after a while, some of the guys didn't want to just do Dylan. This led to the next iteration, a Bob Dylan and the Band tribute band.

This was followed by an All Things Dylan period that included music from the Traveling Wilburys as well as the Band and even some Wallflowers, the band Dylan's son Jakob assembled.

At this point the band would kick off with a long Dylan set, then follow with other stuff, eventually bringing it all back home to Dylan.

Twente's musical awakening began at age 7 on February 9, 1964. "My sister made me watch it. The Beatles are what got me into it. I became a huge Beatles fan."

Even so, it wasn't till the breakup of the Beatles that Twente discovered Dylan. He had been a George Harrison fan and when the Concert for Bangladesh triple album came out, he was all in. When he came to Side 5, which was Dylan, he was blown away. "When I heard Hard Rain, I’d never heard anything like that before." He was 14 at the time, but his mind was fully charged. "Mom took me to the store and I bought a bunch of Dylan's albums. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was painting pictures with words."

It was his love of the Beatles that led him to Dylan. Twente ultimately took up guitar, seeking to share the music he was passionate about.

You can tell who the die-hard Dylan fans are. They know exactly how many concerts they have seen. Twente says he's seen Dylan 202 times now. But it started with that Concert for Bangladesh. "I was too young to drive but my mom took me to the theater to watch the Concert for Bangladesh film." When the film ended he phoned his mother to ask if he could stay and sit through it again. She said yes.

Twente says it was difficult finding musicians who only want to play Bob Dylan. "These guys who I’m with now have become real fans though. I have some really good musicians."

When asked about his mentors, Twente says he modeled himself after Bob Dylan. Having seen Dylan over 200 times in concert, he said "I always watched his stage persona.  There’s nobody cooler than that. Arlo Guthrie and Leon Russell influenced me and maybe Neil Young. These were my mentors. I’d include Robbie Robertson in that mix."

Hard Rain isn't Twente's only musical outlet. He's also in another classic rock band and does a lot of solo gigs.

When asked to name his favorite album he initially balked. It's not really possible to name one, though if forced he might concede Blood on the Tracks. His Dylan education began with the Greatest Hits and Freewheelin', but his "short list" of faves would include Time Out of Mind as well as Highway 61 Revisited, for sentimental reasons.

The group created some interesting playlists over the years. "What we used to do when we did a show, we’d figure out what album anniversary it was, for example of in September such and such was released. The first set would then be that album starting on track one all the way to the end."

Band Introductions
(Seasoned musicians all.)

Ray Greenfield 

Drummer. Only. No chewing bubble gum at the same time for this one :)

Playing snare since 3rd grade, a drum set since 1967. Experience with the following genres: Soul, R & B, Rock, Alt Rock, Blues, Country, Greek, Tribute, Original, Etc.

Bands previously worked with: 

Johnnie Johnson, Blues Express, Tight Squeeze, Mojo Syndrome, Threshold, Buffalo Bob & his Bedroom Blues Band, Soul Seekers, Mad, Mad Greeks, Wyndow, Etc.

Focused on dynamics & a wide range of acoustic drum sounds to bring Hard Rain's huge catalogue of Bob Dylan, Band, Traveling Wilburys & Wallflowers,Etc. to life. 

My best work always brings out the best in those I play music with. 

Doug Raymur 

Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Accordion, Cello, Bass, and Guitar.

    Since 1964 has played in orchestras, musical theater, Big Bands, Dixieland, Klezmer, Western, Country (yes, there is a difference), Bluegrass, Rock bands, dance combos, studio sessions and backup for pop vocalists, basically anything Doug has been asked to play. 

    Has arranged and scored for orchestra, big band, musical theater, vocal accompaniment and recording sessions.

    Played first recording session in 1967 at Commercial Productions in Seattle and in 1978 formed Cascade Recording, a mobile 8-track recording company that laid the groundwork for a major new-age label of top artists. 

Mark Petri

    Based on musical experience and technical knowledge, accepted offers to run front of house sound and design and direct stage lighting at club and concert venues across North America, working with groups that had accumulated over 80 hits on Billboard’s Top 100, 16 of those in the Top 10 and 6 number 1 hits.

    Conducted seminars, classes and lectures on music and music technology and gave private instruction on piano and keyboard. Was selected as a keyboard coach for the earliest Yamaha Rock School.

Mark Petri 

Bass Player, Vocals

A band member with Michael Twente in 1980’s and 2000.

Bass player in worship band at his church. 

Joined Hard Rain in 2019

Lee Bowers 

Lead Guitar, Vocals

Joined Hard Rain in 2022

A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Lee has played a combination of trombone, guitar, bass, mandolin, keyboards in bands since 1977, covering many styles of music from jazz, fusion, blues, rock, country and pop. Keyboards and guitar are his main focus now. He often seeks new opportunities to put himself in positions to improve on his musicality. He is currently lead guitar player for Hard Rain, a Bob Dylan related tribute band based in St Louis MO.

Michael Twente
Performing professionally since age 16.
Played in Top 40 / Classic Rock bands from 1970’s - ‘90’s. In 2002, he formed the Hard Rain - Bob Dylan Tribute Band. In 2016 the band evolved into Hard Rain - Bob Dylan & The Band Tribute Band, acknowledging the connection between both artists and incorporating songs by The Band into the set lists. In 2023, they once again evolved, this time into Hard Rain - All Things Dylan which includes songs by Traveling Wilburys, of which Bob Dylan was a member, and songs by The Wallflowers, fronted by Dylan’s son, Jakob Dylan. 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR SATURDAY MAY 20

Forging Community Dylangate Event, & Historic Armory and Self-guided Bob Dylan Sites in Duluth Tours
Tours at 10 AM and 10:45 AM
Armory Arts & Music Center Annex
1305 London Rd, Duluth
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM | Free

Heaven’s Door Bourbon and Whiskey Sampling Events
Come try Bob Dylan’s award-winning Tennessee Bourbon and Whiskeys
Available to purchase at both locations:

Cashwise Liquor                            Super One Liquor
625 Central Entrance                       208 N Central Ave.
Duluth MN 55811                            Duluth MN 55807
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM | Free Samples with Valid ID (must be 21)

Highway 61 Revisited Radio Show
The North 103.3 FM Streaming online at 5:00-6:00 PM | Free

Duluth Dylan Fest Kick Off Party
With music by Hard Rain – All Things Dylan
Earth Rider Festival Grounds
1617 N. 3rd St., Superior WI
7:00-10:00 PM | Tickets $5 to $40 Eventbrite

 

FULL SCHEDULE FOR 2023 DULUTH DYLAN FEST HERE

Big Wu Comin' To Town

OK, tell me what you see. Yes, it's a snappy, lime-colored logo. 

Besides the name of the band the springtime colors
bespeak good times and ivy vines, loose lines splayed and flowing.

BIG WU.

And here's another one. Exploding with energy. Pow. Bam. Wham.

So Who is the Big Wu?

The Big Wu is a rock jam band from Minnesota composed of Al Oikari, Andy Miller, Chris Castino, Mark Joseph Grundhoefer, and Terry VanDeWalker. The band made its mark on the jam band scene with a reputation for hook-oriented songwriting and was one of the earliest jam bands from the Midwest to achieve some national success. Relentless touring in the late 1990s and early 2000s built a loyal fan base that calls themselves "family," many of whom get together for the band's recurring music festival, the Big Wu Family Reunion. From 1998-2006, the band annually held the Family Reunion on Memorial Weekend, frequently holding a Wu Years Eve event on December 31. The band has not toured extensively since the end of 2006, instead playing periodic shows here in Minnesota and other nearby states.

For this year's Duluth Dylan Fest, the Armory Arts and Music Center (AAMC) was looking to once again kick off the weeklong fest with a big concert. The idea of a Traveling Wilburys tribute came up, so they called on The Big Wu. As the Wu were in the middle of recording a new album, they felt that learning the Wilbury's set list would be a challenge in such short order. Since they already know plenty of the Dylan catalogue so they were given the nod.

Advance tickets are only $15 for this high energy show that will be here on Sunday, May 20. Big Wu influences include Dylan, George Harrison and other familiar names. I am personally hoping Duluth will give them a warm welcome because, frankly, I'd like to have them come back next year and do that Traveling Wilburys set that was discussed.

The Sports Garden is a perfect venue for a concert of this caliber. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with the opening act, Born Too Late (from the Music Resource Center) taking the stage at 6:30. VIP seating is available for those desirous to support the Historic Armory in its continued quest to be a vital space in the community once again.

NELSON FRENCH of the Armory Arts Board sent this blurb to help you make a decision if your mind is sitting on the fence:
The musical influences that helped create the Big Wu were loud, large and heartfelt. Over the past seven years, this Minnesota troupe has stepped into the role of creating the type of music that wants to course through your veins. Writing in truly American styles, the Big Wu slides, bends, rumbles, and chicken-picks with on-the-top intensity and good-time fervor. So boys bring your girls, parents bring your kids, therapists bring your patients. Let the Big Wu loosen the straps of your daily burden with real vibrations.

Big Wu 25th Anniversary Show on First Avenue

For what it's worth, rumor has it that someone is knocking on Heaven's Door to acquire a couple bottles of Bob Dylan's newly released American distilled whiskey. Wouldn't it be great if there were samples available? I will keep you posted. (Or is that only for the VIPs, Nelson?)

Notes from the BIG WU WIKI

The Big Wu was founded in 1992 at St. Olaf College by students Chris Castino (guitar), Terry VanDeWalker (vocals), and Jason Fladager (guitar). Andrew Eklund (bass; now owns Ciceron, Inc.), Nathan Eklund (Keyboards; now with Kubla Khan), Chip House (drums, now a VP with ExactTarget) made up the rest of the regular lineup. Julie Crumrine (vocals) and Julie Niksitch (vocals) made frequent appearances.

While net surfing I found these lines written by Big Wu guitarist Chris Castino. 

Traveler

I can close my eyes and see the streets of a thousand towns

Greenville, neenah, portland, sparks

I see the package stores, bait shops, strip clubs, row houses

I hear them sing over the rattle of the chain stores,

The rat racers strung out on status,

The Hipsters just day-sleep like cats.

The world can spin you dizzy

But I keep it in the eye of a needle

and my songs are the salty drops from the oceans

by which we came.

Anywhere is where we are.

Even when I’m safe at home

I hear the same faint-familiar song

and try to work it through my old guitar.

Chris Castino / March 26, 2016 

TICKETS HERE at Eventbrite or at Electric Fetus

$15 in advance or $20 at the door.