All-Ages All Week

Read my City Pages cover story on the new Minnesota all-ages music scene (click the above cover photo of Lee Marie Hostetter from Children 18:3 for a larger image), tell us what you think, peruse reactions at Modern Radio, then check out the photo gallery featuring more images by Jayme Halbritter (who shot the pictures in this post), and find more clubs and links at www.myspace.com/tcallagesclubs, my MySpace page for the scene.

All-ages punk shows changed my life 24 years ago, and doing this piece helped restore some of my enthusiasm for the diverse subcultures still calling themselves "punk": Listen to Gumbi (who sound like a fuzzbox mutation of the Minutemen--they confirm they're fans of the band), Children 18:3 (MySpace) (who make me want to bang my head on the rock of St. Peter), and Small Towns Burn a Little Slower (who make me love emo) to see what I mean. Note: If you're underage and love ska, MNSka are holding a Jamaican Independence Day Celebration at the Red Sea Monday. (Click the Small Towns photo below for a larger version.)