Cloud Cult

Written By Alissa Thielman

Not the typical Friday night at First Avenue, a surprising amount of dreadlocks, tie dye and color fill the main room. Two men are onstage, one on guitar and another on the washboard. Charlie Parr’s music is so lively that it’s hard to find anyone not dancing or tapping their toes along to the beat.

We are brought to the green room, a small space filled with memories on the walls from past performances and some much loved couches. Waiting inside is Cloud Cult, along with some friends and family. We chat with bassist Matthew Freed about his previous night’s stay at a Pizza Hut. He jokes about sleeping on the floor. Craig and Connie Minowa join us and we begin the interview.

Almost immediately they explain that their van had broken down in Chicago, leaving them stranded, but they were all able to laugh about it. This was more than just a transportation problem; this also meant that the band had to now travel in a van without biodiesel fuel. Which lead to a conversation about their eco-friendly record label Earthology Records.

During the interview it was very hard for all of us to keep still, feeling the urge to dance to Charlie Parr’s upbeat music.

Cloud Cult took the stage and front man Craig Minowa had the crowd singing along to every word. Scott West and Connie Minowa began their painting onstage and there was also a local painter on the balcony. The full stage, seven band members altogether, fill the room with irresistible sounds and sights. Sarah Young and Shannon Freed bring a very peaceful and soothing undertone with their voices and string component of the music. The music, though familiar, was very surreal. Surreal is a word one could describe the entire performance. Along with the painters on stage, the band also plays videos on a large screen behind the drummer. The entire performance looks and sounds like a dream.

The now packed First Avenue is singing and dancing. One of the liveliest reactions came when Craig broke into an upbeat rendition of “You are my Sunshine.” It was hard to keep a smile off your face.