FIVE QUESTIONS FRIDAY

This week: Troubadour, Scribe and Hero - Jim Walsh

Photo by Alexa Jones

Sorry I skipped out on y'all last week. But this week's will more than make up for it. The Mad Ripple Hootenanny was a staple of many a person's Friday night this fall, winter and Spring. As the Hoot withdrawl gets a little easier to bear, I thought it would be fun to catch up with everyone's friend, Jim Walsh.

What are some of your favorite shows you have attended?

The first one that comes to mind is the cat from Procol Harum, who did “Whiter Shade Of Pale” as part of Ringo’s All-Star Band. I was sitting alone in the second row, reviewing it for the Pioneer Press, and it was really moving. Other than that, I loved seeing all my friends get up and sing with Steve Wynn and Zuzu’s Petals at the Hexagon Monday night. “TV Eye” and “Days of Wine and Roses” and “Final Solution” were highlights, and John Munson is my hero.

When you listen to a record for the first time, do you listen to it from start to finish, or do you listen to parts of each song first?

Start to finish, or I find a song I like and keep going back to that. At the moment I’m listening to Brianna Lane’s “Porchlight” (maybe the best lover-stalker song since “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad”.) , Wilco. “What Light” - the entire White Stripes record, which my Irish fooken fighter pals Brianna and James turned me onto tonight (we actually went to the C.C. to celebrate some good news) along with their very erotic videotape of Jack and Meg’s Hoot on Conan.

I read about a bunch of stuff in MOJO and Uncut and Q when I was in Wisconsin last weekend that sounds good. I’m gonna try and check that out before I start recording in a couple weeks. Also stuck on that song “Life Effect” by Stars (love the line about “now you’ve finally lost me, rest your weary head,” which echoes Jack White singing about cause and effect, which echoes what all the spiritualists say: “Respond, don’t react”, “Be simple, be kind, get your rest”, “Listen to your heart,” “Trust your gut,” and when in doubt there’s “This Is The Sea” by the Waterboys.

I’m gonna buy that White Stripes record for my son.

What is one of your favorite things about the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene?

All the hot chicks.

Have you seen the Falls? My nephews’ band. Punk rockabilly. They blew the roof off Lee’s the other night, in front of 20 people. They’re the real deal. Good stock, etc.

What is your preferred way to find out about new music, may it be local music or national acts?

My family and/or friends and at the Current. MySpace. I love it when people make me mixes, which doesn’t happen like it once did. I like songwriters. The Hoot is great for that. There’s an amazing amount of talent in this town. It feels like Minneapolis is happening again.

If you were one of the freaks in a circus sideshow, what would your sideshow talent or oddity be?

Hunchback fire-eater/sword-swallower.

Added Bonus Question: In lieu of sitting in the basement of Java Jack's tonight, pick one song you feel would be perfect for listening to while watching the stars on a beautiful summer night.

“Out There In The Night,” the Only Ones. Peter Perrett says he wrote it about his lost cat, but I like to think -- as I do about all good songs—that he wrote it about you and me and everyone we know.