Veteran alt-rockers Soul Asylum have been around for a long time, from their early days in Minneapolis to mainstream breakthrough in the grunge heyday with Grave Dancer’s Union (which recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary), from scoring Kevin Smith movies to bassist Karl Mueller’s tragic death from cancer in 2004 – singer/guitarist David Pirner even dated Winona Ryder in one of the most nineties celebrity relationships ever.
But they’re still young enough to have their own influences, which they’re celebrating with a series of self-released EPs, starting with no fun intended, which features the group covering “Attacking The Beat” from Minneapolis legends The Suicide Commandos, the iconic “Love Will Tear Us Apart” from the iconic Joy Division, and “Shakin’ Street” from proto-punks MC5. Hopefully there will be a cover of fellow Minneapolisians Hüsker Dü (QRO spotlight on) at some point – though Replacements cover may be a bit much, since the other big band from the Twin Cities is represented in Soul Asylum itself with Mueller’s replacement, Tommy Stinson…
Soul Asylum are also on tour, with both solo dates and as part of the ‘LP tour’ with Big Head Todd, The Wailers, and Matthew Sweet, playing Grave Dancer’s Union from start to finish:
Aug 9 RiverFest Watertown, WI **
Aug 21 Chastain Park Amphitheater Atlanta, GA *
Aug 22 Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, NC*
Aug 31 Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary Milwaukee, WI **
Sep 19 Sycuan Casino El Cajon, CA **
Sep 28 Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Uncasville, CT **
(The LP Tour */ Soul Asylum solo dates **)
Stream no fun intended EP below: