Romantica with Kid Dakota
Romantica, fronted by ex-Belfast, now Minneapolis singer-songwriter Ben Kyle, made a big splash with their 2007 release America, including well-deserved listings on PASTE Magazine's Top 100 Albums of the Year, and Best of 2007 lists by City Pages, The Onion and Star Tribune. As David Meade of PASTE Magazine put it: "For anyone worrying that the Americana genre has become a repository of the bad irony of hipsters and has-been quacks, fear not: Romantica is here to save the day. Singer/songwriter Ben Kyle is the latest in a long line of European exports to reinvigorate a genre by reclaiming it as his own—“God walks on the water, I walk through the rain,” he sings. With one foot still in his home country, and one taking a tentative step into the mess of promises and disappointments on the other side of the pond, Kyle and his bandmates dust off the brilliance at the heart of America."
With his 2008 release, A Winner’s Shadow, Kid Dakota aka Darren Jackson (The Hopefuls) leaves behind the dusty, windswept panorama of his namesake state and trades it for an urban landscape that crackles and pulses with electric life. Against this backdrop, we experience the awe and terror of the songs' narrators as they navigate loneliness, loss and love. Shadow takes the edge off these weighty themes with the gorgeous melodies, pop sensibilities and dynamic percussion that characterize the band’s acclaimed live performances. Even more readily than their 2001 release So Pretty or 2004’s The West is the Future, the songs of Shadow retain their warmth amidst their darkest moments. It’s this unique balance of complexity and accessibility, light and dark, that makes Shadow an equally appropriate soundtrack for either the lost soul wandering the streets of NYC or the free spirit cruising the open prairie. Catch Kid Dakota in between a big European tour, and an appearance at SXSW!
Tickets are on sale now from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb.
Kid Dakota, aka Darren Jackson, has been writing killer indie rock songs for years. In a time where authenticity is just another mask songwriters don to achieve success in the marketplace, Jackson crafts lyrics and melodies that stand on the quality of their...
Penned by an immigrant Irishman, it may appear the only thing "America" about Romantica's hit record is the soil on which Ben Kyle is singing. But the references to Ireland are placed firmly in the rich musical traditions of American country and folk music....
Major Funders
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008
