Friday, April 19, 2019

Brief Overview Of Punk Band The Magnolias

By Arthur Gibson


When it comes to punk, the sound is often an acquired taste. For example, the magnolias based out of Minneapolis, MN and fronted by John Freeman has a number of dedicated fans. While this is the case, the group originally formed in 1984 though have had several line up changes over the years. In fact, Freeman is the only original member.

The band's sound appears to be somewhere between metal and punk rock. For, with awesome songwriting, John's caterwauling and an intense rhythm section, when fans hear the band, they immediately recognize the sound. Although, as members seen to change on a revolving basis, the sound can sometimes change as well.

With influences of, and sound similar to, the Clash, Undertones, Buzzcocks and Real Kids, it is interesting that the band has not been more successful. Whereas, as punk and new wave were biggest in the 1990s, there only a few punk rockers still playing live shows or going on tour. As a result, a number of venues have stopped booking punk gigs due to a lack of interest.

The group released an LP and EP after signing with Alias records in 1992. After which, Street Date Tuesday was released on Two Tone records in 1996. While this is the case, the group seems to have a slow period and have gone hiatus just when punk was becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While playing sporadic live shows in the late 1990s, the band has not been playing as many live shows as when the group first formed in the 80s.

In 2007, the band released Better Late Than Never, an album of outtakes and unreleased demos. Whereas, in 2008, the group went on a European tour for the first time, returning in 2009. The tour proved successful so the band continued to record and play live shows from 2009 to 2011 when the latest album was released.

While the band host a page on Facebook, it appears the page has not been updated since 2017. For, according to the page, the next scheduled magnolias show is set for July 2017. Still, as the group only plays sporadically, that show may have happened and there could have been other shows since that time. Although it is not clear if the Facebook page is active, individuals needing to contact the band can do so by way of the Messenger Facebook App or via a text message.

The current line up now consist of John Freeman, Mike Leonard, Pat McKenna and Dave Randall. While past members include Eric Kassel, Dave Wiegardt, Danna Stewart, Johnny O'Halloran, Caleb Plmiter, Kent Militzer, Sam Planet, Tim Cook, Kyle Killorin, Ron Anderson, John Joyce and Tom Lischmann. While most bands list which artists play which instruments, this does not seem to be the case when it comes to current or past line-ups.

Individuals interested in booking the group, locating a live show or obtaining merchandise can refer to the band's Facebook page. For, the band does not appear to have an active page on the world wide web. In addition, by clicking the Follow button on the Facebook page, fans can stay updated with regards to all things magnolias.




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