The Holy North

Rhubarb ’93 is a fleshy stalk of Americana music waiting to be consumed. The Holy North is auditory gunpowder that fires out the speakers and kindles your curiosity to seeing them perform live. The Minnesota super collaboration of artists is a warm addition to our scene and unlike rhubarb, will remain in season all through the year.

"I’ve seen the act a few more times since then—most recently at the soft open of the new Uptown venue Green Room—and they never fail to impress me with their cohesion, talent and energy. So when I saw they were going to play the storied 7th Street Entry (the small Minneapolis venue attached to the side of First Avenue) on Feb. 17, I wanted to learn more about them. I sat down with bandleader Tyler Pautsch to get the scoop."

Hailing from the icy heartlands of Minnesota, The Holy North bring a blistering warmth to their blues-rock sound that evokes the sweat-soaked grit of a humid Southern summer night. “Shake On It” plays out like a vintage record unearthed from a crate in a forgotten Southern juke joint. The raw, soulful inflection marries the reverence for vintage gear and the insatiable thirst for old-school Americana flair; their craving for a “Fender ‘65” and a ride in a “long car limousine, Cadillac” are more than mere material wishes—they’re emblematic of an era where rock was pure, unfiltered, and profoundly alive. The poignant line about ending up a “body bag on the outskirts of Nashville” serves as a somber, grounding refrain, juxtaposed against the raucous energy of a night in town and the evocative imagery of “nudie suits” and jamming to James Brown.