Clearly not something that's Auto-Tuned or gentrified enough for the Twins' reprogrammed music format this year, the St. Paul Saints have landed a very cool pre-game gig by all-star band the Baseball Project on Wednesday, a night before the quartet kicks off its tour at the Varsity Theater. The group features longtime R.E.M. auxiliary member Scott McCaughey (ex-Young Fresh Fellows), Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, locally reared drummer Linda Pitmon (Zuzu's Petals, Golden Smog) as well as R.E.M. co-founder Peter Buck on bass. Turns out, though, Buck had to bow out of this tour, but he found a pretty good bassist to take his place: bandmate Mike Mills. Whatever you do, don't ask Mills about the Twins-Braves World Series of '91 at either of these shows, because the guy will turn into a broken record.
A Saints rep said the veteran rockers will be playing as the usual "Front Gate Band," meaning they will start two hours or so before the 7 p.m. game and pop up again during "select innings and pitching breaks." Saints' game tickets are a mere $5-$20.
Local fans know of the Baseball Project for releasing the would-be anthem for the Twins' post-season run last year, "Don't Call Them Twinkies," featuring Craig Finn of the Hold Steady. "Twinkies" is featured alongside 12 other MLB-themed songs on the Project's well-executed new Yep Roc CD, "Vol. 2: High and Inside." The disc also includes "Look Out Mom," about Denard Span hitting his mom with a ball in a pre-season game last year. I caught these guys (and gal) at South by Southwest with somewhat low expectations -- you know, veteran rockers playing a loose, rowdy, all-for-fun set. It was indeed fun, but they also really had their act together and made a case for this being a serious music project.
