John Munson (left) and Dan Wilson/ photo by Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune
LOS ANGELES - One of the great aspects of St. Paul's WITS radio show is the unexpected mesh-ups of musicians. That vibe continued as the weekly program made its first road trip this past weekend with a two-night stint at Largo, one of the premiere comedy/acoustic music clubs in the country.
Not only did former Semisonic members John Munson and Dan Wilson reunite for some of Wilson's new songs, but they were joined by bluegrass queen Sarah Watkins and banjo player Ed Helms, perhaps better known for his work on "The Office" and "The Hangover." In fact, Helms nearly stole the show with an original song of his that could pass as a classic country-music drinking ballad.
The Sunday night show also featured Oscar nomineed Anna Kendrick, who showed off her vocal pipes on a group version of "I'll Fly Away," and Zack Galifiankis, who, thankfully, left the singing to others and stuck with his surreal brand of comedy..
Lots of jokes about Minnesota (Galifiankis once referred to host John Moe as "Flyover"), but the prize for best home-state zinger went to Wilson, who now lives in Los Angeles. When asked to describe the difference between Minnesotans and Californians, Wilson ad-libbed: "Minnesotans are shy and passive aggressive. Californians are sleek, shiny -- and passive aggressive."
Air dates for the Largo shows have not yet been determined.
