The Posies Transform Euclid Records in Return to St.Louis
–By Ryan Ledesma
It has been 16 years since The Posies last played a show in St. Louis, but they finally made it back last Wednesday night (Sept. 28th) to promote their new album, Solid States. As part of a series of Secret pop up shows, The Posies took over Euclid Records in Webster Groves for the first of a series of ‘After Hours’ shows at the store, and they didn’t disappoint.
In much the same way that they continue to impress with their new albums, The Posies (Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer) put on a great show, proving they still got it after nearly 30 years as a band. “I’m not
sure what they are going to play, but I’m sure it’ll be great.’” I heard one fan remark before the show, really showing how loyal their fan base is.
They started off the set with “We R Power” and “Unlikely Places” from their new album Solid States, and from the first song they had the crowd on board. After playing a few new songs, they took a step back to play one of their hits, “Dream all Day”, from Frosting on The Beater.
For the next hour and a half they played a mix of older hits, like “Solar Sister” with new songs sprinkled in here and there. They even invited special guest Paige to sing backup on “Licenses to Hide” and “The Glitter Prize” from their 2010 release Blood/Candy. They broke from the set a few times, to give tribute to past band members Darius Minwalla and Joe Skyward (who both passed away in the last two years), and to introduce a new member, drummer Frankie Siragusa.
This being his first time touring with The Posies, Siragusa fit in without missing a beat, despite playing with a sprained wrist. During another pause from their set, they broke into a spontaneous 90’s medley, drawing cheers and laughs from the crowd. All of which blended seamlessly and created a very enjoyable listening experience.
Filled with devoted fans, and remaining open for business during the show, Euclid Records proved to be an excellent venue for this show.
After finishing their main set, Stringfellow and Auer came back on stage for a slowed down set of songs, sans drummer. While the “encore” was rather long, it allowed for a bit of relaxed record store shopping. The experience of browsing a record shop to live music shows why this is such a great venue for an intimate show.
The Posies will be finishing off the second leg of their North American Tour in October, so be sure to check them out if you’re a fan, or if you just like great music in awesome locations.
For more information on the new album Solid States, be sure to check out my full review here on Midwest Rewind.
Songs from The Posies Setlist:
We R Power!
Unlikely Places
Squirrel vs Snake
Dream All Day
Scattered
March Climes
Licenses to Hide (With Paige)
The Glitter Prize (With Paige)
HEY RYAN, GREAT PICTURES/.