What started out as 5 people getting together to simply play music has now evolved into a real entity - one which puts on a great show, playing music from 5 decades.
Here's a sampling of the press we "Minneapolis's best new Cover band" have received:
"Damn it! I wanted to hate it. I wanted to laugh at these hacks - The Subsides - who asked me to pay to see them perform other bands' material. How contrite. I couldn't though. Their energy was, from the outset, palpable and contagious. Their skill was evident, even on some of the trickier tunes, such as Don Henley's summer classic "Boys of Summer," Good Charlotte's "The Anthem," and the new Matchbox 20 song, "See How Far We've Come," a rousing, get off your feet and dance tune. I spent a good deal of the evening being bounced around by other 20- and 30-year old dancin' and singin' partiers, all hell-bent on getting front and center to experience the Subsidies' talents and penchant for including the audience in its want for a "night to remember." I'll be back, most definitely, but not as a journalist, but as a participant - hopefully they'll let me play the part of the "Livin' on a Prayer girl" - as tacky as it sounds, it's too damn fun to want pass up!
Kristin Orlensky
Start Tribune - VitaMN
Sometime between 11:30PM and 12AM last Friday, I officially became a member of the building frenzy that is The Subsidies Following. As I sang my heart out along with the 5-member group from Minneapolis on ColdPlay's "Fix You" and screamed out on The Killers' "All These Things I've Done." I got to thinking - "Hey, why do I bother with the over-priced, Ticketmaster-fixed tickets to watch performers yawn their way through yet another night in another new town, playing the same music over and over again, when I can instead watch The Subsidies blast their way - skillfully, mind you - through 3 sets of pure energy, bliss, and well, fun." Take, for example, their cover of Jackson Browne's famous - at least, in part because of the seminal 80's youth flick "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" - "Somebody's Baby." Here's a song which holds no real, at least at face value, energy, nor reason to even cover for that matter. However, as the chorus builds and the front 3 members of The Subsides - Joe, Grant, and Collin - nail the "YEAH's," one thinks they are witnessing something new, original, and potentially famous - or at least semi-famous, but in reality it's simply a group of 5 friends whose only desire is to perform and perform well. I'm hooked.
Terrence Newan
The Rake
As a band, I thought The Subsidies really hit their highest points midway through their second set with some of their grittier gems like "Harder to Breath," "My Own Worst Enemy" and especially a cover of The Killers' giant "Mr. Brightside." I never thought a Cover band could, nor would even attempt to match the excitement and talent of the original performer's takes on these classics, but they did on ColdPlay's "Fix You" and many others. I think the "real" bands could learn a thing or two from The Subsidies - both in putting on a show and encouraging the crowd to participate in it. Hands down The Subsidies are top dog in terms of showmanship and talent. See them soon. They'll be headlining a show in St. Paul at Tiffany's on November 2nd, then back at O'Gara's Pub on January 5th. If you feel like traveling, check them out in Rochester on November 17th at Rookie's, Decoy's on the 6th of December, and at The Inferno in Mankato January 19th.
Joe Hensley
CityPages
Minneapolis-based cover band, The Subsidies - a horrible, yet catchy name of the "Costanza-ilk" - is made up of front man Collin Hummel, Lead Guitarist Joe Lover, Joe's brother and techno-drummer Dave Lover, Bassist and group "hottie" Laura Van, and Grant Wright, vocals and multiple guitar playing mass of electricity (I would think a toaster could be plugged into his anus and be able to spit out toast lickity-split. He's one big bag of energy). The group has been performing for a year, but damnit if it doesn't feel and sound as if they've been honing their craft for a decade. If it wasn't known, one would guess they were here as a showcase from Hollywood, but instead they're made up of "the people, for the people." At their Saturday show in Rochester, at Rookies (they'll be back on November 17, so get there - trust me!), the group performed a 3-1/2 hour show of adrenaline, confidence, and songs that you'll either dance to, sway to , or go, "Damn, I can't believe they're covering that and blowing its doors off." I had to slap myself, literally, as a reminder that these were covers and not some hot, up-and-coming band from Seattle or LA, stopping by for a one night show. On their 3rd and final set, the group - it seemed - was hell bent on sending its crowd home drenched in sweat. A back-to-back-to-back-to-back-back onslaught of jump-sing-and-scream songs and showmanship had the crowd almost wishing for a timeout (almost), only to towel off, slam a drink, and run back out for more. It was the most fun I've had at a show in years. The crowd, a mixture of young twenty-year old dressed-up-for-a-big-night-out girls, to mid-thirty-year olds, and middle age bar goers, were equals tonight. Each set made up of music spanning 5 decades, giving everybody that one (or more, to be sure) moments of "Hell yeah, this song?! WOW!" This was evident on their covers of "American Girl," "Since You've Been Gone," Anyway You Want it (Journey for Christ's sake!)," the sing along "You and I Both," and the night's closer, "Sweet Caroline." I haven't had to drink honey-water in a long time, but my vocal chords were not used to singing for 3+ hours.... well worth the damage. After all, we're all gluttons for punishment - sweet, fun, relivable punishment! I'll be back on the 17th!
Cyn Smith
Rochester Daily Press
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