Winter, we bid you farewell with a song
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Primer

Winter, we bid you farewell with a song

Lexa Walsh
Lexa Walsh and Jerry Brownrigg

Track 1: Cabin Fever

Winter is lingering on like a bad cold. While this will definitely go down as one of the worst subzero spells in recent history, there were some really fun moments in January and February that made the season more bearable. I’m referring to our series of Thursday night programs called Cabin Fever that invited artists to design and host events that were social, participatory, and slightly idiosyncratic—including a poetry and printmaking party, butter-making aerobics, B-movie bingo, and a collaborative song-writing session about the long northern winters called Fever Songs.

Oakland-based artist Lexa Walsh and local music hero John Munson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic, The New Standards) hosted Fever Songs, with support from artist Chris Larson who supplied the rustic cabin, musician Jerry Brownrigg, and sound recording engineer Richard Medek. It took a talented team to pull off a one-night-only recording studio and an engaged audience willing to put some time into composing a song. The lyrics people contributed were fantastic and covered a range of  emotion, from hostility to humor. Lexa, John, and Jerry were masterful composers as they instantaneously interpreted the texts into sound, choosing a punk flavor for one or a folky melody for another.  Enjoy the resulting tracks—proof that our creativity cannot be suppressed by a long Minnesota winter.

(Note: all songs were sung and performed by Lexa, John, and Jerry with help from some of the songwriters. Track 14, “Ukulele” was sung and strummed entirely by the songwriters, Anna Marie Vu and Dave Kaminski.)

Jerry on drums John Munson on vocals and guitar
Jerry Brownrigg on drums, John Munson on vocals and guitar

Track 2: Cold Outside

Baby it's Cold Outside

A group of students from Duluth surrounding Chris Larson's cabin
A group of students from Duluth surrounding Chris Larson’s cabin

Track 3: Days Are Getting Longer

Nights are Longer

Track 4: Dead Frog

Dead Frog

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Track 5: Die Right Here

Frostbite on my nose

Sound engineer Richard Medek busy recording tracks
Sound engineer Richard Medek recording tracks

Track 6: Fed on Potatoes

Potatoes

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Track 7: Frankie Boy

Frankie Boy

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Track 8: Hate Mix

HATE

Track 9: Minnesnowta Territory

The Cold Weather

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Track 10: Polar Vortex Polka

God Damn Polar Vortex

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Track 11: Sexy Long Underwear

Sexy Long Underwear

Track 12: South Pitch

South Pitch

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Track 13: Stinging Piggies

My Toe is Frozen

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Track 14: Ukulele

Tonight

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Track 15: Winter is My Favorite Season

I'm a Rebel

I'm a Rebel-1

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Track 16: 24-Hour Nurse

Nurse

 

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