Young Americans

It took a while, but England's favorite new band from Minnesota, Howler, eventually sold out the hometown release party for its debut album Saturday at the Triple Rock. Frontman Jordan Gatesmith, 19, put that accomplishment into perspective by remembering, "About a year ago, we played the Triple Rock to basically just my parents." Waving to Mom and Dad, he added, "And they're still here!" Facing a palpable air of show-me-what-you-got, Howler didn't exactly leave everything on stage but delivered a fast, playful, often boisterous set that clocked in at a dozen songs in 40 minutes. Weirdly, the set included only about half of "America Give Up," the new album for Rough Trade Records the band was promoting. Howler even skipped one of the album's best songs, "Pythagorean Fearem." Are things happening too fast for these buzzed-about newcomers? Nah, let's give them the benefit of doubt and assume they just didn't want their parents out too late. --CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

A pig and a gnome walk into a bar ...

This week, Draft Magazine told us what we already know: The Muddy Pig and the Happy Gnome are among the nation's best beer bars. The influential beer magazine released its list of America's 100 best beer bars, and the two St. Paul destinations once again made the list. Of the Pig, Draft said it's "a stop on every brewer's trip to the Twin Cities." Of the Gnome, Draft opined: "Exclusive pours, beer dinners and regular drop-ins by big-name brewers put the Gnome in the upper echelon of beer bars." These establishments aren't resting on their laurels. Pig owner Mark van Wie is putting on his fourth annual Festival of Hops, starting Tuesday. At the Happy Gnome, tickets are on sale for the Great Lakes beer dinner on Thursday. Cheers to the both of them! --TOM HORGEN

Plié in the park

With a forecast high of under 20 degrees on Saturday, I.W. wishes the 30-member troupe known as Young Dance (ages 7 to 18) the best of luck. They plan to perform outside that afternoon at Matthews Park in Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood. Megan Flood, who choreographed "Project Park" with Miriam Colvin, said the troupe's prep work included improvisation, research on the park's history and discussion "about how we need to have the park tell us what needs to happen." The performance begins at 2 p.m. in the park building, 2316 29th Av. S., then will move to various parts of the sloping, tree-filled playground. Hot cocoa will be provided after the performance. Extra legwarmers all around. --CAROLINE PALMER

Skyway to heaven

St. Louis Park native Scott Segelbaum isn't expecting any big stars to swan by his annual touring Classic Rock Art Show this weekend in the skyway between Macy's and the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. But, two years ago, Robert Plant turned up at a shopping mall in Nashville and surveyed Segelbaum's collection of posters, photos and original artwork (by Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Jerry Garcia, et al.). Plant was particularly taken by a photo of himself and Jimmy Page shot for Musician magazine in 1998. Recalled Segelbaum: "He was busting my chops. He said, 'I have to have it. I'll even pay for it, but I want a discount.'" They haggled, and the rock god essentially got the frame for free. "I kept the Robert Plant Visa card receipt on my bulletin board," the Philly-based Segelbaum told I.W. A print of that same Plant/Page photo is for sale here for $425 framed, or $295 unframed or if your credit card says "Jimmy Page." --JON BREAM

Parr home companion

While his look and demeanor have always been that of a guy who lives by himself in a shack somewhere deep in northern Minnesota, Charlie Parr came off as a completely different man Saturday at the Cedar Cultural Center, thanks to the involvement of his wife, Emily Parr, who sings all over his new gospel album, "Keep Your Hands on the Plow." The couple proved to have a George Burns and Gracie Allen kind of rapport onstage. Charlie noted how good it was to be more involved on the home front during his recent monthlong sabbatical from gigging, to which Emily gave a quizzical look. "I did the dishes ... or something," Charlie insisted. When a concertgoer inquired how they'd met, Emily proudly answered at Augsburg College. Said Charlie, "I was unsuccessfully finishing my ninth year there." --CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Spider's web

He may be a Beatles insider, a Grammy winner who calls Diana Ross and James Taylor friends, a Hollywood heavyweight who calls Pamela Anderson and Hans Zimmer neighbors. But Peter Asher is no music snob, as he demonstrated this week at the Dakota Jazz Club. He showed up a night early at the Minneapolis nightspot, noticed that Minnesota veterans Spider John Koerner and Willie Murphy were on the bill and asked to introduce them. Asher recalled the London club where he'd seen Koerner perform back in the 1960s. As for Murphy, he said: "We have something in common: We both produced Bonnie Raitt." The next night during the presentation of his own musical memoir, Asher gave a big-time shout-out to Koerner as if he were the John Lennon of Minneapolis. --JON BREAM