Lucky me! This afternoon, local music legend Terry VanDeWalker of The Big Wu (as well as The Rice County All-Stars and Freelance Valet) stopped by for a long-overdue chat. (And, let’s just say we need to get him back soon because we could have talked for hours!)
The Big Wu recently released their seventh album, “We Are Young We Are Old” — fourteen years in the making (!) but true to the vibe of this much beloved band from start to finish. A really fantastic release!
Terry and I talked about the formation of the band, way back in 1991 as students at St. Olaf College, and The Big Wu’s path to ongoing success almost 30 years later. We also discussed their creative process and approach to music-making (including why drummers sometimes struggle to be taken as seriously as the other members of a band — for me, drummers are the heart & soul of a great band, darnit!) — and paid homage to The Big Wu’s fan base, the most devoted of them all. Terry also shared some really sweet memories playing Northfield’s iconic Rueb-n-Stein and the venue’s impact on the band and its music today.
We also spun a few tracks from “We Are Young We Are Old,” including:
Young Pioneer
Kick In The Head (featuring VanDeWalker on lead vocals)
Bound For The South
We Are Trees
Come back soon, Terry — we love you (and The Big Wu)!
Listen to the entire segment here: here
