In advance of their performance Feb. 21 at Reunion Stage here in Northfield, I was pleased to present four members of The Gated Community, a great alt-country/Americana/bluegrass band from Minneapolis. I first heard the band when they competed last May at the Parkway Theater’s Bluegrass Battle of the Bands (where they placed among the winning bands) — I was blown away by how good (and fun) they were, so it was a treat to finally be able to feature them live on All-Wheel Drive.
Joining me were band founder Sumanth Gopinath (vocals, guitar), Rosie Harris (vocals), Beth Hartman (vocals, egg shaker) and Nate Knutson (guitar) — the full band will perform at Reunion. The Gated Community just released their fourth album, Won’t You Believe Me, and it’s another great addition to their body of work. As Sumanth explained, the band may have started as a bit of a politically-pointed “novelty act,” but they’ve certainly proven themselves as consummate music makers over the years. (Fortunately, though, they still pack a much-needed political punch).
We also chatted about their songwriting process and the inspiration behind the storytelling nature of their music, as well as how each member found themselves as part of The Gated Community.
And of course they performed! It was awesome to hear the band live — their show Friday night is not to be missed! The band is also already working on their next release — so keep your ears peeled for more great music in the future.
The Gated Community performed:
Stuck in Louisiana (from Won’t You Believe Me)
The Life From My Eyes (from their forthcoming new album)
Breaking Ballad (from Country Hymn)
Listen to the entire segment here:
