The Suburbs lead a packed musical bill for Stillwater Lumberjack Days

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
·1 min read
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The Twin Cities’ favorite party band, the Suburbs, will headline Stillwater Lumberjack Days, which runs from July 14 through 16.

Vocalist Chan Poling and guitarist Blaine John “Beej” Chaney formed the band in 1977 after spending time in California attending art school. Poling turned to childhood friend Chris Osgood, then a member of the Twin Cities’ first punk band, the Suicide Commandos, to help fill out the band, which grew to include drummer Hugo Klaers, guitarist Bruce Allen and bassist Michael Halliday.

Taking musical and visual cues from the eclectic British glam rock band Roxy Music and David Bowie, the Suburbs quickly established themselves as a one-of-a-kind group in the Twin Cities. They went on to release a pair of major-label albums and scored a hit with “Love is the Law,” but the group wasn’t able to build a nationwide following. They split up in 1987, but have since reunited several times.

RELATED: A short history of the Suburbs’ 45 years as the Twin Cities’ favorite party band

Poling and Klaers lead the current nine-piece lineup of the Suburbs, who released the album “Poets Party” in 2021.

The Suburbs headline the free riverside concert stage on July 15, with support from Clay Fulton and the Lost Forty, Monica LaPlante and Kiss the Tiger. Ruben, the Sunken Lands and Carolyn “Your Smith” Smith perform on July 14, while Valee De Croix and Humbird are booked on July 16. Additional musical acts will be added. For more details, see lumberjackdays.com.

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