(bright music) (crowd cheering) - [Announcer 1] Your favorite local musicians like you've never seen them before, intimate collaborations between iconic artists and the musicians they want you to know about.

- Action.

(bright music continues) - [Announcer 1] Tonight, The Suburbs, featuring Matt Wilson.

It's all happening now on the legendary 7th St.

Entry Stage.

(bright music continues) (audience cheering) Among the trailblazers of the Minneapolis sound, the iconic pop punk art dance band, The Suburbs, have been shaping music and entertaining crowds for more than four decades.

Please welcome to stage, The Suburbs.

♪ Foot bone connects ♪ to the ankle bone ♪ ♪ Ankle bone connects ♪ to the shin bone ♪ ♪ Shin bone connects ♪ to the knee bone ♪ ♪ Now hear the ♪ word of the lord ♪ ♪ It's been so long since ♪ I rattled my bones ♪ ♪ It's been so long, ♪ it's been so long, yeah ♪ ♪ We connect, the ♪ floor starts to shake ♪ ♪ The blood starts to boil ♪ and the bones start to break ♪ ♪ Well, rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ (audience cheering) (lively rock music) ♪ Knee bone connects ♪ to the thigh bone ♪ ♪ Thigh bone connects ♪ to the hip bone ♪ ♪ Hip bone connects ♪ to the back bone ♪ ♪ Now hear the ♪ word of the lord ♪ ♪ Gotta wiggle your bones ♪ to the beat of the drum ♪ ♪ Gotta scratch up some ♪ bones, dig the guitar strum ♪ ♪ What's the use of these ♪ bones if you're all alone ♪ ♪ C'mon baby, I've ♪ got to get home and ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ (lively rock music continues) ♪ The back bone connects ♪ to the neck bone ♪ ♪ Neck bone connects ♪ to the head bone ♪ ♪ Head bone connects ♪ to the headphones ♪ ♪ Now dig the word ♪ of the lord, yeah ♪ ♪ Don't give up your ♪ blood, except in love ♪ ♪ The world can do without it ♪ ♪ Heart beating in its cage ♪ ♪ Yeah, heart ♪ beating in its cage ♪ ♪ You keep on beating, ♪ it makes it right ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ ♪ Rattle my bones ♪ (lively rock music continues) (lively rock music continues) ♪ I'm almost home, ♪ there's the 7-Eleven ♪ ♪ I've got to get home ♪ ♪ You know I gotta ♪ get up to heaven ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ Can ya hear me ♪ ♪ I can hear you ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh ♪ (audience cheering) - Good evening everyone, and welcome once again.

Thank you.

The excitement level here tonight is higher than it's ever been on "Variety."

Reservations for our studio audience were filled after the first mention of this show two weeks ago, due of course, to our featured guest tonight.

Please welcome The Suburbs.

(audience cheering) (funky rock music) - There is something that happened in the late 70s and the 80s.

Minneapolis was a fantastic breeding ground.

Prince came out, got signed right away, The Suicide Commandos, Replacements, Soul Asylum, Hüsker Dü, Trip Shakespeare, The Suburbs, just kept on going.

In our scene, if you didn't have a major record deal, what was wrong with you?

(chuckling) (energetic music) (energetic music continues) ♪ Once upon a time ♪ ♪ There was a boy and girl ♪ ♪ Lived in a garden ♪ in an empty world ♪ ♪ They took a bite, ♪ and had a fight ♪ ♪ Boys and girls, that's ♪ what life is like ♪ ♪ I saw the moon climbing ♪ out of the ground ♪ ♪ I had a feeling, baby, ♪ tried to get it down ♪ ♪ I saw the sun ♪ buried in a cloud ♪ ♪ I had a feeling, ♪ tried to get it down ♪ ♪ I said, life is like ♪ a summer's evening ♪ ♪ Life is how you ♪ feel right now, uh ♪ ♪ Life is like daydreaming ♪ ♪ I think tonight, it ♪ feels like life, well ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like what ♪ it is, oh, ho, how ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ (energetic music continues) (crowd member cheering) (energetic music continues) (saxophone music) ♪ I took a walk through ♪ the neighborhood ♪ ♪ News on the tube don't ♪ make me feel so good ♪ ♪ I saw a crowd just ♪ standing around ♪ ♪ I had a feeling, ♪ tried to get it down ♪ ♪ I said life is free ♪ ♪ But you don't get ♪ something for nothing ♪ ♪ Life is like a ♪ summer's evening ♪ ♪ Life is how you ♪ feel right now ♪ ♪ Life is like daydreaming ♪ ♪ I think tonight it ♪ feels like, whoa ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like what ♪ it is, oh, how, how ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ (energetic music continues) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, yeah, yeah ♪ (energetic music continues) (energetic music continues) (energetic music continues) (energetic music continues) (energetic music continues) ♪ Whoa, life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Life is like what ♪ it is, oh, how, how ♪ ♪ Life is like ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ (audience cheering) The Suburbs were founded in 1977 by myself, "Beej" Chaney, Hugo Klaers, Bruce Allen, and Michael Halladay.

I'd gone out to Los Angeles to study at CalArts, the composition.

So I was a little bit more new classical kind of guy, and then I started hearing Talking Heads and Bowie, and new wave back then was utterly new.

Like Talking Heads, what the hell was that?

♪ Psycho killer ♪ ♪ Qu'est-ce que c'est ♪ ♪ Fa, fa, fa, fa ♪ - So I came back to Minneapolis and met with my friend Chris Osgood, and Chris Osgood had a band called The Suicide Commandos.

So I met with Chris and said, "Who else is doing this kind of music?"

♪ Oh, ow ♪ ♪ Oh, ow ♪ - Chris said, "Well, this is kind of what we're doing."

I said, "Well do you want to be my band?," and he said no.

But he knew some guys in town that were playing this kind of music.

♪ Where ♪ ♪ To the ceiling ♪ ♪ Where ♪ ♪ I've got chills ♪ The Suburbs made several albums and toured and lived that life for years.

♪ I'm gonna tape my ♪ wife to the ceiling ♪ There's something about the Minneapolis sound that it seems all to have a sense of humor and fun to it.

Like for instance, "Cows."

♪ I like cows ♪ ♪ They got skinny feet ♪ There is a problem being known as a guy who wrote "Cows."

(laughing) It's like... ♪ I like cows ♪ Iggy Pop had a song at the time called "Girls."

♪ I love girls ♪ - And we were listening to that song, and I picked up the bass, and I went, "I like cows."

So I ripped off Iggy.

No, he inspired me.

Let's put it that way.

(moody new wave music) (feedback screeching) There we go!

(moody new wave music continues) (moody new wave music continues) ♪ And they like me ♪ ♪ I like cows ♪ ♪ Just wait and see ♪ ♪ When they go moo ♪ ♪ Hey, move over ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ Uh, uh, uh ♪ ♪ Well, I like cows ♪ ♪ I like to watch ♪ them eat, yeah ♪ ♪ I like cows ♪ ♪ They don't move ♪ when they eat ♪ ♪ I'm a lone cowhand ♪ ♪ From the Rio Grande ♪ (energetic new wave music continues) ♪ Yeah ♪ (energetic new wave music continues) (energetic new wave music continues) (energetic new wave music continues) (energetic new wave music continues) (crowd cheering) (energetic new wave music continues) ♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ I like cows ♪ ♪ They've got ♪ those skinny feet ♪ ♪ Oh, I like cows ♪ ♪ They got those skinny ♪ feet, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Unlike their friends, ♪ the shaved sheep ♪ ♪ They've got the skinny feet ♪ (audience cheering) We made "Credit in Heaven" in 19, what was it, Hugo?

- [Hugo] 80.

- [Chan] 1980?

- [Fan] 80.

- 82?

Someone knows better.

81?

- [Fan] Around then.

- I love it.

So when we made "Credit in Heaven" in 1980... (clears throat), apparently the idea was it was gonna be a double album that was not gonna be in combo.

We're gonna break a little bit away from the punk rock thing.

So, this is one of the first tunes I brought to the band, and God bless 'em, they wanted to do it, so... (emotional piano ballad) - [Fan] Yes!

- I've always considered ourselves a little bit more in the edge of the avant-garde than the mainstream.

After "In Combo," I wasn't interested in just playing guitar rock anymore.

I said, "I'm gonna quit and go off on my own and continue my studies," and the guys in the band said, "No, well let's do what you want to do then.

Let's not... Whatever you want to do.

Let's don't quit."

One of the first things I brought to the band was a piano ballad called "Girlfriend," and everyone jumped on it, and we still play it to this day.

♪ Well my girlfriend ♪ has the nicest hips ♪ ♪ Well, they really ♪ make me flip ♪ ♪ When she comes home ♪ (piano ballad) ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) ♪ You're my sports car ♪ ♪ And you're really cool ♪ ♪ When we drive around ♪ ♪ All the kids at school ♪ ♪ Say you're so bad ♪ (piano ballad continues) ♪ Oh, oh ♪ (emotional piano ballad continues) (emotional piano ballad continues) (emotional piano ballad continues) ♪ Yeah, you're my Lear jet ♪ ♪ With the portable bar ♪ ♪ And those windows ♪ ♪ You see all the stars ♪ ♪ When we touch down ♪ (piano ballad continues) - [Fan] Yeah!

(piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (piano ballad continues) (audience cheering) (crowd chattering) People think The Suburbs have played 7th St. before when you're coming up, right?

But no, we were coming up in the Longhorn era.

By the time we got to this club, we were playing the main stage.

The Suburbs never played 7th St. before, until they asked us to open up the club again after Covid.

The whole world had been shut down for two years or so.

It was super emotional that night.

Woo!

It's a beautiful little spot, isn't it?

It's nice.

(funky art rock music) Go!

(funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) ♪ Went out this morning ♪ ♪ Chased the sun ♪ around the world ♪ ♪ Everywhere I look ♪ ♪ Cement and glass and lights ♪ ♪ Waiting, waiting ♪ ♪ I know you're in ♪ there somewhere ♪ ♪ What, waiting, waiting ♪ ♪ I'm coming to get you ♪ (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) ♪ Your eyes reflect ♪ a silver moon ♪ ♪ A shimmer ♪ ♪ I love the way you move ♪ ♪ In the moonlight, uh ♪ (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) ♪ Time ♪ ♪ Time to kill ♪ ♪ I'm sick to death ♪ ♪ Of waiting ♪ ♪ The moon's contained ♪ in buildings ♪ ♪ My blood's running ♪ in the moon ♪ ♪ Underneath the lights ♪ ♪ We live our lives ♪ (funky art rock music continues) ♪ Waiting, waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting, waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting, waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting, waiting ♪ (funky art rock music continues) (audience cheering) (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) ♪ Waiting ♪ (funky art rock music continues) (funky art rock music continues) (audience cheering) - Matt Wilson is one of the essential Minneapolis, Twin Cities artists, founded Trip Shakespeare.

His brother Dan and John Munson and Elaine on drums.

- [Matt] Yeah.

♪ Oh, Patricia ♪ ♪ Have you come to roost ♪ Trip Shakespeare, that was a group that kind of covered all the things I like, fun and a lot of improvisation.

That was kind of my coming of age as a musician.

♪ Has told ♪ (audience cheering) After Trip Shakespeare, John and Dan went off and started Semisonic and had a great run with that.

And I went off and started to figure out who I was on my own.

Now I've got this orchestra, which is a harp player, Phala, and a banjo player, Quillan, and my longtime friend, Jacques, playing bass.

We can get a little bit of a romp going and have fun, but then- - And get really pretty.

- Yeah.

- [Chan] Yeah.

(ethereal folk music) ♪ You ♪ ♪ Walking with you can get me ♪ ♪ Most of the way beyond ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ Show me the road ♪ that takes me ♪ ♪ Down to the greenest pond ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ You got me all of ♪ the way to turning ♪ ♪ Off the diversion I was on ♪ ♪ Of where is the ♪ street that takes me ♪ ♪ Over the town and sends me ♪ ♪ Into a life ♪ ♪ Beyond ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪ I have this catalog of songs that I'm proud of, and so I want to keep playing them.

And then, maybe even more so, want to keep creating new music that expresses who I am right now.

And this orchestra is really good at arranging with me these songs and making 'em sound unique.

♪ Beyond ♪ ♪ What we ever knew ♪ (audience cheering) Thank you.

(audience cheering) A lot of my songs are, sometimes they're 15 years old, by the time they feel ready.

Do you ever do that?

- Oh gosh.

It's, some songs are years in the making, but do you ever write a song like in a day?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Yep.

- I love those.

Plop and there it is, and you just tender it, blot it, put it out.

- Those are often the best ones too, really.

- Yeah?

(engine puttering) - So I work hard on songwriting, but I often find that you can't just command songs to come out, and this song kind of came outta nowhere when I wasn't really searching for it.

And it's sort of about that happy feeling when everything is easy to understand.

Things are new and simple.

(gentle banjo strumming) - One, two, three, four.

(tranquil music) ♪ The rain is on ♪ the roof again ♪ ♪ And all my thoughts ♪ are new again ♪ ♪ Here is my chance to be good ♪ ♪ Oh, no ♪ ♪ To call me back ♪ you few I know ♪ ♪ Along the tracks ♪ of you I go clear ♪ ♪ Into space, my love ♪ ♪ No god, no light ♪ ♪ No way and no right ♪ ♪ There's a plane in the sky ♪ ♪ And the leaves ♪ are passing by ♪ ♪ And I won't have ♪ a place on board ♪ (tranquil music continues) (tranquil music continues) ♪ The rain is on ♪ the roof again ♪ ♪ And all my dreams ♪ are new again ♪ ♪ Here is my chance to believe ♪ ♪ Oh, no ♪ ♪ The world may come, ♪ and you may go ♪ ♪ And all the leaves ♪ are free to blow ♪ ♪ Clear, into space, my love ♪ ♪ No god, no light ♪ ♪ No way and no right ♪ ♪ There's a plane in the sky ♪ ♪ And the leaves ♪ are passing by ♪ ♪ And I won't have ♪ a place on board ♪ ♪ Have a place for love ♪ ♪ Have a place in dreams ♪ ♪ Have a place on leave ♪ ♪ Everlasting streams ♪ (tranquil music continues) (tranquil music continues) (tranquil music continues) ♪ The rain is on ♪ the roof again ♪ ♪ And all my thoughts ♪ are new again ♪ ♪ Here is my chance to be good ♪ ♪ Oh, no ♪ ♪ Crawling back to you I know ♪ ♪ Don't lead me back ♪ from where I go ♪ ♪ Clear, into space, my love ♪ ♪ No god, no light ♪ ♪ No way and no right ♪ ♪ There's a plane in the sky ♪ ♪ And the leaves ♪ are passing by ♪ ♪ And I won't have ♪ a place on board ♪ ♪ Have a place for love ♪ ♪ Have a place in ♪ dreams, dreams ♪ ♪ Have a place on the real ♪ ♪ Everlasting streams ♪ (audience cheering) Yeah.

Thank you.

(audience cheering) Sometimes my mission in life is really clear, and sometimes it's not.

(audience laughing) Sometimes you know just what to do.

It's clear to you who you are and what you need to be, and then other times I think of more like kind of a Dust Bowl disaster.

(audience laughing) This is a song about being in one of those Dust Bowl disaster situations for a prolonged time.

(audience chuckling) Three, four.

♪ When I was a writer ♪ ♪ All the words ♪ just came to me ♪ ♪ Little birds explained to me ♪ ♪ This is how it sounds ♪ ♪ And you were a low one ♪ ♪ Of something that ♪ might blow past me ♪ ♪ Did I notice, don't ask me ♪ ♪ You were on the ground ♪ ♪ Have I fallen fast, ♪ lost my place at last ♪ ♪ Am I taken down ♪ ♪ Have I lost my ♪ place back in town ♪ ♪ The spinning down below ♪ where the rivers go ♪ ♪ And the times unwind ♪ ♪ I've been dropping ♪ from the clouds forever ♪ ♪ And it breaks my mind ♪ ♪ For now, I'm a no one ♪ ♪ Can I get some ♪ drinks for you ♪ ♪ Maybe I should sing for you ♪ ♪ Shall I play the clown ♪ ♪ Have I fallen fast, ♪ lost my place at last ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm cast around ♪ ♪ For a word that's ♪ worth writing down ♪ ♪ Shadow from above, ♪ someone that I love ♪ ♪ Falling hard behind ♪ ♪ I've been dropping ♪ from the clouds forever ♪ ♪ And it breaks my mind ♪ (band whistling) (dreamy folk music) (band whistling) (dreamy folk music) ♪ Have I fallen fast, ♪ lost my place at last ♪ ♪ Am I taken down ♪ ♪ Have I lost my ♪ face back in town ♪ ♪ Spinning down below ♪ where the rivers go ♪ ♪ And the times unwind ♪ ♪ I've been dropping ♪ from the clouds forever ♪ ♪ And it breaks my mind ♪ ♪ I've been dropping ♪ from the clouds forever ♪ ♪ And it breaks my mind ♪ ♪ I've been dropping ♪ from the clouds forever ♪ ♪ And it breaks my mind ♪ (band whistling) (dreamy folk music) (audience cheering) Thank you very much.

Phala, Quillan, Jacques.

- [Band Member] Matt Wilson, everybody.

(audience cheering) - [Matt] Thank you.

- I remember I was touring the east coast with The Suburbs, and I wanted to go see the Widener Library at Harvard.

I heard great things.

So I was walking up these big, beautiful steps, and a student a couple years younger than me, comes up and accosts me... (Matt laughing) And begins to say my music meant something to him.

It blew my mind.

I never forgot it, and it turned out to be Matt Wilson.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

(Chan chuckling) (audience cheering) - When we first were asked to do this, the idea was, let's have a friend be part of it.

I thought of Matt right away, and I said, "What do you wanna do?"

He goes, I wanna sing "Music for Boys."

(audience cheering) Can I... You like that song?

- I love that whole album.

- Yeah.

(audience cheering) - Come on over to our valley, where boys run free.

Run through the lush green meadow in your shorts.

Brother John will be your guide for a summer of indescribable earthly delights.

(audience cheering) (upbeat rock music) The Suburbs are legit one of my heroes of my young life.

I played with a lot of bands in town when I was young, but I never played with The Suburbs 'cause they were kind of bigger, so they kind of remained gods to me.

The music had a mode that I found to be different from a lot of groups in town.

It wasn't realism.

They would take you into a different world, and that really resonated with me.

(upbeat rock music continues) I just can't believe that I get to be part of it.

It's a little bit of a fan thing and excitement, you know?

And strange.

♪ Well, we've arrived ♪ ♪ Where boys run free ♪ ♪ Goin' for a ride ♪ ♪ With a skeleton family ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ I'm alive ♪ ♪ Suck the blood from my bones ♪ ♪ Sunlight ♪ ♪ And burned out flesh ♪ ♪ A burnin' ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) - Simply helicopter in.

Our tour bus will pick you up at the edge of valley.

Hike among along many of our alluring trails.

Just bring your gear.

We'll provide the rest for a summer experience every boy should share.

(audience cheering) (upbeat rock music continues) So "Music for Boys," what's going on with that?

- Did you ever like go hitchhiking to a party when you were a teenager, and you get picked up by the guys that are blasting Black Sabbath?

- Mm hmm.

- I hated that.

(both chuckling) To me, hard rock is "music for boys."

- Ah!

- And so I wanted to write music for all sorts of people.

- You know, you make something and to you, it's not as three dimensional as it is to someone who is hitting it for the first time, and they're getting swept off in places that- - Yeah.

- You don't know.

- You, you never know how your music's gonna affect people.

♪ Well, listen up ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ The lone bear has arrived ♪ ♪ The train's a comin' ♪ ♪ With the boys, with ♪ the boys, with the boys ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) (upbeat rock music continues) (audience cheering) (audience cheering) Matt Wilson on guitar.

(audience cheering) I think the best advice I can give is just to have fun.

If you're not having fun and making something that's enjoyable, then no one's gonna wanna hear it.

You know what I mean?

- Mm hmm.

- But now I feel like fun is really sacred.

- [Chan] Yeah.

- As silly and goofy as that word is, having fun writing- - Yeah.

- Is kind of vital.

- I certainly know a lot of art is made from pain and suffering, but gosh, I wouldn't want to make a career out of that.

- Well, I think that that's true, but I also think that the actual blurting out of the art- - Yeah.

- If it's good, it's fun.

If you're making something that you can tell is cool- - [Chan] Right.

- [Matt] You get excited.

- [Chan] Yeah, and that can be a beautifully sad song too, so.

- [Matt] Yeah.

Yeah.

(audience cheering) - So you picked this song, and it's one of my favorite tunes.

It was written when I was just a kid too, "Spring Came."

- So beautiful.

(bouncy new wave music) "Spring Came," is that a true story, or is that more fictional or- - It is, but, and I don't know if I should reveal this after all these years, but the baby who died- - Mm.

- Was a little cat.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

- Oh.

- And so it's about a cat.

- Oh, I never would've thought that.

I always just thought it was so heavy, and- - And you heard it here first, folks.

And all of a sudden, everyone's disappointed now.

(Chan laughing) - No way.

Never.

♪ When I go walking outside ♪ ♪ The streets are ♪ covered with rain ♪ ♪ I just want to ♪ go back inside ♪ ♪ Send all the peoples away ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh-oh, oh ♪ (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) ♪ Spring came, and ♪ the baby died ♪ ♪ There must be ♪ someone to blame ♪ ♪ Don't tell me about it now ♪ ♪ You're just a boy ♪ throwing it around ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh-oh, oh ♪ (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) ♪ When I go walking outside ♪ ♪ The streets are ♪ covered with rain ♪ ♪ I just wanna go back inside ♪ ♪ Send all the ♪ peoples away, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Woo ♪ (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ (bouncy new wave music continues) (bouncy new wave music continues) (audience cheering) That one still gets ya.

Matt Wilson on guitar.

(audience cheering) Rock bands are like a circus or a little theater troupe, constantly traveling around.

I'm surprised they last at all.

(lively rock music) The Suburbs broke up, got back together again.

People became ill, passed away.

Some people are still with us and no longer in the band.

We've been together, now in this iteration of The Suburbs, longer than the original group.

♪ Come down, turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Take my hand, ♪ turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Come on, it's your ♪ favorite song, baby ♪ ♪ Lets dance, turn ♪ the radio on ♪ ♪ Watch you move ♪ across the kitchen ♪ ♪ We can dance if ♪ you take my hand ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Watch your hand ♪ move across the sky ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Watch the smoke ♪ gettin' in your eye ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Your lips are like ♪ cherry wine, yeah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Let's dance, ♪ turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Watch us move ♪ across the kitchen ♪ ♪ We can dance if ♪ you take my hand ♪ ♪ We can sing, and ♪ no one listens ♪ ♪ We can dance, if ♪ you take my hand ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Turn down the lights, ♪ turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ You're alive, ♪ turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Come down, its your ♪ favorite song, babe ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Let's dance, ♪ turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Watch you move ♪ around the kitchen ♪ ♪ We can dance if ♪ you take my hand ♪ ♪ We can sing, and ♪ no one listens ♪ ♪ We can dance if ♪ you take my hand ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo ♪ (lively rock music continues) (lively rock music continues) ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Turn the radio on ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah, ♪ bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ ♪ Bah, bah, bah, bah ♪ Thank you.

(audience cheering) Alright!

(car accelerating) (people chattering) - Do you got anything to say about this song, anybody?

All about "Love Is the Law," and what it meant to ya.

(audience cheering) - "Love Is the Law" is an anthem for all the good things about you, Minnesota, and everything love.

(audience cheering) - Thanks, you guys.

We'll see you later.

(peppy dance rock music) We probably have half a dozen "Love Is the Laws," a great country version, a samba version, a harmonica version.

(peppy dance rock music continues) In 2013, the Marriage Equality Movement approached me, and they said, "We're trying to pass the Marriage Equality Act here in Minnesota," and my son was trying to find a place to get married.

And I thought, if you can't get married in our home state, then we're in trouble.

We kind of donated the song "Love Is the Law" to the movement.

They used it for marketing and promotion.

You want to be able to look back and go, "Have I done anything worthwhile?"

(chuckling) And that's one thing.

When the governor signed the Marriage Equality Act into law, he said, "Love Is the law."

(Chan chuckling) (Chan clearing throat) Sorry.

I had no idea I was gonna get emotional about that.

♪ Well, I was walking ♪ ♪ Through the middle of town ♪ ♪ And I said to myself ♪ ♪ Hey, what's going on ♪ ♪ People breaking the law ♪ ♪ Just to make ends meet ♪ ♪ People breaking their hearts ♪ ♪ Just to stay off the street ♪ ♪ And there written ♪ on the wall ♪ ♪ For everyone to see ♪ ♪ Was love is the law ♪ ♪ Right there on the ♪ street, it said ♪ ♪ Love is, love is the ♪ ♪ Love is, love is the ♪ ♪ Love is, love is the law ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love ♪ ♪ Love is the law ♪ ♪ Oh, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love, love is the law ♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ (peppy dance rock music continues) When I first stopped playing these songs, I don't know how to put it, but I knew them too well.

You know what I mean?

"Love Is the Law," I was 18 years old when I wrote that lick, but looking back now, I can kind of forgive myself, and go, "You know what?

That's not a bad song.

That's a pretty good song."

♪ Girls ♪ ♪ You're looking alright ♪ ♪ And boys, boys, boys ♪ ♪ You don't look so bad ♪ ♪ You gotta give it ♪ ♪ If you want to get it ♪ ♪ You got to give it ♪ ♪ If you want to get it ♪ ♪ I say ♪ ♪ Love is, love is the ♪ ♪ Love is, love is the ♪ ♪ Love is, love is ♪ ♪ The law ♪ ♪ Oh, woo ♪ ♪ Love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love ♪ ♪ Love is the law ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love, love is the law ♪ (peppy dance rock music continues) (audience cheering) (peppy dance rock music continues) (peppy dance rock music continues) Woo!

(peppy dance rock music continues) Max Ray!

(peppy dance rock music continues) (peppy dance rock music continues) ♪ Love ♪ (peppy dance rock music continues) (peppy dance rock music continues) (peppy dance rock music continues) ♪ Love is the, love is the ♪ (peppy dance rock music continues) ♪ Yeah ♪ (audience cheering) (peppy dance rock music continues) (peppy dance rock music continues) Thank you so much.

- [Announcer 2] This program was produced with The Current and made possible by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and these stage supporters.

(bright lilting music)