Gold Standard Showcasing Bella Sol Pre-Party

The Minneapolis powerhouse band Gold Standard will be back in the region April 24 and 25, getting everyone in the festival mood. The eight-piece jam/funk/rock band will be one of 40, yes you heard me right, that was 40 plus artists playing at Harmony Park over the Memorial Day weekend for the Bella Sol Music Festival. But first they will bring a taste of that delicious blend of music and summer fun to the Crosstown Lounge in Grand Forks on Thursday April 24 and then to Rascals in Moorhead on the very next day.

Gold Standard finally coalesced in 2005, bringing together the vision of Dylan Nau (Guitar/Vocals) and Aaron Stoehr (Trombone/Vocals). They’d been playing in a number of bands together since 1997 and were developing into a tight songwriting team. At the same time, Chris VanDerpoll (Drums/Vocals) and Jason Marks (Trumpet/Vocals), along with a bass player, were looking for a band. The five of them met in the Cities and found that they liked what each brought into a new band sound. However, the sound wasn’t as complete as they wanted and they sought out Buzz Chopper to play keyboards and a vintage Hammond. He also sang.

When Chris Yoerks lugged 200 pounds of percussion materials onto their stage at a show, the band made way for musical bliss as Yoerks rolled out all of the sweet touches that the songs had been missing. Finally, they added Andrew Schwandt on sax to round out the blaring brass of trombone and trumpet. This gelled into that rich mixture of musical purity that has come to be known as Gold Standard. Then they got rid of the bass player. Currently, Reed Braaten is taking the awesome task of keeping up with all of the percussion and brass as their bass man.

Everywhere Gold Standard plays audiences come back awestruck. Local musicians have called this band “the best band they have ever seen.” It is no wonder considering the firepower of the octet. It would be enough just to be a tight instrumental band, but these guys are equally tight vocally. Tight, tight, tight. Combined with original lyrics and melodies, Gold Standard always delivers.

To have this band as the first of the Pre-Party events for the Bella Sol Festival will whet anyone’s festival appetite

If You Go

Who: Gold Standard
What: Jam/rock/funk 8-piece band, heavy on horns
Grand Forks: Crosstown Lounge, Thursday, April 24, 10 pm, $5
Fargo: Rascals, Moorhead, Friday, April 25, 10 pm, $6