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| Where will the Big Wu be playing next? |
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[9/17/2010]
Ames, IA
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[9/18/2010]
Franklin, MN
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[10/30/2010]
Aberdeen, SD
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[10/31/2010]
Fargo, ND
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[11/25/2010]
Minneapolis, MN
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| Extra! Extra! Read all about the Big Wu's recent appearances. |
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[7/11/2009]
Geneva, MN
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[7/10/2009]
Geneva, MN
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[7/3/2009]
Minneapolis, MN
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[6/18/2009]
Minneapolis, MN
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[5/23/2009]
Geneva, MN
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Where was the Big Wu born?
The Big Wu was founded in 1992 by St. Olaf College students Chris Castino (guitar), Terry VanDeWalker (vocals), and Jason Fladager (guitar). Andrew Eklund (bass; now owns Ciceron, Inc.), Nathan Eklund (Keyboards; now a High School teacher), Chip House (drums, now an internet marketing specialist) made up the rest of the regular line up. Julie Crumrine (vocals) and Julie Niksitch (vocals) made frequent appearances.
The band played their first gig on 2/14/1992 in the Loin's Pause in the basement of the old Ytterboe hall at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Every song played was a cover by the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, or the Allman Brothers. There weren't many people in attendance, and no one in attendance had any idea what was being born that night.
The Big Wu continued to play every three weeks or so in town above the Reub-n-Stein, the most popular (and maybe even only!) local bar at the time. Big Wu shows quickly became one of the biggest events on campus, and posters littered the cafeteria walls at both Carleton and St. Olaf. Drunk college athletes would yell from the crowd "Play Rollaway!", which, of course, was what they thought "Franklin's Tower" was called. It was not a very well educated fan base, but they were definitely loyal.
On 9/11/1995 the Big Wu played for the first time at the Terminal Bar on Hennepin avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, MN. This gig started an awesome run of shows during the tail end of 1995, and most of 1996 at the Terminal Bar every tuesday night. A little over a month later (10/28/1995), they debuted their first original song "Silcanturnitova." It was immediately apparent that the band could write good music, and an onslaught of new songs were written over the course of the next 4 years. Other songs born during the Terminal Bar era include "Bloodhound", "Red Sky", "Precious Hands", "Kangaroo", and "Puerto Rico."
It was also at the Terminal Bar where the lineup was solidified. With Chip House, Andrew Eklund, an Nathan Eklund all pursuing professional careers, the Big Wu was looking for a keyboardist and bass guitar player. Andy Miller, also a St. Olaf College graduate, got the job playing Bass, and several months later, Al Oikari sat in on keys, and just fit right in!
At the end of 1996, the Big Wu got the job as the house band at the legendary Cabooze Bar on the West Bank in Minneapolis, MN. Wednesday night became a regular night out for what has become known as the
"Wu Family", which were the test market for each new song as the band reshaped their shows around original music and playful lyrics.
On 9/12/1997, "Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub", The Big Wu's debut CD was released. A CD release party was held at the Cabooze, but the CD did not come! Due to shipping problems, the CD was several days late, and the album wasn't available until the next Wednesday. The CD is a classic batch of Cabooze era Big Wu, and was recorded and produced by Jeff Roberts at Latch lake studios in Eagan, MN.
The Wu had thrown several private parties before that became must-see-events. But on July 17, 1998, the Big Wu created yet another tradition by throwing the first ever Big Wu Family Reunion at Latch Lake Studios in Eagan, MN - the very place where "Tracking." had been recorded the year before. The next year they held the event at Harmony Park Music Garden in Geneva, MN, and it has been held at Jamboree Campground in Black River Falls, WI ever since. This event is THE must-see Big Wu every year, and has become one of the best run summer festivals of the season.
The band had already started doing small one-week midwest tours, and short trips to Colorado during this time, but they took it to the next level at the end of the summer in 1999 by going out on the road full time. The first tour took them through the mountains and along the coast in California, but eventually they had covered almost the entire country. That year they played a whipping 208 shows, and pr
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