Sam Keenan

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Page contents

1 History
2 Bands
3 Discography
4 Related Web sites

History

Once there was a very handsome guy named Sam Keenan. He graduated from the Rudy Perpich Center for Arts Education and started writing music and playing in bands, but not necessarily in that order. The main band was Liquid Ernie. They were a great band so, of course, they were completely overlooked by the Twin Cities music scene. Liquid Ernie's recordings, “Spit and Polish” and “Ghostwritten”, are testaments to rock songwriting brilliance and the cruel disregard of an over-entertained stoic culture.

Here is a sample blurb from that era:

"Liquid Ernie was formed in 1995, when Minneapolis singer/songwriter Sam Keenan and guitarist Shane Bakalyar teamed up with drummer Bert Bittner and bassist Eric Sand. Such diverse musical influences as Elvis Costello, XTC, Radiohead and the Pixies underlie the band's highly-charged, absorbing music which features inventive chord changes, capable hooks, and a pure intensity, post-alternative sound. Music reviewers have described Liquid Ernie's music as "radio friendly, albeit quirky, pop." '

After the demise of Liquid Ernie, Sam released more of his original musical material as solo recordings, “Electric Owl” and “After Grey”, and played as band member in other friends' ensembles.

Mr. Keenan somehow got a gig at Minnesota Public Radio as a recording engineer, or broadcast producer, or some equally ridiculous title. He broadcasted Leigh Kamman's "Jazz Image" for the better part of a decade, and currently records orchestras, indie rock bands, and newsworthy events for MPR radio stations across the dial.

Through a long and tortured set of circumstances involving both, a 4th of July concert in the parking lot of Eden Prairie Center (where firework remnants fell from the sky onto the band stage) and Sam's performing a BeeGee's Medley on guitar in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a certain drummer, Tony Guscetti, propositioned Sam about putting a band together behind Sam's songs. Sam agreed and they invited Tim Lyles to play bass and make smart-ass remarks. It was Tim's suggestion to name the band Sam Keenan. And so was born a small original music group that currently plies the local music clubs with Sam's angular and unique pop music.

Bands

Liquid Ernie, Sam Keenan, and has performed with Copy, Josh Aran and others

Discography

Ghostwritten (Liquid Ernie) Spit and Polish (Liquid Ernie) 11 Steps (Sam Keenan) Electric Owl (Sam Keenan) Back to the Road (Sam Keenan) After Grey (Sam Keenan) Song-A-Day I (Sam Keenan) Song-A-Day II (Sam Keenan) Song-A-Day III (Sam Keenan)