Soul Asylum – MPLS Unplugged (2-CD)
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Dave Pirner has always written songs that hit harder when the electricity gets stripped away, and Minneapolis has always known it. Soul Asylum's roots in the Twin Cities punk and alt-rock underground run deep, from their early days on Twin/Tone Records through the arena breakthroughs that followed, and hearing them return to that city's State Theatre for a performance like this closes a very satisfying loop.
MPLS Unplugged celebrates the 30th anniversary of the band’s legendary MTV Unplugged performance in 1993, recorded live nearly 30 years later to the day at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on April 20, 2023. For the first time in decades, the band is captured stripped back and unplugged—echoing the spirit of their original MTV Unplugged session in 1993—while remaining deeply layered, expansive in feel, and emotionally resonant.
Frontman Dave Pirner, widely regarded as one of the great songwriters of his generation, is joined by guitarist Ryan Smith, bassist Jeremy Tapparo and drummer Michael Bland. Also returning is Ivan Neville on keys, alongside STRINGenius string quartet and the Robert Robinson gospel singers, honoring the lineup of the original 1993 session while modernizing the acoustic arrangements. Neville’s connection to the band dates back to that original Unplugged session, where, as Pirner recalls, “he was the obvious choice… pretty magical—it just felt right.”
The set also digs deep into the band's catalog and celebrates Soul Asylum's electric and enduring live show, featuring two songs, "Farmer John" and "What Will Become of Me," that have been played live over the years but never recorded or officially released. Their inclusion here gives fans a rare, fully realized take on songs that have only lived onstage, and an authentic glimpse into the singular energy of a Soul Asylum concert.
More than four decades in, Soul Asylum continues to evolve while staying rooted in the emotional directness that first defined them, touring globally, playing over 100 shows a year and continuing to reach both longtime fans and new listeners.
Tracklist
Disc 1
Disc 2
UPC: 820200332615
Label: Blue Elan Records
Release Date: 8.28.26
Format: CD