Wagner and the Zombie Men

Wagner and the Zombie Men

Yet another reason why the Twin Cities music scene is perhaps the most unique in the country: Wagner and the Zombie Men (pronounced “Vagner,” as in the German composer, Richard Wagner). With little more than a mandolin (played by Chad Zigweid) and a drum set (played by Paul Wichmann), the duo formed around the concept of zombie storytelling. Through music and spoken word/singing, the group recounts a zombie invasion through a continuous storyline that develops and unfolds from show to show.

The whole thing seemed a little kooky until I finally saw Wagner and the Zombie Men play at the Dinkytowner on January 29th. To my surprise, the concept actually worked. As I watched them play, I almost forgot that their music was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. I got really caught up in the storyline. The spoken word segments (which were sprinkled with interesting sound effects) were extremely engaging, and the songs were really, really good. Their set ended with a cliffhanger that may or may not be resolved during their next show. Well, at least I know one thing: I’ll be at their next show.

Power pop band, Gazillion closed out the night. They sounded just fine, but since I was afraid that zombies were waiting for me outside of the Dinkytowner, I didn’t pay much attention.


Gazillion