Anthony Kaczynski (of The Magnetic Fields, Figures on a Beach, and Fireking) returns to the White Squirrel Bar in St. Paul, on Boxing Day! With Ruben and Paperbacks (who are celebrating the release of their album First Folio). Free show, 21+.
Paperbacks 9pm
Anthony Kaczynski 10:05pm
Ruben 11:10pm
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Anthony Kaczynski is a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. He has been the touring guitarist for The Magnetic Fields since 2016, occasionally leads the rock band Fireking, is a member of The Paid Protesters, who are the house band for a series of “Which Side Are You On?” shows in the Boston area, has a new project with Garret Vandermolen called Ski Van, which just released its first single, sings in the band Gymnasium, plays guitar for Trusty Sidekick, performs solo acoustic shows when the spirit moves him, and is generally in demand as a guitarist and sideman throughout the Boston music scene. He was the co-founder, vocalist, principal lyricist and keyboardist of Figures on a Beach, who began their career in his hometown of Detroit and went on to release two albums on Sire in the 1980s as well as a handful of indie EPs. Anthony is passionate about books, film, and of course music, and thinks that a sesame bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers from Russ & Daughters may be the pinnacle of human achievement.
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Ruben is a rock ’n’ roll band that layers rich vocals over warmly distorted guitars and a dynamic rhythm section. Everyone writes and everyone sings, and we’ll get you movin’. We Like It Good.
Ruben’s most recent album, Plain American (2023), is a powerful, soulful rock album capturing the sounds of the 1960s and 1970s, updated for the present. The Sound (the music podcast from KQAL 89.5 at Winona State University) praised its grooves, vocals, songwriting, and sound, and summed it all up by saying, “this record is the sh*t! It is so darned good that I’m not sure I can describe it at all. … So here we go folks, strap yourself in, and keep your limbs inside the vehicle at all times, because we are in for a rock n roll trip.”
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Paperbacks is an indie pop project helmed by Minneapolis tunesmith Sven-Erik Olsen, whose adventurous, jangly Beatlesque pop gems are undergirded and adorned by the mellifluous bass work of Michael Brewer Carina and the instinctive, offbeat drumming of Dan Greenwood. (For the December 26th White Squirrel show, bassist James Towns and keyboardist Sumanth Gopinath will be sitting in).
Paperbacks became a going concern after a one-off gig in Owatonna in spring 2022. The quartet began touring the midwest and after developing their distinctive repertoire, entered Creation Studios with engineer Zach Hollander in 2023 to record their debut album, First Folio, released in December 2025. Its songs showcase their range: “Feels Magnetic” channels the widescreen feel of The Who’s early 70s anthems; “Suddenly Aglow” bathes a Nick Drake-inspired chamber folk melody in ethereal Enoesque synths; “I Found the Other Way” is a sparkling power pop masterclass; “Sky Is Suspended” marries a sea shanty feel to visionary exhortations; “Maria and the Clouds Move In” couches a folk horror lyric in Latin-tinged rhythms; “Eternal High” hints channels Abbey Road on a downcast day; and effervescent lead single “Cinder Hill” nods to both bossa nova and psychedelic pop.
For more information and tour dates, please visit www.paperbacksmusic.com.
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