The Turf Club is one of the premiere destinations of Saint Paul, if you haven’t been, and if you have, you’ll remember the charm. The Turf Blub has been in business since the 1940s where it ruled as a supper club and dance hall. Now having welcomed over 3,300 performers, this Saint Paul watering hole maintains her old spirit with excellent acoustics, an eccentric crowd, and heavy-poured shirley temples.  The two groups this evening elicit those antique memories from the walls of the Turf Club as they explore the boundaries of storytelling, psychedelic dialects of electronic and house, and weird traditionalism.

This evening, we’re here to listen to Gus Englehorn, the frontman of our opening duo from Alaska. Gus started releasing music in 2020 and continues to release records as recently as the 2026 album “The Broken Balladeer”. The gist on Gus? We hear repetitiveness featured as its own mantra throughout the set, where many times the crowd is struck with resounding countdowns, tales of One Eye Jack, and, of course, Tarantulas. On the dynamic of the duo? Spoiler: they’re married. The guitarist/vocalist/harmonicas Gus and drummer Este play music that is passionate and stripped to its bones. The set features songs from “The Hornbook,” their 2025 release, and visit pieces of the 2022 album “Dungeon Master”. On themes, this band has a monopoly. With an earthy repertoire, we hear at least two songs about the riverbed and flowing water followed succinctly by two additional songs that are both arachnid themed. My advice, if you’re curious to get to know Gus and Co on a more intimate level? Go watch their music video for “Better Watch Your Step”. That about sums it up. 

Holy Fuck celebrates their fifth album in March 2026, and plays us a taste of this new release at the Turf Club tonight. This is a long time coming; the band started releasing tracks after their first album in 2005. You’ve probably invited Holy Fuck into your house unknowingly, those friendly guests, if you’re a fan of the cinematic experiences including Breaking Bad, The Substance, Mr. Robot, Chemical Hearts, Good Girls, Cheaters or Invincible which feature their songs. Perhaps legally art rock, electronic, experimental psychedelic house, Holy Fuck maintains their reputation of staying out of the genre box and excitedly anticipating the next movement. The four- piece from Just Up North starts the album “Event Beat” with Evie, enticing us with fuzzy vocals, incomprehensible lyrics, a heavy trust in the bass guitar, and guest cameos of nondescript synthesizer chirps. Of all the tracks on the album, the one that stands out to me most is their fifth song, Seven. A combination of trustworthy metronome teetering around monotony, all mixed up with a bit of angst and 40 grit sandpaper– now we’ve got a song. The album appeals to those with a soft spot for funky bass at one moment and psychedelic synthesizer ephemera the next. I’d recommend giving your favorite headphones a run for their money with “Event Beat”, or to catch it live in the act when you’re in the mood for some good old public dissociation. The whole album lasts a satisfying eleven songs and clocks in at 40 minutes. If you’re here for deep house and for really getting weird with it, this show is for you.  

Now a moment to cater to my readers across the pond. Missing out on the experience of a humid Minnesota evening? Fear not, we’re sending our Canadian concerto overseas. In London? See Holy Fuck on September 24th. In Istanbul? Holy Fuck is, this October. If you’re a time traveler? April 23rd , the Turf Club.

Photos: Liv Degendorfer
Show Review: Elizabeth Wash