The Suburbs – Turf Club – St. Paul MN – November 28th 2025

By Jim Zons 2 days ago

The Suburbs live at The Turf Club in St. Paul Minnesota on November 28th 2025

Review and photo by Jim Zons

There is probably no better venue to catch an intimate club show than the Turf Club in St. Paul, so when I saw that the Suburbs were doing a two night “residency” at the Turf Club on November 28 and 29th, I knew I had to catch them there at least one night!

First up: the Rodents.  The Rodents are a Minneapolis based rock band comprised of longtime friends who spent time as stage techs traveling with national shows, capturing that energy in their own guitar driven music.  These guys really brought a ton of energy and fun to their own set, with catchy guitar licks and passion that really worked well in such a tight venue.  It was my first time hearing the Rodents, but it won’t be my last!  In a way, paying tribute to their own stage tech days, they helped get the gear set up for the Suburbs after their own set!

Next, it was time for the evening’s headliner: the Suburbs.  The Suburbs were founded by in 1977 by keyboardist Chan Poling and guitarist Blaine John “Beej” Chaney.  The Suburbs had their biggest success commercially in the early 1980s before splitting up in 1987. Over the years, the original members have reunited on and off, especially in the early 2000s, but several founding members have since departed, either due to health issues or untimely death. The current line up consists of founding members Chan Poling on keyboards and Hugo Klaers on drums, in addition to Steve Price on bass, Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar, Steve Brantseg on guitar, Max Ray on saxophone, Rochelle Becker on baritone sax, Stephen Kung on horns and keys, and Janey Winterbauer on backing vocals.

I just saw the Suburbs in April at First Avenue’s 50th anniversary show, and they were awesome, but there is something about a band like the Suburbs going back to their roots and taking the stage is a small club like the Turf Club, especially when the venue is packed for a sold-out show.  When the audience is literally next to stage, with no security or barricades between the band and the fans, I think it really energizes the band and makes for a more raw, visceral experience. If you’re not familiar with the music of the Suburbs, think a mix of alternative punk rock, funk, new wave …  a melting pot mix of every style of alternative music that was popular in the early 1980s.  Just like the show in April, it was a blast getting transported back to an era of classic Minneapolis music sound, from their opening song, 1982’s “Music for Boys,” through more recent music, like 2013’s “Turn the Radio On.”  If you grew up or went to college in the Twin Cities area in the 1980s and 90s, you would be pretty familiar with the entire Suburbs catalog from hearing it on local radio stations like KJ-104 or local clubs; songs like “Life Is Like,” “Waiting,” “Hey Muse,” “Rattle My Bones,” “Dish It Up” and more. They did an extended version of one of my favorite Suburbs songs, “Cows,” which made me very happy! Again, seeing and hearing the band in small, intimate venue like the Turf Club was a real treat!  They changed up the set list at the last minute, moving “Baby Heartbeat” to the encore, and then ended the evening with perhaps their biggest commercial hit: “Love is the Law.”

If you like early 80s music that blends new wave, punk, rock and more, make sure you catch the Suburbs next time they take the stage, especially if you get a chance to see them at a small venue like the Turf Club in St. Paul