Easily the best rompin' stompin' party blues/R&B show in town.

Twin Cities Reader

Memphis, 1966? Try Minneapolis, 1990.

Blues Access

A powerhouse ensemble sound.

Jazz & Blues Report

The Butanes keep it simple: Play loud, play fast and by all means, keep the dancers moving and the waitresses working.

People

The Butanes Soul Revue was formed in December of 1987 when the Butanes added three horns, three vocalists and played a set of deep soul for a Christmas extravaganza at the Cabooze bar in Minneapolis. The show was a success and the Cabooze presented the Butanes Soul Revue every Wednesday for the next five years. Wednesdays at the Cabooze soon became known as the place where "the hip slip to sip" and a general party atmosphere developed. The band began playing weekends and festivals and a one hour video was shot and aired on the local PBS affiliate. A female vocalist, the horn section and finally the keyboard player were replaced when they were unable to commit to the rigorous performance and occasional rehearsal schedule. The new members raised the intensity level even higher and the band was nominated for numerous individual and group awards.

Heileman's Special Export beer built a short-lived sponsorship network around the band and on February 21, 1990 One Night was recorded and was originally self-released as a 90 minute long cassette. The band traveled to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to back Earl King in April of 1990 and to Las Vegas to perform at Siegfried and Roy's holiday party in January of 1992. NPR's Blues Stage (hosted by Ruth Brown) recorded the Butanes Soul Revue live at the Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, MN and they performed at Milwaukee's Summerfest as well as numerous festival and club shows in the midwest. The band went on an unofficial hiatus in 1995 but re-emerged January 30, 1998 for the CD release party of One Night on Atomic Theory. They continue to perform occasional shows.

e-views:
Blues on stage live review at First Avenue 7/10/98
http://www.mnblues.com/review/butanes2.html

Blues on stage live review at the Cabooze 1/31/98
http://www.mnblues.com/review/butanes.html

Blues on stage live review of King Floyd and the Butanes Soul Revue at Coffman Union 3/15/97
http://www.mnblues.com/review/king_floyd.html

Blues on stage live review of Earl King and the Butanes Soul Revue at Coffman Union 3/15/97
http://www.mnblues.com/review/earl_king.html

Blues Bytes reviews of Don't Worry, Sing the Blues and One Night (we're around paragraph 7)
http://www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes/wn0398.html