Curtiss A

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Curtiss A
Curtiss A in 2017
Born
Curt Almsted

(1951-01-31) January 31, 1951 (age 73)[1]
Occupation(s)Musician, visual artist
Years active1969-present

Curtiss A (born Curt Almsted on January 31, 1951) is a musician and visual artist from

Twin Cities, an annual tribute to John Lennon held at First Avenue.[2] He was the first musician to headline at First Avenue's sister club 7th Street Entry, and opened for Prince's first concert at First Avenue (then still called Uncle Sam's).[3]

Career

Curtiss A's star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

Curtiss formed Wire, his first

Twin Cities band, in 1969 and played with various permutations of that group through the 1970s. (Almsted's band is unrelated to the English post-punk band of the same name.) His first recording, a six-song EP, was with the Spooks, which he started with future Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap
.

In 1978, Curtiss (as Buzz Barker) released the single-cum-political rant "I Don’t Wanna Be President". Its B-side, "Land of the Free", was played at

the dBs, but Curtiss took a break from performing following a family tragedy.[4]

During his hiatus from music, Curtiss turned to making collages, an art form that has interested him since childhood and has fulfilled his desire “to see stuff that wasn’t together, together.” He mixes all types and periods of art, particularly different styles of comic book illustrations.

Curtiss describes his collages as dreamscapes where iconic figures—or other images that embody a mythic quality—are placed in iconoclastic situations or surroundings. He often uses political and theological images along with depictions of superheroes to represent the constant struggle for justice and to question who or what is truly good. His work also has a great deal of humor, leaving the viewer with a mixture of despair and hope.

Since his return to music, Curtiss has released several albums, and he plays throughout the

Twin Cities
filmmaker Amy Buchanan.

Personal life

Almsted has four daughters; the third, Alyson, died in 1987 of

sudden infant death syndrome. He has five grandchildren.[3][5]

Honors and awards

Almsted has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[6] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[7] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[8]

Selected discography

Courtesy
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Rolling Stone [10]
Damage Is Done
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Scarlet Letter
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]

Notes

  1. Minneapolis-St. Paul
    . Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  2. ^ McKinney, Devin. "The John & Curtiss Show"[permanent dead link], American Prospect, December 14, 2005.
  3. ^
    Minneapolis-St. Paul
    . Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  4. ^ "Curtiss A". Archived from the original on 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  5. Minneapolis-St. Paul
    . p. 5E. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  6. ^ "The Stars". First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  7. ^ Bream, Jon (2019-05-03). "10 things you'll learn about First Avenue in new Minnesota History Center show". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  8. ^ Marsh, Steve (2019-05-13). "First Avenue's Star Wall". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  9. ^
    AllMusic
    . Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  10. Minneapolis-St. Paul
    . Retrieved 2020-09-15.

References

External links

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