At first glance the indie-punk stylings of the largely teenage sibling band Loki’s Folly might have very little in common with the middle-aged acoustic Americana of the wife-and-husband California duo The Nextdoors. But in fact the two bands are cousins (second cousins to be exact) and these surface differences give way to deeper connections – common family, common musical roots, and a common drive to create songs that go beyond the expected while staying true to form.

So join us for the musical experiment we call Bad Pear – two bands, one stage, no sense! They will collaborate, cover each others songs in their individual styles, talk influences, play some common favorites, and mine for common ground… and maybe you’ll find it makes more sense than you think.

A little more about the bands:

Loki’s Folly is an indie-punk trio comprised of two young sisters and their kid brother from South Minneapolis who like to play loud music that makes them happy. For a three-piece outfit, they make a very big sound that is all their own. When Loki’s Folly play, they bring you into their world. It is a universe where influences like Sleater Kinney meet the tradition of Swedish Kulning in the best possible way.

Annie (age 21) plays guitar and sings. Nissa (age 16) plays the drum set and sings. Oskar (age 11) plays the bass. Each brings their unique personality to the music, and their sound is gelled by the blend of their sibling voices singing together. The band initially formed out of the girls taking lessons separately at Twin Town Guitars. They began having their lessons together and after a handful of sessions Loki’s Folly was born! It wasn’t long before people outside of the practice space started taking notice.

Their energetic and passionate live shows have been garnering a devoted fan base from long-time Minnesota musicians. Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run, Haley, The Melismatics, Ryan and Pony, and Porcupine have all put them on local shows over the past two years. Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) even appears as a guest guitarist on their single “Appease The Girl.” They were also included in First Avenue’s Best New Bands showcase and have gone on to do a national tour with legendary band Shellac. Loki’s Folly Plans to release their debut album “Sisu” in the very near future.

Loki’s Folly Official Website

When 2020 sidelined their other musical projects, Pasadena-based wife & husband musicians Mika Larson (cello) and Russell Mark (guitar/keys/vocals) decided the time was right to form their own band, and The Nextdoors was born.

Their string-laden, Americana-influenced debut album Linda Vista was released in April 2022, with 7 of the 8 tracks receiving radio play on stations across the USA, led by their Petty-inspired album opener “Awaken” and the only cover tune on the record – their interpretation of the Kinks classic “Strangers”. They were played on the Freewheelin’ show on KFAI Minneapolis, and were the #1 most-spun band at 89.1 WBSD-FM Wisconsin (week of Feb 20 2023.)

They originally came up with the band name after deciding it would be fun to set particularly absurd posts on Nextdoor.com to music. Before completing Linda Vista they revisited this idea: the album closer “Honest Mechanic Gone Bad” is based on an eye-rolling account of a Nextdoor user’s mechanic problems in their hometown of Pasadena, CA – and is the most musically experimental piece on the record.

They were featured on the cover of the Jan 5, 2023 issue of the Pasadena Weekly, with an article discussing the formation of the band, and previewing their first Pasadena-area show at Wild Parrot Brewery – which brought out the Mayor and Vice Mayor of the city to introduce their set to a capacity crowd on Jan 15, 2023.

Pasadena’s Mayor Victor Gordo declared on Instagram “The Nextdoors are one of the true gems of our city.”
The band is embarking on their first tour of the Midwest, including stops in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.
Mika cousins make up the Minneapolis-based indie punk band Loki’s Folly. Russell produced the song “Little Mermaid” from their debut album Sisu on Kitten Robot Records, with Mika shooting the video for that song as well as “Beaches and Peaches.” She also shot the band photo in their album.

In 2015 before either The Nextdoors or Loki’s Folly even had their name yet, no less an album, they played together at a MLPS house concert, doing mostly cover song favorites.

The Nextdoors Official Website

Music 8-10 pm

CLICK HERE to save your spot!
$10 cover charge will be added to your tab.