Soul Asylum

Thanks in part to the industry-wide implosion of the alt-rock genre they rode in on, Soul Asylum’s days as platinum rock gods are almost certainly behind them. We get the impression they find this to be a relief: no more snarky stories about Dave Pirner’s hair or celeb girlfriends, no more carping about the lack of a solid-selling followup to “Runaway Train.” Now the lads can just rock out at their own pace. They’ve proven wrong all the doomsayers (us included) who predicted a breakup after their long slide from the limelight. Refusing to leave without a trace, they seem to have settled pretty comfortably into their post-Big Time phase, riding the dinosaur-act circuit of state fairs and chili cook-offs alongside much grayer bands like Journey and Bad Company. This one, fronting the Capital City Days fest in downtown St. Paul, is no exception; Cheap Trick headlines the following night. New songs have been popping up in their set lists, and word is that a follow-up to 1998’s Candy From a Stranger is planned for next year. Earlier this summer Pirner, who now lives in New Orleans, came out with his first solo album, Faces and Names. Featuring high-profile guests like Billy Preston and Chris Whitley, it’s a R&B-flavored break from his past—more soul and less asylum, reminiscent of Run Westy Run’s recent transformation into Iffy. www.capitalcitydays.com, www.soulasylum.com