Lost years with... CLOUD CULT on Owatonna

No obstacle is too big to overcome for Cloud Cult, a family band with Owatonna ties.
Not only does this seven-member band combine an unusual, if not unique, musical sound with painters who perform their work on stage in crowded nightlife venues, but among them, they also have gardeners, organic farmers and babies on board.
In fact, Cloud Cult has recently returned from their longest break from touring in six years. After bringing a new baby on board in October, to parents Craig and Connie Minowa, they will be hitting the road this year as they embark on a spring tour.
“We just took some time off over the winter,” said Minowa, who along with his wife Connie, hails from Owatonna. He said he wanted to give the little one a chance to get settled before taking the band on tour again, but now that the family has the wing of things, they are headed out. “He’s hitting the point where I think he’s going to be able to experience the world a little bit.”
Craig Minowa said even though the baby has only been in the family for several months, having babies on board is something the band is used to. Already, the cellist has two children with her husband.
“We’re kind of used to having babies along with us on the road,” he said.
This will be a busy year for the band, as they take to the road in for a show in Lutsen, Minn., on Feb. 6. Then on Feb. 26, the band will make an appearance at First Ave. in Minneapolis, in the opening slot for a benefit show by Electric Fetus. Other tour dates will find Cloud Cult at Grinell College in Iowa, and in Chicago and Madison, Wis., in April. Then, in the green spirit of the band, they will be back in the Twin Cities for an Earth Day Show in Minneapolis on April 22.
But the spring tour isn’t the only thing that is keeping Cloud Cult busy. In December, the band released a double-disc reissue of “They Live on the Sun” and “Aurora Borealis,” two of their earliest albums. Remixed and remastered by Craig Minowa himself, the release came with a number of unreleased bonus tracks.
The band is also looking to expand their art this year. They are holding auditions for a new multi-instrumentalist to add to the ranks, and they are even getting ready to launch gallery exhibits beside their musical performances.
“Both of the painters are doing gallery showings at the gallery in the Minneapolis,” said Minowa. “We’ve been working up to that for years. That’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a while. We’ll be doing that and we’ve also sort of been working more on soundtracks for several National Geographic documentaries.”
Minowa said the band’s music will be featured in three documentaries, which detail the lives of wildlife in nature, like the bears on Kodiac Island or the way wildlife survives the wintry cold of North America.
Minowa said the band is also spending a lot of time in the studio right now, as they are preparing to release a single in the spring, and a new album toward the end of the summer. He said after the album is released, the band will be launching a full national tour.
“We’re exciting to be touring again.”

Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.

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Member Opinions: By: CRAIGS on 1/31/10 With Cloud Cult, Owl City and Har-Mar Superstar from Owatonna we are very fortunate to have incredible talent from here! The above 3 all sell out shows and are international as well! By: OHSGrad05 on 2/1/10 You can't forget about 2004 graduate Kevin Skaff being in the lead guitarist in A Day To Remember. They recently have been on tour in Europe and are going to start touring the US this spring By: ExpressHockeyFan on 2/1/10 sure, and Camera Can't Lie is on the roster of Atlantic Records. Young O-Town Kids need to start forming some new bands for when all the talent scouts come looking around. By: OHSGrad05 on 2/2/10 Heh.. completely forgot about Camera Can't Lie, my apologies to Mr Arjes and Mr Lindsay. I agree todays high schoolers need to start more bands. The music scene when I was in high school was thriving, and it could be I do not hear about it as much now, but I remember there being a show either at a church, in someone's basement, or at the community center almost every friday or saturday night. By: EAG on 2/4/10 Heavenly States ? HIJK ? Burnsville City Limits ? The Rythmaplex Project ? Ice Palace ? just a few more
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