Golden Smog is an alternative country-rock supergroup of loosely connected musicians mostly from the Minneapolis area. At various times members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs, and Big Star have worked with Golden Smog. Given the fluid collaborative nature of Golden Smog the lineup has often changed, but relative constant members who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum), and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) along with bassist Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks).

The group took their name from a nickname given to Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones episode "Hot Lips Hannigan", which, in turn, was a parody of singer Mel Tormé's nickname (The Velvet Fog).

History

Pre-history: The Take It To The Limit Band (1987) and Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck (1989)

The definitive beginning of Golden Smog is hard to pinpoint given the mercurial nature of the band's lineup. However, some claim that the group that would evolve into Golden Smog debuted in January 1987, when a band billed as "The Take It To The Limit Band" played an (almost) all-Eagles cover show at the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. The band consisted of Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner (both of Soul Asylum), Jim Boquist (later of Son Volt), and Martin Zellar (Gear Daddies). The show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song "Walk Like an Egyptian." That same group later played a Rolling Stones-themed show in 1989 under the band name "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."

First incarnation (1989–1998)

The group first came together under the name "Golden Smog" in the Minneapolis area in 1989. The band was conceived as a country-rock reaction to the punk and hardcore music that dominated the Twin Cities' musical scene at the time. Eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs where they played a handful of shows annually, consisting almost entirely of cover songs. The show marked Murphy's first public musical performance since his retirement from Soul Asylum in 2012. Murphy was joined onstage by Johnson, Louris, and Perlman as well as Miles Zuniga of the band Fastball. The band reunited at First Avenue on April 2, 2022, with Tweedy and Stephens both rejoining the band.

From 2022 forward, the group has held an annual show at First Avenue, always occurring near the end of the year. In December 2022 and again in December 2023, the group (still consisting of Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, and Marc Perlman) played a special holiday show. The 2022 gig was billed as an "Unplugged" show; the 2023 date featured guest drummer Steve Gorman. For their 2024 gig, held in November, Golden Smog was now billed as a quintet, with Gorman as an official member.

Jeff Tweedy rejoined the group, now a sextet, for their three-city tour of December 2025. Appearing outside of Minneapolis for the first time in nearly two decades, Golden Smog played gigs in Jersey City, New York City, and Chicago.

Discography

Albums

  • Down by the Old Mainstream (1995)
  • Weird Tales (1998)
  • Another Fine Day (2006)
  • Blood on the Slacks (2007)

Compilation albums

  • Stay Golden, Smog: The Best of Golden Smog—The Rykodisc Years (2008)

EPs

  • On Golden Smog (1992)

Compilation appearances

  • "Shooting Star" (from On Golden Smog) on the Clerks soundtrack (1994)
  • "Prison Wife" on Minnesota Modern Rock: The Pachyderm Sessions, (1995) (previously unreleased song)
  • "Looking Forward to Seeing You" (from Weird Tales) on the Alt.Country Exposed Roots compilation (1999)
  • "Looking Forward to Seeing You" (from Weird Tales) on the Rykodisc 20th Anniversary compilation (2004)

References

  • Official MySpace Page For Stay Golden, Smog: The Best Of Golden Smog -- The Rykodisc Years
  • Country Standard Time Feature story and reviews of Golden Smog