Legendary Iron Range band Cats Under the Stars are re-releasing their 45 RPM single “Louie, Louie” / “Blue Ghosts” from 1982 (recorded at the Children’s Theater studio) along with a previously unreleased rap song written by Cats guitarist Jack Pasternacki that Paul and Jack recorded in 1984 called “Under Grey Skies in the Buffalo Zone.” This release coincides with the band’s 50th Anniversary taking place at the Parkway Theater on Sunday, December 28, 2025. The Cats studied and played most styles of American music and were one of the first bands in the Twin Cities to play reggae and New Orleans music, along with swing jazz, blues, folk, and deep space improvisation. They played everywhere from the West Bank, Moby Dick’s, the Union Bar, and the Cabooze to the A Prairie Home Companion radio show. They opened up for Ry Cooder at the Guthrie Theater and shared stages with Flora Purim and Airto, Robert Hunter, Mose Allison, John Hammond, Riders in the Sky, and Willie and the Bumblebees. They are also considered to be the first “jam band” in the Twin Cities before there was such a thing. The players include leader Paul Metsa (8 MN Music Awards), Tim O’Keefe (The Rose Ensemble), Jack Pasternacki (The Ranchtones), Joe Luoma (Alex Chilton and Del Shannon), Al Oikari (The Big Wu) and Jimmy Anton (Jonny Lang, Paul Westerberg.) They will be joined by Tom Lieberman, Sonny Earl, and the Tilt Town Titanettes. Going as long and strong as the Rolling Stones, The Cats were featured in the 1984 movie Wild Rose, filmed on the Iron Range about the first women miners. They are also one of the few bands with at least one portage together into the BWCA. See below for more info on the original press materials attached below.

Tickets and more information about this special December 28 reunion concert at