Run Westy Run was one of the great Twin Cities bands of the 80s. They were formed in 1984 by 3 brothers from St. Louis Park - Kirk, Kyle and Kraig Johnson - along with Terry Fisher and Bob Joslyn, and were named, apparently, after a 1966 children's book of the same name. They started out as an intensely chaotic, Stooge-y hard rock band, later evolving into a hard-to-define amalgam of indie, rock, roots, punk and funk, driven by a ferocious, lusty energy that infected any live audience they came in contact with. Their studio output was the proverbial mixed bag (producers included Grant Hart and Peter Buck) but their reputation as a live band is legendary; their enduring legacy has largely been defined by what happened on stage rather than in the studio. The "Westies," as they soon became known, are widely considered by many aficionados to be one of the premier live acts of a very memorable period in MN music history. The image of Kirk hanging upside down from the rafters of the Entry while the band roared behind him in front of a packed house is indelibly stamped in the memories of more than a few RWR fans from those golden times. Run Westy Run continues to regularly play shows in the Twin Cities. They announced the release of a new album - the first full length RWR studio release in 33 years! - for Spring 2023. - PD Larson