This is about Surahoolies, a band from St. Cloud, MN, who have existed in various incarnations from around 1984 to the present day in 2026.
Before I heard this band for the first time, I might have insisted that I probably wouldn’t be into whatever I might have assumed it was. Looking back, this band occupies the largest space in my archives, of all the bands I ever recorded. Sometimes you just have to listen.
In 1990, I left a job at Minnesota Ragstock, resurrected my sporadic newsletter / zine, The New Puritan ReView, and began a 4-year stint with the Kinko’s Corporation. Curiously, it wouldn’t have occurred to me that there would be a common thread running through these events. Quite unexpectedly, Kinko’s turned out to be a haven for creative types, zine-sters and musicians in particular. And, to paraphrase an old adage of sorts, it seemed that the best advertised the least.
Near the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota, in a tiny but thriving community known as Stadium Village, I found myself working in close quarters with members of at least four different bands. One of those was Mark Hasbrouck – who I later learned was the guiding force of a group I would end up documenting in various incarnations for the next fifteen years, Surahoolies.
Originally hailing from St. Cloud, MN, Surahoolies were reportedly named after a nomadic African tribe known for “crazy music and weird tie-dyes”. Musically, their sound was an amalgamation of post-psychedelic rock, Beatles-esque jangly power pop, ethnological references from nearly every corner of the planet, and a seemingly telepathic penchant for improvisation.
There is a lot more to this story, but I’ll just leave you with the music. For now.
What follows is a handful of live recordings which the band has graciously allowed me to share on Live Music Archive with other past, present and future fans.
Surahoolies
Profetz 1984-86
Hazzy 2000-present
[links to recordings provided in posts below]
Surahoolies • 1991-06-24
Mpls, MN • Fine Line
For me, this is where it all started with the Surahoolies. This lo-fi audio document of a band might seem somewhat unspectacular in itself, but it represents a journey into a world of imagination that has spanned thirty-five years and counting.
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
It is well worth your time to track down any of the band’s releases which are listed on the discogs site
Here are a few tunes from Hazzy & Jonas
Download or stream all sets by Surahoolies from Live Music Archive
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