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Jul 02

Colossamite

  • July 2, 2026
  • Live Music Archive, Recordings Of Independent Origin, Twin Cities Music Archives
  • 7th St Entry, Dazzling Killmen, First Avenue, live recordings, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sicbay, Terminal bar, Uplright Forms

This is about Colossamite, a blockbuster of a band that existed Minneapolis, MN for a spell between 1996 – 1998.

Even though the term “math rock” gets bandied about plenty / too much in these camps, there is undeniably a lot more math and a lot more rock to be had here, compared to Nick’s previous work with Dazzling Killmen.

What follows are a handful of live recordings which Nick has graciously allowed me to share on Live Music Archive with other past, present and future fans.

Nick Sakes: Guitar, Vocals
Ed Rodriguez: Guitar
Chad Popple: Drums
John Dieterich: Guitar


Colossamite • 1996-11-04
Minneapolis, MN • 7th St. Entry

[01] start (00:29.72)
[02] My Driving Hand (05:52.46)
[03] For The Sake Of Structure (03:59.18)
[04] interim / tuning (00:55.74)
[05] Bewilderbeast (02:33.27)
[06] interim / tuning (00:15.58)
[07] unidentified title (06:41.05)
[08] interim / tuning (00:39.15)
[09] No Entran Moscas (02:52.36)
[10] interim / tuning (01:04.43)
[11] The Down Sound (02:31.05)
[12] end runout (00:26.66)

Nick Sakes: Guitar, Vocals
Ed Rodriguez: Guitar
Chad Popple: Drums
John Dieterich: Guitar

bill:
Today Is The Day
King Can
Colossamite

Nick mentions this is the band’s first show – nice way to come quietly charging out of the gate – and what a colossal bill!

There’s a pretty strong likelihood that track 7 may be more than one title (~2:12), but I haven’t been able to sort that one out yet. If that happens, I’ll try to replace this with a re-tracked fileset.

Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives

Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive


Colossamite • 1997-03-16
Minneapolis, MN • 7th St. Entry

[01] start (00:19.60)
[02] Bewilderbeast (02:38.70)
[03] interim (00:29.08)
[04] unidentified title (02:56.48)
[05] No Entran Moscas (03:12.49)
[06] Camera Within (01:49.07)
[07] The Down Sound (02:37.29)
[08] interim (00:20.72)
[09] My Driving Hand (05:43.42)
[10] interim (00:32.74)
[11] Tooth Of DaVinci (03:05.38)
[12] interim (01:14.06)
[13] Is To Isn’t (04:43.56)
[14] end runout (10:38.32)

Nick Sakes: Guitar, Vocals
Ed Rodriguez: Guitar
Chad Popple: Drums
John Dieterich: Guitar

bill:
Colossamite
U.S. Maple
You Fantastic [St Louis & Chicago]
The Flying Luttenbachers

Live sound: Andy “Al” Gustafson [?]

Just look at that line-up – a bill made in heaven, right? And yet, I can’t tell you much about the show – nothing at all, really, because even though I recorded the show, I wasn’t there. Normally, I would trust my memory regarding these kinds of details, but in this case, I wasn’t actually there, so this snappy little recording will have to do, because I was on the other side of the wall that separates 7th St Entry from the First Avenue mainroom, bartending for the Jeremy Enigk concert.

The Entry sets were recorded by running my mics through the wall and monitoring my deck at the end of the bar with a headset. I know that everything was not recorded – I certainly missed some parts of the sets by The Flying Luttenbachers and You Fantastic, and it would seem the entire set from U.S. Maple may have gone un-recorded, unless another tape shows up to prove otherwise, as I continue digging through my archives. Somehow though, I had the good fortune to be able to capture the entire set from Colossamite – and it’s a doozy!

Tooth Of DaVinci seems to be an instrumental here – unless the vocal was mixed so low as to be indiscernible, but I’m leaning toward no words.

I have not been able to identify track 3, based on the band’s full-length and four singles, unless I missed a beat somewhere.

Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives

Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive


Colossamite • 1998-03-31
Minneapolis, MN • Terminal Bar

[01] start (00:29.55)
[02] Mr. Somebody Does Something (02:46.20) >
[03] Arkansas Halo (John’s Song) (02:44.41) >
[04] “noise metal” (02:40.33) >
[05] Doom + Doom = Doom (03:04.03) >
[06] Tooth Of DaVinci (03:05.54)
[07] interim (00:27.51)
[08] Porco Dio (01:46.47)
[09] interim (00:45.65)
[10] Hot House (01:25.41)
[11] end runout (03:33.42)

Nick Sakes: Guitar, Vocals
Ed Rodriguez: Guitar
Chad Popple: Drums
John Dieterich: Guitar

bill:
Freedom Fighters
The Dismemberment Plan
Colossamite

I had been recruited by the booking agent at the Terminal Bar, Mary Emerzian, to record a number of bands who performed there, in the hopes that we might be able to curate some sort of official live release series. Unfortunately, that project never really got off the ground, but we did get a handful of decent recordings in the meantime. Like this one.

Pee Dio was listed on the setlist at Porco Dio.

I don’t recall whether Freedom Fighters played 1st or 3rd, but it was one or the other.

Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives

Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive


It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway – it is well worth your time to track down any of the band’s releases:

The Economy Of Motion full-length and All Lingo’s Clamour EP can be purchased directly through the Skin Graft bandcamp page

Both of those releases and a few singles have been spotted on the discogs site

Download or stream all sets by Colossamite from Live Music Archive

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