Ike Reilly honors ‘warmth and strength’ of Minneapolis ahead of annual First Ave gig

Ike Reilly has been telling the Twin Cities how much he loves playing here for more than two decades, but now he’s letting the rest of the world know.

Ahead of his 21st annual Thanksgiving Eve concert at First Avenue — and coming on the heels of a well-reviewed new documentary on his underdog career — the punk-infused heartland rocker from Libertyville, Ill., released a new single this week titled “At Least Another Day,” which pays homage to his home-away-from-home music scene.

Touting the song’s premiere on Magnet Magazine’s website, Reilly told Magnet, “It was inspired by my time in Minneapolis, the people I love up there and the people I’ve lost from up there.

“We’ve performed at First Avenue on Thanksgiving Eve for more than 20 years. I really love that city and the general warmth and strength of the people. They also take their rock ‘n’ roll seriously, and their appreciation of our band and my songs has fueled us.”

Hardly a feel-good love song, “At Least Another Day” includes lyrical references to the mayhem that followed George Floyd’s murder (“Canisters are dancing off the concrete to Replacements songs”) and to Reilly’s former guitar and sound tech from Minneapolis, Trevor Engelbrektson, who died in a tragic highway wreck in 2019 while on tour with another band (“Head-on collision in the desert”).

Reilly debuted “At Least Another Day” last November at First Ave, which is when he also gave the club’s new sound system its first test run. He and his IRA bandmates (Ike Reilly Assassination) will be back for another Wednesday night blowout on Nov. 27, this one featuring Christy Costello and reunited ‘90s rockers the Delilahs for openers.

The documentary on Reilly, “Don’t Turn Your Back on Friday Night,” is now streaming on Apple TV+, Prime Video and many other platforms.