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As reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Almaas was a founding member of the influential Minneapolis band the Suicide Commandos, whose late-1970s work helped inspire a generation of Twin Cities musicians, including members of Hüsker Dü, the Replacements and Soul Asylum.
After relocating to New York in 1979, Almaas became a fixture on the downtown music scene. He played in several bands, including Beat Rodeo, the group for which he became best known. The band is widely regarded as an early pioneer of the Americana and alt-country sound that would later gain broader popularity. Beat Rodeo released two albums on I.R.S. Records in the 1980s, with the group's debut produced by Mitch Easter, who also worked on R.E.M.'s earliest recordings.
Almaas also recorded several solo records and was a frequent collaborator with other musicians. Friends quoted by the Star Tribune remembered Almaas as a connector who brought musicians together.
In addition to music, Almaas worked as a teacher, librarian and community advocate. In recent years, he lived in the Hudson Valley, where he worked at the Woodstock Public Library.
He is survived by his partner, Brandy Burre; two sisters, Janet Almaas Pickford and Judy Almaas; his daughter, Solveig; son-in-law TJ; and grandchildren Sully and Loa.
We knew Steve from our many evenings at Sophie's in the days leading up to the launch of EVG. He lived on the same block of Fifth Street and was one of the bar's memorable cast of characters.
We would occasionally run into him in recent years. Unaware of his health challenges, we didn't realize what he had been facing when we crossed paths this spring.
When asked how he was doing, he paused for a moment and said, "Just trying to enjoy all the positive things in life."
He smiled, as upbeat as ever, said goodbye and continued down the block.
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