Twin Cities punk legend Steve Almaas of Suicide Commandos, Beat Rodeo has died
by Reed Fischer
June 05, 2026
Steve Almaas, an influential Twin Cities musician who helped kickstart a local punk scene, has died due to complications of recurrent cancer. Almaas died on Friday afternoon in Beacon, New York, where he lived with his partner Brandy Burre. He was 69.
In addition to being a founding member of the Suicide Commandos, Almaas led the country rock group Beat Rodeo, and was an accomplished solo artist.
Almaas was born in Minneapolis in 1956. Youthful experiments with a variety of instruments eventually led him to the electric bass, and he formed the Suicide Commandos in 1975 with guitarist Chris Osgood, and drummer Dave Ahl. They released their debut album, Make a Record, in 1978. Their raw, unflinching style was apparent on tracks like “Burn It Down” and “Complicated Fun.” Their energetic noise has been cited as an inspiration for the revolutionary ‘80s independent rock scene that eventually included Hüsker Dü, the Replacements, and countless other Twin Cities noisemakers.
By the early 1980s, the Commandos had disbanded. Almaas was living in New York and had branched out into other musical projects, including the Crackers and later the Bongos. With Bongos frontman Richard Barone, Almaas recorded the Beat Rodeo EP with producer Mitch Easter (R.E.M.), which was released in 1982. Eventually, Beat Rodeo became the name of an Almaas-fronted band, and IRS Records put out two albums by the group in the mid-’80s.
Following Beat Rodeo’s breakup, Almaas went on to release several albums under his own name, and played with the Raybeats and Del-Lords. Over the years, he rejoined the Suicide Commandos from time to time, including for a 1996 block party show on Lake Street in south Minneapolis that reportedly brought out thousands of attendees. In 2017, the Commandos put out their second full-length album, Time Bomb.
The Suicide Commandos reformed in 2023 to perform at the Big Hits of Mid-America Volume Three vinyl re-release event at Hopkins Center of the Arts. The performance was released as the live album Highway 16 Revisited in March.
Into late 2025, Almaas was still performing shows leading The Steve Almaas Selection. Due to a return of his cancer that he detailed on Facebook, he had to bow out of participating in the Suicide Commandos’ Farewell Blowout Show at First Avenue in late March. He was present in spirit (and on the big screen) during the star-studded evening featuring appearances by Bob Mould and Craig Finn.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Almaas was a longtime teacher in New York City.
The Suicide Commandos posted the following message on Facebook:
“Our pal Steve passed this afternoon after a long hard battle with cancer. Our hearts go out to Steve's sisters Janet and Judy, Daughter Solveig and TJ, Grandkids Sully and Loa, and Steve's Dear Angel Brandy. Love to all.”
A statement released by former manager Seth Schwartz reads:
“As a friend of singer, songwriter and producer Steve Almaas for over 50 years and the former manager of his NYC-based band Beat Rodeo, it’s my sad duty to inform you that following a recurrence of cancer, Steve died at 1:17 p.m. ET today at the home of his devoted partner Brandy Burre in Beacon NY. Steve would be celebrating his 70th birthday on August 6, 2026; survived by daughter Solveig Almaas, her husband TJ Miani, and two grandchildren.”
This story is developing. Check back for more details.
