W♥M

Xmas24: Red White and Blue Edition

Read more Christmas and Red White and Blue.

White Christmas by Laibach and Silence Read More Bing Crosby There is no one closely associated with the Holiday Christmas spirit than Bing Crosby.... who could forget his rendition of "White Christmas" or his duet with the The Thin White Duke David Bowie? …

Laibach
laibach.org

Slovenian and Yugoslav music group Laibach recently shared “White Christmas.” For this special seasonal release, they have worked with fellow Slovenian artists, Silence.

“White Christmas” was originally written by Irving Berlin, a Russian-born Jewish immigrant who didn’t celebrate Christmas, for the 1942 musical, Holiday Inn. The Bing Crosby is the best-selling single ever according to Guinness World Records.

LAIBACH – OPUS DEI TOUR:

2/7/2025 - Ljubljana, Kino Šiška, SI

2/16/2025 - Krakow, Kwadrat, PL

2/18/2025- Ostrava, Barrak, CZ

2/19/2025 - Vienna, Arena, AT

2/20/2025 - Jena, F-Haus, DE

2/21/2025 - Sittard, Poppodium Volt, NL

2/22/2025 - London, Islington Assembly Hall, UK

2/23/2025 - Manchester, Ritz, UK

2/24/2025 - Southampton, The 1865, UK

2/25/2025 - Bristol, Trinity Centre, UK

2/27/2025 - Lausanne, Les Docks, CH

2/28/2025 – Bologna, Link, IT

3/1/2025 - Nova Gorica, SNG Nova Gorica, SI

3/4/2025 - Skopje, Macedonian Philharmonic, MK

3/5/2025 - Athens, Gazarte, GR

3/6/2025 - Sofia, Pirotska 5, BG

3/7/2025 - Bucharest, Quantic Club, RO

3/8/2025 - Beograd, Dom Omladine, RS

3/21/2025 - Maribor, Narodni dom, SI

Red Water (Christmas Mourning) by Kap Bambino Read More Type O Negative Cristina stopped in to talk about Peter Steele's unexpected death. Steele is best known for being the singer and songwriter of goth/metal band Type O Negative. He died of heart failure at the age of 48. …

Kap Bambino
kapbambino.com

French electronic duo Kap Bambino continues their Christmas onslaught with the release of their version of Type O Negative’s “Red Water (Christmas Mourning).”

We Wish You A Merry Gothmas

The song is taken from their unique holiday compilation album We Wish You A Merry Gothmas!, bringing darkness and sadness to all from some of the biggest and most current artists in gothic and industrial (Lebanon Hanover, Priest, R. Missing, Skold, David J (of Bauhaus), Die Krupps, Xiu Xiu, Rosetta Stone, just to name a few).

Track listing:

1. We Wish You A Merry Gothmas - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
2. Little Drummer Boy - R. Missing
3. If We Make It Through December - Buzz Kull
4. Christmases When You Were Mine - David J
5. Red Water (Christmas Mourning) - Kap Bambino
6. Sleigh Ride - La Scaltra
7. Carol of the Bells - Priest
8. Silent Night - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
9. Driven Like the Snow - Rosetta Stone
10. Father Christmas - Skold
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - The KVB
12. Reindeer - This Cold Night
13. Frosty the Snowman - Xiu Xiu
14. Santa Claus - Die Krupps

CD ONLY TRACKS
15. Deck the Halls - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
16. Last Christmas - Missing Persons
17. The Snow Miser Song - 45 Grave
18. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Leæther Strip
19. You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Malcolm McDowell & Cleopatra’s Dark Ensemble
20. Carol Of The Bells - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble

Blue Christmas by King Hannah Read More Elvis Presley Nothing brings back cherished holiday memories, and creates new ones, like classic Elvis Christmas songs. This holiday album includes everyone's favorite holiday tracks and offers the perfect soundtrack to accent your Christmas traditions. ....

King Hannah
kinghannah.com

Liverpool indie rock duo, King Hannah has gotten into the holiday spirit with their own rendition of “Blue Christmas.”

The acoustic cover of the holiday classic, King Hannah strips the tune down to its emotional core, blending dreamy guitar work with delicate, atmospheric vocals.

The duo wrote, “We’ve been singing Blue Christmas together for the past couple of years, and so it felt right to celebrate our favourite time of year in the only way that we know how; singing and harmonising together. Traditionally a love song about spending Christmas alone and longing for lost loved ones, we hope that our simple arrangement of just two vocals and one 60’s Gibson acoustic guitar enhances the romance and peacefulness that this time of year brings on cold, silent winter nights.”

The original “Blue Christmas” song was written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson, but made famous by Elvis Presley.

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: January 1 to January 4, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

01 Jan 2025 Wednesday

New Year Day
at America

It’s New Year Day and the start of the 2025 year.

02 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry Read More Landon Conrath Minneapolis indie-pop artist Landon Conrath will close out the year with a headline show at the 7th Street Entry on December 30. We will be covering the show. ...

02 Jan 2025 Thursday

Landon Conrath
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Every week in January, local musician Landon Conrath will be playing the 7th Street Entry.

Landon Conrath (30 Dec 2022)

We caught Conrath in Dec 2022, and wrote, “Landon Conrath is one of those conflicted musicians when it comes to finding his way in the music industry. He started off as a drummer in a high school band Harbor & Home (who we saw in July 2019). But when a bike accident led to a broken wrist, he searched for other ways to keep playing music. That’s when he started writing and producing his own music, posting his creations on social media during the middle of the pandemic. And by the time he released “Acetown” he had garnered four million listens on Spotify.”

Support acts will be announced closer to the dates.

Residency:

02 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

09 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

16 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

03 Jan 2025 The Holy North with The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan at 7th St Entry Read More The Holy North If The Holy North (previously known as Ty Pow & the Holy North) were a cupcake, their base would be a little bluesy, their frosting would be rock and the jimmies on top would be alt country …

03 Jan 2025 Friday

The Holy North
with The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Local band The Holy North is headlining the 7th Street Entry on January 3, 2025.

The Holy North at Mankato Ribfest (03 Aug 2024)

We saw The Holy North in Aug 2024 and said, “If The Holy North (previously known as Ty Pow & the Holy North) were a cupcake, their base would be a little bluesy, their frosting would be rock and the jimmies on top would be alt country. Kevin on the Keyboards played like the delicate paper wrapping holding them together. It might even be Minnesotan favorite flavor of Rhubarb as their debut album was titled Rhubarb ‘93 even though it was released in ‘22. By the way, we've all been invited over to Tyler’s house for the after-show party. Appeals were made jokingly that we refrain from expending too much energy as the excitement that we felt seeing them should be saved for the following bands.”

The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan to open.

Details:

1/3/25 Album Release Show @ 7th St
With The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan
12pm - 10pm
701 First Avenue North Minneapolis, 55403

04 Jan 2025 Early Eyes with Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY at Fine Line Read More Early Eyes Early Eyes is a name new to many, the Minneapolis indie-pop/rock quintet only becoming a band in late 2016, but they’ve already attracted Hippo Campus-like buzz from very early-on. Second EP, Decorating, is just out and … Killed By Kiwis The openers listed for the show is Sass and Killed By Kiwis. Also, Products are super excited to be playing with their heroes ...

04 Jan 2025 Saturday

Early Eyes
with Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Local band Early Eyes is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on January 4, 2025.

Early Eyes’s album Looks Alive! came out on Epitaph Records, in 2022.

Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY to open. These two bands were previously billed together in July 2023: “Twin Citie’s alt rock/grunge band Oister Boy is having an album release party this July 9th, at the 7th Street Entry. Also Killed By Kiwis is also on the bill. The band was previously seen with Products in Mar 2023.”

Killed By Kiwis writes:

Now is the time for community action and mutual aid. Killed by Kiwis will be donating our portion of the door from the Fine Line show on Jan 4th to @tctransmutualaid. TCTMA will also be tabling at the event, accepting donations and selling art like the one featured on the first slide. You also can donate to @tctransmutualaid through their Venmo shown on the third slide or the cash app link in our bio.

Stay safe
Protect those most vulnerable
Don’t let the bastards grind you down

Oister Boy writes:

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! on January 4th we’ll be punking up the beautiful @finelinempls with the LEGENDARY @earlyeyesband alongside our fierce friends @killedbykiwis PLUS a top secret TBA that you simply can’t afford to miss 👀😈

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW THESE PUPPIES WILL GO FAST 💋💋

photos by the enigmatic @thelovelystarrr

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

TekTok: Candy Con and Standard Notes

Read more Technology.

Candy Con Features Wireless: Wireless freedom with Bluetooth 5.0 delivering lag-free connectivity up to 25ft. 10 Hr Battery: Long-lasting power with a built-in 600mAH battery offering up to 10 hours of uninterrupted playtime. Triggers/Buttons: Take your gameplay to the next level with precision Linear Triggers, Turbo options and 2 x Programmable Back Buttons. Rumble: Dual Rumble with 3 levels of vibration. Motion Controls: Gyroscopic Motion Controls Your Controller: Personalize your controller with a full line of swappable faceplates, d-pads and thumb sticks – sold separately. NOTE: CANDY CON controllers are compatible with Switch and PC. Hall Effect Thumb Grips as Standard: Hall effect joystick adopts magnetic induction principle, close to 0 wear and tear under normal use, effectively prolonging the life of the joystick. Drift resistant, 5 million service life. High smoothness paired with joystick algorithm. Read More Xbox These custom Xbox Design Lab Controllers can get very expensive. If you want metallic triggers, that’s an extra $10. If you want rubber grips, that’s extra… You can go all out and spend about $200 on a controller. …

Candy Con
candyconlab.com

This may be a Gamestop exclusive, as I cannot find this Candy Con for sale anywhere, including Amazon, which will only show you candy corn.

First of all, I own a lot of controllers. May over a dozen controllers, mostly Xbox and Switch controllers. Why do I have so many? Most of them are because of the art and design. For example, I own at least three Fallout controllers, including the recent limited edition Xbox Design Lab Controllers.

Anyway, recently, I made an impulse purchase of the Candy Con when I saw the Transformers Soundwave Combo Pack. This is a pre-designed set that you can use with the base Candy Con controllers. The base unit, which comes in black or white, will cost $35, and with the Transformers faceplates (held in place with magnets), it’ll cost you another $17, for a total of a little over $50.

What I like about this design is obviously you can mix and match the controller to your preference. Not feeling Soundwave today? You can change it up to Hotrod’s design, etc.

The other cool thing is that you can use this as a wired USB-C, or you can use it wireless using the PC dongle or Bluetooth. The advertisement on the box says for Nintendo Switch or PC, but if you use the wired USB-C to your Xbox, I’m sure it’ll work just fine as it uses the standard controller configuration (although I have not tested this out myself). There is a button on the back of the controller, default to PC, but you can move it to Switch.

Since the controller was designed as a Switch controller, it does come with Dual Rumble and Gyroscopic Motion Controls, which I personally don’t care for.

The triggers use Linear Triggers as well as Hall Effect Thumb Grips (this means no stick drift).

Overall, I think for the price, this is a good product, especially for the customization. My only complaint is that wireless dongle is very large and I wish there was a way to store the dongle on the controller, when I’m not using it. I just know I will lose the dongle.

The other thing I didn’t care for but the select and menu button are tiny buttons at the bottom of the controller with a “-“ and “+” icon. There is also middle button is not label; I have no idea what this button does. I am assuming this is the share button (screen capture or video recording).

I have never used the back macro buttons, but I like the fact that it’s there. The way I use my controllers, I never feel the need to create a custom function.

Standard Notes About Standard Notes Standard Notes is a private and secure end-to-end encrypted notes app. It allows you to write and sync your notes across all your devices, including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and web browser. Private means your notes are end-to-end encrypted, so only you can read your notes. Even we can't read the contents of your notes. Simple means it does one job and does it well. Standard Notes is a safe and lasting place for your life's work. Our focus is making it easy to write notes wherever you are and syncing them with encryption to all your devices. Our users love us for: • Personal Notes • Tasks & Todos • Passwords & Keys • Code & Technical Procedures • Private Journal • Meeting Notes • Cross-platform Scratchpad • Books, Recipes, & Movies • Health & Fitness Log Read More Google Keep I also like the mousepad, but it doesn’t always work with all the applications. For example, it doesn’t seem to work with Google’s Keep. I am assuming it will work better with native Apple Applications, such as Safari or their iOS Mail App. …

Standard Notes
standardnotes.com

Ever since I said goodbye to Google (because they were demanding $50 a month for their services), I have been searching for a Google Keep alternative. What I like about Google Keep was that it was non-formatted text and I can sync and access my notes on my phone to my desktop PC. I used to use Apple’s Notes App, but since they updated to rich (formatted) text, it became unusable to me. I can’t use Microsoft’s One Note either because there’s no way to remove formatting.

The best plain text-only application I have found is called Standard Notes, available for free on iOS, MacOS, Android, and Windows. I love this software! I use it to take quick notes on my phone, and when I’m at home, I can access those notes on my computer. If you don’t want to install their application, you can sign in on their web interface, just as long as you remember the link or bookmark it.

Again, I’m only interested in the plain text aspect. I copy and paste things from the web and I do not want or care for the formatting, so Standard Notes is the perfect program for me.

Here’s my workflow. I will take quick notes on my iPhone at a concert. Maybe during the show, I might look up a lyric online. I’ll copy the title of the song and paste it in Standard Notes. You can understand why I do not care for any formatting, because I’m only interested in the text. Now that I have all my notes, I will access it on my desktop at home.

This is how I use Standard Notes, so I am happy with the bare-bones features. However, if you wanted to use it as journaling book or edit and create formulas and rich formatting, you have two additional paid options: Productivity and Professional.

If you want to use rich text or 2FA authenticator services, offline file access, and other features, it’ll cost you $90 or $120 a year. The prices are competitive with, say Evernote, which is $129.99 a year for personal, and $169.99 a year for professional.

Right note, Standard Notes is running a Black Friday Sale, so the prices are half-off at $45 and $60, respectively.

I don’t need all the bells and whistles; the free plain text note syncing is exactly what I need.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

29 Nov 2024 Xeno & Oaklander with Magenta Vice at Turf Club Xeno & Oaklander Tour Dates 1 DEC Salt Lake City, UT International Artist Lounge 3 DEC Portland, OR Dante's 4 DEC Seattle, WA Substation 5 DEC Vancouver, BC, Canada The Cobalt 7 DEC San Francisco, CA Kilowatt 8 DEC Los Angeles, CA The Paramount 9 DEC San Diego, CA Soda Bar 10 DEC Joshua Tree, CA Firehouse 11 DEC Phoenix, AZ Last Exit Live 12 DEC Denver, CO Hi-Dive 14 DEC Kansas City, MO miniBar 17 DEC Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 19 DEC Baltimore, MD Metro Baltimore 20 DEC Ridgewood, NY TV Eye 21 DEC Philadelphia, PA MilkBoy 4 FEB Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK Zerox 7 FEB London, UK The Lexington 8 FEB Grauzone festival Paard, The Hague, NL 14 FEB Madrid, Spain Maravillas Club Read More Xeno & Oaklander Xeno & Oaklander and Body Of Light to open. Also, DJ Jake Rudh from Transmission will be playing music before and between sets. …

It was a night of synthpop at Turf Club as Xeno & Oaklander took to the stage. They are currently touring in support of their most recent album, Via Negativa (in the doorway light).

Opener Magenta Vice is a local Twin Cities electronic duo, although both John and Erik are involved in many projects. (Side note: I last saw Erik at Turf Club in the gothic folk band Quaking Bogge. As he said prior to the show, “I like very different things”.) Magenta Vice, with their own neon sign, had a very busy set up, with multiple synthesizers, drum pad, and occasional guitar.

It was probably a good thing that this was mostly a lyric free set, as both performers were busy switching instruments throughout and between songs. As you can imagine, this had a “wall of sound” density to it, with the guitar being a striking contrast. That neon theme continued as the sticks for the drum pad lit up and again towards the end of the set as the band mates put on neon visor glasses. That neon vibe was a pretty good distillation of the musical feel for Magenta Vice.

As Xeno & Oaklander (aka Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo) began their set, they had a digital backdrop that initially showed their name but played a variety of images throughout the show. It was a fine and dark atmosphere for the duo, who were lit up with reds and purples for the majority of the set.

An audience coming for synth heavy sound was not disappointed. Those synthesizers created a layered sound that was then punctuated by the vocals. Wendelbo’s ethereal tone rides on top as the highest layer, while McBride’s yelled/sung vocal style creates the bottom layer.

Wendelbo handled the majority of the lyrics and projected a cool as ice attitude that was really excellent. She often came out from her instrumental set up and roamed the stage, creating a visual focal point. McBride was tethered behind the table but looked comfortable and in the zone throughout.

The songs were very danceable, and the transitions were great, as they moved seamlessly from one to the next with little to no stage banter. It felt very well-choreographed and it’s clear they have been doing this together for quite a while.

Those smooth transitions made it hard to identify many of the individual songs being played, though the title track from the new album was obvious. When I spoke with McBride after the show about that, he laughed and said that what they played was out of order with what they had on their written list anyway.

I talked with McBride about the long collaboration with Wendelbo, asking him what the greatest joy and greatest annoyance there is with that long history. He had a good list for the joys that all centered on the shared experience and trust, saying they can add on top of each other both musically and lyrically. It creates a synergy that they both can capitalize on. For the annoyance, he said that it can sometimes be hard to truly be spontaneous.

We also talked about genre labels and, perhaps unsurprisingly, how those mostly don’t fit as they oversimplify. The cold wave label is one that McBride pointed out as being deficient, as that really should be a more time bound description of 70’s & early 80’s bands. He did say that whatever genre label people have in mind, it’s a thrill for Xeno & Oaklander to be able to tour and perform for the live audiences.

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

Magenta Vice at Turf Club St Paul MN (2024-11-29)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis & San Francisco: This Week (12/08/2024)

04 Dec 2024 Greet Death with Prize Horse at Turf Club Read More Greet Death Flint’s Greet Death is headlining the Turf Club, in St Paul, on December 4, 2024. The band recently shared a new single called “Same But Different Now,” their first music since 2022. ... Prize Horse Disq and Prize Horse to open. Tour dates: Sept. 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church * Sept. 29 - Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom * Sept. 30 - Montreal, QC @ Bar le Ritz * ...

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

04 Dec 2024 Wednesday

Greet Death
with Prize Horse
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Flint’s Greet Death is headlining the Turf Club, in St Paul, on December 4, 2024. The band recently shared a new single called “Same But Different Now,” their first music since 2022.

Prize Horse to open.

Tour dates:

Nov. 01 Atlanta, GA - The Earl

Nov. 02 New Orleans, LA - Siberia

Nov. 03 Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR

Dec. 04 Chicago, IL - Subterranean

Dec. 05 Kansas City, MO - MiniBar

Dec. 06 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive

Dec. 07 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court

Dec. 09 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord

Dec. 10 Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing

Dec. 11 Las Vegas, NV - Sinwave

Dec. 12 Los Angeles, CA - Knucklehead Bar

Dec. 13 San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

Dec. 14 Mesa, AZ - The Nile Underground

Dec. 15 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad

Dec. 17 Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas

Dec. 18 Dallas, TX - Club Dada

Dec. 19 Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street

Dec. 20 St. Louis, MO - Black Circle

Dec. 22 Detroit, MI - The Magic Bag

06 Dec 2024 Tophouse with Griffin William Sherry at Fine Line Read More TopHouse Montana-bred/Nashville-based, indie-folk quartet TopHouse is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on December 6th, 2024. The band’s latest EP Theory is out now, but look forward to their upcoming …

06 Dec 2024 Friday

Tophouse
with Griffin William Sherry
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Montana-bred/Nashville-based, indie-folk quartet TopHouse is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on December 6th, 2024. The band’s latest EP Theory is out now, but look forward to their upcoming EP Practice in February 14, 2025.

Griffin William Sherry to open.

TopHouse Upcoming 2024 Tour Dates

Dec 4 – Milwaukee, WS – Vivarium

Dec 5 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

Dec 6 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

Dec 7 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre

Dec 8 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway

Dec 28 – Chattanooga, TN – Barrelhouse Ballroom

Dec 29 – Lexington, KY – The Burl

Dec 30 – Nashville, TN – The Mil

Dec 31 – Nashville, TN – The Mil

Jan 14 – Telluride, CO – The Alibi

Jan 15 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen

Jan 17 – Buena Vista, CO – The Lariat

Jan 18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre

Jan 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell

Feb 2-9 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – String Break Cruise!

Feb 20 – Houston, TX – Last Concert Cafe

Feb 21 – Austin, TX – The Far Out Lounge & Stage

Feb 22 – Dallas, TX – Ferris Wheelers

March 5 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room

March 6 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre

March 7 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre

March 8 – Washington DC – Howard Theatre

March 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Ardmore Music Hall

March 12 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall Hartford

March 13 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

March 14 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall

March 15 – Lansing, MI – Grewall Hall

March 16 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater

March 27 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom

March 28 – Columbus, OH – Athenaeum Theatre

March 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre

April 9 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall

April 10 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom

April 11 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox

April 12 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma

April 13 – Billings, MT – Pub Station

May 10 – London, UK – The Garage

06-07 Dec 2024 Dandy Warhols at Bimbo's 365 Club (San Francisco) Read More The Dandy Warhols You know we like The Dandy Warhols... and they love "Minnesoter." Minneapolis is pretty much the only city where they will automatically play "Minnesoter", which are often not written on their .…

06 Dec 2024 Friday
07 Dec 2024 Saturday

Dandy Warhols
at Bimbo's 365 Club (San Francisco)
bimbos365club.com

The Dandy Warhols are celebrating their 30th year anniversary in style with TWO nights Fri, 12/6 & Sat, 12/7.

In another indie rock instance of “You know you’re old…,” we complete this sentence with, “...when the band you danced to in the ‘90s suddenly announces a tour celebrating 30 years in the business.” In this case, the Dandy Warhols—that indie-sleazy, slightly britpop, all-partying, ultra-dancefloor-vibes Portland band that first formed in 1994—says they can hardly believe they’ve made it this far themselves. “It feels like about six… maybe seven [years],” said lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor. To ring their three-decade hallmark, the band often known for being tongue-in-cheeky instigators on and off the stage have announced a string of “December festivities,” including West Coast concerts, fan parties, and maybe some hijinks like in their ‘90s to aughts heyday. But who knows? Maybe, like they famously sing, “heroin is so passé.” Should be fun, nonetheless.

Tour Dates

Dec 2 Los Angeles, CA Moroccan Lounge

Dec 3 Los Angeles, CA Moroccan Lounge

Dec 4 Los Angeles, CA Moroccan Lounge

Dec 6 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club

Dec 7 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club

Dec 11 Portland, OR Mission Theater /Little Clouds Showcase*

Dec 12 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom^

Dec 13 Portland, OR Fan Party @ Odditorium%

Dec 14 Tacoma, WA Spanish Ballroom

Dec 15 Tacoma, WA Spanish Ballroom - Fan Brunch%

* The Little Clouds Showcase will be co-hosted by The Dandy Warhols (no performance), featuring sets by LSD & The Search For God (headliner), Sun Atoms (direct support featuring Peter Holmström from The Dandy Warhols), and Tremours (opener)
^ a DJ set by Zia McCabe (a.k.a. DJ Rescue) follows the Dec. 12th show, one floor below in Lola's Room. Free to all ticket holders.
% Fan meet & greet party (no performance)

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Flashback: Bat For Lashes at 7th Street Entry (26 July 2007)

Bat for Lashes Setlist Trophy Tahiti Horse and I I Saw a Light The Wizard What's a Girl to Do? Sad Eyes Sarah Prescilla Read More Bat for Lashes Bat for Lashes is currently back in the U.S. to tour with Depeche Mode, but in between those dates, the band booked a few headlining side shows. Not surprising since they did a similar deal when they played Coachella.…

Minneapolis fans may have discovered Bat For Lashes from their appearance on The Current and then at the Varsity Theater on October 3, 2007… but did you know their first appearance was actually a few months earlier at the 7th Street Entry?

That’s right, before they became popular, they headlined the 7th Street Entry on July 26, 2007, with only a handful of songs.

The band did have a full debut album called Fur and Gold, which came out a year (2006) on the Echo Label, but it wasn’t until they had a viral hit in 2007 and earned a Mercury Prize nomination, did major label Parlophone re-issued and marketed it for 2007.

As you can see from the photos, she had a full all-women band. They had an Indian-esq vibe, especially with the Shaman scepter.

Behind the scenes, this was their first time in America and their manager named Dick, was personally their tour manager as well.

Although we’re big fans, I never thought the band really took off in America. I wish they had, so we can see them live more often. Instead, we’ve only seen them two other times, at the Varsity Theater in Aug 2009 and opening for Depeche Mode in Aug 2013.

Original report:

When I saw Beatrix*JAR walk past me, I was shock to find out that they were the opening band for Bat for Lashes. I've seen them before at the Bryant-Lake Bowl and I know they sound nothing like Bat, but more similar to such DJ acts like Bentley Rhythm Ace.

It was cool though; I think the audience wasn't expecting two DJs doing some live mixes on stage. I recorded a 50 second clip to show you what they sound like.

The crowd for Bat for Lashes was really healthy, more people showed up than I had expected. It was evident that a lot of these fans loved the video for “What’s a Girl to Do” because the crowd instantly started cheering when the first few notes of the song was played.

I think the best part about the show was the unconventional musical instruments that was brought on stage, including the infamous Shaman's scepter (the ceremonial head of the staff was removed, so it just looked like an ordinary wooden stick).

I'm including the rest of their tour - so check them out if they're coming to your town.

Read more Flashback.

Beatrix*JAR

Bat for Lashes at 7th Street Entry (26 July 2007 )

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Florida Theatre

Read More Molly Hatchet In the early 1970s, a new form of music was emerging in the South. A mixture of blues, country, gospel and the English invasion of rock and roll that later was to be coined the phrase “Southern Rock.” Yellowcard Yellowcard, the band, got their name from an iteration of the sport’s penalty, meaning if someone spilled a beer at a party, the offender was issued a yellow card for the party foul. Out of Jacksonville, FL, they are comprised …

As you know by now, I go into hibernation for the winter. This time it’s a little different, for the next three or four months, I will be temporarily residing in Jacksonville, Florida.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about the city. I did do a little research and shocked to discover the city has about 1 million people living there… that’s twice as large as Minneapolis! In fact, it’s the most populous city in Florida, and the largest in the South outside the state of Texas.

I don’t know what the music scene is like, but here are some famous bands from Jacksonville:

• Lynyrd Skynyrd: Outlaw country, Blues-rock
• Limp Bizkit: Nu metal, Rap rock
• Molly Hatchet: Blues-rock, Boogie rock
• Yellowcard: Pop punk, Emo
• Shinedown: Hard rock, Alternative metal

Molly Hatchet at Sac and Fox Casino (23 July 2022)

We’ve seen a few of those bands, including Molly Hatchet in July 2022: “Jacksonville, FL band Molly Hatchet brought their signature mixture of English invasion rock, blues, country and gospel to the Sac and Fox Casino, in Powhattan, KS for a complimentary show filled with classic hits and newer favorites. The band formed in the early 1970s and, along with their contemporaries Lynyrd Skynyrd and other Florida and Georgia bands, brought together what we have come to know as Southern Classic Rock.”

Here are some bands coming to the Florida Theatre, in Jacksonville, Florida:

Read More Dave Koz Dave Koz, July 15, Kauffman Center LA sax player Koz and his friends Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot and Mindi Abair turned to producer Paul Brown to help them realize the vision for 2013’s first outing of Summer Horns (Concord Records) …

Dave Koz & Friends
at Florida Theatre
03 Dec 2024
floridatheatre.com

Dave Koz & Friends is on their 27th anniversary edition of the longest-running jazz-based Christmas tour. The tour will stop in at the Florida Theatre, in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 3, 2024.

This year, Koz reunites with long-time musical partner, guitarist/singer Jonathan Butler, and features saxophonist Vincent Ingala, guitarist Adam Hawley and vocalist Rebecca Jade as special guests.

Why see this show? Just ‘koz…

Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2024

11/29 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

11/30 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall

12/2 – Naples, FL – Hayes Hall Artis-Naples

12/3 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre

12/5 – North Bethesda, MD – The Music Center

12/6 – Newport News, VA – Ferguson Center

12/7 – New Haven, CT – John Lyman Center

12/8 – Cleveland, OH – Connor Palace at Playhouse Square

12/11 – Warren, OH – Robins Theatre

12/12 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre

12/13 – Carmel, IN – The Palladium

12/14 – Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre

12/15 – Detroit, MI – Music Hall Center

12/18 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater

12/19 – San Diego, CA – Balboa Theatre

12/20 – Cerritos, CA – Cerritos Center

12/21 – Cerritos, CA – Cerritos Center

12/22 – Palm Desert, CA – McCallum Theatre

12/23 – Modesto, CA – Gallo Center For The Arts

Read More Ben Folds Five I recently found out that Ben Folds will be releasing a brand new album called So There, slated for release on September 11th... with a November tour date to follow! …

Ben Folds
with Lindsey Kraft
at Florida Theatre
21 Dec 2024
floridatheatre.com

The great Ben Folds will be ending his tour at the Florida Theatre, in Jacksonville, on December 21, 2024. Folds released his first-ever Christmas album on New West Records… so expect some Christmas-ey songs on this tour in December.

Ben Folds Five at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (29 Sep 2012)

We saw Ben Folds in Sep 2012, and got this incredible story about Folds’ first tour in Minneapolis. He will never, ever come to Minneapolis in the Winter since then. Here is the story: “Ben Folds told this great story about their first gig in Minneapolis at the 7th Street Entry. If you live around here, you know that place is tiny, so I had this vision of their grand piano taking up 90% of the stage. It was the first time the band came to Minneapolis and they had no idea how cold it was. It was snowing, negative 60 degree (at least that's what they said!), and they were moving the piano outside. They had "jackets" on but it was so cold, they ran back inside - leaving the piano in the middle of the street! Lessons learned.”

Lindsey Kraft to open.

Ben Folds On Tour:

December 2, 2024 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center

December 4, 2024 - Naples, FL - Hayes Hall

December 10, 2024 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall

December 11, 2024 - Austin, TX - ACL Live

December 12, 2024 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre

December 14, 2024 - Fayetteville, AR - Walton Arts Center

December 15, 2024 - Shreveport, LA - The Strand Theatre

December 17, 2024 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore

December 18, 2024 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall

December 19, 2024 - Huntsville, AL - Mars Music Hall

December 21, 2024 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre

Read More Drew Holcomb Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors is a Nashville band, whose members usually include Holcomb’s wife, Ellie, though she was understandably absent as the couple just had their newborn …

Drew & Ellie Holcomb
at Florida Theatre
13 Feb 2025
floridatheatre.com

Drew & Ellie Holcomb are on tour in support of their new studio album Memory Bank.

Their tour will stop by the Fitzgerald Theater, in St Paul, in March, but before they do, they are stopping by the Florida Theatre, in Florida, on February 13, 2025.

Drew Holcomb at First Avenue (21 Sep 2023)

We saw Drew Holcomb in Sep 2023, and wrote, “Drew Holcomb (billed as Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors) came out excited and stating how amazing it was to be at First Avenue’s main room. The singer said that it was their goal to play this room and so it was such an honor that so many diehard fans have come out to support the group. The group prides themselves as knowing everybody in the audience (and I believe them!). First Avenue was, by far, the largest venue as headliner, having played the tiny 7th Street Entry in March 2012 and at the now-defunct Triple Rock Social Club in September 2013. Every time they come back, they got a larger crowd and larger stage.”

Tour Dates:

Feb 5 at Saenger Theatre in Mobile, AL

Feb 6 at Albany Municipal Auditorium in Albany, GA

Feb 7 at The Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, TN

Feb 8 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, TN

Feb 11 at House of Blues Orlando in Orlando, FL

Feb 13 at Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL

Feb 14 at Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, GA

Feb 15 at Mississippi State University in Meridian, MS

Feb 16 at Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, AL

Feb 18 at Knight Theatre in Charlotte, NC

Feb 19 at Newberry Opera House in Newberry, SC

Feb 20 at Charleston Music Hall in Charleston, SC

Feb 22 at Sony Hall in New York, NY

Feb 23 at Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC

Feb 25 at Kent State Univ. in New Philadelphia, OH

Feb 26 at Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, OH

Feb 28 at Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac, MI

Mar 1 at Blue Gate Theater in Shipshewana, IN

Mar 2 at The Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, MN

Mar 4 at Barrymore Theatre in Madison, WI

Mar 6 at The Englert Theatre in Iowa City, IA

Mar 7 at Stiefel Theatre in Salina, KS

Mar 8 at The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, MO

Mar 9 at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL

Mar 27 at The Heights Theater in Houston, TX

Mar 28 at Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX

Mar 29 at Majestic Theatre in Dallas, TX

Apr 2 at Uptown Theatre in Napa, CA

Apr 3 at The Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA

Apr 4 at House of Blues Anaheim in Anaheim, CA

Apr 6 at Humphrey's in San Diego, CA

May 3 at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Never Eat Soggy Waffles

Read more East West Under the Ocean.

23 Jan – 02 Feb 2025 Great Northern Festival at Minneapolis/St Paul Read More Great Northern The Great Northern presented by Target is an annual 10-day winter celebration in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It brings together three longstanding festivals, the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival, the Saint Paul Winter …

Great Northern Festival
thegreatnorthernfestival.com

Minnesota’s Great Northern announced their 2025 festival lineup recently.

Great Northern at 7th Street (17 Nov 2007)

Their name actually reminded me of the band Great Northern, who I saw in Nov 2007: “… I hadn't heard of them at the time, but was impressed with their dreamy vocals over shoegazey melodies. I even went so far as to produce this drawing of them. The drawing capture (now former) bassist Ashley Dzerigian and singer Rachel Stolte talking about deer and their love of nature (note: horse shirt and crow on the keyboard).”

It would be cool if they could get Great Northern to headline a Great Northern Festival.

Anyway, the Great Northern Festival will run January 23 to February 2, 2025, and will take place at various venues in Minneapolis and St Paul. Most of the events are free, please check their website for additional information.

Some Great Northern events:

The Great Northern Launch Party – January 23 | 6:00 p.m. | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
Kick off the festival with a guided sauna tour along with a special outdoor viewing of Prince’s Sign O’ the Times concert projected onto the United Crushers building. Gather around cozy fire pits to enjoy delicious eats and signature cocktails at the Malcolm Yards food hall.

The Great Northern Sauna Village – January 23-February 2 | Hours Vary | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
The Great Northern Sauna Village offers outdoor sauna sessions, sound bathing, forest bathing and the start and finish lines of a winter run. It also offers special sauna sessions, including Family Day, Senior Day, BIPOC Community Steam, German Aufguss and Guided Thermaculture.

Jeremy Dutcher – January 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Ice House.
Indigenous Two-Spirit singer and composer Jeremy Dutcher (Tobique First Nation) makes his Minnesota debut at the Great Northern 2025 with a show at Ice House. Sung in English and Wolastoqey, the language of the Wolastoqiyik people, Dutcher’s sophomore album Motewolonuwok blends neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences to deliver a moving and powerful performance.

Dutcher’s debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, was awarded some of Canada’s most prestigious music awards, including the Polaris Music Prize and the Juno Award. Don’t miss your chance to see the performer NPR referred to as “the newest light in Canada’s Indigenous resistance.”

Climate Solution Series – January 25 & 26 | 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | American Swedish Institute.
Join us for two days full of talks, live podcasts, and community workshops. Highlights include: nationally recognized experts, Dr. Britt Wray of CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry and Leah Thomas, founder of the nonprofit Intersectional Environmentalist, will discuss climate change, navigating climate anxiety and building meaningful community. Additionally, national podcast Vibe Check, with hosts Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, will record a live podcast about climate advocacy and making sense of the post-election and inauguration moment.

Winter Run – February 1 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
All ages and abilities are invited to partake in a winter run, starting and finishing at The Great Northern Sauna Village. Enjoy a healing sauna session after the run.

K’óoben Pop-Up – February 1 | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Glass House.
This can’t-miss culinary cocktail party-style celebration features specialty dishes and beverage pairings from renowned local chefs including Gustavo Romero (Oro by Nixta); José Alarcón (previously Centro, Vivir); Noe Lara (Pints & Paddles); Mike Hidalgo (Rumba); Daniel Guerrero (Colita); and Daniel D Torres (Rumba).

New West 2025 Tour

New West
newwest199x.com

Canadian band New West, winner of Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, will be touring in support of their debut LP Based on a True Story.

The group features multi-instrumentalists Kala Wita, Vella, Ben Key and Noel West (assuming the band’s name is named after Noel!).

The band will stop in St Paul, at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, on March 8, 2025.

NEW WEST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR ‘25 TOUR DATES:

Feb 12 - Winnipeg, MB - The Park Theatre

Feb 14 - Edmonton, AB - Midway Music Hall

Feb 15 - Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Bar

Feb 18 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre

Feb 19 - Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom

Feb 20 - Portland, OR - The Aladdin Theater

Feb 21 - Seattle, WA - Neumos

Feb 24 - Sacramento, CA - Goldfield Trading Post

Feb 25 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall

Feb 27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater

Feb 28 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room

Mar 01 - San Diego, CA - Voodoo Room

Mar 02 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom

Mar 04 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court

Mar 06 - Denver, CO - Marquis

Mar 08 - Saint Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Mar 09 - Chicago, IL - Chop Shop

Mar 11 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5

Mar 13 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl

Mar 15 - Washington, DC - Pearl Street Warehouse

Mar 16 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry

Mar 18 - Boston, MA - Crystal Ballroom

Mar 19 - Ottawa, ON - Algonquin Commons Theatre

Mar 20 - Montreal, QC - Petit Campus

15 Jan 2025 BIG SADS by St. South

St. South
facebook.com/saintsouth

Perth-born, now Sydney-based singer-songwriter St. South has released a new EP called BIG SADS. The record, featuring recent singles “Better Days” and “Didn’t Need You,” alongside the EP’s title track is out now on Nettwerk Records.

Of the EP, St. South says, “BIG SADS is about a lot of things, but mostly it’s about feeling some big feelings. Love, grief, depression, anxiety, heartache, and heart-healing. I’m learning that the pain that comes from losing someone is a testament to how much you love them. When my dad died the world was still in lockdown, and I had this hopeful thought that I would spend the next year at my piano, processing the grief in a productive way. When in reality, grief turned into depression, leaving me feeling stuck and incapable of even basic self-care. The thought of writing about grief felt far too overwhelming when I was living and breathing it every day, and sitting at my piano started to give me so much anxiety. That’s why this EP is so special to me; because of how impossible it felt to start, let alone finish. When I hear it now, mixed and mastered, I can’t believe that it's done. I can't believe that I did that, amidst the biggest sads of my life.”

15 Jan 2025 Between Lightning And Thunder by Miles East

Miles East
mileseast.com

Singer/songwriter Miles East released his new album Between Lightning and Thunder on ECR Music Group, earlier this year.

“You start out writing songs in a vacuum, out of need, and out of hope that people will listen [talking about the huge spike in streaming thanks to Rolling Stone coverage],” says East. “But once that work exits that vacuum and enters the world, you don’t know how it will be greeted. The response to this music has brought an amazed smile to my face, with some joyful tears too. It’s incredible.”

Tour dates:

Wed, DEC 11 @ 7:00 PM The Bowery Electric New York, NY

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer: Crucial 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD

Crucial 2TB PCIe Gen4 2230 NVMe M.2 SSD Read More Lenovo Legion Go As you know, I recently purchased the Lenovo Legion Go, and I’ve been enjoying it. Of course, as soon as I bought it, there’s already rumors of a Legion Go 2, which may come out in 2025. The biggest feature will likely be a …

After a week of tinkering with my Lenovo Legion Go, I’ve come to realize that I really, really need to upgrade the original 512GB storage to something much larger.

Luckily, we’re in the middle of Black Friday, and most stores are having their annual sale.

To upgrade to a larger SSD, you first need to turn off Windows’ Bitlocker encryption (if you have it turned on). This will make the process smoother, otherwise you need to have your encryption key handy (this is found under your Microsoft’s account).

Next, you need to download Legion Support USB recovery via lenovo.com (you need to have your Legion Go serial number). This is just in case cloning your drive doesn’t work out.

The easiest way to upgrade your drive is just to clone your original SSD. In the past, I have used Macrium Reflect (macrium.com), which gives you a 30-day free trial. Of course, my trial has long expired.

SSK NVMe SSD Cloner M.2 Docking Station

I’ve decided to go in a different direction this time. What you will need is a NVMe Dual Bay Cloner. I found this SSK Brand for $40 (Black Friday sale), so it is the item I’ll be using.

The best part about the cloner is that you can do it completely offline.

How it works: you have a source slot and a target slot. You need to put in the original 512GB drive in the source and the new drive in the target slot. On the SSK Cloner, you need to hold down the Clone Button for 3 seconds until all the lights are flashing. Let go of the Clone Button and then press the Clone Button once. This semi-complicated process was put in place to prevent accidental cloning (and unintentionally wiping out a drive).

The Cloning was pretty fast and took about 10 minutes or less.

So, a couple of problems! The first is the Crucial 2TB PCIe Gen4 2230 NVMe M.2 SSD, which I bought for $140. It boasts speed up to 7,100mb/s, which is fast and it runs hot. So hot that it crashed the Legion Go a few times when I was using it docked and playing YouTube videos. The temperature reached 180°F. The drive wasn’t designed for these handhelds, because you need airflow and cooling solutions.

You can solve the heat problem with a couple of things. Get a low-profile heatsink for the SSD. Set your Legion Go profile to use less than 45-Watt to draw less power. Disable hardware acceleration on your browser.

So far, when I’m running the Legion Go on batteries, there are no issues. I don’t think SSD draws enough power to cause it to overheat. Maybe sometime in 2025, I will have to look at buying some heatsinks and an extender for my 2230 to 2242.

NOTE: The last 2TB NVME drive I bought 2TB Sabrent NVMe 2230 and that advertised at 5,000 MB/s and I paid over $200 for it! That drive was deliberately designed to be slower so it would work in the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, and I’ve never had a problem with overheating on that drive.

Anyway, now that I understand the overheating problem with the Crucial, I can manage it on my Legion Go… but it was very annoying and frustrating trying work around the heating problems.

I’m going to try to make it work with the Crucial 2TB NVME, but for now, I wouldn’t recommend this drive for the Legion Go or ROG Ally or Steam Deck. If you are building a Mini-PC, this might work for you because there are extra space to vent the heat.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

Read more Weekend Gamer.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! December 1-8,2024 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

Read More Suki Waterhouse ‘Opening is Suki Waterhouse, the better half of actor Robert Pattinson and who dabbles in a little of everything- acting, modeling, and music, with newest singles being “Devil I Know” and “Wild Side”. ...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Ok, there’s a chill in the air, chances of snow, and Black November sales everywhere,

Must be the holiday season, which means shows will slow down by mid-December, but there’s still chances to catch great live performances.

Hello Gorgeous! - the Broadway season starts up at The Music Hall, Kendrick Lamar dropped a surprise record last week (like the surprise appearance when he jumped onstage with Prince unannounced in 2014) and good news from Country Stampede 2025 who announced Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, and Cole Swindell as headliners, so there’s a lot to be thankful for.

Meanwhile in Topeka, the Jayhawk Theatre is asking for another $5mil in funding to help their re-construction (yes, they received $5mil in 2023 from Covid funds, but…) We’re glad we saw The Boxmasters live there, but we’re not holding our breath on this finishing anytime soon.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from December 1st to 8th-

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1

MONDAY DECEMBER 2

"106.5 The Wolf's Acoustic Christmas" featuring Nate Smith LoCash Priscilla Block Kelsey Hart Dec 2, The Midland,$21-$32

The annual acoustic show returns for the holiday season and typically features rising acts playing some of their biggest songs on the radio, completely acoustic. This year is no exception with Nate Smith, who recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, collab-ed with Avril Lavigne, and has a new album, California Gold.

LoCash has been around for a while- we caught them live a couple summers ago at Country Stampede, Priscilla Block followed up her debut full-length, Welcome to the Block Party, with recent single, “He’s My Man”, and Kentucky native Kelsey Hart played the Grand ol Opry for the first time this summer and made waves with ballad, “Life With You”.

$1 from each ticket sold will benefit FISH, Friends in Service of Heroes. Learn more about the charity and their work at https://friendsinserviceofheroes.org.

Suki Waterhouse w Bully, Dec 2, The Truman, $39.50-$80

She played a musician in the recent streamer Daisy Jones & the Six, and model, actor and songwriter Suki Waterhouse is also an actual musician! She released her debut album, I Can't Let Go, in 2022, and with a handful of singles under her belt since then, she's embarking on a North American tour with support from Sub Pop labelmate Bully, who we last caught live in Minneapolis back in 2016.

Their Sparklemuffin Tour kicked off in late Sept in Denver, CO and after most of last month off, starts a new tour leg right here with this KC gig. The tour name is cribbed from Waterhouse’s new album, which came out on September 13, and she’s a recent new mom, on top of everything else!  

Nashville's Bully is led by Alicia Bognanno and are still out in support of 2023's fourth full-length, Lucky for You and recent single, "Docket".  This is a strong double-bill we can easily recommend!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 3

Farmer's Wife, Dec 3, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $18-$20

Austin-based dark shoegaze outfit Farmer’s Wife are influenced by 90’s dirge rock, 60’s psych and occasionally 80’s nonchalance, their songs are reminiscent of classic early records from Smashing Pumpkins, Slowdive, and Hole as well as the pained imagery of 2000’s emo pioneers.

For Halloween, they released a cover of Donovan’s classic “Season of the Witch”, a tune that was often part of their live sets. Composed of Molly Masson (vocals), Jude Hill (guitars), Derek Ivy (guitars), Jacob Masson (bass) and Jaelyn Valero (drums), they;re out on their fall U.S. tour, headlining and supporting Cloud Nothing on select dates. Since their 2021 debut, Farmer’s Wife has been praised within their local DIY music scene in Austin and are renowned for their enigmatic stage shows and feeding off of crowd energy.

Funny Girl (Broadway touring), Dec 3- 8, Music Hall, $31-$125

“Hello Gorgeous!”

Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, a revised book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott, and direction from Michael Mayer, this is a timeless love letter to the theater! The musical first opened in 1964, and was a star vehicle for Barbra Streisand. It earned multiple award nominations when the revival opened on Broadway in 2022 with Beanie Feldstein and later Lea Michelle, we are lucky to be able to see this big-budget show in our own backyard.

The cast stars Hannah Shankman as Fanny Brice with Stephen Mark Lukas, Grammy Award-winner Melissa Manchester and Izaiah Montaque Harris, dazzles on familiar songs “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened—she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4

THURSDAY DECEMBER 5

Sarah Silverman (comedy), Dec 5, the Midland, $39.75-$99.75

Sarah Silverman: Postmortem will bring her witty humor and thought-provoking insight to over 30 cities across the U.S. Produced by Live Nation, the tour will also feature a special live taping during her two NYC shows at the Beacon Theatre this January. The two-time Emmy winner has been a staple in the comedy world for over 2 decades, with a reputation for tackling subject matter with her unique and provocative perspective.

“Looking forward to hitting the road and connecting with human beings in a live setting,” Silverman said. Note that no cellphones, cameras, or recording devices will be allowed at this show. Upon arrival, all phones and smart watches will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 6

Scotty McCreery, Dec 6, Ameristar Casino, $65-$82

Instead of his usual stop out east at Cable Dahmer in Independence, former American Idol Scotty McCreery brings his headlining “Fall of Summer Tour” to NKC at Ameristar. Named after his current single, the tour will take the North Carolina native across the U.S. and Canada over its 21 location stops that wraps right before the holidays.

“I’m so proud of my new Rise & Fall album, and I’m pumped to bring the ‘Fall of Summer Tour’ out on the road,” says McCreery. “Performing live is one of my favorite things to do, and I can’t wait to play these songs for folks across the country as well as a few Canadian shows in Ontario.”

Better Lovers, Dec 6, Granada- Lawrence, $25-$30

Don’t let the gentle name fool you-- this new metal supergroup are anything but, and this is a somewhat rare chance to catch them in a relatively small venue, in support of their debut full-length album, Highly Irresponsible, released October 25.

Better Lovers are comprised of former Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato alongside ex-Every Time I Die members Jordan Buckley, Clayton “Goose” Holyoak, and Stephen Micciche, as well as Fit for an Autopsy’s Will Putney. The band debuted last year with the single “30 Under 13” which preceded the EP God Made Me an Animal. Gouge Away, SPY, and Cloakroom to open.

The Nutcracker Ballet Dec 6-24, Kauffman, $34-$250

KC is very fortunate to have a professional company of the caliber of the Kansas City Ballet. We profiled a performance in 2023 and are thrilled as they return with this annual holiday tradition.

This timeless production leaves audiences in awe, earning praise such as “positively oozing charm” from The Washington Post. The enduring story, written by E.T.A. Hoffman during the Victorian era, unfolds before your eyes, featuring beloved characters like Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, Dr. Drosselmeier, and the enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy.

Immerse yourself in a magical theatrical experience, complete with opulent costumes, magnificent sets, and mesmerizing choreography. Let your sense of wonder reignite and allow the glimmer of your childhood dreams to return, inspiring you to embrace imagination once more.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 7

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dec 7 (two shows) T-Mobile Center, $64.99-$124.99

Back in town for two shows, “THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE” is a product of the imagination of and based on TSO’s double-platinum CD of the same name. The plot is one that resonates with people deeply over the holiday season. Alone on Christmas Eve, a bitter old businessman wandered New York City. Once a rising star, he’d traded love, family, and joy for a life of solitude and regret. The tragic loss of his wife hardened his heart, pushing him away from his infant son and into decades of isolation.

Then, a chance encounter with a mysterious girl led him to a life-altering phone call. His son, who he abandoned decades ago, was alive, a gentle soul caring for troubled newborns in a maternity ward. After seeking him out, the son gives a silent and forgiving gaze to his long-lost father. As they sit together, comforting innocent infants, a new reunited life together begins.

Springing forth from the classic band Savatage, TSO success over the last two decades has been amazing, and become an annual tradition bringing, rock, classical, storytelling, and the holidays together into the seasonal spectacle it is.

Cat Ridgeway, Dec 7, miniBar, $18.86

Cat Ridgeway is a skilled singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Orlando, FL known for her soulful vocals, high energy, and compelling stage presence. Her 2020 release, ‘Nice to Meet You,’ marked her debut as a fully independent artist to commercial radio and brought her and her band The Tourists, on tour. The upcoming album is called Sprinter (out in early 2025) and newest song, “Epilogue” was released Oct 4 ahead of hitting the road on the current nationwide tour.

She’s shared the stage with Lucy Dacus, Sylvan Esso, Houndmouth, and Arcade Fire, among others and the new single is described as “an in-your-face stomp punk rock explosion, hinging off a recklessly played overdriven banjo”. The updated sound is self-described by Ridgeway as “indie rock for overthinkers” and a departure from her previous Americana success- her music is a fiery blend of indie-rock and punk with hints of folk meets dream pop (and though “Epilogue” is considered the only true punk song on the album).

Alt rockers Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards is also on the bill, in support of their newest full-length, Rapture Waltz.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 8

Marca MP, Dec 8, The Midland (was rescheduled, now CANCELED)

National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity?  Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email [email protected]

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com