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Minneapolis: April 19, 2025

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Ben Nichols & Rick Steff at Turf Club (19 Apr 2025) Read More Lucero Lucero kicked off their set with ‘Went Looking For Warren Zevon’s Los Angeles’ to an incredibly pleased dedicated, die-hard Lucero fans. Although the song is taken from their latest album All a Man Should Do ... The Shackletons The Shackletons could have been named The Campbells as there are three siblings (Colin-voc/gtr; Cameron-bass; Evan- drums) that compose this stomping blues rock band. Breaking out locally .…

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

Ben Nichols & Rick Steff
with Colin Campbell (of The Shackletons)
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Ben Nichols and Rick Steff (both from Lucero) are on a Lucero Unplugged tour. The Lucero Unplugged is a double album revisiting the Memphis band’s 25-year catalog.

Colin Campbell (of The Shackletons) to open.

Lucero Tour Dates

May 8 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues &

May 9 –Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre &

May 10 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada &

May 13 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre &

May 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco &

May 16 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park &

May 17 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory &

May 18 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater &

May 21 – Dallas, TX @ Trees &

May 22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin &

May 28 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl &

May 29 – Richmond, VA @ The National &

May 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw &

June 1 – Wilmington, DE @ The Queen &

June 3 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre &

June 4 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall &

June 6 – Chicago, IL @ Metro &

June 7 – Chicago, IL @ Metro &

June 8 – McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre &

# – supporting JJ Grey & Mofro
^ – Ben Nichols Solo
& – with The Menzingers

Bob Mould Band at Palace Theatre (19 Apr 2025) Read More Bob Mould “Distortion and Blue Hearts!” is the name of the new tour from Bob Mould. The guy is a legend, we’ve been listening to his music since Sugar and through back catalogs, Hüsker Dü. …

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

Bob Mould Band
with Poster Children
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Bob Mould (billed as Bob Mould Band) is touring in support of Mould’s 15th solo album Here We Go Crazy (via Granary Music/BMG Records).

Talking about the lead single “Neanderthal”, Mould said, “In the early stages of writing this album, I envisioned ‘Neanderthal’ as the opening track. I imagined a child raised in an unstable home, perpetually exposed to erratic and confrontational behavior. A fight or flight situation. ‘Neanderthal’ is a frantic sprint through darkened hallways littered with tension, conflict, and aggression. A claustrophobic maze of distorted mirrors. As the song nears the end, a pair of subconscious voices appear. The first voice is both soothing and unsettling, while the final voice is reactionary and violent. It’s a fight or flight song.”

Expect to hear that song at the upcoming Palace Theatre show on April 19, 2025.

Poster Children to open.

Tour Dates

04/01 – San Diego, CA – Music Box *

04/02 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s *

04/04 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom *

04/05 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *

04/07 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre *

04/08 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom *

04/09 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory *

04/11 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater *

04/12 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s *

04/14 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room *

04/15 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barn *

04/16 – Madison WI – Majestic Theatre *

04/18 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall *

04/19 – St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre +

04/25 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/26 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/27 – Detroit, MI – El Club ^

04/29 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop ^

04/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre ^

05/02 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club ^

05/03 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge ^

05/04 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^

05/07 – Washington DC – Black Cat ^

05/09 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall ^

05/10 – Indianapolis, IN – HI–FI Indy ^

05/11 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Beer Garden #

* w/ Special Guest Craig Finn
+ w/ Special Guests Poster Children
^ w/ Special Guest J. Robbins
# w/ Special Guests Winged Wheel

BRENN! at Fine Line (19 Apr 2025) Read More Brenn! Breakout singer/songwriter Brenn! (not to be confused with Norway’s brenn) is currently on his “Crossing County Lines Tour” and will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on May 6, 2024. ...

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

BRENN!
with asiris
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Tuscaloosa singer-songwriter BRENN! returns to Minneapolis this April 19, 2025. Brenn was last seen in Minneapolis in May 2024.

The singer’s new song “Franklin House” is available now via via Darkroom Records / Westward Recordings.

asiris to open.

Brenn!’s Days on End Tour

Mar 27 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre

Mar 28 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

Mar 29 – Nashville, TN – The Mil

Apr 2 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock

Apr 3 – Austin, TX – The Parish

Apr 4 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

Apr 7 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar

Apr 8 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey

Apr 9 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall

Apr 11 – Portland, OR – Holocene

Apr 12 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou's

Apr 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court

Apr 15 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

Apr 17 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

Apr 18 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave

Apr 19 – Minneapolis, MN –The Fine Line

Apr 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi

Apr 23 – Columbus, OH – A&R Bar

Apr 25 – Toronto, ON – Drake Underground

Apr 26 – Montreal, QC – Ministere

Apr 29 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

May 1 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

May 2 – Philadelphia, PA –The Foundry

May 3 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd

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

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DC Comics Style Guide: A Disappointment

DC Comics Style Guide (2024) Read More DC Comics I’ve previously mentioned that the very first comic book that I purchased with my own money, a whole $1, was Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. I didn’t know it then, but this little comic book forever …

This is a rare book report for DC Comics Style Guide, a book that eventually came out in very late 2024 and early 2025. Originally scheduled for an August 2024 release, it was delayed a few times due a custom PMS metallic silver ink on the cover.

Standards Manual reprinted the book for the public for the first time in over forty years. It was a pretty big deal José Luis García-López fans (and George Perez fans because he drew some Teen Titans style guide). It really is a shame that DC Comics basically hid these pages from the public, because the Style Guides were meant for internal uses. Like most fans, I was confused why DC Comics decides to license this book to a third-party company.

Originally announced in May 2024 as 1982 DC Style Guide, the 1982 name suggested that there will be future books, such as the 1984 or 1985 editions. Maybe it is to avoid the confusion, but they eventually dropped the 1982 in the title, and is now simply called DC Comics Style Guide.

My situation is unique in that I was not going to be home from December 2024 to March 2025. Since the book was delayed into early 2025, it meant that I wasn’t actually home to receive the book. For most people the four months delay wasn’t going to be a problem, but for those who are moving or traveling or celebrating an anniversary or birthday, timing is everything! If the book had delivered in August or prior to December, I would have been a happy camper. It would have been pretty awesome to bring the book with me on my long Winter Hibernation. After this horrible experience, I don’t think I’ll ever pre-order anything (in fact, I cancelled my Fallout Pip-Boy).

My biggest complaint about the DC Comics Style Guide is they didn’t make it clear that this “reissue” is basically a very high-quality photocopy of Standards Manual’s book. There were no efforts made to enhance or fix any blemishes. For example, some pages are wrinkled, some pages have torn three-holes, some pages have ghosting text, some pages have smudges, some pages have miscoloring… all pimples and imperfections are on display here. This is such a disappointment, because for years, I had seen beautiful pages online, because they digitally removed the holes or fixing blemishes, etc.

They officially list the book as 368 pages, which makes for a very nice beefy spine… but in reality, only half of those pages have artwork with the back of its page is blank (no printing). Some pages are the back of folders (which is basically blank pages). I felt they could have saved some trees or pass the savings to the consumers if they used less pages.

If you are a fan of García-López or a fan of DC Comics, you probably already own the book, so it doesn’t really matter what I say. For those on the fence about dropping $95 on this book, I can definitely not recommend this book to you.

I wish that DC Comics would put out an official book. They have the source material or original print films… or if they don’t, they have the resources to clean up and make the artwork presentable.

Smudges Ghost Text

Skin Colors too Pink

Wrinkled Pages

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Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025)

The Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025) From The Belfast Cowboys 400 Bar It was 23 years ago today the Belfast Cowboys played our first show (at the 400 Bar on Saint Patrick’s Day 2002)! After all that time, we’re still getting our rock ‘n’ roll thrills. Mark Lindsay, singer for Paul Revere and the Raiders, as well as “Arizona” the ear worm from about 50 years ago, played a song of ours on his show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage this weekend! Celebration at the Turf Club starts tonight at 7 PM sharp! Happy St Paddy’s Day! Read More Belfast Cowboys This 9-piece The Belfast Cowboys to open. Tour dates: 03/15/16 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club 03/16/16 Iowa City, IA The Mill 03/17/16 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway Nightclub .…

A pretty last-minute decision found me at Turf Club on St. Patrick’s day to see locals The Belfast Cowboys. A brass heavy band that “specializes in the music of Van Morrison”, they were a pretty perfect band for the holiday, at a venue suited for it as well (green being the dominant color).

The nine-piece band has a full brass section, multiple guitars, keys and drums. Lead singer Terry Walsh, asked, “Is it seven yet? We want to be prompt.” The first song, You Make Me Feel So Free had the full brass sound, including a great sax solo. The band was in the spirit, with some adorned in various types of St. Patrick’s Day accoutrements (sparkly green tie, green bowler hat, etc.). Walsh said, “It isn’t summer yet, but it’s coming”, as the band launched into a cover of Chuck Prophet’s Summertime Thing that included a brass riff on Summer in the City.

Turning twenty-three years old as a band today, we got the joke that The Belfast Cowboys are about three times older than The Beatles. Noting that it had just been played on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, we got a goofily serious version of (It’s Not Easy) Bein’ Green. The band got back to Van Morrison with the song Domino that included some coordinated dance moves from the four brass players, as well as a brilliant take on Wet Leg’s Chaise Lounge. Our first bit of harmonica (from Walsh) was an intro to an upbeat Bright Side of the Road. The crowd was in full dance mode, and clearly, many were long time fans of the band. The band gave takes on several genres from rock to some bluesy moments, always supported by those horns. A version of John Henry that was “for the bartender” led into the audience getting to request a song. Into the Mystic had some more coordinated dancing, and the playfulness of the band was infectious. Days Like This continued the Van Morrison numbers and really gave the entire band the chance to shine. Southside was back in more blues rock territory, with an excellent bass line. A few more songs, including Wild Night, led to the end of the first set.

Set two started off with a team drink, but also a pair of guests (Brian and Rodney, in from the west coast) reuniting the original four members of the band playing Fisherman’s Blues and then a cover of the late Slim Dunlap’s Times Like This. They then returned to the night’s original lineup and the brass section was back into the action with That Summer Feeling. The Belfast Cowboys had gotten into a groove and Real Real Gone played into their strengths. We got a few longer numbers alternating solos for brass and the guitars, such as in a rendition of Can’t Hardly Wait. It was a pretty tremendous showing as they hit some of the bigger Van Morrison songs on their way to the end of the evening and for both band and crowd, it was a holiday well spent.

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025)

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St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2025

St Patrick's Day Parade (17 Mar 2025) Read More Irish The popular holiday show Irish Christmas in America is coming to Minneapolis, at the Dakota Jazz Club, on November 25, 2024. The long-running show, now in its 19th year …

Billed as “The Greatest St Patrick's Day Parade in the Nation”, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates the large Irish heritage and clans that resides in the St Paul and Minneapolis area. Look around and seeing a sea of green tells you that the Irish pride runs deep.

The parade starts at Rice Park in Downtown St Paul (5th Street and Market Street) and travels along 5th Street until its end at Mear Park in Lowertown (5th Street and Sibley Street).

The actual parade took about an hour and had representations from all the Irish clans, music (usually bagpipers), dancers, and Irish businesses. There weren’t any floats. The only vehicles were some police cars and a firetruck.

There were a lot of green beads, balls, candy, silly spray, and, funny enough, potatoes, thrown to the audience. This is a fun time for the whole family… despite the chilly wind and low temperature.

After the parade, people were invited to head down to the CHS Field and continue the celebration with the crowning of the 2025 Miss Shamrock and Mr. Pat, music, and, of course, grab a drink from your favorite Irish pub.

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Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band

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SXSW 2025

SXSW (07-15 Mar 2025) My Biggest Regrets Not chatting about new artists and the industry with Steve Lamacq "The Godfather" when I ran into him at Creek and the Cave. Missing at least 4-5 unbelievable artists Not networking with enough people and learning more Biggest Artists I Missed Mellt Somebody Someone Grace Sorenson Quiet Light My Biggest Tips Focus on the artists and make it more accommodating for them. Allow artists to play as many unofficial shows as they want and encourage more live shows during the daytime for attendees and artists. Read More SXSW Once again, SXSW (South by Southwest Music Festival) is returning to Austin, Texas. This year marks the festival’s 38th annual event. Like previous years, there are a million bands. ....

Thirteenth year to what could be the end of a new beginning at one of my favorite weeks of the year: South by Southwest (SXSW).

The odds seems stacked against the 2025 SXSW festival—with surging prices, budget issues, and a downsized line-up of 1,000 less bands than normal, including two of my favorites, Yuuf and Elín Hall, who dropped out before the festival. And yet, I had the time of my life. It turned out to be a much better than anticipated festival.

If you listened to a good chunk of the artists and did a little research, you could make a pretty decent 5-day schedule. One of the best parts of SXSW is even if you're not blown away by 25-30 artists, you can still see 3 of your top 10 artists 2-3 times. However you roll, I do a hybrid and catch usually my top 5 to 7 artists twice and still see 100+ bands. I'm quick like a cat at all the shows where if I'm not feeling the first song or two, I'm hopping on a Lime scooter faster than Shazam! 

I was blessed to have two venues very close for daytime parties. They had the deepest lineups all day long at High Noon (Paste Magazine) and Lazarus Brewery (Music for Listeners). At night time if you got a full slate you have to be ready to go all over the place but I would say anywhere central by 7th and Red River is a good spot to be where your close to venues with multiple stage like Palm Door on 6th Street, Swan Dive, Mohawk, and ot

Main tips for future SXSW attendees, listen to loads of bands, make a schedule (day/night), don't drink until the night showcases so you can fly on the scooter to and from all the rad day parties mostly on E 6th. Network with loads of people, bands, label, film, everyone at the fest. Get a nice variety of venues with backyards, churches, and all the cool venues all over the city!

Let’s cut to the spectacular new artists at this year's fest!

Below is a list of my top 20 Performances at SXSW

1. Surely Shirley @ Creek and the Cave (Aussie sweet hearts, Lake Street Dive meets the supremes get ready to dance!)
2. Delivery @ Lazarus (As crazy as king gizzard and had a stage invasion to end the night!)
3. Jazmin Martin @ Marlow (Sault meets Janelle Monoe)
4. Holy F**k @ Mohawk (Trippy Toronto Psychbeats, LCD)
5. Go Cactus @ Low Down Lounge (Spanish Ramones and Clash, Wild energy on stage!)
6. Lizzie Berchie @ Palm Door on 6th (British Embassy)
7. Los Juanos @ Lamberts
8. Personal Trainer @ Lazarus Brewery
9. Voxtrot @ Mohawk
10. Ellur @ Palm Door on 6th (British Embassy)
11. Billianne @ Paste Magazine Party (Biggest Surprise Artist At SXSW)
12. Hanorah @ Saxon Pub (Amy Winehouse potential)
13. Monobloc @ Paste Magazine Party (High Noon) (new Strokes sound)
14. Sophia Rogers @ Hotel Vegas (Lake Street Dive Potential, unreal vocals)
15. Band of Horses @ Stubbs (They still got it!)
16. Weird Blood @ Lazarus Brewery
17. Willie McGee Band @ Secret House Show
18. Makeout Reef @ 13th Floor
19. Pavey Ark @ Lazarus Brewery (E. 6th)
20. His His @ Swan Dive
    
    Honarable Mentions - Pavari, Yndling, Dead Gowns, Cactus Lee, Radio Free Alice, The Vanns, Coldwave, Mall Girl, Yoshika Colwell

Weird Bloom at Lazarus Brewery (13 Mar 2025) photo courtesy of Anet Prinz

Hanorah at Saxon Pub (12 Mar 2025)

Hanorah at Saxon Pub (12 Mar 2025)

Weird Bloom at Lazarus Brewery (13 Mar 2025) photo courtesy of Anet Prinz

Jazlyn Martin at Marlow (14 Mar 2025)

Willy McGee's Band? at Secret House (09 Mar 2025)

Voxtrot at Mohawk Outdoor (14 Mar 2025)

Surely Shirley at Creek and the Cave Backyard (14 Mar 2025)

Surely Shirley at Creek and the Cave (14 March 2025)

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Ray Bull at 7th Street Entry (16 March 2025)

Ray Bull at 7th St Entry (16 Mar 2025) Ray Bull Setlist Know by Now Dead In Wisconsin I Don't Know Ya Parasite Little Acts of Violence Televangelist Whore Reelin' The New Thing Dies Better Than Nothing Name Something Better 2am Tell Me I'm a Fool Tour Dates Mar 18, 2025 Duck Room St Louis, MO Mar 20, 2025 Masquerade Altar Atlanta, GA Mar 21, 2025 Local 506 Carrboro, NC Apr 12, 2025 The Independent San Francisco, CA Apr 14, 2025 Polaris Hall Portland, OR Apr 15, 2025 Madame Lou's Seattle, WA Apr 17, 2025 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT Apr 19, 2025 Globe Hall Denver, CO Apr 23, 2025 The Rebel Lounge Phoenix, AZ Apr 24, 2025 Voodoo Room San Diego, CA Apr 25, 2025 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA May 14, 2025 - May 17, 2025 The Great Escape Festival Brighton, England Read More Ray Bull NYC indie-pop duo Ray Bull (Tucker and Aaron) is headlining the 7th Street Entry, on March 16, 2025, in support of his new EP Little Acts Of Violence (arriving February 21 …

NYC indie-pop duo Ray Bull (Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins) is on their first major North American tour, stopping in Minnesota, for the first time.

New York, by the way of Tennessee, Tyler Berrier opened the show, with a silver face paint. Berrier didn’t introduce himself (until the end of the set), or did he explain the weird silver face. When I talked to a fan, she didn’t know either, but speculated that it was some sort of statement, given that Berrier went to the same art school that Tucker and Aaron (from Ray Bull) attended.

Like Ray Bull, it was also Berrier’s first time in Minneapolis, and he, admittedly said that he didn’t know much about the city, “I think it’s the Capital City, right?” When the audience corrected him that it was Saint Paul, he joked that he was only testing us.

Most of his set consists of his latest EP Alone With Me, including “Take Me Out” and “IOU”, but mentioned that they’re slightly different versions that he was playing. It might be, for the fact, that he didn’t have a band and had to rely on a pre-recorded backing music track. Usually this means that his timing has to be spot on and he has to adapt, if the backing track cuts out.

He mentioned that the tour is going well (seeing as many dates, including the 7th Street Entry, were sold out), and that he already sold out of all the T-Shirts he brought on tour. Looking at the bright side, he said it’s a good excuse for him to just meet people, even if he didn’t have any merchandise to sell.

Also noted that April 25th, is going to be the last date of the tour, at least for him, and he said that he will likely release a new single. He ended his set with “City Girl”.

Ray Bull have quite a huge following, with only a handful of music releases, including their latest, Little Acts of Violence. It’s funny, but their marketing is a little ironic, with their merchandise saying they “suck” or are “terrible.” Even their concert lighting was dimly lit, except for the three bright scrolling text that they setup. All this tells me that they are somewhat shy and reluctant to embrace their stardom, even though their fans are very passionate about their music.

With such a good turnout, the band joked that they must follow the Ray Bull rule – that attendance is arranged by height. “If you’re tall and came here with someone, too bad, you need to go back… tall can’t go forward!” It got a bit of a laugh, but I believe it does come from a personal feeling from Tucker (the shorter of the two). He’s probably attended one or two shows, where someone tall obstruct his view of a concert.

Just based on their interactions with their fans and seeing that the 7th Street Entry sold out, you can expect the duo to return to Minneapolis soon… but playing a much bigger venue.

Ray Bull’s new EP Little Acts Of Violence is out now on AWAL.

Tyler Berrier

Tyler Berrier Tyler Berrier

Ray Bull Ray Bull

Ray Bull

Ray Bull at 7th Street Entry (16 March 2025)

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Judy Collins at Kauffman Center for the Arts, Kansas City MO (15 March 2025)

JUDY COLLINS SETLIST Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell cover) Danny Boy (Frederick Edward Weatherly cover) Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover) Born to the Breed Leaving on a Jet Plane / Take Me Home, Country Roads / Jet Plane reprise (John Denver covers) When I Was a Girl in Colorado John Riley (traditional) Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan cover) Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover snippet) Since You Asked The Blizzard Send In the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim cover) -- Encore -- Amazing Grace (John Newton cover) OAKLAND RAIN SETLIST ? If You Were a Song Sister Hymn Diamonds are Diamonds Lighthouse Dear Josephine JUDY COLLINS TOUR DATES 16 MARCH Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Place 18 MARCH Memphis, TN Halloran Centre- Orpheum Theatre 19 MARCH Birmingham, AL Lyric Theatre 22 MARCH Nashville, IN Brown County Music Center 23 MARCH Charlotte, NC Knight Theater, Levine Center 28 MARCH Victoria, BC, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 29 MARCH Victoria, BC, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 30 MARCH New Westminster, BC, Massey Theatre 6 APRIL Thousand Oaks, CA Kavli Theatre at B of A PAC 7 APRIL Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center 10 MAY New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre 11 MAY Worcester, MA Hanover Theatre 15 MAY Rutland, VT Paramount Theatre 17 MAY Old Saybrook, CT The Kate Cultural Arts Center 18 MAY Toronto, ON, Hugh's Room Live 21 MAY Buffalo, NY Shea's 710 Theatre 23 MAY Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse 6 JUNE Chicago, IL Cahn Auditorium 14 JUNE Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium Read More Judy Collins Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism …

Over six decades later, we’re all still Spellbound watching her perform--

One of the great folk icons- a singer-songwriter, author, activist, and poet known best during the 1960’s & 70’s, Judy Collins returned to Kansas City, over the weekend. She’s still as active as ever at 85-years-young and enchanted the audience at the Kauffman Center for the Arts, while winter decided it wasn’t quite done outside- bringing cold, winds, and even some light snow.

The evening began with a well-received half hour set from Norwegian sister folk duo, Oakland Rain (aka twins Maren and Charlotte Wallevik Hansen), in support of their “Twin Flames Part One: The Evergreen” release, the first of two planned companion records, this initial one released in late January.

Like similar Scandinavian female traditional folk duos (First Aid Kit, Huldreokkk, Staallul), their shared harmonies are impeccable, mastery of English is probably better than our own, and their very kind in-between song banter, was spoken with a cheerful and spry impish lilt.

The band nicely introduced each song and gave some very brief background to it, with the recent “Sister Hymn” having the shortest intro, as its title and content seemed obvious. The sisters are staunch advocates of mental health and hope for positive change through their music and made sure to make mention of that (as well as their CDs for sale at merch, as reminded by their tour manager to say).

 

There seems to be another modern folk renaissance in music of late – from chart-topping bands like Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, Noah Kahan, and Lumineers, to the acclaimed recent Bob Dylan biopic, to everyone’s favorite, Taylor Swift, even releasing a pair of award-winning folk-inspired records, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff.

So, it’s a real treat when one of the 1960’s originators like Judy Collins comes to town, with a seemingly endless supply of stories and accompanying songs. Her ninety-minute performance was not as much as of a concert, as a musical conversation – peppered with anecdotes, one-liner jokes, and stories of her own journey, which started by learning piano at a very young age, as encouraged by her piano-playing and radio host father.

Collins began her ninety-minute headlining set (accompanied by her pianist and own twelve-string guitar) with her famous cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now”, declaring afterword with some pep in her step, that “’85’ is the new ‘27’!”, which got an early collective laugh from the enraptured crowd.

She mentioned the recent pandemic beginning as a good thing for her, not having had any kind of ‘real vacation’ in some forty years but was brought back to reality by catching the virulent bug.

The early sing a-long of the classic “Danny Boy’ was not only an early chance to get the crowd’s St. Pat’s pipes rehearsing, but dated back to her own childhood, being brought up on stage by her father to sing classics like that one, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” ...in April. A few Mae West quotes she learned along the way, kept things light as well.

Collins mentioned her longtime friendship with Joan Baez before her own version of the Baez hit, “Diamonds & Rust”, saying, “we’ve known each other so long, we play at each other birthdays” and noting she really never did many drugs back in the day, saying “they interfered with my drinking” to a crowd’s laugh.

She did admit to heeding a learned lesson to keep working as one ages and admitted these shows back on the road also served as her own therapy; having still to adequately overcome the death of her husband and partner since 1978, designer/artist Louis Nelson, who passed away in December.

Collins admitted her intensive music lessons ‘ruined’ her social life as a young girl (“...but I made up for it in the 60’s,” she exclaimed) and that the irresistible pull of acts like Jo Stafford, drew her away from classical piano, and towards folk and pop on guitar.

And like many musicians in the right-place at the right-time, she first met John Denver as an early teen, had 13-year Arlo Guthrie opening for her when she moved to NYC in 1961, and stayed in a farmhouse in Woodstock, NY as Bob Dylan finished writing “Mr. Tambourine Man’ from a room just down the hall.

Denver’s own “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane” were mashed together as a medley (with the crowd singing the choruses back) and Collins recalled running a Rocky Mountain lodge in Estes Park with her first husband, without electricity or modern conveniences (but loving it).

On her version of the traditional, “John Riley”, she proved she could more than hold an extended end note (to rave applause), mentioning her approval of the recent Dylan film and long friendship with Pete Seeger (though was somewhat comically disgruntled that the Woodstock Festival had three chances to invite her, but never did).

She would switch over to piano after the first hour, recollecting her 1966 meeting with a young Leonard Cohen and he recited verses of his own “Suzanne”, unsure that it was even a song (“It was!” Collins would assure him).

1967’s “Since You Asked” was her own song and had her mention her poetry writings as well; saying a poem can sometimes be “jammed” into being a song lyric, but the opposite generally did not work. Her most recent book of poetry, “Sometimes It’s Heaven” is out next week and she was thrilled to have her publisher’s representatives (from KC’s own Andrews McMeel) in the audience as well.

Her distinctive Sondheim cover and perhaps biggest hit, “Send in the Clowns” would end the main set, but the pair quickly re-emerged for a one-song acapella encore of “Amazing Grace”, which found Collins teaching the audiences the deeper verses, beyond the familiar chorus.

After what seemed a quick ninety-minutes, the show was over to bows and applause, feeling like it could have easily gone at least another ninety, with more stories, anecdotes and reflections, from a life well-lived. And there was no real time to touch on her activist roles and stance on social issues. Her most recent album, 2022’s Spellbound, was her first of all-original material, resulting in a Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album- further proof that even in her mid-80s, Judy Collins still has a lot left to say.

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

OAKLAND RAIN at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

 

John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥X / twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

Minneapolis: This Week (03/23/2025)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

honestav at Fine Line (19 Mar 2025)

19 Mar 2025 Wednesday

honestav
with Damien Styles
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Alternative recording artist and songwriter honestav is headlining his first solo tour: No License Tour. The tour will stop in Minneapolis, at the Fine Line, on March 19, 2025.

Update: Damien Styles to open.

Tour dates:

3/06/25 – Nashville, TN – Basement East

3/07/25 – Newport, KY – Southgate House Revival

3/08/25 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable

3/15/25 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House

3/17/25 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note

3/19/25 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

3/20/25 – Milwaukee, WI – Vivarium

3/21/25 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre

3/27/25 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar

3/28/25 – Chicago, IL – Chop Shop

3/30/25 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache

3/31/25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall

4/1/25 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups

4/3/25 – Detroit, MI – The Shelter

4/4/25 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s

Bella White at Fine Line (21 Mar 2025) Read More Bella White Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bella White will stop by the 7th Street Entry on Feb 10. She had recently finished her co-headlining tour with Taylor Ashton, and these new 2023 seems like a …

21 Mar 2025 Friday

Bella White
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bella White announces her Spring 2025 Red Rhododendron headline tour. The tour will stop by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on March 21, 2025.

As of this writing, no opening band listed.

Tour Dates:

March 21 - Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

March 22 - Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club

March 23 - Evanston, IL - SPACE

March 25 - Urbana, IL - Rose Bowl Tavern

March 26 - Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe

March 28 - Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern

March 29 - Montreal, QC – Petit Campus

March 30 - Ottawa, ON – Club Saw

April 1 - South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

April 3 - Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square

April 4 - Allston, ME – Brighton Music Hall

April 5 - New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

April 6 - Washington, DC – Pearl St Warehouse

April 8 - Raleigh, NC - Kings

April 9 - Charlotte, NC – The Evening Muse

April 11 - Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic

May 17 - London, UK - Highways Festival

flipturn at Palace Theatre (22 Mar 2025) Read More Flipturn Florida five-piece indie band Flipturn is named after a swimming maneuver, has a new single, “Playground” out this week, and promises their live show to be a complete and total release of inhibitions .... Arcy Drive New York’s Arcy Drive is headlining the 7th Street Entry this August 7th. The four friends (Nick, Pat, Brooke, Austin) love playing music, which they coined as “Attic-Rock.” ....

22 Mar 2025 Saturday

flipturn
with Arcy Drive
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Florida’s flipturn will be headlining the Palace Theatre, in St Paul, on March 22, 2025. The band’s album Burnout Days is out now on Dualtone Records.

Flipturn at 7th Street Entry (28 Oct 2022)

We saw Flipturn in Oct 2022 and said, “Prior to Flipturn taking the stage, the DJ/sound guy played nothing but Halloween music. Songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” to Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash”. The band features Dillon Basse on lead vocals, Tristan Duncan on lead guitar, Madeline Jarman on bass, Taylor Allen on synth, and Adrian Walker on drums. Flipturn’s been enjoying selling out multiple shows on their current headlining tour. The reasons that singer recounted was, “People just discovered us on their own. They'd hear about our shows, they'd check us out, and they'd keep coming back. Our live show is the reason we've been able to grow.””

Arcy Drive at 7th Street Entry (07 Aug 2023)

We saw opener Arcy Drive in August 2023 and wrote, “Arcy Drive then sauntered on stage to Hot Chocolate's “You Sexy Thing.” Like the Lapdogs, they are a group of childhood friends. They are from Northport, NY, composed of Patrick Helrigel on bass, Brook Tuozzo on drums, Austin Jones on guitar and Nick Mateyunas on lead vocals and guitar. Although new to the scene with a proper debut album still to be released, they had a successful tour in the spring due to heavy social media following on Tiktok. They just played Lollapalooza in Chicago and Minneapolis was the beginning of their Stattic Tour Part II.”

Tour dates:

February 26 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX

February 27 - The Factory in Deep Ellum - Dallas, TX

February 28 - Stubbs Amphitheater - Austin, TX

March 1 - Tower Theatre - Oklahoma City, OK

March 5 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ

March 6 - The Sound - Del Mar, CA

March 7 - The Novo - Los Angeles, CA

March 8 - The Fox - Oakland, CA

March 9 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR

March 11 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA

March 13 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT

March 15 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO

March 18 - The Truman - Kansas City, MO

March 19 - The Hawthorn - St. Louis, MO

March 21 - The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL

March 22 - The Palace Theatre - Minneapolis, MN

March 23 - Val Air - Des Moines, IA

March 26 - Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN

March 27 - KEMBA live! - Columbus, OH

March 28 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Detroit, MI

March 29 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON

March 30 - Beanfield Theatre - Montreal, QB

April 2 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT

April 4 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY

April 5 - Roadrunner - Boston, MA

April 9 - MEGACORP - Newport, KY

April 10 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA

April 11 - Franklin Music Hall - Philadelphia, PA

April 12 - The Anthem - Washington, D.C.

April 16 - Avondale Brewing - Birmingham, AL

April 18 - HOB Orlando - Orlando, FL

April 27 - High Water Festival - North Charleston, SC

Transmission 24 at First Avenue (22 Mar 2025) Read More Transmission The 23rd Anniversary Transmission, with DJ Jake Rudh, is this March 29, 2024, at First Avenue, in Minneapolis. This is a great social event that you can spend on your Friday night with your friends … DJ Jake Rudh Between bands, DJ Jake Rudh played a selection of 70s and 80s ska music videos (Madness, Specials, etc), and opening up the show was …

22 Mar 2025 Saturday

Transmission 24
with DJ Jake Rudh
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Join DJ Jake Rudh for the upcoming Transmission, the long-running music club, playing all your favorite alternative/UK hits of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

2025 will be be Transmission’s 24th Anniversary.

Transmission at First Ave (21 Mar 2015)

We attended the 14th Annual Transmission show in March 2015 and wrote, “Turnout to this Saturday event was very, very good, with the main dance floor generally full, as you can see from the photos. Everyone we ran into were generally smiling, drinking, being social, and having a good time. If you have attended any Transmission shows (or seen a UK band live), chances are, you will already be familiar with DJ Jake Rudh's music tastes, but he will play to the crowd. For the Transmission audience, the majority of music were of that alternative 80s/90s era, like Talking Heads, The Cure, Run DMC, New Order, Billy Idol, Beastie Boys, Beck, and, of course, The Smiths. However, once in a while, he'll throw in a curve ball, like Franz Ferdinand, MGMT, or MIA.”

Jake writes:

After doing this for so long it’s actually hard to think of creative and fresh ways to continue promoting Transmission.

So I’m going to drop the stress of even trying and just simply say thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dreams of sharing favorite music with all of you. Thank you for continuing to support this little dance night that just continues to carry on through the years.

And a huge thanks to all of you who are coming out to celebrate Transmission’s 24th anniversary at First Avenue with 5+ hours of great, classic alternative music videos from the ‘70s, ‘80s & ‘90s on March 22nd!

p.s. Many thanks to partners First Avenue, The Current and The Electric Fetus…the Twin Cities wouldn’t be the same without them!

Artwork: Josh Trippz

23 Mar 2025 Lilly Hiatt at Turf Club Read More Lilly Hiatt Lilly Hiatt is currently on tour. The new single, “Hidden Day” is out now on New West Records. The song is the first new music issued by New West since her Lately LP in 2021. …

23 Mar 2025 Sunday

Lilly Hiatt
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Singer/songwriter Lilly Hiatt is touring in support of her new album Forever, out now on New West Records. The tour will stop by the Turf Club, in St Paul, on March 23, 2025.

As of this writing, no opening band listed.

Tour Dates:

3/6/25 The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

3/7/25 Pour House, Charleston, SC

3/8/25 The Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC

3/9/25 The Pinhook, Durham, NC

3/11/25 Silk City Diner, Philadelphia, PA

3/12/25 The Middle East, Cambridge, MA

3/13/25 Baby's All Right, Brooklyn, NY

3/14/25 DC9, Washington, DC

3/15/25 Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, PA

3/16/25 Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH

3/19/25 Natalie's Grandview, Columbus, OH

3/20/25 Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO

3/21/25 Duke's, Indianapolis, IN

3/22/25 Fitzgerald's, Berwyn, IL

3/23/25 Turf Club, St. Paul MN

3/24/25 Vinyl Cup Records, Des Moines, IA

3/28/25 Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA

3/29/25 Trout Lake Hall, Trout Lake, WA

3/30/25 The Showdown, Portland, OR

4/1/25 Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA

4/3/25 The Wayfarer, Costa Mesa, CA

4/4/25 Permanent Records Roadhouse, LA, CA

4/5/25 The Dirty Drummer. Phoenix, AZ

4/8/25 The Continental Club, Houston, TX

4/9/25 Meridian, Buda, TX

4/10/25 Magnolia Motor Lounge, Fort Worth, TX

4/11/25 White Water Tavern, Little Rock, AR

4/12/25 Hernando's Hideaway, Memphis, TN

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

Lúnasa at Pantages Theatre (14 March 2025)

Lúnasa at Pantages Theatre (14 Mar 2025) Tour Dates 15 Mar Old Town School Chicago, IL 16 Mar St.Patrick's Day Festival Henderson, NV 17 Mar Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, NM 18 Mar KiMo Theatre Albuquerque, NM 21 Mar Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Kent, WA 22 Mar Vashon Center Vashon, WA 25 Mar Alberta Rose Theatre Portland, OR 26 Mar Patricia Valian Reser Center Corvallis, OR 27 Mar Cage Free Concerts Ashland, OR 28 Mar Presidio Theatre San Francisco, CA 29 Mar Miners Foundry Nevada City, CA 30 Mar Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA Vuart The Flutist (Vuart) Read More Lúnasa Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with traditional Irish band Lúnasa (featuring bassist Trevor Hutchinson of The Waterboys on bass). You can buy a copy of their new album …

Irish band Lúnasa played a double set of Irish/Celtic traditional music at the Pantages Theatre on Friday, March 14, bringing in a long weekend of Irish celebration with St Patrick’s Day on the horizon.

Before their show, the head of Celtic Junction Arts Center, Cormac Ó Sé, came out to introduce the band. He was excited to bring back the band, having just booked Lúnasa at the same theatre last year, on March 1st, 2024, along with Daoirí Farrell and Jigjam. He also mentioned that the first time he saw the group, it was in Australia, 26 years ago.

With that said, Lúnasa came on stage, from left to right: flutist Kevin Crawford, piper Cillian Vallely, fiddler Colin Farrell, guitarist Ed Boyd, and bassist Trevor Hutchinson. The band was named after Lughnasadh, an ancient harvest festival, and they play both traditional and contemporary Irish music.

Kevin did most of the talking, introducing a set of songs (usually three songs). They started with a couple of tracks that they released on Live in Kyoto (featuring ten new tracks recorded live at Taku Taku club in Japan). Most of these new songs were written by Cillian, who has a certain style of song writing. His go-to is to write a good first and third acts… the middle doesn’t really matter. Usually the third song in their mini-sets picks up, often inspiring the audience to clap along. So that last song is quite upbeat and ends with a strong finish.

As the concert continues, you learn a piece of each band member. For example, Trevor, the bassist, has a mad idea of renting identical vans and slowly swapping the engine… one piece at a time. My favorite is Ed, who was pointed out as having a wrinkled shirt because he didn’t bring an iron on tour. Ed took that and ran with it, adding that the clothing was causing chafing. Before we had the opportunity to ask, “you don’t want to know, but it’s my upper thighs.”

Highlight of their set was for one of their songs, a group of Kickin' It Irish dancers danced their way on stage. It was really fun, and had me looking up these dancers and found out that it was created in 2013 to feature Championship dancers from O’Shea Irish Dance. There are four more Kickin’ It Irish shows - March 15 (two shows), March 16, and ending on St Patrick’s Day at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. This will be a great way of celebrating all-things-Irish.

The band would then return with a second set of their show. The second set is a little loose and not as structured as the first set. The band could probably play for another six hours, pulling from their vast discography (over eight albums to choose from). The band admitted that they need to move with the times, as people don’t want to buy CDs. Instead, thanks to Trevor’s idea, they are selling music (with unreleased videos) on USB thumb drives. And if you don’t like it, “You can always put good stuff on it.”

Lúnasa’s Live in Kyoto is out now.

Cormac Ó Sé Kickin' It Irish

Kickin' It Irish

Lúnasa

Lúnasa

Lúnasa at Pantages Theatre (14 March 2025)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! March 18-24, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

Read More Bright Eyes Bright Eyes, brighter future. Conor Oberst (formerly Bright Eyes) will be at the Palace Theatre in St Paul on Thursday. Oberst recently appeared on Charlie Rose .…

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Well done, KC!

Spring is officially in the air (but don’t count cold weather out just yet) and there are so many sold out shows this week (with several others on low ticket alert), so fans are hitting the venues to catch their favorite live acts, which is great.

This weekend is cosplay city downtown too, as the mighty Planet Comicon Kansas City takes over downtown and Bartle Hall and the Convention Center for three days. As usual, we’ll be on-site, racing between panel rooms and the show floor, to bring you the full recaps.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from March 18th-24th:

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

TUESDAY MARCH 18

flipturn, Mar 18, The Truman, Sold Out

The Jacksonville FL area indie rock band band, comprised of Dillon Basse (lead vocal, guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), and Devon VonBalson (drums), grew steadily with every gig, from college house shows to festival appearances to a TV performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Their debut album, Shadowglow, made a splash and they’ve followed it up with second release, Burnout Days, described as “caught halfway between 21st century indie rock, New Wave-inspired nostalgia, and rhythmic alt-pop.”

Ben Folds, Mar 18 AND 19, Kauffman Center, $67-$148

Pianist and composer Ben Folds joins your Kansas City Symphony for two incredible nights! The Emmy-nominated artist has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborations.

His latest album, 2023’s What Matters Most, is a blend of piano-driven pop rock songs, while his 2015 Concerto for Piano and Orchestra soared to #1 on the Billboard Classical and Classical crossover charts. For nearly two decades, Folds has performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and recently served as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. His concert documentary "My Name's Ben Folds - I Play Piano" was recently released for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and he even released a holiday album last fall.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19

Trey Anastasio, Mar 19, Uptown, Sold Out

If KC can’t get Phish for a concert run, this is not a bad alternative- "An Acoustic Evening with Trey Anastasio," is the guitarist’s 20-date US solo acoustic tour which began last week, and the setlist reports have been impressing the longtime fans. The tour concludes with an April 5th show in Red Bank, NJ.

Anastasio had a busy last year- he embarked on a tour with his own band in the spring, released a new album with Phish titled Evolve, and with his Phish band mates, became the second act to hold a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Anastasio’s last solo album was 2022’s Mercy.

THURSDAY MARCH 20

FRIDAY MARCH 21

Planet Comicon Kansas City, Mar 21-23, Convention Center/Bartle Hall, $13.99-$97.99

Planet Comicon Kansas City is the largest comic book and pop culture convention not just in the KC area, but within the entire Midwest. At the core of PCKC is the commitment to provide a safe and welcoming venue where pop culture, comic, sci-fi, and anime fans may enjoy their particular niche of
fandom without judgment. Check out our coverage of previous years too!

It has a 26 year history, with the first installment held in Overland Park, KS in March 1999. The 2025 show is their 26th Anniversary show! This year's guests include David Tennant, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Andy Serkis, Mike Colter and so many more incredible celebrities. 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mar 21, Ameristar, $55-$205

For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy Award winning band has entertained audiences with their timeless hits 'Mr. Bojangles,' 'Fishin' In The Dark,' 'An American Dream,' and many more. And now, the time has come for the band who has carried a torch for American country and roots music to say ‘So Long’ to the highways and byways they've crossed a number of times throughout their career.

'All The Good Times' perfectly describes our career, said the band in a statement. 'Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We really look forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!' With special guest Brit Taylor Duo.

Bright Eyes w/ Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mar 21, Uptown, $40-$65

Bright Eyes are barreling ahead on their current tour, after they were forced to cancel the remainder of their 2024 dates due to Conor Oberst’s vocal problems. It’s in support of their new album, Five Dice, All Threes and Oberst is said to singing stronger than ever.

We’ve seen Omaha native Oberst numerous times live over the years, including some memorable collaborations with Dawes, Phoebe Bridgers, even a Vote for Change show playing with Bruce Springsteen, and always look forward to seeing him and the band again.

Arrive early for this solid double bill to catch Alynda Segarra and Hurray for the Riff Raff before they set off on their own headlining run in May with Merce Lemon. New song, “Pyramid Scheme” has also just been released, arriving around the first anniversary of album, The Past Is Still Alive, and features Phil Cook on organ, Yan Westerlund on drums, Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on electric guitar, and producer Brad Cook on bass.

RxGhost, Mar 21, Hilsiders, KCK, (door charge?)

KC’s own RxGhost (Jeremiah James and Josh Thomas on guitars, anchored by the precise rhythm section of Justin Brooks on drums and Chris Smead on bass) returns with "Anytime But Now," a new 7" single that examines the peculiar comfort found in self-destructive patterns, whether chemical or emotional- that space where you recognize something isn't good for you but can't seem to break away.

The single is backed with "Undersaid," a more subdued B-side that offers a balancing counterpoint that offers a more minimal, atmospheric companion piece.

Since forming in 2022, RxGhost has carved out their own corner of the shoegaze/post-rock spectrum, earning recognition for their recent album 'Scaffolding' and live performances. Of the upcoming KCK show, they say, “We’re playing our first show of the year and only KC show until the summer on MARCH 21st, we’re playing tons of new stuff, and super stoked to be playing with The String and Return.”

Marc Broussard, Mar 21, Knuckleheads, Sold Out

Louisiana singer, songwriter, and musician is known for channeling the spirits of classic R&B, rock, and soul into contemporary terms. The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of “The Boogie Kings,” he nurtured his musical gifts at an early age in Lafayette, LA’s music scene. After releasing a highly successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with Carencro. The album featured the breakout hit single “Home” and catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Over the past decade, Broussard released several albums with major labels and has since returned to his indie roots with a series of critically acclaimed original and philanthropic cover albums through his S.O.S Foundation (Save our Soul). His recent release, S.O.S. 4 Blues for Your Soul, a collaboration with blues legend Joe Bonamassa is a collection of blues/soul classics that debuted at the top of the Billboard Blues Album Chart.

Broussard’s new studio album, Time is a Thief finds the acclaimed singer/songwriter delivering an ten-song set filled with rootsy hooks and dance-floor grooves, all wrapped around Broussard’s vocals. His first album of new music since 2017’s, Easy to Love, arrived via his Artist Tone Label.

Arrive early for singer Kendra Morris, in support of new album, I Am What I’m Waiting For (Karma Chief Records).

SATURDAY MARCH 22

K Flay, Mar 22, The Truman, $25-$50

The multi-platinum and 2x GRAMMY-nominee has a new EP, I’m Making Friends With The Silence out now via Giant Music. The release features six tracks from her acclaimed 2023 full-length studio album MONO that were reimagined and re-recorded with a more reflective, stripped-back sound.

The idea to revisit these album tracks came shortly after K.Flay found herself struggling to listen to loud music due to her single sided deafness coupled with severe tinnitus. In search of a new approach, she collaborated with producer Lonas to rework and re-record the tracks with a restrained touch, focusing on intimacy, subtlety, and the power of simplicity.

"My SSD (single-sided deafness) and profound tinnitus make listening to loud music difficult. And so a strange fact hung in the air: I'd made an album that was hard for me to listen to," the musician said in a press release. We just caught her live in Minneapolis.

Mickey Dolenz, Mar 22, Uptown, $39-$99

Hey, Hey, it’s a Monkee! Dolenz is at it again, this time to the benefit of his dedicated fans, as he sets out for another round of An Evening of Songs and Stories performances

He’s also featured in a new movie from last September called The Zombie Wedding” and keeps flying the Monkees flag of song favorites, for all their fans, young and old.

SUNDAY MARCH 23

Geoff Tate, Mar 23, Knuckleheads,Sold Out

The former Queensryche singer is out on his "Operation: Mindcrime- The Final Chapter" U.S. tour, during which he will perform the band's classic album in full for this final run. The 1988 milestone album was one of Queensryche's most successful and the platinum certified record features hit singles such as "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love."

Tate fronted Queensrÿche for over 30 years, performing on the band’s classic albums in the 1980s and beyond. He split from the group in 2012, though it appears he is now on better terms with his former bandmates, who still own their name after some legal wranglings, but it’s only Tate who can legally perform the classic album and the acclaimed sequel record, in full.

MONDAY MARCH 24

Annie DiRusso, Mar 24, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $20-$100

The rising Nashville indie artist has just released her debut album Super Pedestrian. DiRusso says of her debut, “a lot of the album is about this push and pull of acceptance and resistance. It's me learning to surrender and about not being in the passenger seat of your own life.”

"I feel like a much more balanced, fully formed version of myself," DiRusso says. "I'm so excited to just show people where I'm at and how I'm feeling. I want this album to show people it's okay to have fun.

To celebrate the release DiRusso and her band is out on a 32-date headlining tour which starts right here in Lawrence freaking Kansas!

The album, produced by Caleb Wright (Hippocampus, Samia) follows DiRusso’s critically acclaimed EP God, I Hate This Place, and two straight years on the road, which included opening for Haim and beabadoobee, and appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Anberlin, Copeland, Madina Lake, Mar 24, Madrid, $33.50-$73.50

The Florida alternative group Anberlin has announced their return to the road to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their quintessential album, Never Take Friendship Personal and they’ll play that landmark 2005 album in its entirety. Joining them on the tour is support act Copeland, who is set to perform their own 2005 album, In Motion in its entirety. Madina Lake adds additional support.

 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