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Pert Near Sandstone at First Ave (12-02-2023)

12/02 Pert Near Sandstone with Them Coulee Boys and Humbird at First Avenue Tour Dates 02/09/24 - White Pine, MI - 34th Annual Midwest Telefest 06/27/24 - Eau Claire, WI - 10th Blue Ox Music Festival 06/28/24 - Eau Claire, WI - 10th Blue Ox Music Festival 06/29/24 - Eau Claire, WI - 10th Blue Ox Music Festival Read More Pert Near Sandstone This was Pert Near’s Ship of Fools Release Party and a party is exactly what it was. This band brought the energy, the fun, and the talent to First Avenue on Friday night… Them Coulee Boys Them Coulee Boys were charged to warm up the crowd filtering into the venue . They are from Eau Claire, WI, Coulee being the name French Trappers called the region when they were trapping in Wisconsin. … Humbird Humbird opened the evening with Siri Undlin on lead vocal and guitar and Pat Keen on upright bass. Undlin said it was a little weird to be playing at the Fine Line for she is currently on the road, but also back in her hometown …

It was Americana folk music Saturday night at First Ave from three local bands that are making sure the form is not only relevant in the age of digital music but also a howling good time.

Humbird (01 Nov 2023)

Humbird opened the evening as the crowd slowly ambled in. We caught them at the Fine Line exactly a month ago, opening for Mipso. Again it was Siri Undlin on lead vocal and guitar with Pat Keen on upright bass providing some grooved solos with a “Go Pat Go!” coming from the crowd.

After launching into a funky space duo in “Free Life,” Undlin said she just released a new song “Child of Violence” and it was the first time she got hate mail, which she and Keen welcomed, but wanted to hear it face-to-face, preferably at the merch table.

To get into the holiday spirit they invited their friend, Clifton on fiddle, to the stage to play a “deranged” Xmas song. It was not so much psychotic as a haunting lament with loose strands of “Greensleeves” hemmed throughout.

Pert Near Sandstone (29 Mar 2013)

Them Coulee Boys were up next and I’m glad that they were part of the festivities for I missed part of their set while trying to get into The Old Crow Medicine Show in October. It was their third time on the First Avenue stage and Beau Janke set aside his electric banjo to say being on there was not lost on him. “We’ve been down there hoping to be up here.”

They made the most of it with an electrified, rollicking good time with Janke joined by Soren Staff on guitar, Jens Staff on mandolin, Neil Krause on bass and Staš Hable on drums. Their music is infused by Americana but most definitely amped up and electrified, especially during the crowd favorite “10ft. Tall.”

You have to wonder how a traditional form of music that has roots in the southeastern part of the country found a prominent foothold in the Twin Cities. I read more than one article that says the impetus may have come from the Grammy award-winning soundtrack to the movie “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” Which is funny considering the movie was written and directed by two brothers from St. Louis Park, MN, Joel and Ethan Coen, neither who probably ever picked up a fiddle or banjo.

The members of Pert Near Sandstone are also from the Twin Cities suburbs, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. They first got into music by playing in heavy metal and ska bands. But as their music lessons progressed they too were caught by infectious music of bluegrass. And for almost twenty years they have been playing music that is impossible not to dance to, mainly because their percussionist, Matt Cartier, wears a pair of clogs. He was joined on stage with Nate Sipe on fiddle and mandolin, Kevin Knibel on banjo, J Lenz on guitar, Chris Forsberg on fiddle and Justin Bruhn on bass.

After a few break-neck songs, Sipe said they were going to slow things down a bit. Then they launched into “Twenty Cups of Coffee” which indicated that the band had no intention of slowing down, even inviting members of the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers to join in with Cartier throughout the evening.

Pert Near Sandstone has a new album out, their eighth, Waiting Days. And they took the opportunity with the album to expand their musical vocabulary as in “Gathering Clouds” when they invited Jason on trumpet and Max on saxophone to help add some Spanish flair to the song. Then there was “Out of Time” written by Lenz who was asked by the members of the band, “Why are your songs so dark?”

The album was produced by Ryan Young who is not only the fiddle player for Trampled by Turtles, but was a founding member of Pert Near Sandstone. He even joined the band on stage and it was the highlight of the evening to see him, Sipe and Forsberg take over with a foot-tapping trio.

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Pert Near Sandstone (with Them Coulee Boys) at First Avenue, Minneapolis (02 Dec 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Japanese House at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02 Dec 2023)

Japanese House Setlist Sad to Breathe Touching Yourself Something Has to Change Morning Pages Follow My Girl i saw you in a dream Boyhood You Seemed So Happy Baby goes again Over There Friends Worms Chewing Cotton Wool Maybe You're the Reason Dionne -- Encore -- One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones Sunshine Baby quinnie Setlist ripple itch baja bird better promised shape for you silver second man touch tank gold star Tour Dates December 1 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's December 2 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fineline December 3 - Chicago, IL @ Metro December 5 - Detroit, MI @ El Club December 6 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall December 8 - Montréal, QC @ Studio TD December 9 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground December 10 - Boston, MA @ Royale Read More The Japanese House British singer Amber Bain, billed as The Japanese House is touring the U.S.A. (heading to SXSW 2017), in support of her third EP Swim Against The Tide. She is getting great buzz for .... quinnie The evening began with a well-received forty-minute set from New Jersey folk/bedroom pop Columbia Records artist quinnie, in support of debut full-length, flounder, but also played many new ....

Buckinghamshire’s The Japanese House (Amber Bain) just headlined the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on Saturday, December 2, 2023, in support of her sophomore album In The End It Always Does (Dirty Hit).

Opening the show was Quinnie (stylized as quinnie). The singer, songwriter, is joined on stage by her two best friends, Jake and Hudson… making this tour “extra special.”

Quinnie’s debut album Flounder was re-issued as a deluxe version on Columbia Records. She described the deluxe album as, “paints a more well-rounded picture of what my life looked like throughout writing this album. These are songs that still equally represent the person that I was, but otherwise didn’t contribute to the overarching themes and palette of the album.”

She spent the entire set sitting down, playing the same set as the Liberty Hall show, a few nights ago, “…the crowd seemed completely enthralled with every note. This was even more evident towards the end of the set, as they played “touch tank”, a song which went TikTok viral last Spring, and the set-closing “gold star’, an early track from a 2019 EP that was written while in high school.”

We’ve been following The Japanese House for a while now, ever since Swim Against the Tide came out in 2016.

The Japanese House (27 Feb 2017)

We saw her first headlining show in Feb 2017 at the Triple Rock Social Club, and mentioned that she basically played every song they’ve ever recorded. During the set “Bain noticed the disco ball that hung from the Triple Rock Social Club’s ceiling and asked, “Can someone work that disco ball? That would be amazing.” The request fell on deaf ears, that in the middle of ‘Leon’, the disco ball magically turned on with a massive cheer from the audience! Bain wore a massive smile on her face and struggled to continue singing.”

Since that first sold-out show, she’s been selling out all her other appearances, including her sold out Fine Line show in May 2019, when she was touring in support of her debut album Good at Falling.

With the two year pandemic break, Bain spent the time to write and record In the End It Always Does, which came out during the summer on Dirty Hit.

Setlist is the same from Kansas show on November 30: “The seventy-minute set (band on stage surrounded in a thin mist and often low lighting) began with the second single from the new record, the sullenly beautiful “Sad to Breathe” and Bain lyrically emoting, “It's sad to breathe the air when you're not there.””

Her “classic” song “Follow My Girl” had the biggest response from the fans.

Like her previous sold-out appearances, the Fine Line is incredible hard to move around, as fans packed themselves on the dancefloor. It felt like the show was over-sold, as even the balcony felt it was over crowded.

If you can’t make it out see The Japanese House live, you can pick up the recently released live EP called ITEIAD Sessions, featuring live versions of songs from her In the End It Always Does album. Pretty much all the songs on the ITEIAD Sessions were played live, including “Boyhood” and “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones” (on the encore)… except for her ABBA cover song, “Super Trouper”.

quinnie

Japanese House Japanese House Japanese House

The Japanese House at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02 Dec 2023)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Angel Olsen at First Avenue, Minneapolis (29 Nov 2023)

11/29 Angel Olsen with Nona Invie at First Avenue Angel Olsen Setlist This Is How It Works Ghost On Dream Thing Right Now Shut Up Kiss Me Sweet Dreams Never Be Mine Summer Give It Up Special Endgame Some Things Cosmic Unf**ktheworld Slowin' Down Love (Tucker Zimmerman cover) -- Encore -- Woman Tour Dates Nov. 30 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom Dec. 1 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Dec. 2 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Dec. 3 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Dec. 5 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall Dec. 6 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Dec. 7 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn Dec. 8 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club Dec 9 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom Read More Angel Olsen Alternative country / folk singer-songwriter Angel Olsen and her distinctive voice, played to a loyal and raucous capacity crowd at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS, satisfying her ... Dark Dark Dark It wouldn't be a 'dark' article unless we include Minneapolis' Dark Dark Dark. Longtime readers should note that we've been covering the band ..…

North Carolina’s Angel Olsen is back in town, headlining First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on November 29th, 2023.

Nona Invie, the singer from Dark Dark Dark, opened the show.

Dark Dark Dark (05 Oct 2012)

The last proper Dark Dark Dark show we saw was a long time ago, in October 2012. We described their music as, “Ghosts, graveyards, bones, dreams, winter, drowning: this is the vocabulary of Dark Dark Dark. Water imagery abounds throughout. And why not? There has always been something rustically aquatic and 19th century about a slow accordion song. Add a gently plucked banjo and a haunting vocal and it's impossible not to imagine a foggy, moon-lit Mississippi riverboat bedecked with ethereal waltzing couples festooned in patchwork finery under flickering oil-lamps in what amounts to a macabre Mark Twain fever-dream.”

By this time (2012), the band went into hiatus for personal issues, and Nova Invie joined Anonymous Choir, which we saw in September 2013.

Currently, it would seem that Invie plays piano for Angel Olsen’s live band.

Since Invie was originally from the area, her mother, sister, aunt, and grandmother, were all in the audience.

Angel Olsen (02 Oct 2017)

Although the last time Angel Olsen was in town, it was part of the The Wild Hearts Tour in August 2022, her last actual First Avenue appearance was in Nov 2019. Before that, there was a long three-year gap at First Avenue, in October 2017.

We wrote, “Now, let me state the obvious: Angel Olsen has a voice that makes knees weak, blind men see and dreams come true. Hyperbole aside, it truly is a stunning thing, both vulnerable and sensual, reminding me of great vocalists like Brenda Lee or Patsy Cline. With her trembling wail on the set opener “Never Be Mine” and the charged frustration of “Shut Up and Kiss Me”, Olsen dug into her chest and presented the packed First Avenue club with her heart. Enraptured, fans responded by respectfully keeping quiet before each song and then letting loose a mad wave of adulation at a song’s end.”

Olsen is glad to be back in Minneapolis and asks the audience if she can sing her sad songs. Most of the set is from her new (2022) album Big Time, which were played early in the set. The remainder of the set were songs from various releases.

She mentioned that she lived in the Midwest for a time, and you have to treat life like a joke, to laugh with all your friends. Her music is personal and she’s relieved that other people can connect with her music. As a result, she feels less alone.

Olsen’s new EP, Forever Means, is out now on Jagjaguwar.

Nona Invie

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Angel Olsen at First Avenue, Minneapolis (29 Nov 2023)

juan ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: This Week (12/10/2023)

Here are some shows, this week, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

12/04 August Burns Red at Fillmore Read More August Burns Red August Burns Red's latest album, Found in Far Away Places is out now on Fearless Records. Their single "Identity" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Metal Performance category. .…

12/04/2023 Monday

August Burns Red
at Fillmore
livenation.com

Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Rescue & Restore album, August Burns Red will be headlining out on touring, starting November 10th in Worcester, and stopping in at the Fillmore in Minneapolis on December 4th.

August Burns Red (02 April 2016)

In those ten years, we did catch ABR a few times, the last time being in April 2016: “August Burns Red was co-headliner on this tour. These guys have been touring for years and years (much like BTBAM) and always impress the crowds with the amount of energy they have on stage. The way singer Jake Luhr is able to command the crowd is a sight to see. What's more impressive is the way he is able to scream without losing his voice. The deafening screams echoed throughout the venue and anyone who was sitting out by the merch tables quickly found themselves drawn into the auditorium portion of the venue. August Burns Red had an unusually long set and were able to play a little bit of everything which definitely kept the crowd interested. No matter what “era” of ABR they were playing, Jake kept it absolutely intense.”

Expect the band to play the Rescue & Restore album, plus other fan favorites.

Brand of Sacrifice, Spite, and Crystal Lake to open.

Tour dates:

11/10 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium
11/11 — Montreal, QC — L'Olympia
11/12 — London, ON — London Music Hall
11/14 — Fort Wayne, IN — Piere's
11/16 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works
11/17 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade
11/18 — Orlando, FL — House of Blues
11/20 — Fayetteville, AR — JJ's Live
11/21 — Dallas, TX — The Factory
11 22 — Austin, TX — Emo's
11/24 — Tempe, AZ — Marquee
11/25 — Anaheim, CA — House of Blues
11/27 — Sacramento, CA — Ace Of Spades
11/28 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco
11/29 — Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl
11/30 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
12/2 — Denver, CO — The Fillmore
12/4 — Minneapolis, MN — The Fillmore
12/5 — Chicago, IL — Radius
12/6 — Cincinnati, OH — Bogarts
12/8 — Lancaster, PA —Christmas Burns Red
12/9 — Lancaster, PA — Christmas Burns Red

12/07 Arlo Parks Unplugged Music & Poetry at Fine Line Read More Arlo Parks BRIT Award winning artist Arlo Parks recently shared Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s remix of his single, “Too Good”. The song is taken from her critically acclaimed debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams. …

12/07/2023 Thursday

Arlo Parks Unplugged Music & Poetry
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Right before Arlo Parks’s 2024 tour in support of My Soft Machine, Parks will the special guest for The Current’s winter show. It is called “Unplugged Music & Poetry”.

Tour dates:

2/29 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
3/2 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
3/5 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
3/7 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
3/8 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
3/9 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3/12 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
3/13 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
3/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/16 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
3/19 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
3/20 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
3/22 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
3/25 - Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
3/26 - Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Beanfield
3/28 - Boston, MA @ Royale
3/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
4/2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

12/09 Los Lobos at First Avenue Read More Los Lobos Electronic artist Marc Rebillet played eight cities in June, Los Lobos played in Southern California on July 4, Andrew McMahon just reprised his Jack Mannequin days with a pair of successful shows in Anaheim . …

12/09/2023 Saturday

Los Lobos
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com.com

Can you believe that Los Lobos (The Wolves) is celebrating their 50th Anniversary as a band? To celebrate, the group will do a special 50th Anniversary tour… stopping by Minneapolis’ First Avenue on December 9th.

Los Lobos (09 Aug 2011) - photo by Cliff Morse

We saw Los Lobos in August 2011 and wrote, “Whereas Los Lobos took their time to demonstrate a musical proficiency honed over thirty years, Los Lonely Boys got right down to business on their first song, “I’m a Man.” With only three players (Henry on electric guitar, Jo Jo on bass and Ringo on drums), they showed a nimble raw-powered tightness that only a band that has been playing together for many years can demonstrate. There was no place for a weaker musician to hide. No one could hang in the background as lead vocals bounced from Henry and Jo Jo and back to Ringo, solos came from any instrument while all three voices melded into three part harmony.”

Tour Dates

November 17 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
November 18 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
November 21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Paramount
November 22 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go
November 25 – East Los Angeles, CA – James A. Garfield High School
December 9 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
December 22 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
December 23 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern

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 ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Japanese House at Liberty Hall, Lawrence KS (2023-11-30)

Japanese House Setlist Sad to Breathe Touching Yourself Something Has to Change Morning Pages Follow My Girl i saw you in a dream Boyhood You Seemed So Happy Baby goes again Over There Friends Worms Chewing Cotton Wool Maybe You're the Reason Dionne -- Encore -- One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones Sunshine Baby quinnie Setlist ripple itch baja bird better promised shape for you silver second man touch tank gold star THE JAPANESE HOUSE TOUR DATES DEC 1 WOOLY'S DES MOINES, IA DEC 2 FINE LINE MINNEAPOLIS, MN DEC 3 METRO CHICAGO, IL DEC 5 THE MAJESTIC THEATRE DETROIT, MI DEC 6 DANFORTH MUSIC HALL TORONTO, ON DEC 8 LE STUDIO TD MONTREAL, QC DEC 9 HIGHER GROUND, BALLROOM BURLINGTON, VT DEC 10 ROADRUNNER BOSTON, MA MAY 7 SWG3 GLASGOW, UK MAY 8 O2 INSTITUTE BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND MAY 9 ROUNDHOUSE LONDON, ENGLAND MAY 10 ALBERT HALL MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM Read More The Japanese House British singer Amber Bain, billed as The Japanese House is touring the U.S.A. (heading to SXSW 2017), in support of her third EP Swim Against The Tide. She is getting great buzz for .... quinnie The evening began with a well-received forty-minute set from New Jersey folk/bedroom pop Columbia Records artist quinnie, in support of debut full-length, flounder, but also played many new ....

On a chilly, rain-soaked last night of November in downtown Lawrence, a visit from another “house” and even a burst of “sunshine baby” to help perk up the somber weather--

Indie pop rock band The Japanese House made a stop at a very sold-out Liberty Hall to charm the rabid, loyal, and mostly college-age crowd.

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The evening began with a well-received forty-minute set from New Jersey folk/bedroom pop Columbia Records artist quinnie, in support of debut full-length, flounder, but also played many new, yet-to-be-released songs, much to the delight of her many following fans.

Performing as a trio (with jake weinberg, and hudson pollock), the music is somewhat simple, imbuing the elements of 60’s/70’s dreamy folk with delicate higher-pitch vocals; but lyrically, there can often be an honest, revealing, and sometimes profane twist on the classic themes of love, loss, and relationships. Oh, and she obviously doesn’t care for capital letters on anything (very e.e.cummings).

From the opening new track “ripple” to new song “for you” (about having the ideal relationship, as well as the love between her parents), to the winter-themed “silver second” the crowd seemed completely enthralled with every note. This was even more evident towards the end of the set, as they played “touch tank”, a song which went TikTok viral last Spring, and the set-closing “gold star’, an early track from a 2019 EP that was written while in high school.

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Lawrence was lucky to host the return of The Japanese House aka Buckinghamshire singer songwriter Amber Bain, as one of the 29 stops of her first US Tour since 2019, in support of new album, In the End It Always Does (out in June via The 1975’s label, Dirty Hit).

Supposedly, the story behind the band name came from a childhood week-long stay at an actual Japanese-esque tea house in Cornwall, UK (once owned by actor Kate Winslet), that became very creatively impressionable to Bain as a young child. Bain’s own musical breakthrough was being added as support for The 1975 and we’ve been fortunate to see the band headlining live previously both in 2019 and in 2017.

The seventy-minute set (band on stage surrounded in a thin mist and often low lighting) began with the second single from the new record, the sullenly beautiful “Sad to Breathe” and Bain lyrically emoting, “It's sad to breathe the air when you're not there.”

Many of the songs (more so the upbeat ones), sound musically familiar to The 1975 (who we’re big fans of and covered continuously as they started out) because many were co-written and co-produced by that band’s drummer, George Daniel (himself, newly engaged to Charli XCX!).

Bain and band seemed to be naturally having fun during the evening, not saying too much between songs to the sold-out crowd, who remained in rapt attention throughout. “Let’s try a couple classics”, Bain mentioned before the familiar notes of 2019’s “Follow My Girl” and “Saw You in a Dream”, to the shrieking delight of the females lined along the front barricade.

Bain dedicated the important recent single, “Boyhood” to “all the queers in the room”, a song about finding one’s own true identity, and as Bain has said, “This song talks about how sometimes, however hard you try, you can’t help but be a product of the things that happened to you or held you back earlier on in life. But also, and more importantly, it’s about hope for overcoming those things.”

“That’s enough sad time for a bit... some happy times!” Bain declared before “Friends”, about confidently moving on from a relationship, and set to a very Daniel/1975 percussive beat. “Enough kind-of happiness, let’s get to the sad sh*t” Bain soon remarked, going back to 2020’s “Chewing Cotton Wool” about seeing a face everywhere and in everything.

The main set would end with Bain’s 2020 collaboration with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, “Dionne”, lyrically personifying longing singing “Wishing that someone would film the way I'm looking at you” then darting off, before quickly returning for a two-song encore.

A piano was rolled out for the somber, “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones” from the new record and featured Bain’s stream of consciousness lyrics, “You seem to love me more when other people are around, it feels something like I'm missing you, but also like I'm missing me.”

The rest of the band would rejoin to close with the new album’s upbeat lead single, “Sunshine Baby”, a studio collab with The 1975’s Matty Healy and named after her dog’s nickname, as well as an ex, and her euphemism for just relaxing on a beach.

Outside, the weather had turned even more poor- a sleet-filled winter mix as crowd goers made their way back to cars and dormitories; while inside was still the glow from the performance of The Japanese House, ideally punctuated at the end, with that needed bit of “sunshine baby”.

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

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

Ella Vos at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (01 Dec 2023)

12/01 Ella Vos at 7th St Entry Ella Vos Setlist The Wash Mindreader Mountain Baby Fever Forever Home Glitter & Tears White Noise Dreaming, Backwards Dress Up Song with Blond in Car Unreleased Song (It's My Party) Losing Battle Salty Superglue Pavement -- Encore -- Down in Flames Dumb Dudes Tour Dates 12/2 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL 12/4 – Club Café – Pittsburgh, PA 12/5 – Songbyrd Music House – Washington D.C. 12/6 – The Sultan Room – Brooklyn, NY 12/7 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA 12/9 – The Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC 12/10 – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC 12/11 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA 12/12 – Analog @ Hutton Hotel – Nashville, TN Read More Ella Vos One of the most unique voice today, Ella Vos, is headlining the 7th Street Entry this Saturday in support of her debut album Words I Never Said. As a bonus, she’ll be bringing her friend, London-based …

It’s the first night of the winter 2023 tour for former BØRNS keyboardist Ella Vos (Lauren Salamone) at the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on the first of December.

Los Angeles-based Blond in Car (Robin Schorr) opened the show, touring in support of her recently released album Altavan.

Schorr mentioned that she’s been in Minneapolis “many times before”, with a recent one for a wedding in June. There were mosquitos, and the wedding band didn’t show up, and it sounded like the whole wedding was a disaster (as the bride is crying in the corner). Of course, she hit the open bar and drank Long Island the whole time.

She commented that the 7th Street Entry was “the coolest club” and if she lived here, she’d be here every night.

Being a one-woman-band, Schorr had to juggle her pre-recorded backing tracks and beats (they’re at a certain timed length so she can’t really end or start early).

Highlight of her set was a mashup of The Carpenters’ “Superstar” and Beach House’s “Superstar”. Both songs share the same title, but are very different songs. Normally for the guitar parts (“Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear”) she would play the notes on a guitar… but due to the limitation of touring, she had to play that part on her keyboard. Somehow the whole song, which she dubbed “Superstar Superstar”, it works as a new song.

Blond in Car ended the 40-min set with “My High GummyGirl”, a song about her daughter. For this song, she brought out her omnichord.

As previously mentioned, it’s the first night of the tour for Ella Vos, and, of course, there’s something wrong. Vos forgot to write down the setlist, so she has a vague idea of what to play.

Like Blond in Car, Ella Vos, does it all on stage live, with pre-recorded backing soundtrack and beats. For lighting, she has a device that changes lights. It’s not random, it might be programmed to display with the corresponding music.

Even though she was last seen in town with Broods, in June 2022, she said the last time she was at the 7th Street (as headliner) was five years ago.

She’s referring to her March 17, 2018 appearance, which we wrote, “One of the most unique voices today, Ella Vos, is headlining the 7th Street Entry this Saturday in support of her debut album Words I Never Said. As a bonus, she’ll be bringing her friend, London-based singer-songwriter Freya Ridings on tour.”

This current 2023 tour is for her new album Superglue, which is all about healing and recovery. The album was written and recorded during the pandemic with her husband. After writing “Baby Fever”, they decided to get tattoos of each other’s name on their chest.

Blond in Car Blond in Car

Ella Vos

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Ella Vos at 7th St Entry, Minneapolis (01 Dec 2023)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

News: Morrissey cancels Perth, Australia

40 Years of Morrissey Australia 2023 Tour Read More Morrissey As you know, I used to be a devoted The Smiths and Morrissey fan. Like many of you, I have grown up and may have been a little disenchanted by singer Morrissey’s beliefs and personality... but I still love the music .…

The Morrissey: 40 Years of Morrissey show in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled due to logistic reasons.

Thanks to James, who writes: Yep Bigmouth strikes out again. Perth, Australia gig cancelled on the day of the concert. Logistical problems. Apparently, we will be refunded. I won’t be wasting any more time or money on Morrissey. BTW. Saw Johnny Marr in Fremantle a couple of years back. He never had a voice, but was great and turned up. Don't bother coming back to Australia. I doubt any promoter would touch you..

Additional details from the concert promoter:

The promoters of the 'Morrissey: 40 Years of Morrissey' have regretfully advised that the Perth leg of the tour has now been cancelled.

The WA show was scheduled for Friday 1 December 2023.

STATEMENT FROM THE PROMOTER:
"We regret to advise the Morrissey: 40 Years of Morrissey show scheduled for Friday 1 December at Perth Concert Hall will no longer be proceeding due to unforeseen logistical issues."
- Live Nation

Read more Every date that Morrissey has ever cancelled.

Remaining tour dates:

Dec 1 Perth - Perth Concert Hall (cancelled)
Dec 4 Melbourne - Palais Theater
Dec 5 Melbourne - Palais Theater
Dec 8 Brisbane - Fortitude Music Hall
Dec 10 Sydney - State Theater
Dec 11 Sydney - State Theater
Dec 14 Auckland - The Civic
Feb 3 Mexico City - Palacio de los Deportes
Feb 8 Lima - Anfiteatro del Parque de la Exposición
Feb 10 Bogota - Movistar Arena
Feb 15 Santiago - Movistar Arena
Feb 17 Buenos Aires - Movistar Arena
Feb 22 São Paulo - Espaço Unimed
Feb 24 Brasilia - Opera Hall

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Christmas 2023: Last Christmas

Read More Wham! Wham!'s "Last Christmas" song is possibly one of the best Christmas pop song. Released in 1984, it dominated the charts and is still very popular even today (especially in Japan and ...

Last Christmas
lastchristmasmovie.com

Longtime readers of W♥M knows that we have a soft spot for Wham!’s “Last Christmas”. The song has been a staple in our holiday playlist since 1984, but semi-recently the song has been making a comeback.

During the start of the pandemic, in November 2019, the romantic comedy Last Christmas, starring Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke. The story is about a Christmas shop clerk who falls in love with a mysterious man (Henry Golding).

Obviously, based on the movie’s title, the story was inspired by George Michael and Wham!’s song of the same name.

The official soundtrack includes 14 Wham! and solo George Michael songs, as well as a previously unreleased song, “This Is How (We Want You to Get High)”… so for George Michael completist, this soundtrack is a must for their collection.

The soundtrack album debuted at number one on the UK Official Soundtrack Albums Chart and at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart in 2019.

P.S. Enjoy a new 4k master of the original “Last Christmas” video on YouTube!

Read More Alanis Morissette The Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning new musical is about a perfectly imperfect American family, based on Alanis Morissette’s memorable ...

Alanis Morissette
alanis.com

The 90s angst You Outta Know singer Alanis Morissette recently covered “Last Christmas” live on the broadcast of “Christmas at Graceland” on NBC. You can watch it on YouTube if you missed it. She’s playing in front of Elvis Presley’s airplane.

Morissette’s latest single “Last Christmas” came out November 3, 2023, on Epiphany / Thirty Tigers.

Tour dates:

Jun 9 2024 Phoenix, AZ, US Talking Stick
Jun 12 2024 Austin, TX, US Moody Center ATX
Jun 14 2024 Dallas, TX, US Dos Equis Pavilion
Jun 16 2024 The Woodlands, TX, US Cynthia Woods
Jun 19 2024 Tampa, FL, US MIDFLORIDA
Jun 20 2024 West Palm Beach, FL, US iTHINK Financial
Jun 22 2024 Alpharetta, GA, US Ameris Bank
Jun 23 2024 Nashville, TN, US Bridgestone Arena
Jun 26 2024 Charlotte, NC, US PNC Music Pavilion
Jun 27 2024 Raleigh, NC, US Coastal Credit Union
Jun 29 2024 Columbia, MD, US Merriweather Post Pavilion
Jul 2 2024 Camden, NJ, US Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Jul 3 2024 Holmdel, NJ, US PNC Bank Arts Center
Jul 5 2024 Bethel, NY, US Bethel Woods
Jul 6 2024 Hartford, CT, US Xfinity Theatre
Jul 9 2024 Mansfield, MA, US Xfinity Center
Jul 10 2024 Wantagh, NY, US Northwell Health
Jul 13 2024 Toronto, ON, Canada Budweiser Stage
Jul 14 2024 Toronto, ON, Canada Budweiser Stage
Jul 16 2024 Clarkston, MI, US Pine Knob Music
Jul 17 2024 Cuyahoga Falls, OH, US Blossom Music Center
Jul 23 2024 Maryland Heights, MO, US Hollywood Casino
Jul 24 2024 Cincinnati, OH, US Riverbend Music Center
Jul 27 2024 Noblesville, IN, US Ruoff Music Center
Jul 28 2024 Milwaukee, WI, US American Family
Jul 31 2024 Denver, CO, US Ball Arena
Aug 1 2024 West Valley City, UT, US USANA Amphitheatre
Aug 3 2024 Auburn, WA, US White River Amphitheatre
Aug 4 2024 Portland, OR, US Moda Center
Aug 7 2024 Mountain View, CA, US Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug 8 2024 Palm Desert, CA, US Acrisure Arena
Aug 10 2024 Inglewood, CA, US Kia Forum

Read More Coco & Clair Clair Coco & Clair Clair knew from the moment they met that they were meant to make music together. Similarly, listeners are immediately drawn to the Atlanta-bred duo through their clever …

Coco & Clair Clair
cocoandclair.com

“Last Christmas” is the new holiday single from duo Coco & Clair Clair. The song is reimagined as a trap bass song with an 80s snare. I think my favorite part of the song is the whispering of “Happy Christmas” that starts every line of the start of the song.

It’s short and to the point, but it’s pretty good, I had to rewind to listen again.

We wrote about the duo in March 2023 and said that the “Atlanta-bred duo Coco & Clair Clair is on tour in support of their debut album SEXY. The album’s title actually doesn’t describe their music, as they explained, “It's impactful, but it's a really silly word… And then, none of the songs are actually that sexy.” The duo is fairly new, having met through mutual friends on Twitter in 2014. “We really rely on the other person,” Clair Clair says. “We'll both go write our verses, and then we share them with each other and let the other person edit them. Everything is very much both of our brains combined, which we couldn't do with someone who wasn’t a very good friend because it's such a vulnerable process.” ”

Their debut album got a special Deluxe Edition, which re-released on November 10th, 2023.

ASTN
astnofficial.com

Breakout TikTok singer ASTN released his “Last Christmas” in November 2023. Obviously, listening to his song, it’s done in an R&B style… complete with auto-tune and gospel backing response vocals.

“Last Christmas” follows this year’s acclaimed Where Do We Go From Here? EP, which pop music critics loved. VIBE describing the EP as “a solid introduction into ASTN as he breaks ground in the R&B world,” and V Magazine writing “catchy hooks and captivatingly personal lyrics.”

ASTN will be playing the Warfield, in San Francisco, on December 16, 2023… I’m sure he’ll be singing “Last Christmas”. If he doesn’t play it, it’s a missed opportunity!

Disconnected Souls
disconnectedsouls.com

Cinematic metal band Disconnected Souls recently offered their 2023 rendition of “Last Christmas”. Their version is a little synthy, with some industrial elements thrown in at the end.

Band leader Fletch explains his choice in cover: “If you've followed DS for any length of time, you'll probably know that we love doing reinterpretations of Christmas classics, and therefore it was kinda inevitable that at some point we would find ourselves faced with 'Last Christmas'. To be brutally honest, none of us are big fans of the original! However, we wanted to see what we could do with it and were particularly keen to make one of our friends happy (who had been repeatedly suggesting it). We ended up staying surprisingly accurate to the original music, but focussed on vocal FX / reducing the tempo and adding some more melancholy instrumentation. As always we hope you enjoy and happy holidays!”

Read more Christmas.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! December 1-7, 2023, Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More: Heartless Bastards Acclaimed rock ’n’ roll band Heartless Bastards is currently on tour in support of A Beautiful Life (Sweet Unknown Records/Thirty Tigers). The album comes out September 10, 2021. …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Ahh, December already – the holiday season is in full effect and the countdown to year’s end, is on. In-between the holiday shopping, gatherings, and holiday prep, there are themed shows as well as many different genre artists, rounding out their year, with local stops. Fill out some of your best-of-the-year live performance list, with the shows below.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from November 28^th - 30^th .

FRIDAY DECEMBER 1

Lindsey Stirling, Dec 1, TPAC- Topeka, $50-$90

The Santa Ana-born (and S5 alum of “America’s Got Talent”) violinist and performer is on a 24-city North American holiday tour. “I always love touring, but touring at Christmas is my absolute favorite, and I think this year’s Christmas show is going to be the best one yet,” she said in a statement about the “Snow Waltz” Tour, which is named after her 2022 holiday album.

Stirling’s second holiday album, “Snow Waltz” is a 13-song collection that includes traditional songs like “Sleigh Ride,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Little Drummer Boy” with original works like “Snow Waltz” and “Ice Storm.” The album features collaborations with singer-songwriters David Archuleta and Bonnie McKee.

One dollar from every ticket sold will go to Stirling’s Upside Fund charity, which launched in April 2020 to support people struggling with medical bills during the pandemic. Since then, the charity has erased $5 million in medical debt for needy individuals.

Heartless Bastards, Dec 1, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $26-$28

Led by Erika Wennerstrom, their powerful vocalist and songwriter, the band's sixth album, A Beautiful Life, was released in late 2021. The album was the first on their own label, Sweet Unknown Records. It was preceded by singles "How Low" and "Revolution". Wennerstrom considered releasing the album as a solo effort, but then decided it was a continuation of the journey begun on the band’s debut, Stairs and Elevators.

Wennerstrom says, “For me, music is a gift—I do it because I love it and because it helps me feel more connected to the world. I think we all long for a deep connection, and I hope this record adds to the conversation on how we, as a species, can stop seeing ourselves as separate. I hope it helps everyone to think about how we can look out for each other, take care of each other, and lift each other up.”

SATURDAY DECEMBER 2

Black Light Animals w/Gemini Parks & Heat Seger, Dec 2, recordBar, $19.83

The KC-based psych-soul band features lush pop vocals crooned over spaghetti western riffs, psychedelic synth, and hip-hop drums. Their groundbreaking debut, Playboys of the Western World, is recently out. Our new friend Josh, and his Gemini Parks project is also on the bill.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 3

Kitchen Dwellers w Armchair Boogie, Dec 3, recordBar, $20

After a summer that included playing at Red Rocks with The String Cheese Incident and a pair of home state appearances for the Under The Big Sky festival, the Montana-based “galaxy grass” outfit, made up of Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), Joe Funk (upright bass), and Max Davies (acoustic guitar) comes to KC, on one of their last stops for the year.

The alt-Americana bluegrass-tinged outfit announced their new studio album Seven Devils, is due out March 1^st, with lead single being the title track, “Seven Devils (Limbo)”, so likely expect to hear some of the new songs. Support is from Armchair Boogie, a funky “newgrass”, folk, group from Madison.

Mae w/ Hembree, Dec 3, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $27-$152

The Norfolk VA band formed way back in 2001, with most recent album being from 2018 and from the acronym of the band’s own name- Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, which is derived from a concept called Multi-sensory Aesthetic Theory that former drummer Jacob Marshall studied while a student at Old Dominion University.

Marshall and Dave Elkins began what would become Mae by writing their first song, “Embers and Envelopes”, in Marshall’s living room. The band signed with Tooth and Nail Records and released their first album, Destination: Beautiful, in 2003. They released their second full-length album, The Everglow, in 2005. Local faves Hembree are on board for support.

MONDAY DECEMBER 4

TUESDAY DECEMBER 5

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra - A Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec 5, Kauffman Center, $28-$80

The timeless music of Vince Guaraldi has been played in more households than nearly any other artist, familiar to so many so prepare for this unique big band arrangement of selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas — for the first time ever! Join KCJO and guest vocalist Lee Langston to create a new holiday tradition.

As part of the multi-media performance, clips from the animated A Charlie Brown Christmas, will be played, accompanied by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and guests on stage will be reading some of the dialogue.

TINA- The Tina Turner Musical, Dec 5-10, Music Hall, $41-$112

Simply the Best! An uplifting comeback story like no other, this hit musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation is guaranteed to be high-energy entertainment.

One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows have been seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history. Featuring numerous much-loved songs, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6

THURSDAY DECEMBER 7

TDJ, Dec 7, Encore at Uptown, $20

The Montreal artist, DJ, and producer is aka Geneviève Ryan Martel, known for her eponymous releases focusing on Trance & Progressive music. The tour kicked off in June in Austin followed by dates in LA, Vancouver, Portland, Montreal, Paris, Glasgow, and included performances at OSHEAGA Music Festival, DOUR Festival, and a NYC Boiler Room event, so KC is fortunate to be included.

Sara Evans, Dec 7, Prairie Band Casino- Mayetta, SOLD OUT

The Country songstress continues across North America supporting her latest album 'Copy That'. Evans released that ninth studio album in May 2020 via her own Born to Fly Records label. The newest album follows up 2017's 'Words' which reached #46 on the Billboard 200. Since 1997, Evans has received awards from Billboard, Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Broadcast Music Incorporated and Dove. Expect some holiday favorites as well as the many hits.

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

Christmas 2023: All Over by Xmas

Read More Ladytron I love Ladytron, I felt that 604 and Light & Magic were the album of choice in the 2000… unfortunately I suppose my music taste changed or something because I was not that impressed with their later ...

Ladytron
ladytron.com

One of my favorite electroclash band Ladytron is releasing a Christmas song called “All Over By Xmas” on Friday, December 1st, 2023, on Cooking Vinyl.

I’ve gotten a chance to listen to it, at first it kind of has that T.Rex’s “Christmas Bop” vibe, but leaning a little more electronic.

You know me, I do love Ladytron, but not sure if I like this song. It’s a little repetitive with its “all over by Christmas” lyric that starts every line of the song.

Example of lyrics:

Yes it will be all over, all over by Christmas you told me.
All over, all over, it won't be our last Christmas.
All over by Christmas, this December is where we shall meet.
All over by Christmas, over our town, all over our street.

P.S. Ladytron toured the USA in November 2023 (their first since 2020 and without Reuben Wu), but unfortunately the limited dates did not extend to Minneapolis. Their next date is at Manchester on 26 January 2024. Hope to see them soon.

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. ... Oliver Hazard Oliver Hazard is an indie-folk band from Waterville, OH whose sound is self-described as a “ramshackle of uprooted folk-stomp,” though band member Mike Belazis says he would … Rosie Darling Not happy with just playing their hits, the two insists on playing new collaborations, such as “Never Be the Same”, featuring Rosie Darling. They also played quite a few new 2019 tunes … Bre Kennedy Singer, songwriter, and producer Bre Kennedy is touring in support of her sophomore album Scream Over Everything. The record comes out November 10 on Nettwerk Records. … Humbird Humbird opened the evening with Siri Undlin on lead vocal and guitar and Pat Keen on upright bass. Undlin said it was a little weird to be playing at the Fine Line for she is currently on the …

Nettwerk
nettwerk.com

Like previous years, Nettwerk is back with a new holiday collection, Sleigh… now under the banner The Holiday Place.

The new compilation consists of newly recorded covers and originals Christmas/Holiday songs, everyone from Landon Conrath covering a Billy Squier MTV 80’s classic to Oliver Hazard’s take on “Winter Wonderland” to Bre Kennedy’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” (originally by John Lennon), and Rosie Darling’s “Mistletoe” (originally by Justin Bieber).

Track List:

1. Christmas Is the Time to Say “I Love You” - Landon Conrath
2. Next Year - Lucy Gaffney
3. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Portair
4. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Woodes
5. Greensleeves - Humbird
6. O Holy Night - Flower Face
7. Wonderful Christmas Time - Beta Radio
8. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - Bre Kennedy
9. We'll Be Alright - dee holt
10. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Bestfriend
11. Christmas Time Is Here - Braxton Cook
12. Mistletoe - Rosie Darling
13. Christmas Is a White Valentine's - Freyr
14. Winter Wonderland - Oliver Hazard
15. The Christmas You Deserve - Tom Speight
16. God Rest Ye Merry Billionaires - Martin Kerr
17. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Rose Cousins
18. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - The East Pointers
19. My Best Christmas - The Collection
20. Space Christmastime Continuum - Beta Radio
21. Silver and Gold [Study Mix] - Fletcher Reed & Mree
22. Rudolph Red - PANTōNE VU

The Holiday Hustle Club
instagram.com

Athens, Georgia-based jazz combo, The Holiday Hustle Club, led by songwriter, vocalist and jazz pianist, Bart King, will be releasing Snow Day! on December 8, 2023.

Track listing:

1. Snow Day! (feat. Claire Campbell)
2. Secret Santa (feat. Betsy Franck)
3. Jolly Old St. Nicholas
4. My Favorite Holiday Song
5. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Kimberly Dawn
officialkimberlydawn.com

County music singer-songwriter Kimberly Dawn released Wishin' For Christmas, a mix of original and classic Christmas songs.

The new single from the holiday album is titled “Ho Ho Holdin’ You” which you can watch the video on YouTube.

It’s a fun little number, as she cheese it up singing, “Baby it’s always Christmas when I’m ho ho holdin’ you.”

Downtown Patriots
downtownpatriots.com

Danny Watts started the Downtown Patriots project in 2011, and his latest “Christmas is Here” will be dropping December 1st, 2023, via Maisola Records.

Watts adds more details, “This was written in the winter of 2022, Christmas Is Here, is a sanity check about the capitalist pursuit of what Christmas has become and really it should be about the ones we love. It’s a song for anyone who loves festive music!”

Read more Christmas.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com