W♥M

08/07/2022

Ian Sweet at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06 Aug 2022)

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Los Angeles’ Ian Sweet (aka Jilian Medford) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry in support of her new album Crush Crusher (available October 26th on Hardly Art). She’s bringing Young Jesus with her on this tour. …

08/06/2022 Saturday

IAN SWEET
with Bnny
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Originally scheduled in Feb 2022, the show was moved to August 6th.

Jilian Medford, aka Ian Sweet (no relations to Matthew Sweet), is returning to the 7th Street Entry this August 6th, with support from Chicago quartet Bnny.

Ian Sweet’s 2021 album is called Show Me How You Disappear. The album was praised far and wide, with Pitchfork writing that it’s “bigger, brighter, cleaner, [and] more ambitious than anything she’s done...The album scales heights and punches the air upon reaching them, and the best songs swell in your chest like prime-era Broken Social Scene.”

Tour dates:

Fri. Jul. 22 - 24 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
Wed. Jul. 27 - New York, NY @ Baby's All Right #
Thu. Jul. 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Fri. Jul. 29 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
Sun. Jul. 31 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
Mon. Aug. 1 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
Tue. Aug. 2 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G #
Thu. Aug. 4 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
Fri. Aug. 5 - Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo #
Sat. Aug. 6 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry #
Mon. Aug. 8 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge #
Tue. Aug. 9 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar #
Thu. Aug. 11 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge #
Fri. Aug. 12 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court #
Sun. Aug. 14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar#

#=w/ Bnny

Bnny

Ian Sweet

Ian Sweet at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06 Aug 2022)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 02:09 AM in 7th Street Entry, Bnny, Ian Sweet, Minneapolis | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/06/2022

Site Update: Announcing the Tamron 50-400mm

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Sony

I’m in the market for a new high end camera, so I was debating on buying the Sony A9 (used) and Sony A7 IV, as they were about the same price. For non-Sony camera enthusiasts, let me break down …

I’m in the market for a new long (over 200mm) lens for my new Sony A7IV and did look at some of my options in the world of 500 to 600mm for the Sony E-Mount. After much debate over price, weight, size, and actual usage (basically I will only need these lens for wildlife and sports), I have decided to be more realistic and put the shopping on pause. I even stated that “companies are always coming out with new lens option, so I will wait it out.”

Maybe Tamron heard me, and announced that they are working on the Tamron 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067) on July 28, 2022. The new lens will be coming out Fall 2022… which is just perfect for me. Count me in on being one of the first ones to buy this versatile lens.

Currently, I’m rocking the Tamron 28-200mm and constantly complained that I wish I could get a little closer. This newly announced lens will double my reach to 400mm… which will work out for me. It’s also small (7 inches) and weighs about 2.5lbs, which twice as less as those 600mm lens. I hand-hold my camera, so I need my gear as light as possible.

Seeing as I’m very happy with the performance of my Tamron 28-200mm, I know I will be happy with the upcoming 50-400mm. I just hope it’s not that expensive.

Here is an excerpt from Tamron’s press release:

The 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067) creates an entirely new category for high-performance ultra-telephoto mirrorless zoom lenses. With an 8x zoom ratio that begins at an unprecedented 50mm (commonly called the “standard” focal length for full-frame cameras), this new ultra-telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras is the same size as conventional 100-400mm zoom lenses, yet offers a wider angle of view on the wide end for excellent versatility. The 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 is remarkably compact with a length of just 183.4mm (7.2 in) and a light weight of 1,155g (40.7 oz) but provides unparalleled high performance at all focal lengths. In spite of the high magnification ratio, high image quality is delivered across the entire 50-400mm range through the effective arrangement of special lens elements. Equipped with TAMRON’s VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism that offers excellent quietness and responsiveness, plus TAMRON's proprietary image stabilization mechanism VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens delivers versatile capability for all shooting scenarios.

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Posted at 11:00 PM in Site Update, Sony, Tamron | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/05/2022

Minneapolis: August 24 to August 26

08/24 Seratones at Turf Club

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Seratones

Shreveport, Louisiana’s Seratones announced their third album Love & Algorhythms, out on April 29th via New West Records. This album follows their breakout debut and sophomore records, which found the band …

08/04/2022

Sony A7IV at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (01 Aug 2022)

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Sony

I’m in the market for a new high end camera, so I was debating on buying the Sony A9 (used) and Sony A7 IV, as they were about the same price. For non-Sony camera enthusiasts, let me break down …

It’s been one year since we did a photo shoot with the Sony A7C at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley… so I thought it would make sense to do a test run of the new Sony A7IV camera at the same location, on August 1, 2022.

A7IV and A7C

Even though Sony called the A7C “the world’s smallest full frame camera”, playing around with the A7IV, I didn’t really think the A7C was that small. It is smaller, but looking at the camera, side-by-side, they look similar to each other, in terms of size. You will only notice the differences when you hold the A7IV. It’s bigger and it’s heavier. You noticed the bigger grip, which I find too big.

You also notice a ton of extra dials and buttons. Power users will want to assign certain items to certain buttons and dials, which is simply a better experience. You see the A7C can do many things, but you have to dig through Sony’s menu, which is slow and cumbersome. With the A7IV, you just assign that feature to button.

Sony also revamped the camera menu, which is found in newer cameras. It’s color-coded and looks good. I am looking forward to having Sony update all their cameras with this new menu system.

All the photos on my hike through the Springbrook Nature Center were taken with the Tamron 28-200mm lens, which is still my favorite lens. I still somewhat wish I could reach just a little further, maybe 400mm… but those long lens tend to be very pricey and has very limited usage. You basically will want a long lens for photographing animals and sports. For everyday use, I think the 28-200mm range is just perfect. Of course, I did debate on getting a 600mm or 500mm lens last month, but weighing all my options and its usage, I am going to put purchasing that lens on pause. Companies are always coming out with new lens option, so I will wait it out. Right now, 28-200mm is perfect for me.

The A7IV uses a new auto-focusing system… which I’m not quite used to. To be honest, I felt the A7C did a better job on auto-focusing, but I’m still learning to use the A7IV, so perhaps it’s just a matter of figuring it all out.

Birds at the Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (01 Aug 2022)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Posted at 12:00 AM in Fridley, Site Update, Sony, Springbrook Nature Center, Tamron | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/03/2022

At the Fillmore

Minneapolis: August 18 to August 20

08/02/2022

Local Natives at First Avenue, Minneapolis (01 Aug 2022)

Local Natives Setlist

Megaton Mile
I Saw You Close Your Eyes
Coins
Ceilings
Desert Snow
Past Lives
Wide Eyes

Sun Hands
You & I
Statues in the Garden (Arras)
Heavy Feet
Airplanes
Dark Days
Who Knows, Who Cares

-- Encore --

Hourglass
When Am I Gonna Lose You

Jordana Setlist

Pressure Point
To the Ground
Play Fair
Better in the Dark
Summer's Over

Sweet to Dream
Go Slow
I Mean That
Catch My Drift
Why

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Local Natives

Earlier this October, Local Natives were out on tour in support of their sophomore album Hummingbird. If you love what you heard, you'd be happy to know that they've just …

It’s been three years since Local Natives went out on tour… and they seemed so happy to be standing on stage, at First Avenue’s mainroom on Monday night. The group announced they were making up for lost time, and rocked and danced as hard as they’re able.

Opening the show was Jordana… who we just saw just short of two months ago at the 7th Street Entry. The two sets were nearly identical, but leaving out the Strokes covers as she had a limited opening set time.

Comparing the two shows, Jordana seemed much more excited to play in front of a much larger audience. She is a real fan of Local Natives, so it’s an honor for her to play with them. And she’s made plenty of newfound fans, who would sometime shout out, “you’re awesome!” as she played on stage.

As with her previous appearance, Jordana is joined on stage by guitarist/sometime keys Hayden, guitarist Sagiv Rosenstock, drummer Blake, and a bendible Gumby toy sitting on the mic stand. God, she loves that thing.

As for Local Natives, it’s good to see the band back in action again. We haven’t seen the band in over 20 years (opening up for Suckers in May 2010), so it’s been a long time.

Since that debut album Gorilla Manor, the group released Hummingbird, Sunlit Youth, and Violet Street… the latter in 2019 on Loma Vista records. Their set is handpicking some of their favorite songs from those albums and putting it on their setlist.

Their encore song started with their new single, “Hourglass”, which the band described as exploring “the difficulty when feeling divided and isolated from some of the people we love most while knowing the time we have with them is finite, and contains some of our favorite LN lyrics. This music got us through really difficult times and reminded us how much joy we get out of playing music together. We couldn’t be more excited to share these songs and play them live on our first tour in 3 years.”

Local Natives continues their tour:

08-03 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre %
08-04 - Ogden, UT - Ogden Twilight %
08-09 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theatre %
08-12 - Denver, CO - Ogden %
08-14 - Oklahoma City, OK - Jones Assembly %
08-15 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues %
08-16 - Austin, TX - ACL Live %
08-18 - Nashville, TN - The Ryman %
08-19 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City %
08-20 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre %
08-22 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amp %
08-23 - Washington, DC - Anthem %
08-24 - Philadelphia, PA - Fillmore %
08-27 - Boston, MA - House of Blues %

% w/ Jordana

Jordana

Local Natives

Local Natives at First Avenue, Minneapolis (01 Aug 2022)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:20 PM in First Avenue, Jordana, Local Natives, Minneapolis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sony A7 IV

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Sony

So, anyway, my next camera is the “Compact” Sony α7c. I have wanted this camera since it was announced in September 2020. It’s basically an α7III, but smaller (and slightly cheaper). A lot of reviews …

I’m in the market for a new high end camera, so I was debating on buying the Sony A9 (used) and Sony A7 IV, as they were about the same price.

For non-Sony camera enthusiasts, let me break down Sony’s current camera offering in the Alpha (a) line. In the full frame mirrorless camera market, Sony offers basically two types of cameras: the A7 and A9 (and its successor the Alpha 1).

In the A7 line, there are four subcategories: A7, A7R, A7S, and the new A7C. The A7R series stands for Resolution, and aimed at still photography and high resolution images. The A7S series stands for Sensitivity, and aimed for video professionals. The A7C series, a new class that was introduced a year ago, stands for Compact, and aimed at traveling photographers. The standard A7 cameras are basically a Jack of all trades, master of none.

The A9 and Alpha 1 are a different class of camera, they are very expensive. For example, the retail price of the Alpha 1 is $6,500. That’s not in anyone’s budget… except professionals who swears by it.

Since I didn’t want to buy a used A9 (even though the price was right), this leave me one choice: Sony A7 IV.

After using the A7C for a year, I am starting to recognize some of its limitations. Since the camera is smaller, Sony had to remove some physical buttons, and other features (such as an extra card slot, no eye hood, and bad viewer). The camera wasn’t designed as a workhorse, but rather for those traveling and on the move. Which I knew what I was getting into when I bought it last year.

So, the A7IV improves on the popular A7III, by adding in a 33MP, 4k 30p (downsized from 7k), two card slots (one is CF Express Type A), improved auto-focusing technology, and best of all, the new BIONZ XR chip. This is the same chip found in Sony’s Alpha 1 cameras. The chip is eight times more powerful than its previous generations.

For many photographers who own the 7III, they said there’s not enough for them to upgrade. For early adopters or photographers with pre-production models, they complained that the A7IV overheats. With the pandemic causing supply issues, not a lot of people seemed excited about the A7IV.

I’m excited about the A7IV, because I want the new BIONZ XR… and I’m interested in seeing how it performs in low light situations, especially at live concert events. For professionals who poo-pooed the Sony “flippy screen”, they are idiots.

Since I’ve been using it on the A7C, I found that it’s a million times better than the old “tilt screen”. I’ve used the so-called flippy screen when I need to take overhead shots, or if I need a low view, or even “selfie” mode … the screen does it all and at all angles!!! When I’m not using the screen, I simply put it in “armor mode”, which protects the screen. The flippy screen is simply the greatest advantage that the A7C has over any other Sony camera on the market right now… and I know I will make good use of it on the A7IV.

For video shooters, I would wait to see what if Sony will release the Sony A7S IV, because the S series is due for an update.

For new photographers, interested in Full Frame, I still highly recommend the A7C, as it is the cheapest option, and you’re not going to need extra features (at least for now). Perhaps, maybe you can wait for the A7CII, as I’m sure Sony will make many improvements on the original C camera.

Comparison chart of Full Frame Sony Mirrorless cameras in the last five years. Note: BSI stands for Back Side Illuminated.

Camera	Chip	Sensor	Resolution	Burst	Price	Release Date
Sony α7 IV	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor R	33MP	10fps	$2,498	2021-12
Sony α1	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor RS	50MP	30fps	$6,498	2021-01
Sony α7c	BIONZ X	CMOS, Exmor R	24MP	10fps	$1,799	2020-10
Sony α7S III	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor HD	12MP	10fps	$3,498	2020-09
Sony α9 II	BIONZ X	BSI Stacked CMOS, Exmor RS	24MP	20fps	$4,499	2019-10
Sony α7R IV	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	61MP	10fps	$3,499	2019-07
Sony α7 III	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	24MP	10fps	$1,998	2018-04
Sony α7R III	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	42MP	10fps	$2,798	2017-11
Sony α9	BIONZ X	CMOS, Exmor HD	24MP	20fps	$2,899	2017-05

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 01:25 PM in Site Update, Sony | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/01/2022

We♥KC- August 1-7, 2022 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence KS)

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Goo Goo Dolls

Live Nation and Yahoo and the Goo Goo Dolls have partnered up to live-stream their entire concert this August 17 (Sunday) show at Susquehanna Bank Cente ...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

After some relief last week, looks like the summer heat is making a return, so keep hydrated!

Like anyone else that tried, we were amazed at Ticketmaster’s dynamic ticket prices for the Bruce Springsteen presale (cheapest floor tix we found were $825!) so are hoping prices come down before next Feb.

This week, Starlight Theater looks like the place to be, with several outstanding shows to add to their already-strong season. Many other good shows and The Breakaway Music Fest is taking place out in Bonner Springs while the Innovation Festival this coming weekend at Crown Center had to pivot after headliner Black Pumas had to cancel.

Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City/Lawrence, KS metro August 1^st – 7^th

(Several artists are still requiring precautions for entry, so check with the venue and/or assume vaccination proof, might still be required)

Monday Aug 1

Goo Goo Dolls, Starlight. $18.75-$249.50

Like so many tours, the four-time GRAMMY® nominated band (led by Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac) has had to delay for two years, but recent album, Miracle Pill (via Warner Records) has kept fans happy with new music. We last caught Johnny solo, strumming acoustically on the front of a docked boat back in 2016. Expect all their hits live as well as a Tom Petty cover, they’ve been ending shows with.

“I hope you’re happy” that veteran band Blue October opens the evening, with a double release due out soon- the first half in the fall and second album out next Spring. We last caught them live at First Avenue in 2019. In the meantime, “Spinning the Truth Around” is the newest single release.

Tuesday Aug 2

Anthrax, Black Label Society w Hatebreed, Arvest Bank at The Midland, $39.50-$79.50

A veteran and hard-hitting triple bill we hope you’ve “got the time” for- Anthrax is belatedly celebrating its 40^th anniversary a year late (thanks Covid) and is playing all their familiar songs, including their distinctive covers of “Antisocial” and “Bring the Noise”. We caught them live in 2018 as part of Slayer’s final tour.

Black Label Society is led by the mighty Zakk Wylde on guitar and vocals, in support of last year’s Doom Crew, inc. album. We caught his side project, Zakk Sabbath back in 2016 are were completely knocked out.

Hatebreed is out in support of 2020’s Weight of the False Self and is still bringing their heavy sound.

Pat Benatar, Neil Geraldo, Uptown, $29-$125

to see this classic husband/wife team on their De Novo Tour to hear their four decades of hits (with a few covers peppered in) … except for huge song “Hit me with your Best Shot” which the duo has retired as a statement against gun violence.

Kingdom Knights Tour feat Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Tamela Mann, T-Mobile Center, $41.50-$101.50

GRAMMY Award-winning gospel group Maverick City Music and 16-time GRAMMY winner Kirk Franklin are bringing the injustices around mass incarceration while making a joyful noise on this tour, in support of joint album KINGDOM Book One (via Tribl Records/Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/RCA Inspiration.)

Wednesday Aug 3

G Love, recordBar, $20

The Philly trio continues to play their unique blend of alternative, hip-hop, and blues, in support of the just released Philadelphia Mississippi album, out last month. Live, they still play the old hits like “Cold Beverage”. Local folk/blues artist Clay Hughes to open.

Texas Gentlemen, Knuckleheads, $12

Pop on Floor It!!! is the second full-length effort from the Texas Gentlemen, who play a blend of brass-fueled Dixieland jazz to country funk to orchestrated pop-soul balladry, and more, with two featured co-singers.

Escher String Quartet, Polsky Theatre, $5 (student)- $10

Appearing as part of the Heartland Chamber Music Festival, the NYC quartet has performed at the BBC Proms at Cadogan Hall and is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall. Escher is one of five quartets chosen to collaborate in a complete presentation of Beethoven’s string quartets and last season, the quartet toured China.

Thursday Aug 4

Priscilla Block, Power and Light District, Free

Up and coming country star with single, “My Bar” out now, and full-length, Welcome to the Block Party, which sounds like a perfect soundtrack for this outdoor downtown show.

Dana Gould Comedy Club of KC CANCELED (Joe Machi is now appearing Aug 4-6)

Friday Aug 5

OneRepublic with Needtobreathe, Starlight. $39.50-$149.50

Ryan Tedder and GRAMMY® nominated OneRepublic is out on their Never Ending Summer Tour and their 40-city stop includes this local show. Most recent album was 2021’s Human but the band is currently riding high with single, “I Ain’t Worried” from the Top Gun soundtrack.

NeedtoBreathe is a passionate South Carolina band we covered for several years, seeing them last in 2017 as part of the Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis. Latest album is their eighth studio release, last year’s Into the Mystery.

Arrive early for rising 19-year-old singer-songwriter Brynn Cartelli, whose latest single, “Girl Code” is out this Friday.

Flatland Cavalry, The Truman. $24-$44

Country/folk/Americana band from Lubbock, TX out in support of last year’s Welcome to Countryland.

Breakaway Music Fest feat The Chainsmokers, Illenium, Alison Wonderland, Cordae, Aug 5-6, Azura Amph, $99-$909

Get out those glow sticks and rave accessorizes for this two-day electronic extravaganza headlined by hit makers The Chainsmokers, who we briefly caught in 2019 as part of NCAA March Madness in Minneapolis.

Beats and bass were throbbing then as we remember and outdoors at Azura, the fest also features Denver’s Illenium (aka producer/DJ Nick Miller), Alison Wonderland and many more on this first stop of only five this season, promising a mix of music, art, and creativity.

The Dead South w/Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band & Tejon Street Corner Thieves, GrindersKC. $30-$75

Regina, Canada folk/bluegrass collective out in support of their double EPs of covers, Easy Listening for Jerks, Pts 1 & 2, which feature songs by The Doors, Misfits, and Cold War Kids among others.

Saturday Aug 6

The Greeting Committee, Regrettes, more -Innovation Festival, Crown Center, Free

So, the bad news is that Black Pumas had canceled several weeks of recent shows, including Kansas City, but the good news is that organizers and their sponsors and marketers regrouped to make the festival now free!

Organized by BioKansas, this first Innovation Festival is a three-day regional convergence of music and innovation, featuring two scientific conferences, and a music and innovation day (with beer!).

Among the many activities and artists, we’re excited to still see LA garage punk group Regrettes still on the bill, in support of third album, Further Joy, which came out in April. Live, they’ve been working in a Lily Allen cover of late.

Ted Nugent, Ameristar. $60-$240

The Motor City Madman! Nugent's no-holds-barred career spans five decades including new album Detroit Muscle and classic hits including "Stranglehold," "Cat Scratch Fever," "Wango Tango," and "Free-For-All.” No word on whether or not the bow and arrow will make an appearance during the show.

Remember Jones,recordBar, $12

Described as a a one-of-a-kind soul/pop singer, storyteller and bandleader with a throwback vibe and authentic energy, with new album Haha, Bitch! out now. Züs to open.

Bonnie Raitt with Mavis Staples, Starlight. $30.50-$100.50

The veteran blues singer/songwriter/guitarist returns with a new album and tour called Just Like That…, that will no doubt, be “something to talk about.” Raitt is appearing with very special guest Mavis Staples, who also shows a fall solo date in Lawrence later in the year.

In conjunction with The Guacamole Fund and Raitt's Green Highway campaign, one dollar from every ticket purchased will be donated to grassroots local, regional, and national organizations whose work focuses on safe and sustainable energy, social justice, human rights, environmental protection, and blues/music education.

David Nail, David Lee Murphy and Josh Abbott Band, Kansas City Live! $20

Missouri-born country singer David Nail returns close to home, in support of last year’s Bootheel 2021 EP

Sunday Aug 7

David Gray, Starlight. $45-$125

This delayed tour finds the singer-songwriter celebrating the 20th anniversary of his seminal and breakout album White Ladder, playing it live in its entirety. Originally self-released in 1998, it very gradually found its audience once it was re-released in 2000 on ATO Records. It reached No.1 on the UK album charts in 2001 and tracks like "Babylon," "Please Forgive Me" and "Sail Away" cemented themselves firmly on radio playlists.

Band of Heathens w Dalton Domino, Knuckleheads,

The acclaimed Austin, TX Americana band has a brand-new album, Remote Transmissions Vol 1, just out. Live, they’ve recently worked in Gillian Welch, Levon Helm, and even a Rolling Stones cover.

Memphis-born Red Dirt country artist Dalton Domino listed to open and has a new single out- “Rock and Roll Should Kill You”, just one of his Songs from the Exile.

Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow,Granada. $21

The world's largest touring Rock N Roll Circus Sideshow Thrillshow is named after a successful Broadway musical and movie of the late ‘30s/early ‘40s and features death defying stunts having performed over 3000 shows and in 16 countries.

Reina del Cid w Kat King, recordBar, $18

aka Rachel Cordova used to be Minneapolis-based (we caught them live on the local stage at 2018’s Basilica Block Party) but pulled up stakes for Los Angeles and the folk-rock band has new single, “1970” out from their Candy Apple Red release.

Local opener Kat King got lots of airplay from local station The Bridge with last year’s single “Don’t Wanna Lose” off album, Say What You Mean.

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 05:57 PM in Anthrax, Black Label Society, Blue October, Bonnie Raitt, David Gray, Goo Goo Dolls, Hellapop Festival, Illenium, John, Kansas City, Kirk Franklin, Lawrence, Mavis Staples, Needtobreathe, OneRepublic, Pat Benatar, Regrettes, Ted Nugent, The Chainsmokers, Zakk Wylde | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Anthrax, Band of Heathens, Black Label Society, Blue October, Bonnie Raitt, Breakaway Music Fest, Chainsmokers, David Gray, Dead South, G Love, Goo Goo Dolls, Greeting Committee, Hatebreed, Hellzapoppin Circus, Innovation Festival, Kansas City, Lawrence KS, Mavis Staples, Needtobreathe, OneRepublic, Pat Benatar, Priscilla Block, Regrettes, Reina del Cid, Ted Nugent, upcoming concerts

Psychedelic Furs at Palace Theatre, St Paul (30 July 2022)

Psychedelic Furs Setlist

I Wanna Sleep With You
Mr. Jones
You'll Be Mine
Dumb Waiters
The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll
Wrong Train
Imitation of Christ
The Ghost In You
President Gas
Pretty in Pink
This'll Never Be Like Love
No‐One
Ash Wednesday
Love My Way
Heaven

-- Encore --
Heartbreak Beat
India

X Setlist

Intro: Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn Theme"

Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not Free
We're Desperate
The Hungry Wolf
ALPHABETLAND
Blue Spark
White Girl
True Love
Dancing With Tears in My Eyes (Regent Club Orchestra cover)
Come Back to Me
I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts
Adult Books
Water & Wine
Goodbye Year, Goodbye
Los Angeles
Nausea
Devil Doll
Motel Room in My Bed
Soul Kitchen (The Doors cover)

Read More

The Psychedelic Furs

English rock group The Psychedelic Furs headlined First Avenue’s mainroom last Thursday, April 6th. The terrific turnout consisted of mostly an older audience, who may remember the band from John Hughes’ film Pretty in Pink …

English post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs headlined the Palace Theatre on July 30th.

Opening the show was Los Angeles’ X, a band that’s been together since 1977, with all the original members: vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. It’s really a rarity that a band can stay together for 45 years, and X is quite proud of that fact.

As we previously mentioned, their original guitarist Billy Zoom suffered bladder cancer and had to bail out on going on tour with the band, as they stopped in at the Mill City Nights in August 2015. Since then, Zoom is back with the band, often playing seated on a stool.

Beyond playing the guitars, Zoom would handle all their saxophone needs, sometime storing his guitar pick on his sweaty forehead.

As for X’s fanbase, I have to admit they are all really diehard fans. Many of them have seen X multiple times, despite the band having one of those impossible to find band.

While X doesn’t have a new album (their last album Alphabetland came out during the pandemic), it would seem that their singer/bassist John Doe recently released Fables in a Foreign Land on Fat Possum records. Although the band are all in their late 60s (Billy Zoom in his mid-70s), they were still rocking out on stage… It was fun watching Exene dance and just having a good time.

Midway into their set, before “Water & Wine”, the band announced that they were going to play their first single, “Adult Books”… the song was released in 1978 and would set the tone for X’s songs.

It’s always good to have the Butler brothers back in town. The last time The Psychedelic Furs played at First Avenue in April 2017 we said, “The Furs’ second half of the set picked up with some of their biggest hits, including ‘Love My Way’ and set closer ‘Pretty in Pink’. Half the audience were singing along to the latter song.”

This time around, they played their signature song, “Pretty in Pink” (everyone helped sing this song) in the middle of the set, and their second hit, “Love My Way” as the penultimate set closer.

Since Minneapolis/St Paul never got a Made of Rain tour (the record came out in 2020), they group made up for lost time by including some new songs on their set, including “The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll” and “Wrong Train”.

Their eighth album, and their first studio album in almost 30 years, were well-received… and became the band’s second-highest charting UK Album ever and featured at the end-of-year Best Albums roundup in Mojo, Uncut, Classic Pop, ABC’s Good Morning America, and Vive Le Rock among others. Critics were welcoming, “a return to the Furs’ classic blend of aggression, tender melody and brooding ambience.”

Interestingly enough, the band did not play “Evergreen”, which was released after Made of Rain. The single was recorded during the Made of Rain session, but did not make the cut… and I guess the song did not make the cut for their live setlist either.

Remaining tour dates:

Aug 2 Denver, CO, US Mission Ballroom
Aug 6 Vancouver, BC, Canada Commodore Ballroom
Aug 7 Seattle, WA, US Woodland Park Zoo
Aug 8 Forest Grove, OR, US McMenamin's Grand Lodge
Aug 11 San Francisco, CA, US The Masonic
Aug 12 St. Helena, CA, US Blue Note Napa
Aug 14 Outdoor Costa Mesa, CA, US Pacific Amphitheatre
Aug 17 Pioneertown, CA, US Pappy + Harriet's
Aug 18 Inglewood, CA, US YouTube Theater
Aug 26 St Louis, MO, US The Pageant
Oct 31 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, US Ponte Vedra Concert Hall