W♥M

Minneapolis: This Week (04/02/2023)

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

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

03/28 Robyn Hitchcock with Kelley Stoltz at Turf Club Read More Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock will be opening the show. The iconic singer is out promoting his 21st studio recording, but first-ever eponymous release. The new record is basically a re-introduction “Robyn Hitchcock” …

03/28/2023 Tuesday

Robyn Hitchcock
with Kelley Stoltz
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

British legend Robyn Hitchcock is on tour in support of his long-awaited record SHUFFLEMANIA! (Tiny Ghost Records). The record is available in limited edition blue vinyl, classic black vinyl, translucent orange vinyl, CD & cassette.

Robyn Hitchcock (25 Apr 2018)

We saw Hitchock at the Turf Club in Apr 2018 and said, “Hitchcock reached back several times to older Soft Boys songs as well as those done with The Venus 3, even working in a David Bowie-penned Mott the Hoople cover with opener, Tristen, as part of the three-song encore.”

Kelley Stoltz to open.

Tour dates:

Feb 28 Liverpool, UK Philharmonic Music Room
Mar 17 Seattle, WA, US Neptune Theatre
Mar 18 Portland, OR, US Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 19 Portland, OR, US The Old Church
Mar 21 San Francisco, CA, US The Chapel
Mar 22 Santa Cruz, CA, US Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Mar 24 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Zebulon
Mar 25 London, UK Alexandra Palace
Mar 25 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Zebulon
Mar 28 St. Paul, MN, US Turf Club
Mar 29 Evanston, IL, US SPACE
Mar 30 Cleveland, OH, US Music Box Supper Club
Apr 1 New York (NYC), NY, US Bowery Ballroom
Apr 2 Boston, MA, US City Winery
Apr 12 Madrid, Spain Independance Club
Apr 14 Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Psych Fest

03/29 Algiers with Party Dozen at 7th St Entry Read More Algiers Atlanta-born-and-raised quartet, and not from Algeria, Algiers, will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on September 20th. Their latest album There is No Year is out now on Matador Records …

03/29/2023 Wednesday

Algiers
with Party Dozen
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Atlanta-bred rock band Algiers are touring in support of their fourth album Shook (Matador Records).

The band will play the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, fresh off their appearance at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Algiers (20 Sep 2021)

We saw Algiers in Sep 2021 and said, “Originally formed in London, with the release of “Blood” in 2012, via Double Phantom Records, Algiers (singer and pianist Franklin James Fisher, bassist Ryan Mahan, guitarist Lee Tesche, and drummer Matt Tong) is based in Atlanta, and produces some interesting dub-style sound, industrial, and Afrobeat sound. Some songs sounds political, but all their songs are explosive, as seen in their live performance. Bassist Ryan Mahan seemed ready to explode. This just shows me that the band is very passionate about their music and their message.”

Party Dozen to open.

Tour dates:

MAR 02 Hole44 Berlin, Germany
MAR 03 Forum Bielefeld Bielefeld, Germany
MAR 04 Club Manufaktur e. V. Schorndorf, Germany
MAR 05 Club Volta Köln, Germany
MAR 07 Petit Bain Paris, France
MAR 08 The Dome London, United Kingdom
Mar 10 - Mar 19 SXSW 2023 Austin, TX
MAR 16 Cheer Up Charlies Austin, TX
MAR 19 The Rebel Lounge Phoenix, AZ
MAR 20 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
MAR 21 Knitting Factory NoHo North Hollywood, CA
MAR 23 Bottom Of the Hill San Francisco, CA
MAR 25 Show Bar East Portland, OR
MAR 26 Madame Lou's Seattle, WA
MAR 29 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
MAR 30 Sleeping Village Chicago, IL
MAR 31 The Whirling Tiger Louisville, KY
APR 02 Big Ears Festival 2023 Knoxville, TN
APR 03 The Pinhook Durham, NC
APR 04 DC9 Washington City, DC
APR 05 PhilaMOCA Philadelphia, PA
APR 06 Racket NYC New York City, NY
APR 07 Casa Del Popolo Montreal, QC
APR 08 The Garrison Toronto, ON
MAY 16 Manchester Canvas Manchester
MAY 17 O2 Institute2 Birmingham Birmingham
MAY 18 Whereelse? Margate
MAY 19 Chalk Brighton
MAY 21 O2 Academy Oxford Oxford
MAY 26 Loppen Christiania, Denmark
MAY 27 Mejeriet Lund, Sweden

04/01 King Tuff with Tchotchke at Turf Club Read More King Tuff King Tuff (aka Kyle Thomas) will be back in town at the Turf Club on Saturday, May 26th. We previously caught him in April 2015 and said, “While I felt King Tuff's music was different from Father John Misty, they …

04/01/2023 Saturday

King Tuff
with Tchotchke
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Kyle Thomas, or known by his stagename, King Tuff, is touring in support of his sixth studio album Smalltown Stardust (Sub Pop).

Thomas described Smalltown Stardust as “an album about love and nature and youth.” But not all the songs were written by him, as with “How I Love”, the song was written by Sasami: “Sasami wrote this song for me way back in 2018, but it didn’t really come together until we started demoing in 2020. This is the type of song I’ve wanted to do for years, but maybe never had the confidence to achieve. I’ve always hid behind loud guitars, but here I’m exposed, and I love how open and empty it is, yet so comfortable too. I wanted to show another side of myself through this record, and I think this song is the perfect example of that.”

Tchotchke to open.

Tour Dates

March 1 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
March 3 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
March 4 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
March 6 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
March 7 Vancouver, BC @ The Wise
March 8 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
March 10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
March 11 Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
March 15 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
March 17 Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
March 18 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
March 19 Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
March 21 Washington, DC @ DC9
March 22 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
March 23 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
March 24 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Hall
March 25 Brattleboro, VT @ The Stone Church
March 28 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
March 29 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
March 31 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
April 1 Minneapolis, MN @ The Turf Club
April 3 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
April 5 Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
April 6 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
April 7 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet's

04/02 Chiiild with Isaia Huron at 7th St Entry Read More Chiiild Montreal-based Chiiild has spent years honing a unique blend of pop, R&B, soul and jazz behind closed doors. Chiiild uses music to tell stories about diversity, ask questions about humanity …

04/02/2023 Sunday

Chiiild
with Isaia Huron
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Multi-talented and genre-bending artist Chiiild is touring in support of Better Luck in the Next Life via Avant Garden/4th & Broadway (Def Jam Recordings, Inc.)

Like many independent bands, they are tour because of SXSW (now that it’s back in full swing). With that said, many of these bands often end up in Minneapolis/St Paul as bonus or side shows.

Chiiild will headline the 7th Street Entry on April 2, 2023.

Isaia Huron to open.

Tour dates:

March 2, 2023 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
March 3, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
March 4, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – M3F Festival
March 7, 2023 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
March 8, 2023 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
March 11, 2023 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
March 12, 2023 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
March 13-18, 2023 – Austin, TX – SXSW
March 19, 2023 – New Orleans, LA – Paris
March 21, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
March 22, 2023 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
March 24, 2023 – Washington, D.C. – Union Stage
March 25, 2023 – New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom
March 27, 2023 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
March 29, 2023 – Montreal, QC – Virgin Mobile
March 30, 2023 – Toronto, ON – The Axis Club
April 1, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
April 2, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
April 6, 2023 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
April 7, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theatre
April 8, 2023 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
April 11, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Inhaler and Sun Room at First Avenue, Minneapolis (25 Mar 2023)

03/25 Inhaler with Sun Room at First Avenue Inhaler Setlist These Are the Days My Honest Face Totally Just to Keep You Satisfied When It Breaks The Things I Do My King Will Be Kind Perfect Storm Valentine Love Will Get You There Dublin in Ecstasy Who's Your Money On? Cheer Up Baby -- Encore -- If You're Gonna Break My Heart It Won't Always Be Like This Read More Inhaler Following a sold-out UK tour, Irish quartet Inhaler released My Honest Face EP, which features their cover of Billie Eilish’s single “Your Power”. ....

Irish band Inhaler just headlined an all-ages show at First Avenue today, Saturday, March 25th. The band is touring in support of their #1 on the Irish charts album Cuts & Bruises (Geffen Records).

Opening the show was California’s Sun Room. The four-piece features Luke Asgian (lead vocals & guitar), Ashton Minnich (guitar), Max Pinamonti (bass), and Gibby Anderson (drums). From what we’ve heard, it’s no-nonsense rock ‘n roll. They seemed influenced by Oasis and The Rolling Stones, based on their cover of “Get Off Of My Cloud”.

According to their biography, when they started as a band, they played local house shows in the surf community in Southern California. Two of their songs (“Crashed My Bike” and “Something That You’re Missing”) were included on Netflix’s Outer Banks. Soon enough, the band found themselves headlining sold out shows.

Just last year, the band was asked to support Louis Tomlinson on his sold out North American tour, which they continued to re-joining him on his South/Central American tour. Now the band is playing with Inhaler… this after enjoying a European tour.

Most of their songs on their set were taken from Outta Their Minds, including their two big hit songs.

You find out that “Sol Del Sur” is a song about San Diego, and their latest song is called “Red Dress” (which sounded really good).

Based on head-bopping in the audience, they seemed to have picked up some new fans. You can hear someone near me saying to their friend, “These guys rock!”

Dublin’s Inhaler (vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon) came on stage to thunderous cheers. This is one of the hottest band from Ireland. Their debut album It Won't Always Be Like This (Polydor) entered the Irish charts at #1. Their second album, Cuts & Bruises (Polydor), came out 17 February 2023, also entered the Irish charts at #1.

Apology for the iPhone photo of Inhaler. We were actually not given permission to shoot the band.

Remaining tour dates:

03/27 Denver Summit
03/28 Salt Lake City The Complex Grand
03/30 Seattle The Showbox
03/31 Vancouver Commodore Ballroom
04/01 Portland Wonder Ballroom
04/03 San Francisco The Regency Ballroom
04/05 Los Angeles The Wiltern Theatre
04/06 Los Angeles The Wiltern Theatre

Sun Room

Sun Room

Sun Room

Inhaler

Sun Room at First Avenue, Minneapolis (25 Mar 2023)

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

J.I.D and Smino at Fillmore (03/24/2023)

03/24 J.I.D and Smino at Fillmore Minneapolis Tour Dates Mar 25 Kansas City, MO, US Arvest Bank Theatre Mar 28 Cincinnati, OH, US Andrew J. Brady Music Center Mar 29 Nashville, TN, US Marathon Music Works Apr 19 Berlin, Germany Gretchen Apr 21 Antwerp, Belgium TRIX Apr 22 Paris, France Élysée Montmartre Apr 24 London, UK KOKO Apr 25 London, UK O2 Forum Kentish Town Apr 27 Dublin, Ireland The Button Factory Read More Smino SZA will be appearing in Minneapolis on September 1st. Originally booked at the Cabooze, the show was upgraded to First Avenue’s. Smino and Ravyn Lenae to open. ... J.I.D Atlanta rapper J.I.D’s latest is The Forever Story, which topped many “Best of 2022” lists, including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, while St. Louis rapper Smino’s third album Luv 4 Rent was his debut with Motown Records, in partnership with Zero Fatigue. ...

J.I.D and Smino brought their popular Luv is 4ever tour to Minneapolis on Saturday night. It was a sold out show with resale tickets toping at $200.00 for general admission. Still one brave soul snaked through the long lines outside the Fillmore asking if anyone had a spare ticket, like that was remotely possible.

Jordan Ward opened with a lively set as he bounced around the multi-tiered stage singing songs from his latest album Forward.

Growing up in St. Louis, Ward started off as a dancer, eventually moving to Los Angeles to become a backup dancer for musicians like Justin Bieber and Becky G. It was on those long tours with plenty of downtime that Ward started to work on the singing side of the industry.

Before his last song, Ward attempted to throw a concert t-shirt into the crowd to promote his merch. With an errant toss, the free giveaway ended up in the pit. “That’s why I went into music and not sports,” Ward joked as his second attempt was more successful.

Fellow St. Louis native Smino aka Christopher Smith Jr. next took the stage, sporting a Minnesota Vikings Shirt and ski goggles as if ready to spray champagne to celebrate the sold out show.

The crowd was an excited one with one person sending up a bouquet of flowers as Smino kicked off his set featuring songs from his latest album Luv 4 Rent, released by Motown in 2022.

With the expanse of the three-tier levels, most of the backup singers, musicians and DJ’s were mostly off stage , only venturing on for a vocal or guitar solo or just to hype Sminio as he tore through his lyrics.

Fun fact: Smino comes from a long line of musicians with his grandfather playing bass for the legendary Muddy Waters.

Fellow Zoink Gang member, J.I.D aka Destin Choice Route finished the evening with an hour plus set, prominently featuring music from his latest album, The Forever Story, which he has described as his origin story growing up in poverty in Atlanta, GA.

J.I.D is ridiculously talented and it is an absolute rush to see him live with his high-wire verbal wizardry spinning lyrics at a rate most hummingbirds flap their wings, especially with “Working Out” where he compares himself to a honey badger, letting you know it wasn’t just talent that got him to this sold out show.

It was the blistering lyrics and pounding beats that the fans came to see, but J.I.D let his fans know that he has bigger ambitions. You could already see the possibilities if you watch his NPR Tiny Desk concert, where he toned down the theatrics and gave a more soulful and jazz-filled sound.

The Forever Story is part of this journey and he even let the crowd know that he now had a personal favorite in “Kody Blue 31”:

And, uh, as I lay myself to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
The pressure makes me, the journey takes me
To places where history can't stop or break me

But J.I.D gave the crowd one last rush with “Stick” which caused the wall behind me to vibrate, giving the sensation that the whole venue may crumble.

Smino Jordan Ward Jordan Ward Smino J.I.D

J.I.D at Fillmore, Minneapolis (24 Mar 2023)

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

The Church at Fine Line, Minneapolis (23 Mar 2023)

The Church Setlist Ascendence Destination Metropolis Columbus No Other You Kings Is This Where You Live The Hypnogogue Hotel Womb Antarctica Old Coast Road (acoustic) Albert Ross Fly One Day Comedown C'est la vie Under the Milky Way Grind Tantalized Second Bridge -- Encore -- Reptile You Took Read More The Church Australia’s The Church is back in the city. The last time we saw them at the Cedar in 2015 we noted, “The show was performed as one long set, versus the two separate sets done …

Australia’s rock band The Church stopped by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, last night, to play tracks from their new album The Hypnogogue (Communicating Vessels).

Transmission’s DJ Jake Rudh played a variety of British 60s music videos before the band came on stage. Fans at the show were, of course, on the older scale… who had fun trying to guess the band on the screen (Rolling Stones, Monkees, David Bowie, etc.) The odd-band out seemed to be Chromatics.

When The Church came on stage to an introduction background music, they were greeted with a huge applause. The band proceeded to playing a two plus hour set. This band didn’t need a warm-up band, because they had 18 albums worth of music to choose from.

I first heard of the band on Dave Kendall’s 120 Minutes on MTV. He was a Church fan and played “Ripple”, which had become my favorite Church song. By that time, in 1992, the band was already an “old” band.

So, yes, the band’s been around, with many rotating band members… but the one constant is lead singer and bassist Steve Kilbey. Currently the band features Kilbey, Brisbane’s Ian Haug on lead guitars, Melbourne’s Ashley Naylore on guitars, Birmingham (USA) Jeffrey Cain on keys, and Camden (New South Wales) Nicholas Meredith on drums (who is subbing for regular Church drummer Tim Powles - who had VISA issues).

Kilbey seemed pretty pleased with the new drummer and even joked that when they return back to Australia, that the Church will be a double drums band!

Kilbey also seemed more jaded (but jokingly) since the last time we saw him 2018. It’s fun, the audience loved it.

Since the tour is to promote The Hypnogogue, most of the new songs had introduction from Kilbey, who described it as somewhat of a Sci-Fi story from the future… about a place called The Hypnogogue. Some songs had characters from Hypnogogue, like about a Korean scientists called Sun Kim Jong, who invented a song extraction machine. From what we heard live, the Hypnogogue seems like a weird place that only Kilbey could bring to life.

Of course, as you know most fans were there for the “hits”, meaning “Metropolis” and “Under the Milky Way” were really well received. For Milky Way, Kilbey introduced it, “Ladies and gentlemen, this next song needs no introduction. Should have no f***ing introduction. Should just be played, and that’s that. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, here is that song, that you want to hear.”

Yes, of course, that is the song everyone wanted to hear. “Under the Milky Way” is the band’s signature song. The song was #24 on the USA Billboard charts and was massive in 1989. It’s a great song, and we were reminded how good it is, when you hear it on the cult film Donnie Darko.

Remaining Tour Dates

Mar 25 St Louis, MO Delmar Hall
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Mar 28 Kent, OH Kent Stage
Mar 29 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Mar 30 New York, NY Gramercy Theater
Mar 31 Boston, MA The Sinclair
Apr 1 Hartford, CT Infinity Hall
Apr 3 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes
Apr 4 Alexandria, VA Birchmere Music Hall
Apr 5 Norfolk VA The Norva
Apr 6 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Apr 8 Pelham, TN The Caverns

The Church

DJ Jake Rudh

The Church

The Church

The Church at Fine Line, Minneapolis (23 Mar 2023)

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

Hamilton (musical) at The Music Hall, Kansas City MO thru April 2, 2023 (review)

HAMILTON playbill HAMILTON - US Tour Dates Mar 28 - Apr 7 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall Apr 4 – May 7 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre Apr 11 – Apr 23 Richmond, VA Altria Theater Apr 25 – May 7 Indianapolis, IN Murat Centre May 9 – May 28 Albuquerque, NM Popejoy Hall May 9 – May 21 Appleton, WI Fox Cities PA Center May 24 – Jun 4 Oklahoma, OK Civic Center Music Hall Jun 6 – Jun 18 Wichita, KS Century II Concert Hall Jul 5 – Jul 16 El Paso, TX The Plaza Theatre Jul 19 – Jul 30 Lubbock, TX The Buddy Holly Hall Aug 2 – Aug 13 Lincoln, NE Lied Center Aug 17 – Sep 10 Anchorage, AK Alaska Center Sep 13 – Dec 3 Chicago, IL Nederlander Theatre Jan 30 – Feb 25 (2024) Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre Mar 13 – Mar 24 (2024) Miami, FL Arsht Center Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album....   AMERICAN THEATRE GUILD WEBSITE

The cultural phenomenon has finally returned to a live stage in our area--

HAMILTON, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s game-changing musical and history lesson that tells the story of America then, via America now, has returned to downtown Kansas City, for a two-week engagement at the Music Hall, through Sunday, April 2.

The revelatory score blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, chronicling the rise and fall of founding father Alexander Hamilton and has blossomed into being a lasting creative piece that has transcended the theater genre, to have a rippled effect on politics, education, television, and the arts itself.

Based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography, its book, music, and lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who dazzled us initially when he was barely known and we saw the first tour of his previous musical, In the Heights) with direction by Thomas Kail.

With choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, the show would go on to win 11 Tony® Awards, as well as Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors, with so many in the cast becoming seemingly overnight superstars in the process.

Growing exponentially from its 2013 workshop roots, the show itself has now become so huge, it features an ongoing NYC run, international and Canadian versions, and three concurrently touring US companies – for Kansas City, we were witness to the “Angelica” cast; which proved to be most appropriate as her character and the actress portraying her (Stephanie Umoh), was one of the show’s many highlights.

To be a successful Hamilton cast member, one not only has to be able to act, move, and sing, as most Broadway and touring productions would require; but an additional unique and key element of having lyrical flow is an essential skill necessary to successfully pull off the complicated and often hyper-paced, hip-hop styled lyrics.

Additionally, the nature of hip-hop songs are so much about being “in the moment”- relevant and urgent, both musically and lyrically themed at their time, but often seem to lose their impact ten, five, or even one year later. Hamilton’s lyrics seem to be the exception, perhaps because they double as a civics and history lesson, but are also mostly solid songs, that even the biggest non-hip-hop fan, will still be humming a chorus to, as they leave the theater.

During his relatively short life, the orphaned, Nevis-born Alexander Hamilton served as George Washington's chief aide, and was the first Treasury Secretary, instilling a financial foundation for the nation that still remains mostly intact today.

He had streaks of impetus judgment though and was despised by many of his fellow Founding Fathers, eventually gaining a longtime nemesis in Aaron Burr. Hamilton’s character imperfections, like the show itself, are flaws that add, not take away from the overall charm and appeal. During the show, duels are embellished with expressive dance movements and congressional debates morph into modern-day rap battles to advance the narrative.

For our Wednesday (3/22) performance, a few of the diverse cast was replaced by standbys, notably Kansas City native Bryson Bruce in the lead. From the playbill listing, he’s able to perform in almost any role, and smoothed into the primary, after finding some footing during the opening number, with the hometown crowd quickly accepting him in the role.

All three performers as the Schulyer sisters were strong, particularly stage veteran Umoh whose voice soared during her solo songs along with Josh Tower, who plays a solid Aaron Burr. The nimble and restless Deejay Young as Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson was ever-animated and brought a light playfulness to both roles (in a kind of Katt Williams/vintage Little Richard way), and Peter Matthew Smith’s pomp King George was the ideal blend of snarky vengefulness and spite, to keep the audience enthralled during his three brief on-stage appearances.

The stage design mirrors the Broadway production (complete with rotating center and a rolling staircase), lighting was ahem, spot-on, particularly in the contrasts between the high-energy numbers and the more sullen and sparse scenes of loss, and the precise choreography never missed a beat.

A decade later, Hamilton remains young, scrappy, and hungry and in Kansas City, the only place to be (provided you can find a very still-in-demand ticket) is at the Music Hall, the room where it happens.

===

(Hamilton is playing at the Music Hall through Sunday Aoril 2)

(all photos courtesy of the official touring company website, click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

HAMILTON

John C ♥ johnc@weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Betty Who at First Avenue, Minneapolis (22 Mar 2023)

Betty Who Setlist Intro Weekend Mama Say She Can Dance Big Oldies Medley Glory Days / Old Me / Pretend You're Missing Me / Look Back / Lovin' Start / You Can Cry Tomorrow I Can Be Your Man Just Thought You Should Know One of Us Amelia's Voicemail Grown Ups Grow Apart Wanna Be The Hard Way Human Touch Taste All of You Someone Else High Society Somebody Loves You Hey It's Betty Blow Out My Candle I Love You Always Forever (Donna Lewis cover) Read More Betty Who Just in time for Valentine, Betty Who's single "Heartbreak Dream" is coming out February 18th. Who cited Katy Perry and Robyn as massive influences on her music ....

Pop sensation Betty Who just headlined First Avenue in Minneapolis last night. The LGBTQ community showed up early, in support of Who, and her new album Big! (BMG), which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.

Opening the show was internationally-renowned drag superstar and recording artist Shea Couleé. Couleé started their drag career in 2012 and found stardom on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Then they were the winner of Season 5.

The 30-min set features songs from their debut album 8, including “New Phone Who Dis?”, “Collide”, etc.

For the song “Material”, Couleé mentioned that they came up with the title before writing the song. Once the song was written … they released the word “Material” never appeared in the song!

For the set finale, “Your Name” was described as the first song written for 8. It’s a very upbeat song, accompanied with spiraling lights and flanked by the two dancers… a good song to end on a high note.

Photo of Setlist

As for pop star Betty Who… her set was really fun and colorful: Who in a red suit, with a dancer in yellow and a dancer in blue. These types of dance shows are really fun visually. Each song had well-choreographed dance routines, and every had smiles across their face… they were just having a good time.

In the middle of the set, Who did an acoustic set with “Grown Ups Grow Apart” and “Wanna Be”, giving the two dancers a much-need break.

Her two musicians, a drummer and a guitarist were mostly in the background on the far left and far right of the stage. They’re there to provide the music, because the spotlight would always be on Betty Who, who commanded the attention with her moves and vocals.

Betty Who’s new album Big! is out now on BMG.

Remaining tour dates:

03/24/23: Denver, CO at Ogden Theatre*
03/25/23: Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot*
03/28/23: Seattle, WA at Showbox SoDo*
03/29/23: Portland, OR at Wonder Ballroom*
03/31/23: San Francisco, CA at The Warfield*
04/01/23: Los Angeles, CA at The Novo*

* With Shea Coulee

Shea Couleé

Shea Couleé

Shea Couleé

Shea Couleé

Betty Who

Betty Who

Betty Who

Betty Who at First Avenue, Minneapolis (22 Mar 2023)

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

Minneapolis: April 15

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

04/15 Stars at Fine Line Read More Stars As many of you are aware, we’ve been massive Stars fans since the Nightsongs LP in 2001. Over the many years of seeing the Canadian band, we’ve come to understand that the band doesn’t really …

04/15/2023 Saturday

Stars
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

We love the Canadian band Stars. You guys know that. The band released Capelton Hill in 2022, and now that it’s safe to tour and travel… the band will touring towards Austin City Limits. They’ll stop by the Fine Line in Minneapolis on April 15th.

Stars (02 Dec 2018)

We caught Stars in Dec 2018 and wrote, “As for Stars, you guys already know that I love the band since Nightsongs in 2001. I got into Le Grand Magistery Records and bought almost everything that they released, including Baxendale, Momus, Stereo Total, etc. I was listening to Stars since their humble beginning, but unfortunately, the band really didn’t do heavy promotion until Set Yourself on Fire in 2004 to 2005.”

Tour dates:

Apr 7, 2023 Fri Avening Community Hall Creemore, ON
Apr 8, 2023 Sat Avening Community Hall Creemore, ON
Apr 9, 2023 Sun Paris Presbyterian Church Brant, ON
Apr 10, 2023 Mon Bridgeworks Hamilton, ON
Apr 12, 2023 Wed Magic Bag Ferndale, MI
Apr 13, 2023 Thu Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Apr 14, 2023 Fri Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
Apr 15, 2023 Sat Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
Apr 18, 2023 Tue House of Blues Dallas Dallas, TX
Apr 19, 2023 Wed 3TEN Austin City Limits Live Austin, TX

04/15 Dawes at Palace Theatre Read More Dawes The three-hour evening was opened by Los Angeles-based Dawes, who considers Minneapolis one of their strongest markets, in a solid hour-long set of their own. …

04/15/2023 Saturday

Dawes
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Acclaimed Los Angeles-based rockers Dawes is on tour in support of their new album Misadventures of Doomscroller (Rounder Records). The band will stop by the Palace Theatre in St Paul on April 15th.

Dawes (07 Sep 2018)

We caught the band in Sep 2018, which we described, “Dawes’ first set clocked in at just over an hour, starting strong with the single and opening track from the new album, ‘Living in the Future’, complete with the strange retro piece of machinery from the album’s cover, on stage along with the five members (Taylor Goldsmith, guitar / vocals; his brother Griffin on drums; Wylie Gelber, bass; and Lee Pardini on keys, along with touring guitarist Trevor Menear).”

Tour dates:

03/02 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
03/03 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
03/04 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
03/05 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
03/07 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird
03/08 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
03/10 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall – Sold Out
03/11 - Harrisburg, PA - XL Live
03/12 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
03/14 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
03/16 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
03/17 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner
03/18 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
04/06 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum
04/07 - Houston, TX - The Heights
04/08 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
04/11 - Fayetteville, AR - JJ’s Live
04/12 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant
04/14 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre-WI
04/15 - St. Paul, MN - Palace Theatre
04/16 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
04/18 - Wichita, KS - Wave
04/19 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
04/20 - South Salt Lake, UT - The Commonwealth Room
04/22 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
04/23 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
04/26 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
04/27 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
04/28 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
05/05 - Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre at Ace Hotel

04/15 Adi Oasis with Phillip-Michael Scales at Turf Club

04/15/2023 Saturday

Adi Oasis
with Phillip-Michael Scales
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

French-Caribbean, Brooklyn based soul-funk-r&b artist-producer Adi Oasis is on tour in support of Lotus Glow (Unity Group). The tour will stop by the Turf Club in St Paul on April 15th.

Adi Oasis notes, “Lotus Glow represents my evolution, and as my first release as Adi Oasis, it feels like my first album ever. I've grown a lot, both musically and personally, over the past many years, and I feel like I am finally the artist I've always wanted to be, creating the music I've always dreamed to make.”

Phillip-Michael Scales to open.

Adi Oasis Tour Dates

3/15: Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
3/16: Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont
3/17: Toronto, QC @ Allied Music Hall
3/24: San Diego, CA @ Casbah
3/25: Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
3/29: Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
3/31: Portland, OR @ The Jack London Revue
4/1: Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
4/2: Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
4/12: Detroit, MI @ El Club
4/13: Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
4/14: Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room
4/15: St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
4/20: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
4/21: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
4/22: Washington, DC @ DC9
5/28: London, UK @ Cross the Tracks Festival
6/3: Margate, UK @ Soundcrash Funk
6/9: Berlin, DE @ Quasimodo
6/10: Hamburg, DE @ ElbJazz Festival
7/2: East Sussex, UK @ Love Supreme Festival

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

We♥KC! March 22-31, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More Queensrÿche Queensrÿche is touring in support of their album The Verdict (Century Media Records). The record is available in a variety of limited and exclusive editions, including clear, red transparent, petrol green, red smoke vinyl, etc. …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Late March is bringing showers… of sold-out shows-- good job KC, for packing live venues again! Plenty else is happening, including several at Knuckleheads and don’t throw away your shot, if you can manage to wrangle those still-elusive Hamilton tickets.

Sad face for the canceled RATM show which would have taken place this week- if they happen to get inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this fall, maybe some make up dates are in the cards as a victory lap tour leg.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from March 22nd-31st.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22

Hamilton (musical), continues through Apr 2, Music Hall,$69+

PNC Broadway in Kansas City continues with its most popular and longest-running show of the season! We all know Hamilton by now- the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a unique score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton is told like never before, and has created a lasting cultural moment in the process.

With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. The Disney+ special is great, but you haven’t seen Hamilton until you’ve seen it live on-stage!

THURSDAY MARCH 23

Eric Bellinger, recordBar, $30-$55

The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter is out on his headlining Obsession Tour. It follows his 2022 Vibes On Vibes Tour, which R&B singer Sammie co-headlined. VIP packages are available, including a meet and greet, early and priority entry, autographed merchandise and more. Trevor Jackson, Nick Lavelle, and Dom Chronicles are on as support.

Maddie and Tae, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, SOLD OUT

Award-winning Country pop duo Maddie & Tae are coming to a sold-out Prairie Band. Their hits include: “Die From A Broken Heart”, “Girl In A Country Song”, current single “Every Night Every Morning”, and many more!

Iris Dement w Ana Egge, Knuckleheads, SOLD OUT

Longtime folk singer-songwriter and former KC resident Dement still obviously has loyal fans in the area. Her debut record Infamous Angel, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone, and the two albums that followed, My Life and The Way I Should, each garnered Contemporary Folk GRAMMY nominations.

Thirty years after her debut, she’s still creating some of the most poignant music of her career, bridging seemingly disparate worlds with every note.

FRIDAY MARCH 24

Smithereens w Marshall Crenshaw (re-scheduled date) Knuckleheads,$35-$55

The popular New Jersey band formed way back in 1980, bringing a contemporary beat to a classic rock sound. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together and original lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from nearby Scotch Plains, NJ. They toured worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500+ live shows before the 2017 passing of DiNizio put the band on hold, momentarily.

Longtime friend Marshall Crenshaw takes over lead vocals for this tour, recreating the many Smithereens favorites, as well as likely, a few of his own hits. Special Guest is: The Popskull Rebels.

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams w Shawn Mullins, Knuckleheads. $35-$55

Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ acclaimed self-titled 2015 debut, released after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band – and frequent high-profile guest appearances – helped put them on the map as a formidable musical duo.

And for this tour, they’re joined by singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, whose critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby”. In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge.

Michigan Rattlers, recordBar, $18

A Michigan folk-rock band composed of Graham Young (guitar), Adam Reed (bass), Christian Wilder (piano), and Tony Audia (drums). Veering beyond their initial Country-leaning sound, the band’s second full-length, That Kind of Life was released in 2021 to positive reviews. Morris & Depew open.

SATURDAY MARCH 25

Jerry Cantrell w Thunderpussy, Uptown,$35-$79

The Alice in Chains singer-guitarist is heading back out for another tour leg in support of his 2021 solo acclaimed album, Brighten. Expect to hear a plethora of solo material along with a number of AIC classics. The 2022 trek included vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), drummer Gil Sharone (Team Sleep), guitarist Tyler Bates (film soundtrack composer), who should all return as part of Cantrell’s solid band.

Luzcid, Encore at Uptown Theater, $25

The Houston-born electronic artist is out on his Illusions Tour, an Audio/Visual experience with visuals from Data Byte.

JID and Smino, Midland. $32.50-$59.50

Out on their co-headlining Luv is 4ever Tour (which we’re scheduled to cover later this week in Minneapolis). Atlanta rapper J.I.D’s latest is The Forever Story, which topped many “Best of 2022” lists, including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, while St. Louis rapper Smino’s third album Luv 4 Rent was his debut with Motown Records, in partnership with Zero Fatigue.

Queensryche w Marty Friedman, Trauma, The Truman,$32.50-$65

The ‘Ryche returns to the road with headlining tour dates in support of their latest album, 2022’s Digital Noise Alliance. Joining the classic progressive metal act on the road as special supporting acts will be ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) and rising metal band Trauma, making for an entertaining evening all around.

Queensryche said in a press release, "This touring package is amped up and very much looking forward to seeing all of you! Come on out and let's have a great time together, as live music is as vibrant as ever once again!"

Little River Band, Ameristar Casino, $50-$68

The classic rock band from Melbourne is best known for their top hits “Reminiscing,” “The Night Owls” and “Lonesome Loser,” since forming in 1975. Other radio-familiar hits include “Take it Easy on Me,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Happy Anniversary” and “The Other Guy.”

SUNDAY MARCH 26

Cowboy Mouth, Knuckleheads, $25

Jenny still Says to come to this show for a participatory fun time. Much like gumbo, the New Orleans-born band uses a potent blend of musical ingredients- rock, blues, punk, funk, country, pop, soul and whatever else feels good, for a true rock n roll revival show. Frontman, drummer, and co-founder Fred LeBlanc has asserted “if The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth."

MONDAY MARCH 27

Shame, Bottleneck. $20

The rising London post-punk band has returned with their third full-length, Food for Worms, which just came out at the end of last month. Three buzzing singles were released beforehand, doing exceptionally well on the other side of the pond, “Fingers of Steel", "Six-Pack" and "Adderall".

After they missed Rock the Garden in 2018, we finally caught the band live, last summer headlining in Minneapolis. They've been busy touring the UK and Europe, so are ready to hit our shores with a bang.

Tampa’s They Hate Change will open- the hip-hop/electronic duo released their Jagjaguwar debut Finally, New last May, which is their eighth overall project.

TUESDAY MARCH 28

Rage Against The Machine, March 28, T-Mobile Center CANCELED

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29

Toto Uptown,$39-$99

The longtime rock band has spent most of the last couple years, touring on and off with a similar classic band that’s had its ups and downs, Journey, but returns to the area to make up for a previously postponed headlining appearance.

After announcing a breakup (filled with health issues, a lawsuit, etc) in 2019, they announced a reunion a year later with a revamped lineup including old/new singer Joseph Williams (son of composer John Williams), Steve Lukather, bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, keys/vocalist Steve Maggiora, keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Warren Ham.

Jessie Murph, The Truman, $17

Alabama alt/pop TikTokker 18-year-old singer Murph is out on her first ever North American tour in support of her debut mixtape, Drowning released last month which includes songs “Always Been You,” “If I Died Last Night,” and “Pray”, as well as three new tracks.

She’s catching more notice as many of her originally booked venues, have been re-booked into bigger halls, to accommodate additional demand. We caught Murph live just over a week ago, in Minneapolis, with her older brother opening the show. 44Phantom is listed as support for KC.

THURSDAY MARCH 30

Koe Wetzel, w/ The Cadillac Three, Dylan Wheeler, Cable Dahmer Arena. $35-$60

The genre-bending outlaw country artist brings his Road to Hell Paso Tour to the eastern KC suburbs iin support of Koe’s latest album Hell Paso, out last September which debuted at #12 on Billboard. In speaking about the album, Koe says: “We pulled in every genre we were feeling at the time. We spent the last ten years trying to make this sound, Hell Paso has it.” Wetzel sold over 350,000 tickets last year and is on track for much more in 2023. Opening acts are worth arriving early for.

Key Glock w Big Scarr, Uptown Theater,$39.50

The Memphis rapper is on his Glockoma Tour, a 31-date run of shows running until April 28 for a home-state show in Nashville, in support of new full-length, Glockoma 2, a sequel to his 2018 release.

Zepparella with Bad Bad Men, recordBar. $20

Expect to feel a whole lotta love for this Led Zeppelin tribute made up of vocalist Anna Kristina, guitarist Gretchen Menn, bassist Holly West, and drummer Clementine. Bad Bad Men (from Omaha) open the show.

FRIDAY MARCH 31

A Moving Sound, Polsky Theatre. $17-$35

Fusing traditional Taiwanese influences with a global sensibility, the award-winning ensemble (Sheng Don 聲動) built a worldwide following through their mix of original music and dance, featuring the timbres of the erhu (fiddle) and zhong ruan (lute), and vocals of Mia Hsieh,

Hsieh draws inspiration from her roots in Asian culture, as well as an assimilation of experimental and improvisational art forms. Her vocal influences range from ethnic to experimental. For many of the compositions, she performs using her own created language; chanting, speaking and singing with emotion.

Take 6, Lied Center. $19-$50

The most awarded acapella group (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley) in history hits the live stage in Lawrence. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and more, Take 6 are six voices united in crystal clear harmony. We saw them live performing a Christmas mini-set, outdoors in mid-December numbing temperatures, singing from a rail car (no joke!) supporting Sheryl Crow.

Dave Attell (comedian) thru Apr 1, KC Improv, SOLD OUT

The NYC stand-up comedian remains as popular as ever, selling out all shows on this multi-night KC residency. Known for the hit series, "Insomniac with Dave Attell" on Comedy Central, Attell has also been on every late night talk show and his own half-hour stand-up special, among numerous other appearances.

Tech N9ne with King Iso, March 31, Granada. $30

KC’s favorite rapper got a Super Bowl bump, when his unofficial anthem, “Red Kingdom” was played everywhere as our own Kansas City Chiefs repeated as NFL Champions. He brings his Strange Music show to the home of the Jayhawks (who need some cheering up after being bumped from March Madness).

Crystal Bowersox, Mar 31, Knuckleheads (POSTPONED to October 6)

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

SXSW 2023

Read More SXSW SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17–22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. ....

What a year, once again! This was my 12th SXSW in the last 16 years, and I'll be honest I thought it was going to be a down year post-Covid…. But far from a dull year, Austin was alive and well with loads of great new artists from all over the world in very tiny intimate settings.

To future SXSW attendees it’s still always good to have a nice daily list of shows you want to see and the locations to map out a schedule. All the venues are centrally located near downtown and the transportation options with walking, scooters, bikes, and Lyfts make life easy getting around the music festival.

Anyone that is buying a $1,000 music badge is out of their mind (that isn’t getting it free through label/company etc.). The collection of free day parties all over the city is endless, all you had to do was RSVP to a few, but most of them were free without it. And as far as the nightly showcases paying for $10-20 covers is the way to go.

The first night I saw 15 bands at three venues and paid $30 in covers. The second stage locations were extremely convenient when making decisions on who to catch.

Now for the music enrichment of new music with the top 10 lists.

Top 10 performances at SXSW

1. Orions Belte @ International day stage (Khruangbin/Delicate Steve fans)
2. The Garrys @ Swan Dive and Lazarus Brewery (caught them twice) (Unreal surf rock)
3. Lemonade Shoelace @ Cedar Street Courtyard and Laz (killer psychedelic band from Belfast / Tame Impala-esque)
4. Heavy Heavy @ Parish (killer Ed Sharpe/Nathaniel Rateliff sound) (every song gets better love the male/female vocals)
5. Red Rum Club at Lazarus Brewery
6. Been Stellar @ Swan Dive (Creek and the Cave)… Ben Stellar showed up at this party (Tokyo Police Club sound)
7. The Goa Express @ Swan Dive (killer Britrock)
8. Silverbacks @ Lazarus Brewery (great Irish band reminds me of The Rakes/Art Brut)
9. Kiwi Jr. @ Lazarus Brewery (Strokes vibes)
10. Lounge Society @ Chess Club
    
    --
    Honorable Mention: Sports Team @ Mohawk

Top 10 Artists missed @ SXSW Thee Sacred Souls Fennac (killer DJ) Vanille Balthvs Fonteyn Iguana Death Cult

Good Looks Wild Child Jockstrap Girl Scout -- Honorable mention: Circa Waves, Philline Sonny, Zella Day, Julianna Rolino, Salarymen, Vox Rea

Best Venues at SXSW Lazarus Brewery Mohwak Swan Dive

Can't wait for next year!!!! Rock On!

P.S. Favorite moment at SXSW was hanging out with Ben Romans Hopcraft (former lead singer of Childhood), who I interviewed for W♥M eight years ago at Great Escape Festival in Brighton, England. Crazy small world, we ran into each other at the Lounge Society show at Chess Club. Some of the members of The Nude Party were there as well, who have a sold out show at Turf Club coming up.

Ben has a new band he plays drums and sings for called Miss Tiny. Check them out on Spotify.

Silverbacks at Lazarus Brewery

Lemonade Shoelace Thao at High Noon (15 Mar 2023) Heavy Heavy at the Parish (16 Mar 2023) Red Rum Club Lounge Society at Chess Club (16 Mar 2023)

Lemonade Shoelace at Cedar Street Courtyard, Austin (16 Mar 2023)

brody ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Beths at First Ave (03/20/2023)

Setlists The Beths Setlist Future Me Hates Me Knees Deep Out of Sight You Wouldn’t Like Me Your Side Best Left I Want to Listen Head in the Clouds Don’t Go Away Jump Rope Gazers Less Than Thou I Told You That I Was When You Know You Know I’m Not Getting Excited Silence Is Golden Expert in a Dying Field -- Encore -- You Are a Beam of Light Little Death Sidney Gish Setlist Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (STRFKR cover) Rat of the City Where the Sidewalk Ends I Eat Salads Now Sin Triangle Persephone Filming School Presumably Dead Arm Not but for You, Bunny Read More The Beths Tribune called The Beths, one of the “best up-and-coming bands”, so we were really eager to catch this young New Zealand trio (Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce and ....

The return of The Beths to the Twin Cities officially ushered in the first day of spring. Who cares if there was snow with most still wearing their ski caps. For a brief time at First Ave one could believe winter’s grip was finally losing its hold.

Sidney Gish opened the evening of the sold out show. The signer-songwriter from Boston played the electric guitar while working a row of foot pedals to augment her sound with bass, percussions and the occasional synth chords.

Gish played songs from her two albums Ed Buys Houses and No Dogs Allowed. “I Eat Salads Now” had a soulful, bouncy vibe in which Gish referenced in her lyrics that she was 26 years old. By chance, her actual birthday was a couple days ago and she was in fact turning 26. She said that it was the perfect moment for The Beths to come on stage with cake and balloons when she sang the line.

“Persephone” got a big applause when announced. Gish then accidentally added a layer of synth to the song, but she said: “This is fun!” Aka let’s roll with the new sound.

The highlight of the set was “Presumably Dead Arm” a stream of conscience whisper that Gish sung along with the crowd as the words and music grew into a crescendo “… with a vengeance, it seems.”

Setlist

The Beths opened up their set with “Future Me Hates Me” and then a crowd favorite: “You Wouldn’t like Me.” The band from Auckland, New Zealand was nice enough to return to the Twin Cities after their show was originally cancelled on February 22^nd due to you guessed it: a massive snow storm.

So they rescheduled one last show on their American tour, which lead singer, Elizabeth Stokes, said was symbiotic, since they ended their last American tour at the Fine Line in March of 2022. The giant fish that was so prominent on their tour didn’t make it to First Ave, though, for The Beths and Sidney Gish had to hop on a plane from San Francisco just to make it to the show.

Even though the lead guitarist, Jonathon Pearce, had the word RAGE embossed on his sweatshirt do not be fooled. This is a nice group of musicians with Benjamin Sinclair on bass and Tristan Deck on drums. Sidney Gish described her touring companions as the band you would see in a cartoon. There is a definite brightness in their sound and lushness in their four-person harmony even if the lyrics delve into the angst and worry of everyday life.

This robust sound was best exemplified in “Jump Rope Gazers”. But it was the high-spirited songs like “Don’t Go Away” and “I’m Not Getting Excited” that demonstrated their skills as a tight-knit group as they careened, even shifting speeds and chords midstream.

There won’t be much time for relaxation for this most sought after band. Soon, they tour Europe, then summer music festivals in the United States. And if you missed their show at First Ave, they will be back, opening for The National at The Armory on August 9^th.

Don’t worry! There is little chance the show will be cancelled due to snow.

The Beths

Sidney Gish Sidney Gish The Beths The Beths The Beths

The Beths at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 Mar 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com