W♥M

06/12/2025

Mpls: July 10 to July 11, 2025

Blondshell at Fine Line, Minneapolis (June 11, 2025)

Blondshell at Fine Line (June 11, 2025)

Blondshell Setlist

23's A Baby
Toy
Docket
Sepsis
Veronica Mars
Arms
T&A
Change
Berlin TV Tower
Thumbtack
Olympus
Diet Pepsi (Addison Rae cover)
Kiss City
Tarmac
He Wants Me

-- Encore --
Event of a Fire
Salad

setlist from setlist.fm

Tour Dates

6/13/25 – Metro – Chicago, IL *

6/14/25 – Skully's Music Diner – Columbus, OH *

6/16/25 – Phoenix Concert Theater – Toronto, ON *

6/17/25 – Theatre Fairmount – Montreal, QC *

6/19/25 – Royale – Boston, MA %

6/20/25 – Brooklyn Steel – New York, NY %

6/21/25 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA %

6/24/25 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC %

6/26/25 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC %

6/27/25 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA %

6/28/25 – Basement East – Nashville, TN %

# support from Draag
^ support from Jahnah Camille
* support from Meg Elsier
% support from Daffo

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Blondshell

Starting January 18th, Los Angeles’ Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum), will take over as support. Blondshell is still very new, having only released four singles, her debut ....

Waiting in line at will call, a guy with a grey beard asked if I had an extra ticket. Not uncommon for most sold-out shows. What was uncommon is he had already invested $25.00 into the show.

“So you did buy a ticket,” I asked.

“Parking,” He replied.

The guy did not follow Vu’s golden rule of never paying for parking, and now he was on the outside of what was definitely going to be a great show.

meg elsier opened up the evening. It was her first show opening for Blondshell and first time in the Twin Cities. From Massachusetts, she was excited to be on stage, and her infectious spirit carried a bubbly delivery over the grunge sound.

elsier was clearly having fun as she said her next song was “sportscar” even though she drove a Subaru Forester. The song had a favorable reaction, but elsier said the song didn’t make the cut on her 2024 debut album spittake. “Maybe the deluxe reissue,” she joked.

elsier is currently living in Nashville and sang an ode to her new town “Eastside”, which was more a lament of a life on the wrong side of the tracks. Then she finished her quick set with “Ifshitfuq”, a song of confused emotions colliding into a moment, a song which landed on Spotify’s indie editors Best Songs of 2023.

As the stage was being set for Blondshell the graybeard that I saw in the lobby without a ticket was now in front of me dancing to the Talking Heads “Girlfriend Is Better.” What was more surprising was he didn’t fit the demographic of a performer who has so far made a living skewering the opposite sex.

Blondshell at 7th Street Entry
(July 11, 2023)

We have become fans of Blondshell, aka Sabrina Teitelbaum, since we caught her Twin Cities debut at Seventh Street Entry July, 2023. Since then, we have seen the opening for Liz Phair at the Palace Theatre Nov, 2023, and opening for Glass Animals at Azura Amphitheater Aug, 2024. In fact, she did over 150 shows in support of her self-titled debut album and is now back on the road with her sophomore album If You Asked for a Picture, a title lifted from a line from Mary Oliver’s poem “Dogfish”.

Blondshell received universal praise from critics and fans alike for her witty and scathing observations. And based on the first song of the evening from her new album “23’s a Baby”, it appears that her views have not shifted but have grown sharper and keenly observational. As she commented in a Rolling Stone interview about her latest project:

“Maybe it’s just the nature of being two years older, but I’m more comfortable with nuance now, and I’m more comfortable with gray areas…. It’s empowering for me to use sonic references that feel reserved for men.”

A personal favorite was “Arms” in which the person in the song is trying, but spent and aware of the contradiction. Then a song about “T&A” and how it might not be enough. Just based on the video that juxtaposes male models with rescue animals, it lets you know which one Blondshell thinks are the real dogs.

There is a structure to Blondshell’s hit songs: a laid-back delivery followed by lush vocals over a shoegazing sound . But last night she said she is looking to broaden her musical horizons, and gave the crowd a peak with a new song “Berlin TV Tower” which had her sitting and singing with an acoustic guitar.

Eventually, Blondshell would finish the evening with her hit song “Salad”. But before the first few lines about imagining poisoning her toxic boyfriend, she gave the crowd her opinion on the current political climate and how it was affecting her hometown in L.A.

Personally, I’d like to hear future songs on the topic with her insight and wit.

meg elsier

Blondshell

Blondshell at Fine Line, Minneapolis (June 11, 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 09:13 PM in Blondshell, Daffo, Dave, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis | Permalink | Comments (0)

06/11/2025

Something for the Weekend: Friday the 13th

What’s happening this weekend.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Saint Small at Hook and Ladder (June 13, 2025)

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Saint Small

The upcoming “Singles Going Steady”, a singles-release party will be featuring Ryan and Pony, Benjamin Cartel (from KaiserCartel), and Saint Small. Down in the Clown Lounge …

Little Man

Little Man is back with new music and video for “BLVD”, which you can see on YouTube. The single was recorded and mixed by producer John Fields (Soul Asylum, Jonas Brothers). .…

Mood Swings

So tonight, The Mood Swings will be at the Sauce, at their CD-releasing party. As with previous Susstones showmania, they are cheap ($5, man!) and features a ton of bands …

June 13, 2025 Friday
Saint Small
with Mood Swings and Little Man
at Hook and Ladder
thehookmpls.com

Minneapolis’ garage-rock band Saint Small is reuniting to play a farewell gig at the Hook and Ladder Theater in Minneapolis, one night only, Friday the 13th, celebrating the band’s debut vinyl release Thank You Friends, the Album.

The last time we mentioned Saint Small was in Dec 2018: “The upcoming “Singles Going Steady”, a singles-release party will be featuring Ryan and Pony, Benjamin Cartel (from KaiserCartel), and Saint Small. Down in the Clown Lounge (underneath the Turf Club), will feature Revenge Wedding and Kris Gruen.”

Local favorites, Little Man and The Mood Swings are sharing the triple-bill.

Mood Swings at Turf Club
(Mar 3, 2023)

We previously caught The Mood Swings in March 2023 and wrote, “To be perfectly honest, I was rather excited to see The Mood Swings. The band, featuring Ashley Ackerson and Sallie Watson, had not released anything new since 2009’s Recessionista. While the band would play on and off gigs, it seemed like they are fairly inactive since 2009. During the Mood Swings’ hiatus, Ashley would spend more time in her side project BNLX, with her husband, Ed Ackerson (of Polara) - that’s why you saw BNLX albums (the album with their dog on the cover) at the Mood Swing’s merchandise table.”

Little Man at 400 Bar
(April 9, 2009)

We saw Little Man in April 2009 and said, “Anyway, Little Man played a pretty full set, which is a relief since I was so used to the 30 sets from SXSW. Sometime they would pause for applause and sometime each song leads directly into the next. Halfway into the set, Perricelli picks up his acoustic guitar for two songs (I think "Seal Of Secrecy" and "Love Of All Time"), before going back to electric for the rest of the set. The acoustic was a nice treat, especially with the harmonica (which sort of made me think of Bob Dylan). You can tell right away that Perricelli is an excellent guitarist with his left hand moving quickly up and down the neck of the guitar. It's no surprise why the City Pages called Little Man the Next Big Thing on their cover story for February 27th, 2007. I did ask Perricelli the story behind this and he told me that they had sent someone over the house to interview and take some photographs. He honestly didn't know it was going to be a cover story, so he was a little shocked when he learned about it.”

Belfast Cowboys at Lake Harriet Bandshell (June 13, 2025)

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Music in the Parks

Today, Labor Day, is the last day and the “End of Summer Celebration” from Music in the Parks series. Today’s schedule will feature Laughing Waters Blue Grass Festival at …

Belfast Cowboys

A pretty last-minute decision found me at Turf Club on St. Patrick’s day to see locals The Belfast Cowboys. A brass heavy band that “specializes in the music of Van Morrison” .…

June 13, 2025 Friday
Belfast Cowboys
at Lake Harriet Bandshell
minneapolisparks.org

Come see local 9-piece band Belfast Cowboys play Lake Harriet Bandshell, in Minneapolis, as part of the Music in the Parks series.

Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club
(Mar 17, 2025)

We saw Belfast Cowboys in Mar 2025 and said, “The nine-piece band has a full brass section, multiple guitars, keys and drums. Lead singer Terry Walsh, asked, “Is it seven yet? We want to be prompt.” The first song, You Make Me Feel So Free had the full brass sound, including a great sax solo. The band was in the spirit, with some adorned in various types of St. Patrick’s Day accoutrements (sparkly green tie, green bowler hat, etc.). Walsh said, “It isn’t summer yet, but it’s coming”, as the band launched into a cover of Chuck Prophet’s Summertime Thing that included a brass riff on Summer in the City.”

Music in the Park 2025 Schedule

06/14 Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project

06/24 Jeff Dayton

07/01 Salsa Del Soul

07/08 Westwind Big Band

07/15 Minneapolis Commodores

07/22 Tumblin Dice

07/29 Two Sundays Big Band

08/05 Rooms on Fire

08/12 Pan-handlers Steel Drum Band

08/19 Bavarian Musikmeisters

08/26 Brio Brass

Movies in the Park 2025

08/28 Inside Out 2

09/05 The Wild Robot

09/12 If

Mozart’s Prague Symphony with Gábor Takács-Nagy at Ordway Concert Hall (June 13-15, 2025)

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SPCO

Taking place this Friday and Saturday, at the Ordway Concert Hall, in St Paul, is Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s latest event: Steven Copes Plays Prokofiev’s First Violin Sonata. ...

June 13, 2025 Friday
June 14, 2025 Saturday
June 15, 2025 Sunday
Mozart’s Prague Symphony
with Gábor Takács-Nagy
at Ordway Concert Hall
thespco.org

Kicking off this Friday the 13th is audience favorite and newest SPCO Artistic Partner Gábor Takács-Nagy returning for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 66th season finale! Hopefully, if all goes well, we’ll get a review for the Sunday show.

We saw SPCO’s Steven Copes Plays Prokofiev’s First Violin Sonata in May 2025 and said, “The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert program on Saturday night held a sober reminder that the horrors of the past are unfortunately echoing in the headlines of today. The first work of the evening was a lament from Ukrainian composer and cellist Zoltan Havrylovych Almashi. It was a piece that Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv invited Almashi to compose by using Samuel Barber’s iconic Adagio for Strings as a reference point. This request was during the full-scale Russian invasion, and the work “Maria’s City” is dedicated to the city of Mariupol, one of the first cities destroyed by the Russian Forces.”

Schedule

Friday, June 13, 2025 – 11:00 AM
Ordway Concert Hall Downtown St. Paul

Saturday, June 14, 2025 – 7:00 PM
Ordway Concert Hall Downtown St. Paul

Sunday, June 15, 2025 – 2:00 PM
Ordway Concert Hall Downtown St. Paul

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

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 07:55 PM in Belfast Cowboys, Little Man, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Mood Swings, Saint Small, Something for the Weekend, SPCO | Permalink | Comments (0)

R.I.P. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)

(Read more Musicians who died in 2025)

R.I.P. Brian Wilson

In an already tough week, the hitmaker, pop visionary, and leader of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82. His family announced the death on social media but did not provide a cause, nor any specific details.

His wife Melinda, had preceded him in early 2024 and Wilson’s business representatives were granted a conservator status by a judge, stating that Wilson had been in declining health, had dementia and “a major neurocognitive disorder”.

Often touted in his prime as a musical genius; the fun-in-the-sun lyrics, multi-part vocal layered harmonies, and perfect pop soundscape structure all defined a genre of music that is still strong today (despite the fact that he didn’t surf himself), though that pinnacle of genius would eventually be damaged by self-doubt, drugs, and mental illness.

Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, CA to a machinist and part-time songwriter and homemaker, the oldest of three brothers. Despite some reported maltreatment by his father, Wilson was able to pick up music quickly, and learned by ear how to play, excelling on several instruments and performing at the family’s church.

He was re-writing lyrics to established songs by nine and was regularly playing the family piano before his teenage years, also deconstructing and learning vocal harmonies with his brothers and friends, influenced by the early doo-wop groups of the day.

His producing beginning started when he received a simple two-track recorder for his sixteenth birthday, and he began experimenting with techniques and harmonies. His cousin and frequent singing partner, Mike Love would join the Wilson brothers, as well as their classmate Al Jardine, and Wilson would continue exploring styles of music, learning several of the classical masters by 17.

He would go on to a smaller Los Angeles college as a psychology major, only to drop out after eighteen months, but was composing songs the entire time, with it all coming together in the fall of 1961 to debut those songs performing as The Pendletons. The band’s first hit, “Surfin’” written by Wilson and Love became an area favorite and charted in the Billboard national charts, with Candix Records changing the group’s name (without their permission) to The Beach Boys.

Candix would sell those masters and fold, but Capitol Records was persuaded to release a double-A side 7” single culled from a new batch of demos- “Surfin’ Safari” (which became the band’s first Top 10 song) and “409”, which charted well nationally and led them to a seven-year contract with the bigger label, including giving Wilson some autonomy with his recording methods and locations.

In 1963 alone, the band released three albums, “Surfin’ USA” “Surfer Girl” and “Little Deuce Coupe”, all of which Wilson produced, and he also began working with other artists as well such as Jan and Dean, The Castellas, and Donna Loren among others.

By the following year, Wilson was experiencing panic attacks from the fast-paced schedule and his own sense of recording perfection and stopped touring with the group but continued to oversee the songs from the studio. Numerous hits continued including, “California Girls” and “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “Good Vibrations”, and many, many others.

In 1965, he began working on what would be considered his masterpiece album, “Pet Sounds” (released the following year), with fabled backing band, The Wrecking Crew in tow, and blending classical instrumentation and lesser-known sounds (like a theremin) to create a complex and innovative new evolution to their sound, and though the album was not commercially popular at the time of its release (but would eventually get acknowledged in outlets like Rolling Stone who would declare it the second-best album of all time).

A planned follow-up, Smile, was not released, and Wilson’s mental health declined enough that he retreated from the group and was checked into a psychiatric hospital in 1968 for treatment, as his drug use also continued. He would become encumbered with controversial psychologist Dr. Eugene Landy overseeing more and more of his care and spent much of the mid-’70s as a recluse.

By 1976, he was declared to be back and rejoined the group on tour and was making music again, both under the band’s and his own name, but would succumb to health and addiction issues again, a few years later. Landy’s exceeding control would remove him from the band as well as have the doctor take more control creatively and financially into the ‘80s, and had Wilson release a first solo album in 1988.

By 1992, brother Carl Wilson led the family in stepping in to intercede, and Landy’s medical license was revoked and a restraining order against Wilson was granted. Lawsuits, both internal and external, plagued Wilson through the ‘90s, but his productivity would increase following the release of Landy; resulting in more solo releases, though at not near the commercial success he had in the ‘60s.

In 1999, he embarked on first solo tour (with an accompanying live album to follow) and he was performing Pet Sounds in its entirety, often backed by a full orchestra. Touring and new music continued, and The Beach Boys would reunite for a 50^th anniversary celebration album and tour, in 2011/2012 spearheaded by their re-recording of the song, “Do It Again”.

By the following year, there was another split and Wilson was again performing solo (with longtime members Al Jardine and David Marks) which is when we caught him live, outdoors at the MN Zoo. Touring continued, despite talks of retirement and his overall declining health (and we last saw The Beach Boys in 2019, playing all the hits at a Minneapolis benefit concert). He would sell off his publishing rights by the end of 2022 and play his last concert that July at Pine Knob in Michigan, characterized as stoic and expressionless.

Wilson’s contribution to music and the cultural zeitgeist cannot be overstated and his numerous songs will live on for generations, as even the mildest fan, is very familiar with the many hits that have permeated into the culture and will continue to do so. Wilson leaves behind five adopted children, and daughters Carnie and Wendy (aka two-thirds of vocal group Wilson Phillips).

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com

Posted at 02:53 PM in Brian Wilson, John, Musicians Who Died, News, RIP, The Beach Boys | Permalink | Comments (0)

06/10/2025

Mei Semones at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (June 9, 2025)

Mei Semones at 7th St Entry (Jun 9, 2025)

Mei Semones Setlist

Tegami
Wakare no Kotoba
Inaka
Kabutomushi
Kemono
Dumb Feeling
Dangomushi
Tora Moyo
I can do what I want
Animaru
Norwegian Shag
Rat With Wings
Zarigani
Sasayaku Sakebu
Itsumo
Kurayami
Muchuu
Hfoas
Kodoku

-- Encore --
Waters of March
with John Roseboro

John Roseboro Setlist

How to Pray
I Took the L
Topo Chico
MFL
The Empress
Crumb
How to Love Right
80 Summers
How to Cope
Johnny

Tour Dates

June 11 - Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch*

June 12 - Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall*

June 13 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*

June 14 - Boston, MA @ Red Room Cafe 939*

July 11 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

July 12 - Austin, TX @ Parish

July 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

July 16 - San Diego, CA @ Quartyard

July 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room

July 19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

July 21 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

July 22 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret

July 23 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

July 27- Minamiuonuma, Japan @ Fuji Rock Festival

* with John Roseboro

Read More

Mei Semones

Brooklyn’s Mei Semones is touring in support of her debut album Animaru (Bayonet Records). The tour will stop by the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on June 9, 2025. .…

On a cool summer evening (the best time of year!), it was a jazz influenced evening with Mei Semones headlining at 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis.

Getting things started was John Roseboro. The Brooklyn, NY based artist is a leader in a sub-genre labeled post-bossa nova, taking the laid back, syncopated samba rhythms and updating with more meaningful lyrics than its Brazilian predecessor. His debut album, Human Nature, came out in 2021 and he’s been busy ever since, releasing more music, with 2024’s Fools being most recent. Coming out on stage solo with guitar, Roseboro opened with How to Pray, and encouraged the audience to sing with him. That finger picking style looked so easy, but you could see the skill underneath it.

Roseboro had a charming and amusing banter that had the audience laughing and feeling at ease. He thanked the crowd for coming early and how he appreciated it for “a sold out show for Semones!”. I Took the L got us a “there’s a saxophone solo here” and more laughs, but Roseboro didn’t need any support as he easily carried his songs through. A small hiccup on sound was quickly corrected and Roseboro thanked the sound guy Andrew (“the MVP!”). These were efficient numbers and Roseboro moved them along with either brief banter or quick guitar interludes. He went from a love song to a break up song, though noted they were not about the same person.

He taught the crowd a brief chorus to the next song, Crumb, while he sang the verses, and the crowd was game. If there’s a word for Roseboro and his music, it’s “charming”. We got a partial play of a “song I’m working on”, and it was fun to see him reacting to it in real time. How to Love You Right was another deceptively simple number and a new round of banter about how this is the only time he gets to play guitar (“you’re in the van, you’re setting up, but this is the fun”). 80 Summers may have been the longest song of the set. Guest appearing for the last pair of numbers was Semones, and the contrasting vocals were a delight. Roseboro had certainly made an impression and we’ll look forward to seeing him in the Twin Cities in the future.

Mei Semones, an Ann Arbor, Michigan native now based in Brooklyn, is headlining her first tour. Her debut album, Animaru, was released earlier this year and is a good representation of her many influences. The mix of jazz and indie pop music, while singing in both English and Japanese, gives Semones a rich and distinct sound. Appearing on stage as a quintet (violin, viola, guitar/vocals, bass, and drums), they started with Tegami, and it was a hit with the crowd. A very brief bit of banter had Semones thanking the crowd “for selling out our first headlining show in Minneapolis”.

The next number really showed off the power of those dual violins. I don’t tend to think of strings being able to drive rock music like that, but it absolutely did the job. Semones has constructed a very particular sound and has the right group of musicians to make it work. Inaka was simply incredible as the band drove the dynamic range from mezzo piano to mezzo forte extremely quickly and it was an effect they would return to throughout the evening. The bassist had left the stage and Semones and violinists would absolutely nail Kabutomushi. The bassist returned, along with more from the drummer, would go back to that indie rock sound, even as Semones sang a number mostly in Japanese.

This was a pretty amazing performance and quite intense. A small break to introduce the band gave us a brief respite, but after mentioning they had just released their first album, we were back into it. This was a ride and that mix of jazz and indie sensibilities played so well in Semones’ hands. The finger plucking on the strings created a different tone (think Andrew Bird), but all of these instruments were being used to their full effect. A bass solo reminded us that all of these musicians are quite talented and that it was truly a team effort making this fly so high. Some of those bossa nova style numbers came through in the middle section of the set and were fantastic. I can do what I want, which might be Semones’ best number, was played at a blistering pace and had the audience enraptured. Followed by the title track, Animaru, it featured those strings and Semones’ angry lyrics (“I am not a cardboard box to be lived in”). The band ran a few numbers together with no pause in between, surging forward even with different overall vibes in each of the songs.

Some very classical sounding intro from the strings quickly transitioned to the Japanese bossa nova sound, and yes, I recognize the dissonance of that sentence. But that was truly the key to Semones’ magic. There’s great change of pace within individual songs, but they have also sequenced the set list to maximum effect. As the viola player shook out his hand, I could only nod my head in empathy; this band was working hard. A solo start by Semones on the song Sasayaku Sakebu gradually had the band joining back in. This led to the band playing some newer, as yet unreleased, numbers. The first was Itsumo and was a rapid and jazzy number just as we rolled past the hour mark. More classical vibes from the strings allowed Semones to tune before getting going yet again. Some very complicated guitar work from Semones was particularly impressive. Returning to some older numbers (if 2022 counts as old), the band had more of those bossa nova grooves, including the quieter Hfoas. Ending the main set with Kodoku, Semones again thanked the audience and will certainly be back at a bigger venue next time. After a short break, the show ended the only way it could have, with John Roseboro back on stage for the song that Semones and he had co-written, Waters of March, ending an epic 90 minute set.

John Roseboro

John Roseboro (with Mei Semones)

John Roseboro

Noah and Claudius Agrippa (Mei Semones)

Ransom (Mei Semones)

Mei Semones (with John Roseboro)

Mei Semones

Mei Semones at 7th St Entry (June 9, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 08:57 AM in 7th Street Entry, Andrew Bird, Mei Semones, Minneapolis, Thaddeus | Permalink | Comments (2)

06/09/2025

R.I.P. Sly Stone

(Read more Musicians who died in 2025)

R.I.P. Sly Stone

The multi-genre legend that took us higher and let everyday people all dance to the music, has passed--

Sly Stone, the hugely influential, socially conscious, eccentric and often troubled singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who had numerous hits on multiple genre charts during the late 1960’s and early ’70s with his band the Family Stone, passed away at the age of 82 in Los Angeles.

Cause of death according to a statement from his representatives was “a prolonged battle with C.O.P.D.” lung disease, “and other underlying health issues”, all of which worsened in recent years.

A true musical pioneer, Stone redefined the boundaries of pop, rock, soul, funk, R&B, and even gospel, putting together a very diverse collective of multi-racial, mixed gender band, that helped widen the musical freedom that was being explored during those world-changing times.

Sly and the Family Stone’s biggest hits included “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Family Affair,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin);” each of which and more, would be heavily sampled and musically given homage to, by those who would follow as musicians.

Aka Sylvester Stewart was born in the middle of World War II in Denton, TX to a deeply religious couple (though they did encourage musical expression) as part of their five overall children, and the family soon would soon move to the North Bay area, near San Francisco.

He was quickly recognized as a musical prodigy, mastering multiple instruments before becoming a teenager and joined bands in high school, notably doo-wop group The Viscaynes, who would release a few local singles (as would Stone solo, under the name “Danny Stewart”).

Following, he would work as a soul radio DJ and staff producer for area label Autumn Records and played keyboards for a growing list of A-list names. By 1966, he was playing regularly with his own band, Sly and the Stoners, a precursor to his famous lineup as he added members that he saw fit, no matter their gender, race, or backgrounds.

Debut album A Whole New Thing was released in 1967, but gained little notice, though their initial hit single, “Dance to the Music” would soon follow, and become the title of the follow-up album, released the next year. Also in 1968, they would play a medley on the most-prized slot in television, “The Ed Sullivan Show” and further cement their reputation with sets at the following year’s Newport Jazz Festival, the Summer of Soul concerts in Harlem (recently unearthed and restored on film by The Roots’ Questlove), and of course, at Woodstock.

Like Marvin Gaye and other contemporaries, the albums that followed- “Life,” “Stand!” and “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” each had a feeling of joyous musical freedom but also reflected the undertones of a social consciousness and fragile state of the country and world, as an overseas war, racial injustice, and other turbulent issues, raged with regularity.

As the 70’s continued, his sales slowed, and drug use increased, and the band would finally end things in January 1975 after some erratic touring and a disastrous Radio City Music Hall gig. Members, including Sly, went off to solo careers and other projects, including his assembling a new Family Stone and collaborations with George Clinton, but none had much commercial success. A handful of songs would appear on various soundtracks or as guest appearances, and his occasional troubles with the law would continue.

The band was rightfully inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame early, in 1993, and Sly would appear for that, only to mostly disappear out of the public eye until the mid-2000’s. Legal fighting with his former management, and previous financial recklessness had left Stone basically homeless, though we’d all see him again in a puzzling 2006 Grammy Awards performance.

We remember Stone’s attempted comeback in the late 2000s and scheduling a spendy late First Avenue appearance in Minneapolis (which would cancel due to "scheduling conflicts"), but his erratic behavior, late starts, short directionless sets and walk outs, continued to tarnish his legacy. In more recent times, he released a memoir, had a documentary made about him (and another more recent one, “Sly Lives! [aka the Burden of Black Genius]” again directed by Questlove) and supposedly finished a screenplay about his life.

Stone would influence so many of his peers and those who followed, including George Clinton, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Red Hot Chili Peppers and D’Angelo, and multiple hip-hop stars, as well as established jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. He leaves behind three children and generations of fans.

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com

Posted at 05:25 PM in Funk, John, Musicians Who Died, News, Questlove, RIP, Soul | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dawes at Ameristar Star Pavilion, North Kansas City MO (07 June 2025)

DAWES SETLIST

Dawes 2025-06-07 NKCMO Ameristar setlist

The Game
Still Feel Like a Kid
Someone Else's Café/Doomscroller Tries to Relax
Million Dollar Bill (Middle Brother cover)
Most People
Mister Los Angeles
Comes in Waves
When My Time Comes
House Parties (Taylor acoustic, solo)
From the Right Angle
A Little Bit of Everything
When the Tequila Runs Out
All Your Favorite Bands

DAWES TOUR DATES

Jun 28 Penny's Flight FAM JAM Oyster Bay, NY
Jul 10 Concerts Under the Stars King of Prussia, PA
Jul 11 Count Basie Center for the Arts Red Bank, NJ
Jul 12 Pleasantville Music Festival Pleasantville, NY
Jul 13 The Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
Jul 17 The Astro Amphitheater La Vista, NE
Jul 18 Ozarks Amphitheater Camdenton, MO
Jul 19 Paycom Center Oklahoma City, OK
Aug 2 Lancaster Festival Lancaster, OH
Aug 14 - Aug 16 Park City Song Summit Park City, UT
Aug 28 Tree House Brewing Company Deerfield, MA
Aug 29 United Theatre Westerly, RI
Aug 30 Prescott Park Arts Festival Portsmouth, NH
Aug 31 Lake Morey Resort Fairlee, VT
Sep 11 - Sep 14 Bourbon & Beyond Louisville, KY
Sep 25 Lobero Theatre Santa Barbara, CA*
Sep 26 The Guild Theatre Menlo Park, CA*
Sep 27 Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Santa Rosa, CA*
Oct 2 Club Red Telluride Telluride, CO*
Oct 3 Belly Up Aspen Aspen, CO*
Oct 4 Strings Music Pavilion Steamboat Springs, CO*
Oct 5 Washington's Fort Collins, CO*
Oct 9 Appalachian Wireless Arena Pikeville, KY
Oct 10 Township Auditorium Columbia, SC
Oct 24 Salem Civic Center Salem, VA
Oct 25 ExploreAsheville.com Arena Asheville, NC
Mar 13-20, 2026, Bayamo Cruise Miami, FL

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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. …

Things Happen--

As a band continues, their sound evolves, members may come and go, and life’s priorities change, with families begun, important events taking precedent, and the public’s often fickle preferences changing with the times. But, in the end, you hope your favorite band stays together; and at the core, that's been the case with LA-based folk rock band Dawes, after over fifteen years as a musical unit.

Formed out of the ashes of Simon Dawes (following musician/producer Blake Mills’s exit) in 2009, singer/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith and his younger brother drummer Griffin were always the band’s foundation; and now, with the release of their recent ninth studio album, Oh Brother (released last October via Dead Ringers), they are down to just a brotherly pair for the first time.

This change alone, was enough to start a new chapter in the band’s annals (as well as each sibling recently welcoming new children); but add to that, the devastation of January’s Altadena and nearby area wildfires (that affected Taylor’s studio and Griff’s home) which thrust them into an unexpected limelight to open up the recent Grammy Awards broadcast and take part in the related FireAid benefit concerts, and you have a very obvious turning of the page.

The Goldsmiths have (re)recruited veteran guitarist Trevor Menear and Austin TX bassist Z Lynch, along with Brooklyn-based Frank LoCrasto on keyboards (for this night, as it's a slightly rotating role), to reconvene as a five-piece and resume their road work, with the Kansas City show being the final stop of the leg. After some brief time off, the brothers will embark on their first duo tour, and the full band will be out with the Avett Brothers and then Turnpike Troubadours into the early fall.

As far as the Kansas City show itself, it seemed an odd venue (a casino showroom north of downtown) and no opener generally means two full Dawes sets with an encore, but this was instead a single ninety-minute, encore-less set (perhaps due to venue restrictions).

We’re used to seeing the band in the Minneapolis area (for our previous eight times), a market which is one of their strongest, but KC still has a little work to do, though many of the fans attending were very loyal and sang along all night. The good news is the band was musically spot-on, as usual.

The group keeps their setlist changing (though admittedly, Taylor showed a basic flow of how the tracks fit together, on social media and his Substack) which keeps fans guessing, and more serious fans that see them on multiple stops, get a fresher show every time. On this tour, they would open with a track from the new album, “The Game” where he notes, “losers only think about the winners, the winners only think about the game.”

“Still feel like a Kid” got everyone in a lighthearted mood, and “Million Dollar Bill” was an unexpected pleasure, taken from the one-off 2011 album by songwriting trio Middle Brother that included Taylor, and closed that particular record.

The limelight stayed on him for the Dawes hit, “Most People”, performed primarily solo, and we’ll admit we were disappointed that drummer Griff stayed back at his kit for the show, and didn’t take on a lead vocal for a song, or two (as it seems like they could be/should be this generation’s Frey and Henley).

Perhaps due to the time constraints, Taylor didn’t say too much between songs, mentioning it “had been a little while” since they last played in the KC metro (their previous time in the area was in Lawrence in 2023) but wasn’t completely sure, since casinos don’t have any windows.

“Comes in Waves” featured an expert guitar duel between Taylor and Menear and dedicated fans were shouting requests between songs, causing Taylor to use the James McMurty quote that goes, "Some of you know what you want to hear, but none of you know what you're going to hear" which quelled things admirably.

Many of the songs featured extended end jams and fans knew exactly what to do when Taylor rotated the mic towards the crowd for the choruses of “When My Time Comes” (which we’re also hearing again in ads for the Owen Wilson streaming series, “Stick”). Looking Dylanesque and alone on stage, there was complete silence as Taylor performed “House Parties” completely off-mic and to the hushed audience.

He prefaced “From the Right Angle” as admitting it was about falling in love with “a young musician in his 20’s that doesn’t know what he is talking about” and for the storytelling opus of “A Little Bit of Everything”, he headed back to play piano for the song, as LoCrasto embellished the chords on his nearby organ.

“When the Tequila Runs Out” came to a bit of an abrupt end (maybe it did run out...actually, time was getting short to venue curfew) and the final “All Your Favorite Bands” has the crowd up and each other’s arms, swaying left and right and singing along to the chorus, and stayed up to leave them with a standing ovation.

We’re happy to have followed the band since its early days (anyone remember those two stellar nights on the Leinie Stage at the MN State Fair?), have heard and embraced their evolving musical identity as they explored more electronics with heavier bass, taken on more of a jam band approach, and were the backing band to the likes of Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, Phil Lesh, and Bright Eyes. We've continually been amazed at their versatility, adaptability, resilience and musical curiosity, and will always be interested in where Dawes goes next.

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

DAWES at Ameristar Star Pavilion, North Kansas City MO (2025-06-07)

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

Posted at 01:43 AM in Ameristar Star Pavilion, Dawes, John, Kansas City, Review | Permalink | Comments (0)

06/08/2025

Weekend Gamer: Summer of Gaming 2025

ROG Xbox Ally (Holiday 2025)

Xbox Games Showcase (June 8, 2025)

Summer Game Fest (June 6, 2025)

Nintendo Switch 2 (June 5, 2025)

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ROG Ally

Now enter the ROG Ally from Asus. The ROG Ally will address all the things that I wanted in my Steam Deck: Windows, faster chip, better screen, higher resolution …

Xbox

The much-rumored Xbox Handheld, codename Keenan, is coming to us closer than you think (I first mentioned this in Nov 2024)! The details are exclusively from a report …

Game Awards

I normally don’t do live streams, but when I got home from work today, YouTube was heavily promoting the livestream of The Game Awards (happening at exactly the time I turned on my computer). …

Nintendo Switch

Everybody knew the Nintendo Switch 2 was coming… after all, it’s been eight years since the original Switch launched and in the last few years, the original Switch just …

As the resident Weekend Gamer, I am obligated to mention the craziness of this week in Summer Gaming! Traditionally, since most kids are outside during the summer, game sales are poor… so the gaming industry would announce games in the summer for games to be on sale this holiday or year end.

Right now, June 8th, there is Xbox Games Showcase 2025 … followed by The Outer Worlds 2 Direct.

This promises “the biggest Summer of Games”, as Microsoft Games show off their 2025-2026 lineup, through this interview and trailer livestream.

The first big announcement is that the ROG Xbox Ally (the official name) is coming Holiday 2025 and available in AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme variant or less powerful (and cheaper) Z2A version. Depending on its price (it needs to be under $700), I will likely buy the new ROG Xbox Ally.

After the showcase (which I’ll have to update after the event), there will be a direct with The Outer Worlds 2. Despite being excited about the first game, I bought it and have admitted that the first game is not good. I do not like The Outer Worlds, I felt that it was dumb and I did not appreciate the level-scaling in the game. I’m not sure if you can turn it off, but I wish the game didn’t have level-scaling. All this to say, that I do not care for The Outer Worlds 2, I’m sorry to say!

On Friday, June 6th, there was Summer Game Fest 2025, followed by Day of the Devs. I did not watch Day of the Devs, which obviously is a nod towards the classic zombie film Day of the Dead, because I wasn’t interested in indie gaming or how developers talked about their games.

I did watch Summer Game Fest, hosted by Geoff Keighley and Lucy James. There were some big games announced, most of them were exclusive to the platform. The biggest game revealed was Resident Evil Requiem, but I was kind of curious about Atomic Heart 2 (a shooter) and Mixtape (which has some great music from DEVO, Jesus and Mary Chain, Roxy Music, Lush, Portishead, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, the Cure, and more).

Compare to Keighley’s The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest is less impressive, but it’s more focused in what it’s trying to deliver - which are games coming out soon-ish.

All this amidst the launch of the Switch 2, which landed in stores on June 5, 2025. Nintendo, not confident in their system, would not allow anyone to use the Switch 2 until launch day, as a giant patch was pending on day one. In order to play any game, you had to have an internet connection to download the patch. Some journalists, such as Destin tried to play a game offline and was visibly unhappy with the results. Even if you own the physical game, you’re not allowed to play the game.

I’ve seen other console disc collectors have sworn off on the digital apocalypse and they are not happy with the Switch 2. While there are some games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 that is available on a physical card, most games are digital only or as “Game-Key”. The Game-Key is basically a digital game, only it has restrictions. If you “insert” the Game-Key on a device, you cannot play that game on another device until you “eject it” and “insert” it in the second device. All the annoyance of a physical game, but none of the benefit!

I have already mentioned that I will not be buying the Switch 2, because I could not justify paying $80-$90 for their games… or do I want to pay a subscription to use GameChat or pay money to play online.

Instead of spending $500 on the Switch 2, I’m going to put that money towards the ROG Xbox Ally.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

Annie DiRusso at Fine Line, Minneapolis (June 7, 2025)

Annie DiRusso at Fine Line (Jun 7, 2025)

Annie DiRusso Setlist

Ovid
Legs
Good Ass Movie
Hungry
9 Months
Leo
Hybrid
Wet
I Am The Deer
Wearing Pants Again
Back in Town
Untitled Song
new untitled song, written in the prior week
Don't Swerve
Emerson
Coming Soon

-- Encore --
It's Good To Be Hot In The Summer

Daffo Setlist

Get a Life
Absence Makes the Heart Grow
Complete Circle
Go Fetch
Good God
Quick Fix
Habit
Poor Madeline
Seed
The Experiment

Tour Dates

6.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Vivarium

6.10 - Saint Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub

Previously: Annie DiRusso at Bottleneck

With just one debut album, “Super Pedestrian” (via her own Summer Soup Songs [ADA]) under her belt, singer-songwriter Annie DiRusso charged ahead on the first show of her “Back in Town Tour” with a generous and fun eighty-five minute performance, that might be hard to top, as the tour rolls on. The record was produced by Caleb Wright (Hippocampus, Samia, so there’s the connection with the opener) and follows 2023’s breakthrough EP, “God, I Hate This Place”, and two years on the road, headlining and opening for Haim and beabadoobee.

To say she’s built up a following and fan base as a result is an understatement, as several in the crowd were dressed eclectically, and jockeyed for space up front, to get a closer view of DiRusso and band, who were all playing together publicly for the first time as well.

[ Continue Reading Annie DiRusso at Bottleneck ]

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Annie DiRusso

The rising Nashville indie artist has just released her debut album Super Pedestrian. DiRusso says of her debut, “a lot of the album is .…

When you attend a single show, it is easy to simply focus on that one moment in time. But when you stop and back out, it can be a lot of fun to see all of the connections that are being made in this live music circuit that we love. Certainly, there is the overall tour an artist or band is making; which cities and venues, in what order, and how they change across tours. But there’s also all of the intersections between bands and venues that are all happening in tandem. On a rainy weekend night in Minneapolis, Annie DiRusso helped build some new connections (some which will be noted below) with her stop at Fine Line.

Daffo opened the evening. Daffo is the band name for Brooklyn-based artist Gabi Gamberg. Gamberg, a classically trained violinist, has had music available since at least 2021, but with the release of 2023’s EP Pest, they have been very busy gigging, with stints this summer opening for DiRusso and soon for Blondshell (who, connection #1, will be performing at Fine Line in just a few days).

Daffo self described their music as “garage folk” and that isn’t a bad descriptor at all. Pest has a lot of those lo-fi elements, but sonically, it has that indie folk vibe. Coming out as a quartet (dual guitars, bass, and drums). The opening song leaned into that folk sound, with Daffo’s vocals are in the Big Thief neighborhood. The second song, Absence Makes the Heart Grow, started with some heavier feedback and was a much more upbeat rock song. The band was moving around stage and was all smiles.

Complete Circle was another change of direction, and seemed to be the theme of the set. Between songs, Gamberg asked everyone to bark like a dog, which led to the song Go Fetch, which had a great intro guitar lick. A bit of a coughing spell for Gamberg during the quieter intro of Collector could have been awkward, but made for a supportive crowd response. The backing vocals from bassist Sam Cronin on that one added a nice depth. Some nice guitar solos in this section of the set got the audience cheering.

Habit, a new song about to be released, was a noisier one, with a lot more crashing cymbals and jangly guitars. Poor Madeline had an ask for the audience to sing along, with a fair number taking them up on it. An introduction of the band led to the song Seed, which had a long outro, with the band in full rock mode. Ending with the very folky The Experiment, which included harmonica solo, was a silly and fun ending for Daffo, who then headed back to the merch table.

I spoke with Gamberg after the show and, with the upcoming switch of bands they will be opening for, asked if the headliner makes any difference in how they approach their set, or what they are trying to accomplish. They said that while the headlining band can make things more comfortable, it doesn’t really affect what Daffo is trying to do. Gamberg noted they were a little nervous coming up to Blondshell, as they would be some of the biggest venues Daffo has ever played in. Asked about what else is upcoming, Gamberg mentioned there is more music, such as Habit being released soon and that they will be opening for the band Wednesday in the fall.

Annie DiRusso was up next and would be arriving to the stage to a pretty pumped audience. DiRusso is a New York born artist now residing in Nashville, playing a very indie rock sound. We last saw DiRusso at the end of March in Lawrence, KS for the kick off of this Back In Town tour and have a thorough review of that show. The opener there was Raffaella, who, connection #2, is a fellow New Yorker who has also relocated, but to, connection #3, the Twin Cities.

Samia at First Ave (June 6, 2025)

As noted in our Lawrence review, DiRusso has taken off in popularity, having been opening for artists like Samia, connection #4, we reviewed Samia’s show from yesterday at First Ave. Also, connection #5, Samia is friends with, and guest sang on, a Raffaella song. DiRusso is now headlining her own tours and has released her debut full length album, Super Pedestrian, just prior to the start of the tour. The rest of the band (bass/keys, guitar, and drums) started things off with a snippet from the song Derek Jeter, which then brought DiRusso to the stage. After the briefest of technical glitches, they got going with Ovid, with the entire front of the house singing along. DiRusso, on vocals and guitar, had a cool nearly guttural chanting to close out the song. A change of guitar also got us a “Hey, Minneapolis”, and again, the crowd went completely nuts.

Legs had a good use of backup vocals to make a nearly echoed effect. DiRusso mentioned that she was happy to be back in Minneapolis for the second time, before quickly backtracking and saying it was actually her third time. An amusing and ever lengthening anecdote during a tuning led invariably to the song Good Ass Movie. DiRusso has certainly tagged into her target audience (the very early 20’s), as the name-dropped films were all circa 2010. A solid bass riff was a great foundation for the next number, with a long and rollicking close.

9 Months, DiRusso’s earliest breakthrough song (written when “I was 20 or 21”) felt very comfortable for the band. Another change over of guitar got a brighter sound for Leo, and at one point had DiRusso singing on two microphones for a distorted/distant echo effect. At several moments in the set, you could hear a little of that Nashville indie influence on the songs, which provided a little variation on some of the newer work in Super Pedestrian. I enjoyed the triple harmonies and guitar work on Hybrid, which might have been the highlight of the evening. DiRusso worked the 10,000 Lakes angle into the set up for Wet, and in lesser hands might have fell completely flat, but came off mostly ok here.

Some more reverb on vocals and guitars had the crowd in more of a head banging mode than some of the more euphoric dancing from earlier. The very Americana sounding Wearing Pants Again had some steel guitar effect and back up vocals from the drummer. One of the crew (Lily, “a Minneapolis native”) who had come on with a guitar suddenly became a fifth musician for Back in Town and was a pretty unique moment. Heading into the final section of the set, we got a brand new song written on an off day during the tour. Emerson got a great audience response and was well placed to drive to the end of the evening. The non-encore encore, It’s Good To Be Hot In The Summer was a good slow close to the show and DiRusso and band were off to make the next set of connections.

Daffo

Annie DiRusso	Annie DiRusso
Annie DiRusso	Annie DiRusso

Annie DiRusso

Annie DiRusso at Fine Line (June 7, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:05 AM in Annie DiRusso, Big Thief, Blondshell, Daffo, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, Raffaella, Samia, Thaddeus, Wednesday | Permalink | Comments (0)

Samia at First Avenue, Minneapolis (Jun 6, 2025)

Samia at First Avenue (Jun 6, 2025)

Samia Setlist

Triptych
Dare
Fair Game
Sacred
Bovine Excision
Proof
Carousel
Hole in a Frame
Big Wheel
Kill Her Freak Out
Spine Oil
Craziest Person
Lizard
North Poles
Fit N Full
Pants

-- Encore --
Pool
Is There Something in the Movies?
Honey

Raffaella Setlist

drama queen.
Man of Your Dreams
43
Bone
Courtney
GROWN UP
BUICK
Polly Pocket
BLONDE
Queensland

Tour Dates

09-08 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

09-09 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn

09-11 - Dallas, TX - Echo Lounge & Music Hall

09-12 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn

09-13 - Houston, TX - T Heights Theater

09-16 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom

09-17 - San Diego, CA - Music Box

09-19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

09-20 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

09-22 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

09-23 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre

09-24 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre

09-26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell

09-27 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre

09-29 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room

09-30 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall

10-01 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl

Read More

Samia

Samia took no time engaging the crowd as she led off with “Kill Her Freak Out” from her sophomore album, Honey. The audience responded a standing ovation of screams …

Raffaella

We saw Raffaella in Sep 2019 and wrote, “New York’s Raffaella (with live backing band bassist Charlie and drummer Alonso) opened up the show with a very brief 30-min …

First Ave was the venue for three local bands playing a sold-out, all-ages show to a devoted audience. Doors were 6:30 and the opening act, Ava Levy, was kicking things off at 6:45. Apparently there was a line of kids around the block ready to go as doors opened, so with minimal ID checks the show started with a solid crowd. I wouldn’t know for sure because when I got there at 6:43 I had to wait in line for will call and didn’t get inside until Ava had played a few songs. Note to self: be early for all-ages shows if I want to catch all of the opening act.

Luckily, I was able to catch ~4 songs from Ava, a Twin Cities singer-songwriter who has been performing on stage with her dad, Adam, since she was in her teens. Her comfort with the stage was obvious. She was on stage at First Ave playing to a full (not sold-out level, yet) crowd, and holding her own. She brought a collaborator and great friend up on stage and the two of them sang a lovely song while goofing around with dance moves and fake fighting. I’m certainly glad I was able to see what I saw. I’ll make sure to get there early next time.

Up next, Raffaella! The New York-raised artist who has made Minneapolis home since early 2020 thanks to now-fiancée Jake Luppen of Minneapolis-based Hippo Campus (a play on everyone’s favorite brain structure, the hippocampus, named because it looks like a sea horse or hippocampus in Latin). Rafaella has stage presence and played a ten-song set, which had the crowd energized. She was charming in her “stream of conscious” banter with the audience as well as her ability to bust a move. My guess is that she was a ballerina at some point.

The set was half unreleased songs and half off of her debut two-part EP Live, Raff, Love, which she co-wrote and produced with Jake. The audience was able to sing along with all of the songs, so clearly knew her work. One of the highlights was “Courtney”, which she said is about Courtney Love but also just friends she knows who are strong. “Polly Pocket” and “Blonde”, a single off of the EP, were crowd favorites with big reactions. It’s great to see Raffaella so nicely settled into the Minneapolis music scene.

As Samia’s set started, her band took to the stage first. I had a photo pass for the show, which allows me to be in “the pit” directly in front of the stage for the first three songs; it was so fun to be two feet from Samia as she came on stage and to see the genuine joy on her face as she took in the love from the sold-out show. She had one of those authentic smiles that lit up her entire being. For me, that in and of itself, made the show and it hadn’t even really started.

The first song was Triptych” off of her debut album, The Baby, released in 2020 (see playlist to the right for full list). “Fair Game” off of Bloodless had Samia moving around the stage and dancing to the rhythm of the guitar and the beat of the drum. She knows that she is the spotlight of the show and used that to highlight her bandmates by almost snuggling (see picture below) with each of them in turn throughout the show. I think this was in lieu of actual introductions and was sweet, demonstrating, I think, her affection for each of them. I could be completely wrong about that but that’s what I’m choosing to believe.

“Bovine Excision” and “Carousel” are two of my favorites and clearly crowd favorites as well with the latter demonstrating her flexibility and core strength as she went from kneeling to laying back on the stage with her knees beneath her and back up without using her hands. I felt my quads tearing just typing that. Maybe my favorite song by Samia is “Spine Oil”, which has a great hook, a high energy drum beat and beautiful chorus. It’s interesting to me that this song was described as one of her weaker efforts by one reviewer when I find such an emotional connection to it. There are many ways to evaluate music.

“Craziest Person” is a fun, quick song where Samia sat while singing and “North Poles” had the crowd singling along. “Pants” coming in around seven minutes was the final song before the encore. The highlight of the three-song encore was undoubtedly “Honey”, which had seemingly everyone associated with the show up on stage singing and bouncing along (see the blurry picture below) while the crowd sang along. I think the world could use more experiences like this.