W♥M

Something for the Weekend: World Music Day

What’s happening this weekend.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Fête de la Musique at Utepils Brewery (June 21, 2025) Read More Bastille Day Minnesotans have an odd way of celebrating Bastille Day. The French National Day, commemorated to celebrate the 18th century storming of the Paris fortress-prison is celebrated .…

June 21, 2025 Saturday
Fête de la Musique
at Utepils Brewery
afmsp.org

Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) is back in 2025, thanks to Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul (AFMSP). Each year, France, and other parts of the world, celebrate their World Music Day on the longest day of the year.

So join AFMSP as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary at the Utepils Brewery.

Bands on the lineup:

Said Abdelli
His bio lists “grew up in Paris, vacationed in Spain as a kid, and lives in Minneapolis.”

Greenvale Manitou (aka Cedric)
Fuses World music with popular Western genre.

Chico Chavez
The 10-piece Chico Chavez Orchestra features Cumbia Afro-indigenous Tropical music from throughout Latin America, and Peruvian psychedelic Cumbia Chicha. Created and directed by Master percussionist-drummer Chico Chavez from Lima, Peru

Bastille Day, Minneapolis (July 14, 2025)

July 14, 2025 Monday
Bastille Day
at Alliance Française
afmsp.org

Also worth noting is that AFMSP is putting together Bastille Day on July 14th, 2025. This National Holiday celebrates the spark of the French revolution at Bastille prison. The event will take place at Alliance Française headquarter.

Live music includes:

The Francine Roche Trio (vocals by Francine Roche, Mark Stillman on accordion, and Jim Price on violin)

Siengkane Lao MN (collective of Lao refugees and immigrants residing in the USA)

Ye Ye Pow (inspired by ye-ye music, features Stephanie Winter of Mere Kats, Terry Isaacsen of Flamin Ohs, Paul McFarland of Run Westy Run, and Steve Kent of Kinda Kinky)

If music isn’t your thing, you can also register to race as a waiter (while carrying a plate of food) on their “Course de Garçons de Café”! Sounds like a lot of fun to watch.

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

MJ Lenderman and The Wind at The Truman, Kansas City MO (16 June 2025)

MJ LENDERMAN SETLIST Rudolph Inappropriate Toontown Rip Torn SUV Joker Lips Wristwatch Dancing in the Club (This Is Lorelei cover) Manning Fireworks On My Knees Bark at the Moon I Ate Too Much at the Fair She's Leaving You You Have Bought Yourself a Boat TLC Cage Match You Are Every Girl to Me You Don't Know the Shape I'm In Pianos Encore: Lotta Love (Neil Young cover) Hangover Game Knockin' COLIN MILLER SETLIST Birdhouse Porchlight Cadillac 4 Wheeler Little Devil Lost Again Hasbeen I Need a Friend Thunder Road MJ LENDERMAN TOUR DATES Jun 18 The Salt Shed Chicago, IL Jun 20 Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH Jun 21 Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards LaFayette, NY Jun 22 Green River Festival Greenfield, MA Jul 6 Calgary Stampede Calgary, AB Jul 23 Durham Performing Arts Center Durham, NC Jul 25 Newport Folk Festival Newport, RI Aug 4 ARCHA+ Prague, Czech Republic Aug 5 Columbia Theater Berlin, Germany Aug 6-9 Øya Festival Oslo, Norway Aug 9 Syd for Solen Copenhagen, Denmark Aug 13-16 Parades de Coura Festival Coura, Portugal Aug 15 Roundhouse London, England Aug 16 Green Man Festival Crickhowell, Wales Aug 19 Noorderzon Festival Groningen, Netherlands Aug 20 Paradiso Noord Amsterdam, Netherlands Aug 21 Paradiso Noord Amsterdam, Netherlands Aug 23 Canela Party Málaga, Andalusia Sep 3 The Mission Ballroom Denver, CO Sep 5 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK Sep 6 Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall Fort Worth, TX Sep 8 The Van Buren Phoenix, AZ Sep 9 Humphreys Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA Sep 11 Shrine Expo Hall Los Angeles, CA Sep 12 Fox Theater Oakland, CA Sep 13 Gundlach Bundschu Winery Sonoma, CA Sep 15 Revolution Hall Portland, OR Sep 16 Revolution Hall Portland, OR Sep 18 The Moore Theatre Seattle, WA Sep 19 Malkin Bowl Vancouver, BC Oct 3-12 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, TX Oct 12 ShoalsFest, McFarland Park Florence, AL Oct 14 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Oct 15 Asheville Yards Amphitheater Asheville, NC Oct 16 Gather No Moss at Kings Theatre Brooklyn, NY Read More MJ Lenderman MJ Lenderman and his band opened the evening sounding at times like younger relatives to Son Volt, but a little grungier and even more laid back. He started off with a slow dirge of a song that kept building in “No Mercy” …

Show Report forthcoming!

North Carolina native MJ Lenderman and his band, The Wind, have extended their 2025 North American Tour into September including a return trip to the area. So, second chances can come true if you missed them in Lawrence earlier in the year, in a show that was long sold out (or just need to see them again, which we get).

Last year was huge for Lenderman as he released his critically acclaimed Manning Fireworks LP. The nine-track collection was among many Best Albums Of The Year lists and the ensemble features guitarist Jon Samuels, bassist Landon George, pianist Ethan Baechtold, drummer Colin Miller and Xandy Chelmis on dobro and fiddle. The new leg starts in Indianapolis on June 14, then plays St. Louis before hitting KC. Drummer Miller opens with some new music of his own, so arrive early.

One of the hottest current club tours, previous member of the band Wednesday (though still planning to record with them) MJ Lenderman has expanded his Manning Fireworks Tour to include more dates and at bigger venues, due to popular demand. We caught them live last fall in Minneapolis.

Lenderman had to postpone the first three dates of the autumn leg due to Hurricane Helene’s impact on western North Carolina, where most of his band mates and their families are based, but those were quickly rescheduled. Lenderman did contribute a song to Cardinals at the Window, a 136-song compilation featuring previously unreleased recordings by R.E.M., Waxahatchee, Sharon Van Etten, the Mountain Goats, Real Estate, and dozens more, which benefits Hurricane Helene victims in NC.

He also worked on the recent Waxahatchee album, which has some local ties, and appeared with aka Katie Crutchfield on some TV appearances. 

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

MJ LENDERMAN AND THE WIND at The Truman, Kansas City MO (2025-06-16)

MJ LENDERMAN AND THE WIND at The Truman, Kansas City MO (2025-06-16)

MJ LENDERMAN AND THE WIND at The Truman, Kansas City MO (2025-06-16)

COLIN MILLER at The Truman, Kansas City MO (2025-06-16)

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

Mpls: July 15 to July 20, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo at Palace Theatre (July 15, 2025) Read More Built to Spill Legendary indie rockers Built to Spill will play the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA on September 24, 2016. Built to Spill’s most recent album, Untethered Moon .… Yo La Tengo Hoboken rock trio Yo La Tengo (“I have it”) is touring in support of their sixteenth studio album This Stupid World (Matador Records). For the first time, Yo La Tengo ...

July 15, 2025 Tuesday
Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo are on a co-headlining tour, stopping by the Palace Theatre in St Paul, on July 15, 2025.

Built to Spill at Georgia Theatre (24 Sep 2016)

We saw Built to Spill in Sep 2016 and wrote, “Built to Spill began their show, somewhat ironically, with Stop the Show from 1997’s Perfect From Now On. It was a great way to start, building up from a lulling melody into a spacy guitar frenzy. They saved The First Song for a bit later. The band performed as a three piece, leaving all guitar duties in Doug Martsch’s hands. And one thing is certain; the man plays a mean guitar. His tremolo hangs loose as he tears up and down the fretboard while making liberal use of a wah pedal and an Echoplex delay machine.”

Yo La Tengo at First Ave (26 March 2023)

We saw Yo La Tengo in Mar 2023 and noted, “Based out of Hoboken, NY, Yo La Tengo was formed in 1984 by the husband and wife team of Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. After a run of bassists, James McNew joined in 1992 and stayed. Why isn’t Yo La Tengo a salsa dance band? Funny story! The origin of the band’s name comes from a 1962 baseball incident where two New York Mets players ran into each other on a fly ball for Venezuelan shortstop, Elio Chacón, had no idea what centerfielder, Riche Ashburn, was saying when he shouted: “I got it.” (“Yo la tengo.”)”

NOTE: There is a strict 4 ticket limit. Any attempt to exceed the ticket limit of 4 per customer or household, or to game the system in any way, will result in cancellation of orders without notice. There is a transfer delay for all tickets up to ONE MONTH prior to the show.

Yo La Tengo Tour Dates:

7/10 Atlanta, GA The Eastern

7/11 Nashville, TN Ryman

712 St. Louis, MO The Pageant

7/13 Chicago, IL The Salt

7/15 St. Paul, MN Palace Theatre

7/16 Milwaukee, WI The Pabst Theater

7/17 Fishers, IN Nickel Plate Amphitheater

7/18 Louisville, KY Iroquois Amphitheater

9/14 Carnation, WA Psychic Salamander festival

10/30 Lima, Peru CCB

11/4 Montevideo, Uruguay Sala del Museo

11/9 São Paulo, Brazil Balaclava Fest

Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Marshall Tucker Band at Treasure Island (July 19, 2025) Read More Jefferson Starship Jefferson Starship is one of the most successful groups of the 1970s and 80’s, and continues to tour today with original member David Freiberg, drummer Donny Baldwin.…

July 19, 2025 Saturday
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
and The Marshall Tucker Band
with Jefferson Starship
at Treasure Island
ticasino.com

I was recently at a Home Depot, in Jacksonville, when Bachman–Turner Overdrive’s classic song “Takin’ Care of Business” came on the airwaves at the home improvement store. A young dude in the other aisle was absolutely singing along, finishing that line, “Takin’ care of business - EVERYDAY!” This story is to illustrate what a great song it was that dominated the US Top 40 charts in the ‘70s… and carrying itself well into 2025, that a new generation is loving the infection song.

It looks like the Canadian rock group will be playing Treasure Island Casino, in Welch, Minnesota, on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

Co-headlining the event will be southern rock pioneers The Marshall Tucker Band, famous for “Can't You See” and “Heard it in a Love Song”.

Support will be from Jefferson Starship. Don’t confuse the band with the original Jefferson Airplane or the evolution/breakoff Starship (famous for “Sara” and “We Built This City”). Still, if you’ve seen one of these Jefferson-related bands, I think you can mark them all off on your Bingo card.

Summer US Tour Dates with The Marshall Tucker Band and Jefferson Starship:

July 18 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove

July 19 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Casino

July 20 – Fargo, ND – Scheels Arena

July 22 – Interlochen, MI – Kresge Auditorium

July 24 – Appleton, WI – Neuroscience Group Field

July 25 – Terre Haute, IN – The Mill Terre Haute

July 26 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center

August 1 – El Reno, OK – Lucky Star Casino

August 3 – Amarillo, TX – Amarillo Civic Center Complex #

# Outlaws replacing Jefferson Starship as special guest

Summer US Tour Dates - BTO only:

July 28 – Bloomington, IL – Bloomington Center For The Performing Art

July 29 – Elk Grove Village, IL – The Village Green at the Charles Zettek Municipal Complex

July 31 – Jefferson City, MO – MU Health Care Capital Region Amphitheater

August 15 – Wendover, NV – Peppermill Casino

August 16 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar PAC

August 18 – Boise, ID – Western Idaho Fair

August 21 – Pala, CA – Pala Casino

August 22 – Ft. McDowell, AZ – We-Ko-Pa Casino

August 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Legends Theater at Route 66 Casino

August 26 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theater

August 27 – Park City, KS – Park City Arena

August 28 – Tulsa, OK – The Cove at River Spirit

August 30 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena

August 31 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Paramount Theater

September 17 – Puyallup, WA – Washington State Fair

September 19 – Grand Ronde, OR – Spirit Mountain Casino

September 20 – Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino

Murder by Death at First Avenue (July 19, 2025) Read More Murder by Death Named after the 1976 film, Murder by Death will be playing the Cedar Cultural Center on October 5th. The Indiana band’s latest The Other Shore (Bloodshot Records) …

July 19, 2025 Saturday
Murder by Death
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Murder by Death is on their farewell tour, stopping by First Avenue, on July 19, 2025, for the very last time. Come out to say goodbye and check out their 10th and final album Egg & Dart.

Murder by Death at Fine Line (Nov 11, 2016)

We saw Murder by Death in Nov 2016 and said, “When I first heard the band name, Murder by Death, I was sure it was going to be some sort of extreme metal but when I sat down and listened to them, I was completely caught off guard. At first I didn't like it because it wasn't at all what I was expecting but it quickly grew on me and now I look forward to every chance I get to see these guys live. Murder By Death's music could be classified as indie-rock, alt-country, rock, punk... hell, it can be whatever you want to be because it is truly that diverse and that unique. Adam Turla, the singer, has a voice that makes the music lean more towards the country side of things but the talented band he has behind him make it so he doesn't pigeon hole the band as a country band. The lyrics about whiskey and devil fit Adam's raspy, yet clean, voice perfectly.”

Tour dates:

Jun-19 — Newport, KY — Southgate House *

Jun-20 — Detroit, MI — St. Andrew's Hall *

Jun-21 — Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Hall *

Jun-22 — Montreal, QC — Le Studio TD *

Jun-23 — Woodstock, NY — Bearsville Theater *

Jun-25 — Norwalk CT — District Music Hall *

Jun-26 — Portland, ME — State Theatre *

Jun-27 — Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club *

Jun-28 — Brooklyn, NY — Warsaw *

Jun-29 — Asbury Park, NJ — Asbury Lanes *

Jul-01 — Cleveland Heights, OH — Grog Shop *

Jul-02 — Cleveland Heights, OH — Grog Shop *

Jul-04 — Pelham, TN — The Caverns !

Jul-05 — Pelham, TN — The Caverns *

Jul-09 — Millersville, PA — Phantom Power *

Jul-10 — Baltimore, MD — Union Craft Brewing *

Jul-11 — Washington, DC — Black Cat *

Jul-12 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer *

Jul-13 — Pittsburgh, PA — Mr. Smalls *

Jul-15 — Grand Rapids, MI — The Pyramid Scheme *

Jul-16 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall *

Jul-17 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall *

Jul-18 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee *

Jul-19 — Minneapolis, MN — First Avenue

Jul-20 — Maquoketa, IA — Codfish Hollow Barnstormers *

Jul-26 — Louisville, KY — TBA Festival

Aug-21 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre *

Aug-22 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre *

Aug-23 – Fr. Collins, CO – Tour de Fat

Sep-21 — Atlanta, GA — Shaky Knees

Sep-27 — London, UK — Islington Hall

Oct-15 — St. Louis, MO — Delmar Hall ^

Oct-16 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall ^

Oct-17 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre !

Oct-18 — Aspen, CO — Belly Up !

Oct-19 — Salt Lake City, UT — Depot !

Oct-20 — Boise, ID — Treefort Music Hall !

Oct-22 – Bellingham, WA - Mount Baker Theatre !

Oct-23 — Seattle, WA — The Crocodile $

Oct-24 — Seattle, WA — The Crocodile !

Oct-25 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall !

Oct-26 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall $

Oct-28 — Berkeley, CA — UC Theatre !

Oct-29 — Los Angeles, CA — Belasco Theatre !

Oct-30 — Solana Beach, CA — Belly Up !

Oct-31 — Pioneertown, CA — Pappy & Harriet's !

Nov-01 — Phoenix, AZ — Van Buren !

Nov-02 — Santa Fe, NM — Tumbleroot !

Nov-05 — Dallas, TX — The Kessler Theater !

Nov-06 — Austin, TX — Mohawk !

Nov-07 — Austin, TX — Mohawk !

Nov-08 — Houston, TX — Heights Theater !

Nov-10 — Tampa, FL — The Orpheum

Nov-11 — Orlando, FL — The Social #

Nov-13 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm

Nov-14 — Asheville, NC — Grey Eagle#

Nov-15 — Louisville, KY — Old Forester's Paristown Hall #%

* w/ Laura Jane Grace
^ w/ William Elliott Whitmore
! w/ AJJ
$ w/ Shawn James
# w/ BJ Barham
% w/ J Roddy Walston

Sam Barber at First Avenue (July 20, 2025) Read More Sam Barber Southern Missouri-based Sam Barber is currently on tour, stopping by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on April 12, 2024. The RIAA Gold-certified singer-songwriter recently ….

July 20, 2025 Sunday
Sam Barber
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

RIAA 2X PLATINUM-certified singer/songwriter Sam Barber is currently on tour… stopping by First Avenue on July 20th, 2025.

Tour Dates:

06/13 | Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall

06/14 | Cape Giradeau, MO - Freedom Fest #

06/19 | Lewisburg, WV - Wild Trails Festival #

06/20 | Wildwood, NJ - Barefoot Country Music Fest #

06/21 | Norfolk, VA - The NorVa

07/10 | Columbus, OH - KEMBA Live!

07/11 | Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE

07/12 | Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre

07/13 | Chicago, IL - Windy City Smokeout #

07/17 | St. Louis, MO - The Factory

07/18 | Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom

07/19 | O'Neill, NE - Summerfest Celebration #

07/20 | Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

07/23 | Columbia, MO - 9th Street Public House

07/24 | Kansas City, MO - The Midland Theatre

07/26 | Fargo, ND - UP District Festival Field

08/07 | Boise, ID - Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden

08/08 | Spokane, WA - Gesa Credit Union Pavilion

08/09 | Tacoma, WA - Dune Peninsula

08/11 | Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

08/15 | Forest Grove, OR - Grand Lodge

08/16 | Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre

08/18 | Sacramento, CA - Channel 24

08/20 | San Francisco, CA - The Warfield

08/22 | Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

08/23 | San Diego, CA - Humphrey's Concerts By the Bay

08/27 | Flagstaff, AZ - Pepsi Amphitheater

08/28 | Santa Fe, NM - The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing

08/29 | Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom

09/05 | Hutchinson, KS - Kansas State Fair # ~

09/06 | Stillwater, OK - Tumbleweed Dance Hall

09/13 | Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall

10/12 | Salt Lake City, UT - RedWest Fest #

10/31 | Asheville, NC - Asheville Yards

11/01 | Raleigh, NC - The Ritz

11/05 | New York, NY - Webster Hall

11/06 | New York, NY - Webster Hall

11/07 | Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall

11/08 | Boston, MA – Roadrunner

11/19 | Atlanta, GA - The Eastern

11/20 | Atlanta, GA - The Eastern

11/21 | St. Petersburg, FL - St. Pete Fest #

11/22 | Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live

12/03 | Las Vegas, NV - The Theater at Virgin Hotels

12/05 | Fort Worth, TX - Billy Bob's Texas

# festival date
^ support from Waylon Wyatt and Noah Rinker
~ special guest Avery Anna

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

TekTok: Portable Air Conditioner

Haier 9,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner Pro Remote Off Timer Adjustable Louvers Adj. Temperature Auto-Evaporation Con Noisy Exhaust Hose Not really portable Very Large Discontinued Read More Jacksonville Playing their first Jacksonville show. Despite being from Texas, the band admitted, “Ain’t gonna lie, it’s hot down here” referring to the scorching 96° F heat..…

It’s my first time experiencing summer in Florida, and I can tell you that I am not used to this weather. It gets really hot here, regularly in the mid-90s. June is the worst so far.

At first, I thought I could just tough it out, armed with only a 20-inch fan. I found myself showering two or three times a day, and as soon as I step out of the shower, I’m instantly dry due the fan blowing hot air.

Just to give you an idea of how hot it gets; my iPhone regularly overheats. I had to get a small fan to blow on it to help cool it down, especially when it’s charging (it gets so hot that the phone won’t charge above 80%).

I really didn’t have any choice in the matter, I had to buy an Air Conditioner. I don’t really have a window, so getting a window unit was out of the question. My option was cut down to a Portable Air Conditioner or an Ice Air Cooler. The Ice Cooler did not sound appealing, because you constantly need to feed it ice for it to properly work… however, on the bright side, you always have ice to keep your drinks cool.

I ended up buying a discounted Haier 9,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner for about $200 at Ollie’s (my favorite store). I believe all the units at Ollie’s were actually refurbished, as this particular model is long discontinued.

This is probably one of the best things I’ve ever bought. I can now spend time (and able to sleep) in my room, thanks to the constant cooling. It’s much more effective than a window unit, since you can roll it next to you and take advantage of the blasting cool air.

Since buying it, I’ve had it running all the time. The temperature can be adjustable for comfort. The lowest setting you can go is 61° F, which is pretty cool, especially if you’re sitting right next to it.

All air conditioners will accumulate water (sucking the moisture out of the air in the room)… so this unit has ‘auto-evaporation’, which, if working, means that you do not need to drain it when it gets full. However, on the first few days, I had to dump out the water as the AC’s evaporation system didn’t work quite as fast.

With a standard television, the ‘Sleep’ option means that the set will turn off after an hour. The Haier Air Conditione’s Sleep option does not work the same way. Instead if you use Sleep, it will gradually heat up the room … which makes no sense to me (I sleep better when it’s colder). What you want to use is called Timer. You can set it in one-hour increments, it will automatically turn off after the specified hour.

This model also comes with a Remote Controller, which requires two triple A batteries… which I didn’t have on hand, so I have never used the remote. The AC is constantly near me, so it’s really not a problem just reaching over and changing the settings. My bed is not near the A/C, so I can see how the remote can be useful in that situation.

Standing at 27 inches high and weighing in at 50 pounds, this Haier 9,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner is anything but Portable… yet, it’s widely accepted that this really is as portable as an Air Conditioner can get. It does come with wheels, so moving it around is not as bad as you might think. The only problem is the exhaust hose that is attached to the unit. Due to the nature of these things, it needs to expels the heat, so you will need a window or an external vent. Otherwise, the heat will just be circulated back into the room, negating any cooling.

Read more Technology.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Sunflower Bean at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (June 17, 2025)

Sunflower Bean at 7th Street Entry (Jun 17, 2025) Sunflower Bean Setlist Champagne Taste Lucky Number Teach Me to Be Bad Who Put You Up to This? Look What You’ve Done to Me Easier Said Somebody Call a Doctor 22 I Knew Love Take Out Your Insides Sunshine Nothing Romantic -- Encore -- Shake Tour Dates 6/19 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village 6/20 - Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records 6/21 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison Previously: Sunflower Bean at Fine Line Sunflower Bean at Fine Line (May 21, 2022) Let me tell you about Sunflower Bean’s first Minnesota show at Turf Club (14 Oct 2015). Seven years ago, the audience were simply blown away at Sunflower Bean’s sugar sweet shoegazing songs. We witness so many fans coming up to the band and buying their album and telling them how great they were. Some of those fans were at the Fine Line show. It seems like perhaps the band has grown, their upcoming album Headful of Sugar is leaning towards indie rock. Singer and bassist Julia Cumming seems more outgoing and confident on stage. To be fair, we said the same thing when we saw them in April 2016: “Now seasoned with a year of touring. And it shows. The trio (Jacob Faber, Julia Cumming, and Nick Kivlen) seemed completely at eased on stage, with Cumming looking and sounding more confident than their previous appearance. Even their music is a lot more upbeat (and possibly even aggressive), playing almost everything on their debut album... and especially when they announced they were playing some new (unrecorded) songs.” [ Continue Reading Sunflower Bean at Fine Line ] Read More Sunflower Bean New York trio Sunflower Bean (vocalist and bassist Julia Cumming, guitarist and vocalist Nick Kivlen, and drummer Olive Faber) headlined the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis ..…

After a very pleasant dinner with work colleagues, I got a slightly late start to head over to the show. And while I was at no risk of being late for seeing Sunflower Bean, I found myself completely locked in on getting over to the 7th Street Entry to get prepared for the evening.

First up was GIFT, a psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Their debut album, Momentary Presence, was released in 2022. Getting started a little late, we had a bit of introductory banter where we were told it was the band’s first time in Minneapolis. The quintet (guitar/vocals, electronic music/guitar/backup vocals, bass/backup vocals, guitar/keyboard, and drums) came out loud with that spacey sound in vocals and with the various electronic sounds. After a request from the bassist, the lights dropped very low for the second song, before edging back up to a more visible level. The tenor sound of the lead vocalist, paired with the soprano backup vocals gave a good contrast to the heavy underlying bass.

GIFT followed up with their first significantly longer song (basically a requisite of the psych rock label), with all three singers giving a repeated set of lyrics with the instruments building up. A story that a song that they weren’t playing on this tour had been requested a lot resulted in that song being played with Olive Faber of the headliner joining them on tambourine. This was another longer number, with a long solo for the keyboardist and some heavily distorted vocals. A long intro with all three guitars on one of the last songs was an excellently brooding entrance and a pretty great number for the band. GIFT got back to a louder and faster tempo song, though still with heavy distortion. They closed out with a distorted autotune, which made for an interesting effect. Jumping around the stage, GIFT finished up strong and at their very loudest.

Headline Sunflower Bean, also from New York City, was up next. The indie alt band has been at it for over a decade and their newest album, Mortal Primetime came out in April 2025. The trio (Julia Cumming on bass/vocals, Olive Faber on drums, and Nick Kivlen on guitar/backup vocals) started with the fantastic Champagne Taste. Cumming had a fan directed at her face, allowing her hair and flowing black blouse to be a central visual throughout. The next number had a bit of a Black Sabbath feel, particularly with Kivlen’s backing vocals. Teach Me to Be Bad had a lively guitar solo and was straight alt rock.

Sunflower Bean had a laid-back on-stage demeanor that belied how hard they were rocking their set. I don’t know if Cumming’s experience as a fashion model plays a role, but she exuded a calm and composed mood. Look What You’ve Done to Me was a busy lyrical song, that also included some recorded piano, giving an additional layer. Easier Said gave Faber a highlight on drums, and a chance for the crowd to sing along on the chorus, as well as a long exiting guitar and bass work to close it out. 22 was a plaintive sounding song, with Cumming giving it her all, belting out the lyrics near the end. In a bit of banter, Cumming noted that she had a lot of family in the area (which maybe explained the very small child in the audience?), and how happy the band was to be in the Midwest in the summer.

Noting they had just a few songs left, there was a joke about blaming your shoes for the shoegaze (and it was a sizable pedal board). But Kivlen then noted he actually had a pedal that really was difficult to turn on, but thankfully, it all went according to plan. Nothing Romantic had a serious throw back classic rock feel and was a great choice to end the main set on. Coming back for the encore, Sunflower Bean played Shake to close things out, with Cumming asking “Minneapolis, for the love of god, make some noise”, to which the crowd happily did as the band exited the stage.

GIFT GIFT

GIFT

GIFT

Sunflower Bean

Sunflower Bean (Drum Head) Sunflower Bean (Olive Faber)

Sunflower Bean (Julia Cumming) Sunflower Bean (Nick Kivlen)

Sunflower Bean at 7th Street Entry (June 17, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

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

Mozart’s Prague Symphony with Gábor Takács-Nagy at Ordway Concert Hall (June 13-15, 2025) Program Order Geoffrey Gordon : Gotham News (15 min) Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) (7 min) Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 1 (30 min) Lento Allegretto-Introduzione: Allegro Allegro vivace - Adagio - Tempo 1 -- INTERMISSION -- Geoffrey Gordon: Fumée (Smoke) for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (12 min) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Symphony No. 38, Prague (30 min) Adagio - Allegro Andante Finale: Presto Read More 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. ...

In their 2024-25 season finale, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra delighted the audience and received three standing ovations throughout the afternoon at the Ordway Concert Hall. Reunited with Gábor Takács-Nagy, it was clear to see the strong connection the orchestra has developed over the years with the Hungarian conductor.

Gotham News © 2023 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York An image of the 1955 painting Gotham News can be seen at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum’s website.

The US premiere of Gotham News by Geoffrey Gordon kicked off the program. The piece is a musical reimagining of the 1955 painting of the same name by artist Willem de Kooning which was based on mid-20th century New York City daily life. The piece began with a quiet but haunting melody that quickly gave way to a fear-inducing percussive sound effect created by the celli and basses snapping their bows against their instruments. A cautiously calm middle section desperately wanted to give hope to the audience by changing to a major key, but the music never got there. The piece ended with low notes in the bass section and intervals reminiscent of what might be expected walking down a dark alley.

Next on the program was the familiar Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel. In this calm and quiet work, the orchestra allowed the audience to relax by setting the scene of an airy French salon. The tempo started slowly and only increased slightly in the middle section before returning to the original largo. The French horns were featured and delivered a beautiful, crisp sound. The oboe and harp also had their moments to shine. At one point the gradual crescendo of the orchestra gave goosebumps.

The first half was rounded out by Takacs-Nagy's own orchestral arrangement of fellow Hungarian Bela Bartok’s String Quartet No 1. Prior to starting the piece, Takács-Nagy set the scene of Bartok’s life when composing the work. Bartok fell helplessly in love in 1927 only to be rejected shortly after. This piece reflected Bartok’s “love death”, as described by Takács-Nagy. The orchestra brought out the composer’s pain with their methodical and passionate interpretation. It was clear the musicians were in their groove throughout the technically demanding tempo changes and precise dynamics ranging from pianissimo to double forte across the three movements played without breaks. The audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation and one audience member shouted, “Absolutely amazing, thank you!”

The second half began with another US premiere of Geoffrey Gordon, Fumée (Smoke) for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra. Clarinet soloist Sang Yoon Kim demonstrated his mastery of the clarinet through rapid trills, impressive dynamic range, jumps from low notes to high notes and even a clarinet growl at one point. The orchestra also did their part with expert trumpet staccatos and the strings echoing clarinet solos. At the end of the piece, the audience jumped out of their seats for another standing ovation.

The concert ended with Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, Prague. The piece is signature Mozart style with a familiar, yet original, light and cheery melody that had several audience members bobbing their heads to the beat. It was clear the musicians were having just as much fun performing likely due to Takács-Nagy’s energetic conducting. At some particularly fervent moments, it seemed as if both of Takács-Nagy’s feet left the ground to bring out even more energy from musicians. His respect for the musicians was particularly highlighted when he gave a thumbs up to the oboe for coming in right on cue. The bassoons were also highlighted with several playful calls and responses with the strings. The audience gave a third standing ovation when the piece ended.

The orchestra brought a range of emotions out of the music played and finished the 2024-25 season finale leaving the audience excited for what is to come next season.

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

mattk ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Jax: July 14 to July 19, 2025

Read more Jacksonville.

Big Time Rush at Daily’s Place (July 15, 2025) Read More Big Time Rush Big Time Rush, T-Mobile Center. Since re-convening in 2021, they’re “Not Giving You Up” on their Forever Tour and the LA pop boy band has managed to retain as well as grow … Katelyn Tarver Acclaimed LA-based singer-songwriter Katelyn Tarver is on her “Compliments Only” tour. Her forthcoming sophomore album is coming out in early 2024… so she may be …

July 15, 2025 Tuesday
Big Time Rush
with Katelyn Tarver & Stephen Kramer Glickman
at Daily’s Place
dailysplace.com

Big Time Rush is stopping by Daily’s Place, on July 15, 2025, as part of their In Real Life Worldwide Tour.

Katelyn Tarver and Stephen Kramer Glickman to open.

Katelyn Tarver at 7th Street Entry (Oct 13, 2024)

We caught Tarver in Oct 2024 and wrote, “She actually had a pretty funny story about her time playing in Japan, at a maid café, which she turned into a song. I will let Tarver sum it up in her own words: “When I was a teenager, I had an album I was promoting, and it ended up taking me overseas to Japan to promote it. I performed at a bunch of gigs, but one in particular was at a maid cafe where they requested I wear a French maid outfit for the performance. The audience watched while sitting in school desks, and the sound system was a boombox with a microphone held up to the speaker. It’s become one of those stories I tell at parties about my weird life as a teenage wannabe popstar, and now it’s the inspiration behind my newest song Japanese Café… I used to be embarrassed about this time in my life, but writing this song helped me find a new appreciation for the girl in this picture.” Katelyn Tarver ended her set with the title track from her new album Quitter, available now on Nettwerk Records.”

Tour dates:

JUL 9 Coca-Cola Amphitheater Birmingham, AL

JUL 11 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN

JUL 12 Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Alpharetta, GA

JUL 13 MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Tampa, FL

JUL 15 Daily's Place Jacksonville, FL

JUL 16 PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte, NC

JUL 18 Coastal Credit Union Music Park At Walnut Creek Raleigh, NC

JUL 19 Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA

JUL 20 Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, VA

JUL 22 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ

JUL 23 Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY

JUL 25 Xfinity Center Mansfield, MA

JUL 26 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT

JUL 27 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion Gilford, NH

JUL 29 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH

JUL 30 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH

AUG 1 Hersheypark Stadium Hershey, PA

AUG 2 TD Pavilion at the Mann Philadelphia, PA

AUG 3 Broadview Stage at SPAC Saratoga Springs, NY

AUG 5 Darien Lake Amphitheater Darien Center, NY

AUG 6 Pine Knob Music Theatre Clarkston, MI

AUG 8 Xcel Energy Center Saint Paul, MN

AUG 9 American Family Insurance Amphitheater Milwaukee, WI

AUG 10 Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL

AUG 12 Ruoff Music Center Noblesville, IN

AUG 13 Starlight Theatre Kansas City, MO

AUG 15 Walmart AMP

AUG 16 Dos Equis Pavilion Dallas, TX

AUG 17 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman Houston, TX

AUG 19 Moody Center Austin, TX

AUG 20 The Zoo Amphitheatre Oklahoma City, OK

AUG 22 Isleta Amphitheater Albuquerque, NM

AUG 23 Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Phoenix, AZ

AUG 24 North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Chula Vista, CA

AUG 26 Intuit Dome Inglewood, CA

AUG 27 Toyota Pavilion at Concord Concord, CA

AUG 29 Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre West Valley City, UT

AUG 30 PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas, NV

Mates of State at Jack Rabbits (July 18, 2025) Read More Mates of State We're really excited to see Mates of State return to the Twin Cities next Wednesday, July 1st. We previously mentioned that the band starred and sang in the ...

July 18, 2025 Friday
Mates of State
with Toth
at Jack Rabbits
jaxlive.com

Mates of State are in their Somewhere tour, stopping by Jack Rabbits, in Jacksonville, on July 18, 2025.

Mates of State at Turf Club (July 1, 2015)

We saw Mates of State in July 2015 and wrote, “Mates of State's drummer/singer Jason Hammel's very big family (parents, cousins, sisters, grandparents, uncles, etc.) had shown up to show support on Wednesday. Hammel mentioned several times during their hour plus set, even dedicating "My Only Offer" to his grandfather/mother in the audience. Although there were plenty of Hammel families, there were also a large amount of fans who came out to hear some classic songs, as the duo had not been in Minneapolis since 2011, when they were touring for Mountaintops. Songs on their set were a good mix of best-known songs, such as "Palomino", "The Re-Arranger", and "Now" (which had the audience doing fancy footwork dancing).”

Toth to open.

Tour dates:

Jul 11 2025 The Wonder Bar - Asbury Park Asbury Park NJ

Jul 12 2025 Mates of State Ottobar Baltimore MD

Jul 15 2025 Richmond Music Hall Richmond VA

Jul 16 2025 Amos' Southend Charlotte NC

Jul 17 2025 Terminal West At King Plow Arts Center Atlanta GA

Jul 18 2025 Jack Rabbits - FL Jacksonville FL

Jul 19 2025 The Social - FL Orlando FL

Jul 22 2025 Chickie Wah Wah New Orleans LA

Jul 23 2025 White Oak Music Hall - Upstairs Houston TX

Jul 24 2025 Antone's Nightclub Austin TX

Jul 25 2025 Club Dada Dallas TX

Jul 26 2025 Beer City Music Hall Oklahoma City OK

Oct 3 2025 Madame Lou's Seattle WA

Oct 6 2025 August Hall San Francisco CA

Voodoo Room at House of Blues - San Diego San Diego CA

Oct 10 2025 Moroccan Lounge Los Angeles CA

Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns at Florida Theatre (July 19, 2025) Read More Dave Koz Dave Koz, July 15, Kauffman Center LA sax player Koz and his friends Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot and Mindi Abair turned to producer Paul Brown to help them realize the …

July 19, 2025 Saturday
Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns 2025
feat. Marcus Anderson, Jeff Bradshaw, Leo P and Evan Taylor. Plus. Marcel Anderson
at Florida Theatre
floridatheatre.com

Nine-time GRAMMY nominee Dave Koz is bringing his ultimate summer party to the Florida Theatre, in Jacksonville, on July 19, 2025, billed as Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns 2025. The show features Marcus Anderson (saxophone), Jeff Bradshaw (trombone), Leo P (baritone saxophone), Evan Taylor (trumpet) and Marcel Anderson (vocals).

Tour dates:

7/17 – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel at Count Basie Center for the Arts

7/18 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall

7/19 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre

7/30 – New York, NY – Sony Hall

7/31 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere

8/1 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre

8/2 – Dallas, TX – Dallas Summer Musicals

8/3 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre

8/6 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center

8/7 – Charlotte, NC – The Amp Ballantyne

8/8 – Lexington, KY – Lexington Opera House

8/9 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion For The Performing Arts

8/10 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory

8/12 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley (2 shows)

8/13 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley (2 shows)

8/15 – Napa, CA – The Meritage Resort And Spa

8/16 – Temecula, CA – Thornton Winery

8/17 – Temecula, CA – Thornton Winery

8/18 – Incline Village, NV – Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival

8/22 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre

8/23 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery

8/29 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay

8/30 – Las Vegas, NV – The Smith Center For The Performing Arts

8/31 – Los Angeles, CA – The Hollywood Bowl

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

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Sleigh Bells at Fine Line, Minneapolis (June 14, 2025)

Sleigh Bells at Fine Line (Jun 14, 2025) Sleigh Bells Setlist Intro/Badly Infinity Guitars Justine Go Genesis Wanna Start a Band? Riot Rhythm Bunky Pop Kids Locust Laced Comeback Kid SWEET75 A/B Machines I Can Only Stare Bitter Rivals This Summer Rill Rill -- Encore -- Pulse Drips Quiet Crown on the Ground Read More Sleigh Bells Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller are Sleigh Bells, and they are finally back after taking a small break. Last night was only their fourth show in the past two years but it felt .…

I went early to the Fine Line for I knew it was going to be a rambunctious sold-out show with its high-energy headliner and epileptic-inducing light show.

Sophie Hunter opened up the evening to a surging crowd. Not to be confused with Benedict Cumberbatch’s wife, the Sophie Hunter that took the stage was from Brooklyn and may have the shortest and best bio I have read on the First Ave website: ctrl_alt+pop+rap.

The bio may be brief, but Hunter let loose a stream of rapid-fire lyrics, part poetry-slam, part rap, backed by a raucous guitar and torrential bass that I swear kept changing the settings on my camera.

Although new to the music scene and visiting the Twin Cities for the first time, Hunter had many fans in the crowd. In fact, the first lady in line to get into the venue was front and center in the first row to see Hunter rip through “Cha Cha”, a song Hunter says is about being hospitalized against her will.

The fans had no problem keeping up with Hunter’s songs, but I felt three blocks behind. Still, I did catch a great lick here and there like from “Bionicle”:

She's a ponytail
Baby I'm Seabiscuit
She's got all the sauce of a
Four-cheese Triscuit

And

Don't worry darling
Shakespeare was a woman and
That woman is Jack Harlow
Just kidding it's me and
This line is sponsored by Target

The hilarious, saucy rhymes kept flowing with a new song “Tenfold” and “2 Shots of Patron”, a song in which the lady who was front and center handed Hunter a mini-size bottle of tequila.

By the time Sleigh Bells took the stage, there was not an inch on the main floor that did not have a fan. And the duo of Alexis Krauss on vocals and Derek E. Miller on guitar, backed by keys and drums, did not disappoint as they kicked the music into a frenetic overdrive with songs like “Infinity Guitars”, “Justine Go Genesis” and their origin story “Wanna Start a Band?” from their latest album Bunky Becky Birthday Boy.

Sleigh Bells at Fine Line (Sep 3, 2016)

We last saw Sleigh Bells at the Fine Line Sept, 2016 writing:

Sleigh Bells is known for their unique sound and high-energy shows. They played to a full house on Saturday night at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis and proved that nothing has changed. Their songs are upbeat and powerful. They mix elements of punk rock with indie-pop and almost electronic beats.

Sleigh Bells have not slowed down as Krauss and Miller were already saturated with pools of sweat by the time a fan in the audience made an unusual request by holding up his phone with two words illuminating “Riot Rhythm”.

And so Sleigh Bells played the song until the light show began to glitch and they momentarily stopped until Krauss forcefully chimed, “Do not worry about the lights if it f*cks with the other sh*t.”

And so the band continued while the technicians raced to keep up. After all, there was no stopping them as they played the hyper-kinetic “Bunky Pop”, a song that is dedicated to the point of view man’s best friend. As Miller told Flood Magazine:

“So, what’s a dog like? They can be destructive, but not in a sinister way. They come into the room and chew your shoes up. Maybe they sh*t on the floor, but you still love them. Dogs are hyper enthusiastic.”

Then a brief reprieve as Krauss tried to catch her breath after expending the energy required for two hours of a jazzercise class. “We’ve spent two days in Minneapolis,” she gasped between breaths. She said she found some great places to eat and even went to the library. As a new mother she is on the lookout for new books and dedicated the next song “Kids” to all the new parents.

But they were not done after kids as they ripped through the rest of their set like it was five minutes, only slowing (briefly) down for the effervescent “Rill Rill” in which Krause made her way to sing in the middle of the crowd.

Sophie Hunter

Sophie Hunter

Sleigh Bells Sleigh Bells Sleigh Bells Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells at Fine Line, Minneapolis (June 14, 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Stone Arch Bridge Festival, Minneapolis (June 14, 2025)

Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 14-15, 2025) Saturday, June 14 Star Tribune Stage Sawtooth Witch Smokin Joe Unattractive Giant Monster ELOUR Chad Atkins Pullstring The Right Here Leslie Rich and Rocket Soul Choir Cities 97.1 Stage Amanda Brown Perry Eli Gardiner Leslie Vincent Third Date Scott Allen and the List Betty Won’t Danger Pins The Walker Brothers Sunday, June 15 Star Tribune Stage Sawyer’s Dream Zoey Says Go Couch Potato Massacre Radiator Girl Willows Burning Blue Rain Cities 97.1 Stage DGS Zachary Scott Johnson Quantum Mechanics Dan Israel John Magnuson Trio Shug E Read More Stone Arch Bridge Festival Later in June, on the weekend of the 14-15th, is the Stone Arch Bridge Festival in Minneapolis. They’ve yet to announce the music acts, but you can find out more at stonearchbridgefestival.com as they update soon. …

Since we were going to be in downtown Minneapolis to see Sleigh Bells at the Fine Line, we came a few hours early to stroll through the Stone Arch Bridge Festival, a festival that is in its 31st year, a festival ranked #16 in Sunshine Artist Best of 2024. (The Minnehaha Falls Art Fair ranked #5).

I can understand the high ranking for both art festivals, due to the location of the events. The Stone Arch Bridge Festival starts from one end at Gold Medal Park and meanders along West River Parkway past the Guthrie Theater, Mill City Museum, the Stone Arch Bridge (currently close and under construction), then past the imposing buildings of the United States Postal Service and Federal Reserve, and finally a quiet stretch along the Mississippi River crossing under the Nicollet Island Silver Railroad Bridge and ending at 4th Avenue.

Cactus Blossoms at Grand Old Day (June 1, 2025)

The festival wasn’t nearly as long and as grand as Grand Old Day in St. Paul, but by its location it offered more unique places along the river to drink a cold beer from Pyres Brewing Company or a hot coffee due to the cooler, damp weather that settled in for the weekend. (The saddest person I saw at the festival was the food vendor trying to sell sno-cones.)

Like Grand Old Day, there were music acts. But unlike Grand Old Day, the two music venues were almost on opposite ends of the Parkway, which made for long strolls through the pockets of vendor booths selling everything from oil paintings, woodworking and landscape photography to other curios like a booth solely dedicated to taxidermized insects.

I accumulated plenty of steps. So, it was nice to sit among the ruins at the entrance of the Stone Arch Bridge at the Star Tribune Stage or at a mini amphitheater along the Mississippi at the Cities 97 Stage. The bands I briefly caught along the way:

The Right Here, a young group of musicians, describing themselves as a “jang-a-lang-a-lang band from Minneapolis” Their rockabilly meets punk sound echoing through the crowd and surrounding ruins of the mills.

Danger Pins, also from Minneapolis. Looking like a rock band. Playing like a rock band. Their sound a perfect mix of laid-back psychedelic rock drifting along with the Mississippi which flowed behind them.

The Walker Brothers minus one brother, so Joseph had to pick up another guitarist while Jay attended another gig. Still a nice, easy sound of R&B and soul swimming with the world beat of Joseph's South American upbringing.

Leslie Rich and the Rocket Soul Choir, a Belfast singer/songwriter residing in Minneapolis. Due to the distance between venues, I only caught the last two songs and wished I had been there for more as the summer sun began to fade behind the looming clouds and oncoming drizzle, a setting not unlike the one usually found in Rich’s hometown.

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The Walker Brothers at Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 14, 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Softcult at Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville (June 15, 2025)

Softcult at Jack Rabbits (15 June 2025) Softcult Setlist Drain Pill to Swallow One Of The Pack Perfect Blue Someone2Me Love Song Heaven Uzumaki Haunt You Still Gloomy Girl Take It Off House of Mirrors Spit It Out she’s green Setlist Graze Willow Purple Paper Figurines smile again bleed Mandy Dark Spring Setlist The Scene (Jazz) Pretty People Drown Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Your Resolution Suspension Tour Dates 06/17 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC 06/18 - Black Cat - Washington, D.C. 06/19 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY 06/21 - The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA 06/22 - The Middle East - Cambridge, MA Read More Softcult Canadian grunge and shoegaze band Softcult (twin sisters Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn) will be headlining Jack Rabbits, in Jacksonville, on June 15. .… she's green Local shoegazing band she’s green, featuring Zofia on vocals, Teddy on bass, Liam on guitars, Raines on guitars, and Kevin on drums, opened the show. Although .…

Canadian grunge and shoegaze band Softcult (twin sisters Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn), played to a very young crowd at Jack Rabbits, in Jacksonville, Florida, on Father’s Day, June 15th.

There was already a lineup outside the venue when I got in line. The crowd was young, dark, goth, edgy… but surprisingly some older fans too. I made the mistake that they were all chaperoning, but they were just fans of Softcult. There were a pair of young women who were there strictly for she’s green, so overall, this was a great turnout for Sunday, especially on a ‘holiday’.

Opening up the show was local band Dark Spring (not to be confused with Cleveland’s Dark Spring), celebrating their one-year anniversary playing live. The group played mostly from their new EP Ivylena, which came out in May 2025. With one exception, “Your Resolution” is taken from their debut release The Cardboard Buildings (November 2024).

The band is very young, led by guitarist/singer Kennedy, with keyboardist Isaac, drummer Seamus, guitarist Kadedynn, and bassist Jason. There was a role change, as Jason took over drumming for Seamus to take the lead vocals on the song that he wrote, “Pretty People.”

I spoke with the band after, and they mentioned their gig at The Walrus (which, by the way, is hosting Quintron, minus Miss Pussycat, on June 19) was pretty awesome, especially with the fog machine and mood lighting. Looking at their photos on their phones, it does look more dramatic vs Jack Rabbits, which showed a black and white movie, projected on the background throughout all the bands that played.

Next up was Minneapolis’ she’s green, with singer Zofia Smith, guitarist Liam Armstrong, guitarist Raines Lucas, bassist Teddy Nordvold, and drummer Kevin Seebeck.

she's green at Turf Club (Sep 29, 2023)

Since W♥M is mostly based in Minneapolis, we’ve seen our local band a few times, in Jan 2025 (with Frank Black), March 2024 (with Glixen), and Sep 2023 (with Jesse Jo Stark). We didn’t see them in Jan 2022 on account that I go into Winter Hibernation.

All this is to say that we like the band and have been keeping an eye and ear on the band since they formed. Most recently, I was happy to see that she’s green signed a record deal with New York City’s Photo Finish Records. Legends has it, that Shane Friedman, the A&R of Photo Finish, was in Minneapolis to scout talents and happened to see she’s green play a house party (in a basement) in June 2024, and instantly wanted to sign the band after seeing them “hypnotize the entire crowd.”

Shortly after, she’s green went on their first tour with Glixen, and now on their second tour, with Softcult.

For this tour, the band played quite a few new songs, starting with their new single “Graze”, which kicked off their set. They kept their biggest hit, “smile again” on the set, playing it close to the end. The crowd seemed to really dig “bleed”, which could have been a great song to end their set.

she’s green said that this was their first time playing Jacksonville. They have left a good impression, as I noticed a few people rushing to buy their vinyl after they played their set. I talked to the guy next to me, Robert, before she’s green came on stage and he said he’s never heard of the band. I may have hyped them up a little, as Robert was one of the first people in line to buy the she’s green record. It was great to see local (Minneapolis) bands doing good.

Softcult closed out the show. The twin sisters Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn originally formed pop/punk band Courage My Love in 2009 (we mentioned the band was part of Canadian Blast in 2013), but broke up the band after they felt their record label was stifling their creativity. Shortly after breaking up the band, the sisters formed Softcult in 2020, with a debut single “Another Bish” in January 2021.

The band’s recent EP Heaven came out May 2024, which is building up to their debut album, in 2025. We’ve already got a sneak preview with their single “Pill to Swallow” (the second song on their set), from the forthcoming new album.

Although people describe the band as ‘grunge’, I find that they lean closer to DIY Riot Grrrls with their stance on women’s rights and anger towards the establishments. I can see them fitting right in with Joan Jett, Bikini Kill, and Pussy Riot. It’s good to see that their message through their music is inspiring a new generation of fans.

Dark Spring

Dark Spring Dark Spring (Seamus)

she’s green she’s green

she’s green

she’s green she’s green

she’s green

Softcult (Mercedes) Softcult (Phoenix)

Softcult

Softcult at Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville (June 15, 2025)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com