W♥M

03/31/2023

Minneapolis: April 21 to April 23

03/30/2023

Algiers at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (29 Mar 2023)

03/29 Algiers with Party Dozen at 7th St Entry

Algiers Setlist

Irreversible Damage
But She Was Not Flying
73%
Cold World
A Good Man
Cleveland
Plague Years
Out of Style Tragedy

~~Something Wrong~~
not played due to technical difficulties
The Underside of Power
There Is No Year
I Can't Stand It!
Momentary
Walk Like a Panther
Bite Back

-- Encore --
Irony. Utility. Pretext.

Tour Dates

MAR 30 Sleeping Village Chicago, IL
MAR 31 The Whirling Tiger Louisville, KY
APR 02 Big Ears Festival 2023 Knoxville, TN
APR 03 The Pinhook Durham, NC
APR 04 DC9 Washington City, DC
APR 05 PhilaMOCA Philadelphia, PA
APR 06 Racket NYC New York City, NY
APR 07 Casa Del Popolo Montreal, QC
APR 08 The Garrison Toronto, ON
MAY 16 Manchester Canvas Manchester
MAY 17 O2 Institute2 Birmingham Birmingham
MAY 18 Whereelse? Margate
MAY 19 Chalk Brighton
MAY 21 O2 Academy Oxford Oxford
MAY 26 Loppen Christiania, Denmark
MAY 27 Mejeriet Lund, Sweden

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Algiers

Atlanta-born-and-raised quartet, and not from Algeria, Algiers, will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on September 20th. Their latest album There is No Year is out now on Matador Records …

Atlanta (by the way of London) Algiers returned to the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, last night, March 29th.

Opening the show was Sydney’s Party Dozen, a sax & drums duo (saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and percussionist Jonathan Boulet). You don’t get too many sax-led bands… in fact, the last double sax & drum band we saw was Moon Hooch in 2016, and they were a blast.

Party Dozen was a lot of fun, it was their first time in Minneapolis. It was unbearably cold for them, yet, they were still extremely grateful for Algiers to “take a chance on this ol’ sax & drum band.”

They played their hearts out in a darkened room with occasional bulb flashes… even if Kirsty’s sax mic wasn’t working (they admitted they didn’t do soundcheck earlier). Still, everyone loved their energy… and I know for a fact that they made some newfound fans in Minneapolis when they lined up to buy their CDs.

Songs on their set included “Fruits of Labor” and their ‘theme’ song “Party Dozen”. “A little too much party dozen in your party dozen,” someone joked.

The highlight of their set was “Macca the Mutt”, a song featuring Nick Cave on sample. Kirsty adds, “I’m sorry Nick Cave can’t be here tonight.”

You can hardly hear Cave, as the vocal mix didn’t seem too loud…. But it meant a lot to the band when they got the chance to work with him. Even though Party Dozen worshiped Nick Cave, it is Cave who is a fan of Party Dozen.

In an interview with the NME, Cave told the origin of how he came about on “Macca the Mutt” song, “Party Dozen sent me a song. They wanted me to sing on it. I listened to it. I had an idea. I sang on it. I tried not to f*** it up. Party Dozen are a force of nature.”

Algiers let the restless audience enjoy some introductory music before they came on stage. When they slowly came on stage, starting with drummer Matt Tong, followed by singer Franklin James Fisher, bassist Ryan Mahan, and guitarist Lee Tesche, the energy in the room changed to excitement. The band played in front of a projection, so it was completely dark, forcing us to view the projected images.

Algiers (20 Sep 2021)

We’ve seen the post-punk band before, and this is one of the few bands that is better experience in a live setting. They have a lot of anger and energy in them, and you experience that by seeing them play. We’ve previously noted that they produced some dub-style sound, industrial, and Afrobeat sound with explosive political messages… and it shows how passionate they are about their music. It’s hard to capture that feeling on a studio recording… you just have to see them play to understand why they have such a following.

As you can see from their setlist, most of their set featured songs from their latest, Shook, available now on Matador Records. Speaking of which, one of their new song from Shook, was apply named “Something Wrong”, as something was wrong and due to technical difficulties, the band ended up not playing that song and proceeded to “The Underside of Power”.

Algiers’ fourth album Shook is out now.

Party Dozen

Algiers

Algiers at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (29 Mar 2023)

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

Posted at 08:52 PM in 7th Street Entry, Algiers, Australia, Matador Records, Minneapolis, Nick Cave, Party Dozen | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/29/2023

We♥KC! April 1-5, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

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John Mellencamp

I know he's dropped the 'Cougar' part of his name, but John Mellencamp will forever be known to me as John Cougar Mellencamp..

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

No April Fools here as the new month starts with a bang and plenty of shows on the horizon. It’s easy to be bummed about the tours skipping KC (Cure, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Queen, Clapton, Duran Duran, to name but a few), but there’s enough other action to not feel too bad.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from April 1st-5th.

SATURDAY APRIL 1

Masters of Percussion featuring Zakir Hussain, Yardley Hall. $16-$55

He is a two-time Grammy Award winner and the 2022 Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy, and for the past thirty years, Hussain has served as curator, conductor and producer for his series, Masters of Percussion, which brings the very best of Indian music and world percussion.

Hussain has sought and unearthed lesser-known folk and classical traditions which feed into the greater stream of Indian music, and also plays an educational role in exposing them to a greater visibility and wide audience while on tour. Over time, the ensemble has expanded to include drummers and percussionists from many world traditions, including jazz and Latin music.

Dan Deacon, The Bottleneck-Lawrence, $20-$25

Deacon is a Baltimore-based artist / performer renowned for his studio albums of innovative electronic music and interactive compelling live performances where he usually plays on a low table in the middle of the room-- in other words, prepare to dance on stage ...and everywhere else!

Ten years ago, the weather for Rock the Garden started so badly, but Deacon just set up shop in the art museum’s garage and the next year, he properly got the arena-size crowd all ready for Arcade Fire.

While most stayed cocooned during the pandemic, the prolific Deacon went the soundtrack route, releasing five albums Well Groomed (Domino Soundtracks, 2020); Ascension (Milan Records, 2021); All Light, Everywhere (Milan Records, 2021); Strawberry Mansion (Milan Records, 2022); and Hustle (Netflix Music, 2022).

Tracy Byrd, Ameristar,$45-$135

You will not want to miss a night of "10 rounds of Jose of Quervo" while doing the "Watermelon Crawl" with “The Keeper of the Stars”. In 2019, Texas native Byrd released a CD and DVD Live from Billy Bob’s Texas and still is out performing live regularly.

Tommy James and The Shondells, Kauffman Center. $35-$125

The longtime group have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and have 23 gold records, nine platinum albums and 32 Billboard Hot 100 Chart hits. "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Crimson & Clover," "Mony Mony," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Draggin' the Line," "Hanky Panky," and "Sweet Cherry Wine," are just a few of their many hits.

In his 63rd year in the business, James released the album Alive! in 2019 and he continues to tour around the country. Kelley Hunt, the Kansas City-born Roots R&B/Americana Blues singer/songwriter/piano player/guitarist opens as support.

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (re-scheduled date), Knuckleheads,$17.50

The Tempe AZ longtime band blends a musical mix of punk rock, mariachi and Country Western, for a unique sound that has thrilled audiences for decades, having been at it since 1998. Live, they work in several Refreshments songs (from their previous band) and also their version of Cracker’s “Low”.

Harlem Globetrotters, T-Mobile Center. $30-$100

After a kerfuffle in Topeka involving a laundromat and Uber driver who wouldn’t move the car, The Harlem Globetrotters hit KC bring out their amazing basketball skills, outrageous athleticism and a non-stop good time for both an early and a late game. The world’s winning-est team go head-to-head against the Washington Generals and you’ll never guess the outcome…!

SUNDAY APRIL 2

MONDAY APRIL 3

Buckcherry, Knuckleheads, $32.50

The LA rockers formed way back in 1995 by frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson and made a huge splash on rock radio with their 1999 self-titled debut LP and hit single, “Lit Up”. They’ve since survived lineup changes, the perils of rock n roll and an extended hiatus, to still be on a comeback roll, which may have started with lewd but addictive single, “Crazy Bitch”.

Hellbound was released to positive reviews in 2021, and keeping momentum going, the band’s upcoming Vol. 10 is available for preorder (hurry to grab a signed version!) and releases this June. Live on this The Gang’s All Here Tour, (co-headlined w Skid Row, but some off-night shows as well, like this one) they’ve been opening with “Lit Up” (talk about getting the crowd going from the start!) and be grateful they’re playing sweaty intimate clubs, as we last saw them from the upper deck supporting Kiss.

Rising modern rock band No Resolve (lead singer Oscar Pegorraro, guitarists Jason Hatmaker and Matty Shea, bassist Dennis Patterson and drummer Derek Bjornson) listed as support.

King Tuff w Tchochtke, recordBar, $20

Vermont native aka Kyle Thomas released his newest, Smalltown Stardust via Sub Pop, in late January. Described by Thomas as “an album about love and nature and youth,” the record was co-written and co-produced by SASAMI, and features lead single, “How I Love” which Thomas even declares as one of his personal faves. He just played a hometown church show in rural Brattleboro that people are still talking online about.

“Sasami wrote this song for me way back in 2018, but it didn’t really come together until we started demoing in 2020,” says Thomas. “This is the type of song I’ve wanted to do for years, but maybe never had the confidence to achieve. I’ve always hid behind loud guitars, but here I’m exposed, and I love how open and empty it is, yet so comfortable too. I wanted to show another side of myself through this record, and I think this song is the perfect example of that.

We caught him live way back opening for Father John Misty (WHM to cover his upcoming St Paul MN show though) and NYC orchestral power-pop trio Tchotchke is set as support, who have been produced by The Lemon Twigs (who just played in Lawrence).

John Mellencamp, Apr 3 and 4 The Midland, $49.50-$139.50

Out on his massive 76-date “Live and In Person 2023 Tour”, the Indiana legend is playing smaller venues over multi-nights in most cities, so it’s a rare chance to see him closer up, than you would in a larger venue or arena. We last caught Mellencamp live, headlining the Starkey Hearing Benefit Gala in St. Paul playing a mini-set. Expect to hear some hits, a few critical and personal favorites (i.e. “Minutes to Memories”) and even unreleased song, “The Eyes of Portland”.

Related, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also announced a permanent exhibit called “Legends of Rock: John Mellencamp” which includes the suit worn in promo photos for his 2003 album Trouble No More, one of his custom 1976 Fender guitars, and an oil painting by Mellencamp himself.

Beabadoobee, Uptown, POSTPONED

TUESDAY APRIL 4

Watchhouse Duo (formerly Mandolin Orange), Madrid Theatre, $30

Soon after Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz reintroduced themselves on their 2021 self-titled LP, the pair shared a surprise release: Watchhouse (Duo), a self-produced recording of the pair performing the most elemental possible arrangements of all songs from the LP.

They started over a decade ago playing coffee shops and restaurants around North Carolina and went on to sell out places like Red Rocks and the Ryman Auditorium. Last year, they toured acoustically with Punch Brothers and headlined shows, collaborating with Planet Bluegrass. This will be a special duo set (so no talking!).

Houndmouth, Granada- Lawrence,$25

The Indiana indie alt-blues band [Matt Myers (guitar, vocals), Shane Cody (drums, vocals), and Caleb Hickman (keyboard, vocals)] who formed in 2011 released their fourth full-length, Good for You in 2021 via Dualtone Records and we caught them last playing live back in 2016, playing an early set at the wonderful and gone-too-soon Festival Palomino, curated by Duluth band Trampled by Turtles.

Ex-member Katie Toupin just played the area, and this is a chance to see the whole band.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 5

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Uptown, $28-$50

The New Zealand band just released a double album, V, which followed up initial single, “I Killed Captain Cook”. The album was influenced by "West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music" according to the band.

The song, the release notes, “is told from the perspective of the Hawaiian that killed Captain James Cook, the English explorer largely responsible for the colonization of Polynesia, who attempted to kidnap Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu, and eventually met his demise in Hawai’i as a result.” When Nielson was a child, his mother would tell him the story, and the song is his tribute to her.

Amulets to open.

BJ Barham (of American Aquarium), Knuckleheads, $25

The guitarist and lead singer of the Americana band is out on a solo jaunt but expect a setlist of mostly AA songs. He has released Slappers, Banger, and Certified Twangers series Vol 1 and 2 on his own, which are made up of 80s and 90s Country covers.

Spencer Sutherland, Madrid Theatre, $22-$30

The singer/songwriter known for songs like “Wonder” and his TikTok covers is out on the road on the In His Mania Tour- “Let me be the FIRST to welcome you to THE IN HIS MANIA TOUR!!!!!” he wrote on Instagram with the tour poster. “Let’s make this a tour to Remember!!!!”

He’s an actor too, recently starring in Netflix’s Afterlife of the Party with Victoria Justice.

Air Supply, Ameristar Casino, $68+

The Aussie soft rock duo started all the way back in 1975 in Melbourne and is still going today – America seems never "All out of Love" to hear their songs. In addition to their own classic hits, they’ve been working in their version of Nilsson’s “Without You” into their encores.

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

Posted at 01:00 PM in Air Supply, American Aquarium, Buckcherry, Country, Dan Deacon, Houndmouth, John, John Mellencamp, Kansas City, King Tuff, Lawrence, Mandolin Orange, Roger Clyne, Spencer Sutherland, Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Air Supply, BJ Barham, Buckcherry, concert previews, Dan Deacon, Harlem Globetrotters, Houndmouth, John Cougar, John Mellencamp, Kansas City, King Tuff, Lawrence, Lawrence KS, live concerts, Masters of Percussion, Peacemakers, Roger Clyne, Shondells, Spencer Sutherland, Tommy James, Tracy Byrd, UMO, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Watchhouse Duo, Zakir Hussain

Minneapolis: April 18 to April 20

04/18 The Academic at 7th St Entry

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The Academic

Irish indie rockers The Academic will open the show. After this US tour, the Choice Music Prize nominee band will be returning to the UK to play some of their biggest headlining gigs this November. …

03/28/2023

Lens Update: 24-70mm F2.8

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Sony

What I am eyeing, is the rather expensive Sony 70-200mm G-Master Lens. It retails for $2,500, but I have seen it as low as $2,000 during the Black Friday/Christmas sale. I know the price is way more expensive than the …

Now that I’m enjoying my Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS lens (honestly, I should have bought this lens much sooner). That expensive price was a deterrent, but now that I have it, I can truly see why the price was justified.

The autofocusing is just the best I’ve used, and the clarity in the GM glass is much, much better than my previous lens. Maybe I’m spoiled, but now I’m just interested in GM-quality lens. Also, the F2.8 is the best that you can get in a telephoto lens, so it’s just much better than what I was using previously.

Sony 70-200mm GM vs Subway Sandwich

Unfortunately, the large size and weight of the lens takes planning and commitment. That’s perfectly fine for a concert or event shooting, but now that I need is an “everyday” general street-style lens. What I’m looking for is a small lens under 70mm, so I can have the whole spectrum of focal length - from 24 to 200mm between these two lens.

I also need the lens to be F2.8 or better… plus, price is also a big factor in this.

Looking over my options (see chart below), the Sony GM lens are out of the question, based on their prices of $1,698 (for version 1) and $2,298 (for version 2).

For the cheapest lens in this category is between the Samyang 24-70mm F2.8 FE and the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2, both for $800.

However, I am eyeing on the Sigma lens… which is available as “Art” ($1,100) and the budget “Contemporary” lens ($900). The main difference is the Art lens has higher quality optics and starts at 24mm while the Contemporary version starts at 28mm. I tend to want to spend a little more for the better quality… but is it worth the extra $200?

I’ll have to do a little more research on the matter… but at the moment, it looks like the Sigma lens might be my next purchase. At the moment, there’s no hurry for me to buy one right now. Basically I’ll wait for a sale... or perhaps I will look at the used market (but I have a fear that the used lens might have scratches or dust).

Also, I do want to get a 2x Teleconverter for my 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS, so it’ll essentially make it a 140-400mm. I have heard that it might be better to just spend the extra money to get a 400mm native lens, rather than using a teleconverter because it’s not as a good as a native lens.

Brand	Lens Name	F	Price	Release Date
Samyang	AF 24-70mm F2.8 FE	f/2.8	$800	2021-10
Sigma	24-70mm F2.8 DG DN \| Art	f/2.8	$1,100	2019-11
Sigma	28-70mm F2.8 DG DN \| Contemporary	f/2.8	$900	2021-02
Tamron	28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD	f/2.8	$800 (discontinued?)	2018-02
Tamron	28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2	f/2.8	$800	2021-08
Sony	FE 24-70 mm F2.8 SEL2470GM	f/2.8	$1,700	2016-02
Sony	FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II SEL-2470GM2	f/2.8	$2,300	2022-04

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

Posted at 10:04 PM in Sigma, Site Update, Sony, Tamron | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/27/2023

Yo La Tengo at First Ave (03/26/2023)

Yo La Tengo Setlist

Set 1

Sinatra Drive Breakdown
Tonight’s Episode
Let's Do It Wrong
The Summer
Aselestine
I'll Be Around
Polynesia #1 (Michael Hurley cover)
Apology Letter
Miles Away

Set 2

This Stupid World
Stockholm Syndrome
I Should Have Known Better
Autumn Sweater
Fallout
Today Is the Day
Shaker
Tom Courtenay
Deeper Into Movies
I Heard You Looking
with Alan Sparhawk

-- Encore --

Time Fades Away (Neil Young cover)
with Mark Freeman of NNB
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)
with Alan Sparhawk
Dreaming (Sun Ra cover)

Tour Dates

Apr 10 Dublin, Ireland 3Olympia Theatre
Apr 12 Manchester, UK Manchester New Century
Apr 13 Bristol, UK SWX
Apr 14 London, UK The London Palladium
Apr 18 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso Grote Zaal
Apr 19 Rotterdam, Netherlands LantarenVenster
Apr 20 Hamburg, Germany Uebel & Gefährlich
Apr 21 Copenhagen, Denmark Bremen Teater
Apr 23 Cologne, Germany Gloria Theater
Apr 24 Prague, Czech Republic MeetFactory
Apr 25 Berlin, Germany Huxley's Neue Welt
Apr 27 Paris, France La Cigale
Apr 29 Barcelona, Spain Sala Apolo
Apr 29 Murcia, Spain Warm Up festival
May 2 Madrid, Spain Warner Music Station
May 3 Bilbao, Spain Santana 27
May 4 Bordeaux, France Rock School Barbey

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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 put together this album entirely on their own, including doing their own mixes. ...

A sold out show and the crowd showed up early for the headliner was also the opening act. That’s what a band can do after releasing 19 albums over a 37-year span.

How best to describe Yo La Tengo, a band that may have not achieved commercial success as much as the respect of its fellow musicians and critics alike. All Music has a pretty good description:

In many respects, Yo La Tengo are the quintessential indie rock band, melding elemental, often noisy guitar work against melodies infused with an understated sweetness that made even their noisiest freakouts feel accessible and their extended jams compelling in their exploration.

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.”)

Ashburn decided to learn a little Spanish to avoid future collisions.

Yo La Tengo may not play many cumbias, but they have been described as musical omnivores with a penchant of melding different musical styles while covering songs from other bands.

They started the evening on a rather mellow vibe. Even after a fan shouted out “We love you!” Kaplan only responded with a subtle “Thanks.” They were there mostly to play, but Kaplan did wonder where the First Ave pinball machines had gone. Then he tried to remember when that would have been.

A highlight was a Kaplan guitar solo during “Apology Letter” from the group’s latest album This Stupid Word. It started out, distant and soulful, as if deep in some musical harbor before moving into a noisy crescendo then back to the distant fog.

Hubley finished the first set singing “Miles Away” establishing an atmospheric tone in which the lyrics melded into a repeated incantation of: “Nah… Nah… Nah…”

After a break the trio started the second set with Kaplan turning his guitar upside down and pounding the strings with his fist. From there, the noise and distortion became amplified.

Like a set of utility baseball players, the trio then kept switching positions. For “Stockholm Syndrome” McNew sang lead; on “I Should Have Known Better” he played guitar. Then he moved to join Hubley on percussion for a crowd favorite “Autumn Sweater” from the band’s seminal I can Hear the Heart Beating as One.

During “I Heard You Looking” Alan Sparhawk from Low nonchalantly stepped onto the stage and manned the keyboard to join in on the jam session that had Kaplan switching between three guitars. It was by far their longest and best song of the evening.

For the encore, Mark Freeman of NNB was invited to play along to Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away”. Then Sparhawk rejoined with his guitar to help with Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”.

Then after all the noise and distortion, Hubley stepped up to the mic to sing a lullaby: “Dreaming” by Sun Ra. She sang with an understated sweetness to send the crowd home.

Yo La Tengo

Alan Sparhawk of Low

Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo at First Avenue, Minneapolis (26 Mar 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 07:22 PM in Alan Sparhawk, Dave, First Avenue, Fleetwood Mac, Low, Minneapolis, Neil Young, Yo La Tengo | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis: April 16 to April 17

03/26/2023

We♥Comics! - Planet Comicon Kansas City 2023 (March 17, 18, 19) recap

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Planet ComiCon

Planet ComiCon Kansas City (August 20, 21, 22), Bartle Hall, $35-210 The region’s largest comic book and pop culture event returns to downtown Kansas City with a three-day extravaganza that will please fans …

On a chilly mid-March weekend, over 60,000 comic book and pop culture fans descended into downtown Kansas City’s Bartle Hall to attend the three-day Planet Comicon Kansas City, the region’s largest and longest-running comic and pop culture event that celebrates comic books, science fiction, superheroes and fantasy, and its creators.

The show celebrated its 24^th anniversary this year, first beginning in the south suburbs, to continue to grow exponentially to become the Midwest’s premier comics and pop culture gathering.

The show itself remains extremely well-run– with easy to find volunteers happy to answer questions and provide directions, generally orderly celebrity signing lines, and good overseeing of in-person panels in both the larger ballrooms and the smaller side rooms.

The dealer exhibit space covered over seven football fields worth of area and featured comic books, pop culture collectibles, anime, nostalgia and memorabilia, along with gaming, entertainment, and other retail options.

Several related outside evening events (dubbed Planet After Dark) attracted large crowds as well, with the fantasy-themed Fae Ball selling out very quickly, and cosplay remains as popular as ever, with a full house on-hand for the Saturday night Cosplay Contest. Pinball and vintage video games were available, and hands-on workshop presentations were held for would-be creators.

Crowds size stayed healthy all weekend, with Saturday especially busy and the ballroom panels were especially filled for William Shatner, Giancarlo Esposito, and several voice casts.

Notable guests for the 2023 show included:

Ming Chen – Comic Book Men actor / Podcaster
Chris Claremont – X-Men Writer
Amanda Conner – Harley Quinn Comic Artist
William Daniels - Actor
Kevin Eastman – TMNT co-creator
Giancarlo Esposito – Breaking Bad and Star Wars Actor
Jonathan Frakes – Star Trek Actor
David Mack – Comic Book artist / writer
Bill Morrison – The Simpsons Artist / Writer
Jimmy Palmiotti - Comic Book Writer / Inker
Cassandra Peterson – Elvira actor
Don Rosa – Donald Duck/Disney artist
William Shatner – Star Trek / TJ Hooker Actor
Roger Craig Smith – Sonic the Hedgehog Voice Actor
Brent Spiner – Star Trek Actor
Jim Steranko – Marvel Comics Pop Art creator / artist
Roy Thomas – Marvel / DC writer and editor

Paid celebrity meet-and-greets and photo opportunities were available and one of the best ways to learn about these attendees or ask a particular question, was to attend their public Panel discussion/Q&A. We’ll be showcasing those closer, in an upcoming separate post.

Japanese animation and its associated culture aka Anime has become even more popular in recent years; so much so, that a companion show Planet Anime Kansas City will make its inaugural weekend, this October 21-22, to undoubtedly large crowds as well.

As for Planet Comicon Kansas City, plans are already in the works to top themselves with next year being their 25^th anniversary, and a show already confirmed for March 8-10, 2024.

(click any image to enlarge and see in full)

STAR WARS ROGUE ONE

COSPLAY

POKEMON COSPLAY

GI JOE COSPLAY

COMICS FOR SALE

COSPLAY	COSPLAY HOSTS	COSPLAY
COSPLAY	CHAINSAW MAN COSPLAY	KIDS PLAY AREA

STAR WARS COSPLAY

COSPLAY

SHOWROOM FLOOR

COSPLAY WINNER

Planet Comicon Kansas City, MO Bartle Hall (2023)

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

Posted at 03:12 PM in Comic Books, Comic Convention, Cosplay, DC Comics, John, Kansas City, Marvel Comics, Planet ComiCon, Star Trek | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Bartle Hall, comic books, Comic conventions, cosplay, Elvira, Planet Comicon Kansas City, Planet Con, Planet KC, Richard Dreyfuss, William Shatner

Minneapolis: This Week (04/02/2023)

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

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

03/28 Robyn Hitchcock with Kelley Stoltz at Turf Club

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Robyn Hitchcock

Robyn Hitchcock will be opening the show. The iconic singer is out promoting his 21st studio recording, but first-ever eponymous release. The new record is basically a re-introduction “Robyn Hitchcock” …

03/28/2023 Tuesday

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

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

Robyn Hitchcock (25 Apr 2018)

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

Kelley Stoltz to open.

Tour dates:

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

03/29 Algiers with Party Dozen at 7th St Entry

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Algiers

Atlanta-born-and-raised quartet, and not from Algeria, Algiers, will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on September 20th. Their latest album There is No Year is out now on Matador Records …

03/29/2023 Wednesday

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

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

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

Algiers (20 Sep 2021)

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

Party Dozen to open.

Tour dates:

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

04/01 King Tuff with Tchotchke at Turf Club

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King Tuff

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

04/01/2023 Saturday

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

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

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

Tchotchke to open.

Tour Dates

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

04/02 Chiiild with Isaia Huron at 7th St Entry

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Chiiild

Montreal-based Chiiild has spent years honing a unique blend of pop, R&B, soul and jazz behind closed doors. Chiiild uses music to tell stories about diversity, ask questions about humanity …

04/02/2023 Sunday

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

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

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

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

Isaia Huron to open.

Tour dates:

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

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

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

Posted at 12:00 AM in Algiers, Chiiild, King Tuff, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Robyn Hitchcock | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/25/2023

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

03/25 Inhaler with Sun Room at First Avenue

Inhaler Setlist

These Are the Days
My Honest Face
Totally
Just to Keep You Satisfied
When It Breaks
The Things I Do
My King Will Be Kind
Perfect Storm
Valentine
Love Will Get You There
Dublin in Ecstasy
Who's Your Money On?
Cheer Up Baby

-- Encore --
If You're Gonna Break My Heart
It Won't Always Be Like This

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Inhaler

Following a sold-out UK tour, Irish quartet Inhaler released My Honest Face EP, which features their cover of Billie Eilish’s single “Your Power”. ....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remaining tour dates:

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