W♥M

Little Fevers at Turf Club (05 Dec 2024)

Little Fevers at Turf Club (05 Dec 2024) Little Fevers Setlist Hunter Muscle, Skin and Bone Baby’s Baby’s Daytime People Cars Lotta Love No More (Neil Young cover) Male Truck Stranger Romance Natural Reaction Apple Tree Waiting Place Gimme Time All Alone Can’t Get Enough Previously Little Fevers at Cloudland Theater (23 May 2024) At the Cloudland show, as you can see from their setlist, they were focused on newer songs from a new, forthcoming album. According to the band, they’ve been working at Pleasure Horse’s Timothy Evenson’s studio and were excited to showcase their new songs. The first single they’ve released is called “Waiting Place” (which was played mid-set). Read More Little Fevers Local new wave indie pop Little Fevers (not to be confused with Philadelphia’s Little Fevers) just headlined the Cloudland Theater, in Minneapolis, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. …

A cold night in St. Paul was the real opener for a local show headlined by Little Fevers at Turf Club.

Echo Parlor was first up. A classic quartet (guitar, bass, keys, and drums) had a solid indie rock sound that edged in different directions depending on the song; more folk rock in the long opening song Different Lanes, more 90’s alternative in the second. Great backing vocals made a lush sound. This was only the fourth show for the Eau Clair band, and their first in the Twin Cities. I’ll give any band credit for calling a song (their second to last) their “dragon-slaying song” (actually titled The Difference). A quick chat after their set was informative. While this was the band’s first show in the Cities, these are more seasoned performers who have been part of other bands. Fun fact, hearing these songs live is the only way that most of them can currently be heard. We’ll be watching for more from this band.

Betty Won’t came out with a very country & western feel from the five piece band. There was a heavy twang in the vocals, with wistful regret showing up in the second song Tomorrow. Guitar instrumentals echoed that western feel in the third song, Muck Around and were solid throughout. As the lead singer laughingly said, “We have another sad one for you”. This was a very consistent set and band, who have largely nailed an ethos. There was a great intro to the song Cash It In, with the lead singer saying “this is a song about being sad AND lonely” which was followed up by a band mate saying “Aren’t they all?”.

The country theme carried through to the next band Pleasure Horse. The stage was full for this sextet, with a slide guitar taking up front stage right. With the lead singer often on harmonica, there was a lot going on musically, but centered within that Americana sound. There was a bit of Jayhawks similarity here, as they edged towards a more rock & roll sound at times, but always came back to a more country feel, particularly with Matt Johnson’s slide guitar work. Aways Away, normally their closer, was pulled to mid-set and is probably a great starting point to their music. After a very straight country number (Still Getting Over You), the band played a country waltz. A cover of NRBQ’s Magnet closed out the set.

Long time band Little Fevers took the stage to finish out the night. A board mishap delayed the start a bit, but was eventually overcome. One surprise was that one of the members had played the entirety of the set with Pleasure Horse. But this is a very different sound, as Little Fevers is an indie pop band. The opening song, Hunter, was straight indie bubble gum and set the tone. Lead singer Lucy Michelle’s strong vocals cut through the guitars and the dual back up vocals make a pleasant contrast.

The song Baby’s Baby’s (from their 2024 release, Singles, Vol. 2), had a quiet start before opening into the full band’s sound. The lead guitar work grew increasingly central in the middle part of the set, with a number of solid solos. In the “first time I’ve seen that department”, we had a shoe cymbal for a song, that somehow wasn’t ridiculous. Little Fevers showed a calm throughout the set while still bringing a lot of energy. A late song, Stranger Romance, was a delight and led to a lot of audience appreciation, as did the song Gimme Time.

It was pretty obvious from the start of the closing song, but I confirmed with Michelle that she is the voice of an iconic and commonly played call for the University of Minnesota’s Radio K (“This is Little Fevers and you’re listening to Radio K”, as well as the opening lyrics of Can’t Get Enough bring played for Radio K’s weekly release spotlight). Although it may have been cold outside, Little Fevers helped the audience forget about it for a while and really, what more can you ask?

Little Fevers at Turf Club (05 Dec 2024) Pleasure House

1 / 15 2 / 15 3 / 15 4 / 15 5 / 15 6 / 15 7 / 15 8 / 15 9 / 15 10 / 15 11 / 15 12 / 15 13 / 15 14 / 15 15 / 15 Little Fevers

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Very Last Christmas

Last Christmas, we had Last Christmas (film), Alanis Morissette, Coco & Clair Clair, ASTN, and Disconnected Souls, all doing “Last Christmas”. The last, last Christmas we had Boris and Lunar Vacation doing “Last Christmas.

Also, here are other bands who covered “Last Christmas”: Kristin Control, I Like Trains, Britt Nicole, Twelve Girls Band, Crazy Frog, Ashley Tisdale, I'm So Look You, Hilary Duff, Billie Paul Piper, and Dam Vinh Hung, and recently, The Philly Specials.

Will this be the Last Christmas?

Read more Christmas.

Last Christmas: 40th Anniversary by Wham! Read More Wham! Wham!'s "Last Christmas" song is possibly one of the best Christmas pop song. Released in 1984, it dominated the charts and is still very popular even today (especially in Japan and ...

WHAM!
wham.world

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of one of the most beloved holiday songs of all time, WHAM!, George Michael Entertainment and Sony Music announce the release of the Last Christmas 40th Anniversary EP

The EP will feature all the original 7” and 12” version, as well as George Michael’s 2006 performance of “Last Christmas” at London’s Wembley Arena. The EP will be available on limited edition 12” Snowflake white vinyl, 12” picture disc, 12” zoetrope picture disc, plus CD and digital… and it comes out on December 13th, 2024.

The six-time multi-platinum classic peaked at Number One in 16 countries upon its release and is officially the fourth highest-selling single of all time in the UK. The song is a staple of Christmas music since 1984… and every year a new generation of musicians covers the song.

The Last Christmas 40th Anniversary EP – out December 13th via Sony Music.

VINYL FORMATS
Side A
1. Last Christmas
2. Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)

Side B
3. Last Christmas (Live at Wembley Arena, December 2006)
4. Last Christmas (Instrumental)

DIGITAL/CD
1. Last Christmas
2. Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)
3. Last Christmas (Live at Wembley Arena, December 2006)
4. Last Christmas (Instrumental)

Last Christmas by Isabella&Sebastian Read More Belle & Sebastian In the world of Scottish indie pop, Belle and Sebastian surely must be the hardest working band in the business. Having put out albums pretty steadily ever since they started releasing some devastatingly ...

Isabella&Sebastian
isabellasebastian.com

Memphis’ indie-pop duo Isabella&Sebastian (not to be confused with Belle & Sebastian) have just released their cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas”. The song was Mastered by Brad Blackwood (Prince, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Maroon 5, Black Eyed Peas, Sara Bareilles, and beyond).

If you listen to the cover, it’s upbeat and fun and sparkling. Check out the music video on YouTube, and stay until the end.

I hope B&S’s singer Stuart Murdoch will them amusing and ask them to open for Belle and Sebastian at a future tour.

In addition, Isabella&Sebastian have announced a contest kicking off on December 19 inviting DJs to remix the newly remastered version of their hit single, “Helium.” Submissions will be accepted through February 2. One day early access on December 18 will be granted to those who submit their email prior to December 19.

Recently, Isabella&Sebastian was asked to perform at the recent NBA Memphis Grizzlies’ afternoon pre-game and halftime show.

Look to hear more from I&S in the future.

Last Christmas by Louisa Stancioff

Louisa Stancioff
louisastancioff.net

Maine’s singer/songwriter Louisa Stancioff recently released her version of Wham’s holiday classic, “Last Christmas.”

Talking about the song, Stancioff said, “To me, "Last Christmas" is and isn't a Christmas song - It's really just a sad love song set to a fun dance beat that happens to mention Christmas a few times. I kept coming back to it and the more I got to know the song, the more I fell in love with it. My favorite version is the original, and I wanted to embody that energy in our recording. I wanted to make a fun Christmas song you can dance to during the holiday season (and maybe cry to) and I think we did just that.”

Louisa’s debut album When We Were Looking is out now. Check out the Official Press Release.

Last Christmas by The Kestrels Read More Kestrels This was Halifax’s Kestrels eight and final show with Bob Mould, and what a great show to end their brief tour (being as this used to be Mould’s old stomping grounds). The band released an album, Dream or Don’t Dream, on ....

Kestrels
kestrels.bandcamp

Nova Scotia rockers Kestrels recently dropped their fuzzy version of Wham’s “Last Christmas”… just in time for the holiday.

Kestrels at First Avenue (25 Sep 2021)

We saw Kestrels in Sep 2021, and wrote, “This was Halifax’s Kestrels eight and final show with Bob Mould, and what a great show to end their brief tour (being as this used to be Mould’s old stomping grounds). The band released an album, Dream or Don’t Dream, on Darla Records, during the COVID pandemic, and so the band was so excited to finally play those songs live.”

Look for Kestrels’ upcoming album Better Wonder to arrive Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, via Darla Records.

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Funny Girl (Broadway Touring) at The Music Hall, Kansas City MO (2024-12-03 through 12-08)

(Funny Girl Playbill from The Music Hall Kansas City, MO)   KANSAS CITY SHOWTIMES   Wednesday, December 4: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 5: 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 6: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 7: 2 p.m. Saturday, December 7: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 8: 1 p.m. Sunday, December 8: 6:30 p.m.   FUNNY GIRL TOUR DATES   Dec 3-8 Kansas City, MO Music Hall Dec 10-22 Denver, CO Buell Theatre Dec 31-Jan 5 Madison, WI Overture Center Jan 7-12 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center Jan 14-19 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Perf Arts Hall Jan 21-26 Ft. Myers, FL Mann Performing Arts Hall Jan 28-Feb 2 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center Feb 4-16 Boston, MA Citizens Opera House Feb 25-Mar 2 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theater Mar 4-9 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall Mar 11-16 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre Mar 18-23 Fayetteville, AR Walton Arts Center Mar 25-30 Columbus, OH Ohio Theatre Apr 1-6 Schenectady, NY Proctors Theatre Apr 8-13 Rochester, NY West Herr Auditorium Theatre Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album....

“Hello (again) Gorgeous!”

Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill and a revised book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, the anticipated revival of the Broadway classic, Funny Girl has made a tour stop in downtown Kansas City. It's playing now through Sunday at The Music Hall, and we were fortunate enough to catch opening night.

First staged in 1964, it’s rightfully best-known as the star launching pad for a young Barbra Streisand, who made her film debut in the William Wyler directed 1968 version, after her successful run in the original Broadway cast, and then taking it to London’s West End.

This bittersweet comedy is the story of plucky Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage, eventually becoming one of the stage’s beloved performers, and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

This revival originated on Broadway in 2022 starring Beanie Feldstein and later Lea Michelle and is out on its first nationwide tour starring Hannah Shankman as Fanny Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nicky, Grammy Award-winner Melissa Manchester as Fanny’s mother, and Izaiah Montaque Harris as friend Eddie.

Harris is stunning in an Act I tap dance, with tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, and there’s another fun tap routine in Act II along with several cast dance numbers, courtesy of choreography by Ellenore Scott, with direction from Michael Mayer.

Shankman was unfortunately called away on short notice on opening night, so the role fell effortlessly to NYC-based Leah Platt, who typically plays Emma, and also understudies and takes on the lead role on most Thursday performances. Platt’s voice proved her range by the first few numbers, and seemed to grow stronger and slightly more confident as the show continued.

The songs themselves should have at least a few familiar to most, with several becoming modern stage standards - “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” “Sadie, Sadie Married Lady,” “You are Woman,” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” are among the just over two-dozen selections.

At 71 years young, Bronx native Manchester (who really leans into that NYC accent) showed she still has plenty of lung power left on “Who Taught Her Everything?” sung by her Mrs. Brice and the Eddie Ryan character.

Kansas City’s own Walter Coppage as Flo Zeigfield (of Follies fame) is another welcome addition to the cast, featuring a booming speaking voice that is part Giancarlo Esposito, part James Earl Jones. The other 20 or so members of the company get involved in several of the full cast song and dance routines that embody that of timeless and classic Broadway performances.

Costumes by Susan Hilferty are often lush, especially as Brice’s star rises and pay homage not only to the now 1924-set year the musical inhabits but also are a slight nod to the designs from the late 60’s film, that many will recognize. Lighting by Kevin Adams stays effective throughout without trying to be obtrusive or extreme, and thanks to the many backdrops, scenes moved quickly and without a hitch.

The weakest part may be in the narrative itself and trying to get every little part of the story in during the run time. Brice is a struggling up-and-comer as the musical begins, but within some 20min, she becomes a lead performer and is in deep as a couple with entrepreneur Nicky, quickly getting rich and famous. The Follies numbers could be bigger in scale as well but is likely limited by the size of the company.

All said, those are minor quibbles for a classic musical that’s taken sixty years to have a revival. Funny Girl has been away too long; but now’s your chance, to again say “Hello Gorgeous!” to this timeless production.

Funny Girl plays in Kansas City at The Music Hall through Sunday, December 8 with Tickets available here: Funny Girl (Touring) Tickets | Event Dates & Schedule | Ticketmaster

  (National Tour Photos by Matthew Murphy and provided by their website) / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full) 

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com

Flashback: El Perro Del Mar at the Cedar (07 Mar 2007)

El Perro Del Mar: Party El Perro Del Mar Setlist Sad Candy Party Dog I Can't Talk About It People This Loneliness God Knows Coming Down the Hill Hello Goodbye -- Encore -- I'm Not Saying I Found a Reason Read More El Perro Del Mar I have to admit, I was really there for opener, El Perro del Mar. I’ve become obsessed with her latest LP, Love is Not Pop, as it is the perfect soundtrack for long nights of procrastination. ...

I was a pretty big fan of El Perro Del Mar, and on her rare U.S. appearance at the Cedar Cultural Center in March 2007, I knew I had to go.

This was one of my first Cedar shows, I’ve been to the 400 Bar a few times, but I rarely went to the Cedar (only because they book a lot of world music that wasn’t my cup of tea). That seemed to have all changed after this El Perro Del Mar show, as I loved the venue’s acoustics.

El Perro Del Mar (autographed)

I met Sarah Assbring after the show and got her to autographed her debut album. I remember how I thought she was incredibly tall, especially when my seat was right under her seat on stage.

There were a few people in line to meet her, and I remember seeing tears running down as she sang “I Can’t Talk About It”. I suspected it was something personal, and she confirmed it as much.

El Perro Del Mar would return to the Cedar in 2010, but I did not attend that show due to a conflict with another prior commitment.

Original Report:

>>>
I'm going to see El Perro Del Mar tonight. El Perro is just the stage name for Swedish singer/songwriter, Sarah Assbring. If I had her misfortunate name, I would use a stage name too.

Anyroad, between all the songs I've downloaded from her record company, Hybrism (check out this delight tune, God Knows), I've decided "Party" is a good song to describe her style of music. This song appeared on her first ever CD-R EP, "Baby I've Been in a Bad Place". It is also available on her self-titled debut album and Look! It's el Perro del Mar! (a compilation of her first three EPs)

The song's not too poppy, and I like the "Bebop, Bebopalopa" bit is pretty catchy. Reckon her show will be pretty mellow, ah, sissy music at its best!

Updated: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:35:41 CST: As I suspected, a very mellow show. The Submarines was the opening band. They covered a Kinks song ("Waterloo Sunset"), which was pretty cool, I didn't think they were influenced by the Kinks from their sound.

El Perro Del Mar consists of Sarah (acoustic guitars/vocals), Bjorn (bass), Jesper (electric guitars) and Jon (keyboard/sounds). Yep, no drums.

During "I Can't Talk About It", there were tears falling from Sarah's eyes. I asked about it later and she said that she gets very emotional.

Read more Flashback.

El Perro Del Mar The Submarines El Perro Del Mar

El Perro Del Mar at the Cedar (07 Mar 2007)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Flashback: Harper Simon at the Cedar Cultural Center (24 Nov 2009)

Harper Simon 2009 Tour Dates 10/14/09 Los Angeles, CA @ the Echo - Record Release show 10/29/09 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live 10/30/09 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 11/3/09 Northhampton, MA @ Iron Horse 11/4/09 Boston, MA @ Cafe 939 11/6/09 Doylestown, PA @ Puck 11/ 7/09 Charlottesville, VA@ The Southern 11/8/09 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java 11/11/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum 11/12/09 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick 11/13/09 Lexington, KY @ Natasha's 11/15/09 Nashville, TN @3rd and Lindsley 11/17/09 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Café 11/19/09 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway 11/ 20/09 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop 11/21/09 Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe 11/22/09 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 11/24/09 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center Read More Harper Simon It seems to me that Harper Simon tries his best to not be associated with his father, going so far as saying that he didn't learn how to play music from his dad. Even the way he dresses, the type of music he's making (note: not acoustic .…

Garfunkel and Garfunkel : Father And Son

As you know, we’re big Simon & Garfunkel fans, so we were pretty interested in the recent announcement that Art Garfunkel and his son, Art Garfunkel Jr., released a collaborative studio album – aptly titled Father And Son. The album came out last month, and was billed under the name Garfunkel and Garfunkel.

It got me thinking, Art has a son, and I know Paul Simon has a son… and, in fact, Harper Simon is a musician (although it’s been a while since we last heard from Harper Simon).

So why not have Simon and Garfunkel: The Next Generation?

We’ve seen Harper Simon a few times, and he’s good! The first time, it was touring in support of his self-titled album in 2009, making it to the Cedar Cultural Center as his last stop of the tour. The opener featured local band Peter Wolf Crier.

For Harper’s first tour, he hired some of the best musicians around: bass player Jeff Hill (Rufus Wainwright), drummer Russell Simins (Blues Explosion, Catpower) and multi-instrumentalist Gregg Foreman (Catpower). It sounds like the tour wasn’t going well, like there were some shows that they said they only played to a handful of people… but for the Cedar Cultural Center show, it was well-attended and they were just relieved and happy to end on a high note.

Harper Simon at Varsity Theater (28 June 2013)

When we saw Harper Simon in June 2013, “I noted in the audio reaction, Harper Simon had this irregular speech pattern, where he'll start a sentence and then sort of trail off or end it midway. I suspect he was on medication, recovering from a recent illness that had him cancelling out the first show at the last minute.”

Original Report:

>>>
It seems to me that Harper Simon tries his best to not be associated with his father, going so far as saying that he didn't learn how to play music from his dad. Even the way he dresses, the type of music he's making (note: not acoustic harmonizing folk, but more like alt-country). It's a shame really, Simon sings just like his dad on the acoustic songs, and I wish he would sing more folk. I suppose he's got to find his own calling, right?

Most of the set for Simon was pretty mellow. The most rockiest song was a song I wasn't familiar with. I thought I heard that the song was written by "Tom Berlin Verlaine" (edit: see updated message below), but I could be wrong. Shortly after "Berkeley Girl", the guitar tuner guy came on stage to switch electric with an acoustic guitar.

Songs range from borderline country music to Dylan-type folk. The later is especially true when one of the band member breaks out the harmonica.

They ended their set with "Wishes and Stars", my favorite song from Harper that I've heard. Instead of doing that fake-leaving-the-stage, they just stayed on stage and played some encores. The last song is a cover of "A Message to You, Rudy", who you & I probably know as a ska song by the Specials (but it's originally by Dandy Livingstone).

So this was the last night of their national tour. It sounds like they've been very tired, some even looked relieved, but they were certainly very happy to be playing in front of an audience. The band admitted that this was one of the better crowds, considering that they've played a few shows to "five people".

Trivia: Touring drummer Russell Simins, best known for being in Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is from Minnesota.

UPDATED 11/26/2009 19:42:54:

ArtsOrbit wrote: Nov 24, 2009 9:59 PM

@weheartmusic H. Simon's reference was to Tom Verlaine: the song was Television's "See No Evil." Agreed that H.S. is best with folk music!

Read more Flashback.

Harper Simon at the Cedar Cultural Center (24 Nov 2009)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Flashback: King Khan & BBQ Show at Triple Rock (29 Nov 2009)

King Khan & the BBQ Show 2009 Tour Dates Nov 17 – Troubadour Los Angeles, California Nov 18 – The Independent San Francisco, California Nov 20 – Dante’s Portland, Oregon Nov 21 – Chop Suey Seattle, Washington Nov 23 – The Red Room Vancouver, British Columbia Nov 25 – The Warehouse Calgary, Alberta Nov 26 – Pawn Shop Edmonton, Alberta Nov 27 – Amigos Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Nov 28 – Royal Albert Arms Winnepeg, Manitoba Nov 29 – Triple Rock Minneapolis, Minnesota Dec 1 – Mad Planet Milwalkee, Wisconsin Dec 2 – Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois Dec 3 – Northside Tavern Cinncinati, Ohio Dec 4 – Lees Palace Toronto, Ontario Dec 5 – Babylon Ottawa, Ontario Read More King Khan & BBQ So, if you need to catch up on The King Khan & BBQ Show, they are an interesting modern band with minimalist setup and plays a weird mixture of 50s doo-wop … Those Darlins We love Those Darlins. Currently the Nashville band will be releasing latest album Blur the Line this October 1st, and the band will be heading out on tour in support of the new record. .…

To be perfectly honest, I wanted to attend this The King Khan & BBQ Show, at the Triple Rock Social Club, in Minneapolis, in late November 2009, because I was primarily interested in seeing Those Darlins. I’ve seen them before, and really loved them. In fact, I would go on to see the band nine times, plus an interview with Jessi in 2013.

W♥M x Those Darlins:

Those Darlins at First Avenue (04 Nov 2015)

Those Darlins at 7th Street Entry (25 Oct 2013)

Those Darlins at Loring Park (27 July 2013)

Those Darlins at the Cedar (28 July 2012)

Those Darlins at the Cedar (03 April 2011)

Those Darlins at 7th Street Entry (26 Sep 2010)

Those Darlins at Triple Rock (09 April 2010)

Those Darlins at Triple Rock (29 Nov 2009)

Those Darlins at the 7th Street (18 July 2009)

Unfortunately, it’s sad to say that singer Jessi Zazu died in Sep 2009 at the age of 28 to cervical cancer.

Of course, I should add that I did love King Khan, the brown James Brown, and BBQ. This was the first time I’ve seen them (in 2009), and since then I’ve seen them as solo artist, or sometime being in completely different bands. But you never forget that first time, especially how impressed I was at the sold-out Triple Rock show and that incredible long line to get inside the venue.

I mentioned at the Triple Rock show that the duo was delayed at the Canadian border… not the first time they were detained at the border. They were also arrested “somewhere between Nashville and St. Louis”, according to Brooklyn Vegan. Basically, the St Louis show was headlined at the last minute by Deer Tick singer John McCauley, who happened to be Nikki Kvarnes’ fiancé (Nikki plays bass in Those Darlins).

Original Report:

>>>
I was actually at last night's Triple Rock Social Club to do coverage on Those Darlins. But staying for The King Khan & BBQ Show (the headliner) was a bonus. You see, in 2005, I was sent a live video clip of "I Love You So" by a duo called "BBQ King Khan" (the name that was listed on the video).

So, if you need to catch up on The King Khan & BBQ Show, they are an interesting modern band with minimalistic setup and plays a weird mixture of 50s doo-wop and Surf music. They've got a ton of fans, who lined up hours before the show.

I got the story between King Khan's on stage antics and Jessi Darlin that prior to showing up in Minneapolis, that they were delayed and detained at the Canadian border (I think they had spent the last few weeks touring throughout Canada). This resulted in two things: "Unnamed peed in his pants" and last night's show to be slightly delayed (the doors weren't opened to the public until 9:30pm).

Some notable details about the stage costumes: BBQ uses his foot to tap the tambourine and Khan has a fox's head over his crotch. They dedicated "I'll Be Loving You" to "all the Orientals in the audience", which probably only account to myself.

This was Those Darlins' third Minneapolis show. The first time they played, Kelley admitted that she did not know this city existed until they showed up to play - in which Nikki responded, "now you know Canada exist too". It would seem that Minneapolis might be one of Darlins' favorite city to play now - especially because I recognized some of the same dedicated group of fans that was at the 7th Street show at last night's show.

“I’ll bring the p*ssy, you bring the d*ck”

They started off dirty with "Fun Stix Party" with naughty lyrics like "I'll bring the p*ssy, you bring the d*ck", followed by "Wild One". They also played fan-favorites like "DUI or Die" and "The Whole Damn Thing" (aka the Chicken Song).

Their cover song, "Shakin' All Over", was their last song on the set... which actually went pretty crazy. See the last half of the song in the video.

Overall, I think Those Darlins satiated their existing fans, while perhaps gaining a few new fans. I overheard a few people saying how unexpectedly great their performance was. Their self-titled album is available now at Amazon.

PS, Those Darlins' only male member, drummer Linwood Regensburg tried talking me out of buying their "Gay" V-Neck T-Shirt. He said that he made those V-Necks because someone had suggested it. Apparently, they weren't very successful as they only sold a few of those shirts. So, as of this writing, I am one of the six people in the world that owns that V-Neck Darlins shirt.

Read more Flashback.

Line outside the Triple Rock

Those Darlins

Those Darlins

The King Khan & BBQ Show at Triple Rock (29 Nov 2009)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Xmas24: Red White and Blue Edition

Read more Christmas and Red White and Blue.

White Christmas by Laibach and Silence Read More Bing Crosby There is no one closely associated with the Holiday Christmas spirit than Bing Crosby.... who could forget his rendition of "White Christmas" or his duet with the The Thin White Duke David Bowie? …

Laibach
laibach.org

Slovenian and Yugoslav music group Laibach recently shared “White Christmas.” For this special seasonal release, they have worked with fellow Slovenian artists, Silence.

“White Christmas” was originally written by Irving Berlin, a Russian-born Jewish immigrant who didn’t celebrate Christmas, for the 1942 musical, Holiday Inn. The Bing Crosby is the best-selling single ever according to Guinness World Records.

LAIBACH – OPUS DEI TOUR:

2/7/2025 - Ljubljana, Kino Šiška, SI

2/16/2025 - Krakow, Kwadrat, PL

2/18/2025- Ostrava, Barrak, CZ

2/19/2025 - Vienna, Arena, AT

2/20/2025 - Jena, F-Haus, DE

2/21/2025 - Sittard, Poppodium Volt, NL

2/22/2025 - London, Islington Assembly Hall, UK

2/23/2025 - Manchester, Ritz, UK

2/24/2025 - Southampton, The 1865, UK

2/25/2025 - Bristol, Trinity Centre, UK

2/27/2025 - Lausanne, Les Docks, CH

2/28/2025 – Bologna, Link, IT

3/1/2025 - Nova Gorica, SNG Nova Gorica, SI

3/4/2025 - Skopje, Macedonian Philharmonic, MK

3/5/2025 - Athens, Gazarte, GR

3/6/2025 - Sofia, Pirotska 5, BG

3/7/2025 - Bucharest, Quantic Club, RO

3/8/2025 - Beograd, Dom Omladine, RS

3/21/2025 - Maribor, Narodni dom, SI

Red Water (Christmas Mourning) by Kap Bambino Read More Type O Negative Cristina stopped in to talk about Peter Steele's unexpected death. Steele is best known for being the singer and songwriter of goth/metal band Type O Negative. He died of heart failure at the age of 48. …

Kap Bambino
kapbambino.com

French electronic duo Kap Bambino continues their Christmas onslaught with the release of their version of Type O Negative’s “Red Water (Christmas Mourning).”

We Wish You A Merry Gothmas

The song is taken from their unique holiday compilation album We Wish You A Merry Gothmas!, bringing darkness and sadness to all from some of the biggest and most current artists in gothic and industrial (Lebanon Hanover, Priest, R. Missing, Skold, David J (of Bauhaus), Die Krupps, Xiu Xiu, Rosetta Stone, just to name a few).

Track listing:

1. We Wish You A Merry Gothmas - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
2. Little Drummer Boy - R. Missing
3. If We Make It Through December - Buzz Kull
4. Christmases When You Were Mine - David J
5. Red Water (Christmas Mourning) - Kap Bambino
6. Sleigh Ride - La Scaltra
7. Carol of the Bells - Priest
8. Silent Night - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
9. Driven Like the Snow - Rosetta Stone
10. Father Christmas - Skold
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - The KVB
12. Reindeer - This Cold Night
13. Frosty the Snowman - Xiu Xiu
14. Santa Claus - Die Krupps

CD ONLY TRACKS
15. Deck the Halls - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble
16. Last Christmas - Missing Persons
17. The Snow Miser Song - 45 Grave
18. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Leæther Strip
19. You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Malcolm McDowell & Cleopatra’s Dark Ensemble
20. Carol Of The Bells - Cleopatra's Dark Ensemble

Blue Christmas by King Hannah Read More Elvis Presley Nothing brings back cherished holiday memories, and creates new ones, like classic Elvis Christmas songs. This holiday album includes everyone's favorite holiday tracks and offers the perfect soundtrack to accent your Christmas traditions. ....

King Hannah
kinghannah.com

Liverpool indie rock duo, King Hannah has gotten into the holiday spirit with their own rendition of “Blue Christmas.”

The acoustic cover of the holiday classic, King Hannah strips the tune down to its emotional core, blending dreamy guitar work with delicate, atmospheric vocals.

The duo wrote, “We’ve been singing Blue Christmas together for the past couple of years, and so it felt right to celebrate our favourite time of year in the only way that we know how; singing and harmonising together. Traditionally a love song about spending Christmas alone and longing for lost loved ones, we hope that our simple arrangement of just two vocals and one 60’s Gibson acoustic guitar enhances the romance and peacefulness that this time of year brings on cold, silent winter nights.”

The original “Blue Christmas” song was written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson, but made famous by Elvis Presley.

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: January 1 to January 4, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

01 Jan 2025 Wednesday

New Year Day
at America

It’s New Year Day and the start of the 2025 year.

02 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry Read More Landon Conrath Minneapolis indie-pop artist Landon Conrath will close out the year with a headline show at the 7th Street Entry on December 30. We will be covering the show. ...

02 Jan 2025 Thursday

Landon Conrath
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Every week in January, local musician Landon Conrath will be playing the 7th Street Entry.

Landon Conrath (30 Dec 2022)

We caught Conrath in Dec 2022, and wrote, “Landon Conrath is one of those conflicted musicians when it comes to finding his way in the music industry. He started off as a drummer in a high school band Harbor & Home (who we saw in July 2019). But when a bike accident led to a broken wrist, he searched for other ways to keep playing music. That’s when he started writing and producing his own music, posting his creations on social media during the middle of the pandemic. And by the time he released “Acetown” he had garnered four million listens on Spotify.”

Support acts will be announced closer to the dates.

Residency:

02 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

09 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

16 Jan 2025 Landon Conrath at 7th St Entry

03 Jan 2025 The Holy North with The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan at 7th St Entry Read More The Holy North If The Holy North (previously known as Ty Pow & the Holy North) were a cupcake, their base would be a little bluesy, their frosting would be rock and the jimmies on top would be alt country …

03 Jan 2025 Friday

The Holy North
with The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Local band The Holy North is headlining the 7th Street Entry on January 3, 2025.

The Holy North at Mankato Ribfest (03 Aug 2024)

We saw The Holy North in Aug 2024 and said, “If The Holy North (previously known as Ty Pow & the Holy North) were a cupcake, their base would be a little bluesy, their frosting would be rock and the jimmies on top would be alt country. Kevin on the Keyboards played like the delicate paper wrapping holding them together. It might even be Minnesotan favorite flavor of Rhubarb as their debut album was titled Rhubarb ‘93 even though it was released in ‘22. By the way, we've all been invited over to Tyler’s house for the after-show party. Appeals were made jokingly that we refrain from expending too much energy as the excitement that we felt seeing them should be saved for the following bands.”

The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan to open.

Details:

1/3/25 Album Release Show @ 7th St
With The Twins of Franklin and Clayton Ryan
12pm - 10pm
701 First Avenue North Minneapolis, 55403

04 Jan 2025 Early Eyes with Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY at Fine Line Read More Early Eyes Early Eyes is a name new to many, the Minneapolis indie-pop/rock quintet only becoming a band in late 2016, but they’ve already attracted Hippo Campus-like buzz from very early-on. Second EP, Decorating, is just out and … Killed By Kiwis The openers listed for the show is Sass and Killed By Kiwis. Also, Products are super excited to be playing with their heroes ...

04 Jan 2025 Saturday

Early Eyes
with Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Local band Early Eyes is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on January 4, 2025.

Early Eyes’s album Looks Alive! came out on Epitaph Records, in 2022.

Killed By Kiwis and OISTER BOY to open. These two bands were previously billed together in July 2023: “Twin Citie’s alt rock/grunge band Oister Boy is having an album release party this July 9th, at the 7th Street Entry. Also Killed By Kiwis is also on the bill. The band was previously seen with Products in Mar 2023.”

Killed By Kiwis writes:

Now is the time for community action and mutual aid. Killed by Kiwis will be donating our portion of the door from the Fine Line show on Jan 4th to @tctransmutualaid. TCTMA will also be tabling at the event, accepting donations and selling art like the one featured on the first slide. You also can donate to @tctransmutualaid through their Venmo shown on the third slide or the cash app link in our bio.

Stay safe
Protect those most vulnerable
Don’t let the bastards grind you down

Oister Boy writes:

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! on January 4th we’ll be punking up the beautiful @finelinempls with the LEGENDARY @earlyeyesband alongside our fierce friends @killedbykiwis PLUS a top secret TBA that you simply can’t afford to miss 👀😈

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW THESE PUPPIES WILL GO FAST 💋💋

photos by the enigmatic @thelovelystarrr

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: Candy Con and Standard Notes

Read more Technology.

Candy Con Features Wireless: Wireless freedom with Bluetooth 5.0 delivering lag-free connectivity up to 25ft. 10 Hr Battery: Long-lasting power with a built-in 600mAH battery offering up to 10 hours of uninterrupted playtime. Triggers/Buttons: Take your gameplay to the next level with precision Linear Triggers, Turbo options and 2 x Programmable Back Buttons. Rumble: Dual Rumble with 3 levels of vibration. Motion Controls: Gyroscopic Motion Controls Your Controller: Personalize your controller with a full line of swappable faceplates, d-pads and thumb sticks – sold separately. NOTE: CANDY CON controllers are compatible with Switch and PC. Hall Effect Thumb Grips as Standard: Hall effect joystick adopts magnetic induction principle, close to 0 wear and tear under normal use, effectively prolonging the life of the joystick. Drift resistant, 5 million service life. High smoothness paired with joystick algorithm. Read More Xbox These custom Xbox Design Lab Controllers can get very expensive. If you want metallic triggers, that’s an extra $10. If you want rubber grips, that’s extra… You can go all out and spend about $200 on a controller. …

Candy Con
candyconlab.com

This may be a Gamestop exclusive, as I cannot find this Candy Con for sale anywhere, including Amazon, which will only show you candy corn.

First of all, I own a lot of controllers. May over a dozen controllers, mostly Xbox and Switch controllers. Why do I have so many? Most of them are because of the art and design. For example, I own at least three Fallout controllers, including the recent limited edition Xbox Design Lab Controllers.

Anyway, recently, I made an impulse purchase of the Candy Con when I saw the Transformers Soundwave Combo Pack. This is a pre-designed set that you can use with the base Candy Con controllers. The base unit, which comes in black or white, will cost $35, and with the Transformers faceplates (held in place with magnets), it’ll cost you another $17, for a total of a little over $50.

What I like about this design is obviously you can mix and match the controller to your preference. Not feeling Soundwave today? You can change it up to Hotrod’s design, etc.

The other cool thing is that you can use this as a wired USB-C, or you can use it wireless using the PC dongle or Bluetooth. The advertisement on the box says for Nintendo Switch or PC, but if you use the wired USB-C to your Xbox, I’m sure it’ll work just fine as it uses the standard controller configuration (although I have not tested this out myself). There is a button on the back of the controller, default to PC, but you can move it to Switch.

Since the controller was designed as a Switch controller, it does come with Dual Rumble and Gyroscopic Motion Controls, which I personally don’t care for.

The triggers use Linear Triggers as well as Hall Effect Thumb Grips (this means no stick drift).

Overall, I think for the price, this is a good product, especially for the customization. My only complaint is that wireless dongle is very large and I wish there was a way to store the dongle on the controller, when I’m not using it. I just know I will lose the dongle.

The other thing I didn’t care for but the select and menu button are tiny buttons at the bottom of the controller with a “-“ and “+” icon. There is also middle button is not label; I have no idea what this button does. I am assuming this is the share button (screen capture or video recording).

I have never used the back macro buttons, but I like the fact that it’s there. The way I use my controllers, I never feel the need to create a custom function.

Standard Notes About Standard Notes Standard Notes is a private and secure end-to-end encrypted notes app. It allows you to write and sync your notes across all your devices, including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and web browser. Private means your notes are end-to-end encrypted, so only you can read your notes. Even we can't read the contents of your notes. Simple means it does one job and does it well. Standard Notes is a safe and lasting place for your life's work. Our focus is making it easy to write notes wherever you are and syncing them with encryption to all your devices. Our users love us for: • Personal Notes • Tasks & Todos • Passwords & Keys • Code & Technical Procedures • Private Journal • Meeting Notes • Cross-platform Scratchpad • Books, Recipes, & Movies • Health & Fitness Log Read More Google Keep I also like the mousepad, but it doesn’t always work with all the applications. For example, it doesn’t seem to work with Google’s Keep. I am assuming it will work better with native Apple Applications, such as Safari or their iOS Mail App. …

Standard Notes
standardnotes.com

Ever since I said goodbye to Google (because they were demanding $50 a month for their services), I have been searching for a Google Keep alternative. What I like about Google Keep was that it was non-formatted text and I can sync and access my notes on my phone to my desktop PC. I used to use Apple’s Notes App, but since they updated to rich (formatted) text, it became unusable to me. I can’t use Microsoft’s One Note either because there’s no way to remove formatting.

The best plain text-only application I have found is called Standard Notes, available for free on iOS, MacOS, Android, and Windows. I love this software! I use it to take quick notes on my phone, and when I’m at home, I can access those notes on my computer. If you don’t want to install their application, you can sign in on their web interface, just as long as you remember the link or bookmark it.

Again, I’m only interested in the plain text aspect. I copy and paste things from the web and I do not want or care for the formatting, so Standard Notes is the perfect program for me.

Here’s my workflow. I will take quick notes on my iPhone at a concert. Maybe during the show, I might look up a lyric online. I’ll copy the title of the song and paste it in Standard Notes. You can understand why I do not care for any formatting, because I’m only interested in the text. Now that I have all my notes, I will access it on my desktop at home.

This is how I use Standard Notes, so I am happy with the bare-bones features. However, if you wanted to use it as journaling book or edit and create formulas and rich formatting, you have two additional paid options: Productivity and Professional.

If you want to use rich text or 2FA authenticator services, offline file access, and other features, it’ll cost you $90 or $120 a year. The prices are competitive with, say Evernote, which is $129.99 a year for personal, and $169.99 a year for professional.

Right note, Standard Notes is running a Black Friday Sale, so the prices are half-off at $45 and $60, respectively.

I don’t need all the bells and whistles; the free plain text note syncing is exactly what I need.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

29 Nov 2024 Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club Tour Dates Xeno & Oaklander 2024 Tour   Dec 1 Salt Lake City, UT - The International Dec 3 Portland, OR - Dante's Dec 4 Seattle, WA - Substation Dec 5 Vancouver, BC - The Cobalt Dec 8 Los Angeles, CA - The Paramount Dec 9 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar Dec 10 Landers, CA - Retreat Center Dec 12 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive Dec 14 Kansas City, MO - MiniBar Dec 16 Louisville, KY - Whirling Tiger Dec 17 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 Dec 19 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery Dec 20 Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye Dec 21 Philadelphia, PA - Milk Boy Feb 8 Den Haag NL, Grauzone Festival Vuart Read More Xeno & Oaklander Xeno & Oaklander and Body Of Light to open. Also, DJ Jake Rudh from Transmission will be playing music before and between sets. …

It was a night of synthpop at Turf Club as Xeno & Oaklander took to the stage. They are currently touring in support of their most recent album, Via Negativa (in the doorway light).

The Quaking Bogge at Turf Club (15 Sep 2024)

Opener Magenta Vice is a local Twin Cities electronic duo, although both John and Erik are involved in many projects. (Side note: I last saw Erik at Turf Club in the gothic folk band Quaking Bogge. As he said prior to the show, “I like very different things”.) Magenta Vice, with their own neon sign, had a very busy set up, with multiple synthesizers, drum pad, and occasional guitar.

It was probably a good thing that this was mostly a lyric free set, as both performers were busy switching instruments throughout and between songs. As you can imagine, this had a “wall of sound” density to it, with the guitar being a striking contrast. That neon theme continued as the sticks for the drum pad lit up and again towards the end of the set as the band mates put on neon visor glasses. That neon vibe was a pretty good distillation of the musical feel for Magenta Vice.

As Xeno & Oaklander (aka Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo) began their set, they had a digital backdrop that initially showed their name but played a variety of images throughout the show. It was a fine and dark atmosphere for the duo, who were lit up with reds and purples for the majority of the set.

An audience coming for synth heavy sound was not disappointed. Those synthesizers created a layered sound that was then punctuated by the vocals. Wendelbo’s ethereal tone rides on top as the highest layer, while McBride’s yelled/sung vocal style creates the bottom layer.

Wendelbo handled the majority of the lyrics and projected a cool as ice attitude that was really excellent. She often came out from her instrumental set up and roamed the stage, creating a visual focal point. McBride was tethered behind the table but looked comfortable and in the zone throughout.

The songs were very danceable, and the transitions were great, as they moved seamlessly from one to the next with little to no stage banter. It felt very well-choreographed and it’s clear they have been doing this together for quite a while.

Those smooth transitions made it hard to identify many of the individual songs being played, though the title track from the new album was obvious. When I spoke with McBride after the show about that, he laughed and said that what they played was out of order with what they had on their written list anyway.

I talked with McBride about the long collaboration with Wendelbo, asking him what the greatest joy and greatest annoyance there is with that long history. He had a good list for the joys that all centered on the shared experience and trust, saying they can add on top of each other both musically and lyrically. It creates a synergy that they both can capitalize on. For the annoyance, he said that it can sometimes be hard to truly be spontaneous.

We also talked about genre labels and, perhaps unsurprisingly, how those mostly don’t fit as they oversimplify. The cold wave label is one that McBride pointed out as being deficient, as that really should be a more time bound description of 70’s & early 80’s bands. He did say that whatever genre label people have in mind, it’s a thrill for Xeno & Oaklander to be able to tour and perform for the live audiences.

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (2024-11-29)

Xeno & Oaklander

Xeno & Oaklander

Xeno & Oaklander

Magenta Vice at Turf Club St Paul MN (2024-11-29)

Magenta Vice

Magenta Vice

Magenta Vice

Magenta Vice

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com