W♥M

We♥KC - December 1-15, 2021 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence / Topeka KS)

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

The holiday season is here, but things still aren’t quite the normal we’d all been hoping.  Despite a few more cancellations (see below) there’s still plenty to celebrate in the Kansas City metro in terms of live music before things wind down towards the end of the month. 

As always, check the artist and venue social pages before heading out, in case of some last-minute change of plans.
Here’s what’s happening in the area for the First half of December

(a few recommended shows are highlighted below):

12/03 Neal Francis at Bottleneck 12/03 Orthodox at The Rino 12/04 Orthodox at Bottleneck 12/04 Beabadoobee at The Truman Read More The Acacia Strain For whatever reason, this show was originally listed with The Acacia Strain to headline. The truth is, the show is actually for darkwave band She Wants Revenge. …

Wednesday December 1

Trailer Park Boys, Uptown CANCELED

Jesse McCartney, The Truman POSTPONED

Thursday December 2

Kip Moore with Gabe Lee, Uptown. $35-$159

“The Price is Right” Live!  Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $29.50-$65

Niko Moon with Kylie Morgan, The Truman. $17-$34

Amahl and the Night Visitors, Lyric Opera, Dec. 2-12

Friday December 3

Travis Tritt, Ameristar. $59.50-$89.50

Monophonics, RecordBar. $15-$20

Patton Oswalt, Uptown. $47-$201

Neal Francis, Bottleneck - Lawrence, $15.
Lauded Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist Francis is out in support of his sophomore release, In Plain Sight (on ATO Records) produced by one of our favorites, Dave (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT) Fridmann and its lead single, “Can’t Stop the Rain” features Derek Trucks. The Bottleneck show is one of only a few chances to see him in a small room before he heads off early next year to Mexico forWilco’s Sky Blue Sky weekend and then a tour of Europe. 

Orthodox w The Acacia Strain, Kubli Khan, Dying Wish, The Rino- North KC
Fans of this Nashville-based band are celebrating, not only due to their recent signing to Century Media Records, but the chance to see them twice in the immediate area, with back-to-back shows in North KC and Lawrence.  Their 2020 2^nd LP, Let It Take Its Course received critical acclaim in the hardcore/metal press and the third album looks to be a coming-of-age record for the band.  With a solid three-band support lineup (two nights in St. Paul, MN follow), this tour has clearly hit the ground running. 

Saturday December 4
Carrot Top, Ameristar. $30-$105

Beabadoobee with Christian Leave, BlackStarKids The Truman. $20-$25
aka Beatrice Laus, this Filipino/British breakout bedroom-pop artist put out a new EP, Our Extended Play, earlier this year, with lead single, “Last Day on Earth” co-written with The 1975. Billboard ranked her the Top New Rock Artist of last year, and this is a chance to see what the buzz is about.
    Arrive early to see one of the metro’s most talked-about acts, BlackStarKids who recently released their debut album, Puppies Forever (on Dirty Hit Records) blending indie pop, hip hop and old skool riffs and rhythms, and any band with songs called “Jimmy Neutron” and “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun” is all right with us. 

Tech N9ne, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $35-$45
Rising from the underground since 1991, the hometown hero returns for a holiday show.  Collaborating with everyone including Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently made his rap debut on recent track, “Face Off”. 

Orthodox w The Acacia Strain, Kubli Khan, Dying Wish, Bottleneck - Lawrence
(see above)
Sunday December 5
Disney Princess: The Concert, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $29.50-$80

Ana Gasteyer, Yardley Hall, $35+
Expect some irreverence as this SNL alum performs on her “Sugar and Booze Holiday Tour”.

James Taylor & His All-Star Band with Jackson Browne, T-Mobile Center. $62.50-128
Two veteran light-rock legends join forces for some laid-back, 70s style good feelings. 

Joy Formidable w/Cuffed Up, Riot Room Postponed (new date TBD)

Monday December 6
David Sedaris, Kauffman Center. $58-70.
Always funny and interesting and usually stays and signs until the last person is served.

David Cross, Liberty Hall Lawrence CANCELED

Atreyu with Crown the Empire, Tetrarch and more. The Truman. $25-$50

12/08 Caroline Polachek at Liberty Hall 12/10 Anderson East at Madrid 12/15 Lindsey Buckingham at Uptown Read More Caroline Polachek After Chairlift broke up in 2017, lead singer Caroline Polachek decided to strike out on her own with her debut record Pang in 2019. Unfortunately, no long after the album came out, we were hit with the COVID pandemic …

Wednesday December 8
Gwar with Napalm Death and Eyehategod, Granada Lawrence. $30

Caroline Polachek, Liberty Hall - Lawrence, $25-28.
Still somewhat of a secret, this former Chairlift singer is worth catching is a small venue while you can and before she begins an opening trek for Dua Lipa.  She’s also on the just released Charli XCX single, “New Shapes” with Christine and The Queens (now That’s a supergroup!)

Thursday December 9
Illenium, Cable Dahmer Arena  - Independence

Friday December 10
Nane, Granada- Lawrence free w RSVP

The Driver Era w/ The Wrecks, The Truman, $25-$154

Anderson East, Madrid. $25-$89
The acclaimed Nashville singer-songwriter was just on “Ellen” and “CBS Saturday” and is out on his Maybe We Never Die Tour from the new album of the same name (on Elektra/Low Country). Filled with Southern soul, a tinge of giospel, country, Americana, and blues, we haven’t seen East since 2015, but know he’s sounding even better and more urgent. 

David Benoit, Folly. $20-$55

Home Free, Uptown. $24.50-$87

Swallow the Sun w/Abigail Williams, Wilderun, Riot Room CANCELED

Saturday December 11
Shiner with Spotlights, recordBar, $17-20
A Kansas City post-hardcore staple since the early 90’s Shiner returned with a newfound passion in 2012 re-releasing acclaimed 2001 album The Egg and playing a handful of shows to celebrate.  Last year, the band released new music in the form of Schadenfreude, their first new album in twenty years. 
The venue has become a home away from home for the band as well, filming a Dec 2020 performance there as a streaming option for having to cancel shows for pandemic-related reasons, but the band is now happily back to playing before live audiences and Kansas City, (who knows them best) is likely the most raucous audience to be a part of. 

Tony Orlando, Ameristar. $35

Tanya Tucker, Knuckleheads CANCELED

Monday December 13
Chris Isaak, Uptown. $35-$135

Tuesday December 14

Jim Brickman, Folly. CANCELED

Wednesday December 15

Lindsey Buckingham, Uptown, $35-$125.
After four decades with Fleetwood Mac, the legendary singer-songwriter has moved on to “go his own way” with September’sself-titled album (on Reprise Records), his seventh solo studio album and first new music in almost a decade. Keeping busy, Buckingham was also featured on The Killers’ “Caution” single and was even recently surprise spotted on SNL, alongside Halsey.

His knack for melody and singular finger-picking guitar work should be revelatory to see performed live, and expect a healthy helping of solo hits and new cuts, alongside many Fleetwood Mac classics in concert.

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

Minneapolis: December 17 to December 18

12/17 Yam Haus at Palace Theatre Read More Yam Haus Scrunchies, Gully Boys, The Carnegies, Static Panic, Annie Mack, Yam Haus, Faith Boblett First Avenue Fri 01/04/2019 …

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

12/17/2021 Friday

Yam Haus
with DNM and Keep For Cheap
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Indie-pop foursome Yam Haus is currently touring with Blue October… However, they’ll be headlining the Palace Theatre in St Paul, at the end of their long stadium-sized support tour.

With their latest single, “body goes”, the band lead singer Lars Pruitt talked about how the song came about, “It is a song we wrote together with Gabe Simon and Dani Poppit in Nashville, TN. Gabe said, 'do you guys wanna write a love song?' and our guitar player Seth said 'I could say a million things about love, I don’t want to.' Gabe said, 'that’s a song.' Dani added the crazy slide guitar idea to the group and initially sang that and we were like yes that makes it a lot weirder of a song which we felt it needed. For me, on a personal level it’s pretty much about me acknowledging how happy I am to be in a super solid relationship with my significant other.”

Following the completion of the Blue October tour, they’ll headline a hometown show at Palace Theatre in Saint Paul on December 17.

DNM and Keep For Cheap to open.

Tour dates

Nov. 27 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Nov. 28 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Dec 1. – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
Dec. 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
Dec. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Theater
Dec. 4 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
Dec. 5 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
Dec. 17 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre

12/17 Maggie Rose at 7th St Entry Read More Maggie Rose Nashville roots-rock soul powerhouse Maggie Rose released her third studio album Have a Seat. The album recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, and was produced by Ben Tanner …

12/17/2021 Friday

Maggie Rose
with Them Vibes and Dylan Hartigan
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Girls Girls Girls: Diamond, Rainbow, Pink, Rose

MAGGIE ROSE
maggierosemusic.com

Nashville roots-rock soul powerhouse Maggie Rose released her third studio album Have a Seat. The album recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, and was produced by Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes).

Rose comments, “These songs were written during a contentious time, and there are undertones to the lyrics that are influenced by the state of our world politics and the politics of the music industry. The title Have a Seat is responsorial, placing an emphasis on inclusivity — like, ‘Here, sit down. Let’s try talking to each other.’ One of the most loving things we can do is listen and make others feel heard — give people the space to speak their mind and be themselves. However, there’s also an intended meaning to the title that points to the power in occupying the seat that’s designated to you: I am claiming a seat I believe is rightfully mine, and I want others to do the same.”

Maggie Rose On Tour

12/8 @ Asbury Lanes | Asbury Park, NJ
12/9 @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn | Brooklyn, NY
12/10 @ Birchmere | Alexandria, VA
12/15 @ Knuckleheads Saloon | Kansas City, MO
12/16 @ Shank Hall | Milwaukee, WI
12/17 @ 7th Street Entry | Minneapolis, MN
12/18 @ SPACE | Evanston, IL

12/17 L.A. Witch at Fine Line Read More L.A. Witch The first time we saw L.A. Witch, they opened up for the Kills in May 2016. We described the trio (Sade Sanchez, Irita Pai, and Ellie English) as “musically, the moody band sounded like Mazzy Star (vocally) …

12/17/2021 Friday

L.A. Witch
with Black Widows and Big Salt
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

All-girls band L.A. Witch will be stopping by the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis on December 17th. The trio recently teamed up with Atlanta’s The Coathangers to release One Way or the Highway, out now on Suicide Squeeze.

Black Widows and Big Salt to open.

Tour dates:

Nov 27 isbee, AZ at The Quarry
Nov 30 Denton, TX at Andy's Bar
Dec 2 Atlanta, GA at 529
Dec 3 Carrboro, NC at Cat's Cradle
Dec 4 Baltimore, MD at Baltimore Soundstage
Dec 5 Philadelphia, PA at Underground Arts
Dec 7 Brooklyn, NY at Warsaw
Dec 8 Boston, MA at Paradise Rock Club
Dec 9 Montreal, QC at L'Astral
Dec 10 Toronto, ON at Danforth Music Hall
Dec 11 Millvale, PA at Mr Smalls Theatre
Dec 11 Pittsburgh, PA at Mr. Smalls
Dec 12 Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom
Dec 14 Columbus, OH at Skully's Music Diner
Dec 15 Detroit, MI at Magic Stick
Dec 16 Chicago, IL at Metro
Dec 17 Minneapolis, MN at Fine Line
Dec 19 Denver, CO at Bluebird Theater
Jan 14 Highland Park, CA at Lodge Room
Jan 15 San Diego, CA at The Casbah
May 4 Milan, Italy at Biko
May 20 London at Moth Club
May 24 Berlin, Germany at Kantine am Berghain
May 25 Copenhagen, Denmark at Musikcaféen
May 28 Johanneshov, Sweden at Hus 7

12/18 Chicano Batman at First Avenue Read More Chicano Batman Chicano Batman to open. The cape crusader was last seen at SXSW with their new song “Black Lipstick”, featuring back up vocals by Saudia Yasmein. …

12/18/2021 Saturday

Chicano Batman
with Los Retros
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ Chicano Batman will be headlining the mainroom at First Avenue this December 18th. The group latest album Invisible People came out on ATO Records in 2020… but obviously with the pandemic, this will be the first time we’ll hear the songs live in Minnesota.

Los Retros to open. The band recently shared their new single, “Solo Tu”, which was inspired by a classic Spanish love song… and it is their first Spanish-language song.

Tour dates:

12/09 Nashville, TN: Brooklyn Bowl *
12/10 Atlanta, GA: Terminal West *
12/11 Raleigh, NC: Lincoln Theatre *
12/13 Boston, MA: Paradise *
12/14 New York, NY: Webster Hall *
12/15 Philadelphia, PA: Union Transfer *
12/17 Chicago, IL: Concord Music Hall *
12/18 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue *

* w/ Los Retros

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

Nintendo Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

Nintendo Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda With a retro look, legendary flourishes, and the power to save Hyrule, the Game & Watch™: The Legend of Zelda™ system is a jam-packed tribute to 35 years of the Legend of Zelda series. Adventure through three iconic classics and enjoy all-new old-school fun with this stylish handheld system. • Included are three Full Legend of Zelda games; The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The adventure of Link, and the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. • There's also a version of the Game & Watch classic, Vermin, starring Link, and a playable clock and timer. Read More Nintendo Switch I’ve wanted the Nintendo Switch since I first heard about it last October 2016. The system launched in March 2017, but it immediately sold out everywhere. …

Surprisingly, I’ve been really enjoying the recent Diablo II: Resurrected , that I pre-ordered on the PC … I loved it so much that I ended up re-buying it on the Nintendo Switch.

Speaking of Nintendo, I’ve recently added the latest Nintendo Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda to my gaming collection. If you have last year’s Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Brothers, then you know what to expect with this new Game & Watch.

One thing is for sure, Nintendo makes really good hardware. The Game & Watch is well-made, looks great with the new color scheme (gold & bright neon green), and the D-Pad and buttons feels good. The best part is that the battery life will lasts you weeks on a charge. I put the original Mario Bros in off mode and turned it on six months later and it still held a good battery charge!

The Zelda Game & Watch comes with three games: the original classic The Legend of Zelda, the sequel Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and the Gameboy The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

Since I’ve never own the Gameboy, I never played the original black & white Link’s Awakening version… however, Nintendo re-made the game in 3-D and in color for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. I did buy and played the Switch version, however, I never beat it. I got to a point in the game that I didn’t know what to do or where to go, so I just gave up. I will probably re-visit this game in the future and hopefully win the game (or at least just play the original version).

As for the first two original Zelda games, yes, I’m proud to say that I did beat them both when I was very young. Our family was fortunate enough to own the original Nintendo Entertainment System (that came bundled with light gun and Duck Hunt)… so I know those original games very well. Beat Super Mario Bros, beat Zelda, heck, even beat Dragon Warrior (aka Dragon Quest).

The sad thing is that now that I’m much older, I don’t think I’ll have the time to actually play and beat Zelda again. I did started playing the first game again, by entering in a cheat code – holding down the A button for a few minutes and it will start the game with full hearts.

Using that cheat, I found and beat about three dungeons. At first the world can be overwhelming… but as I started to play, the world does seems much smaller than what I remembered.

Anyway, I’m having a lot of fun with it. I still have such fond memories of it… and playing it again for the first time in years, it just remind me of a simpler time.

I can’t say I would recommend the Game & Watch to anyone, only for those who grew up with the original classic Nintendo. I feel it’s overpriced at $50. This should be a $20 or $30 item… if it was in that lower price range, I would buy them as gifts.

Still, if you’re a Zelda fan, you need to have this. It’s small & light enough that you can just put it in a coat pocket.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

Nintendo Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

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

Minneapolis: December 14 to December 15

12/14 Houndmouth at Fine Line Read More Houndmouth Houndmouth is headlining First Avenue’s mainroom on Tuesday. Show up early to check out Frederick The Younger, touring in support of Human Child. ....

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

12/14/2021 Thursday

Houndmouth
with Ona
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Indiana’s Houndmouth is touring in support of their fourth album Good For You. They’ll stop by the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis.

West Virgina’s Ona (Singer/guitarist Bradley Jenkins, keys Brad Goodall, bassist Zach Johnston, drummer Max Nolte, and guitarist Zack Owens) to open.

Tour dates

11/26 Indianapolis,IN - The Vogue
11/27 Indianapolis,IN - The Vogue
12/10 Columbia,MO - The Blue Note
12/11 Des Moines,IA - Wooly’s
12/12 Madison,WI - Majestic Theatre
12/14 Minneapolis,MN - Fine Line
12/16 Milwaukee,WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
12/17 Chicago,IL - Thalia Hall
12/18 Chicago,IL - Thalia Hall
12/23 Huntington,WV - The Loud
04/19 Mr. Smalls Café @ Millvale, PA
05/03 Elevation 27 @ Virginia Beach, VA
06/02 Schellraiser Music Festival 2022 @ Mcgill, NV

12/15 Glorious Sons at Varsity Theater Read More The Glorious Sons The Glorious Sons Palace Theatre Sat 07/13/2019 (6:30pm/$29.50) Rock band The Struts is back! The UK group released YOUNG&DANGEROUS last year on Interscope Records. ....

12/15/2021 Wednesday

The Glorious Sons
with American Scarecrow, Brother Elsey
at Varsity Theater
varsitytheater.com

JUNO Award winning, two-time CRIA Platinum-certified and six-time CRIA Gold-certified rock group The Glorious Sons will stop by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on December 15, as part of their “Unfinished Business” tour.

The band also recently opened for The Rolling Stones, which was a real honor for them.

Tour dates:

12/10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
12/11 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
12/12 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
12/14 - Chicago, IL - Metro
12/15 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
12/17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
12/18 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
1/14 - Victoria, BC - The Royal Theatre*
1/15 - Victoria, BC - The Royal Theatre*
1/18 - Mission, BC - Clarke Theatre*
1/20 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom*
1/21 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom*
1/22 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom*
1/25 - Vernon, BC - Performing Arts Centre*
1/27 - Grand Prairie, AB - Bowes Event Centre
1/28 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Convention *
1/29 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall*
1/31 - Red Deer, AB - Bar & Stage*
2/1 - Red Deer, AB - Bar & Stage*
2/3 - Lethbridge, AB - Enmax Centre*
2/5 - Saskatoon, SK - TCU Place*
2/9 - Regina, SK - Conexus Arts Centre*
2/10 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Place*
2/11 - Thunder Bay, ON - Community *
2/16 - Ottawa, ON - TD Place*
2/17 - Peterborough, ON - Memorial Centre*
2/19 - London, ON - Bud Gardens*
2/21 - Kitchener, ON - Centre in the Square*
2/22 - Kitchener, ON - Centre in the Square*
2/23 - Windsor, ON - Chrysler Theatre*
2/24 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre*
2/26 - St. Catharines, ON - Meridian Centre*
3/3 - Montreal, QC – Mtelus*
3/4 - Quebec City, QC - Impérial Bell*
3/10 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall*
3/11 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall*
3/12 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall*

*w/special guest JJ Wilde

12/15 Allen Stone at Fine Line Read More Allen Stone Allen Stone w/Samm Henshaw at The Truman (POSTPONED) He may look like a busking hippie but Stone has become a seasoned and confident live performer, this time out on his Building Balance Tour …

12/15/2021 Wednesday

Allen Stone
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

American soul/R&B singer and songwriter Allen Stone recently released Apart on ATO Records. He will be stopping by the Fine Line in Minneapolis on December 15 to promote the new record.

We caught Stone in Dec 2018 and said, “Highlights also included a Stone solo section of ‘Where You're At’ (a positive song about living in the present which the crowd sang along with) and ‘Give You Blue’ (prefaced by Stone’s openness about anxiety and depression and not being afraid to ask for help) and the new ‘Taste of You’, a sample of the new Jamie Lidell-produced music to come in 2019.”

Tour dates

12/02 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
12/03 Albany, NY - Empire Live
12/04 Philadelphia, PA - City Winery – Philadelphia
12/05 Boston, MA - City Winery - Boston
12/08 Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
12/10 New York, NY - City Winery New York
12/11 New York, NY - City Winery New York
12/13 Detroit, MI - St Andrews
12/14 Chicago, IL - City Winery
12/15 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
12/31 Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre
1/10 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
1/11 Charlotte, NC - Underground
1/13 Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
1/14 Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
1/15 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
1/16 Tampa, FL - Tampa Theatre
1/18 Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
1/19 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
1/21 Austin, TX - Scoot Inn
1/22 San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
1/24 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
1/26 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
1/28 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
1/29 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
2/01 San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater
2/03 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
2/05 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
2/07 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
2/08 Denver, CO - Summit
2/10 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
2/11 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

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

Apple Watch SE

Read More Apple The iconic iPhone 7 has been announced by Apple yesterday (September 7th). It is the latest and greatest from the company, and they are getting a lot of negative feedback about the lack of a headphone jack ....

I didn’t intend to get it, but after contemplating about the Black Friday prices for the new Apple Watch SE for about $200, I couldn’t pass it up. As you know, starting last year, Apple introduced their “budget” Apple Watch, the SE, which strips out some features.

What’s missing from the SE is a faster/latest processor, no ECG and blood oximiter sensors, no always-on display, and lacking UWB or 5GHz Wi-Fi communication capabilities. If you absolutely have to one of those things, then you need to buy the new Series 7.

My biggest complaint is that you must have an iPhone to use with the Apple Watch. I believe you can only have one active watch at one time, so if you own multiple Apple Watches, it only works with just one.

The other complaint is that battery life is absolutely bad. You need to charge it every day. To be fair, most smart watches requires you to charge once a day. My Amazfit GTR 2 advertised battery life of 7 days, but in reality, it’s really only two or three days. So battery life just sucks all across the board.

My last complaint is there aren’t many watch faces officially available from Apple. I’m assuming that it will get better over time. There are many third party watch face makers, but none of them are very good. The really good one costs subscription fees, which I would rather not pay for. If they sell individual face for, say $1, I wouldn’t mind paying for one or two… but unfortunately, there’s not many choices.

Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with the new watch. I feel it’s “fast enough” for my needs, and it has all the health tracking abilities in other smart watches. My two health focus is sleep tracking and heart beats… but obviously, you can use it to track various other things, like standing up or walking/running.

One of the coolest thing going from my Amazfit watch to the Apple Watch is that Apple has some applications built for WatchOS… which Amazfit some some Android Watches don’t have. For example, I used the calculator on my watch (for tipping) and showed up the compass on the watch to my brother.

Another perk in the Apple brand that you may not be aware of, is all the many, many, many accessories you can get for the Apple Watch. Need a new wrist band ? There are a million bands out there. Don’t want to pay $100 for Apple’s Milanese Loop ? There are knock-offs you can get for $15 (which is exactly what I did for a similar Milanese Loop at Walmart).

So, if you’re keeping track, I’m officially 100% into the Apple Echosystem, owning the new iPhone 13, iPad Pro 12.9 (2021), Apple TV (HD), and, now, the Apple Watch SE (2021).

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

Divinity: Original Sin II on the iPad

Read More Larian Studios I have been hyped about Baldur’s Gate 3 since Larian Studios announced their teaser in August 2019. I’ve already mentioned that I was a massive fan of Black Isle Studios …

You know I’m a big fan of Larian Studios, the Belgium company that is currently developing Baldur’s Gate III (which I already pre-ordered) and the successful Divinity series. While I haven’t loved the original games from 2002, I came around with 2014’s Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel Divinity: Original Sin II.

Sadly, I haven’t beaten either of the Divinity: Original Sin saga, but from all my hours of gameplay, I love it. So much that I’ve decided to spend $25 to see how Divinity: Original Sin II will work on my iPad Pro 12.9. I saw that it supported Bluetooth controller and keyboard, but I will likely just use touch to play.

In the past, I’ve played around with Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II on the iPad, but those games originally came out in 1998 and 2000 (and yes, I bought and played them back then).

With Divinity: Original Sin II, which originally came out in 2017, on the iPad, I was just eager to see a semi-recent, modern game on the iPad. We all know that Apple have never been known for video games… so I’m glad to see companies, like Larian, take a chance.

So, for some bad news, those with older iPads, they cannot run the game. The game will run on iPad Pro 2018 to 2021 (basically any iPad with the A12 Bionic chip or later). The other bad news is that the game will take up at least 18GB of storage, so if you have an 32GB iPad, it’s going to take up half your space!

Even many users might feel that $25 is expensive (especially for an iPad app), you have to understand that this is a first-class game. I’ve played the PC, I’ve paid $50 for the game originally, so $25 is really bargain, in my opinion…. But it’s true, $25 is a million times more expensive than the typical $1.99 iPad.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

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

Minneapolis: December 8 to December 12

12/08 Sue Foley at Turf Club Read More Sue Foley Award-winning blues guitarist/singer Sue Foley released Pinky’s Blues in October. The album features several new original songs from Foley, plus some covers of old favorite blues and roots artists. ....

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

12/08/2021 Wednesday

Sue Foley
with Ken Valdez
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Girls Girls Girls: Diamond, Rainbow, Pink, Rose:

Award-winning blues guitarist/singer Sue Foley released Pinky’s Blues in October. The album features several new original songs from Foley, plus some covers of old favorite blues and roots artists.

To support the release of Pinky’s Blues, she’s set on doing a few live concerts…. Including a stop in St Paul on Dec 8th, at the Turf Club.

Tour Dates:

12/03 Knuckleheads Saloon Kansas City, MO
12/04 Zoo Bar Lincoln, NE
12/07 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
12/08 Turf Club St Paul, MN
12/09 Vangarde Arts Sioux City, IA
12/10 Washington Burlington,
12/11 Coda Concert House Joplin, MO
12/17 Mercer Street DanceHall Dripping Springs, TX
12/28 Jungle Show Austin, TX
12/29 Jungle Show Austin, TX
02/11 Charles Bender Humble, TX
02/20 Blue Jay Listening Room Jacksonville Beach, FL
02/21 Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Miami, FL
03/03 ZebulonLos Angeles, CA
03/04 Hopmonk Tavern Novato, CA

12/09 GWAR at First Ave Read More Gwar GWAR fans know what to expect when they see a live GWAR show. Whether it be covered in bile and blood, or stage props that could be used in any top tier horror movie. Additionally, no two GWAR shows are the same. ....

12/09/2021 Thursday

GWAR
with Napalm Death and EyeHateGod
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Even though metal is not really my thing, I absolutely love going to see Gwar. Their amazing costumes and antics are just so entertaining… and even if you don’t love their music, I guarantee that you will have a fun time at their shows.

Gwar is currently on tour in celebration of their (delayed) 30th annivesary of their album Scumdogs Of The Universe.

Show up early to check out Napalm Death and EyeHateGod. We caught Napalm Death in June 2016 and wrote, “Napalm Death has been around forever. They started in 1981 and have been around ever since. These guys were probably the most classifiable band of the night. They were metal, with a little bit of punk, a little bit of grind... well crap, now you understand why the phrase "soiree of weirdness" is a perfect way to explain the music of last night.”

Tour dates

11/26 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse
11/27 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
11/28 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
11/30 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SODO
12/1 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
12/3 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall
12/4 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Bar
12/6 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
12/7 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
12/8 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
12/9 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
12/10 – Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon Theatre
12/11 – Sauget, IL – Pop's
12/13 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

12/10 Bad Bad Hats at First Avenue Read More Bad Bad Hats Minneapolis’ Bad Bad Hats signed with Don Giovanni Records for their brand new album, Walkman, due out September 17. …

12/10/2021 Friday

Bad Bad Hats
with Nur-D and VIAL
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Repeat Repeat 2021:

Minneapolis’ Bad Bad Hats signed with Don Giovanni Records for their brand new album, Walkman, due out September 17.

The trio (Kerry Alexander, Chris Hoge, and Con Davison) shared their lead single “Detroit Basketball”, which you can watch on YouTube.

They sure seem to have a thing for sports, because we last saw them at Rock the Garden 2019 and mentioned, “This was the group’s first time playing at Rock the Garden, and they were both excited and seemingly nervous…. Especially, when Alexander was trying to explain/dedicate their new song “Wide Right” to the sports team Buffalo Bills.”

I’m almost certain that the group will play plenty of tracks from the forthcoming album at their hometown gigs at the end of July. There’ll be an early and late show for the Saturday date.

Tour Dates

Dec 2 High Noon Saloon @ Madison, WI
Dec 3 Fri Sacred Heart Music Center @ Duluth, MN
Dec 10 First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN

12/12 Shiner and Spotlights at Turf Club Read More Spotlights Be sure to show up extra early to check out trio Spotlights (real life couple Sarah and Mario Quintero and drummer Chris Enriquez). They just released Hanging By Faith EP, which featured a cover of The Cure’s “Faith”. …

12/12/2021 Sunday

Shiner and Spotlights
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Kansas City’s Shiner will be in St Paul at the Turf Club on December 12th. The show is co-headlined with Spotlights.

Shiner will be play tracks from their latest album Schadenfreude, which was released earlier this year. The band’s Paul Epley shares, “Shiner, like every other band in the entire effing world, was beyond devastated when we couldn’t support our first record in 20 years, Schadenfreude last May. We barely even got it made and all of a sudden, whammy. That’s what makes these shows so much more special for us is the ability to play this record live for our fans.”

Shiner tour dates

12.7 Grand Rapids MI @ Pyramid Scheme %
12.8 Indianapolis IN @ Black Circle %
12.9 St Louis MO @ Red Flag %
12.10 Chicago IL @ Lincoln Hall %
12.11 Kansas City MO @ Record Bar %
12.12 St Paul MN @ Turf Club %
1.19 Phoenix AZ @ Rebel Lounge
1.20 Tucson AZ @ 191 Toole
1.21 San Diego CA @ Soda Bar
1.22 Palmdale CA @ Transplants Brewing
1.24 Los Angeles CA @ Zebulon
1.25 San Francisco CA @ Bottom of the Hill $
1.27 Eugene OR @ Sessions $
1.28 Portland OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge $
1.29 Seattle WA @ Substation $
1.31 Sacramento CA @ Goldfield Trading Post $
3.3 Brooklyn NY @ Zone One @ Elsewhere
3.5 Philadelphia PA @ Kung Fu Nectie
3.6 Baltimore MD @ Ottobar
3.7 Asheville NC @ Grey Eagle
3.8 Atlanta GA @ The Earl
3.9 Nashville TN @ Drkmttr
3.10 Columbus OH @ SpaceBar
3.11 Cincinnati OH @ Woodward Theater
3.12 Tolono IL @ Loose Cobra

% w/ SpotLights
$ w/ OneLineDrawing

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

Black Friday 2021

Read More Radiohead Radiohead was called On A Friday in 1995 because that's when they met to rehearse. Oasis originally named themselves after a Beatles song called "The Rain" …

RADIOHEAD
radiohead.com

You know, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), is tomorrow (Nov 26)… but the sales have been taking place all week (and even all month from some retailers). This used to be one of my favorite times of the year, but since the COVID restrictions… I haven’t been too enthusiastic about the shopping “holiday”. Since supplies are limited (products stuck in shipping containers), prices haven’t exactly been amazing.

As usual, the best deals are with large televisions, physical media, and games. Usually games released last year can be had for 50% or more. The typical digital game store fronts have their annual sale, such as Steam and GOG. The discounts are basically the same across the board, and this year, I might not get anything. There aren’t any games that I’m interested in playing.

I take that back, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is on sale, and it’s a game (three games actually) that I’m interested in checking out the new “remaster”. It’s currently on sale for $35 on Amazon, but unfortunately, there’s no rush for me, as I played the original games when they first came out and I’m not exactly sure if I want to play the same story again.

If you don’t want to spend money at all, over at Epic, you can get Kid A Mnesia Exhibition for absolutely free. I love Radiohead, but Kid A and Amnesiac was a change in direction for their music. Although I appreciate those albums, I still prefer OK Computer-era Radiohead. Still, for $0, it’s worth checking out Kid A Mnesia Exhibition.

Read More Troye Sivan Teen idol Troye Sivan brought his Bloom tour to the State Theatre in Minneapolis on October 17th. First on the lineup was Carlie Hanson (who was a surprise as she’s not listed on the venue’s website). ..…

JORDY
jordymusic.com

Speaking of free, if you are in the area, stop by the world famous Mall of America, in Bloomington, to see Los Angeles’ Jordy and New Jersey’s WanMor on Black Friday, November 26th, for free. They’ll be performing an exclusive live performance at noon, on the Huntington Bank Rotunda. If you arrived early enough (before 10am), you can also receive special wristbands to meet and greet the musicians.

We’ve been to a few of these events, the artists usually play three or four songs. Check out more Mall of America coverages here.

Here’s additional details about the Jordy/WanMor event:

Join us for a special performance with Jordy + WanMor. Plus get the opportunity to meet the bands!

JORDY is an up +coming singer-songwriter now based in Los Angeles. Drawing influences from Lauv and Troye Sivan with catchy melodies and unforgettable hooks, JORDY has been releasing a steady supply of pop hits + features. He has been taking over media, first as one of Radio Disney’s featured artists with the release of his song “Tomorrow feat. OSTON,” + most recently on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where he participated in and won the Songwriter’s Challenge. With a heart-on-sleeve approach to modern pop music, JORDY’s music explores themes of rejection and loneliness through the lens of hope and empowerment, such as in Is It Love?’ which asks...

WanMor, a pop + R&B group from South Jersey, features 4 brothers, Big Boy, Chulo, Tyvas + Rocco. With their powerful sound + influence of music from Boyz II Men, they are taking the stage to perform at Mall of America.

Wristbanding for the meet + greet will begin at 10 a.m. Masks will be required to participate in the meet + greet. Please check Official Event Guidelines for details.

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

Girls Girls Girls: Diamond, Rainbow, Pink, Rose

Read more Girls Girls Girls.

Read More My Brightest Diamond Show up early to check out My Brightest Diamond (aka Shara Nova). The singer just dropped her new album A Million And One on November 23rd on Rhyme & Reason Records. She’s currently .…

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND
mybrightestdiamond.com

Shara Nova, band leader for My Brightest Diamond, announced a 10-year anniversary of her beloved song “I Have Never Loved Someone” with a brand new version, recorded live during a performance in Denmark for the Queen, with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra with German conductor Andreas Delfs.

“I Have Never Loved Someone” was originally on My Brightest Diamond’s All Things Will Unwind LP in 2011, and became one of her best-known song.

“I Have Never Loved Someone” is being released as a special vinyl, with the b-side of “Love Was There”, featuring Vincent Taurelle (Air, Beck, Christine and The Queens) on synths and Lydia Cleaver from Cass Tech Harp and Vocal Ensemble on harp.

The two-song release is the first of My Brightest Diamond’s new releases since two spring 2019 stand-alone singles “Quiet Loud” and “Dorian”.

We caught MBD in Dec 2018 and wrote about hearing “I Have Never Loved Someone” as being one of the best song on her set:

“The whole show felt more like an art performance, complete with dance sequences. I think my personal favorite is for the penultimate song, “I Have Never Loved Someone”, which was done almost like a capella. This really showcased Shara’s beautiful vocals.”

RAINBOW GIRLS
rainbowgirlsmusic.com

Bay Area trio Rainbow Girls will be releasing their EP of all-new original songs called Dumpster Fire on December 6, 2021.

If you listen to the Dumpster Fire EP from start to finish, it apparently tells a story of a single weekend, according to Erin Chapin (one-third of the trio): “The storyline moves through the events of a single weekend with two lovers finally coming together, just to be pulled apart by some unknown and unnamed force. Though written through the lens of a personal, very literal experience with romantic love, the overarching theme of 'Doesn’t Make Any Sense' is something everyone seems to be experiencing right now: the pandemic; climate change; homelessness; the refusal to treat all types of people with dignity, respect, and equality. Nothing makes any sense. How can salvation be so obvious, yet so intangible?”

Check out Rainbow Girls on tour:

January 14th — Fargo, ND — Sanctuary Events Center*
January 15th — Fargo, ND — Sanctuary Events Center*
January 16th — Omaha, NE — Slowdown*
January 17th — Omaha, NE — Slowdown*
January 19th — Iowa City, IA — Englert Theatre*
January 21st — Iowa City, IA — Englert Theatre*
January 22nd — Bloomington, IL — Castle Theatre*
January 23rd — Bloomington, IL — Castle Theatre*
January 24th — Nashville, TN — Exit/In*
January 25th — Nashville, TN — Exit/In*
January 31st — Pensacola, FL — Vinyl Music Hall*
February 1st — Pensacola, FL — Vinyl Music Hall*
February 2nd — Savannah, GA — Victory North Savannah*
February 3rd — Savannah, GA — Victory North Savannah*
March 18th-25th — Cayamo Cruise

*supporting The Dead South

SUE FOLEY
suefoley.com

Award-winning blues guitarist/singer Sue Foley released Pinky’s Blues in October. The album features several new original songs from Foley, plus some covers of old favorite blues and roots artists.

To support the release of Pinky’s Blues, she’s set on doing a few live concerts…. Including a stop in St Paul on Dec 8th, at the Turf Club.

Tour Dates:

DEC 3 Knuckleheads Saloon Kansas City, MO
DEC 4 Zoo Bar Lincoln, NE
DEC 7 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
DEC 8 Turf Club St Paul, MN
DEC 9 Vangarde Arts Sioux City, IA
DEC 10 The Washington Burlington,
DEC 11 The Coda Concert House Joplin, MO
DEC 17 Mercer Street DanceHall Dripping Springs, TX
DEC 28 The Jungle Show Austin, TX
DEC 29 The Jungle Show Austin, TX
FEB 11, 2022 Charles Bender Performing Arts Center Humble, TX
FEB 20, 2022 Blue Jay Listening Room Jacksonville Beach, FL
FEB 21, 2022 Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Miami, FL
MAR 3, 2022 Zebulon Los Angeles, CA
MAR 4, 2022 Hopmonk Tavern Novato, CA

MAGGIE ROSE
maggierosemusic.com

Nashville roots-rock soul powerhouse Maggie Rose released her third studio album Have a Seat. The album recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, and was produced by Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes).

Rose comments, “These songs were written during a contentious time, and there are undertones to the lyrics that are influenced by the state of our world politics and the politics of the music industry. The title Have a Seat is responsorial, placing an emphasis on inclusivity — like, ‘Here, sit down. Let’s try talking to each other.’ One of the most loving things we can do is listen and make others feel heard — give people the space to speak their mind and be themselves. However, there’s also an intended meaning to the title that points to the power in occupying the seat that’s designated to you: I am claiming a seat I believe is rightfully mine, and I want others to do the same.”

Maggie Rose On Tour

12/8 @ Asbury Lanes | Asbury Park, NJ
12/9 @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn | Brooklyn, NY
12/10 @ Birchmere | Alexandria, VA
12/15 @ Knuckleheads Saloon | Kansas City, MO
12/16 @ Shank Hall | Milwaukee, WI
12/17 @ 7th Street Entry | Minneapolis, MN
12/18 @ SPACE | Evanston, IL

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

Fantasy TV

Read more Television.

Read More Squid Game If you haven’t heard, Squid Game is Netflix’s blockbuster television show. Everyone, at least over 111 million, is watching this South Korean drama/thriller. …

HELLBOUND
netflix.com

Thanks to Squid Game being the number television show at Netflix… audience looking for the next big South Korean horror/thriller series.

Enter Hellbound, a new series from Yeon Sang-ho, the person responsible for directing Train to Busan and Peninsula. The show is about these people who are given judgement sentences to hell. Three demons will appear on the date of their judgement to beat and incinerate them.

At first you think it’s only judgement against criminals or sinners… but you soon find out bad people aren’t the only ones being judged.

I find that the world’s fantasy rules aren’t exactly spelled out for the audience. In fact, it felt like the writer/creator was making up the rules as they were going along. Why were some people judged, and not others (like the cult that rose to punish the judged)? If the demons can appear anywhere and carry their punishment, why bother chasing the humans? Why haven’t the judged encased themselves in a fireproof box? What if the judged killed themselves before the demons arrived? Why are some people given weeks, while others are given only seconds to live? It just made absolutely no sense to me.

In other films, like The Ring, you have three days before the girl in the well kills you. In Death Note, if you know the person’s real name, you can write their name in a book to kill them. In One Missed Call, the supernatural phone killer will call everyone in your contact list. These rules are established so you can follow and understand what is happening. With Hellbound, it just seems like anyone can be judged… and there is no escape from it.

The ending of the show is somewhat predictable, even though it made no sense to me. I don’t want to talk about it in details, but it did leave me puzzled. You can’t approach this show with logic.

While the show will like thrilled audience, I just didn’t enjoy it.

Read More Game of Thrones HBO's Game of Thrones Season 5 is set for April 12, 2015, and traditionally they've released their Blu-Ray and DVDs just months before the premiere to get fans caught up or excited about the …

WHEEL OF TIME
amazon.com

The long-running Wheel of Time books are finally being made into a television series from Amazon Prime. If you have Amazon Prime, as I do, via my brother’s family account, then it’s free for you to watch.

I’ve never read the books by Robert Jordan, and later, Brandon Sanderson, but I understand it’s epic and spans 14 books, including a prequel and two companion books. I can only assume the television show follows the first book. So far, the pilot ends with a sneak attack by the Minotaurs (or orcs?) on this small village. I don’t know about you, but based on the snarls and brutishness of these creatures… there’s no way they can ninja their way to the village.

The two characters that I’m most interested in are the powerful sorceress and her swordsman companion. They seem to be roaming the country, searching for someone who can stop “the Dragon”. By the end of the pilot, you understand that it’s one of the four or five characters from the village that will become Dragon. We don’t know who it is, and personally speaking, I don’t really care.

The show was sold to me as the next Game of Throne-ish series, and, indeed, it does feature a cast of hundreds, based on viewing the pilot, I can tell you that it’s nowhere near the budget or scale of the HBO series.

I think where Game of Thrones succeeds, it is that the show starts off in realism. It’s a world without magic… and slowly through the series, it introduces us to fantasy and magic (with the birth of three dragons). In Wheel of Time, you’re hit with magic and fantasy right away.

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