W♥M

We♥KC - January 16-31 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence / Topeka KS)

01/18 Wynton Marsalis at Lied Center Read More Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis has been a global ambassador for jazz for so long, it’s easy to forget his New Orleans roots run deep. The Majesty of the Blues reminds us that he never forgot his hometown .…

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Well, this is no way to start the new year--

“Postponed”seems to be the word for many shows, no thanks to the Omicron variant and record-high infections, but the silver lining is most shows are being delayed and not completely canceled. 

Thankfully, a few events have carried on, including most comedydates, and we could all use a good laugh at the moment.  Highlight of the month is undoubtedly the solid triple-bill with Kacey Musgraves, King Princess, and MUNA at T-Mobile Center and (as of this writing) the Elton John show there, scheduled for Feb 1 (after a July 2020 delay) is still on, so there’s plenty of hope and things to look forward to.  Stay safe!

Given the current public health state, assume masks and/or vaccination proof are required for entry. 

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the Second half of January:

Monday January 17

Thursdaywith Cursive, Jeremy Enigk, Appleseed Cast, Truman,POSTPONED to March 9

Tuesday January 18

Wynton Marsalis, Lied Center- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra series, $19-$55

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra comprises 15 notable jazz soloists and ensemble players. Led by Wynton Marsalis,  this versatile orchestra performs a wide repertoire ranging from original compositions / commissions to historic and familiar masterworks.

Wednesday January 19

Wolves in the Throne Room, Granada- Lawrence CANCELED

Friday January 21

01/21 Kacey Musgraves at T-Mobile Center Read More Kacey Musgraves Multiple Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves has sold out her upcoming appearance at the Palace Theatre in St Paul. Kacey’s third studio album, Golden Hour is out now. .…

Kacey Musgraves wKing Princess and MUNA, T-Mobile Center  $35.50-145.50

The still-rising country artist embarks on herUnveiled Tour at the biggest booked venues to date, supporting her fourth studio album, star-crossed, which was accompanied by a film of the same title when released in September.

Support actsKing Princess and MUNA are not to be missed either – guided by Mark Ronson, King Princess was a breakout in 2019 with debut album Cheap Queen, and recent single “House Burn Down” is a first release from the upcoming follow-up record. 

LA electronic trio MUNA has released two studio albums (2019’s Saves the World being the most recent) and very convincingly may have had the best single of 2021 – “Silk Chiffon”, a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, having also signed  in March with Bridgers’ imprint, Saddest Factory. 

Ryan Hurd with Morgan Wade, The Truman. $22-$40

Nate Bargatze,(comedian) Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, 2 shows. $39.75-$79.75

Kansas City Symphony – Harry Potter in Concert (Jan 20-23), Kauffman Center, $58-$138

Relive the magic with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™displayed on a high-definition giant screen, accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony.

Saturday January 22

01/22 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live at Kauffman Center Read More MST3K Jonah Ray, when referring to the rabid fans at Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), said it best, “We have to watch this, you guys paid to be here.” .…

The Man in Black: Tribute To Johnny Cash, Ameristar. $15-$105

Kayzo with Phase One and Calcium, The Truman. $18-$40

LA-based DJ and founder of Welcome Records has collaborated with the likes of Illenium, Paris Shadows, Whales, and even Papa Roach, and that’s just this year. 

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live, Kauffman Center, $25-225

Join host Emily Connor and the movie-riffing robots, Tom Servo (Conor McGiffin), Crow (Nate Begle) and GPC (Yvonne Freese), as they take you on a roller coaster ride via the film "Making Contact," (1985) imposed by Mad Scientist, Mega-Synthia (Yvonne Freese).

Sunday January 23

Diana Krall, Kauffman Center. POSTPONED

Loving, Bottleneck-Lawrence, POSTPONED

Tuesday January 25

Dante Elephante, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $12-$15

Motion City Soundtrack, Jan. 25, Granada. POSTPONED

 

Nelly, Jan. 25, Uptown. POSTPONED

Wednesday January 26

01/28 Falling in Reverse at Uptown Read More Falling in Reverse American rock band Falling in Reverse just headlined the Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis on Thursday night, September 27, in support of their new album Coming Home (released in 2017 via legendary .…

Dillon Francis and Yung Gravy with Kittens, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $35-$48

Platinum-selling DJ / producer / actor Francis has solidified himself as modern-day renaissance man, averaging over four million monthly Spotify streams

Reptaliens, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $13-15

“Portland band inspired by sci-fi art, cult mentality and deep connections, creating low fidelity chameleon dreamscapes somewhere between abstract expressionism and surrealism both sonically and visually” – ok, we’re interested.

Friday January 28

Falling in Reverse w/ Wage War, Hawthorne Heights, Jeris Johnson, Uptown, SOLD OUT

This stacked musical evening is a standout in that tickets have been long unavailable  to see this full evening of aggro rock. The Las Vegas quartet just released a new single, “Zombified” from an upcoming Neon Zombie EP and embarks on their Live From the Unknown Tour.

All support acts are noteworthy as well, including Jeris Johnson, the TikTok sensation and Papa Roach collaborator who just released "Friday (Reloaded)" +a remix of his successful single "Friday" feat. Trippie Redd+ , melding pop, EDM, and early metal influences. 

Davy Knowlesw/ Brandon Miller, Knuckleheads, $15

Incredible blues/folk rock UK guitarist, both as a young man fronting Back Door Slam, and presently on his solo career – new album What Happens Next was released on October 22nd via Provogue Records/Mascot Label.

Herman’s Hermits feat. Peter Noone, Ameristar. $35-$50

Jim Jefferies, (comedian) Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, 2 shows. $39.75-$89.75

Saturday January 29

01/29 Houndmouth at The Truman 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. ....

Houndmouth w Buffalo Nichols, The Truman, $20-40.

The Indiana alt-blues band just released their fourth full-length, Good for You via Dualtone Records and we caught them last playing live back in 2016, playing an early set at the wonderful and gone-too-soon Festival Palomino, curated by Duluth band Trampled by Turtles. 

Elmar Oliveira, Park Intl Center for Music- Mission Woods, $10 (student) $30 (public)

American classical violinist whose remarkable combination of impeccable artistry and old- world elegance sets him apart. Oliveira remains the first and only US violinist to win the Gold Medal at Moscow’s prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition.

Fortune Feimster (comedian) Uptown. $29.50-$92

Tech 9ne, Granada- Lawrence, $31-$36

Sunday January 30

Villalobos Brothers w Las Cafeteras, Polsky Theater at JCCC, $25-$35

The Villalobos Brothers’ original compositions celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music, combined with the intricacies of classical music and jazz while Las Cafeteras, from East Los Angeles, mix roots music with modern-day stories and we caught this eclectic and entertaining ensemble back in 2017 in St. Paul.

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

Towns & Cities

Read More Little Big Town Kansas will play a nearby homecoming show, and country fans will get to see Little Big Town up close, opting for two theater shows instead of one big arena gig. … Miranda Lambert The Smithereens will be playing Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant. 03/17/2017 Miranda Lambert with Old Dominion and Aubrie Sellers will be at Xcel Energy Center. …

LITTLE BIG TOWN
littlebigtown.com

Country music superstars and multi-Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winners Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town have join forces to co-headline this spring’s The Bandwagon Tour.

Speaking of towns & cities, Citi is the official card of The Bandwagon Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning the Tuesday (Jan 11) ahead of each on sale date at 12 p.m. local time until Thursday at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

Dates on Sale Beginning This Friday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. Local Time:

06/27 * Tuscaloosa Amphitheater | Tuscaloosa, AL
06/28 * FirstBank Amphitheater | Franklin, TN
06/29 *# William Green | Johnson City, TN
05/6 + Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | Houston, TX
05/7 Dos Equis Pavilion | Dallas, TX
05/8 Walmart AMP | Rogers, AR
05/12 Credit One Stadium | Charleston, SC
05/13 MIDFLORIDA Credit Union | Tampa, FL
05/14 iTHINK | West Palm Beach, FL.
05/20 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre | St. Louis, MO
05/21 Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, IN
05/22 Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH
06/2 Budweiser Stage | Toronto, ON
06/3 DTE Energy Music Theatre | Detroit, MI
06/ 4 Blossom Music Center | Cuyahoga Falls, OH
06/9 Northwell Health | Wantagh, NY
06/10 PNC Bank Arts Center | Holmdel, NJ
06/11 BB&T Pavilion | Camden, NJ

* Miranda Lambert & The Cadillac Three only; not part of The Bandwagon Tour
+ on sale Friday, Jan 21. at 10 a.m. local time
# on sale Friday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. local time

Read More Magic City Hippies Magic City Hippies is touring in support of their debut album Modern Animal… stopping by the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul on February 1st. … Courtship. Opening the show was Courtship (stylized as courtship.). We’ve previously seen the band debut in Minneapolis in March 2018 and said, “…sunny electro-pop of Los Angeles duo Courtship. …

MAGIC CITY HIPPIES
magiccityhippies.com

Miami’s Magic City Hippies is currently on tour in support of their forthcoming album Water Your Garden. This new album is the first album that the trio were in various locations in the USA (Los Angeles, Montana, and Miami). The album was put together remotely, and they are eager to go back on tour.

Courtship is their support for this tour. We saw the duo (trio for this live show) in Oct 2021 and said, “As you can see from the photos, the band is joined by a live drummer. Songs on their set includes plenty of songs about “guys”, like “Guy Stuff” and “Nice Guy”. They ended their set with an explosive rendition of “Stop for Nothing”.”

Tour dates:

Jan 13: Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall ^
Jan 14: Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse ^
Jan 15: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle ^
Jan 16: Washington, DC - Union Stage ^
Jan 18: Fairfield, CT - Warehouse ^
Jan 20: Boston, MA - Big Night Live ^
Jan 21: New York, NY - Irving Plaza ^
Jan 22: Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry ^
Jan 23: Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Music Hall ^
Jan 25: Cleveland, OH - House of Blues ^
Jan 27: Indianapolis, IN - The Hifi ^
Jan 28: Chicago, IL - Park West ^
Jan 29: Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom ^
Jan 30: Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater ^
Feb 1: St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall ^
Feb 2: Kansas City, MO - Madrid Theatre ^
Feb 4: Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre ^
Feb 5: Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings Music Pavilion
Feb 6: Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room ^
Feb 8: Bozeman, MT - The ELM ^
Feb 9: Missoula, MT - The Wilma ^
Feb 11: Seattle, WA - The Showbox @ The Market ^
Feb 12: Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom ^
Feb 14: Eugene, OR - Sessions Music Hall #
Feb 15: Sacramento, CA - Harlow's #
Feb 17: Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst Atrium #
Feb 18: San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore #
Feb 19: Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco #
Feb 20: San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park #
Feb 22: Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom #
Feb 23: Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad #
Feb 25: Dallas, TX - Trees #
Feb 26: Austin, TX - Emo's #
Feb 27: Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall #

^ courtship. supports
# Bay Ledges supports

Read More Purple Funk Metropolis Ticket link in our biome, or at first ave dot com. Love you. Purple Funk Metropolis and Dr. Goon and The Daily Tribune to open. ....

PURPLE FUNK METROPOLIS
purplefunkmetropolis.com

Local seven-piece instrumental Purple Funk Metropolis will be headlining the 7th Street Entry in Feb 11th. The band released their new album The Golden Goose recently.

Opening up the Feb 11th show will be The Controversial New 'Skinny Pill' and Shrimp Olympics.

Track listing:

1. Get Loose!
2. This Just In
3. Scrum Diddley 03:36 4. Big Fat Soul Explosion
5. Tres Leches
6. Egg Boy
7. Beautiful Golden Fur!
8. Salty
9. Chunky Jam
10. The Zebra
11. Take Flight
12. Sam's Club
13. Dance Party for the Ages

CANYON CITY
canyoncitymusic.com

Paul Johnson, aka Canyon City recently released his new EP Matinee on Nettwerk.

Talking about the new album, Johnson notes, “Some of these songs end in hope, some in despair, but I hope that they all are able to keep folks company (or maybe ask for that company myself) in the brutal and beautiful experience of being human in an unfamiliar season. When it’s hope, I’m trying to remember and hold on to it. When it’s despair, I’m going to travel through it.”

Matinée Track List:

01. Changes
02. Paris
03. So Are We
04. Comets
05. Locket
06. Song for Spring

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

Minneapolis: February 1 to February 3

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

02/01 Hippie Sabotage with Daisy Guttridge at The Fillmore 02/01 Cattle Decapitation with The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Creeping Death and Extinction A.D. at Turf Club Read More Last Ten Seconds of Life Even when everything stopped after a kid got knocked out cold during The Last Ten Seconds of Life's set, as soon as he was carried out of the pit by complete strangers, the energy came right back up as high as it was before. It didn't scare people …

02/01/2022 Tuesday

Hippie Sabotage
with Daisy Guttridge
at The Fillmore
fillmoreminneapolis.com

Sacramento’s electronic dance duo Hippie Sabotage (brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer) will be stopping by the Fillmore in Minneapolis on Feb 1st.

Show up early to check out rising artist British-born, Los Angeles-based singer Daisy Guttridge with her new single “i found u”, out today, November 12th via Boom Records.

Tour dates:

Jan 14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
Jan 18 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
Jan 20 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo
Jan 21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo
Jann 22 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Jan 25 - Bozeman, MT - The Elm
Jan 26 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma Theatre
Jan 28 - Boise, ID - Revolution Event Center
Jan 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Union
Feb 1 - Minneapolis, MN - The Fillmore
Feb 2 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee
Feb 3 - Chicago, IL - Radius
Feb 4 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
Feb 5 - Indianapolis, IN - Old National Center
Feb 6 - Louisville, KY - Paristown
Feb 8 - Chattanooga, TN - The Signal
Feb 9 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
Feb 10 - Grand Rapids, MI - 20 Monroe Live
Feb 11 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
Feb 12 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music
Feb 15 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Feb 16 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Feb 17 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
Feb 18 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
Feb 19 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
Feb 22 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
Feb 23 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva

02/01/2022 Tuesday

Cattle Decapitation
with The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Creeping Death and Extinction A.D.
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Metal band Cattle Decapitation will headline the Turf Club this February 1st. They are touring in support of Death Atlas (Metal Blade Records).

Joining them will be The Last Ten Seconds Of Life (stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before, but it sounds like they stole their name from The Smiths song), Creeping Death and Extinction A.D..

Tour dates:

1/18/2022 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
1/19/2022 The Glass House – Pomona, CA
1/20/2022 1720 – Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2022 The Cornserstone – Berkely, CA
1/20/2022 Cargo – Reno, NV
1/24/2022 Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
1/25/2022 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
1/26/2022 The Shredder – Boise, ID
1/27/2022 The Metro – Salt Lake City, UT
1/28/2022 The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
1/29/2022 The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
1/31/2022 The Apollo AC – Belvidere, IL
2/01/2022 Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN
2/02/2022 The Forge – Joilet, IL
2/03/2022 Hobart Art Theater – Hobart, IN
2/04/2022 The Foundry – Lakewood, OH
2/05/2022 Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
2/06/2022 The Shelter – Detroit, MI
2/08/2022 Palladium Upstairs – Worcester, MA
2/09/2022 Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
2/11/2022 The Loft – Atlanta, GA
2/12/2022 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
2/14/2022 Secret Group – Houston, TX
2/15/2022 Amplified Live – Dallas, TX
2/16/2022 Come And Take It – Austin, TX
2/18/2022 Rockhouse Bar & Grill – El Paso, TX
2/19/2022 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
2/20/2022 Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ

02/01 The Warning at Fine Line Read More The Warning Hard rock trio The Warning (real life sisters Dany on guitar, lead vocals, Pau on drums, and Ale on bass) is on their first US headlining tour in 2022. They’ve already created a buzz with their cover of …

02/01/2022 Tuesday

The Warning
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Girls Girls Girls: Muna, The Warning, Chai, Gracie Abrams:

Hard rock trio The Warning (real life sisters Dany on guitar, lead vocals, Pau on drums, and Ale on bass) is on their first US headlining tour in 2022. They’ve already created a buzz with their cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” (from their EP Mayday) and sold out their upcoming appearances at the Troubadour.

The Warning 2022 US Tour Schedule

01/18 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
01/20 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
01/22 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
01/24 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
01/26 - Seattle, WA - Barboza
01/27 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore
01/29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex
01/30 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
02/1 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
02/2 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
02/4 - Flint, MI - The Machine Stop
02/5 - Pittsburg, PA - Jergels
02/6 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
02/7 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
02/9 - NYC - Gramercy Theater
02/11 - Reading, PA - Reverb
02/12 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head
02/13 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
02/15 - Atlanta, GA - Hell
02/16 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
02/19 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It
02/20 - Dallas TX - The Studio at The Factory
02/21 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio
02/25 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
02/26 - Santa Ana, CA- Constellation Room

02/03 Remi Wolf at First Avenue Read More Remi Wolf Los Angeles’ Remi Wolf was last seen in Minneapolis with Cautious Clay (aka Josh Karpeh), in December 2019. …

02/03/2022 Thursday

Remi Wolf
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Emerging pop star Remi Wolf finally released her debut album Juno (Island Records)… and yes, there’s a tour to go along with it.

Tour dates:

01/24 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency
01/26 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
01/27 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
01/30 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
01/31 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
02/3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
02/4 - Chicago, IL - Metro
02/6 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
02/8 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix
02/10 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
02/11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
02/13 - Boston, MA - Royale
02/14 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
02/16 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

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

Gamer TV: Witcher and Arcane

Read more Television and Weekend Gamer.

Read More The Witcher Critics absolutely hates Netflix’s The Witcher. The reason is that they don’t generally love the source material (a series of fantasy books) and they don’t play the video games. Since they don’t know the books or games, there’s a disconnect …

THE WITCHER
netflix.com

The second The Witcher season is upon us! Man, it’s been so long (the first season aired in 2019!), I have forgotten much of the first season. I do recall that I loved it… however the critics hated it because they just couldn’t follow the three different time lines. Those same “critics” didn’t really watch the entire season, and they’ve even admitted it so.

There’s even a jab/joke at the critics in Season 2, where a guard said that he didn’t like Dandelion’s song, citing it was too complicated, that he didn’t realized there was three different timeline until the third verse. I laughed so hard at that joke. Sure, it was out of place, but I thought it was funny.

For Season 2, there are no multi-timeline, it’s all one (or actually two) storyline and played out pretty straight forward. I would have to complain that the first episode felt like “Monster of the week” and didn’t seem to fit with the rest of Season 2.

In typical Netflix fashion, we get all the episodes to binge at once, and I really appreciate that. I just don’t have to patience to wait for the full story – I want to see how it ends.

Since I played the excellent video games from CD Projekt Red, I had an idea of where the show was heading… but it was still really fun to see how it unfolds. For example, when they introduced all the other Witchers (including Geralt’s father figure), at the Witcher Keep, you knew many of them weren’t going to make it to the end of the season. This was fairly obvious, at least to me.

The second and third episodes, we find that Geralt had decided to train Ciri to defend herself when he’s gone.

We also finally meet Triss Merigold, to help find out about these monsters that Ciri had unleashed. I have to say that I’m so used to seeing Triss in the video game, that her appearance is … a little different in the TV show. I suppose I have to get used to it. Her hair is curly, but at least they dyed it red. I think the internet would be entirely upset if her hair was not red.

In the game, you romanced with her (or at least you have the option), so it’s implied that she’s a former ex, but in the show, they played it like they’ve never gone in that way, even though Triss wants a relationship.

Personally speaking, between Yennifer and Triss, I’ve always been partial to Triss, as she’s often friendlier and relatable.

There’s also this other plot about the war between the Elves and Humans, which was somewhat confusing… but if you pay attention, there is an evil force that is pulling the string. Since Yennifer lost her magic powers, I felt the show didn’t know what to do with her. Her motivation is to sacrifice Ciri so she can get her powers back, which is spelled out to the viewers – but I’m not sure how everyone else figured out the plot.

There is an amazing human vs Witcher fight sequence that is beyond unbelievable. It was great and gritting, and honestly was so much better than that CGI-dragons/lizard fight that the Witchers had in the end.

Anyway, I love the ending, even though it’s setting up The Wild Hunt for next season, and I’m all on board! Unlike Season 1, the critics loved it at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes (that’s because there’s only one timeline).

Read More League of Legends League of Legends is also offering a free full album download at on their official website for a limited time. Unlike my complaint about the Tavern Songs, this Music of League Vol 1 comes with album artwork.…

ARCANE
netflix.com

I don’t play the League of Legends video game, that Arcane is based on, so I actually had no interest in watching this new animated series… however, after seeing so many glowing reviews of the Netflix show, I had to give it a chance.

So, yeah, it’s pretty good… but, to me, it’s not that amazing. I think the animation is really cool, it has that Blizzard style… and if you can get past the animation, you might like the show.

Sometime, I just wish they kill off Jinx (Powder), as she’s clearly crazy… but the show gave her bulletproof plot armor. Same goes for her crazy father-figure Silco... there are so many moments where I just wish they get rid of these characters.

The problem is that everyone loves the show, and after watching it, I just think it’s alright. I’ve seen this type of story before, and I wasn’t all-in in all the characters. I didn’t really like anyone, except for perhaps, Caitlyn, a sniper that was introduced late in the series. I like her because she motive is pure, and in service of justice. I can see where the show is going, perhaps a romance between Vi and Caitlyn, but we may not see that blossom until season two.

Speaking of which, the response to Season One was so good that the second season is already in production – but it won’t arrive until after 2022.

Again, I think the show is fine, I’m not sure why there’s all this hype for it. I guess since I don’t play the video game by Riot Games, I am just not invested in it. Even the cliffhanger ending, I’m like “meh” and I can take it or leave it for Season 2.

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

Girls Girls Girls: Muna, The Warning, Chai, Gracie Abrams

Read more Girls Girls Girls and Minneapolis Music Guide

Read More Muna Muna (who was last seen in Rocktober 2016 with Grouplove), is back in Minnesota... this time rocking the Turf Club in St Paul. .… Kacey Musgraves Multiple Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves has sold out her upcoming appearance at the Palace Theatre in St Paul. Kacey’s third studio album, Golden Hour is out now. .…

MUNA
whereismuna.com

Los Angeles-based trio Muna (stylized as MUNA) earlier this year signed with Saddest Factory and collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers on their single “Silk Chiffon.”

The all-girls band also recently announced their tour with Kacey Musgraves, tour dates listed below.

Tour dates:

1/19/22 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Center #
1/20/22 - Chicago, IL @ United Center #
1/21/22 - Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center #
1/23/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage#
1/24/22 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena #
1/26/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena #
1/27/22 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden #
1/28/22 - Harrisburg, PA @ The Englewood
1/29/22 - Burlington, VT @ Higherground Ballroom
1/31/22 - Montreal, QC @ L’Astral
2/1/22 - Northampton, MA @ Gateway City Arts
2/2/22 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
2/3/22 - Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena #
2/5/22 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden #
2/7/22 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
2/8/22 - Charlotte, NC @ Underground
2/9/22 - Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena #
2/10/22 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East
2/11/22 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena #
2/14/22 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines #
2/16/22 - Denver, CO @ Ball Arena #
2/17/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
2/19/22 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena #
2/20/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center #

# w/ Kacey Musgraves

Read More Metallica Metallica headlined the very first rock show at the new US Bank Stadium, in front of over 50,000 (most in black t-shirts) and brought along openers Volbeat and Avenged Sevenfold. …

THE WARNING
thewarningband.com

Hard rock trio The Warning (real life sisters Dany on guitar, lead vocals, Pau on drums, and Ale on bass) is on their first US headlining tour in 2022. They’ve already created a buzz with their cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” (from their EP Mayday) and sold out their upcoming appearances at the Troubadour.

The Warning 2022 US Tour Schedule

01/18 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
01/20 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
01/22 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
01/24 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
01/26 - Seattle, WA - Barboza
01/27 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore
01/29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex
01/30 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
02/1 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
02/2 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
02/4 - Flint, MI - The Machine Stop
02/5 - Pittsburg, PA - Jergels
02/6 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
02/7 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
02/9 - NYC - Gramercy Theater
02/11 - Reading, PA - Reverb
02/12 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head
02/13 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
02/15 - Atlanta, GA - Hell
02/16 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
02/19 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It
02/20 - Dallas TX - The Studio at The Factory
02/21 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio
02/25 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
02/26 - Santa Ana, CA- Constellation Room

Read More Mitski If you’re one of the cool kids, you’ll be at this upcoming sold out Mitski show at First Avenue’s mainroom. It’s quite a difference, considering that it was only Nov 2015 that Mitski made her debut at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis. …

CHAI
chai-band.com

Japanese all-girls rock band Chai (stylized as CHAI) will be heading on tour in support of their new album Wink, on Sub Pop Records. We don’t normally get Japanese bands coming to our parts of the world, so check them out on tour if you get the chance.

After their headlining tour, they’ll meet up with Mitski on Feb 17, as her support band.

Tour dates:

Feb. 4 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Feb. 5 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Feb. 6 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Feb. 9 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
Feb. 11 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Feb. 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Feb. 13 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Feb. 15 - Brooklyn NY @ Elsewhere
Feb. 17 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *
Feb. 18 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz *
Feb. 19 - Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern *
Feb. 21 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City *
Feb. 22 - New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre *
Feb. 24 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
Feb. 25 - Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory *
Feb. 26 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live *
Feb. 28 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren *
March 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall *
March 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall *
March 4 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
March 5 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
March 7 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall *
March 9 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre *
March 10 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre *
March 12 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
March 13 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
March 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
March 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom

*= supporting Mitski

Read More Alix Page 19-year-old singer and songwriter Alix Page has shared the somber music video for her latest single “Radiohead” …

GRACIE ABRAMS
gracieabrams.com

Acclaimed songwriter Gracie Abrams released her new project This Is What It Feels Like on Interscope Records. Her upcoming tour (with Alix Page as support) is completely sold out – so there’s massive buzz for her after appearing on New Music Daily (Apple Music) and appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Tour dates:

2/2/22 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
2/4/22 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
2/7/22 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
2/8/22 Chicago, IL Metro
2/10/22 Toronto, ON The Axis Club
2/11/22 Montreal, QC L’Astral
2/12/22 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
2/14/22 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
2/15/22 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
2/17/22 Philadelphia, PA The Foundry
2/19/22 Washington, DC The Miracle Theatre
2/21/22 Nashville, TN The Basement East
2/25/22 Dallas, TX HOB Dallas Cambridge Room
2/26/22 Austin, TX The Parish
3/1/22 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar
3/4/22 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
3/5/22 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
3/7/22 San Francisco, CA August Hall
3/9/22 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
3/12/22 Vancouver, BC Fortune Sound Club
3/13/22 Seattle, WA Neumos

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

Oceanhorn 2

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. …

Someone reminded me that Nintendo has a New Year sale… and so I spent about $50 to get some games on sale. I purchased Borderlands: Legendary Edition, Oceanhorn, and Oceanhorn 2.

I’ve previously played the demo to the original Oceanhorn and it was good enough for me. I guess it didn’t inspired me to buy the original game… even though I’ve seen it on sale for as low as $5 on the Apple App Store. The sequel came out in 2019, and it was only available in Apple Arcade, a monthly gaming service from Apple.

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm finally came out on the Switch in October 2020. Since it’s on sale, I purchased it, along with the original game, and am looking forward playing the two games.

As for Borderlands, I’ve previously already own and played all the 2K games. However, since it was on sale for a really good price ($20)… I figure I might as well add it to my Switch game collection. This is because I’m quietly waiting for a Super Switch or a Switch Pro, because the last two variants, the Switch Mini and Switch OLED were not upgrades. I just really want a fast, better Switch. So many modern games, such as Torchlight III struggles on the current Switch and it just sucks.

I’m still investing in Nintendo games, because I know when they do release a faster Switch or next generation Nintendo Console, that I can just carry my old library over. At least that’s what I’m hoping.

In the meantime, gamers can get excited for the launch of the Steam Deck, which is supposed to launch next month… but due to the pandemic and parts shortage, I doubt they will have a wide release. In fact, I’m still having a lot of problems trying to get my hands on an Xbox Series X. Why is it so difficult?

I guess I should look at the bright side, if I can’t find the consoles for sale, I’m saving money.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

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

Minneapolis: January 27 to January 29

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

01/27 Reptaliens at 7th St Entry Read More Reptaliens Look for the third and last volume later this year. Portland-based duo Reptaliens (Bambi and Cole) to open. …

01/27/2022 Thursday

Reptaliens
with Renata Zeiguer
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

The co-headlining tour of Reptaliens and Yot Club is coming to Minneapolis on January 27th.

Reptaliens’ Multiverse will be available on Captured Tracks on January 21, while Yot Club’s Santolina EP is out on Nice Guys Records on January 14, 2022.

Renata Zeiguer to open.

UPDATE 1/8/2022: I am told that Yot Club has cancelled their appearance.

Tour dates:

01/24/22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
01/25/22 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
01/27/22 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
01/28/22 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
01/29/22 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
01/30/22 - Cleveland, OH - Mahall’s
02/01/22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird
02/03/22 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
02/04/22 - New York, NY - Baby’s All Right
02/05/22 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
02/06/22 - Washington DC - Songbyrd
02/08/22 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
02/09/22 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
02/10/22 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5
02/11, 2022 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
02/13, 2022 – Dallas, TX – DaDa
02/14, 2022 – Austin, TX – Empire
02/16, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge

01/27 Motion City Soundtrack at First Avenue 01/28 Motion City Soundtrack at First Avenue Read More Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack can still qualify as a local band, despite their nationwide popularity and proof that they still connect in Minneapolis, was seen at a crowded main stage for their late afternoon set …

01/27/2022 Thursday

Motion City Soundtrack
with All Get Out
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

01/28/2022 Friday

Motion City Soundtrack
with All Get Out
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Local hometown heroes, Motion City Soundtrack is currently on their “Commit This To Memory 17 Year Anniversary Tour” tour.

They are playing a double-night residency at First Avenue with All Get Out this January 27 and January 28.

Tour dates:

01.02 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
01.04 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
01.05 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
01.07 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
01.08 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
01.09 Pittsburgh, PA The Roxian
01.11 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore
01.12 Silver Spring, MD The Fillmore Silver Spring
01.14 Boston, MA House Of Blues
01.15 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
01.16 New York, NY Terminal 5
01.18 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore Charlotte
01.20 Orlando, FL House Of Blues
01.21 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
01.22 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works
01.24 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
01.25 Lawrence, KS Granada Theater
01.27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
01.28 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
02.08 Austin, TX Emo's
02.09 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
02.11 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
02.12 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
02.14 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
02.15 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
02.17 Sacramento, CA Ace Of Spades
02.18 Berkeley, CA The UC Theatre
02.19 San Diego, CA House Of Blues San Diego
02.20 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
02.22 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
02.23 Los Angeles, CA Belasco Theater
06.03 Leeds, UK Slam Dunk Festival - North
06.04 Hatfield, UK Slam Dunk Festival – South

01/28 Tall Heights at 7th St Entry Read More Tall Heights Boston’s Tall Heights headlined the Turf Club in St Paul on Monday, October 22nd. Starting the show was Brooklyn’s Frances Cone. We first came across the trio … Andrea von Kampen Be sure to arrive early for opener Andrea von Kampen, whose new album That Spell, was just released on Fantasy Records. She often collaborates with her brother David, who does string arrangements, and is Lincoln, NE based …

01/28/2022 Friday

Tall Heights
with Andrea von Kampen
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

The upcoming Tall Heights show at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall has moved to the 7th Street Entry.

We last saw the Tall Heights in Oct 2018 and wrote, “Normally Tall Heights is duo cellist/vocals Paul Wright and guitarist/vocals Tim Harrington, but for their live shows, they’re joined on stage by percussionist Paul Dumas, a keyboard player, and a bassist/additional guitarist.”

Nebraska-based singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen to open. Her latest album That Spell is out now on Fantasy Records.

Tour Dates

01/12 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
01/13Cambridge, MA Sinclair
01/14 hiladelphia, PA Foundry
01/15 Brooklyn, N Brooklyn Made
01/17 Washington, DC Union Stage
01/19 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
01/20 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle
01/21 Louisville, KY anzabar
01/22 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
01/23 Cleveland, OH Mahall’s 24 Lanes
01/25 Ferndale, MI Loving Touch
01/26 Grand Rapids, MI Pyramid Scheme
01/27 Milwaukee, WI Back Room
01/28 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
01/29 Chicago, IL Sleeping Village
01/30 Indianapolis, IN HI-FI
02/22 Denver, CO Globe Hall
02/23 Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court
02/25 Portland, OR, Old Church Concert Hall
02/26 Seattle, WA, Tractor Tavern
02/27 Vancouver, BC, Imperial Vancouver
03/02 San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill
03/04 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour
03/05 San Diego, CA, Voodoo Room
03/09 Austin, TX, Spider House Ballroom
03/10 Fort Worth, TX, Tulips
03/11 Lawrence, KS, Bottleneck
03/12 St Louis, MO, Blueberry Hill Duck Room

01/28 Dorian Electra at Fine Line Read More Dorian Electra Gender fluid popstar, Dorian Electra will be stopping by the 7th Street in support of their debut album Flamboyant. …

01/28/2022 Friday

Dorian Electra
with Siouxxie and Lust$ickPuppy
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Pop-music-agitator Dorian Electra will be playing the Fine Line this January 28th. Electra’s latest My Agenda recently got a deluxe edition, which includes 12-new song.

Tour Dates

01/20/2022 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
01/21/2022 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
01/22/2022 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
01/25/2022 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell
01/26/2022 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
01/28/2022 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
01/29/2022 - Chicago, IL - Metro
02/01/2022 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
02/02/2022 - Brooklyn NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
02/04/2022 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
02/05/2022 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
2/07/2022 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
02/08/2022 - Detroit, MI - Tangent Gallery
02/10/2022 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Hall
02/11/2022 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Fairmount
02/12/2022 - Boston, MA - Royale
02/15/2022 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
02/16/2022 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
02/18/2022 - Dallas, TX - Trees
02/19/2022 - Houston, TX -Warehouse Live - Studio
02/20/2022 - Austin, TX - The Parish
02/22/2022 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
02/23/2022 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
02/25/2022 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
03/02/2022 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
03/02/2022 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre

01/29 The Current at First Ave Read More Valerie June Ahead of upcoming album, The Order of Time (due March 10 on Concord Music Group) Memphis singer-songwriter Valerie June took to the stage at a sold-out Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. .... The Beths Tribune called The Beths, one of the “best up-and-coming bands”, so we were really eager to catch this young New Zealand trio (Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce and .... Miloe Minneapolis-based Miloe (a.k.a. 20 year old Democratic Republic of Congo-born Bob Kabeya) will be headlining the 7th Street Entry in support of his Greenhouse EP. Papa Mbye and bugsy to open. …

01/29/2022 Saturday

The Current's 17th Anniversary Party
featuring Valerie June, The Beths, and Miloe
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

The second week of The Current’s birthday bash is this Saturday, January 29th.

Valerie June is the headliner of this show. The Beths and Miloe to open.

Tour Dates

01/22 Austin, TX, Hi, How Are You Day
01/29 Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
03/31 Seattle, WA, Showbox
04/01 Vancouver, BC, Commodore Ballroom
04/02 Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater
04/03 Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater
04/05 San Francisco, CA, Fillmore
04/08 Los Angeles (LA), CA, Fonda Theatre
04/09 Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern
05/03 Northampton, MA, Academy of Music Theatre
05/04 New York (NYC), NY, Town Hall
05/05 Silver Spring, MD, Fillmore
05/06 Munhall, PA, Carnegie of Homestead
05/07 Ithaca, NY, State Theatre of Ithaca
05/10 Toronto, ON, Danforth Music Hall
05/11 Ferndale, MI, Magic Bag
05/13 Cleveland, OH, Beachland Ballroom
05/14 Columbus, OH, Athenaeum Theatre
05/15 Indianapolis, IN, Hi-Fi Annex
05/16 Bloomington, IL, Castle Theatre
05/18 Chicago, IL, Old Town School
05/19 Milwaukee, WI, Turner Hall Ballroom
05/20 Minneapolis, MN, Pantages Theatre
05/22 St Louis, MO, Delmar Hall
05/24 Louisville, KY, Old Foresters Paristown Hall
05/25 Cincinnati, OH, Memorial Hall
05/27 Harrisburg, PA, Hmac Capitol Room
05/28 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage

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

Xbox Refrigerator

Read More Xbox One Breaking it down, and looking at the specs on paper, it clearly looks like the Xbox Series X is the winner. There are some major things to consider: it promises backward compatibility with previous software and previous …

When I first heard about this stupid Xbox Series X Replica Mini Fridge, I thought it was funny. Then I thought, perhaps I could use something like this in my bedroom. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. Of course, it sold out… so I didn’t think anything of it.

Then, on the day after Christmas, we were doing some post-Xmas shopping and I came across the Xbox Fridge. I thought it was all sold out, or at least preorders had sold out. I would give it a minute, I thought to myself, I needed some groceries and if I come back to this area to pick up some Kasa Smart Plugs, and if it was still there, I will buy it.

So, that’s how I came to own the Xbox Fridge.

I will start with the negative. It’s loud. It’s really loud. If you have a quiet room, you are going to hate this. It’s so noisy that I’m really contemplating on buying a quieter fan an replacing it or coming up with my own solution… as it sits right now, it’s too annoying.

I understand that this company addressed the noise with a newer revision of their fridge that has “Eco mode”, which is quiet mode. I don’t have that on my fridge.

Otherwise, I like the mini-fridge. It’s not cold enough to keep ice frozen, it’s only about 50 or 60 degrees… which is “chill” but not as cold as I would like. But still, it’s nice to have something for drinks.

Update: The noise is starting to bother me. Looking online, there isn’t a guide to replacing the Xbox Fridge fan (I’m not even sure if you can buy a similar fan). Some solutions suggest ordering DC Buck Converter to reduce the voltage from 12V to 6V, but it’s complicated and you need to solder… which I don’t have the tools or care to go to that extreme. The only solution for me is to banish the mini-Fridge in the noisy laudry room or store it in the garage.

So the verdict is that initially, it’s very awesome… but using it over time, I think the product is purely a novelty. It’s noisy, I don’t think the drinks are cold enough (this is the limitation of the size of the thermoelectric cooler), and it’s expensive for what it offers. I wouldn’t recommend anyone get this fridge, especially the “noisy edition”.

I still want a (quiet) mini-fridge in my room – so now that I’ve got a taste, I am in the market for a small-sized fridge.

I’m also hoping that in 2022, that I can walk into any store and buy an Xbox Series X. I see the Xbox Series S everywhere, and I’m tempted… but the cheaper console is less powerful and does not have an optical drive – meaning you have to download all your games. I’m mainly interested in the Series X for its 4k UHD drive, so I can watch UHD discs.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

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

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

01/05 Wicked The Musical at Music Hall 01/08 Geneviève Racette at Wenske House 01/15 Jeff Lorber Fusion Trio at Folly 01/15 Little River Band at Ameristar 01/15 Lucinda Williams at Knuckleheads Read More Lucinda Williams Crutchfield recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of Saint Cloud with an online performance and three covers: “Fruits of My Labor” by Lucinda Williams ...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

2022 has begun, not with a bang, but with a bit of a whimper and an unfortunate continuation of the continued pandemic we all find ourselves in (which also caused numerous NYE celebration cancellations around the country). 

Add to that, some frigid temps and the first snowfall of the season, and we’re off to a slow start, but as the month progresses, there’s plenty of exciting shows on the horizon in the Kansas City and NE Kansas region. 

Given the current atmosphere, assume masks and/or vaccination proof are required for entry. 

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the First half of January:

Wednesday Jan 5

Wicked The Musical - January 5-23, Music Hall

The now-classic story of Oz through different eyes, remains a crowd favorite after winning a Grammy and three Tony Awards. Described as “long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

Saturday January 8

Geneviève Racette,The Wenske House, Overland Park

The Montreal-raised singer-songwriter developed a healthy love for music at home and then decided to hone those skills as an adult, and the personal and critical results have been resounding. On March 18^th, Racette releases her third full-length album, Satellite. Adding to an ever-developing bilingual catalog, the 9-song collection delivers honest stories of self-discovery and reflection through the cycle of love. In addition to this intimate house concert,  she also plays the spanningFolk Alliance Internationalin late May (recently bumped from Feb.)

Saturday January 15

Jeff Lorber Fusion Trio, Folly. $20-$55

Part of the Folly Jazz series, the Grammy Award-winning keyboardist, composer, and producer has, over the course of 42 years and 24 albums, pioneered the post-fusion sound of contemporary jazz with his radio-friendly, groove-oriented instrumental music and recently collaborated with guitar great Mike Stern on the album Eleven. 

Little River Band, Ameristar. $45-$145

The classic rock band from Melbourne is best known for their top hits “Reminiscing,” “The Night Owls” and “Lonesome Loser,” since forming in 1975. Other radio-familiar hits include “Take it Easy on Me,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Happy Anniversary” and “The Other Guy.”

UPDATE: POSTPONED Lucinda Williams, Knuckleheads

After more than forty years of music, the pioneering Louisiana-born artist has returned to the gritty blues foundation on newest album Good Souls Better Angels. Joining on the album as co-producer is her manager Tom Overby, to whom she’s been married for a decade (fun fact- they married onstage at First Avenue) and who also contributed lyrics.

The current Robert Plant/Alison Krauss single, “Can’t Let Go” is based on her 1998 version and Willliams will hit the road and play much bigger venues later this year with Bonnie Raitt.

Randy Rainbow, Uptown. $39.50-$175 (postponed from Sept. 18)

The New York comedian (yes, Rainbow is his real last name) found his calling when he released a series of original Broadway-tinged-show-tune and pop spoof videos in response to the theatrics of the 2016 presidential election, soon going viral with his political satire and LGBTQ observations.

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

Minneapolis: January 25 to January 26

01/25 Jeff Rosenstock at First Avenue Read More Jeff Rosenstock I know, my brother already knew all about Jeff Rosenstock because, what I didn't realize was that Jeff Rosenstock is also know as the singer of Bomb The Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches ...

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

01/25/2022 Tuesday

Jeff Rosenstock
with NNAMDÏ and Catbite
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Jeff Rosenstock is stopping by First Avenue this January 25. His latest, Ska Dream is a re-recording of the 2020 album No Dream, but with a Ska flavor.

Tour dates:

01/13 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
01/14 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
01/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
01/16 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
01/21 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe, Old National Centre
01/22 St Louis, MO Delmar Hall
01/24 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
01/25 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
01/26 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
03/23 Boise, ID Treefort Music Fest
03/23 Boise, ID Treefort Music Fest 10
04/11 Dublin, Whelan's
04/12 Dublin, Whelan's
04/14 Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
04/15 Glasgow, Slay
04/15 Manchester Punk Festival
04/16 Newcastle Upon Tyne, Star and Shadow Cinema
04/18 Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
04/19 London, Electric Ballroom
04/20 Bristol, The Fleece
04/21 Southampton, The Joiners

01/25 Patty Griffin at Pantages Theatre Read More Patty Griffin This unique show by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins and Anaïs Mitchell was put together to encourage voter engagement drive in conjunction with the League of Women Voters. ...

01/25/2022 Tuesday

Patty Griffin
with Parker Millsap
at Pantages Theatre
first-avenue.com

Having just wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Gregory Alan Isakov in October, two time Grammy winner Patty Griffin will be doing a few live shows in 2022.

Griffin’s latest self-titled album came out in 2019 on PGM Recordings label via Thirty Tigers. The deeply personal album made it on the top 5 debut on Billboard’s “Independent Albums”. The record won a Grammy for “Best Folk Album.”

Support will come from Oklahoma-bred, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Parker Millsap, who recently toured in support of his album Be Here Instead.

We caught Millsap in Sep 2021 and wrote, “A lot have changed with the fifth album Be Here Instead, which marked a stylistic shift from folk / old time music to more experimenting with pedal effects and drums focused. This may have something to do with his departure from writing all his songs with his guitar and notebook, to asking his live band to work with him.”

Tour Dates:

01/18 Franklin, TN Franklin Theatre
01/19 Louisville, KY Old Foresters Paristown Hall
01/21 Skokie, IL North Shore Center
01/22 Columbia, MO Blue Note
01/23 Iowa City, IA Englert Theatre
01/25 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
01/26 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
01/28 Goshen, IN Sauder Concert Hall
02/2 New York (NYC), NY City Winery
02/3 New York (NYC), NY City Winery
02/4 New York (NYC), NY City Winery

01/25 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. .... Ona West Virgina’s Ona (Singer/guitarist Bradley Jenkins, keys Brad Goodall, bassist Zach Johnston, drummer Max Nolte, and guitarist Zack Owens) to open. ....

01/25/2022 Tuesday

Houndmouth
with Ona
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Originally scheduled for 12/15, this Houndmouth show at Fine Line Music Café has moved to January 25.

Excerpt Minneapolis: December 14 to December 15:

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

01/23 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
01/24 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
01/25 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
01/27 Des Moines, IA Wooly's
01/27 Des Moines, IA Wooly's
01/28 Columbia, MO Blue Note
01/29 Kansas City, MO Truman
01/31 St Louis, MO Delmar Hall
02/1 Omaha, NE Waiting Room
02/3 Englewood, CO Gothic Theater
02/4 Fort Collins, CO Aggie Theater
02/5 Salt Lake City, UT Commonwealth Room
02/6 Boise, ID Olympic Venue
02/8 Seattle, WA Neumos
02/9 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
02/11 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club
02/12 Los Angeles (LA), CA El Rey Theatre
02/14 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
02/15 Tucson, AZ Club Congress Plaza
02/17 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
02/18 San Antonio, TX Sam's Burger Joint
02/19 Austin, TX Scoot Inn
02/20 Houston, TX Heights Theater
02/25 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
02/26 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
04/19 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls
04/21 Knoxville, TN Mill & Mine
04/22 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
04/23 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
04/25 Orlando, FL Tuffy's Music Box
04/26 Saint Petersburg, FL Floridian Social Club
04/28 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
04/29 Isle of Palms, SC The Windjammer
04/30 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre
05/01 Wilmington, NC Greenfield Lake Amphitheater

01/26 Brian Fallon at Varsity Theater Read More Brian Fallon The Gaslight Anthem’s singer/songwriter Brian Fallon will be headlining the Varsity Theater this Saturday in support of his debut solo album Painkillers, which came out last Friday on Island Records. ... The Dirty Nil Ontario punk trio The Dirty Nil will open the show. The Dirty Nil’s debut album Higher Power is out now on Dine Alone Records. The band will likely play “Wrestle Yü to Hüsker Dü” .… Worriers New York's Worriers (not to be confused with Australia's The Worriers) to play Triple Rock Social Club. .…

01/26/2022 Wednesday

Brian Fallon and The Howling Weather
with The Dirty Nil and Worriers
at Varsity Theater
varsitytheater.com

New Jersey’s Brian Fallon (from The Gaslight Anthem) will be stopping by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. The show is billed as Brian Fallon and The Howling Weather.

Fallon’s all new holiday album Night Divine is available now via Lesser Known Records/Thirty Tigers.

The Dirty Nil and Worriers to open.

Tour dates:

01/11 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
01/12 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts *
01/14 – Montreal, QC – L’Astral *
01/15 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall *
01/16 – Buffalo, NY – Babeville/Asbury Hall *
01/18 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead *
01/19 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues*
01/21 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
01/22 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe *
01/23 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall *
01/25 – Chicago, IL – Park West *
01/26 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater *
01/28 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall *
01/29 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall *
01/31 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre *
02/1 – Seattle, WA – Showbox *
02/2 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre *
02/4 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades *
02/5 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *
02/6 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern *
02/8 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre *
02/9 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom *
02/11- Austin, TX – Mohawk *
02/12 – Dallas, TX – Kessler Theater *
02/13 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater *
02/15 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade - Heaven Stage *
02/16 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall *
02/18 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom #
02/19 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre #
02/20 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre #
02/22 – New York, NY – Town Hall #
02/25 – Boston, MA – Royale #
02/26 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground#
02/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer #

* w/Special Guests Worriers and The Dirty Nil
# w/Special Guests Worriers and Hurry

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.

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