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Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Controversy

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2025) Read More Assassin's Creed Unfortunately, the latest Assassin's Creed Mirage is not great. I still enjoyed the game, but there are a few things that did not like about it: First of all, based on being in Baghdad…

The best-selling video game franchise, having sold more than 230 million games worldwide, is back with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This is the fourteenth major Assassin’s Creed game and the setting is in Japan!

As I have previously mentioned, I have loved the recent AC games (don’t love the early games), starting with 2017’s Assassin's Creed Origins (Greek), followed by Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Egypt), and Assassin's Creed Valhalla (Vikings)… but I felt the last game, Assassin's Creed Mirage, was not very good.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a big controversy with one of the lead protagonists being a black Samurai named Yasuke. I love Japan and from my understanding, normal people can’t become a Samurai. It’s a class system; you basically have to be born in that class. You don’t see a farmer joining a rich family as a warrior. It doesn’t happen and it’s not acceptable.

I know Wikipedia tells me that there is one black Samurai named Yasuke (I believe he was more of a servant, rather than a noble Samurai). I’ve also read about King, a former black slave in Japan, but they are fictional stories. Still, my point is that it’s almost nonexistent to see a black Samurai or a woman Samurai, it’s just not possible.

With that said, I think it was a major mistake that Ubisoft decides that you have to play Yasuke. Imagine if you were forced to play a Japanese Viking from the Valhalla game, I would be pretty upset too.

Still, at the end of the day, most people will just argue that it’s just a game and that we shouldn’t take things so seriously. All this negative feedback on the game, I probably won’t be picking up the game until there’s a big discount. I made a mistake with my purchase of Mirage, so maybe I’ll just sit this one out – unless I see glowing reviews.

If you’re itching to play Shadows, but don’t want to spend $70, you can join Ubisoft+ Premium for $18 a month and play Shadows day one.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Soundtrack by the Flight

Shadows is out today (March 20) on macOS, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

In related news, I’ve loved all the Assassin’s Creed Game Soundtrack, and you can currently stream the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Original Game Soundtrack at ubisoftmusic.ffm. If you have Amazon Prime, you can listen to it for free or pay $16.49 to buy the MP3s. What’s cool about buying it on Amazon is that it acts like a ‘locker’, so you can stream your library using various Amazon devices.

The soundtrack was composed by music duo The Flight (Joe Henson and Alexis Smith). The duo previously worked on my favorite Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

Read more Weekend Gamer.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Paris Paloma at The Truman, Kansas City MO (17 March 2025)

PARIS PALOMA SETLIST my mind (now) drywall as good a reason knitting song the warmth escape pod notre dame last woman on earth triassic love song bones on the beach the rider the fruits yeti the hunter -- Encore -- labour SARAH JULIA SETLIST Use A Friend Conspiracy Theorist Daughters Game of Pretend Cairngorms Amsterdam PARIS PALOMA TOUR DATES (all US shows sold out) 18 Mar Gothic Theatre Englewood, CO 21 Mar Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR 23 Mar The Showbox Seattle, WA 25 Mar The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA 27 Mar The Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, CA 12 Apr Zermatt Unplugged Zermatt, Switzerland 5 Jun Albert Hall Manchester, UK 6 Jun O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London, UK 8 Jun 3Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland 13 Jun Bergenfest 2025 Bergen, Norway 15 Jun Amsterdamse Bostheater Amstelveen, NL Read More Paris Paloma She released her debut album “Cacophony” last August, with her viral, break-out single “labour” playing to tens of thousands of TikTok uses, 180 million+ streams on Spotify, and a recent …

The magik is real--

On a Monday night filled with allusions of nature, nurture, feminist pride and independence, UK folk pop sensation Paris Paloma took over a very sold-out Truman in downtown Kansas City for a long-awaited, spellbinding performance.

The evening began with a thirty-minute opening set from Dutch sister singing duo Sarah Julia, in support of their latest EP, “Only Making It Worse” due out on 9 May, and its lead single, “Amsterdam”.

They pair began singing together early on, including an appearance at the Junior Eurovision Song Festival 2013 with their original, "Live Life" (though didn’t win the competition). The duo harmonized completely in tandem, like similar acts we’ve recently seen, but took a more modern approach (vs. traditional) to their version of folk.

An under-powered laptop forced an impromptu setlist swap of “Conspiracy Theorist” and “Game of Pretend” (a ‘special and favorite’ song of the sisters to play), which was quickly adjusted to, and the howls and woos in the audience proved the two already had a strong local following.

“Cairngorms” was written about a ‘magical park’ in Scotland that they visited as children, which also serves as a place the sisters can go to into their minds, as a place of calm. The set would end with their latest single, about the city in which they live (following being born and raised in Rotterdam) and is also an allegory of personal relationships with its lyric, “It isn't what she deserves, you're only making it worse and I ain't moving on without her.”

 

As mentioned this show was long sold out and was clearly evident in those telltale signs at the venue- a long line for entry stretching way down the block with people begging for spare tickets; “Sold Out AF” on the marquee and at the box office at the venue’s entrance; a line around the inside just to get to the merch stand; and a packed general admission floor with turbine-sized ceiling fans blowing on high.

 

For Darbyshire UK native, Paris Paloma, her time has truly arrived. The packed house, many dressed in olde English fairie and magik-inspired dress, screamed and yelped even before the main act went on stage- during stagehand instrument tuning, songs played between sets, and of course, as the lights went down to begin the much-anticipated, eighty-minute headlining performance.

Paloma first made online waves releasing songs during the pandemic, eventually signing with Nettwerk in 2022 and releasing singles, “Forsaken” and “Notre Dame” on the label. Influenced by the likes of Florence and the Machine, Hozier, Aurora, Ed Sheeran and others, her ethereal blend of alternative folk proved a perfect combination for fans (more female than male) to embrace at community-like levels.

2023 breakout single, “Labour” still seems fresh for us in the States, with Paloma just having memorably performed it on a recent Late Show with Stephen Colbert episode, and we first took notice some three years ago as she was added to festivals like Bonnaroo and played her first American live dates.

After the opening, “My Mind (Now)” and “Drywall”, she paused to say hello and wish everyone a Happy St. Pat’s Day as well as a Happy Hozier’s Birthday (the Irish singer’s birth happens to fall on the same day). She also asked everyone in the crowd introduce themselves to each other, to help set the friendly tone of the night and as a gesture of unity.

Paloma only had two other musicians on stage with her- MD, drummer and keys player Jim Molyneux behind on her left, and guitar/bassist George Cowley behind her on the right, but with their instrumentations and some samples, the three could create an errr, cacophony of arena-sized boom, or a delicate feather whisper, which required and received a collective hush from the enraptured crowd.

“Cacophony” is the debut full-length, out last August (via Nettwerk Music Group) and most of the setlist was drawn from those tracks of feminist fervor, rebelling against societal expectations, and Paloma’s own experiences to dissent when necessary while encouraging those to create their own herstory.

“Knitting Song” was written about and dedicated to her late grandmother (helped come to life on stage by the vocals of Sarah Julia) and her newest song, “Good Boy” is an angry rebuke against the current patriarchy in our country, and its rippling influences abroad.

The set would slow as it progressed, becoming more ethereal along the way, on songs like “The Last Woman on Earth” about the continued pedestalization of some females, and she was eventually left solo for “Triassic Love Song”, which became a hushed sing-along.

“The Rider” was a full circle number, she explained, having covered Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire” (from Lord of the Rings) in her very earliest days, and then completely thrilled to have been asked to contribute a song to the closing credits of last year’s LOTR: The War of the Rohirrim film- a middle-earth dream for the band, who all professed to be Tolkien fans.

2022’s early song, “The Fruits” was sung by most of the audience, a song composed in Paloma’’s dorm room while attending university, and a landmark song in her own journey that helped focus the musical direction she wanted to move forward with.

The thundering drums against bird and nature sounds of “Hunter” ended the main set, but the trio quickly re-emerged for the single-song encore of Paloma’s biggest hit-to-date, “Labour” with its defiant and independent lyric, “he can live out his picket fence dreams, (but) it's not an act of love if you make her.”

You know it’s no ordinary show when it sells out months ahead of time, care and thought by attendees are put into what exactly to wear and who to go with, the merch stand even offers a free book exchange, and circles of fairy dancing spontaneously take place in the crowd, but this was no ordinary artist either. Paris Paloma is really still just getting started but has already built a fan community and critical attention, that most veteran artists would surely envy. Consider us under her spell as well.

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

PARIS PALOMA at The Truman- Kansas City MO (2025-03-17)

PARIS PALOMA at The Truman- Kansas City MO (2025-03-17)

PARIS PALOMA at The Truman- Kansas City MO (2025-03-17)

   SARAH JULIA at The Truman- Kansas City MO (2025-03-17)

 

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

Jacksonville Jazz Festival announced lineup

Jacksonville Jazz Festival (22-25 May 2025) Read More Kool & the Gang The sound shifted to the soul funk of Kool & The Gang, the legendary (and the most sampled) R&B band that began in 1969 who can boast having won two Grammy Awards, seven American … Janelle Monae Everyone I know is really excited about having American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress Janelle Monáe in town this July 3rd at the State Theatre in Minneapolis. Maybe … The Roots I also see The Roots moving their music in this direction. It was their first album, “Things Fall Apart” that caught my attention. By chance I knew the title came from Chinua Achebe’s novel .… Tank and the Bangas Over at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell, we saw New Orleans-based funk-soul musical group Tank and the Bangas. The group is fronted by Tarriona Ball (aka Tank), and was the winner .…

Presented by Jacksonville Aviation Authority, this Jacksonville Jazz Festival is amazing multi-day music festival, is completely free! Featuring several award-winning artists performing in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida.

The JJF just officially announced their schedule for 2025 today… and we’re so excited to see that legendary Kool & the Gang is one of the headliners.

Kool & the Gang at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (19 Oct 2024)

We saw Kool & the Gang at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Oct 2024 and said, “The sound shifted to the soul funk of Kool & The Gang, the legendary (and the most sampled) R&B band that began in 1969 who can boast having won two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, 9 Top Ten Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums. Public Enemy’s Chuck D helped everyone remember their decades-long impact and a hit-filled rousing medley found singer James “J.T.” Taylor (who joined in 1979) performing with co-founder Robert “Kool” Bell and the rest of the band, for the first time since 1999 (along with The Roots in tow), complete with an onscreen disco ball and confetti cannons.”

Trombone Shorty at MN Yacht Club (20 July 2024)

Also excited to see Trombone Shorty on the bill, having seen him recently at MN Yacht Club and noted, “Trombone Shorty was a whole lot of fun. He really has a great stage personality, and although he does sing on some songs, he let his trombone do most of the talking. Being from New Orleans, he definitely had to play “When the Saints Go Marching In”. Of course, being in Minnesota, he had to play Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”… trombone style! We haven’t seen him before, only through the television show Treme, but seeing him in person, we’ll definitely have to check him out again when he comes back to the area.”

Please note that the location to this year is new, it is at the Tailgaters Parking (East of Everbank Stadium).

Schedule

THURSDAY • MAY 22, 2025

Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre

7:00 PM

Kool & the Gang (23 May 2025)

FRIDAY • MAY 23, 2025

Let's Ride Brass Band featuring Bella Kosal	4:30 PM
Spyro Gyra	6:00 PM
Maysa	7:45 PM
Kool & the Gang	9:30 PM

Janelle Monáe (24 May 2025)

SATURDAY • MAY 24, 2025

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Jazz Combo	3:45 PM
Piano Comp Winner	4:45 PM
Tank and the Bangas	5:45 PM
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue	7:30 PM
Janelle Monáe	9:15 PM

The Roots (25 May 2025)

SUNDAY • MAY 25, 2025

UNF Jazz Ensemble I	3:15 PM
Connie Han	4:15 PM
Branford Marsalis Quartet	5:45 PM
Boney James	7:15 PM
The Roots	9:00 PM

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: April 19, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Ben Nichols & Rick Steff at Turf Club (19 Apr 2025) Read More Lucero Lucero kicked off their set with ‘Went Looking For Warren Zevon’s Los Angeles’ to an incredibly pleased dedicated, die-hard Lucero fans. Although the song is taken from their latest album All a Man Should Do ... The Shackletons The Shackletons could have been named The Campbells as there are three siblings (Colin-voc/gtr; Cameron-bass; Evan- drums) that compose this stomping blues rock band. Breaking out locally .…

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

Ben Nichols & Rick Steff
with Colin Campbell (of The Shackletons)
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Ben Nichols and Rick Steff (both from Lucero) are on a Lucero Unplugged tour. The Lucero Unplugged is a double album revisiting the Memphis band’s 25-year catalog.

Colin Campbell (of The Shackletons) to open.

Lucero Tour Dates

May 8 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues &

May 9 –Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre &

May 10 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada &

May 13 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre &

May 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco &

May 16 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park &

May 17 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory &

May 18 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater &

May 21 – Dallas, TX @ Trees &

May 22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin &

May 28 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl &

May 29 – Richmond, VA @ The National &

May 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw &

June 1 – Wilmington, DE @ The Queen &

June 3 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre &

June 4 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall &

June 6 – Chicago, IL @ Metro &

June 7 – Chicago, IL @ Metro &

June 8 – McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre &

# – supporting JJ Grey & Mofro
^ – Ben Nichols Solo
& – with The Menzingers

Bob Mould Band at Palace Theatre (19 Apr 2025) Read More Bob Mould “Distortion and Blue Hearts!” is the name of the new tour from Bob Mould. The guy is a legend, we’ve been listening to his music since Sugar and through back catalogs, Hüsker Dü. …

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

Bob Mould Band
with Poster Children
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Bob Mould (billed as Bob Mould Band) is touring in support of Mould’s 15th solo album Here We Go Crazy (via Granary Music/BMG Records).

Talking about the lead single “Neanderthal”, Mould said, “In the early stages of writing this album, I envisioned ‘Neanderthal’ as the opening track. I imagined a child raised in an unstable home, perpetually exposed to erratic and confrontational behavior. A fight or flight situation. ‘Neanderthal’ is a frantic sprint through darkened hallways littered with tension, conflict, and aggression. A claustrophobic maze of distorted mirrors. As the song nears the end, a pair of subconscious voices appear. The first voice is both soothing and unsettling, while the final voice is reactionary and violent. It’s a fight or flight song.”

Expect to hear that song at the upcoming Palace Theatre show on April 19, 2025.

Poster Children to open.

Tour Dates

04/01 – San Diego, CA – Music Box *

04/02 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s *

04/04 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom *

04/05 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *

04/07 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre *

04/08 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom *

04/09 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory *

04/11 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater *

04/12 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s *

04/14 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room *

04/15 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barn *

04/16 – Madison WI – Majestic Theatre *

04/18 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall *

04/19 – St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre +

04/25 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/26 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/27 – Detroit, MI – El Club ^

04/29 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop ^

04/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre ^

05/02 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club ^

05/03 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge ^

05/04 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^

05/07 – Washington DC – Black Cat ^

05/09 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall ^

05/10 – Indianapolis, IN – HI–FI Indy ^

05/11 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Beer Garden #

* w/ Special Guest Craig Finn
+ w/ Special Guests Poster Children
^ w/ Special Guest J. Robbins
# w/ Special Guests Winged Wheel

BRENN! at Fine Line (19 Apr 2025) Read More Brenn! Breakout singer/songwriter Brenn! (not to be confused with Norway’s brenn) is currently on his “Crossing County Lines Tour” and will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on May 6, 2024. ...

19 Apr 2025 Saturday

BRENN!
with asiris
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Tuscaloosa singer-songwriter BRENN! returns to Minneapolis this April 19, 2025. Brenn was last seen in Minneapolis in May 2024.

The singer’s new song “Franklin House” is available now via via Darkroom Records / Westward Recordings.

asiris to open.

Brenn!’s Days on End Tour

Mar 27 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre

Mar 28 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

Mar 29 – Nashville, TN – The Mil

Apr 2 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock

Apr 3 – Austin, TX – The Parish

Apr 4 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

Apr 7 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar

Apr 8 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey

Apr 9 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall

Apr 11 – Portland, OR – Holocene

Apr 12 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou's

Apr 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court

Apr 15 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

Apr 17 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

Apr 18 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave

Apr 19 – Minneapolis, MN –The Fine Line

Apr 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi

Apr 23 – Columbus, OH – A&R Bar

Apr 25 – Toronto, ON – Drake Underground

Apr 26 – Montreal, QC – Ministere

Apr 29 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

May 1 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

May 2 – Philadelphia, PA –The Foundry

May 3 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd

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

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

DC Comics Style Guide: A Disappointment

DC Comics Style Guide (2024) Read More DC Comics I’ve previously mentioned that the very first comic book that I purchased with my own money, a whole $1, was Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. I didn’t know it then, but this little comic book forever …

This is a rare book report for DC Comics Style Guide, a book that eventually came out in very late 2024 and early 2025. Originally scheduled for an August 2024 release, it was delayed a few times due a custom PMS metallic silver ink on the cover.

Standards Manual reprinted the book for the public for the first time in over forty years. It was a pretty big deal José Luis García-López fans (and George Perez fans because he drew some Teen Titans style guide). It really is a shame that DC Comics basically hid these pages from the public, because the Style Guides were meant for internal uses. Like most fans, I was confused why DC Comics decides to license this book to a third-party company.

Originally announced in May 2024 as 1982 DC Style Guide, the 1982 name suggested that there will be future books, such as the 1984 or 1985 editions. Maybe it is to avoid the confusion, but they eventually dropped the 1982 in the title, and is now simply called DC Comics Style Guide.

My situation is unique in that I was not going to be home from December 2024 to March 2025. Since the book was delayed into early 2025, it meant that I wasn’t actually home to receive the book. For most people the four months delay wasn’t going to be a problem, but for those who are moving or traveling or celebrating an anniversary or birthday, timing is everything! If the book had delivered in August or prior to December, I would have been a happy camper. It would have been pretty awesome to bring the book with me on my long Winter Hibernation. After this horrible experience, I don’t think I’ll ever pre-order anything (in fact, I cancelled my Fallout Pip-Boy).

My biggest complaint about the DC Comics Style Guide is they didn’t make it clear that this “reissue” is basically a very high-quality photocopy of Standards Manual’s book. There were no efforts made to enhance or fix any blemishes. For example, some pages are wrinkled, some pages have torn three-holes, some pages have ghosting text, some pages have smudges, some pages have miscoloring… all pimples and imperfections are on display here. This is such a disappointment, because for years, I had seen beautiful pages online, because they digitally removed the holes or fixing blemishes, etc.

They officially list the book as 368 pages, which makes for a very nice beefy spine… but in reality, only half of those pages have artwork with the back of its page is blank (no printing). Some pages are the back of folders (which is basically blank pages). I felt they could have saved some trees or pass the savings to the consumers if they used less pages.

If you are a fan of García-López or a fan of DC Comics, you probably already own the book, so it doesn’t really matter what I say. For those on the fence about dropping $95 on this book, I can definitely not recommend this book to you.

I wish that DC Comics would put out an official book. They have the source material or original print films… or if they don’t, they have the resources to clean up and make the artwork presentable.

Smudges Ghost Text

Skin Colors too Pink

Wrinkled Pages

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025)

The Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025) From The Belfast Cowboys 400 Bar It was 23 years ago today the Belfast Cowboys played our first show (at the 400 Bar on Saint Patrick’s Day 2002)! After all that time, we’re still getting our rock ‘n’ roll thrills. Mark Lindsay, singer for Paul Revere and the Raiders, as well as “Arizona” the ear worm from about 50 years ago, played a song of ours on his show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage this weekend! Celebration at the Turf Club starts tonight at 7 PM sharp! Happy St Paddy’s Day! Read More Belfast Cowboys This 9-piece The Belfast Cowboys to open. Tour dates: 03/15/16 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club 03/16/16 Iowa City, IA The Mill 03/17/16 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway Nightclub .…

A pretty last-minute decision found me at Turf Club on St. Patrick’s day to see locals The Belfast Cowboys. A brass heavy band that “specializes in the music of Van Morrison”, they were a pretty perfect band for the holiday, at a venue suited for it as well (green being the dominant color).

The nine-piece band has a full brass section, multiple guitars, keys and drums. Lead singer Terry Walsh, asked, “Is it seven yet? We want to be prompt.” The first song, You Make Me Feel So Free had the full brass sound, including a great sax solo. The band was in the spirit, with some adorned in various types of St. Patrick’s Day accoutrements (sparkly green tie, green bowler hat, etc.). Walsh said, “It isn’t summer yet, but it’s coming”, as the band launched into a cover of Chuck Prophet’s Summertime Thing that included a brass riff on Summer in the City.

Turning twenty-three years old as a band today, we got the joke that The Belfast Cowboys are about three times older than The Beatles. Noting that it had just been played on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, we got a goofily serious version of (It’s Not Easy) Bein’ Green. The band got back to Van Morrison with the song Domino that included some coordinated dance moves from the four brass players, as well as a brilliant take on Wet Leg’s Chaise Lounge. Our first bit of harmonica (from Walsh) was an intro to an upbeat Bright Side of the Road. The crowd was in full dance mode, and clearly, many were long time fans of the band. The band gave takes on several genres from rock to some bluesy moments, always supported by those horns. A version of John Henry that was “for the bartender” led into the audience getting to request a song. Into the Mystic had some more coordinated dancing, and the playfulness of the band was infectious. Days Like This continued the Van Morrison numbers and really gave the entire band the chance to shine. Southside was back in more blues rock territory, with an excellent bass line. A few more songs, including Wild Night, led to the end of the first set.

Set two started off with a team drink, but also a pair of guests (Brian and Rodney, in from the west coast) reuniting the original four members of the band playing Fisherman’s Blues and then a cover of the late Slim Dunlap’s Times Like This. They then returned to the night’s original lineup and the brass section was back into the action with That Summer Feeling. The Belfast Cowboys had gotten into a groove and Real Real Gone played into their strengths. We got a few longer numbers alternating solos for brass and the guitars, such as in a rendition of Can’t Hardly Wait. It was a pretty tremendous showing as they hit some of the bigger Van Morrison songs on their way to the end of the evening and for both band and crowd, it was a holiday well spent.

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys

Belfast Cowboys at Turf Club (17 Mar 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2025

St Patrick's Day Parade (17 Mar 2025) Read More Irish The popular holiday show Irish Christmas in America is coming to Minneapolis, at the Dakota Jazz Club, on November 25, 2024. The long-running show, now in its 19th year …

Billed as “The Greatest St Patrick's Day Parade in the Nation”, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates the large Irish heritage and clans that resides in the St Paul and Minneapolis area. Look around and seeing a sea of green tells you that the Irish pride runs deep.

The parade starts at Rice Park in Downtown St Paul (5th Street and Market Street) and travels along 5th Street until its end at Mear Park in Lowertown (5th Street and Sibley Street).

The actual parade took about an hour and had representations from all the Irish clans, music (usually bagpipers), dancers, and Irish businesses. There weren’t any floats. The only vehicles were some police cars and a firetruck.

There were a lot of green beads, balls, candy, silly spray, and, funny enough, potatoes, thrown to the audience. This is a fun time for the whole family… despite the chilly wind and low temperature.

After the parade, people were invited to head down to the CHS Field and continue the celebration with the crowning of the 2025 Miss Shamrock and Mr. Pat, music, and, of course, grab a drink from your favorite Irish pub.

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Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

SXSW 2025

SXSW (07-15 Mar 2025) My Biggest Regrets Not chatting about new artists and the industry with Steve Lamacq "The Godfather" when I ran into him at Creek and the Cave. Missing at least 4-5 unbelievable artists Not networking with enough people and learning more Biggest Artists I Missed Mellt Somebody Someone Grace Sorenson Quiet Light My Biggest Tips Focus on the artists and make it more accommodating for them. Allow artists to play as many unofficial shows as they want and encourage more live shows during the daytime for attendees and artists. Read More SXSW Once again, SXSW (South by Southwest Music Festival) is returning to Austin, Texas. This year marks the festival’s 38th annual event. Like previous years, there are a million bands. ....

Thirteenth year to what could be the end of a new beginning at one of my favorite weeks of the year: South by Southwest (SXSW).

The odds seems stacked against the 2025 SXSW festival—with surging prices, budget issues, and a downsized line-up of 1,000 less bands than normal, including two of my favorites, Yuuf and Elín Hall, who dropped out before the festival. And yet, I had the time of my life. It turned out to be a much better than anticipated festival.

If you listened to a good chunk of the artists and did a little research, you could make a pretty decent 5-day schedule. One of the best parts of SXSW is even if you're not blown away by 25-30 artists, you can still see 3 of your top 10 artists 2-3 times. However you roll, I do a hybrid and catch usually my top 5 to 7 artists twice and still see 100+ bands. I'm quick like a cat at all the shows where if I'm not feeling the first song or two, I'm hopping on a Lime scooter faster than Shazam! 

I was blessed to have two venues very close for daytime parties. They had the deepest lineups all day long at High Noon (Paste Magazine) and Lazarus Brewery (Music for Listeners). At night time if you got a full slate you have to be ready to go all over the place but I would say anywhere central by 7th and Red River is a good spot to be where your close to venues with multiple stage like Palm Door on 6th Street, Swan Dive, Mohawk, and ot

Main tips for future SXSW attendees, listen to loads of bands, make a schedule (day/night), don't drink until the night showcases so you can fly on the scooter to and from all the rad day parties mostly on E 6th. Network with loads of people, bands, label, film, everyone at the fest. Get a nice variety of venues with backyards, churches, and all the cool venues all over the city!

Let’s cut to the spectacular new artists at this year's fest!

Below is a list of my top 20 Performances at SXSW

1. Surely Shirley @ Creek and the Cave (Aussie sweet hearts, Lake Street Dive meets the supremes get ready to dance!)
2. Delivery @ Lazarus (As crazy as king gizzard and had a stage invasion to end the night!)
3. Jazmin Martin @ Marlow (Sault meets Janelle Monoe)
4. Holy F**k @ Mohawk (Trippy Toronto Psychbeats, LCD)
5. Go Cactus @ Low Down Lounge (Spanish Ramones and Clash, Wild energy on stage!)
6. Lizzie Berchie @ Palm Door on 6th (British Embassy)
7. Los Juanos @ Lamberts
8. Personal Trainer @ Lazarus Brewery
9. Voxtrot @ Mohawk
10. Ellur @ Palm Door on 6th (British Embassy)
11. Billianne @ Paste Magazine Party (Biggest Surprise Artist At SXSW)
12. Hanorah @ Saxon Pub (Amy Winehouse potential)
13. Monobloc @ Paste Magazine Party (High Noon) (new Strokes sound)
14. Sophia Rogers @ Hotel Vegas (Lake Street Dive Potential, unreal vocals)
15. Band of Horses @ Stubbs (They still got it!)
16. Weird Blood @ Lazarus Brewery
17. Willie McGee Band @ Secret House Show
18. Makeout Reef @ 13th Floor
19. Pavey Ark @ Lazarus Brewery (E. 6th)
20. His His @ Swan Dive
    
    Honarable Mentions - Pavari, Yndling, Dead Gowns, Cactus Lee, Radio Free Alice, The Vanns, Coldwave, Mall Girl, Yoshika Colwell

Weird Bloom at Lazarus Brewery (13 Mar 2025) photo courtesy of Anet Prinz

Hanorah at Saxon Pub (12 Mar 2025)

Hanorah at Saxon Pub (12 Mar 2025)

Weird Bloom at Lazarus Brewery (13 Mar 2025) photo courtesy of Anet Prinz

Jazlyn Martin at Marlow (14 Mar 2025)

Willy McGee's Band? at Secret House (09 Mar 2025)

Voxtrot at Mohawk Outdoor (14 Mar 2025)

Surely Shirley at Creek and the Cave Backyard (14 Mar 2025)

Surely Shirley at Creek and the Cave (14 March 2025)

brody ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Ray Bull at 7th Street Entry (16 March 2025)

Ray Bull at 7th St Entry (16 Mar 2025) Ray Bull Setlist Know by Now Dead In Wisconsin I Don't Know Ya Parasite Little Acts of Violence Televangelist Whore Reelin' The New Thing Dies Better Than Nothing Name Something Better 2am Tell Me I'm a Fool Tour Dates Mar 18, 2025 Duck Room St Louis, MO Mar 20, 2025 Masquerade Altar Atlanta, GA Mar 21, 2025 Local 506 Carrboro, NC Apr 12, 2025 The Independent San Francisco, CA Apr 14, 2025 Polaris Hall Portland, OR Apr 15, 2025 Madame Lou's Seattle, WA Apr 17, 2025 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT Apr 19, 2025 Globe Hall Denver, CO Apr 23, 2025 The Rebel Lounge Phoenix, AZ Apr 24, 2025 Voodoo Room San Diego, CA Apr 25, 2025 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA May 14, 2025 - May 17, 2025 The Great Escape Festival Brighton, England Read More Ray Bull NYC indie-pop duo Ray Bull (Tucker and Aaron) is headlining the 7th Street Entry, on March 16, 2025, in support of his new EP Little Acts Of Violence (arriving February 21 …

NYC indie-pop duo Ray Bull (Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins) is on their first major North American tour, stopping in Minnesota, for the first time.

New York, by the way of Tennessee, Tyler Berrier opened the show, with a silver face paint. Berrier didn’t introduce himself (until the end of the set), or did he explain the weird silver face. When I talked to a fan, she didn’t know either, but speculated that it was some sort of statement, given that Berrier went to the same art school that Tucker and Aaron (from Ray Bull) attended.

Like Ray Bull, it was also Berrier’s first time in Minneapolis, and he, admittedly said that he didn’t know much about the city, “I think it’s the Capital City, right?” When the audience corrected him that it was Saint Paul, he joked that he was only testing us.

Most of his set consists of his latest EP Alone With Me, including “Take Me Out” and “IOU”, but mentioned that they’re slightly different versions that he was playing. It might be, for the fact, that he didn’t have a band and had to rely on a pre-recorded backing music track. Usually this means that his timing has to be spot on and he has to adapt, if the backing track cuts out.

He mentioned that the tour is going well (seeing as many dates, including the 7th Street Entry, were sold out), and that he already sold out of all the T-Shirts he brought on tour. Looking at the bright side, he said it’s a good excuse for him to just meet people, even if he didn’t have any merchandise to sell.

Also noted that April 25th, is going to be the last date of the tour, at least for him, and he said that he will likely release a new single. He ended his set with “City Girl”.

Ray Bull have quite a huge following, with only a handful of music releases, including their latest, Little Acts of Violence. It’s funny, but their marketing is a little ironic, with their merchandise saying they “suck” or are “terrible.” Even their concert lighting was dimly lit, except for the three bright scrolling text that they setup. All this tells me that they are somewhat shy and reluctant to embrace their stardom, even though their fans are very passionate about their music.

With such a good turnout, the band joked that they must follow the Ray Bull rule – that attendance is arranged by height. “If you’re tall and came here with someone, too bad, you need to go back… tall can’t go forward!” It got a bit of a laugh, but I believe it does come from a personal feeling from Tucker (the shorter of the two). He’s probably attended one or two shows, where someone tall obstruct his view of a concert.

Just based on their interactions with their fans and seeing that the 7th Street Entry sold out, you can expect the duo to return to Minneapolis soon… but playing a much bigger venue.

Ray Bull’s new EP Little Acts Of Violence is out now on AWAL.

Tyler Berrier

Tyler Berrier Tyler Berrier

Ray Bull Ray Bull

Ray Bull

Ray Bull at 7th Street Entry (16 March 2025)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Judy Collins at Kauffman Center for the Arts, Kansas City MO (15 March 2025)

JUDY COLLINS SETLIST Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell cover) Danny Boy (Frederick Edward Weatherly cover) Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover) Born to the Breed Leaving on a Jet Plane / Take Me Home, Country Roads / Jet Plane reprise (John Denver covers) When I Was a Girl in Colorado John Riley (traditional) Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan cover) Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover snippet) Since You Asked The Blizzard Send In the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim cover) -- Encore -- Amazing Grace (John Newton cover) OAKLAND RAIN SETLIST ? If You Were a Song Sister Hymn Diamonds are Diamonds Lighthouse Dear Josephine JUDY COLLINS TOUR DATES 16 MARCH Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Place 18 MARCH Memphis, TN Halloran Centre- Orpheum Theatre 19 MARCH Birmingham, AL Lyric Theatre 22 MARCH Nashville, IN Brown County Music Center 23 MARCH Charlotte, NC Knight Theater, Levine Center 28 MARCH Victoria, BC, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 29 MARCH Victoria, BC, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 30 MARCH New Westminster, BC, Massey Theatre 6 APRIL Thousand Oaks, CA Kavli Theatre at B of A PAC 7 APRIL Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center 10 MAY New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre 11 MAY Worcester, MA Hanover Theatre 15 MAY Rutland, VT Paramount Theatre 17 MAY Old Saybrook, CT The Kate Cultural Arts Center 18 MAY Toronto, ON, Hugh's Room Live 21 MAY Buffalo, NY Shea's 710 Theatre 23 MAY Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse 6 JUNE Chicago, IL Cahn Auditorium 14 JUNE Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium Read More Judy Collins Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism …

Over six decades later, we’re all still Spellbound watching her perform--

One of the great folk icons- a singer-songwriter, author, activist, and poet known best during the 1960’s & 70’s, Judy Collins returned to Kansas City, over the weekend. She’s still as active as ever at 85-years-young and enchanted the audience at the Kauffman Center for the Arts, while winter decided it wasn’t quite done outside- bringing cold, winds, and even some light snow.

The evening began with a well-received half hour set from Norwegian sister folk duo, Oakland Rain (aka twins Maren and Charlotte Wallevik Hansen), in support of their “Twin Flames Part One: The Evergreen” release, the first of two planned companion records, this initial one released in late January.

Like similar Scandinavian female traditional folk duos (First Aid Kit, Huldreokkk, Staallul), their shared harmonies are impeccable, mastery of English is probably better than our own, and their very kind in-between song banter, was spoken with a cheerful and spry impish lilt.

The band nicely introduced each song and gave some very brief background to it, with the recent “Sister Hymn” having the shortest intro, as its title and content seemed obvious. The sisters are staunch advocates of mental health and hope for positive change through their music and made sure to make mention of that (as well as their CDs for sale at merch, as reminded by their tour manager to say).

 

There seems to be another modern folk renaissance in music of late – from chart-topping bands like Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, Noah Kahan, and Lumineers, to the acclaimed recent Bob Dylan biopic, to everyone’s favorite, Taylor Swift, even releasing a pair of award-winning folk-inspired records, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff.

So, it’s a real treat when one of the 1960’s originators like Judy Collins comes to town, with a seemingly endless supply of stories and accompanying songs. Her ninety-minute performance was not as much as of a concert, as a musical conversation – peppered with anecdotes, one-liner jokes, and stories of her own journey, which started by learning piano at a very young age, as encouraged by her piano-playing and radio host father.

Collins began her ninety-minute headlining set (accompanied by her pianist and own twelve-string guitar) with her famous cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now”, declaring afterword with some pep in her step, that “’85’ is the new ‘27’!”, which got an early collective laugh from the enraptured crowd.

She mentioned the recent pandemic beginning as a good thing for her, not having had any kind of ‘real vacation’ in some forty years but was brought back to reality by catching the virulent bug.

The early sing a-long of the classic “Danny Boy’ was not only an early chance to get the crowd’s St. Pat’s pipes rehearsing, but dated back to her own childhood, being brought up on stage by her father to sing classics like that one, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” ...in April. A few Mae West quotes she learned along the way, kept things light as well.

Collins mentioned her longtime friendship with Joan Baez before her own version of the Baez hit, “Diamonds & Rust”, saying, “we’ve known each other so long, we play at each other birthdays” and noting she really never did many drugs back in the day, saying “they interfered with my drinking” to a crowd’s laugh.

She did admit to heeding a learned lesson to keep working as one ages and admitted these shows back on the road also served as her own therapy; having still to adequately overcome the death of her husband and partner since 1978, designer/artist Louis Nelson, who passed away in December.

Collins admitted her intensive music lessons ‘ruined’ her social life as a young girl (“...but I made up for it in the 60’s,” she exclaimed) and that the irresistible pull of acts like Jo Stafford, drew her away from classical piano, and towards folk and pop on guitar.

And like many musicians in the right-place at the right-time, she first met John Denver as an early teen, had 13-year Arlo Guthrie opening for her when she moved to NYC in 1961, and stayed in a farmhouse in Woodstock, NY as Bob Dylan finished writing “Mr. Tambourine Man’ from a room just down the hall.

Denver’s own “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane” were mashed together as a medley (with the crowd singing the choruses back) and Collins recalled running a Rocky Mountain lodge in Estes Park with her first husband, without electricity or modern conveniences (but loving it).

On her version of the traditional, “John Riley”, she proved she could more than hold an extended end note (to rave applause), mentioning her approval of the recent Dylan film and long friendship with Pete Seeger (though was somewhat comically disgruntled that the Woodstock Festival had three chances to invite her, but never did).

She would switch over to piano after the first hour, recollecting her 1966 meeting with a young Leonard Cohen and he recited verses of his own “Suzanne”, unsure that it was even a song (“It was!” Collins would assure him).

1967’s “Since You Asked” was her own song and had her mention her poetry writings as well; saying a poem can sometimes be “jammed” into being a song lyric, but the opposite generally did not work. Her most recent book of poetry, “Sometimes It’s Heaven” is out next week and she was thrilled to have her publisher’s representatives (from KC’s own Andrews McMeel) in the audience as well.

Her distinctive Sondheim cover and perhaps biggest hit, “Send in the Clowns” would end the main set, but the pair quickly re-emerged for a one-song acapella encore of “Amazing Grace”, which found Collins teaching the audiences the deeper verses, beyond the familiar chorus.

After what seemed a quick ninety-minutes, the show was over to bows and applause, feeling like it could have easily gone at least another ninety, with more stories, anecdotes and reflections, from a life well-lived. And there was no real time to touch on her activist roles and stance on social issues. Her most recent album, 2022’s Spellbound, was her first of all-original material, resulting in a Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album- further proof that even in her mid-80s, Judy Collins still has a lot left to say.

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

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

JUDY COLLINS at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

OAKLAND RAIN at Kauffman Center- Kansas City MO (2025-03-15)

 

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