W♥M

Minneapolis: This Week (03/23/2025)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

21 Mar 2025 Bella White at Fine Line Read More Bella White Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bella White will stop by the 7th Street Entry on Feb 10. She had recently finished her co-headlining tour with Taylor Ashton, and these new 2023 seems like a …

21 Mar 2025 Friday

Bella White
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bella White announces her Spring 2025 Red Rhododendron headline tour. The tour will stop by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on March 21, 2025.

As of this writing, no opening band listed.

Tour Dates:

March 21 - Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

March 22 - Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club

March 23 - Evanston, IL - SPACE

March 25 - Urbana, IL - Rose Bowl Tavern

March 26 - Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe

March 28 - Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern

March 29 - Montreal, QC – Petit Campus

March 30 - Ottawa, ON – Club Saw

April 1 - South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

April 3 - Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square

April 4 - Allston, ME – Brighton Music Hall

April 5 - New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

April 6 - Washington, DC – Pearl St Warehouse

April 8 - Raleigh, NC - Kings

April 9 - Charlotte, NC – The Evening Muse

April 11 - Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic

May 17 - London, UK - Highways Festival

22 Mar 2025 flipturn with Arcy Drive at Palace Theatre Read More Flipturn Florida five-piece indie band Flipturn is named after a swimming maneuver, has a new single, “Playground” out this week, and promises their live show to be a complete and total release of inhibitions .... Arcy Drive New York’s Arcy Drive is headlining the 7th Street Entry this August 7th. The four friends (Nick, Pat, Brooke, Austin) love playing music, which they coined as “Attic-Rock.” ....

22 Mar 2025 Saturday

flipturn
with Arcy Drive
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Florida’s flipturn will be headlining the Palace Theatre, in St Paul, on March 22, 2025. The band’s album Burnout Days is out now on Dualtone Records.

Flipturn at 7th Street Entry (28 Oct 2022)

We saw Flipturn in Oct 2022 and said, “Prior to Flipturn taking the stage, the DJ/sound guy played nothing but Halloween music. Songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” to Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash”. The band features Dillon Basse on lead vocals, Tristan Duncan on lead guitar, Madeline Jarman on bass, Taylor Allen on synth, and Adrian Walker on drums. Flipturn’s been enjoying selling out multiple shows on their current headlining tour. The reasons that singer recounted was, “People just discovered us on their own. They'd hear about our shows, they'd check us out, and they'd keep coming back. Our live show is the reason we've been able to grow.””

Arcy Drive at 7th Street Entry (07 Aug 2023)

We saw opener Arcy Drive in August 2023 and wrote, “Arcy Drive then sauntered on stage to Hot Chocolate's “You Sexy Thing.” Like the Lapdogs, they are a group of childhood friends. They are from Northport, NY, composed of Patrick Helrigel on bass, Brook Tuozzo on drums, Austin Jones on guitar and Nick Mateyunas on lead vocals and guitar. Although new to the scene with a proper debut album still to be released, they had a successful tour in the spring due to heavy social media following on Tiktok. They just played Lollapalooza in Chicago and Minneapolis was the beginning of their Stattic Tour Part II.”

Tour dates:

February 26 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX

February 27 - The Factory in Deep Ellum - Dallas, TX

February 28 - Stubbs Amphitheater - Austin, TX

March 1 - Tower Theatre - Oklahoma City, OK

March 5 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ

March 6 - The Sound - Del Mar, CA

March 7 - The Novo - Los Angeles, CA

March 8 - The Fox - Oakland, CA

March 9 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR

March 11 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA

March 13 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT

March 15 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO

March 18 - The Truman - Kansas City, MO

March 19 - The Hawthorn - St. Louis, MO

March 21 - The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL

March 22 - The Palace Theatre - Minneapolis, MN

March 23 - Val Air - Des Moines, IA

March 26 - Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN

March 27 - KEMBA live! - Columbus, OH

March 28 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Detroit, MI

March 29 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON

March 30 - Beanfield Theatre - Montreal, QB

April 2 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT

April 4 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY

April 5 - Roadrunner - Boston, MA

April 9 - MEGACORP - Newport, KY

April 10 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA

April 11 - Franklin Music Hall - Philadelphia, PA

April 12 - The Anthem - Washington, D.C.

April 16 - Avondale Brewing - Birmingham, AL

April 18 - HOB Orlando - Orlando, FL

April 27 - High Water Festival - North Charleston, SC

22 Mar 2025 Transmission 24 with DJ Jake Rudh at First Avenue Read More Transmission The 23rd Anniversary Transmission, with DJ Jake Rudh, is this March 29, 2024, at First Avenue, in Minneapolis. This is a great social event that you can spend on your Friday night with your friends … DJ Jake Rudh Between bands, DJ Jake Rudh played a selection of 70s and 80s ska music videos (Madness, Specials, etc), and opening up the show was …

22 Mar 2025 Saturday

Transmission 24
with DJ Jake Rudh
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Join DJ Jake Rudh for the upcoming Transmission, the long-running music club, playing all your favorite alternative/UK hits of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

2025 will be be Transmission’s 24th Anniversary.

Transmission at First Ave (21 Mar 2015)

We attended the 14th Annual Transmission show in March 2015 and wrote, “Turnout to this Saturday event was very, very good, with the main dance floor generally full, as you can see from the photos. Everyone we ran into were generally smiling, drinking, being social, and having a good time. If you have attended any Transmission shows (or seen a UK band live), chances are, you will already be familiar with DJ Jake Rudh's music tastes, but he will play to the crowd. For the Transmission audience, the majority of music were of that alternative 80s/90s era, like Talking Heads, The Cure, Run DMC, New Order, Billy Idol, Beastie Boys, Beck, and, of course, The Smiths. However, once in a while, he'll throw in a curve ball, like Franz Ferdinand, MGMT, or MIA.”

Jake writes:

After doing this for so long it’s actually hard to think of creative and fresh ways to continue promoting Transmission.

So I’m going to drop the stress of even trying and just simply say thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dreams of sharing favorite music with all of you. Thank you for continuing to support this little dance night that just continues to carry on through the years.

And a huge thanks to all of you who are coming out to celebrate Transmission’s 24th anniversary at First Avenue with 5+ hours of great, classic alternative music videos from the ‘70s, ‘80s & ‘90s on March 22nd!

p.s. Many thanks to partners First Avenue, The Current and The Electric Fetus…the Twin Cities wouldn’t be the same without them!

Artwork: Josh Trippz

23 Mar 2025 Lilly Hiatt at Turf Club Read More Lilly Hiatt Lilly Hiatt is currently on tour. The new single, “Hidden Day” is out now on New West Records. The song is the first new music issued by New West since her Lately LP in 2021. …

23 Mar 2025 Sunday

Lilly Hiatt
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Singer/songwriter Lilly Hiatt is touring in support of her new album Forever, out now on New West Records. The tour will stop by the Turf Club, in St Paul, on March 23, 2025.

As of this writing, no opening band listed.

Tour Dates:

3/6/25 The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

3/7/25 Pour House, Charleston, SC

3/8/25 The Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC

3/9/25 The Pinhook, Durham, NC

3/11/25 Silk City Diner, Philadelphia, PA

3/12/25 The Middle East, Cambridge, MA

3/13/25 Baby's All Right, Brooklyn, NY

3/14/25 DC9, Washington, DC

3/15/25 Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, PA

3/16/25 Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH

3/19/25 Natalie's Grandview, Columbus, OH

3/20/25 Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO

3/21/25 Duke's, Indianapolis, IN

3/22/25 Fitzgerald's, Berwyn, IL

3/23/25 Turf Club, St. Paul MN

3/24/25 Vinyl Cup Records, Des Moines, IA

3/28/25 Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA

3/29/25 Trout Lake Hall, Trout Lake, WA

3/30/25 The Showdown, Portland, OR

4/1/25 Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA

4/3/25 The Wayfarer, Costa Mesa, CA

4/4/25 Permanent Records Roadhouse, LA, CA

4/5/25 The Dirty Drummer. Phoenix, AZ

4/8/25 The Continental Club, Houston, TX

4/9/25 Meridian, Buda, TX

4/10/25 Magnolia Motor Lounge, Fort Worth, TX

4/11/25 White Water Tavern, Little Rock, AR

4/12/25 Hernando's Hideaway, Memphis, TN

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

Lunasa at Pantages Theatre (14 March 2025)

Lúnasa at Pantages Theatre (14 Mar 2025) Tour Dates 15 Mar Old Town School Chicago, IL 16 Mar St.Patrick's Day Festival Henderson, NV 17 Mar Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, NM 18 Mar KiMo Theatre Albuquerque, NM 21 Mar Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Kent, WA 22 Mar Vashon Center Vashon, WA 25 Mar Alberta Rose Theatre Portland, OR 26 Mar Patricia Valian Reser Center Corvallis, OR 27 Mar Cage Free Concerts Ashland, OR 28 Mar Presidio Theatre San Francisco, CA 29 Mar Miners Foundry Nevada City, CA 30 Mar Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA Vuart The Flutist (Vuart) Read More Lúnasa Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with traditional Irish band Lúnasa (featuring bassist Trevor Hutchinson of The Waterboys on bass). You can buy a copy of their new album …

Irish band Lúnasa played a double set of Irish/Celtic traditional music at the Pantages Theatre on Friday, March 14, bringing in a long weekend of Irish celebration with St Patrick’s Day on the horizon.

Before their show, the head of Celtic Junction Arts Center, Cormac Ó Sé, came out to introduce the band. He was excited to bring back the band, having just booked Lúnasa at the same theatre last year, on March 1st, 2024, along with Daoirí Farrell and Jigjam. He also mentioned that the first time he saw the group, it was in Australia, 26 years ago.

With that said, Lúnasa came on stage, from left to right: flutist Kevin Crawford, piper Cillian Vallely, fiddler Colin Farrell, guitarist Ed Boyd, and bassist Trevor Hutchinson. The band was named after Lughnasadh, an ancient harvest festival, and they play both traditional and contemporary Irish music.

Kevin did most of the talking, introducing a set of songs (usually three songs). They started with a couple of tracks that they released on Live in Kyoto (featuring ten new tracks recorded live at Taku Taku club in Japan). Most of these new songs were written by Cillian, who has a certain style of song writing. His go-to is to write a good first and third acts… the middle doesn’t really matter. Usually the third song in their mini-sets picks up, often inspiring the audience to clap along. So that last song is quite upbeat and ends with a strong finish.

As the concert continues, you learn a piece of each band member. For example, Trevor, the bassist, has a mad idea of renting identical vans and slowly swapping the engine… one piece at a time. My favorite is Ed, who was pointed out as having a wrinkled shirt because he didn’t bring an iron on tour. Ed took that and ran with it, adding that the clothing was causing chafing. Before we had the opportunity to ask, “you don’t want to know, but it’s my upper thighs.”

Highlight of their set was for one of their songs, a group of Kickin' It Irish dancers danced their way on stage. It was really fun, and had me looking up these dancers and found out that it was created in 2013 to feature Championship dancers from O’Shea Irish Dance. There are four more Kickin’ It Irish shows - March 15 (two shows), March 16, and ending on St Patrick’s Day at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. This will be a great way of celebrating all-things-Irish.

The band would then return with a second set of their show. The second set is a little loose and not as structured as the first set. The band could probably play for another six hours, pulling from their vast discography (over eight albums to choose from). The band admitted that they need to move with the times, as people don’t want to buy CDs. Instead, thanks to Trevor’s idea, they are selling music (with unreleased videos) on USB thumb drives. And if you don’t like it, “You can always put good stuff on it.”

Lúnasa’s Live in Kyoto is out now.

Cormac Ó Sé Kickin' It Irish

Kickin' It Irish

Lúnasa

Lúnasa

Lúnasa at Pantages Theatre (14 March 2025)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! March 18-24, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

Read More Bright Eyes Bright Eyes, brighter future. Conor Oberst (formerly Bright Eyes) will be at the Palace Theatre in St Paul on Thursday. Oberst recently appeared on Charlie Rose .…

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Well done, KC!

Spring is officially in the air (but don’t count cold weather out just yet) and there are so many sold out shows this week (with several others on low ticket alert), so fans are hitting the venues to catch their favorite live acts, which is great.

This weekend is cosplay city downtown too, as the mighty Planet Comicon Kansas City takes over downtown and Bartle Hall and the Convention Center for three days. As usual, we’ll be on-site, racing between panel rooms and the show floor, to bring you the full recaps.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from March 18th-24th:

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

TUESDAY MARCH 18

flipturn, Mar 18, The Truman, Sold Out

The Jacksonville FL area indie rock band band, comprised of Dillon Basse (lead vocal, guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), and Devon VonBalson (drums), grew steadily with every gig, from college house shows to festival appearances to a TV performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Their debut album, Shadowglow, made a splash and they’ve followed it up with second release, Burnout Days, described as “caught halfway between 21st century indie rock, New Wave-inspired nostalgia, and rhythmic alt-pop.”

Ben Folds, Mar 18 AND 19, Kauffman Center, $67-$148

Pianist and composer Ben Folds joins your Kansas City Symphony for two incredible nights! The Emmy-nominated artist has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborations.

His latest album, 2023’s What Matters Most, is a blend of piano-driven pop rock songs, while his 2015 Concerto for Piano and Orchestra soared to #1 on the Billboard Classical and Classical crossover charts. For nearly two decades, Folds has performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and recently served as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. His concert documentary "My Name's Ben Folds - I Play Piano" was recently released for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and he even released a holiday album last fall.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19

Trey Anastasio, Mar 19, Uptown, Sold Out

If KC can’t get Phish for a concert run, this is not a bad alternative- "An Acoustic Evening with Trey Anastasio," is the guitarist’s 20-date US solo acoustic tour which began last week, and the setlist reports have been impressing the longtime fans. The tour concludes with an April 5th show in Red Bank, NJ.

Anastasio had a busy last year- he embarked on a tour with his own band in the spring, released a new album with Phish titled Evolve, and with his Phish band mates, became the second act to hold a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Anastasio’s last solo album was 2022’s Mercy.

THURSDAY MARCH 20

FRIDAY MARCH 21

Planet Comicon Kansas City, Mar 21-23, Convention Center/Bartle Hall, $13.99-$97.99

Planet Comicon Kansas City is the largest comic book and pop culture convention not just in the KC area, but within the entire Midwest. At the core of PCKC is the commitment to provide a safe and welcoming venue where pop culture, comic, sci-fi, and anime fans may enjoy their particular niche of
fandom without judgment. Check out our coverage of previous years too!

It has a 26 year history, with the first installment held in Overland Park, KS in March 1999. The 2025 show is their 26th Anniversary show! This year's guests include David Tennant, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Andy Serkis, Mike Colter and so many more incredible celebrities. 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mar 21, Ameristar, $55-$205

For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy Award winning band has entertained audiences with their timeless hits 'Mr. Bojangles,' 'Fishin' In The Dark,' 'An American Dream,' and many more. And now, the time has come for the band who has carried a torch for American country and roots music to say ‘So Long’ to the highways and byways they've crossed a number of times throughout their career.

'All The Good Times' perfectly describes our career, said the band in a statement. 'Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We really look forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!' With special guest Brit Taylor Duo.

Bright Eyes w/ Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mar 21, Uptown, $40-$65

Bright Eyes are barreling ahead on their current tour, after they were forced to cancel the remainder of their 2024 dates due to Conor Oberst’s vocal problems. It’s in support of their new album, Five Dice, All Threes and Oberst is said to singing stronger than ever.

We’ve seen Omaha native Oberst numerous times live over the years, including some memorable collaborations with Dawes, Phoebe Bridgers, even a Vote for Change show playing with Bruce Springsteen, and always look forward to seeing him and the band again.

Arrive early for this solid double bill to catch Alynda Segarra and Hurray for the Riff Raff before they set off on their own headlining run in May with Merce Lemon. New song, “Pyramid Scheme” has also just been released, arriving around the first anniversary of album, The Past Is Still Alive, and features Phil Cook on organ, Yan Westerlund on drums, Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on electric guitar, and producer Brad Cook on bass.

RxGhost, Mar 21, Hilsiders, KCK, (door charge?)

KC’s own RxGhost (Jeremiah James and Josh Thomas on guitars, anchored by the precise rhythm section of Justin Brooks on drums and Chris Smead on bass) returns with "Anytime But Now," a new 7" single that examines the peculiar comfort found in self-destructive patterns, whether chemical or emotional- that space where you recognize something isn't good for you but can't seem to break away.

The single is backed with "Undersaid," a more subdued B-side that offers a balancing counterpoint that offers a more minimal, atmospheric companion piece.

Since forming in 2022, RxGhost has carved out their own corner of the shoegaze/post-rock spectrum, earning recognition for their recent album 'Scaffolding' and live performances. Of the upcoming KCK show, they say, “We’re playing our first show of the year and only KC show until the summer on MARCH 21st, we’re playing tons of new stuff, and super stoked to be playing with The String and Return.”

Marc Broussard, Mar 21, Knuckleheads, Sold Out

Louisiana singer, songwriter, and musician is known for channeling the spirits of classic R&B, rock, and soul into contemporary terms. The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of “The Boogie Kings,” he nurtured his musical gifts at an early age in Lafayette, LA’s music scene. After releasing a highly successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with Carencro. The album featured the breakout hit single “Home” and catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Over the past decade, Broussard released several albums with major labels and has since returned to his indie roots with a series of critically acclaimed original and philanthropic cover albums through his S.O.S Foundation (Save our Soul). His recent release, S.O.S. 4 Blues for Your Soul, a collaboration with blues legend Joe Bonamassa is a collection of blues/soul classics that debuted at the top of the Billboard Blues Album Chart.

Broussard’s new studio album, Time is a Thief finds the acclaimed singer/songwriter delivering an ten-song set filled with rootsy hooks and dance-floor grooves, all wrapped around Broussard’s vocals. His first album of new music since 2017’s, Easy to Love, arrived via his Artist Tone Label.

Arrive early for singer Kendra Morris, in support of new album, I Am What I’m Waiting For (Karma Chief Records).

SATURDAY MARCH 22

K Flay, Mar 22, The Truman, $25-$50

The multi-platinum and 2x GRAMMY-nominee has a new EP, I’m Making Friends With The Silence out now via Giant Music. The release features six tracks from her acclaimed 2023 full-length studio album MONO that were reimagined and re-recorded with a more reflective, stripped-back sound.

The idea to revisit these album tracks came shortly after K.Flay found herself struggling to listen to loud music due to her single sided deafness coupled with severe tinnitus. In search of a new approach, she collaborated with producer Lonas to rework and re-record the tracks with a restrained touch, focusing on intimacy, subtlety, and the power of simplicity.

"My SSD (single-sided deafness) and profound tinnitus make listening to loud music difficult. And so a strange fact hung in the air: I'd made an album that was hard for me to listen to," the musician said in a press release. We just caught her live in Minneapolis.

Mickey Dolenz, Mar 22, Uptown, $39-$99

Hey, Hey, it’s a Monkee! Dolenz is at it again, this time to the benefit of his dedicated fans, as he sets out for another round of An Evening of Songs and Stories performances

He’s also featured in a new movie from last September called The Zombie Wedding” and keeps flying the Monkees flag of song favorites, for all their fans, young and old.

SUNDAY MARCH 23

Geoff Tate, Mar 23, Knuckleheads,Sold Out

The former Queensryche singer is out on his "Operation: Mindcrime- The Final Chapter" U.S. tour, during which he will perform the band's classic album in full for this final run. The 1988 milestone album was one of Queensryche's most successful and the platinum certified record features hit singles such as "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love."

Tate fronted Queensrÿche for over 30 years, performing on the band’s classic albums in the 1980s and beyond. He split from the group in 2012, though it appears he is now on better terms with his former bandmates, who still own their name after some legal wranglings, but it’s only Tate who can legally perform the classic album and the acclaimed sequel record, in full.

MONDAY MARCH 24

Annie DiRusso, Mar 24, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $20-$100

The rising Nashville indie artist has just released her debut album Super Pedestrian. DiRusso says of her debut, “a lot of the album is about this push and pull of acceptance and resistance. It's me learning to surrender and about not being in the passenger seat of your own life.”

"I feel like a much more balanced, fully formed version of myself," DiRusso says. "I'm so excited to just show people where I'm at and how I'm feeling. I want this album to show people it's okay to have fun.

To celebrate the release DiRusso and her band is out on a 32-date headlining tour which starts right here in Lawrence freaking Kansas!

The album, produced by Caleb Wright (Hippocampus, Samia) follows DiRusso’s critically acclaimed EP God, I Hate This Place, and two straight years on the road, which included opening for Haim and beabadoobee, and appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Anberlin, Copeland, Madina Lake, Mar 24, Madrid, $33.50-$73.50

The Florida alternative group Anberlin has announced their return to the road to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their quintessential album, Never Take Friendship Personal and they’ll play that landmark 2005 album in its entirety. Joining them on the tour is support act Copeland, who is set to perform their own 2005 album, In Motion in its entirety. Madina Lake adds additional support.

 National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity?  Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email [email protected]

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

Soccer Mommy at First Avenue (13 Mar 2025)

Soccer Mommy at First Avenue (13 Mar 2025) Soccer Mommy Setlist Abigail circle the drain Driver Bones Shotgun Dreaming of Falling Cool Thinking of You Some Sunny Day M Lost Still Clean crawling in my skin royal screw up Salt in Wound Your Dog -- Encore -- Changes Don’t Ask Me Tour Dates 3/14 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall % 3/15 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl % 4/26 - Lisbon, PT - Lisboa ao Vivo $ 4/27 - Madrid, ES - Sala Copernico $ 4/28 - Barcelona, ES - Sala Apolo 2 $ 4/30 - Zurich, CH - Papiersaal $ 5/1 - Fribourg, CH - Fri-Son $ 5/2 - Milan, IT - Legend $ 5/3 - Munich, DE - Ampere $ 5/4 - Cologne, DE - Artheater $ 5/6 - Brighton, UK - Chalk $ 5/7 - Bristol, UK - SWX $ 5/8 - London, UK - Hackney Church $ 5/9 - Leeds, UK - Project House $ 5/11 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street $ 5/13 - Glasgow, UK - SWG3 TV Studio $ 5/14 - Manchester, UK - New Century Hall $ 5/16 - Paris, FR - Le Trabendo $ 5/17 - Amsterdam, NL - London Calling Festival 5/18 - Brussels, BE - Les Nuits Botanique 5/20 - Hamburg, DE - Nochtspeicher $ 5/21 - Berlin, DE - Lido $ 5/22 - Warszawa, PL - Klub Hybrydy $ % support from Hana Vu $ support from Bored at My Grandma’s House Read More Soccer Mommy The stage transition was brief (made seemingly shorter by a female-empowered audio mix of Sonic Youth, Lush, and Avril Lavigne tracks) as the five touring members of Soccer Mommy .… Hana Vu California’s Hana Vu is back on tour to support her new album Romanticism. The theme and promotional photos seems to suggest it was influenced by Caravaggio’s paintings …

With the weather turning ridiculously nice (though who knows for how long!), independent radio stations The Current and Radio K co-presented indie star Soccer Mommy at First Avenue.

Hana Vu got the show started. The Los Angeles based musician is simply pure indie pop. Vu and the band got right into the music and it was an almost soothing rock & roll. Her vocals were perfect for this not quite shoegaze style, and the band was perfectly aligned in their straightforward style of play. It’s often hard to describe the tonal qualities of music, but Hana Vu is top notch in a certain dreamy indie haze. The song Care was a darn near perfect example of their sound and approach.

Hana Vu at 7th Street Entry (05 Sep 2018): The 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis a first stop for the band. “This is our first time not in California. The first time ever.”

Afterwards, Vu mentioned that her first (ever) stop back in the day was at neighboring 7th St. Entry, and “that was cool, but this is way cooler”.

The next number, 22, started off much quieter, but had an excellent build up to a distorted lead guitar solo. And though the music and backing band were very talented, this is helmed by Vu’s direct vocal style. At one point, the music was nearly chaotic in volume, fuzz, and overlapping sounds, but Vu’s vocals provided a certain level of calm and centering to it. It was an impressive performance and it’s obvious why Soccer Mommy would want Vu and band as the opener. An audience that skewed pretty young was obviously in agreement. Another quiet number, April Fool, was mournful in its lyrics, and yet was somehow upbeat and positive in its music. With their final song upon them, Vu simply closed with “I’ll see you next time”, then launched into Love by herself for the first verse before the band came in full support. Highly recommended that you seek this band out.

Soccer Mommy (Sophia Allison) is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Nashville. With an impressive track record of music since 2018, she is currently on tour in support of her album Evergreen, released last October. The concert started with a slightly slower number, but eased the audience in. The second number, Circle the Drain, was phenomenal, and after the applause, when someone in the crowd shouted “We love you”, it got a tremendous cheer. This was an audience amped up and Soccer Mommy was ready to take advantage, as they launched into another track off Evergreen, the song Driver, which included a very fuzzed electric guitar solo. Allison has a droll style that was perfectly matched to the music and the crowd’s sensibilities. I’m not sure there is anything as fun as being part of an audience that really, really is excited to see the performer and experience the music live. It’s not as common as it should be and has a magical quality when it does happen.

That the song Shotgun (from the first album) followed was almost too much, as the crowd erupted at the opening chords. It’s a great song with the keyboards carrying between verses. Overall, the set carefully wove in the new album intermixed with older songs, and thoughtfully played with tempo and dynamics. The quintet, which had four guitars at times, made the most of those textured tones in Thinking of You, which also had a mid-song tempo change. Some Sunny Day continued to highlight tracks from the new album, which feels like a natural extension of the existing catalogue.

After a few more songs, we got a longer guitar tuning and the rest of the band leaving the stage for a solo performance of Still Clean, showcasing Allison’s guitar work and plaintive lyrics. The band re-entered to play crawling in my skin, off an album (Color Theory), “that just turned five”. This had Allison start alone before the band joined back in. Great guitar riffs pulled this forward with a fun lyrical chorus taking this to the end. The main set ended with Your Dog, and a grateful Soccer Mommy thanking the crowd. A short break before the encore (“well, hi again”) and soon things were headed to a finale with the dreamy pop sound of yellow is the color of her eyes finishing things off.

Hana Vu

Hana Vu

Hana Vu: Sean (bassist)

Hana Vu: Jakob (guitarist)

Hana Vu

Soccer Mommy: Nickolas Widener (bass)

Soccer Mommy: Sophie Allison and Rollum Haas (drums)

Soccer Mommy: Sophie Allison

Soccer Mommy: Sophie Allison

Soccer Mommy: Rodrigo Avendano (keyboards)

Soccer Mommy: Julian Powell (guitar)

Soccer Mommy at First Avenue (13 Mar 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: April 16 to April 18, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Vincent Mason at First Avenue (16 Apr 2025)

16 Apr 2025 Wednesday

Vincent Mason
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Despite the strict 6 ticket limit, rising Interscope/UMG Nashville/Music Soup songwriter and artist Vincent Mason’s upcoming show at the Fine Line was upgraded to the much bigger First Avenue mainstage on April 16, 2025.

Tour Dates

4/10 - Dallas, TX

4/11- Houston, TX

4/16 - Minneapolis, MN

4/17 - West Peoria, IL

4/18 - Grand Rapids, MI

4/19 - Indianapolis, IN

5/2 - Fayetteville, AR

5/8 - Chattanooga, TN

5/9 - Charlotte, NC

5/10 - Lexington, KY

5/15 - Isle of Palms, SC

5/16 - Anderson, SC

Goldie at Fine Line (17 Apr 2025)

17 Apr 2025 Thursday

Goldie
with Submotive
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

England’s Goldie (aka Rufige Kru) is doing a USA tour! He’ll stop by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on April 17, 2025, in support of his new album Alpha Omega (available May 16 via London Records).

Submotive to open.

Goldie With Live Band Tour:

04/14 - The Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA

04/15 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA

04/17 - Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN

04/18 - Metro – Chicago, IL

04/19 - Elsewhere - Brooklyn, NY

Goldie US DJ Tour:

05/16 – Cervantes Masterpiece – Denver, CO

05/17 – Metalheadz Residency at Paragon – New York, NY

Goldie in Detroit All Week as Movement’s Artist In Residence:

05/23 – Spot Lite – Detroit, MI

05/25 – Movement Festival (Goldie B2B Photek) – Detroit, MI

05/26 – Movement Festival – Detroit, MI

2025 UK & EUROPEAN LIVE DATES

02/28 - Fabric x Metalheadz Takeover – London

Goldie With Live Band Tour:

04/09 - Paradiso - Amsterdam

04/11 - Razzmatazz - Barcelona

04/12 - Magazzini Generali - Milan

04/22 - Ronnie Scott's - London

04/23 - Ronnie Scott's - London

04/24 - The Waterfront - Norwich

04/25 - Joshua Brooks - Manchester (DJ)

04/26 - Bristol Beacon - Bristol

04/27 - Castle & Falcon - Birmingham

04/28 - The Wardrobe - Leeds

04/29 - Village Underground – London

mssv at Turf Club (18 Apr 2025) Read More MSSV MSSV Main Steam Stop Valve (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges, Mike Watt), recordBar, $13 The newest experimental rock incarnation from Minuteman bassist ...

18 Apr 2025 Friday

mssv
with Charlie Parr
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Experimental trio mssv, featuring Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges, and Mike Watt, will be headlining the Turf Club, in St Paul, on April 18, 2025. The band’s latest Human Reaction is out now.

Charlie Parr at the Armory (26 Nov 2022)

Charlie Parr to open. We saw Parr at the Armory in Nov 2022 and wrote, “Charlie Parr opened up with his weathered steel guitar and friend, Mick, playing what Parr called: “The washing machine.” Even with no band Parr had no trouble filling the cavernous space of the Armory with an earthy voice that rose to all three levels and into the rafters of the venue. Born in Austin, MN and now residing in Duluth, Parr’s musical style of folk and blues seems to be from another era. Still, he instantly connected with the sold out crowd with a generous set of 12 songs ranging from a career that has produced 16 albums…”

Tour dates:

Mar 13 Sardine San Pedro, Ca

Mar 14 Wayfarer Costa Mesa, Ca

Mar 15 Giant Rock Meeting Room Yucca Valley, Ca

Mar 16 Cibo Phoenix, Az

Mar 17 Whiskey Creek Zocalo Silver City, Nm

Mar 18 Guild Cinema Albuquerque, Nm

Mar 19 Guild Cinema Albuquerque, Nm

Mar 20 Co-Opt Research + Projects Lubbock, Tx

Mar 21 Resonant Head Oklahoma City, Ok

Mar 22 Wild Detectives Dallas, Tx

Mar 23 Corn Pound San Antonio, Tx

Mar 24 Continental Club Houston, Tx

Mar 25 Mid City Ballroom Baton Rouge, La

Mar 26 End Of All Music Jackson, Ms

Mar 27 Saturn Birmingham, Al

Mar 28 Bark Tallahassee, Fl

Mar 29 Will's Pub Orlando, Fl

Mar 30 Loosey's Gainesville, Fl

Mar 31 El Rocko Lounge Savannah, Ga

Apr 1 Snug Harbor Charlotte, Nc

Apr 2 Flat Iron Greensboro, Nc

Apr 3 Pearl Street Warehouse Washington Dc

Apr 4 Solar Myth Philadelphia, Pa

Apr 5 Tubby's Kingston, Ny

Apr 6 Mercury Lounge New York, Ny

Apr 7 Myrtle East Providence, Ri

Apr 8 Nova Arts Keene, Nh

Apr 9 Monkey House Winooski, Vt

Apr 10 Angry Mom Records Ithaca, Ny

Apr 11 Lounge Buffalo, Ny

Apr 12 Funhouse Millvale, Pa

Apr 13 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, Oh

Apr 14 Ace Of Cups Columbus, Oh

Apr 15 State Street Pub Indianapolis, In

Apr 16 Hideout Chicago, Il

Apr 17 Gamma Ray Bar Madison, Wi

Apr 18 Turf Club Saint Paul, Mn

Apr 19 Gabe's Iowa City, Ia

Apr 20 Recordbar Kansas City, Mo

Apr 21 Reverb Lounge Omaha, Ne

Apr 22 Fisch Haus Wichita, Ks

Apr 23 Chelsea's Eureka Springs, Ar

Apr 24 Venue Shrine Tulsa, Ok

Apr 25 Golden Light Cantina Amarillo, Tx

Apr 26 Cocoon Santa Fe, Nm

Apr 27 Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, Az

Apr 28 Griffin Las Vegas, Nv

Apr 29 Bakersfield Sound Co. Bakersfield, Ca

Apr 30 Torch Club Sacramento, Ca

May 1 Miniplex Arcata, Ca

May 2 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco, Ca

May 3 Zebulon Los Angeles, Ca

LAKE at Cloudland Theater (18 Apr 2025) Read More Lake Lake's new album is called Giving & Receiving, and I did manage to give it a listen to before I saw them to get an idea of what they'll sound like live. I'll admit, I was expecting a pretty mellow ...

18 Apr 2025 Friday

LAKE
with Babytooth, Lake Davi
at Cloudland Theater
cloudlandtheater.com

After a five-year hiatus, pacific northwest and Los Angeles-based group LAKE is back… just in time for their 10th LP Bucolic Gone.

Lake at 7th Street Entry (10 May 2011)

We saw Lake in May 2011 and wrote, “Lake's new album is called Giving & Receiving, and I did manage to give it a listen to before I saw them to get an idea of what they'll sound like live. I'll admit, I was expecting a pretty mellow show. It does have things I like, the boys/girls vocals and brief pop songs. One thing I've noticed is that the band members play musical chairs and switches between keys and drums and bass, etc. Their songs have a tendency to point to the heavens ("Distant Stars", "The Stars", etc), so it seems natural that Lindsay asked what those clouds in the sky over Minneapolis were called. Someone in the audience said "mammatus". Luckily, I did manage to take some pictures of the mammatus clouds prior to the show, which I'm using in this article as the title header.”

Babytooth and Lake Davi to open.

Tour dates:

04/15/25 - Butte, MT - Carpenter’s Union Hall

04/17/25 - Fargo, ND - Parachigo

04/18/25 - Minneapolis, MN - Cloudland

04/19/25 - Milwaukee, WI - Sky High

04/20/25 - Chicago, IL - Hideout

04/21/25 - Ypsilanti, MI - Ziggy's

04/22/25 - Toronto, ON - Garrison

04/23/25 - Ottawa, ON - Rainbow Bistro

04/24/25 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Fouf

04/25/25 - Catskill, NY - The Avalon

04/26/25 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right

04/27/25 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's

04/28/25 - Washington, DC - Pie Shop

04/30/25 - Durham, NC - The Pinhook

05/01/25 - Asheville, NC - Static Age

05/02/25 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR

05/03/25 - Athens, GA - Flicker

05/04/25 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl

05/14/25 - Bellingham, WA - Odd Fellows Temple Room

05/15/25 - Vancouver, BC - KW Studios

05/16/25 - Portland, OR - The Showdown

05/17/25 - Everett, WA - Fisherman's Village Festival

05/18/25 - Seattle, WA - Madame Lou's

05/19/25 - Whidbey, WA - Bailey’s Corner Store

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

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy play R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction at First Avenue (12 Mar 2025)

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy at First Avenue (12 Mar 2025) Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy Setlist Fables of the Reconstruction Feeling Gravitys Pull Maps and Legends Driver 8 Life and How to Live It Old Man Kensey Can't Get There From Here Green Grow the Rushes Kohoutek Auctioneer (Another Engine) Good Advices Wendell Gee Femme Fatale (The Velvet Underground cover) -- Set II -- Romance Strange (Wire cover) Harborcoat New Test Leper Bandwagon World Leader Pretend 7 Chinese Bros. Wolves, Lower Gardening at Night 1,000,000 Find the River Disturbance at the Heron House Little America Second Guessing -- Encore -- Cuyahoga Crazy (Pylon cover) Radio Free Europe Raspberry Beret (Prince cover) Camera Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith cover) Tour Dates March 13 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom March 14 - Chicago, IL @ Metro March 15 - Evanston, IL @ SPACE Read More Jason Narducy Actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy are celebrating R.E.M.’s celebrated 1983 debut album, Murmur. All shows on the tour will feature Shannon (vocals) and Narducy (guitar) ... R.E.M. One of the most important albums, R.E.M.'s Murmur was re-released yesterday as a Deluxe Edition by Universal Records. What sets this release apart from the original 1983 …

If I told you a cover band was performing at First Avenue, what would be your first thought? That it was a joke? That they had to be the first opener on a long list of performers? And if I said they were headlining? You might laugh me out of the room. But, in fact, that is exactly what happened, as Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy led an R.E.M. cover band, with a play through of Fables of the Reconstruction and much more.

Dave Hill got things started. The comedian and musician was basically a comedy routine. He started by imploring the crowd not to chant “Dave, Dave, Dave”, which became a recurring bit that the crowd leaned into repeatedly. He grabbed a guitar and sort of performed some cover songs, including a short section of Sweet Home Alabama. It couldn’t have been five minutes of music before it quickly turned back to the comedy.

An extended set of new ad campaigns for Dollar Tree were brilliantly mean (“Dollar Tree, that’s not MY crystal meth”) and then transitioned to a riff on Guitar Center. After making fun of places people from the crowd mentioned, he did a song on pick up lines “that only work in Minneapolis”. Suddenly with a backing band of drums and bass, he played a funk style rock song that also had Hill ripping on said band. The pick up lines were surprisingly topical for Minneapolis, such as “Are you the Metro Blue Line? Because I would like to ride you entirely free of charge”. (Side note: Saint Paul’s was more brutal and not really repeatable here.) Like all good comics, the jokes built upon themselves, but with the added layer of the music, this was a pretty brilliant bit. Turns out Dave has a street gang, and offered “gang patches” back in the merch booth. Ending his time on stage with a story about his recent first fist fight as a very extended song, Dave Hill nailed an excellent opening set.

I briefly spoke with Hill after his set. Being more recognized as a comedian, I asked what itch does music scratch for him. Hill said he actually started with music first and for a long time kept them separate. He had opportunities to be in places with house bands and after a while started playing solo while telling jokes. He considers it “fun like skateboarding, and it adds a layer of chaos”. Selfishly, it also lets him do what he wants to, and it seems almost magical that crowds respond to it and find it unique. He gets to entertain himself while entertaining others, and as Hill headed off towards the merch table he quipped, “it’s working out so far”.

The headliners are each better known for other projects. Michael Shannon is obviously known as an actor, having appeared in the show Boardwalk Empire and in movies like Knives Out, The Shape of Water and the underrated Premium Rush, as well as shows on Broadway. Jason Narducy has been involved with numerous bands, backing Bob Mould as bassist for twenty years, doing the same for Superchunk for more than ten years, and leading his own band Split Single.

This cover band act could absolutely be a gimmick; famous actor who can do a good impression of a pretty identifiable and idiosyncratic singer. But from my perspective, it was pretty obvious from the first few songs that Shannon cares about this band and its music, and that ultimately raises it up to “imitation being the sincerest form of flattery”. And the backing band has the chops to carry this. Besides Narducy, providing lead guitar and backing vocals, there’s fellow Mould and Superchunk performer Jon Wurster on drums, and the six performers are obviously very comfortable with each other. It turns out that Shannon and Narducy have been doing various cover music for a decade, before embarking on their first tour last year.

After a bit of banter about being happy to be in Minneapolis, Shannon noted that “there’s only one song left on A side” and took it back to the music with Old Man Kensey. Narducy got the chance to talk for a bit, who thanked the crew and also highlighted the fact that the band was supporting the Abortion Access Front and had a guest speaker for the group say a few words of support. After that interlude, the band moved to the B side of Fables, with the upbeat Can’t Get There from Here. Great drum work from Wurster had the crowd jumping along. If you glanced away from the stage for a bit, you could convince yourself it’s the actual R.E.M. you’re hearing, which is a testament to the band’s skill. Auctioneer (Another Engine) had Shannon all over the stage with the relentless bass and drum beat of the song. Wendell Gee completed the album and the first set in a more subdued fashion, with Narducy providing great harmonies.

I found it fascinating that Shannon was a mumbler during his banter. I couldn’t tell if that was remaining “in character”, some audio glitch or something else, but he bordered on unintelligible when speaking, while still being clear when singing. Femme Fatale (a Velvet Underground cover) was a great choice to end set one and let Shannon croon a bit at the end. After quickly returning to the stage to a kind word “Y’all make me want to move to Minneapolis”, the band jumped right back into things with the rocking Romance. Harborcoat got us a harmonica solo, and it was clear we were in for the long haul. Shannon brought a drum to play on a song (one-handed, for part of the song), which tracked with his intro comment of “I need a prop”. Wolves, Lower got a strong crowd reaction and rightfully so, and we got three of the five songs from R.E.M.’s debut EP Chronic Town ending that section with jangly 1,000,000.

After both band and crowd seemed to flag for just a moment, the energy rebounded with Disturbance at the Heron House. A little more rocking led to Second Guessing and the end of the second set. But this wasn’t over yet. The band came out for an extended, six song encore, including the great Radio Free Europe followed by Prince’s Raspberry Beret. The encore ended with Dave Hill joining the band to play an Aerosmith cover of Toys in the Attic. At over 30 songs, Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy had given the crowd everything they could have wanted.

Dave Hill

Dave Hill Dave Hill Dave Hill Dave Hill

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy at First Avenue (12 Mar 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: April 13 to April 15, 2025

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Wheatus at 7th St Entry (13 Apr 2025) Read More Wheatus New York’s Wheatus opened the show... with their first electric show on this tour. This is a large band, featuring Brendan B. Brown on vocals/guitars, Matthew Milligan on bass …

13 Apr 2025 Sunday

Wheatus
with Rematch and Scorched Waves
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

The Teenage Dirtbag band Wheatus is on a 25th Anniversary tour, stopping by the 7th Street Entry, on April 13, 2025. I’m not sure why they are playing such a tiny venue, because I know they will sell out the venue. So if you like the band, grab your tickets early.

Wheatus at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09 Mar 2019)

We saw Wheatus in March 2019: “Wheatus’ best known song, “Teenage Dirtbag” was played near the end of the set, complete with unconventionally long break before the final chorus. Personally speaking, I felt like they should have ended their set with “Dirtbag”, because of the false ending, but their finale song was actually “Valentine”, the title track from their 2016 album.”

Rematch and Scorched Waves to open.

Tour Dates

Mar. 16, 2025 Austin, TX Empire Control Room

Mar. 20, 2025 Cambridge, MA Sonia Live Music Venue

Mar. 21, 2025 Asbury Park, NJ Wonder Bar

Mar. 22, 2025 Ardmore, PA Ardmore Music Hall

Mar. 24, 2025 Washington, DC DC9

Mar. 26, 2025 Richmond, VA Canal Club

Mar. 27, 2025 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre

Mar. 28, 2025 Greenville, SC Radio Room

Mar. 29, 2025 Atlanta, GA Hell

Mar. 31, 2025 Tomball, TX Main Street Crossing

Apr. 1, 2025 Fort Worth, TX Tulips FTW

Apr. 3, 2025 Phoenix, AZ The Rebel Lounge

Apr. 4, 2025 Los Angeles, CA The Echo

Apr. 5, 2025 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of the Hill

Apr. 7, 2025 Seattle, WA Madame Lou's

Apr. 8, 2025 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios

Apr. 10, 2025 Denver, CO Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

Apr. 12, 2025 Cudahy, WI X-Ray Arcade

Apr. 13, 2025 Minneapolis, MN 7th St Entry

Apr. 14, 2025 Des Moines, IA xBk Live

Apr. 15, 2025 St. Louis, MO The Duck Room

Apr. 16, 2025 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen

Apr. 17, 2025 Detroit, MI Lager House

Apr. 18, 2025 Lakewood, OH Mahall's

Apr. 19, 2025 Columbus, OH A&R Music Bar

May 15, 2025 New York, NY ROCKS OFF

May 16, 2025 Stroudsburg, PA Sherman Theater

May 17, 2025 Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Café

May 31, 2025 Baltimore, MD Power Plant Live!

Sep. 26, 2025 Ocean City, MD Oceans Calling 2025

Dec. 13, 2025 London, United Kingdom OVO Arena Wembley

Griffin William Sherry at Turf Club (13 Apr 2025) Read More Griffin William Sherry Griffin William Sherry and his band got right to it with a driving song “Our Town”. By his second “Roll Down Slow” it became apparent he had a lot in the engine with a booming, raspy …

13 Apr 2025 Sunday

Griffin William Sherry
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Griffin William Sherry is headlining the Turf Club, in St Paul, on April 13, 2025.

Griffin William Sherry at Fine Line (06 Dec 2024)

We previously saw Griffin William Sherry in Dec 2024 and wrote, “Griffin William Sherry and his band got right to it with a driving song “Our Town”. By his second “Roll Down Slow” it became apparent he had a lot in the engine with a booming, raspy, voice that kept pace with his band. Sherry is from Maine and he has launched a solo career after playing with the trio The Ghost of Paul Revere. He is supporting his debut album Hundred Mile Wilderness, which was released in September.”

Tour Dates:

Mar 13 The Iron Horse Northampton, MA

Mar 14 City Winery Boston Boston, MA

Mar 15 Après Only Stowe, VT

Mar 19 Belly Up Solana Beach, CA

Mar 20 Belly Up Solana Beach, CA

Mar 21 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA

Mar 22 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA

Mar 23 The Center For the Arts Grass Valley, CA

Mar 27 Midtown Ballroom Bend, OR

Mar 28 McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR

Mar 29 Mount Baker Theatre Bellingham, WA

Mar 30 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA

Apr 4 Fri Stone Mountain Arts Center Brownfield, ME

Apr 9 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH

Apr 10 Rumba Cafe Columbus, OH

Apr 12 Three Three Five Green Bay, WI

Apr 13 Turf Club St Paul, MN

Apr 14 The Bur Oak Madison, WI

Apr 15 Space Evanston, IL

Apr 16 Atomic St. Louis, MO

Apr 17 Southgate House Revival Newport, KY

Apr 19 Purple Fiddle Thomas, WV

Apr 22 Eddie's Attic Decatur, GA

Apr 23 Rubies on Five Points Durham, NC

Apr 25 Depot Park Cullman, AL

Apr 26 The Basement East Nashville, TN

Apr 27 Barley's Taproom Knoxville, TN

Aug 2 Sat Back Cove Music & Arts Festival Portland, ME

James McMurtry at Fine Line (15 Apr 2025) Read More James McMurtry How best to describe James McMurtry? Stephen King has called him “... the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” Co-producing his debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland ...

15 Apr 2025 Tuesday

James McMurtry
with BettySoo
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

James McMurtry is headlining the Fine Line on April 15, 2025! Check out our interview with McMurtry.

BettySoo to open.

Tour Dates

12 Mar 2025 One Longfellow Square Portland , ME

13 Mar 2025 Higher Ground South Burlington, VT

14 Mar 2025 Bellows Falls Opera House Bellows Falls, VT

15 Mar 2025 Center for the Arts of Homer Homer, NY

16 Mar 2025 White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ

21 Mar 2025 Blue Moon Saloon Lafayette, LA

22 Mar 2025 Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Mobile, AL

23 Mar 2025 Continental Club Houston Houston, TX

08 Apr 2025 Dan's Silverleaf Denton, TX

09 Apr 2025 The Vanguard Tulsa, OK

10 Apr 2025 Off Broadway Nightclub St. Louis, MO

11 Apr 2025 Castle Theatre Bloomington, IL

12 Apr 2025 Old Town School Of Folk Music Chicago, IL

13 Apr 2025 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI

15 Apr 2025 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN

16 Apr 2025 Wildwood Smokehouse Iowa City, IA

17 Apr 2025 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE

18 Apr 2025 Knuckleheads Kansas City, MO

19 Apr 2025 Beer City Music Hall Oklahoma City, OK

03 May 2025 Rockbox Theater Fredericksburg, TX

23 May 2025 Main Street Crossing Tomball, TX

24 May 2025 St. Joseph's Chapel Galveston, TX

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

Black Bag

Black Bag (2025) Synopsis From Director Steven Soderbergh, Black Bag is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country. Starring: Cate Blanchett Michael Fassbender Regé-Jean Page Marisa Abela Naomie Harris Tom Burke Pierce Brosnan Directed by: Steven Soderbergh Written by: David Koepp Produced by: Casey Silver Greg Jacobs Read More Black Doves The new Netflix series, Black Doves, just aired. This British spy thriller series was created by Joe Barton and stars skinny girl Keira Knightley (as previously mentioned I have been …

The new spy thriller film Black Bag will be out this Friday, March 14, 2025, but we got to see a preview screening at the ShowPlace ICON theater in St Louis Park earlier today.

The Black Bag film was written by David Koepp (who wrote the first two Jurassic Park films and also my least favorite Indiana Jones film Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and directed by Steven Soderbergh (who started with Sex, Lies, and Videotape and famous for the Ocean's Eleven films).

Soderbergh has a certain realistic way of framing and telling us a story, set in the real world. For example, when you’re first introduced to our main character, George (played by Michael Fassbender), you don’t actually see his face. Instead, you’re following him from behind as he walks through a maze of streets and alleys and stairs and through doors in a long one-take scene… ending in a meeting with his contact. This meeting set up the story: George is given a list of five names, who are suspected of stealing something called Cerberus. One of the names on the list is his own wife, Kathryn (played by Cate Blanchett).

All five suspects are then invited to a dinner party, so now we’re introduced to all the characters. We have the wife Kathryn, the young satellite technician Clarissa (played by Marisa Abela – who famously played Amy Winehouse), Clarissa’s bearded boyfriend Freddie (played by Tom Burke - who previously played Praetorian Jack in Furiosa), a psychiatrist Zoe (played by Naomie Harris from No Time to Die), the colonel James (played by Regé-Jean Page from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves). One of these people at the dining table is a traitor, and it’s up to George to sort it all out.

Part of the fun is to try and figure out who the villain is and what their motives are. I don’t want to give myself a pat in the back, but I sort of figure out who it was – after a one-on-one meeting with George and some information were diverged. Even if I was wrong, I knew it wasn’t the obvious choice. It was smartly written, and it had a very satisfying ending.

Fassbender did a great job, playing a very calm and collective agent… even when he knowingly messed up. My favorite is his line deliveries for the polygraph tests. Just imagine a deadpan question from Fassbender: “Are you tightening your anal sphincter?” Marisa Abela’s delightful face was just so funny!

My only issue with the film is that the language is British and as someone who is unfamiliar with the terms “Black Bag”, you’re forced to guess that it’s a term for some sort of covert operations. Or “the boot” means the trunk of a car.

This is a Focus Film, and typically I would describe as an art film or independent film. If you understand that, then you’re going to enjoy this dialogue-heavy, smart, and thrilling film.

Black Bag will be out in theaters on Friday, March 14, 2025.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Road to SXSW 2025

Pop Montreal at SXSW (2025) Read More Pop Montreal I've previously mentioned Pop Montreal, but I thought I'd mention them again because for the 10th anniversary, that in association with SiriusXM Canada, they are presenting a FREE outdoor .... M for Montreal at SXSW (2025) Read More M For Montreal The music cruise was sponsored by M for Montreal and Brooklyn Vegan. I found out that the Brooklyn Vegan dude couldn't make it because of an expired passport. I guess it's pretty ....

POP MONTRÉAL
popmontreal.com

Pop Montreal and M for Montreal are travelling to SXSW to represent Canadian artists in Austin, Texas.

If you didn’t know, POP Montreal International Music Festival is the annual not-for-profit curated cultural event that were co-founded by Daniel Seligman (whose brother Chris Seligman is the keyboardist of the Canadian band Stars).

Tonight (March 12), Starting 8pm, 10 Canadian artists will share the Swan Dive's indoor and outdoor stages.

COMPLETE PROGRAMMING

OUTSIDE:

MARYZE 8PM

KNITTING 9PM

OBGMSS 10PM

BON ENFANT 11PM

ALIX FERNZ 12AM

INDOOR:

CLEREL 8:30PM

BILLIANNE 9:30PM

RIBBON SKIRT 10:30PM

ANNIE-CLAUDE DESCÊNES 11:30PM

POPULATION II 12AM

DATE : march 12th 2025
VITRINES : 8PM
SALLE : Swan Dive (615 Red River St, Austin)

*For SXSW badges and bracelets holders only

In addition, BROOKLYN VEGAN and M FOR MONTREAL teams up to celebrate the 20th anniversary of M for Montreal on March 14, 2025, at the legendary Mohawk.

LINEUP:

La Sécurité

Bon Enfant

Dusted

Living Hour

DATE : March 14th
SHOWCASE : 8pm
VENUE : Mohawk (912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, États-Unis)

Academy Fight Songs at SXSW (2025) 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. ....

Academy Fight Songs
academyfightsongs.com

Academy Fight Songs is a creative services company formed as a collaboration between Rough Trade Publishing, Shout It Out Loud Music, and Bank Robber Music. This year they are showcasing their talents at SXSW on Hotel Vegas & Volstead on March 13, 2025. The shows are free until 5pm.

UNOFFICIAL DAY PARTY

SWEEPING PROMISES

WISHY

TOUCH GIRL APPLE BLOSSOM

HIGH WAISTED

M(H)AOL

VARIETY

ASHES TO AMBER

BLEARY EYED

MY SON THE DOCTOR

J. GRAVES

GRIM STREAKER

BÉNET

PERENNIAL

OPEN HEAD

STEEF

OFFICIAL SHOWCASE

SUNFLOWER BEAN

SWEET SPINE

TOKYO SYOKI SYODO

J'CUUZI

MX LONELY

O'SUMMER VACATION

SKORTS

MIRANDA & THE BEAT

BUMMER CAMP

PUNCHING BAG

GLOM

MARUJA

BLACKGOLD

STRAWBERRY LAUNCH

British Music Embassy at SXSW (2025) Read More British Music Embassy We are big fans of the British Music Embassy SXSW Showcases. Today (March 19th), at Latitude 30, free day featured The Twilight Sad Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire ....

THE BRITISH MUSIC EMBASSY
thebritishmusicembassy.com

As usual, our favorite British Music Embassy will be representing emerging British music acts at SXSW. They have daily music program, so check with their website or SXSW’s programming.

Join the BME at Palm Door on Sixth (508 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701) for the last half of our unmissable showcases, featuring the best new talent from the UK. Here’s what’s coming up:

📅 Thursday, March 13 (Day) – Band Share / Output Belfast

📅 Thursday, March 13 (Night) – BBC Introducing

📅 Friday, March 14 (Day) – BME / Fatsoma

📅 Friday, March 14 (Night) – BBC Introducing

📅 Saturday, March 15 (Day) – BME x Fatsoma

📅 Saturday, March 15 (Night) – Awesome Friends x Greyline Live

Saturday 15th March - Awesome Friends in association with Greyline Live

12:00AM - THE OUTDOOR STAGE - THE MOLOTOVS

11:20PM - THE ALT INDOOR STAGE - BLACKGOLD

10:40PM - THE OUTDOOR STAGE - VENUS GRRRLS

10:00PM - THE ALT INDOOR STAGE - HIMALAYAS

9:20PM - THE OUTDOOR STAGE - BABY SAID

8:40PM - THE ALT INDOOR STAGE - CASEY LOWERY

8:00PM - THE OUTDOOR STAGE - ANNIE-DOG

We’re most excited about Annie-Dog (we previously wrote about the Irish musician in Feb 2025) and Baby Said (Italian/Punjabi sisters Veronica and Jess) on this particular showcase. This is Baby Said’s USA debut in support of their debut album BS.

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

Weekend Gamer: Xbox Keenan

Codename: Keenan Read More Xbox One and a half month into Xbox Game Pass, I’m happy to report that it is an insane deal. It doesn’t even make any sense how MicroSoft is even making money off Game Pass… …

The much-rumored Xbox Handheld, codename Keenan, is coming to us closer than you think (I first mentioned this in Nov 2024)! The details are exclusively from a report via Windows Central. It’s set to be released this year (probably before Christmas to make for the maximum sale) and it is as much as I suspected: MicroSoft is just going to get a manufacturer to make their handheld. I think they are going to partner with Asus, who make the ROG Ally (my favorite handheld), to redesign an Xbox-branded ROG Ally. There will be some key difference, probably the branding and also that Xbox Button that you find on all their controller. The Xbox button would bring up a hotbar – similar to what you get when you’re playing on an Xbox Series X or S.

So why do I think MicroSoft is going with Asus? Simply because Lenovo has already partnered with Steam for their Steam-only device of their Legion Go S, which I mentioned in Jan 2025. On the same logic, perhaps it would also make sense that Lenovo will offer both a Steam Edition and Xbox Edition, with that custom Xbox Button for their Legion Go S.

Of course, maybe Xbox would just go with a fairly unknown company… for example, MSI (maker of The Claw) will do anything to stand out with a partnership with Xbox. To be perfectly honest, it’s probably Xbox’s best interests to just partner with everyone, so they can dominate the handheld landscape. If anything, I want MicroSoft to produce a lean, mean operating system specifically for video games for the handheld.

I’m in the process of moving, so I don’t want more stuff… but hearing about this Xbox handheld, I will break my rule and buy this – just to see what Xbox can bring to the table with their official handheld!

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

Read more Weekend Gamer.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com