W♥M

Minneapolis: June 15 to June 17

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

06/15 La Femme with Trance Farmers at Turf Club Read More La Femme I was really looking forward to La Femme, the psych-pop indie band from Paris. Their music is fun and cinematic, comparable to a Claude Chabrol Or Godard New Wave film filled with attitude and lust and all things Parisian ....

06/15/2022 Wednesday

La Femme
with Trance Farmers
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Acclaimed French psych-rock band La Femme is touring in support of their latest Paradigmes, out now via Disque Pointu/IDOL.

Le Femme at Desert Daze 2017

We caught the band at Desert Daze 2017 and wrote, “I was really looking forward to La Femme, the psych-pop indie band from Paris. Their music is fun and cinematic, comparable to a Claude Chabrol Or Godard New Wave film filled with attitude and lust and all things Parisian. Marlon Magnee yelled out during soundcheck, “What’s up Desert Daze? Are you having fun with your kombucha and your tofu?” Meanwhile he chain-smoked while setting up for the show. Clemence Quelennec was adorable in red ninja pants and a red beret, and her voice was just spectacular in Elle ne t’aime pas. She rapped incredibly fast to Exorciseur which was fun. Their guitarist blew my mind. These guys have that je ne said quoi, you know what I mean? I’m into it. Solid buzz with the kids. Midway through their set Marlon crowd surfed and everyone was boogying and laughing under the sun.”

Trance Farmers to open.

Tour Dates:

May 21 Paris, France ZENITH PARIS
May 25 Strasbourg, France La Laiterie
Jun 3 Washington, DC, US Black Cat
Jun 4 Philadelphia, PA, US The Foundry
Jun 5 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel
Jun 7 Boston, MA, US Brighton Music Hall
Jun 9 Québec, QC, Canada Impérial Bell
Jun 10 Montreal, QC, Canada MTELUS
Jun 11 Toronto, ON, Canada Lee's Palace
Jun 14 Chicago, IL, US Thalia Hall
Jun 15 St. Paul, MN, US Turf Club
Jun 18 Seattle, WA, US The Crocodile
Jun 19 Vancouver, BC, Canada Rickshaw Theatre
Jun 20 Portland, OR, US Wonder Ballroom
Jun 22 San Francisco, CA, US The Regency Ballroom
Jun 24 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US The Belasco
Jun 25 Palm Springs, CA, US The Alibi
Jul 1 Saint-Denis-de-Gastines, France Au Foin De La Rue
Jul 29Arrow right icon Saint-Nazaire, France FESTIVAL LES ESCALES
Aug 4 Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, France Place Des Arcades Sauveterre De Rou
Aug 25 Paris, France Rock en Seine
Sep 9 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France Parc Des Lilattes
Sep 10 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France Parc Des Lilattes
Sep 17 Fontainebleau, France FBLO FESTIVAL
Sep 19 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
Sep 30 Berlin, Germany Astra Kulturhau

06/16 Prateek Kuhad with Laura Elliott at 7th St Entry Read More Sufjan Stevens Brooklyn's Sufjan Stevens is back on tour, in support of his latest album Carrie & Lowell. The record was recorded by Stevens alongside Casey Foubert, Laura Veirs, Nedelle Torrisi, Sean Carey, Ben Lester …

06/16/2022 Thursday

Prateek Kuhad
with Laura Elliott
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this June 16, in support of his third album The Way That Lovers Do, which is available via Elektra Records.

Hailed by Rolling Stone India as “one of the country’s leading singer-songwriters,” Prateek Kuhad has been compared to the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Jose Gonzalez.

Laura Elliott to open.

Tour dates:

June 2 Dallas, TX Sons of Hermann Hall
June 3 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall
June 7 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
June 8 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
June 9 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
June 10 Seattle, WA Washington Hall
June 11 Vancouver, BC Hollywood Theatre
June 12 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
June 13 Seattle, WA Madame Lou’s
June 16 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
June 17 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
June 18 Detroit, MI Loving Touch
June 19 Toronto, CAN Danforth Music Hall
June 20 Toronto, CAN Danforth Musis Hall
June 22 Boston, MA Arts At The Armory
June 23 Boston, MA Crystal Ballroom
June 24 Jersey City, NJ White Eagle Hall
June 25 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
June 26 Washington, DC Sixth & I
June 28 New York, NY Irving Plaza

06/17 Purity Ring with ekkstacy at First Avenue Read More Purity Ring Purity Ring's Shrines is one of the most uniquely excellent albums of the year. Taking a dark, gothic tone and applying it to extremely catchy pop, the group has earned a spot as a frontrunner …

06/17/2022 Friday

Purity Ring
with ekkstacy
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Originally booked at the Palace Theatre in November 1 with Dawn Richard this Purity Ring show has been rescheduled to First Avenue in Minneapolis.

The tour will help promote their new Graves EP, due out June 3rd, right at the start of their 2022 tour. It’s the first official release via the band’s own label The Fellowship.

ekkstacy to open.

Tour Dates:

5/25 - 5/30 - Bakersfield,CA - Lightning in a Bottle
6/1 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre*
6/2 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
6/3-6/4 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
6/5 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
6/7 - Calgary, AB - Palace Theatre
6/8 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
6/10 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
6/11 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom
6/12 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre
6/13 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
6/14 - St.Louis, MO - Red Flag
6/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
6/17 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
6/18 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre*
6/19 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall*
6/20 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre*
6/21 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Corona*
6/22 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live*
6/24 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall*
6/25 - New York, NY - Webster Hall*
6/26 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
6/27 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*
6/29-6/30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
7/1 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz*
7/2 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte*
7/3 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel*
7/5 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works*
7/6 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre*
7/8 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live*
7/9 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Live*
7/10 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor*
7/12 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City*
7/13 - New Orleans, LA - The Joy Theater*
7/14 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall*
7/15 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater*
7/16 - Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory*
7/17 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom*
7/19 - Tucson, AZ - The Rialto Theatre*
7/20 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren*
7/21 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park*
7/22 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park*
7/23 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern*
7/24 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater*

* w/ EKKSTACY

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

George Perez Memorial Service at MegaCon Orlando (2022-05-22)

Read More George Perez As you know, we’re big George Perez fans, so it’s with a sad note that I pass along George’s statement about his retirement. After this 2019 convention…

It was with heavy heart but great admiration to be present for the George Pérez memorial service hosted at MegaCon Orlando inside the sprawling Orange County Convention Center. 

The service was the last event of the four-day convention, that brought well over 100,000 to the biggest comics and pop culture event in the Southeast.  Living in nearby Sanford, FL, Pérez had been a longtime friend of the show and built up many personal and professional relationships from his regular appearances there. 

During the four-day show, a table was set up adorned with a large floral bouquet and a recent tribute art piece done by fellow artist and fan Bill Sienkiewicz with two guestbooks that the public could use to enter their well wishes and thoughts. 

A Friday fan-centric Remembering George Pérez panel also allowed fans to reminisce, share, and let everyone know what an impact his art, legacy, and good character, left on them. 

As the crowd filed in, acoustic Beatles music played and a slideshow featuring George, his friends and family, and his recent trip to DC headquarters in Burbank, was shown. 

The memorial service began with words from Constance Eza, a longtime friend of George and wife Carol, as well as a medical professional and comics event promotor. 

George’s brother, David (barely over a year younger) and his ninety-five year-old mother, Luz Maria Izquierdo took to the stage to each tell stories and thank the fans for all their support over the years. George’s father unfortunately was not in enough good health to attend.

Growing up in the South Bronx, David told tales of the brothers riding red tricycles together, and both drawing at an early age, even coming up with their own heroes, one being the Kleptomaniac Kid, who could make items teleport right into his hand.  Both brothers were also proud of their Puerto Rican heritage as well as assimilating as first-generation Nuyorican immigrants.

DC ex-publisher Dan Didio and a surprise guest, current DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee each remembered George in their own ways.  Lee recalled being starstruck and tongue-tied not only the first time they met at a convention, but for the second time as well.  In particular, Lee was amazed at the details with which George drew Avengers Mansion in 1977’s issue 162. 

Didio felt it had only been recently to sink in with him that George was really gone.  He also remarked that he previously hired Marv Wolfman for an animation project in hopes of also potentially meeting George, and that the first time he had really wished he could be back in the DC offices since his departure, was in January when he heard Wolfman and Pérez would be visiting in Burbank. 

Another longtime family friend, Shannon Lower spoke of George taking her to her first comic convention when she was nineteen, and altering the course of her life, as a result.  She spoke of times and the kindness that George and wife Carol provided, both to she and her family, as well as the comic community, specifically his efforts with Hero Initiative. 

Eza spoke briefly near the end, and the ceremony would finish with words and a quick story or two from George himself, courtesy of clips from a previous appearance at Amazing Con and also a segment filmed for a documentary. 

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

Foy Vance, Lee Rogers and Gareth Dunlop at the Cedar Cultural Center (5/20/22)

Tour Dates May 21, 2022 - Chicago, IL - Athenaeum Theatre May 26, 2022 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre May 27, 2022 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater May 31, 2022 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater With special guests Lee Rogers and Gareth Dunlop Read More Foy Vance Award-winning Northern Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance has sold out the upcoming Cedar Cultural Center appearance on May 20th. We’ve seen Vance a few times, the last time at the Skyway Theatre … Lee Rogers The two opening bands came highly recommended: Lee Rogers is an award winning tattoo artist, a former MMA trainer and martial arts enthusiast, and beloved singer with his hit song “Love, Love, Love.” … Gareth Dunlop While Gareth Dunlop, tipped as “one to watch” by the BBC. His music can be heard on shows like Nashville, Lucifer, This Is Us, Bones, etc. …

“We’re here to have fun.  What are you here for?”  A question Foy Vance posed to the crowd before he launched into a song that broke two of his strings on his acoustic guitar.  Vance, an energetic performer, looked to have as much fun as those in the sold out crowd that came to see him and two fellow Northern Irish musicians, Lee Rogers and Gareth Dunlop. 

The video for Rogers “Life and Lies” takes place in a pub and the concert at the Cedar had the feel of being such a place.  Thirty songs over three hours that started with Vance hanging out before the show, taking selfies and mixing with the crowd before the lights began to dim.  Then after a brief introduction, Dunlop unassumingly took the stage with a five song-set.

Dunlop jokingly said that he had been called a lot of things over the years but never “Gareth Reynolds” which was how he was incorrectly introduced. 

Dunlop used his acoustic guitar as a percussive instrument with a pizzicato style with “My Kind of Paradise” and a ticking clock with “Can’t Stand Myself.” He probably didn’t want to overshadow what is a rather quiet, comforting voice, the kind of soothing voice an understanding father might have when he says everything is going to be alright even though you crashed his vintage Ford Thunderbird.

Dunlop and his reassuring voice have been featured in many movies, commercials and TV and he sang “Devil Like You” which aptly found its way in the TV show Lucifer. 

For his last song “Look Back Smiling” Dunlop switched to the keyboard.  He stated that during the pandemic he worked on quitting cigarettes and learned how to play the piano which he said he was now “certified as below average.” 

After a brief intermission, Rogers sauntered onto stage and surprised the crowd with a brief “Hello!” and off he went with “Rest of My Life.”

Where Dunlop may have the voice of a caring parent, Rogers’ voice has a full-throated, deep reservoir like a man who has seen quite a bit over the years and is lucky to survive it.  And he is funny, saying that his song “Ada” has never been on a TV show.

Even though Rogers looks like a guy who would work on your vintage Ford Thunderbird, there is a more reflective, thoughtful presence behind the gruff veneer with lyrics like “I fell in the water. I drown in your eyes.” (Life and Lies)  And “The road to heaven runs through hell.”  (Silent Song)

Foy Vance then took the stage at first by himself.  He said that his debut album Hope was now fifteen years old and he started off the set from a song from that album “Treading Water.”

Then Vance went on and on with a 21 song set with an energy that seemed to increase with more and more energy as the evening went on.

Vance’s dad was a preacher and uprooted his family from their Northern Ireland home to work the Southern Black churches in America when Vance was all of four years old.  It was there that he fell in love with the musical traditions of gospel, blues and soul.   

“A showman of the first order, he is a generous mentor, championing the works of his opening acts…”

Vance doesn’t have much love for traditional religion, but those formative years in America had instilled in him a revival sprit.  A showman of the first order, he is a generous mentor, championing the works of his opening acts, his influence filtering through Dunlop and Rogers.

Vance highlighted songs from his six studio albums, moving from the guitar to drums to the piano, back to the drums and guitar, letting individual band mates takes center stage, even inviting his daughter onto stage to sing. 

The set ended with a stirring rendition of “It Ain’t Over” from his latest album Signs of Life.  But as quickly as he and the band left, he was back on stage with six more songs that included “Indiscriminate Acts of Kindness” and “Shed a Little Light” from Hope. 

Vance ended the evening with “Guiding Light” from Joy of Nothing, a song that Ed Sheeran would sing to close his set when he and Vance were on tour together.  Vance said that a lot of people misinterpreted the song as having a religious tone.  He said that his guiding light was not God but you.  He then pointed to the audience and jumped into the crowd encouraging them to sing along. 

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Mountain Goats at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 May 2022)

Mountain Goats Setlist Aulon Raid Minnesota Choked Out Younger Pez Dorado Cotton Tidal Wave John Darnielle Solo There Will Be No Divorce Song for My Stepfather Mourn Not The Dead (Ralph Chaplin cover) Wolf Count The Diaz Brothers Shelved Rain in Soho Southwood Plantation Road Broom People Getting Into Knives Heel Turn 2 -- Encore -- Let Me Bathe in Demonic Light The Mess Inside Palmcorder Yajna This Year No Children Read More The Mountain Goats It is well known that John Darnielle, the force behind the Mountain Goats, likes heavy metal music. It comes up in interviews often, and hearing him speak …

Beloved The Mountain Goats (John Darnielle, Jon Wurster, Peter Hughes and Matt Douglas) headlined First Avenue’s mainroom on Friday night.

Will Sheff opened the show… He is the singer/songwriter of Okkervil River, who we saw in Nov 2013. Obviously comparing Sheff’s full band vs his solo live show is unfair, but, yes, Sheff’s solo shows is a little quieter. Still, Sheff managed to play Okkervil River using pre-recorded backing tracks and his guitar, and to good effect.

We did previously described Okkervil River’s songs as “depressing”: “Their songs, based on their lyrics and banter on stage, is quite depressing. We're talking mostly death (shooting someone in the head), and hanging (suicide). With all this dark subject, it's easy to see why they've chosen to cover Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love", a nice tribute to the musician who recently passed away. I suspect the song only made it into the set since last Sunday, but it sure sounded well-rehearsed.”

Another ‘depressing’ song made it onto his setlist, “Famous Tracheotomies.” This song, as Sheff described it, was when he was young, he almost died during this surgery. Obviously, he didn’t die, but would go on to write a song about other celebrities who had underwent tracheostomy operations.

>>>
The Mountain Goats
with Will Sheff
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

The Mountain Goats (John Darnielle, Jon Wurster, Peter Hughes and Matt Douglas) will be returning to First Avenue this May 20th. Since the pandemic, the Mountain Goats have released three albums, so they are excited to play those songs live for us… plus, of course, all their classic hits from before the pandemic.

We saw the Goats in at Fletcher Opera Theater, Raleigh in Sept 2012 and said, “The Mountain Goats played two sets to a hushed crowd at the Fletcher Opera Theater on Friday, the second night of the Hopscotch Music Festival. The first set was a showcase of heavy metal songs, Darnielle solo in the spotlight on a large piano.”

Will Sheff to open.

Tour Dates:

Apr 30, 2022 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA
May 2, 2022 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
May 3, 2022 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
May 5, 2022 The Warfield Theatre San Francisco, CA
May 6, 2022 Fremont Theater San Luis Obispo, CA
May 8, 2022 The Showbox Seattle, WA
May 9, 2022 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
May 10, 2022 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
May 11, 2022 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
May 12, 2022 Midtown Ballroom Bend, OR
May 14, 2022 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT
May 15, 2022 Washington's Fort Collins, CO
May 17, 2022 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
May 18, 2022 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
May 19, 2022 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
May 20, 2022 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
May 21, 2022 The Sylvee Madison, WI
Jun 25, 2022 That Music Fest Durham, NC
Jul 9, 2022 Music Farm Charleston, SC
Jul 10, 2022 Intuition Ale Works Jacksonville, FL
Jul 11, 2022 Palladium Theater St. Petersburg, FL
Jul 12, 2022 The Moon Tallahassee, FL
Jul 14, 2022 Minglewood Hall Memphis, TN
Jul 15, 2022 Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
Jul 16, 2022 Wooly's Des Moines, IA
Jul 17, 2022 Wave Wichita, KS
Nov 10, 2022 WUK Foyer (WUK) Vienna, Austria
Nov 11, 2022 Columbia Theater Berlin, Germany
Nov 12, 2022 Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov 14, 2022 De Roma Antwerp, Belgium
Nov 16, 2022 Roundhouse London
Nov 17, 2022 Manchester Cathedral Manchester
Nov 18, 2022 Vicar Street Dublin, Ireland

Will Sheff

Will Sheff

The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 May 2022)

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

Minneapolis: June 12 to June 14

06/12 Sara Kays with Hayd at 7th St Entry Read More Sara Kays Arrive early for Nashville singer-songwriter Sara Kays who has a new single. “When You Look At Me” out via Atlantic Records, the demo of which quickly became very popular on TikTok. ....

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

06/12/2022 Sunday

Sara Kays
with Hayd
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

RIAA gold-certified singer-songwriter Sara Kays will be headlining the 7th Street Entry, in support of Struck By Lightning… her latest “Math” is available now on Atlantic Records.

Hayd to open.

Tour Dates:

05/09 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA LIVE! *
05/10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre *
05/11 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom *
05/13 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom *
05/14 – Providence, RI – The Strand *
05/15 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
05/31 – Philadelphia, PA – The Lounge at World Café Live
06/01 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
06/03 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd
06/04 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
06/05 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
06/07 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
06/08 – Detroit, MI – The Shelter
06/10 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
06/12 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
06/14 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
06/15 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court Gallery
06/17 – Vancouver, BC – The Fox Cabaret Projection Room
06/18 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
06/19 – Portland, OR – McMenamins’ Mission Theater
06/21 – Oakland, CA – The New Parish
06/22 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
06/23 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
06/25 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Bronze Peacock Room
06/26 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Cambridge Room
06/28 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East

* Supporting Alec Benjamin

06/13 Wet with Hannah Jadagu at Fine Line Read More Wet Brooklyn’s Wet is returning to the Minneapolis area this Friday, March 15th. The band is touring in support of their sophomore album Still Run (Columbia Records), featuring recent new songs …

06/13/2022 Monday

Wet
with Hannah Jadagu
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

New York City-based trio Wet is touring in support of their new EP Letter Blue (Reprise), out now via AWAL. The 5-track project exists in the same sonic universe as their recently released album Letter Blue, which dropped at the end of last year and the remix EP for Letter Blue released last month, which features reimagined versions of Letter Blue tracks made in collaboration with Dijon, Branchez, stud1nt and Noah Breakfast.

We caught the band in Mar 2019 and wrote, “As normal, earlier hit singles like “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl” drew the biggest reaction from the crowd. If you enjoy xx and London Grammar, you’ll need to get onboard with Wet and see what you’re missing.”

Hannah Jadagu to open.

Tour dates:

5/11 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall*
5/13 - Palm Springs, CA @ The Alibi *
5/14 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
5/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent *
6/03 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts^
6/04 - New York NY @ Webster Hall^
6/06 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club^
6/07 - Montréal QC @ Bar Le 'Ritz' P.D.B.^
6/08 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern^
6/09 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop^
6/10 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch^
6/11 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall^
6/12 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre^
6/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line^
6/15 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East^
6/16 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West^
6/17 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle^
6/18 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage^

* = w/ Zsela
^ = w/ Hannah Jadagu

06/13 Kristin Hersh with Fred Abong at Turf Club Read More Throwing Muses "My setlist is super depressing," warned Kristin Hersh as she took the stage at the Icehouse in Minneapolis last night, May 19th. .…

06/13/2022 Monday

Kristin Hersh (of Throwing Muses)
with Fred Abong (of Throwing Muses)
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

It looks like 2/3 of Throwing Muses will be in town at the Turf Club in St Paul on June 13. As you know, originally singer/songwriter Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly (who went on to form The Breeders and Belly), so there’s still a lot of love for Throwing Muses.

Fred Abong replaced the original bassist of Throwing Muses in 1990, so everyone is related!

Expect Hersh to crash on Abong’s set or vice-versa.

We caught Kristin Hersh during a weird book/concert tour in May 2013 and wrote, “Anyway, in-between her songs, she read excerpts from her memoir, Rat Girl. I was wrong before, apparently Rat Girl, is basically Hersh's teenage diary, right before recording their first record. It's interesting to hear these true "adult" stories from a teenager.”

Hersh Tour Dates:

12 May 22 Woking Fiery Bird
13 May 22 Reading South Street Arts
14 May 22 Canterbury The Gulbenkian
16 May 22 Sint-Niklaas, BE De Casino
17 May 22 Den Haag, NL Paard
18 May 22 Amstelveen, NL P60
19 May 22 Hamburg, DE Stage Club
20 May 22 Berlin, DE Quasimodo
22 May 22 Vanløse, DK Stairway
24 May 22 Athens, GR Gazarte
26 May 22 Zagreb, Croatia Mochvara
27 May 22 Belgrade, Serbia Dom Omladine Beograda
30 May 22 Boston, MA City Winery
31 May 22 New York, NY City Winery
1 Jun 22 Philadelphia, PA City Winery
2 Jun 22 Washington, DC City Winery
3 Jun 22 Durham, NC Motorco Theatre
4 Jun 22 Savannah, GA The Lodge
5 Jun 22 Atlanta, GA City Winery
6 Jun 22 Athens, GA 40 Watt
8 Jun 22 Nashville, TN City Winery
9 Jun 22 Cincinatti, OH MOTR
12 Jun 22 Milwaukee, WI Colectivo Backroom
13 Jun 22 Minneapolis, MN Turf Club
15 Jun 22 Detroit, MI MOCAD
16 Jun 22 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
18 Jun 22 Keene, NH NOVA Arts

06/14 Crawlers at 7th St Entry Read More Crawlers We love British bands, so we’re very excited to see that Liverpool rock band Crawlers will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this June 14. If you haven’t kept up, the young band, featuring Holly Minto ...

06/14/2022 Tuesday

Crawlers
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

We love British bands, so we’re very excited to see that Liverpool rock band Crawlers will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this June 14.

If you haven’t kept up, the young band, featuring Holly Minto (vocals and trumpet), Amy Woodall (lead guitar), Liv Kettle (bass guitar) and Harry Breen (drums), signed to Polydor Records in January 2022, and they’ve released a new single “I Can’t Drive” and hit single “Come Over (Again)” (over 24 million streams on Spotify).

Tour Dates

June 1 Atlanta, GA Aisle 5
June 3 Washington DC DC9
June 4 Philadelphia, PA Philamoca
June 7 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
June 10 Montreal, QC Bar Le Ritz PDB
June 11 Toronto, ON The Velvet Underground
June 13 Chicago, IL Subterranean
June 14 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
June 17 Houston, TX HOB – Bronze Peacock
June 18 Dallas, TX Club Dada
June 21 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar
June 22 Los Angeles, CA The Moroccan Lounge
June 23 San Francisco, CA Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop
June 26 Portland, OR Polaris Hall
June 27 Seattle, WA Funhouse
June 28 Vancouver, BC Fox Cabaret

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Tiffany at Turf Club, St Paul (19 May 2022)

Read More Tiffany I remember in 1987, there were two princess of pop ruling the radio airwaves: Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. Tiffany was known for her cover songs, the first was Tommy James and the Shondells’ “I Think We're Alone Now” ....

Amy sent in her report at the iconic 80s pop singer Tiffany, in a “weird” appearance at the Turf Club in St Paul on Thursday night.

She said the band came in late, and barely did a soundcheck. They had some problems with their keyboard player, so he didn’t show up at the show. The set felt it was cut short, Amy said it was only about 40 minutes with no encore.

They covered The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and closed out their set with Tommy James and the Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now”.

Remaining Tour Dates:

06/03/22 Station 4 Dallas, TX
06/05/22 EKU Center for the Arts Richmond, KY
06/10/22 Riverside, MO
07/02/22 Eastridge Mall Gastonia, NC
08/05/22 Opera House Laconia, NH
08/13/22 New Market Chesterfield, MO
08/19/22 Centennial Center Park Centennial, CO
08/20/22 Queen Mary Long Beach, CA
08/27/22 Charles County Fair La Plata, MD
09/10/22 Suquamish Clearwater Casino, WA
09/11/22 Colony, TX
09/23/22 Events Park Broken Arrow, OK
09/24, 2022 Tempe Beach Park Tempe, AZ
09/30/22 Houston, TX
10/01/22 Arlington Music Hall Arlington, TX
10/16/22 Memphis, TN
10/17/22 San Antonio, TX

Tiffany at Turf Club, St Paul (19 May 2022)

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

Adult. at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (18 May 2022)

Adult. Setlist Second Nature Violent Shakes Have I Started At The End Our Bodies Weren't Wrong Why Always Why Idle (Second Thoughts) This Behavior Today Total Total Damage I Am Nothing -- Encore -- Glue Your Eyelids Together 122 Hours of Fear (The Screamers cover) Read More Adult. Detroit’s Adult. has been pretty inactive since we last wrote about them in February 2007. Since Why Bother? in 2007, the band came back in 2013 with The Way Things Fall, and most recently, Detroit House Guests, released last year. ....

05/18/2022 Wednesday

ADULT.
with Kontravoid and Spike Hellis
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Detroit synth-punk duo Adult. (Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller) is returning to Minneapolis this May 18th. Their new album Becoming Undone is out now via Dais Records.

Kontravoid and Spike Hellis to open.

Tour Dates:

04/30: Dallas, TX - Ruins ~
05/02: Albuquerque, NM - Sister ~
05/03: Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge ~
05/05: San Diego, CA - Casbah ~
05/06: Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room ~
05/07: San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop ~
05/10: Seattle, WA - Madame Lou’s ~
05/11: Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre ~
05/12: Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge ~
05/14: Denver, CO - Hi-Dive ~
05/17: Omaha, NE - Reverb Lounge ~
05/18: Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry ~
05/19: Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club ~
05/20: Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle ~
05/21: Detroit, MI - City Club ~

~ w/ Kontravoid and Spike Hellis

UK/EU LIVE DATES:

07/03/2022 UK Bristol - Thekla
08/03/2022 UK Glasgow - Slay
09/03/2022 UK Manchester - White Hotel
10/03/2022 UK London - Electrowerkz
11/03/2022 FRA Lille - Black Lab
12/03/2022 BE Brussels - Magasin 4
14/03/2022 DE Hamburg - Hafenklang
15/03/2022 SWE Malmo - Plan B
16/03/2022 SWE Gothenburg - Musikens Hus
17/03/2022 SWE Stockholm - HUS 7
18/03/2022 DK Copenhagen - Stengade
19/03/2022 DE Berlin - Urban Spree
22/03/2022 PL Lodz - DOM
23/03/2022 PL Wroclaw - Akademia
24/03/2022 AT Linz - KAPU
25/03/2022 AT Wien - Chelsea
26/03/2022 HUN Budapest - Dürer Kert
27/03/2022 CZ Prague - Chapeau Rouge
28/03/2022 DE Munich - Rote Sonne
30/03/2022 CH Yverdon-les-Bains - L'Amalgame
31/03/2022 FRA Lyon - Sonic
01/04/2022 FRA Paris - La Boule Noire
02/04/2022 NL - Nijmegen Merleyn

All UK/EU Dates w/ Plack Blague

Spike Hellis

Spike Hellis

Kontravoid

Kontravoid

Adult.

Adult.

Adult. at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (18 May 2022)

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

Oh Wonder at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 May 2022)

Oh Wonder Setlist Better Now Without You I Wish I Never Met You Heavy Rollercoaster Baby Happy Magnificent Body Gold / White Blood / Shark / Plans Livewire Technicolour Beat F**k It I Love You Ultralife Landslide 22 Break Dinner Lose It -- Encore -- All We Do Drive Hallelujah Tour Dates May 20 2022 // Ogden Theatre // Denver, CO May 21 2022 // The Depot // Salt Lake City, UT May 23 2022 // Showbox Sodo // Seattle, WA May 24 2022 // Vogue Theater // Vancouver, BC May 25 2022 // Roseland Theater // Portland, OR May 28 2022 // Fox Theater // Oakland, CA May 29 2022 // House Of Blues // Anaheim, CA May 31 2022 // The Wiltern // Los Angeles, CA Read More Oh Wonder London-based alt-pop Oh Wonder is headlining First Avenue’s mainroom next Friday, June 3rd. The duo (Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West) has already sold out ....

London duo Oh Wonder (Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West) is currently tour in support of their forthcoming album, 22 Make (set for release on July 22nd on Republic Records), stopping by First Avenue on Wednesday, May 18th.

Swedish singer/songwriter Winona Oak opened the show. The singer kicked off her career with a collaboration with What So Not for “Beautiful” in early 2018. The song is highly praised and won them Best Independent Dance/Electronica/Club single at the AIR Independent Music Awards a year later. Her next big hit came another collaboration, this time with The Chainsmokers for “Hope”. Oak was riding high, until the pandemic hit the world.

After a few years, it would seem that Winona Oak is ready to take the music world again with her forthcoming debut album Island of the Sun, set for release in June 2022 on Atlantic Records.

We got a sneak preview of the album, hearing some of these new songs for the first time, including “Jojo” to “Piano in the Sky”… which sounds like a great electronic pop song.

Before Winona played “Jojo”, she told us, “This is a song I wrote for myself.” To better understand what she meant, Jojo is actually Winona’s nickname… so she literally wrote a song for herself.

Of course, she did play “Hope”, which is, perhaps her best-known song.

She ended her brief set with “He Don’t Love Me”, which is one of her earliest single… but reworked a little for Island of the Sun. The song is a bit depressing, it’s about falling in love with someone, but they clearly don’t love her back… it’s set to thumping beats.

Winona Oak’s debut album, Island of the Sun, will be out on June 10, 2022, via Atlantic Records.

We last saw Oh Wonder in June 2016, and we have to say, it’s good to see the familiar giant “OW” custom backlight. Even their setup is very familiar, with Anthony West playing guitars and keys on stage left, while Josephine Vander Gucht wanders around or behind the keyboard.

The album, and the tour, for 22 Break, told the story of how lonely and sad they were, and wanted to break up… only to come back stronger, as evident in their not-radio-friendly song “F*** It, I Love You”.

Despite some sad, lonely songs, their set was full of love and hope. You can hear it in their songs, you can see it in their performance.

22 Break will be out July 22, 2022, via Republic Records.

The band continues their US tour.

Winona Oak

Winona Oak

Winona Oak

Oh Wonder

Oh Wonder at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 May 2022)

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

R.I.P. Vangelis

Vangelis Read More movies We♥Movies is a directory/catalog of old Martial Arts films and collectible movies..

Vangelis (credit Decca Records)

(Read more Musicians who died in 2022 )

Word is coming out that Vangelis, the Greek composer and musician died at age 79. 

He was best known for his various synth film soundtracks including Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire and representatives said he died in a French hospital where he was being treated.

Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou in 1943, he was mostly self-taught. He grew up in Athens and playing the organ, formed his first band called the Forminx in 1963, playing pop music, rock’n’roll, and Beatles covers.

He once turned down an invitation from Yes to replace Rick Wakeman on keyboards (but would later form a successful duo with Yes singer Jon Anderson), he then moved to London and signed a solo deal with RCA Records, composing solo work as well as film soundtracks.

In 1981, his score for Chariots of Fire won the Oscar and has become iconic to this day. Vangelis followed that with his iconic score to Blade Runner – “We’re living in a kind of Blade Runner world now,” he said in 2005.

Other soundtracks that decade included Missing, The Bounty, Francesco and others. Vangelis worked again with Blade Runner director, Ridley Scott on 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and scored various documentaries by Jacques Cousteau.

In the world of sport, Vangelis was commissioned to soundtrack the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

More recently, he had been fascinated with outer space and his final album, 2021’s Juno to Jupiter, was inspired by the launch and mission of NASA probe Juno.

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

Vieux Farka Touré at the Dakota (5/18/2022)

Setlist Touré De Niafunké Filipha Diaraby Magni Ni Negaba Fafa Ali Yer Gando Samba Si Kairi Walaïdu All the Same Ba Kaitere -- Encore -- Nha Maïmouna Poussaniamba Tour Dates May 19—SPACE—Evanston, IL May 20—Le Poisson Rouge—New York, NY May 21—World Café Live—Philadelphia, PA May 22—Race Street Live—Holyoke, MA June 8—Crystal Ballroom—Somerville, MA June 10—Infinity Hall—Norfolk, CT June 11—StageOne—Fairfield, CT June 12—Afrika Nyaga Fest—Providence, RI August 4—Celebrate Brooklyn—Brooklyn, NY Read More Vieux Farka Touré Acclaimed Malian artist Vieux Farka Touré will be playing the Dakota Jazz Club, in Minneapolis, on May 18, in support of his forthcoming album Les Racines (World Circuit Records). .…

“You finally made it,” shouted a gentleman from the crowd after the second song. 

In fact he did, Vieux Farka Touré making good on a postponed show from September of last year. 

The introduction from the emcee stated it was their biggest crowd since the Dakota re-opened after the pandemic and the crowd and Touré seemed primed for a festive night. 

The first few songs had everyone seated, though, with Touré playing an acoustic guitar, Marshall Henry on bass and Adama Kone on the percussive instrument, the calabash.  They played like they were sitting around a campfire, slowly passing the time with an open, soulful sound trying to fill the infinite space of a desert night.

Touré played with a warm and playful spirit. He enjoyed interacting with his band mates with a back and forth between him and Henry as if they were still fine-tuning a song. 

Touré highlighted songs from six of his previous albums, which was ironic considering he has a new album being released this week - Les Racines.  Maybe he’s contractually obligated to wait for the release date of 5/20/2022.  After all, this concert is almost a year behind schedule.  Hopefully, a returning tour to the Dakota will be in the works. 

After setting the mood, Touré stood up, strapped on the electric guitar and played “Fafa”, which sounded quite a bit like “Azawade”, a song from The Tel Aviv Session, a collaboration he did with Israeli piano player, Idan Raichel.  We Heart Music covered their concert at the Dakota ten years before. Touré remained seated that night for the music did not call for him to go electric. 

Touré has earned a moniker of being the Jimi Hendrix of West Africa.  I like the Malian Desert Blue Prince.  He definitely has a distinct, singular sound forged by Malian musical traditions and the Blues found in Chicago, the Delta or anywhere else where the Blues can be. 

Touré is the son of legendary guitarist Ali Farka Touré.  The father did not want his son to become a musician for he thought being a professional soldier would provide a more stable life.  But talent would not be denied and the son secretly took guitar lessons behind his father’s back and eventually won his approval.

Touré has the technical skill as well as the soul of a virtuoso.  And when he launched into “Samba Si Kairi” he filled the intimate venue with an epic guitar solo like he was playing a football stadium.  And as quickly as he brought the crowd to a standing ovation, he channeled B.B. King by wailing on his guitar in “Walaïdu”.

To draw the evening to a close, Touré encouraged the crowd to stand up and dance with the final two songs, songs rooted in the west coast African tradition, the type of music that made it very easy to stand up and sway, which everyone in the audience did.

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com