W♥M

05/19/2025

Mpls: June 18 to June 19, 2025

05/18/2025

Art-A-Whirl 2025

Lucy Michelle at Art-A-Whirl (May 18, 2025)

Lucy Michelle at Twin Ignition Setlist (May 18)

Heart Race
Apple Tree
Waiting Place
Gimme Time
Puget Sound
Natural Reaction
Wise Eyes
Strange Love
Male Truck
Grass Grows
Baby's Baby's
Easter Best
Little Boy in Green
The Living
Just a Kid

Eastside Food Co-op at Art-A-Whirl (May 17, 2025)

Eleganza! at Eastside Food Co-op Setlist (May 17)

Only Time
Big City Filth
Dodgy
View from Nowhere
Supper Time
Skin Deep
Checking Out
Sun Goes Down
Journey
Here Comes Trouble
Jeff's Song
Move Me

Previously: Eleganza! at Turf Club (May 6, 2016)

The night started with two opening bands- The Carnegies featuring the Mars brothers (Royce on drums, and Roman on bass) and Taylor Tolle on the guitar who played retro-fueled blues/psych rock and Eleganza!, a three-guitar super group of sorts with Brian Vanderwerf and Jeff Johnson of Chooglin’ , ex-Ol’ Yeller’s Greg McAloon, and Romantica’s Tony Zaccardi (who also fronts a Guns n’ Roses tribute band).

[ Continue Reading Eleganza! at Turf Club (May 6, 2016) ]

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Art-A-Whirl

Art-A-Whirl... yeah, it's a dumb name, but what can you do? It's that time of the year again, the NEMAA (Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association) is putting together their annual Art-A-Whirl …

Little Fevers

Local new wave indie pop Little Fevers (not to be confused with Philadelphia’s Little Fevers) just headlined the Cloudland Theater, in Minneapolis, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. …

Eleganza!

Eleganza!, a three-guitar super group of sorts with Brian Vanderwerf and Jeff Johnson of Chooglin’ , ex-Ol’ Yeller’s Greg McAloon, and Romantica’s Tony Zaccardi (who also fronts a Guns n’ Roses tribute band). ...

26 Bats!

The 7th Street Entry on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Although previously advertised as 26 BATS! to open, the band announced two weeks ago that they had to step down due to “personal reasons.” ...

The 30th Art-A-Whirl in Northeast Minneapolis had a lot going on, as highlighted in our preview. The pretty cold weather may have been a deterrent for some, but there was plenty to see as it got going around noon on Saturday, May 17th. I swung over to Eastside Coop, just as vendor tents and the stage were getting opened. And while it looked a little empty at first, even as the first band, 26 Bats! got through their sound check, it had started filling up with people.

26 Bats! at Turf Club (Jan 30, 2025)

We last saw 26 Bats! opening for Eric Mayson at Turf Club in January. It was a bit of a different set up from then, with lead singer Babo on a keytar. Acoustics were surprisingly good considering the outdoor and windy conditions. Appearing as a quintet (trumpet, keytar/vocals, keyboards/bass, guitar, and drums) the band continues to play their groovy, synth heavy rock. The second song ended with an extended drum solo. The dual keys made for some fun jam sounds, especially when Babo added the autotune vocal effect. A statement on having just gotten over bronchitis got us a “stay safe out here”, before moving into the next song. I would never have guessed Babo had just gotten over that given the strong singing, so well done there. A song about the monotony, called TV Head, had the most raucous guitar work yet and was a lively number.

Everyone was doing what they could to stay warm. The guitarist was rubbing and blowing on his hands between some of the early numbers, and there were a number of coffees in the audience, as well as a few dancers. 26 Bats! moved into a slower, and to my ears one of their best musical songs, with trumpet solo and Babo at their best singing. The slower mood continued with the song Grief with Babo switching the keytar to a stand and playing more like a traditional keyboard. After a brand new song, 26 Bats! closed out with a final song, with fun guitar and trumpet intro. They finished strong and the change over began. (Side note: major kudos to the sound crew who were phenomenal in keeping things on track and sounding great.)

I walked around the Coop parking lot during the break. It was a great mix of vendors in the tents. There were a number of artists of various media, but also food trucks, drink vendors (good to see Fair State Brewing), and even face painting (several kids were very happy indeed). It had everything you would hope for in the situation, with children running around, and several pleased dogs.

Eleganza! was next to the stage. Prior to starting, as the set list was being distributed, the comment “I may have put too many songs on here” came with a half-hearted shrug. This is a band that is centered on rock & roll played by a veteran group of performers. But they also edge into multiple genre directions, including soul, punk and even Americana. The opening song Only Time, had the layered music of this sextet (three guitars, bass, keyboards and drums). Dual (and even triple) vocals, overlapping keys and guitar solo, there’s no end to the depth of sound. The second song, Big City Filth, was high energy blues rock and those four guitars create that wall of sound.

That high energy was apparent, as the drummer quickly shed his coat before the next number, even as the bassist was flexing cold fingers. View from Nowhere kept that rock sound going, and a Rolling Stones comparison (or at least inspirations) seemed apt. These guys looked to be having a blast and the musical interludes were complex without becoming jam band style length. Skin Deep featured a very good guitar solo, but it was greatly helped by the terrific bass work underneath it.

We got a country rock style song with Checking Out and it was fun to see how Eleganza! could make seemingly minor modifications to their playing and have drastically different genre sounds. The talent and skill of the band is pretty impressive. Journey (“our big pop hit!”) started a little slower tempo, but was classic rock & roll. It turns out the set list had been a little overly ambitious and we had some late changes to the plan, moving onto Here Comes Trouble. As they were deciding on last songs, you could see the good humor between the band mates, with a joked “We just broke up!” followed by a deadpanned “It happens”. Eleganza! finished with the song Move Me, a rollicking number and easy to see why it was the closer. As the band started to break things down, it was clear that the Eastside Coop and the Art-A-Whirl organizers had done a good job booking a variety of interesting local bands.

The Moons by Chan Poling, illustrated by Lucy Michell (August 15, 2024)

On a much brighter, if not significantly warmer, Sunday, I made my way over to Twin Ignition Startup Garage. This was an indoor arrangement, with art scattered throughout the building and a stage closer to the front. There was an art giveaway of a children’s book, The Moons, authored by Chan Poling of The Suburbs and The New Standards, and illustrated by Lucy Michell (who as an artist drops the final e, while as a musician goes by Michelle).

Havana Quartet was first on stage. This was a classical quartet (violins, viola and cello) playing a mix of classical and contemporary music for strings. The Cuban born musicians are the artists in residence for CAYO, an organization supporting US-Cuban cultural exchange. They chose their music well, with bright and buoyant numbers that skipped along. The four performers were clearly very comfortable with each other and able to work within the constraints of a loud (and some barely paying attention) crowd, as well as some distracting lights at the front of the stage. A bit of a medley towards the end of their set was excellently placed, and let violins and viola have their moments to shine. A quick introduction of the group led to their final piece and a fine introduction to the day of music.

Little Fevers at Turf Club (Dec 5, 2024)

Next up was Lucy Michelle. We last saw her performing as part of Little Fevers at Turf Club in December, 2024. She was playing guitar as part of a duet with Eamonn McLain on cello. The first song, Heart Race, had a bit of country feel, with almost a twang from Michelle. McLain provided a nice soft vocal sound to Michelle’s bright tone. Honestly, the cello also played well against the acoustic guitar and on Apple Tree, with both vocals and instrumentation appealingly in contrast. Michelle mentioned that it was going to “be a real grab bag of songs”, getting both Little Fevers and Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles’ numbers.

There’s something compelling about these songs being stripped down to their core like this; the MTV Unplugged series was popular for a reason. Having heard a number of these songs in their band version in December, it was a fun alternate listen. Puget Sound was a quick and cute number, and really, these were really pleasing numbers. Michelle and McLain are quietly engrossing performers and this was the perfect kind of music to have on a bright summer day like this one. A shout out to Matt, who had been part of The Velvet Lapelles, led them back to the music with a slower tempo Strange Love.

We were told that several of these songs were in their first performance as the duo. Male Truck, off the newest Little Fevers album, had long cello solos both in the middle and to end the song. Easter Best, off a solo 2019 solo Michelle album, had McLain back to finger plucking the cello and Michelle foot tapping a percussion. Coming near the close of the set, The Living had a swell of an introduction and was a very strong number. As they finished their set on Just a Kid, Michelle & McLain nailed a fantastic set for their part of Art-A-Whirl.

Art-A-Whirl Crowd

Art-A-Whirl T-Shirt

Food Trucks

26 Bats!

26 Bats! at Eastside Food Co-op (May 17, 2025)

Eleganza!

Eleganza! at Twin Ignition (May 17, 2025)

Havana Quartet at Twin Ignition (May 18, 2025)

Havana Quartet

Eamonn McLain

Crowd

Lucy Michelle

Lucy Michelle at Twin Ignition, Art-A-Whirl (May 18, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:11 PM in 26 Bats, Art-A-Whirl, Eleganza, Little Fevers, Lucy Michelle, Minneapolis, Music Festival, Thaddeus, The New Standards, The Rolling Stones, The Suburbs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Misfit Corner Comics at Beach Boulevard Flea Market

Beach Boulevard Flea Market

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Comic Books

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

By now you all know my sad tale of losing about half my comic book collection when I moved to Jacksonville. I have sworn to never buy anything again… but you all knew that wasn’t going to last. I just have to be smart about what goes into my collection and what I can live without. One thing that I know I can’t get back into is collecting toys. Toys takes up so much space, valuable space that I don’t have.

As for comic books, one of my first love, I just have to stick to buying collected editions or important books. I just can’t buy any title; it has to specifically fit in my collection.

Since I’m still new to the area, I decided to check out the local Beach Boulevard Flea Market, touted as one of the largest flea market in Jacksonville. It seems like the area was previously a self-storage business (maybe it still is). Longterm sellers have storage units and opens up their doors to sell their wares. The vendors varies, from fruits, vegetables, fast food, knick-knacks, power equipment, used electronics, key cutting, clothing, knock off stuff, old video games (overpriced), and all sorts of stuff.

MGT Comics

I found two comic book sellers. There might have been more, but maybe they weren’t located in my scouting of the area… or perhaps they weren’t there on Saturday, May 17. The first one I saw was unit N-12, I guess was called MGT Comics (based on that signage). I didn’t really see anything I was looking for. He had limited magazines (Howard the Duck), but too expensive at $8 or more per issue.

Then I saw Misfit Corner Comics at the flea market. This didn’t look like a standard self-storage, it looks big and it looks like a proper store. The hours are posted on the front door stating that they only open on the weekend from 10am to 5pm… but can also be open on the weekdays if you make an appointment.

To be honest, I didn’t think I would find anything, but as soon as I saw that they were selling and trying to get rid of their CGC graded comics - some as low as $20. I thought that was a good deal, even if I didn’t collect some of those titles. As it turned out there were a few comics that I collect, and after debating, I decided to buy New Teen Titans #25 for $30.

Some other books, New Teen Titans Archive #4, which I need was priced at $30. A little too much for me, but it is a fair price. The problem is all the Archive books were abandoned by DC Comics and superior printing have resurfaced in other reprints (such as the Omnibus).

I didn’t go through everything due to lack of time… but now that I’ve thought about it, I’ll probably go back tomorrow (Sunday) and spend a little more time going through the CGC books. Maybe pick up that Logan’s Run book. My original copy is in poor condition and I may have actually lost it during my move to Jacksonville.

Misfit Corner Comics

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 12:00 AM in Comic Books, DC Comics, George Perez, Teen Titans, Weekend Gamer | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/17/2025

Larkin Poe at First Ave (05-16-2025)

Larkin Poe at First Avenue (16 May 2025)

Larkin Poe Setlist

Nowhere Fast
Summertime Sunset
Kick the Blues
Easy Love Pt. 1
Bluephoria
Mockingbird

Acoustic Set

Southern Comfort

God Moves on the Water

Mad as a Hatter

Thank God I’m a Country Boy (John Denver cover)

Deep Stays Down
Fool Outta Me
If God is a Woman
Pearls
Wanted Woman
Bolt Cutters & The Family Name

-- Encore --
Bloom Again

Amythyst Kiah Setlis

Empire of Love
Silk and Petals
Gods Under the Mountain
I Will Not Go Down
Abracadabra (Lady Gaga cover)
S.P.A.C.E.
Wild Turkey
Black Myself (Our Native Daughters song)

Tour Dates

05/17 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre

05/22-05/26 - Cumberland, MD – DelFest

05/29 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

05/30 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern

05/31-06/01 - Lexington, KY - Railbird Music Festival

06/01 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel

06/22 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes

07/23-07/27 – Floyd, VA – FloydFest

09/04-09/07 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender

10/03 – Miramar Beach, FL – Moon Crush Avett Moon

10/09-10/12 - Nashville, TN - Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camp

10/17 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy

10/18 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy

10/19 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon

10/21 – London, UK – Eventim Apollo

10/22 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute

10/24 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel

10/25 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013 Poppodium

10/26 – Cologne, Germany – E-Werk

10/28 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene

10/29 – Stockholm, Sweden – Circus

10/30 – Frederiksberg, Denmark – Falkoner Center

11/01 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom

11/02 – Warsaw, Poland – Klub Stodola

11/04 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer

11/05 – Munich, Germany – Tonhalle

11/08 – Geneva, Switzerland – Salle De L’Alhambra

11/09 – Nimes, France – La Paloma

11/12 – Lisbon, Portugal – Coliseu Dos Recreios

11/14 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Riviera

11/15 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz 1

11/16 – Bordeaux, France – Le Rocher de Palmer

11/18 – Clermont-Ferrand, France – Le Cooperative de Mai

11/19 – La Rochelle, France – La Sirene

11/21 – Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma

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Larkin Poe

Nashville-based sister duo Larkin Poe will be opening up for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band at the Xcel Energy Center the night before (December 12th). ...

Amythyst Kiah

Amythyst Kiah (on stage at 8:19 pm) sprinkled her set with similar hilarious (self-proclaimed) nerdy rants and pop culture references. The music, which was a combination of blues, folk …

“It’s crowded everywhere!” So said the couple behind me at the back of the venue. It was crowded and the people that arrived on time should have come an hour early if they wanted to see some hot Southern blues on a rather cold, rainy night.

Amythyst Kiah opened up the evening with a solo set. Born in Chattanooga, TN, she now lives in the college town of Johnson City, TN.

Amythyst Kiah at Parkway Theater (Nov 14, 2024)

We last saw Kiah at the Parkway Theater in Nov, 2024, stating that she: “...sprinkled her set with similar hilarious (self-proclaimed) nerdy rants and pop culture references. The music, which was a combination of blues, folk, rock, country, Americana, was so lovely that I didn't catch the name of the movie she started describing…”

Kiah describes her music as Southern Gothic, which gives her ample room to explore the musical genres above. A self-proclaimed nerd, her songs from her latest album, Still + Bright, ranged from an ode to the television show The Haunting of Bly Manor, “Silk and Petals” to one dedicated to her favorite literary genre, cosmic horror, “Gods Under the Mountain.”

Kiah then shifted gears and said that there was a pop song that would not leave her head. So she wondered how it would translate on banjo. For the record, Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” does play in a folk setting.

By far her best songs were “Wild Turkey” which addresses a family tragedy and “Black Myself”, a song she wrote for as part of a collaboration with Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens and Leyla McCalla called Our Native Daughters. She said she was given the task to encapsulate 400 years of the Black experience in a three-minute song.

What was full at the onset of Kiah’s set was downright packed by the time Larkin Poe took the stage. And those who had come early had a front row seat to the powerful start to what would be an electric evening.

We last saw Larkin Poe at Knuckleheads in Jan, 2024, stating: “Originally from Atlanta and currently Nashville-based, they are descendants of celebrated author Edgar Allan Poe, named for their four-times removed grandfather, who was Poe’s cousin, and came roaring out of the gate with the rousing ‘Strike Gold’.”

Rousing is a perfect description, as sisters, Rebecca and Megan Lovell, put their spin on roots music with a gritty, soulful sound with their own southern heritage. If the blues is a drug, the Lovell sisters were mainlining the crowd with “Nowhere Fast” and “Kick the Blues.”

Larkin Poe at Knuckleheads (24 Jan 2023)

When we saw them in 2024 Larkin Poe was supporting their Grammy Award-winning album Blood Harmony. They are back on the road with Bloom, their eighth studio album, which Rebecca describes as “... finding oneself amidst the noise of the world, about wholeheartedly embracing the flaws and idiosyncrasies that make us real.”

Rebecca said that they were going to play her favorite song on the new album. She said the song was about not knowing what’s coming down the pipeline, and that she was going to have a baby later this summer. “So, this is for all the ‘Mockingbirds’ in the tree.”

Then they went right back to the nasty with “Bad Spell” before moving onto an acoustic set with a dobro and mandolin, harkening back to the time when they started out as the Lovell Sisters, winning a contest on A Prairie Home Companion with their older sister, Jessica.

Then back to “If God is a Woman”, the highlight of the evening that had Meghan and her steel guitar roaming the stage with an extended solo and Kiah coming out midway to take a verse. And if that wasn’t enough, they played “Bolt Cutters & The Family Name”, a song infused with female empowerment.

Even though the Lovell sisters are in their mid-thirties, the crowd was filled with a lot of gray hair and creaky knees. One person in the audience was an elderly lady in a reserved seat. She was comfortably seated, but rocking, and it was a personal highlight to see her sing:

You can take me outta the fight
You can take me outta the fight
But you can't take the fight outta me
I said no, no, no

Amythyst Kiah

Larkin Poe

Larkin Poe at First Ave (May 16, 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 08:42 PM in Amythyst Kiah, Dave, First Avenue, Larkin Poe, Minneapolis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter Bjorn and John at Fine Line (May 16, 2025)

Peter Bjorn and John at Fine Line (May 26, 2025)

Peter Bjorn and John Setlist

Poor Cow
Roll the Credits
The Chills
Let's Call It Off
Paris 2004
Up Against the Wall
Start to Melt
Amsterdam
Young Folks
Objects of My Affection
Breakin' Point
Living a Dream
Gut Feeling
Teen Love (The Concretes cover)
Second Chance

-- Encore --
Far Away, By My Side
I Know You Don't Love Me
Lies

Beemer Setlist

Jaws
Perfect Solution
Afterparty
Bachelors of Youth
You & Me
Closes in on Me
Sounds Like
Butter

Tour Dates

17 May: Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

19 May: Toronto, ON @ Great Hall

21 May: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

22 May: Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

23 May: Washington DC @ Black Cat

Previously: PB&J at Fine Line (2016)

As we have already previously discussed on the podcast, Peter Bjorn & John blew up with their song ‘Young Folks’. Originally released in late 2006, but touring promotion in the USA didn’t take place until 2007 when they made their way to First avenue on 09 May 2007 with Au Revoir Simone and Fujiya & Miyagi. For that tour, they had Heather D’Angelo from Au Revoir Simone show up on the encore to sing ‘Young Folks’, undoubtedly their biggest hit.

‘Young Folks’ was so uncharacteristic of PB&J, especially because the single was a duet with The Concretes’ Victoria Bergsman and requires constant whistling for the melody. Reading interviews with the band, they have expressed that ‘Young Folks’ was both a blessing and a curse. People have a misconception of the band, but at the same time, they’ve gained new listeners.

Anyway, after a five-year break (their last album Gimme Some came out in 2011), to give room for various solo projects: Peter’s solo albums, Björn’s “Yttling Jazz”, and John’s project Hortlax Cobra. With all that out of the way and a fresh perspective, the trio is back with their catchiest album yet, Breakin’ Point.

[ Continue Reading PB&J at Fine Line (June 23, 2016) ]

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Peter Bjorn and John

Like many fans, we first discovered Peter Bjorn and John through their big, viral hit ‘Young Folks’ (the song was soooo massive, even a young Kanye West stole the catchy melody). …

A long-time band from Sweden, Peter Bjorn and John made their was to Fine Line in Minneapolis on a Friday night to celebrate a classic album.

Luke Enyeart at Turf Club (Jan 30, 2025)

First up was Beemer, a Twin Cities band with four seasoned musicians, each having played in other bands. Founded by Hank Donato, the band is playing “tongue in cheek” soft rock and released their self-titled debut album in 2023. Among those band members is Luke Enyeart, who we last saw guest playing a couple of songs with Eric Mayson at Turf Club in January.

The quartet (guitar, bass, keys & vocals, drums) was definitely playing that soft rock genre, hearkening back to Steely Dan and a wide variety of 70’s & 80’s radio favorites. Donato’s vocals were often under a reverb or distorted effect, but that played well into the overall aesthetic. Enyeart’s guitar solos in the first several songs were fun, if a little brief, such as on the new song Afterparty. Reese Kling’s drums and Cooper Doten’s bass held the band in check and kept things moving forward nicely.

Donato’s opening banter was humorous as he said he wasn’t going to say much about the band, as their manager wanted them to have “an aura of mystery”. He also gave serious love to the headliners before getting back to the music. Bachelors of Youth was the most synth-sounding keyboards yet, and might have been the best sounding number of the night. These guys know what they are doing musically, but it’s unclear if they are paying homage or playing satire to the genre, which was a little confusing. (Side note: For a band playing full out satire in this space, see the Chicago-based band Baby Teeth.)

A “mostly first time audience” got to hear the next song Closes in on Me. This had a little bit of an Elton John feel from the vocals and was our first appearance of dual harmonies behind Donato. A last round of talk led to the closing song, Butter, which has a killer opening musical intro. Kling had a nice closing drum outro, and then the band was rolling off stage.

I spoke with Donato between sets. Having heard in January that Enyeart was about to be a father, we got confirmation that all went well (congrats, Luke!). It brought up the point that the majority of the band is now parents. Asked about how being a dad band changes things, Donato said it has been weirdly nice to not be pinning hopes and dreams on this band, and that it frees them up. The other question I asked was whether Beemer is satire or homage. Donato said it’s a bit of both; they all grew up learning from soft rock music bands and can’t help but write some of that style. It’s clear they enjoy it, while also being able to recognize some of its short comings.

After the break to get set up, Peter Bjorn and John came to the stage. Peter (Peter Morén) Bjorn (Björn Yttling) and John (John Eriksson) first came together as an indie rock group over twenty-five years ago in Stockholm, Sweden. The band has released a lot of music over the years, including nine full length albums, starting with their self-titled debut released in 2002. They had fairly big success with their third album, 2006’s Writer’s Block, with the hit single Young Folks. This tour, with just about a dozen North American stops, is called the Writer’s Block Album Tour 2025, which makes it a 19 year anniversary, but, ok, I guess? I do love the band’s website succinct description: “Live. In full. The classic album.”

The trio came to the stage and started off with Poor Cow, with a lot of the stage in darkness. The second song got a switch of lead vocalist (Björn this time), letting you know this band really shares the limelight. The intro to The Chills was an effective percussive sound from Björn before giving way to Peter’s vocals. This song also really showed off the band’s strength of those mixed and matched vocals and harmonies across the full band.

A little banter from Peter, while changing some instruments, gave an overview about the fact that it is the 19th anniversary (“we’re practicing for next year!”) and the fact that they were playing the album in reverse. Let’s Call It Off was a really well distilled version of their sound; everyone singing, a strong bass line, and just a bit of an aggressive edge to the indie rock sound.

The band used some recorded connecting musical bits to allow for instrument changes, such as getting the harmonica ready for Paris 2004. The professionalism shines through here; that recorded bit was a fairly precise amount of time, and they were ready to go right on cue (big points for their sounds guy at the back of the house!). P,B&J’s vocals shone through in the song and the closing bit of dual “oohs” contrasted with the harmonica were fantastic. It certainly got a very strong audience reaction, and the main part of the room continued to crowd towards the front.

The band made the most of various guitar solos, with Peter & Björn moving all across the stage. Peter jumped into the crowd during an extended section of Up Against the Wall, to the absolute delight of the crowd. Soon, we were to the big hit of the album, Young Folks. Given that the album release has a female vocalist (Victoria Bergsman of The Concretes) as a critical part of it, I was very curious to see what did live. That great bass intro and whistling section were super solid and the audience was super into it. Vocally, it simply collapsed down to Peter’s singing throughout and that worked just fine. Objects of My Affection ended the Writer’s Block album and was a soaring number, but the band wasn’t done yet. From there, they took a short break before returning.

Peter Bjorn and John moved into songs from other albums, starting with Breakin’ Point. Most of these songs were from more recent albums, and showed off how the band has grown musically over the years. Gut Feeling had John adding tambourine to his percussion effects. We got a cover of The Concretes Teen Love, with some confused introductory comments (and initially starting in the wrong key!) from Björn. Second Chance was a banger and had a chunk of the audience singing. A quick off stage before the final encore had to be rushed as some fans thought the show was over. It was an impressive live show, clocking in well over 90 minutes. With I Know You Don’t Love Me, Peter Bjorn and John continued to drive towards the end. A final song had Peter telling the audience they would be off to the merch table and thanking the crowd. The Swedes had won the day and Minneapolis was lucky to be one of the few stops Peter Bjorn and John had made here in the US in 2025.

Beemer

PBJ Soundboard

John

Peter Bjorn and John

Bjorn

Peter Bjorn and John at Fine Line (May 16, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 04:06 PM in Elton John, Eric Mayson, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, Peter Bjorn and John, Steely Dan, Sweden, Thaddeus, The Concretes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis This Week (May 25, 2025)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Momma at Fine Line (19 May 2025)

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Momma

Momma is a rising Los Angeles indie rock band and opened the evening with a thirty-minute-set, in support of recent record “Household Name” and more recent single, “Bang Bang” …

19 May 2025 Monday

Momma
with Wishy
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

New York, by the way of California, Momma (formed by Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten) is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on May 19, 2025, in support of their new album Welcome to My Blue Sky (Polyvinyl Records).

Momma at Azura Amphitheater (11 June 2023)

We saw the band in June 2023 and said, “Momma is a rising Los Angeles indie rock band and opened the evening with a thirty-minute-set, in support of recent record “Household Name” and more recent single, “Bang Bang”. The band would make a return appearance as well, jumping on stage to join Weezer for a song during their set.”

Wishy to open.

Tour dates:

Apr 23, 2025 WFPK Waterfront Wednesday Louisville, KY

Apr 25, 2025 Skully's Music Diner Columbus, OH

Apr 26, 2025 Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC

Apr 28, 2025 Terminal West Atlanta, GA

Apr 29, 2025 The Basement East Nashville, TN

Apr 30, 2025 Growlers Memphis, TN

May 2, 2025 Last Concert Cafe Houston, TX

May 3, 2025 Tulips Fort Worth, TX

May 4, 2025 Mohawk Austin, TX

May 6, 2025 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ

May 9, 2025 The Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, CA

May 10, 2025 August Hall San Francisco, CA

May 12, 2025 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR

May 13, 2025 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC

May 14, 2025 Neumos Seattle, WA

May 16, 2025 Kilby Block Party Salt Lake City, UT

May 16, 2025 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT

May 17, 2025 Marquis Theater Denver, CO

May 19, 2025 Fine Line Minneapolis, MN

May 20, 2025 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL

May 22, 2025 The Axis Club Toronto, ON

May 23, 2025 Club SAW Ottawa, ON

May 24, 2025 Théâtre Fairmount Montreal, QC

May 28, 2025 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA

May 29, 2025 The Atlantis Washington, DC

May 30, 2025 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA

May 31, 2025 Warsaw Brooklyn, NY

Jun 4, 2025 - Jun 8, 2025 Primavera Sound Barcelona, Spain

Jun 12, 2025 - Jun 15, 2025 NOS Primavera Sound Festival Porto, Portugal

Jun 13, 2025 Victoria Park London, UK Outbreak Festvial

Jun 14, 2025 - Jun 15, 2025 Manchester B.E.C Arena Manchester, UK Outbreak Fest

Sep 21, 2025 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN

Sep 23, 2025 Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, NC

Sep 24, 2025 Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC

Nov 4, 2025 Pitchfork Festival Paris, FR

Nov 8, 2025 Pitchfork Festival London, UK

Tennis at First Avenue (21 May 2025)

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Tennis

Husband/wife duo Tennis is back in town. Their forthcoming album Yours Conditionally will be out March 10th via Mutually Detrimental / Thirty Tigers. …

Billie Marten

Yorkshire’s Billie Marten is touring in support of her new album Drop Cherries (IMPERIAL Music). The album was recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales ....

21 May 2025 Wednesday

Tennis
with Billie Marten
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Acclaimed indie-pop duo Tennis (husband and wife Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore) is touring in support of Face Down In The Garden (Mutually Detrimental). The tour will stop by First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on May 21, 2025.

Tennis at First Avenue, Minneapolis (08 April 2023)

We saw Tennis in April 2023 and said, “So it’s been a long time since we last saw the band. This is due to conflicting shows, or the fact that the COVID pandemic caused cancellations throughout the last few years. Seeing the band on stage, you can tell that the band is very excited to be playing live again. As you can see in some of the photos below, Alaina’s look is of love and adoration. It carries in the way she sings and how the band play to the beat.”

Billie Marten at 7th Street Entry (16 June 2023)

Billie Marten to open. We caught Billie Marten in June 2023 and said, “Billie Marten is a woman in love, she asks “Anyone in love?” Every note, every words, there is a hint of longing. From what I’ve gathered, listening to her talk, her love (Will Taylor of Flyte) was very far away. Of course, the longing and sadness could have something to do with her severe seasonal affective disorder (SAD).”

Tour dates:

05/16 – Las Vegas, NV – Swan Dive *

05/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall *

05/18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Block Party #

05/21 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue †

05/23 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed †

05/24 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Annex †

05/25 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron †

05/27 – Toronto, ON – The Concert Hall †

05/30 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner †

05/31 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall †

06/01 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 †

06/03 – Washington, DC – The Anthem †

06/05 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz †

06/06 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern †

06/07 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville †

06/09 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum †

06/10 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs) †

06/11 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater †

08/18 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

08/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre

08/22 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s

08/23 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

08/24 – Santa Fe, NM – The Bridge

08/26 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom

08/28 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall

08/29 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge

08/30 – Vancouver, BC – Malkin Bowl

09/02 – Sacramento, CA – Channel 24 ^

09/04 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery ^

* w/ Special Guests Husbands
† w/ Special Guest Billie Marten

# Festival Appearance

Friko at Fine Line (22 May 2025)

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Friko

Chicago band Friko (vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger) opened the show. Prior to their First Avenue appearance, the full band stopped for a signing of their .…

22 May 2025 Thursday
Friko
with youbet
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Chicago’s Friko (vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger) to headline the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on May 22, 2025.

Friko at First Avenue (15 Sep 2024)

We saw Friko in Sep 2024 and wrote, “Chicago band Friko (vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger) opened the show. Prior to their First Avenue appearance, the full band stopped for a signing of their album Where we've been, Where we go from here (ATO Records) and live session at the Electric Fetus record store, in Minneapolis. The group is known for their high-energy live shows, and they certainly let loose on the main stage at First Avenue. Singer Niko mentioned that being on stage and playing to an audience was their dream. Playing at the venue that Prince made famous, well, that was a dream come true. You can tell that the band idolized Minneapolis and the First Avenue venue.”

youbet to open.

Tour dates:

April 30 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux $

May 2 - Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl $

May 3 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s $

May 4 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios $

May 7 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop $

May 9 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room HLP $

May 10 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar $

May 13 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed #

May 14 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown #

May 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party

May 18 - Denver, CO @ Marquis $

May 20 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge $

May 21 - Des Moines, IA @ xBk $

May 22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line $

*w/ Peel Dream Magazine
% w/ Starcleaner Reunion
$ w/ Youbet
# with Black Country New Road

Matt Berninger at First Avenue (23 May 2025)

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The National

The National has become one of our favorites, having traveled last year to San Diego to catch their live show, back then in support of album, “First Two Pages of Frankenstein." …

23 May 2025 Friday
Matt Berninger
with Ronboy
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Matt Berninger, the singer of The National, is doing a solo tour, stopping by First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on May 23, 2025. Berninger’s second solo album, Get Sunk will be out May 30th, via Book/Concord Records.

The National at Moda Center (03 Oct 2024)

We saw the National in Oct 2024 and wrote, “Though the “war” had just wrapped their set, longtime fans of The National were elated when they began their night closing set with 2007’s “Start a War”, an album rarity from their “Boxer” full-length, and a choice for a set opener, we hadn’t seen since maybe that album’s initial release. The band, fronted by Berninger had again delivered a performance that was both intimate, emotional, and also scaled for this sized venue, He, dressed typically in a dark suit, wrapped his lanky arms around himself on “Eucalyptus”, paraded on stage amongst all the square-shaped lighting on “Tropic Morning News” and retreated to the back near the drums, as the Dessner brothers tore into their guitars, facing each other on “Don’t Swallow the Cap”. Selections from 2010’s “High Violet” remain fan favorites, including the anthemic “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and later, the spiteful downpour of “England”, while “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” thrilled with its staccato guitars, fractured riffs, and poignant piano work.”

Ronboy to open.

Tour dates:

May 19 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox

May 20 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s 365 Club

May 21 - Los Angeles, CA - Palace Theatre

May 23 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

May 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

May 26 - Toronto, ON - Concert Hall

May 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

May 29 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre

May 30 - New York, NY - Webster Hall

June 1 - Norwalk, CT - District Music Hall

August 22 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street

August 23 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street

August 25 - Glasgow, UK - SWG3 Galvanizers

August 26 - Manchester, UK - Albert Hall

August 27 - London, UK - Troxy

August 28-31 - Nr Tolland Royal, Wiltshire, UK

August 31 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg

September 1 - Antwerp, Belgium - OLT Rivierenhof

September 2 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre

September 4 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys

September 5 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega

September 6 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller Music Hall

September 8 - Hamburg, Germany - Große Freiheit 36

September 9 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg

September 10 - Antwerp, Belgium - OLT Rivierenhof

September 12 - Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royal

Baroness at Turf Club (23 May 2025)

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Baroness

Inside the club, the mood was not of the Crimson and Blue of the college basketball team, it was somewhat darker with the night’s soundtrack reflected in the spectrum …

23 May 2025 Friday
Baroness
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Baroness will be revisiting their first two albums (the Red Album and Blue Record) at the Turf Club, in St Paul, on May 23, 2025.

Baroness at Bottleneck (02 Apr 2022)

We saw the band in April 2022, and said, “Inside the club, the mood was not of the Crimson and Blue of the college basketball team, it was somewhat darker with the night’s soundtrack reflected in the spectrum of the last five albums from Baroness, all color-themed in title, including their latest, Gold & Grey (2019, on Abraxan Hymns). The night’s setlist was unique as well- its first half consisting of fan-voted tracks, bridged by a short acoustic set, and finished with a choice selection from the band itself, resulting in a well-rounded retrospective of their two decades in music.”

Tour dates:

MAY 7 Metro Baltimore Baltimore, MD

MAY 8 The Meadows Brooklyn, NY

MAY 9 The Meadows Brooklyn, NY

MAY 11 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA

MAY 13 Empire Live Albany, NY

MAY 14 The Song & Dance Syracuse, NY

MAY 16 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH

MAY 17 Magic Stick Detroit, MI

MAY 18 The Pyramid Scheme Grand Rapids, MI

MAY 20 Sleeping Village Chicago, IL

MAY 21 Sleeping Village Chicago, IL

MAY 23 Turf Club St Paul, MN

MAY 24 Waiting Room Lounge Omaha, NE

MAY 25 recordBar Kansas City, MO

MAY 27 Black Circle Brewing Co. Indianapolis, IN

MAY 28 The KING of CLUBS Columbus, OH

MAY 30 Prepare The Ground festival Toronto

MAY 31 Thunderbird Café & Music Hall

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

Posted at 12:00 AM in Baroness, Billie Marten, Friko, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Momma, Tennis, The National | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/16/2025

Joywave at the Albatross (May 16, 2025)

Joywave at the Albatross (16 May 2025)

Joywave Setlist

setlist courtesy of Lonnie

Scared
F.E.A.R.
Obsession
Tongues
Hate to Be a Bother
787 Dreamliner
Somebody New
Life in a Bubble I Blew
Brain Damage
Ugly Ending (Best Frenz song)
Funny Thing About Opinions
Coming Apart
Traveling at the Speed of Light
Dangerous (Big Data cover)
It's a Trip!
Swimming in the Glow
Destruction

Little Image Setlist

Intro
THE PRESSURE
BLUE
NOVACAINE
OUT OF MY MIND
HOME
RUN FOR FOREVER
KILL THE GHOST
BOTTLES
WORTH IT

Tour Dates

May 17: Charleston, SC @ Music Farm

May 19: Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle

May 21: Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall

May 22: Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater

Read More

Joywave

That was completely the vibe for Rochester, NY’s Joywave as they played an hour-long set, in support of fourth album, Cleanse, released in February. Singer Daniel Armbruster ...

Rochester-based band Joywave just headlined the The Albatross (formerly known as Underbelly) earlier tonight (May 16, 2025), in support of their new album Permanent Pleasure.

Joywave at Underbelly poster (May 16, 2025)

Both touring bands were confused about the venue’s name change. When they originally booked the show, the venue was called Underbelly, but by April 15, 2025 there were new management and they wanted to change the name to the Albatross. In fact, if you look at the original poster, it showed Underbelly as the venue.

Since I’ve never been to the Albatross (nor Underbelly), this is located on the same block of The Florida Theatre (I walk past it) and very close to Decca Live. Decca Live lists 1,000 capacity, but I believe this number includes the second floor and roof… to me it felt like they were closer to Albatross (despite the fact that they only list 500 standing). I would compare this venue to the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul. The Amsterdam is a little deceiving… it’s much larger than you think because the venue is divided in half (a stage area and a separate bar/restaurant area).

The Albatross, under the name Underbelly, lists as a smoked BBQ restaurant - so I’m not sure if the restaurant area was closed off to me, but the area I was at only had a stage, dancefloor (with four columns that blocked view), and a bar area on the right-side. The left-side were band merchandise.

Starting the show was Dallas alt-trio little image (singer/guitarist Jackson Simmons, bassist Brandon Walters, and drummer Troy Bruner), playing their first Jacksonville show. Despite being from Texas, the band admitted, “Ain’t gonna lie, it’s hot down here” referring to the scorching 96° F heat. The band is enjoying their national tour, having already played three other Florida dates (the Jax date is their last FL date), and taking advantage of their day off between dates to go to Disneyland in Orlando.

Highlight of the show was about mid-way into their set, drummer Troy Bruner took out his portable drum kit and set it up in the front of the stage, while guitarist/singer Jackson Simmons sat down on the drum kit.

I spoke to a big fan at the show, who drove over an hour from the neighboring state, Georgia, to see Joywave. It was his fourth time seeing the band, having first caught them opening for Thirty Seconds To Mars on their 2018 tour (also with Walk the Moon and Misterwives). Since then, he’s seen them headline Jack Rabbits (which the band also gave a shout out, “This is no Jack Rabbits!”), as well as other cities in the area. Joywave has built up a good reputation, playing Florida over the years.

Joywave at the Truman (April 26, 2025)

We did catch the band in late April 2025 and reported, “For Joywave, from the stage it looked like a night off at home. The stage was dimly lit and the curled up cat from the new album’s cover, was reproduced as a large inflatable that would sometimes rotate on a lazy susan type platform. We say ‘night off’ because when we saw them live last time (co-headlining in 2022 in Lawrence), they were all ‘at work’- dressed in matching car wash attendant jumpsuits to support their previous album, ‘Cleanse’. This time, the band dressed in matching striped navy pajamas (one could say the “cat’s pajamas”, haha) which also seemed very comfortable to perform in.”

Unfortunately, the Albatross stage wasn’t big enough to include their giant sleeping cat (see photos from Kansas City). The stage was barely big enough to fit all six band members: singer Daniel Armbruster, guitarist Joseph Morinelli, drummer Paul Brenner, bassist Kevin Mahoney, guitarist/keys Connor Ehman, and additional guitarist/keys Taylor Dubray.

Although Joywave’s setlist remained mostly the same, it’s interesting to note that they’ve replaced a few songs on the Jax set, playing “F.E.A.R.” and “Ugly Ending” as the new songs on the set. The latter is a song by Best Frenz, a collaboration project between Armbruster and Jason Suwito of Sir Sly.

Little Image

Joywave

Joywave at the Albatross (May 16, 2025)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 10:36 PM in Albatross, Jacksonville, Joywave, Lonnie, Sir Sly, Underbelly | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekend Gamer: Update (May 2025)

Galaga Arcade1Up

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Arcade1Up

So, I accidentally bought my second Arcade1Up, an Atari's Asteroids machine. Of all the cabinets that Arcade1Up released, this was my least desirable.…

Now that I’m starting to settle down in Jacksonville, I’ve been requesting shows in the area to get a better lay of the land. Right now, the only venues I’ve been to are Decca Live and Jack Rabbits. Jack Rabbits, based on the bands they are booking, is fast becoming my favorite venue in Jax.

Tonight, I’ll be heading out to Underbelly, or rather re-named/re-branded to Albatross. I know ‘underbelly’ sounds scummy and shady, but at least it’s a known name for the last decade. With the new name, I’m not sure what that is! Is it a bird?

Anyway, hopefully I’ll get to check out more music in the area.

As for the gaming, I finally got around to putting together my Galaga Arcade1Up. I’ve had this thing in the original box for more than a year, because I knew eventually, I had to move to Jacksonville, and it was just easier to leave things in its compact state. When I put it together, I soon realized I did not bring my Pac-Man and Street Fighter II console controllers… so instead of putting the Galaga side art, I prefer the bright yellowness of the Pac-Man side.

I seriously don’t really have the space for these cabinets. If you’re in the same boat, do yourself a favor and invest in a cab that has a ton of games on it, rather than a cab that only plays Galaga and Galaxian. That’s my biggest complaint about these first generation Arcade1Up machines. For about $300 (on sale), you can get a Pac-Man machine that has 14 other games on it, including Galaga.

My computer is all setup. I lost two computer monitors in the move (all my fault), but thankfully Alienware OLED monitor is in working order. I had the original Alienware box with all the protective cardboard that helped with the long move. I suggest, if you are planning on moving, to keep the original box, if you can.

I also kind of lost my Corsair keyboard, so I’m using my Asus Azoth keyboard, as my main driver, with a cheap (but very good) Inland 10-key. Both are wireless, but sometime I’ll plug them in to recharge the battery or have instant connection (to conserve battery when in Bluetooth mode, the devices often go to sleep).

I also lost my Razer Speakers (it just broke in the move!), so now I’ve reverted back to an old Sony Portable Bluetooth Speaker. This thing is built like a tank and just as heavy… but it still works after 11 years and it sounds great. I have other speakers in the house, but this one has the best sound (in my opinion).

In free video games news, Dead Island 2 is currently free on Epic Games. I bought this game when it first came out in 2023 on Steam. I got it on sale and never really played it… one day, maybe last year, I found out I got an automatic next-gen upgrade for Dead Island 2 for free. That’s the cool thing about PC gaming… unlike Nintendo or Sony that charges $10 for something like this.

If you have Amazon Prime (gaming.amazon.com), you can get Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus for FREE on Xbox/PC (Games Anywhere). The Xbox free games are great, I previously got Wolfenstein: Old Blood, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Mindcraft Legends for Xbox. I love it, keep it up with the free Xbox games! At the rate we’re going, I feel like we’re going to get Doom next.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

Weekend Gamer’s Keyboard

Mpls: June 14 to June 17, 2025

05/15/2025

We♥KC! May 19-22, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

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Against Me!

Punk band Against Me! recently announced that they have extended their Spring headlining tour to include a ton of new dates throughout May. They are currently touring in support of their sixth studio album ...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Kelce takes a break--

Word came down that the new annual tradition of Kelce Jam, a party with brothers Jason and Travis and several of their favorite acts, is off for this year, but they're promising an even bigger and better experience next year.

That leaves KC with one less summer festival, but Starlight opens its historic 75^th season this weekend (with some renovations in-progress we previously mentioned) and look for LiveNation to offer some $30 tickets to several shows, beginning May 21, while they last (AEG books more shows locally at the moment, so selection won’t be as plentiful as in other markets)

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week of May 19th-22nd.

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

MONDAY MAY 19

Volume, May 19, miniBar, $13.15

Heavy fuzzed out psych rock from the desert of 29 Palms, CA, this trip is for fans of Monster Magnet, desert stoner rock, and dense doom rock. The band is said to draw its musical influences from bands such as The Stooges, MC5 and Black Flag to name a few, while also crafting their own heavy identity.

Originally formed in 1993 by ex-Fu Manchu singer Patrick Brink, the band has featured a revolving set of collaborators, and the current live lineup includes Mingus on drums, bassist Jason Hernandez and lead guitarist Derek Christiansen and their recent release is called “Joy of Navigation”. The Soiled Doves and Momovudu slated as support on the bill.

TUESDAY MAY 20

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Climber: Defying Limits: Climbing the 14 Highest Peaks, May 20, Kauffman Theatre, $45-$68

Another great and interesting speaker from the Kauffman’s Changemaker Speaker Series. At 23, Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner achieved her greatest dream: climbing an 8,000-meter peak. Fast forward to today, Gerlinde has climbed all 14 peaks of 8,000+ without supplemental oxygen and without the help of high-altitude porters, the first woman to do so.

She completed the quest on her 7th attempt up what many consider to be the most daunting climb in the world, the world’s second highest peak, K2, known worldwide as the “Savage Mountain,” in the remote Karakoram Range of Pakistan and China.

Leon Bridges, May 20, The Midland, $216 (resale only)

Modern soul artist Leon Bridges is finishing up his The Leon Tour, which began last year in support of his self-titled album, Leon, released last October. We last saw live him a decade ago in Minneapolis as he was just starting out, and his sound has developed and evolved since, while staying relevant. He embarks next on a co-headlining tour with fellow Texan Charlie Crockett to take them both through the summer.

Alabama-born country singer Kashus Culpepper will open.

MIKE w/ duendita and Anysia Kim, May 20, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $24-$28

The NYC rapper / producer (aka Michael Jordan Bonema) alongside Tony Seltzer just released the second single from their recentl collaborative album, Pinball 2, which was just released on May 7th via MIKE’s 10k label and is the sequel to their first joint project Pinball, which arrived last March.

This is all in addition to his tenth solo LP Showbiz!, making him one of the essential and prolific young voices in hip-hop this decade via his own label ,10k, and his free Young World festival in Brooklyn. The current #aotc tour is the biggest of MIKE’s career, and includes 40 dates across the country,

Arrive early for Queens, NY’s duendita band who compose and play bass-coated tones and mix of jazz, piano, soul and R&B,.Newest project is the 10-track EP, a strong desire to survive, released April 4th via MIKE’s 10k label with lead single, “baby teeth”. (yes, they seem to prefer lowercase).

Mean Girls (musical) May 20-25, Starlight, $14.72-$120.75

Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey ("30 Rock" and based on her film script), composer Jeff Richmond ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and original director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). and tells the story of a naïve newbie who falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies.

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies, The Plastics – Regina, Gretchen and Karen. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina's reign, she learns the hard way that you can't cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. Wearing pink seems to be encouraged.

WEDNESDAY MAY 21

Patti Lupone, May 21, Kauffman,$43-$137

“A Life in Notes, A musical touchstone of a life” – the legendary performer trained at Juilliard in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and began her professional career in 1972 with The Acting Company. LuPone has won three Tony Awards including Best Actress in a Musical and a Grammy Award.

In her new concert, Patti LuPone: A Life in Notes, she performs an array of songs which do just that — songs that are touchstones and reflections on her life growing up in America — from a young girl during the burgeoning rock and roll scene of the fifties, to coming of age in the politically and socially turbulent sixties, to eventually achieving success with both career and family. The show was conceived and directed by Scott Wittman with music direction and arrangements by Joseph Thalken and was written by Jeffrey Richman.

Laura Jane Grace, May 21, Granada- Lawrence, $29.50-$35

The musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me! Is back on the road in support of the new upcoming album, “Adventure Club” (out July 18 with lead single, “Active Trauma”). and Lawrence gets an early date to hear the new music!

Grace fronts the band Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers, a solo project she started in 2016 but this time, the billing reads Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals (featuring Mikey Erg, Matt Patton, Paris Campbell Grace) with support from Pet Needs.

THURSDAY MAY 22

The Lion King (Broadway touring), May 22-June 1, Music Hall, $79-$317

The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before! - This is Disney’s THE LION KING, making its triumphant return to the Music Hall! More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music, and the theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular (since it first opened in Minneapolis!) and it has remained one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions in modern theater history!

Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, the production brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of visuals. Its return again features the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. Whether your first time or a repeat- run, don’t walk for the chance to see this beloved classic!

Gráinne Hunt, May 22, KC Irish Center, $23

Irish folk singer-songwriter Gráinne Hunt enchants audiences with her heart-melting vocals and emotional songs and her two original records delve into personal experiences, evoking pain and longing. She showcased in Kansas City at Folk Alliance International last February before her first US tour, mid-last year.

Aside from her solo work, Gráinne collaborates with guitarist Brendan Walsh in the duo Gráinne and Brendan such as on their 2019 release, “Songs From Ireland” and is also part of the folk duo Hibsen with Jim Murphy who wrote an album of songs based on James Joyce’s “Dubliners” on 2023 album,‘The Stern Task of Living’.

Gráinne Hunt is appearing with the financial support of Culture Ireland and we just covered her recent stop in St. Paul, MN.

L.A. Guns, May 22, Knuckleheads, $30

L.A. Guns (we think) are Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, Ace Von Johnson, Johnny Martin, Adam Hamilton and Shawn Duncan, but check those local listings to be sure. They’ve been around since 1983, but splintered into two versions, which is nothing but confusing. With Tracii and Phil on-board, you’ve got the right one.

The band is promising a new record, Leopard Skin soon, but has the previous Black Diamonds album and 2021’s “Checkered Past,” to lean on in the meantime. And don’t forget those classic 80’s hits either - “The Ballad Of Jayne” “Over The Edge”; “Kiss My Love Goodbye”; “Electric Gypsy”; “Never Enough”; “Sex Action”, and more.

La Cerca, May 22 at Lucia- Lawrence AND May 23 at The Ship, Kansas City, $9.92

The desert psychedelic guitar four-piece La Cerca from Tucson, AZ is out in support of their latest album, 'A Nice Sweet Getaway'(via Fort Lowell Records). They've actually been around since '90s (originally as Wise Folk Malcontent) and are helmed by Andrew Gardner, alongside other founding member guitarist Bill Oberdick.

Building on influences from Sonic Youth and The Cure to Dylan and Ride, La Cerca additionally incorporates a desert-infused blend of shoegaze, ambient, twangy pop hooks, and signature dueling guitars. They play Lucia in downtown Lawrence (thought I don't see the event listing on the venue’s FB), then are the middle act of a three-band bill at The Ship in KC the following evening, so you really have no excuse to miss.

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]