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Vestron Video: Earth Girls Are Easy

Read More Vestron Video Here is a Bluray series that I love: Vestron Video Collector's Series. When they first came out in 2016, the retail prices were very, very expensive. Normal prices were $40 (and that didn’t even include digital copies!), so I …

One of the Bluray that I recently purchased during my Black Friday purchases was Earth Girls Are Easy, number 27 in the latest Vestron Video Collection.

I remember actually seeing this film in the theaters, thinking how strange it was to see stars Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum together again after seeing them in David Cronenberg’s The Fly remake. What I didn’t know then, and what I found out listening to the commentary of this film, was that the Davis and Goldblum were actually dating at this time.

The other funny thing was that Earth Girls Are Easy was supposed to star writer/creator Julie Brown (based on her music EP Goddess in Progress). The studio executives thought it would be better if they had a “real” star in the film to draw in a crowd. Better yet, since Davis and Goldblum were a two-for-one deal, they could double their star power, so they gave the lead role to Davis.

They did give the role of Davis’ best friend to Julie Brown, who had originally written the role as a gay man.

Not much of a story that you can base on a few songs… but it was a fun little weird comedy about aliens picking up on Earth girls.

As with all first-run Vestron Videos, they come with a nice slip case and the price is decent ($13), and it comes with a digital code. I highly recommend picking this up if you’re a Vestron fan or just a fan of those late 80s comedy.

The next Vestron release will be a Silent Night, Deadly Night collection. It’s number 3, 4, and 5, which means that Vestron didn’t distribute or released the first two Silent Night, Deadly Night films. I’ll also be picking this up when it comes out. Thankfully, you can find them at Walmart or Best Buy easily… but there’s always Amazon if you don’t live by either retailers.

VESTRON VIDEO COLLECTION

	01 Chopping Mall (1986) Concorde Pictures September 27, 2016		02 Blood Diner (1987) Lightning Pictures September 27, 2016
	03 Waxwork (1988) Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) Vestron Pictures/ Electric Pictures September 27, 2016		04 Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) Trimark Pictures November 22, 2016
	05 C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989) Vestron Pictures November 22, 2016		06 The Lair of the White Worm (1988) Vestron Pictures January 31, 2017
	07 Parents (1989) Vestron Pictures January 31, 2017		08 The Gate (1987) New Century Vista Film February 28, 2017
	09 Wishmaster (1997) Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999) Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001) Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002) LIVE Entertainment Artisan Entertainment March 28, 2017		10 The Unholy (1988) Vestron Pictures June 27, 2017
	11 Warlock (1991) Warlock: The Armageddon (1993) Warlock III: The End of Innocence (1999 ) New World Pictures / Trimark Pictures / Tapestry Films July 25, 2017		12 Slaughter High (1986) Vestron Pictures October 31, 2017
	13 Gothic (1987) Vestron Pictures January 30, 2018		14 Class of 1999 (1990) Lightning Pictures January 30, 2018
	15 Beyond Re-Animator (2003) Lions Gate Entertainment July 24, 2018		16 Dagon (2001) Lions Gate Entertainment July 24, 2018
	17 Maximum Overdrive (1986) De Laurentiis Entertainment Group October 23, 2018		18 Shivers (1975) Cinepix September 15, 2020
	19 Little Monsters (1989) Vestron Pictures September 15, 2020		20 The Wraith (1986) New Century Vista Film July 20, 2021
	21 Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1991) Vestron Pictures August 17, 2021		22 Dementia 13 (1963) American International Pictures September 21, 2021
	23 Steel Dawn (1987) Vestron Pictures October 26, 2021		24 Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999) Artisan Entertainment January 18, 2022
	25 Dream a Little Dream (1989) Vestron Pictures March 15, 2022		26 Extreme Prejudice (1987) Carolco Pictures May 17, 2022
	27 Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) Vestron Pictures November 8, 2022		28 Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989) Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990) Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991) International Video LIVE Entertainment December 13, 2022

Read more Movies and Television.

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

Morrissey: Minnesota & Milwaukee, we're extremely sorry to announce the postponement of shows this coming weekend due to ongoing illness

11/25 Fillmore, Minneapolis (Postponed) 11/26 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee (postponed) Read More Morrissey As you know, I used to be a devoted The Smiths and Morrissey fan. Like many of you, I have grown up and may have been a little disenchanted by singer Morrissey’s beliefs and personality... but I still love the music .…

Happy Thankskilling!

Morrissey says No to Thankskilling

I may have spoken too soon, shortly after hearing Morrissey canceling Salt Lake City and Denver, I thought for sure that Minneapolis was safe. As it turns out, Minneapolis and Milwaukee are now postponed. Just a reminder that Moz rescheduled Minneapolis three times in 2012/2013.

With band illness continuing, it affected Minneapolis and Milwaukee… so in total four dates are affected, with one abbreviated date earlier at the Greek Theatre.

There are five more dates to go in this 2022. Based on previous tours, I think the rest of the tour should go without any issues, if they recover by November 27.

Here is the official statement:

To all the fans in Minnesota & Milwaukee, we're extremely sorry to announce the postponement of shows this coming weekend due to ongoing illness. We're so grateful for your understanding at this challenging time where we need to prioritise band health. Please hold on to your tickets, we are working our hardest to reschedule these dates for next year.

In the meantime, we look forward to resuming the tour in Washington D.C on Monday 28th November.

Morrissey 2022 Tour.

Nov 11 Ontario, CA - Toyota Arena
Nov 12 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (abbreviated)
Nov 14 El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia
Nov 15 El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia
Nov 18 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
Nov 19 San Francisco, CA - Castro Theatre
Nov 22 Salt Lake City, UT - The Union (canceled)
Nov 23 Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre (canceled)
Nov 25 Minneapolis, MN - Fillmore Minneapolis (postponed)
Nov 26 Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater (postponed)
Nov 28 Washington, DC - The Anthem
Nov 30 Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre
Dec 1 Newark, NJ - New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Dec 3 Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
Dec 4 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Read more Every date that Morrissey has ever canceled.

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

Minneapolis: December 10

12/10 Lissie with Cat Clyde at First Avenue Read More Lissie The comparisons are already in place for rock/folk/blues singer Lissie (nee Elisabeth Maurus) – looks like Jewel, sounds like Stevie Nicks with the raspy twinge of Janis Joplin; but the truth.…

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

12/10/2022 Saturday

Lissie
with Cat Clyde
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Midwestern multi-talented tour de force Lissie is touring in support of her Americana-tinged indie folk album Carving Canyons (Lionboy Records). The tour ends at First Avenue in Minneapolis on December 10th, 2022.

Lissie recently shared Morgan Page remix of “Night Moves”. The two previously collaborated on Page’s track “The Longest Road,” which subsequently amassed 40 million streams after a remix courtesy of Deadmau5.

We caught Lissie in Nov 2013 and said, “The comparisons are already in place for rock/folk/blues singer Lissie (nee Elisabeth Maurus) – looks like Jewel, sounds like Stevie Nicks with the raspy twinge of Janis Joplin; but the truth is this Rock Island, IL native is forging her own individual and distinctive career path through solid songs, endless touring, and an ever-growing loyal fan base.”

Cat Clyde to open.

Tour Dates

12/1: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
12/2: Iowa City, IA @ Wildwood
12/3: Davenport, IA @ Racoon Motel
12/8: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
12/9: Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo
12/10: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

12/10 Modest Mouse with Mattress at Palace Theatre Read More Modest Mouse Longtime Portland alternative band Modest Mouse is closing out their Golden Casket Tour, in support of the 2021 album of the same name (on Epic Records) and played an outdoor show at GrindersKC in downtown Kansas City …

12/10/2022 Saturday

Modest Mouse
with Mattress
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Portland’s finest Modest Mouse is returning to the area at the Palace Theatre, in St Paul, on December 10, 2022. The group is celebrating their 25th anniversary of their seminal album The Lonesome Crowded West (originally released on November 18, 1997 on Up Records).

We caught them in March 2022 and wrote, “It’s hard but wonderful to believe that Modest Mouse has been a band for thirty years now, (formed in Washington state in 1992) and has continued to broaden its sound and manage to still challenge its listeners. The newest album is the universally-acclaimed The Golden Casket from last year, but last year also marked the departures of two longtime members, signaling even more evolution is yet to come.”

Mattress to open.

Tour Dates

Nov 21 Seattle, WA, US Showbox at the Market Nov 22 Seattle, WA, US Showbox at the Market
Nov 23 Seattle, WA, US Showbox at the Market
Nov 25 Portland, OR, US McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Nov 26 Portland, OR, US McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Nov 27 Vancouver, BC, Canada Commodore Ballroom
Nov 28 Vancouver, BC, Canada Commodore Ballroom
Nov 30 Oakland, CA, US Fox Theater
Dec 1 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US The Wiltern
Dec 2 San Diego, CA, US The Observatory North Park
Dec 3 Phoenix, AZ, US The Van Buren
Dec 5 Austin, TX, US Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
Dec 6 New Orleans, LA, US Fillmore New Orleans
Dec 7 Dallas, TX, US South Side Ballroom, Gilley's
Dec 9 Chicago, IL, US Riviera Theatre
Dec 10 St. Paul, MN, US Palace Theatre
Dec 11 Madison, WI, US The Sylvee
Dec 13 Washington, DC, US 9:30 CLUB
Dec 14 Washington, DC, US 9:30 CLUB
Dec 15 Philadelphia, PA, US The Fillmore Philadelphia
Dec 16 Boston, MA, US Roadrunner
Dec 17 New York (NYC), NY, US Terminal 5
Dec 19 New York (NYC), NY, US Terminal 5
Dec 20 Washington, DC, US 9:30 CLUB
Jan 25 2023 Spicewood, TX, US Luck Ranch
Mar 17 2023 San Isidro, Argentina Lollapalooza
Mar 17 2023 Santiago, Chile Lollapalooza Chile
Mar 23 2023 Bogota, Colombia Festival Estereo Picnic
Mar 24 2023 São Paulo, Brazil Lollapalooza
Mar 31 2023 Monterrey, Mexico Tecate Pal Norte

12/10 Mclusky with The Martha's Vineyard Ferries at Turf Club Read More Mclusky Musically somewhere between bleach-era Nirvana, Mclusky, Jesus Lizard and even that incendiary first Idlewild demo in their teens, long before they started sounding like REM …

12/10/2022 Saturday

Mclusky
with The Martha's Vineyard Ferries
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Welsh-band Mclusky (often stylized as mclusky), returns to North America for the first time in 18 years for a special 2022 American tour.

The band broke up in 2005, but reformed as Mclusky* (asterisk in reference to missing members) to play The Garage in London on 3 December 2015 to raise money for cancer research.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Mclusky Do Dallas, the band will play the Turf Club in St Paul on December 10, 2022.

US Tour Dates:

11/30 – Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
12/1 – Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
12/3 – Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
12/4 – Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Hall
12/6 – Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
12/7 – Detroit, MI - Loving Touch
12/9 – Chicago, IL - Metro
12/10 – St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
12/12 – Nashville, TN - Basement East
12/13 – Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell)
12/14 – Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
12/16 – Washington, DC - Black Cat

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

Morrissey cancels Salt Lake City & Denver (11/22 and11/23) due to band illness

11/22 The Union, Salt Lake City (Cancelled) Read More Morrissey As you know, I used to be a devoted The Smiths and Morrissey fan. Like many of you, I have grown up and may have been a little disenchanted by singer Morrissey’s beliefs and personality... but I still love the music .…

I know it’s depressing, but I was betting that Morrissey would cancel the Minneapolis show, considering that he canceled or rescheduled Minneapolis three times in 2012 to 2013.

11/23 Paramount Theatre, Denver (Cancelled)

The ‘still ill’ explanation was given for last minute cancellation of tonight’s show in Salt Lake City and tomorrow’s Denver shows. It looks like Minneapolis may be safe (for now).

Here is the official statement:

Due to band illness, we are devastated to announce we cannot proceed with tonight’s show in Salt Lake City and tomorrow’s show in Denver.

Thank you to the fans for the ongoing love and support while we take a moment to restore and recover.

All being well, M and the band will be back on stage in Minneapolis on Friday night.

Show refunds are available at your point of purchase

Morrissey 2022 Tour.

Nov 11 Ontario, CA - Toyota Arena
Nov 12 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (Abbreviated)
Nov 14 El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia
Nov 15 El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia
Nov 18 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
Nov 19 San Francisco, CA - Castro Theatre
Nov 22 Salt Lake City, UT - The Union
Nov 23 Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
Nov 25 Minneapolis, MN - Fillmore Minneapolis
Nov 26 Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater
Nov 28 Washington, DC - The Anthem
Nov 30 Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre
Dec 1 Newark, NJ - New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Dec 3 Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
Dec 4 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Read more Every date that Morrissey has ever cancelled.

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

Evil Dead: The Game

Read More Evil Dead I have just seen an advance screening of the Evil Dead movie. The movie is officially release to the public next week, April 5, 2013. Although at the time of screening, the film has yet to get a rating from the MPA, but I can tell you it is a hard-R, for sure. ....

You guys know I love Evil Dead and I have video games… so it would make sense that I would be all over this Evil Dead: The Game! .… Unfortunately, I had no interest in this 2022 survival horror game. From my understanding, this is an online game, meaning you can play with others cooperatively or you can murder each other. As you know, for many years, I didn’t have “fast internet”, so I was just not interested in online games at all… even if it’s not an online game, I didn’t care for it.

So there are several good news. First of all, there is a is a single-player mode (but it still requires an internet connection to play), and, best of all, the base game is free on Epic Games until November 24 (so grab ‘em while you can).

As with all Epic free games, I basically just log in to get the free games and then never installing or playing them…. But hey, one day… one day… I will launch Epic and holy cow! Look at all the games I own!

The cool thing is that the game does star Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, with Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell and Ray Santiago as Pablo Simon Bolivar (from the television series Ash vs Evil Dead).

Evil Dead: The Game is free on epicgames.com.

Details:

Evil Dead: The Game
Step into the shoes of Ash Williams or his friends from the iconic Evil Dead franchise and work together in a game loaded with over-the-top co-op and PVP multiplayer action! Play as a team of four survivors, exploring, looting, managing your fear, and finding key items to seal the breach between worlds in a game inspired by all three original Evil Dead films as well as the STARZ original Ash vs Evil Dead television series.

Iconic Characters
Play as characters from throughout the Evil Dead universe, including Ash, Scotty, Lord Arthur, Kelly Maxwell, & more, with new dialogue performed by Bruce Campbell & others!

Play As Good or Evil
Fight for the forces of good or take control of the Kandarian Demon to hunt Ash & others while possessing Deadites, the environmental objects & more as you seek to swallow their souls!

Off-the-Wall Visuals
Whether you’re tearing a Deadite in 2 with Ash's chainsaw hand or flying across the map as the Kandarian Demon, realistic visuals & physics-based gore brings the horror to life!

This...Is My Boomstick
Brandish your short barrel shotgun, chainsaw, cleavers and more to do some delightfully gruesome violence against the armies of darkness.

Enjoy,

- Weekend Gamer

Read more Weekend Gamer.

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

R.I.P. Jason David Frank (Power Rangers)

Read More Jason David Frank The Rotunda at the Mall of America hosted a pre-event kickoff celebration, with appearances from Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”), Jason David Frank (“Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers”) …

2022 is shaping up to a very bad year for comic book / pop culture creators. We’ve had really giants in the music industry died, such as Neal Adams and George Perez earlier in 2022… and recently voice actor Kevin Conroy, who voice Batman: the Animated Series, it’s just a bad year for creators in the comic book industry.

While none of these artists are musicians, their works inspired a generation of musicians and singers.

Today, we learned through TMZ, that Jason David Frank, the actor who plays the Green Ranger on the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had died at the age of 49 to suicide.

Really tragic stuff.

We’ve personally seen Jason David Frank a few times throught the years, the first time at the Mall of America in May 2014 and wrote, “Frank was asked if there was a stunt too dangerous, that he wouldn’t consider doing it himself, answering that he liked to do as many stunts as possible and biggest qualm with a stunt double filming a scene was that he didn’t simply walk, with the same confident posture Frank himself did.”

Jason David Frank (Aug 2017)

When saw him at Minnesota Fan Fusion in August 2017, we there were tight securities around JDF: “Unfortunately, at Square Egg’s Phoenix Comicon held over the Memorial Day weekend, there was a security scare, potentially targeted at guest Jason David Frank (Green Power Ranger) where a person brought in live weapons but the perpetrator was caught before any harm was done. As a result, security measures at Square Egg’s next event, (MN Fan Fest) were understandably on high alert, with Frank being a premier guest here as well.”

Read more Comic Book Creators Who Died in 2022.

Recent deaths:

[21 Nov 2022] Jason David Frank (American actor for Power Rangers), 49, suicide 'Power Rangers' Jason David Frank dead by suicide at 49. Jason David Frank -- one of the original "Power Rangers" -- has died ... TMZ has learned. ... via tmz.com

[21 Nov 2022] Kiyoyuki Yanada (Japanese voice actor for Ronin Warriors), 57 Japanese seiyuu Liang Tianqing died, who dubbed "Detective Conan" Well-known Japanese voice actor and voice actor for the role of "Carmel" in the "Detective Conan" animation, Liang Tian Qingzhi, died at the age of 57. A friend of the dubbing actor, Mitsuaki Shinden, sent a message of condolences. ... via sina.com.cn

[19 Nov 2022] Greg Bear (American science fiction writer for Star Wars), 71, stroke Greg Bear, the author that brought us the Halo Forerunner Saga of books, has passed away at the age of 71. The news was confirmed by his family late last night, who revealed that he suffered a stroke earlier this month. ... via thegamer.com

[17 Nov 2022] Marcus Sedgwick (British novelist for Dark Satanic Mills), 54 Award-winning writer and illustrator of both adult and children’s fiction, non-fiction and academic essays Marcus Sedgwick has died aged 54. ... via thebookseller.com

[12 Nov 2022] Pierre Fournier (Canadian cartoonist, co-creator of Capitaine Kébec), 72 One of the important figures of Quebec comics has passed away. Pierre Fournier, father of the character Captain Kébec and one of the key artisans of Croc magazine, died peacefully at the age of 72, Les éditions de La Pastèque announced on Saturday. ... via thebookseller.com

[10 Nov 2022] Kevin Conroy (American actor for Batman: The Animated Series), 66, intestinal cancer Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of Batman, died Thursday shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representatives. He was 66. ... via nbcnews.com

[09 Nov 2022] Carlos Pacheco (Spanish comics artist for Avengers Forever), 60, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Carlos Pacheco, the most famous Spanish cartoonist of superhero comics, dies at 60 The cartoonist, world legend thanks to his illustrations of the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Thor, Spiderman, Batman, The Avengers or Superman, suffered from ALS ... via elpais.com

[07 Nov 2022] Philippe Corentin (French author and illustrator), 86 A self-taught illustrator, Philippe Corentin had shaken up the conventions of children's books. He passed away on November 7 at the age of 86. ... via lemonde.fr

[03 Nov 2022] Danny Bulanadi (Filipino-American comic book artist and inker for Captain America), 76, heart failure Danny Bulanadi, longtime Marvel comic book inker who had years-long runs on both Captain America and Fantastic Four (part of his long association with penciler Paul Ryan), has passed away at the age of 76. ... via dailycartoonist.com

[03 Nov 2022] Kevin O'Neill (British comic book illustrator for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), 69, cancer Kevin O'Neill, the artist best known for his work on writer Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, has passed away, according to a report from Gosh Comics, a London comics retailer and blog ... via comicbook.com

[01 Nov 2022] George Booth (American comic artist for Spot), 96 George Booth was an American cartoonist and a longtime contributor (1969-2022) to The New Yorker magazine. His cartoons are often set in messy households, with all kinds of objects, junk, cats and dogs in every corner. His trademark English bull terrier character became a mascot for The New Yorker ... via lambiek.net

Jason David Frank, Neal Adams, Lou Ferrigno, Carly Aplin and Michael Rooker at Mall of America (01 May 2014) photo courtesy of John

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

Black Friday 2022

Read More Black Friday Sure, I didn’t need all those extra things in my life, but I couldn’t pass up these deals. The prices are Black Friday level (even better in many cases). …

With Black Friday coming up this Friday (November 25), we are already starting to see some really good deals on Bluray/UHD discs. Some of my favorite A24 films are on sale, including X, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Green Knight. I bought a ton of discs this week. Most UHD discs are $10 and Bluray are either $5 or $8. It’s really the only time that I make mass Bluray purchases.

Over at Target, the best deal I’ve seen is $200 for the Xbox Series S. That’s $50 off and a $50 Target Gift card (which is as good as cash). I’m very tempted to try and buy it, even though I already own the Xbox Series X (the superior version). But the price is so good that I’m really thinking about it. If you are going to buy an Xbox this year, you might as well get Elden Ring for $40. This is the lowest price I’ve seen for this amazing game. Honestly, Elden Ring is my Game of the Year.

Walmart has the best deals on 4K TV. They have a 50 inch ONN 4K LED for $150. Onn is Walmart’s brand, and for that low bottom prices, I’m not sure if it’ll have the quality. On the bright side, the TV has Roku built into the television. If you want to upgrade, Walmart also sells a TCL 65” 4k TV for $228 (also with Roku).

If you’re looking for a Macbook, Best Buy is selling the M1 MacBook Air 13.3” for $800 (a $200 savings). If you want this year’s MacBook Air, with the M2 chip, you can get it for $1,050… but from what I’ve read, it’s not worth the upgrade.

LG 48” 4k WebOS TV for $570

Also, the best OLED TV prices I’ve ever seen is for the LG 48” 4k WebOS TV for $570. This is a $730 savings, and I’m definitely looking at this very closely. I think the biggest problem is that I rarely watch TV. I spend all my time sitting at my computer and watch YouTube videos or movies I’ve ripped from my Bluray…

So maybe the better money might go to another 4k monitor? My current favorite monitor is on sale for $230. I bought the monitor for $320 in Apr 2022 and absolutely love the “Picture in Picture” feature: “There is another feature that they highlight, and I found it really useful. The monitor has the ability to do Picture in Picture (or as Samsung lists it PBP). What this means is that the monitor can display two simultaneous sources on the monitor at the same time. You have some options, side-by-side or a small popup screen (which you can position in four areas and with varying sizes). The P-i-P is the best thing about this monitor.”

If you’re looking for a new PC or laptop, I would recommend looking at MicroCenter’s Black Friday sale. They have my Lenovo Legion PC for the same amazing price of $850. I’ve said it before, the video card (3060) costs $400 by itself(!), so to have it come with your computer, it’s a steal.

MicroCenter also sells really cheap Wyze cameras. Their v3 camera with color night vision is $30. I currently own two Wyze cameras that I use for my security cameras.

This year, I’ve already started my Black Friday shopping last week. Most retailers already started their sale last week. I’ll be looking at bigger purchases sometime this week, since some retailers won’t unveil their biggest deals until closer to Friday.

Read more Black Friday, Movies and Television.

Vu’s Early Black Friday Bluray/UHD purchases

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

Plains at First Ave (11/18/2022)

Setlist Summer Sun Problem With It Line of Sight Wind on Tin+ Can't Do Much* Bellafatima Last 2 on Earth Abilene Lilacs* Easy Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (Waylon Jennings cover) Hunter+ No Record of Wrongs I Walked With You a Ways Hurricane -- Encore -- Amarillo Highway (Terry Allen cover) Right Back to It* Goodbye Earl (The Chicks cover) * Waxahatchee song + Jess Williamson song Read More Plains Plains is the new collaborative project from Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield. Their new album I Walked With You A Ways recently came out on ANTI- Records. ... Waxahatchee Waxahatchee is headlining the Triple Rock Social Club this Friday. The duo’s latest album Out in the Storm is available on Merge Records. Cayetana and Snail Mail will open. ...

The band Plains rolled into First Ave on the backend of their maiden tour and was greeted by a warm and receptive crowd where nary a cowboy hat could be found. Instead, winter coats and ski caps were the apparel as an unusual winter season settled in early.

MJ Lenderman and his band opened the evening sounding at times like younger relatives to Son Volt, but a little grungier and even more laid back. He started off with a slow dirge of a song that kept building in “No Mercy” and then moved onto the upbeat, almost danceable “TV Dinners” about a man at home all by himself on a Friday night definitely not dancing while heating up his pre-made meal.

Based in Ashville, NC and playing guitar for the band Wednesday, he is in town for the first time with his sophomore album Boat Songs.

His website has him in a cooler surrounded by cases of domestic beer. And although his songs mainly focus on sports, drinking and the pursuit of happiness, there is a tinge of soberness lurking with songs that are brief and observational and seem to get to the point with a few well-placed words.

It's plain to me to see
You have bought yourself a boat
Since the last time you and me spoke
Your laundry looks so clean
Soft threads hanging and relaxing in the wind
You'll feel so much better when you wear these clothes again

Plains is more of a duo and they are comprised of Katie Crutchfield who plays under the name Waxahatchee and Jess Williams. Both are established singers with indie labels that decided why not get together and play a bunch of country songs. If you listen to their debut album I Walked With You a Ways you would think they have been singing together since birth like musical twins, so similar but different enough to make their harmonization not too homogenous and prepackaged.

A full crowd gathered to watch this duo/country experiment and were rewarded “… with voices twining in distinctive harmonies – waltzy and twangy, earthy and diaphanous.” As described by Sarah Edwards of Indy Week.

Both Crutchfield (Birmingham, AL) and Williams (Dallas, TX) grew up with country music and they fully adopted the genre not only in sound but in apparel: Crutchfield wore black leather chaps along with a faded jean jacket (outlaw) and Williams had sparkly tassels attached and swaying from her black jeans and printed roses on her jacket with thorns lurking (Dolly Parton with a bite).

With only one album under their rhinestone belts Plains played their whole album with highlights like “Problem with It” and “Abilene”. In country the story is king or in this instance queen. There is directness in the lyrics not encumbered by orchestral swells or discordant chords, but a steady beat to keep the words coming. When you hear a good country song like “Abilene” you remember it long after it is heard.

An hour into the set Crutchfield told the crowd that they were going to play a country song, which produced a collective “Huh?” And then they launched into Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”, a song that Crutchfield and Williams would have listened to over and over when growing up where all seeds are planted.

MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman

Setlist Plains Plains Plains Plains

Plains at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 Nov 2022)

BONUS: Photos of Plains at Knuckleheads, Kansas City (11/19/2022), courtesy of Kimberly Carlson

Plains at Knuckleheads Poster MJ Lenderman at Knuckleheads (11/19/2022) MJ Lenderman at Knuckleheads (11/19/2022) Plains at Knuckleheads (11/19/2022) Plains at Knuckleheads (11/19/2022)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: This Week (11/27/2022)

Here are some shows, this week, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. A couple of cancellations this week: Rose City Band and Rosali show at Turf Club (11/22) and Mac DeMarco at Palace Theatre (11/23) are both cancelled.

Thursday, November 24, is Thanksgiving, so nothing is really going on. Unlike previous years, stores are closed for “Black Thursday”, so you’ll have to wait until the next day for Black Friday.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

11/25 Raffaella with Hank and Ryann at 7th St Entry Read More Raffaella New York’s Raffaella (with live backing band bassist Charlie and drummer Alonso) opened up the show with a very brief 30-min set. This was the singer/songwriter’s first time in Minneapolis, and she started her set with her first single, “Bruce Willis” …

11/25/2022 Friday

Raffaella
with Hank and Ryann
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Recently Raffaella released her new single/video for “Grown Up”, directed by Nathan Castiel.

Raffaella (30 Sep 2019)

We saw Raffaella in Sep 2019 and wrote, “New York’s Raffaella (with live backing band bassist Charlie and drummer Alonso) opened up the show with a very brief 30-min set. This was the singer/songwriter’s first time in Minneapolis, and she started her set with her first single, “Bruce Willis” (which she jokingly called it “yippee ki-yay motherf***er”). Although she’s still very new to the music scene (with only one EP called Ballerina released in August 2019 via Mom+Pop), you can tell that she’s been performing for a while now. It probably won’t be long until she’s back in town, and with a strong audience support, given that she’s won over quite a few fans in the audience.”

Although it was her first time in Minneapolis in 2019, she quickly adopted the city as one of her “two hometowns”, as mentioned below. Minneapolis must have been very good to the singer.

Hank (aka Sara L’Abriola) and Ryann to open. Ryann is the moniker for New York-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Victoria Ryann Zaro, who is also in the band Peach Fuzz.

Raffaella writes:

:)my first two headline shows in my two hometowns lucky to have my wickedly talented friends Hank, Ryann & Nick Cianci joining whatta dream !! TIX on SALE this FriDaY

tickets at https://raff.world.

11/26 Trampled by Turtles with Charlie Parr at Armory Read More Trampled by Turtles Of course, we love Trampled by Turtles as well, the Northern Minnesota band’s short-lived Palomino Festival(here) was one of our annual favorites to cover. Future Islands, Liberty Hall Lawrence. $26-$30 ...

11/26/2022 Saturday

Trampled by Turtles
with Charlie Parr
at Armory
first-avenue.com

Minnesota’s best kept secret, Trampled By Turtles will headline the very massive The Armory venue on November 26th, in support of their upcoming album, Alpenglow (Thirty Tigers).

The new album is the first in four years and was produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

Duluth’s Charlie Parr will open the show.

Tour Dates

Nov 3 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE ##
Nov 4 – Washington, DC – The Anthem ##
Nov 5 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore ##
Nov 6 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground ##
Nov 10 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
Nov 11 – Boston, MA – House of Blues ##
Nov 12 – Portland, ME – State Theatre ##
Nov 26 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory @@
Dec 1 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
Dec 2 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Ramkat
Dec 3 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J. Brad Music Center &&
Dec 7 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom ^^
Dec 8 – Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live ^^
Dec 9 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant ^^
Dec 10 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater ^^
Jan 19 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore **
Jan 20 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour **
Jan 21 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park **

Support:
## Amigo The Devil
@@ Charlie Parr
^^ Sumbuck (featuring Taylor Meier from Caamp)
** Tejon Street Corner Thieves
&& Pokey LaFarge

11/27 Jockstrap with ernest rareberrg at 7th St Entry Read More BBC On the face of it, the Save 6 Music campaign is about preserving a radio station. On the face of it, 6 Music’s fate is not that consequential one way or another to most people. As we all know, though ...

11/27/2022 Sunday

Jockstrap
with ernest rareberrg
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

London-based duo Jockstrap (Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye) is touring the USA in support of their debut album I Love You Jennifer B (Rough Trade Records). Their North America runs through November and December, and will stop by the 7th Street Entry on November 27th.

Jockstrap’s singles ‘Glasgow', ‘50/50’ and ‘Concrete Over Water’ from I Love You Jennifer B were all playlisted by BBC Radio 6 Music, and caught the attention of cultural icons like Chanel and Stella McCartney.

ernest rareberrg to open.

Tour dates:

Nov 4 | Club 2 Club Festival, Turin
Nov 17 | DC9, Washington, DC
Nov 18 | Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA
Nov 19 | The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
Nov 20| The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
Nov 24 | Bar le Ritz PDB, Montreal, QC
Nov 25 | Drake Underground, Toronto, ON
Nov 26 | Sleeping Village, Chicago, IL
Nov 27 | 7th St Entry, Minneapolis, MN
Dec 1 | Fox Cabaret, Vancouver, BC
Dec 2 | Madame Lou’s, Seattle, WA
Dec 3 | Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
Dec 6 | Starline Social Club, Oakland, CA
Dec 7 | Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA

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

Thanksgiving 2022

Read More R.E.M. One of the most important albums, R.E.M.'s Murmur was re-released yesterday as a Deluxe Edition by Universal Records. What sets this release apart from the original 1983 release and the "IRS …

This Thursday is Thanksgiving in America.

THE BAD ENDS
newwestrecords.com

Athens’ The Bad Ends features Five Eight’s Mike Mantione, Dave Domizi, Geoff Melkonian, Christian Lopez, and R.E.M.’s Bill Berry. Their debut album The Power and the Glory is coming out January 20, 2023, on New West Records, and features “Thanksgiving 1915”. The band liked the song so much that they’ve released it as their second single.

When they played the video on NPR’s “All Songs Considered”, singer Mike Mantione commented, “This should qualify for 'The Most Un-Rock and Roll Video Ever.' Dads working at the restaurant. Kind of like The Bear meets the Muppet Movie. It's shot at Geoff's restaurant called Breadwinner Cafe in Dunwoody, GA. Dave Domizi and my daughters are best friends and are in the flash mob scene. That's Bill's actual chef's hat and coat he wore to a practice one night!”

The Bad Ends will play their first ever live show this Sunday, November 27th at Nuci’s Space in Athens, Georgia. Their next booking is at the 40 Watt Club in Athens on January 28, 2023.

DANNY BROWN
mean.red

Detroit native and reigning ambassador of experimental rap, Danny Brown has announced the lineup for his 9th annual Bruiser Thanksgiving celebration.

The live event will take place on November 23, 2022 at the Russell Industrial Complex in Detroit, Michigan.

Featuring live performances from:

Danny Brown and Bruiser Brigade

Omar S

Brooklyn ink slinger MIKE

Tammy Lakkis

Hi-Tech

Ziggy Waters

  Danny Brown is planning to debut music from his highly anticipated sixth studio album Quaranta.  

THE JIVE TURKEYS
coleminerecords.com

Colemine Records is proud to announce the re-issue of Bread & Butter, the debut record from The Jive Turkeys.

The debut record established The Jive Turkeys as an old-school funk revival in the Oxford, Ohio, area. Originally a hip-hop group called Soundscape, featuring Matt Amburgy (organ), Terry Cole (bass), Andrew DeRoberts (guitar), and Rob Houk (drums), the band decided to go in a different direction: funk and groove! So Jive Turkeys was born, with their debut record Bread & Butter.

The Jive Turkeys’ Bread & Butter album drops December 9th on vinyl via Colemine Records.

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