W♥M

02/13/2025

Minneapolis: March 13, 2025

02/12/2025

Write About Love, and Music, and California

Stuart Murdoch at The Chapel (10 Feb 2025)

art: @galine_illustration

Stuart Murdoch Setlist

Dog on Wheels
String Bean Jean
Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying
Beautiful
Pure Imagination (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
The Fox in the Snow
Nobody's Empire

Read More

Stuart Murdoch

To wit, prolific singer and songwriter Stuart Murdoch—who wrote and directed the indie film God Help the Girl in 2014—has published his debut novel, Nobody’s Empire, which is also the name of a B&S song from...

Stuart Murdoch
The Chapel
San Francisco
February 10, 2025

On a blustery, cold San Francisco night (cold for San Francisco, that is—a frigid 45 degrees), I walked to the end of a long line of well-dressed indie kids of all ages. We were queuing up on Valencia Street outside The Chapel music venue in San Francisco’s Mission District, the neighborhood that just happened to play a part in Nobody’s Empire, the debut novel by Stuart Murdoch, Scottish singer and mastermind behind the twee-pop wonderband Belle and Sebastian. Fans of the band, which dug its deep, pop hooks and its wispy rhymes into the hearts of twee music lovers from 1996 on, also know it as the name of one of their songs and the album it’s on. The book tour promos played to its audience: It was marketed as a night of “readings, songs, live Q&A, and book signing,” and it featured informal chats with moderators and hosts Mike Schulman and Nommi Alouf, the latter of whom figures in the novel as the college radio station DJ who invites the main character on her radio show.

Fans of the band might be well aware of its history, and therefore much of what happens in this novel. It more or less covers Murdoch’s years just before he started B&S, as told through the eyes of “Stephen,” the Glasgewian who’s forced to cut his university career short in the face of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME for short. Stephen and a friend decide to take off for the warmer climates of California, where they fall in love with the locale, and the locals, and find a way to flourish despite their health challenges. As Murdoch said during the appearance, they came to the U.S. before the internet really took off, hoping to get more information about a disease that wasn’t as well-known back in the early ‘90s. “Like skateboards and ‘Starsky and Hutch,’ we thought that you could find out [more] about ME in California,” he said.

As Murdoch’s book tour stop happened to take place at a well-known music venue in San Francisco, fans hoped that he’d also play a few songs as promised. Of course, he didn’t disappoint, sprinkling in charming solo versions of Belle and Sebastian songs like “Fox in the Snow” and “Beautiful,” and of course the book’s namesake, “Nobody’s Empire,” with just himself on acoustic guitar or keyboards. The audience, half-seated and half-standing, didn’t hesitate to sing and clap along.

Murdoch and the band have done acoustic or stripped-down versions of Belle and Sebastian songs during various tours, but having a more fleshed-out, fictionalized backstory of his time in California before the band’s start added a magical layer to the night’s performance. The crowd, full of diehard fans young and old, seemed rapturous—missing the well-loved members of B&S, but still enchanted by the lyrical loveliness of Murdoch’s solo versions.

Since San Francisco plays a big role in the novel, Murdoch chose songs and shared personal photos (projected on the screen behind him) that loomed large in his Bay Area memories. “I made a promise to myself that we weren't going to come back to SF until we had a band,” he recounted. As he, and anyone who was there, recalled, he made quite an entrance at that Warfield show in 2001—driving a motorcycle onstage, revving the engine as the Shangri-Las “Leader of the Pack” played.

If you’re a fan of Scottish bands, of thoughtful, literary-infused twee music, of the indie scene of the ‘90s, or any combination thereof, the evening was a thrilling one-two punch. Murdoch expanded his witty, between-song banter into extended tales and insightful anecdotes (his roadie nickname in Glasgow was Primrose, because he was so unlike his leather-clad fellow roadies), namechecked bands he idolized and mentioned in the novel (like the Sundays and Luna, members of whom he sent early copies of the book to), and doled out the all-killer, no-filler loveliness of classic B&S tunes. And it ended with that same, block-long line outside the venue, this time wrapped around the inside of the Chapel, as everyone queued up to have a chat and a selfie with Murdoch as he signed copies of his book. It was a lovely bookend to the night; you couldn’t write it any better.

photo by Amy Timko

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 10:28 PM in Belle and Sebastian, Books, God Help the Girl, Robin, San Francisco, The Chapel | Permalink | Comments (0)

Something for the Weekend: Jacksonville Edition

What’s happening this weekend(s): the Jacksonville Edition.

In addition to long lead calendar previews, we often get last-minute, or pop-up show announcements, so these shows are often grouped together in our weekly previews or weekend previews. This week (and next week), I’ll be taking a look at some rare Jacksonville shows.

Decca Live

Read More

Jacksonville

As you know by now, I go into hibernation for the winter. This time it’s a little different, for the next three or four months, I will be temporarily residing in Jacksonville, Florida…

Kaskade

Six-time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and producer Kaskade recently released his full-length Kaskade Christmas record via his own Arkade label in partnership with Sony International. …

Decca Live
deccalive.com

There’s another new music venue in Jacksonville called Decca Live. This brand-new concert venue (and Rooftop Bar) had a sold-out grand-opening show with Kaskade on January 31, 2025.

I’ve read that the venue has a capacity of 1,000 and will also feature a second floor as a mezzanine style layout where fans can have a better view of the stage on the ground floor. In addition, the rooftop bar, can be a laidback experience with a few of the St. Johns River.

Eric Fuller, one of the four owners, said that they want to book all types of music, “Anything from country music, rock, dance music, hip hop, we want this to be the live venue for Jacksonville.”

Rooftop Bar Grand Opening (15 Feb 2025)

Note, the grand opening of Sunset Party is this Saturday, February 15 from 5pm to 10pm. There will be a full craft cocktail menu, with sounds by Juan Torres. The event is FREE.

Upcoming Decca Live events:

02/13/25 Balkan Night

02/14/25 The First Annual Galentine's Soiree

02/15/25 SIP on the Roof Top - GRAND OPENING

02/15/25 Ship Wrek

02/16/25 K Pop Club Night

02/19/25 Braxton Keith

02/22/25 Palaye Royale

02/23/25 ALEXANDRA KAY : CUPID'S A COWGIRL TOUR

02/27/25 Black V Neck

02/28/25 Dirtwire & Moontricks

Palaye Royale at Decca Live (22 Feb 2025)

Read More

Palaye Royale

Earlier this year, Palaye Royale released their 4th studio album Death or Glory, which Kerrang! Magazine named as one of the albums of the year: “an opulent yet defiant piece of work, lavishly laden with …

22 Feb 2025 Saturday

Palaye Royale
with Johnnie Guilbert
at Decca Live
deccalive.com

Do you remember when we said Palaye Royale was going to be the first band to play FIVE? I guess, as it turns out, the Five venue is not quite ready to open just yet… so all the February shows at Five have been moved to Decca Live (the brand-new venue that just launched a few weeks ago).

Support from Johnnie Guilbert.

Tour dates:

FEB 11 Knitting Factory Boise, ID

FEB 13 Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO

FEB 15 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE

FEB 16 The Pageant St Louis, MO

FEB 18 The Basement East Nashville, TN

FEB 19 Mercury Ballroom Louisville, KY

FEB 21 Music Farm Charleston, SC

FEB 22 FIVE Jacksonville, FL

FEB 23 The Orpheum Tampa, FL Tickets

25 Iron City Bham Birmingham, AL

FEB 26 The Joy Theater New Orleans, LA

FEB 27 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX

MAR 01 Sunshine Theater Albuquerque, NM

MAR 02 Encore Tucson, AZ

MAR 04 The Portal at Area 15 Las Vegas, NV

MAR 05 House of Blues San Diego San Diego, CA

MAR 07 The Majestic Ventura Theater Ventura, CA

MAR 09 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA

APR 11 Principal Theatre, Thessaloniki, Greece 2025 Thessaloníki, Greece

APR 12 Jameson Connects 2025 Athens, Greece

Aug 01 - Aug 03 Open Air Gränichen 2025 Gränichen, Switzerland

Aug 06 - Aug 11 Sziget Festival 2025 Budapest III. kerület, Hungary

Aug 08 - Aug 10 Summer Well Festival 2025 Buftea, Romania

Aug 08 - Aug 09 Grape Festival 2025 Martin, Slovakia Tickets Show Fewer Dates

Lullaby of the Rivers Festival (23 Feb 2025)

Read More

Lullaby of the Rivers

While we were in the city, we noticed there is an upcoming event called The Lullaby of the Rivers Festival. It will take place at the Amp, in St Augustine. …

23 Feb 2025 Sunday

Lullaby of the Rivers Festival
lullabyoftherivers.com

Taking place February 23 is the free music event Lullaby of the Rivers Festival at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, in St Augustine, Florida. It is about an hour’s drive from Jacksonville.

In addition to music and stories, the festival features a River Expo on the Plaza. Environmental exhibits will teach people of all ages about nature, especially Florida’s rivers.

I did look up information about the Amp, this looks like a very large venue (6-acre outdoor amphitheater) with a capacity of 5,000! Parking is free, and if you have to park very far away, they do run a free shuttle service. This looks like a great time for the whole family.

2025 Lullaby of the Rivers Festival Lineup
Full Event Schedule

Sunday, February 23rd

FRONT PORCH STAGE

11:00am – 11:45am – Jam-ology

11:45am – 12:30pm – Thick & Thin String Band

12:30pm – 01:15pm – Brian Smalley

1:15pm – 2:00pm – David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach

2:00pm – 2:45pm – Katherine Archer

2:45pm – 3:45pm – Duffy Bishop Band

3:45pm – 4:45pm – The Carpetbaggers

4:45pm – 5:45pm – John Dickie IV with Collapsible B

5:45pm – 6:30pm – Mean Mary

6:30pm – 7:15pm – The Morrow Family

7:15pm – 8:00pm – Bob Patterson

RIVERS STAGE

11:00am – 11:40am – Hendricks Band

11:40am – 12:20pm – Britt (Bridge Street Vibe)

12:20pm – 1:00pm – The Dunehoppers

1:00pm – 1:40pm – Amy Hendrickson

1:40pm – 2:20pm – In Good Company

2:20pm – 3:00pm – The Skinny

3:00pm – 3:40pm – Sam Pacetti

3:40pm – 4:20pm – Doug Spears

4:20pm – 5:00pm – Frankie J and the Chicken Parade

5:00pm – 5:40pm – Michael Jordan

5:40pm – 6:20pm – Harri Buffalo

6:20pm – 7:00pm – JC Hatfield Trio

7:00pm – 7:40pm – Ace Winn

SPRINGS STAGE

11:00am – 1:00pm – Open Jam

1:00pm – 3:00pm – Jam-ology Students

3:00pm – 4:00pm – Ben Edwards / Eowyn Rubino

4:00pm – 7:00pm – Open Mic

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 12:08 AM in Decca Live, FIVE, Jacksonville, K-Pop, Kaskade, Lullaby of the Rivers Festival, Music Festival, Palaye Royale, Something for the Weekend | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/11/2025

Minneapolis: March 10 to March 12, 2025

02/10/2025

We♥Movies! Becoming Led Zeppelin - film review

Jimmy Page
John Paul Jones
John Bonham
Robert Plant

Directed by Bernard MacMahon
Screenplay by Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty
Cinematography Vern Moen
Edited by Dan Gitlin
Music by Led Zeppelin
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date: February 7, 2025 (IMAX, United States/Canada); wider release Feb 14
Running time 121 minutes

Read More

Led Zeppelin

The English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters …

Be there for the start of arguably the world’s greatest rock ‘n roll band--

That’s the premise and it’s confirmed in the title of Becoming Led Zeppelin, the new two-hour music bio that opened exclusively in IMAX theaters this weekend. Starting this coming Friday, it will expand to more traditional screens and we hope, an eventual home release.

This has been long in the making, as guitarist Jimmy Page remains under tight control of the band’s legacy and after hearing many proposals, agreed to work with Irish/English documentarian Bernard MacMahon, previously known for his multi-part chronicling of early roots music, American Epic.

First announced in 2019, a work-in-progress print was screened back in Sept 2021 at the Venice Film Festival, and the end result finally hit nationwide screens after a three-and-a-half year wait following that preview.

The story is told without narration, and is instead driven by recent interviews with Page, singer Robert Plant, and bassist John Paul Jones, and an unearthed early interview from drummer John Bonham, heard here publicly for the first time. Add to that, some photos and film clips also never before seen, and It’s a delight for the diehard fan and helps bring further life into the story for anyone more casual.

The film traces the four musicians back through their respective childhoods – Page picking up the guitar early and joining bands, Jones the product of a set of stage parents and creatively inclined from a young age, and Page and Bonham growing up in the Midlands trying to find their own way.

Still teenagers, Page and Jones would go on to become in-demand session players in London (both even contributed to the James Bond theme, “Goldfinger” sung by Shirley Bassey), with Page then joining, and soon becoming the lead guitarist of The Yardbirds after Jeff Beck quit.

With that band disassembling, Page already clearly envisioned his next plan (to be initially named The New Yardbirds), convincing Jonesy to give up his stable session work to be in a band and recruiting Plant and Bonham from their own Band of Joy (and despite Bonham’s wife’s incessant misgivings apparently).

The resulting foursome met in a basement rehearsal space, first jamming on the jump blues classic, “Train Kept a Rollin’” and all knew they had something special and never heard before- a magical combination of blues-infused muscle rock and folk, inspired by American soul, the early R’nR of Little Richard and Elvis, the jazzy skiffle of Lonnie Donegan, and the numerous early American Blues pioneers that so many UK artists of the day admired.

Taking on a name from a disparaging comment by The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, the band set about to conquer the world, starting slowly in Scandinavia and even making themselves a big name in America, before building any sizable UK fame.

The 1969 Danish TV footage most fans have seen (and was included in the band’s own 2012 DVD release), is given fresh life and immense volume in the IMAX format, and new clips from the Roundhouse in London and the band’s first UK festival in Bath, were all welcome additions.

The band said goodbye to their families and began their initial US Tour on the day after Christmas 1968 playing with Vanilla Fudge in Denver and built-up word of mouth and increasing ticket demand, for every show following.

Synced and restored 8mm footage from the Texas International Pop Fest and Atlanta Pop Fest show the band’s explosive live stage presence, and even recording/rehearsal footage from London’s Olympic Studios provided a rare glimpse into how they recorded their first album playing live (in just 36 hours over a few weeks), rather than mixing individual performance tracks.

It’s charming to see the three surviving members smile wryly hearing their drummer comment from beyond the grave, and seeing some the footage that we’re also seeing, for the first time, The performances shine with as much picture restoration as possible, and an audio soundtrack that booms the limits of the IMAX system.

It’s a satisfying beginning, but sadly only that- the film ends as the decade of the 1960s does, with the band well on its way, and just having released its even heavier second studio album. So, it seems to be a chapter one (of three or four?) and the ‘ten years gone’ of what’s ahead- seven more groundbreaking studio albums to the band’s untimely end, will all have to wait.

Becoming Led Zeppelin is a worthy first course, to document the roots and early era of the legendary band. We just hope we can see the rest of the story similarly and properly presented, in our lifetime (or that of Page, Plant, and Jones’).

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

Posted at 02:00 AM in Films, John, Led Zeppelin, Movies, Review, Robert Plant | Permalink | Comments (1)

Minneapolis: March 08 to March 09, 2025

02/09/2025

Flashback: This World Fair at Varsity Theater (27 May 2007)

Courtesy of aristake.com

This World Fair Setlist

Can't Stop Falling
Drama
San Francisco
No Someone
Amy
Count to 10
7 Letters
This is All
Don't Make Me Wait
The Supporting Actor
This Morning

Read More

This World Fair

Since the last time I saw This World Fair, Chris now sport a semi-beard. Toward the end of the set, they took it down a notch and lit candles and did two songs in acoustic style (no heavy drums). One of the …

“The Unknown Order” is the name of the sold-out show organized by singer/songwriter Ari Herstand. Since then, he moved to Los Angeles and became an actor (appearing in 2 Broke Girls and Mad Men and others) and is the CEO of the music business education and artist advocacy company Ari's Take.

The Unknown Order literally meant the bands did not know their play order, as their names would be drawn out of a hat. So, Ari Herstand and His Band started first, followed by White Light Riot, The Alarmists and ending with This World Fair.

Herstand remembers:

If you’re trying to get a reviewer to write a show preview for a local show then you have to make it an event. I once organized a show in Minneapolis called The Unknown Order featuring 4 buzzing bands. No band had sold out the 800 cap Varsity Theater on its own prior to this show. The concept of the show was that the order of bands wouldn’t be announced and 10 minutes before each set the emcee would pick the name out of a hat. I wanted to move away from the concept of headliners and openers.

The show was so buzzed about that it sold out 10 minutes after doors opened and 200 people got turned away.

We garnered major press for it and every band’s visibility amongst the local media community was heightened.

Make sure every event you pitch a reviewer is newsworthy and not just a local 4-band bill on a Wednesday night. Why does your story merit bumping every other music story off the cover? What makes your event unique?

Original report:

>>>

Since the last time I saw This World Fair, Chris now sport a semi-beard.

Toward the end of the set, they took it down a notch and lit candles and did two songs in acoustic style (no heavy drums). One of the acoustic song was that Disturbia song, "Don't Make Me Wait".

Touring was good for them, and listening to Zach (the guitarist) telling about how they loved playing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Valentine Horror

You know, with Valentine’s Day coming up on February 14, you would think the movie studios would be releasing romantic comedy films… but this year: it’s a hard no. Instead you’re seeing an action film called Love Hurts, Flight Risk, and Den of Thieves 2… and plenty of horror movies: Heart Eyes (a film about a serial killer on Valentine’s Day), The Monkey (a Stephen King horror story about a cursed monkey toy), Companion, Nosferatu, and Wolf Man… I think it’s cool, as a horror movie fans (after all I love the fact that for the months of October to December, we’re seeing a constant holiday horrors).

Companion (2025)

Read More

M3GAN

The first horror film of 2023 is called M3GAN. To be honest, it’s not really a horror film, more like comedy/horror… M3GAN is from James Wan, who created Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises. …

Companion (2025)
warnerbros.com

In order to enjoy this film, Companion, you have to go into it not knowing what’s it about. If you watch the trailer, it gives away too much.

I’ll just describe the first part of the film. The film starts with Irish and Josh meeting for the first time in a grocery store and it was love at first sight. Then the couple is driving to a remote cabin to meet some friends. The Russian who owns the cabin is a multi-millionaire and sexually assaulted Iris, which resulted in her killing him. That’s when the movie shifts and you find out what is really going on.

Even though I’m dancing around the ‘twist’, most viewers will likely already know or have figured out what is going on. It does work best if you have no idea what the movie is about. Just go in cold. Think of this film as a couple going on a retreat in a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It’s a romantic getaway, that is spoiled by a little murder.

The movie works because of their two stars. Sophie Thatcher, as Iris, is perfectly cast. She’s a little quirky and plays a very likeable girl. Jack Quaid, I’m only familiar with him in The Boys, plays a nerdy dork. No one believes he could have a great girlfriend as Iris. Later in the film, we find out that the nerdy kid is really a horrible villain. Quaid is great, and I had no idea Dennis Quaid is his dad!

As for the Companion story, I do love all the twists and turns. I do love how smart the film is… despite how illogical some things are. I won’t go into the details, but if you sit and think about it, some things just doesn’t make sense. Don’t let it bother you, just go with it, and you’ll have a good time with the movie. Think of this film as something like M3GAN or Scream.

Highly recommended.

Wolf Man (2025)

Read More

Ginger Snaps

In my final installment of Halloween treats, I'm going to compile some songs about Werewolves. I actually had a lot more Halloween-related posts I wanted to do, but lately I have not been home. …

Wolf Man (2025)
wolfmanmovie.com

Not sure who was asking for a brand new Wolf Man remake/reboot, but it’s 2025, and we have a new film from Blumhouse Productions. I guess this film was originally meant to be part of the Universal Monsters franchise, but since The Mummy failed, the Wolf Man film went into ‘development hell’.

The new film stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner (you might remember her from Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), about a couple, and their daughter, going back to husband’s old home in the remote mountains. They’re attacked by a werewolf and ultimately, the film is about Abbott slowly turning into a werewolf, but also trying to protect his family. The story is very straightforward, no plot twists, no reveals. If there was a mystery, I figured it all out just by deductive reasonings. One scene leads to another. Garner is trying to get away from the werewolf with her daughter, and that’s pretty much the film.

I don’t hate the film, but I found it just a little boring.

How you can make a good werewolf movie is that ‘A Werewolf in our Midst’ or ‘Wolf in Sheep Clothing’ mindset… where you don’t know who the wolf is. Wes Craven tried to do this with his Cursed film… where our protagonist, who is cursed with the werewolf blood, has to find out who the master Wolf is, so she can be cured. The mystery and horror, that’s the cool part. With Wolf Man, it is just about a man who is turning into a werewolf, and that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Even the bad Werewolves movie released last year had a better story and concept. In that film, everybody is infected with the Werewolf virus and every full moon (or Super Moon) night, the world turns into a PURGE-style world. Anything goes, it’s lawless, and you have got to survive until the morning. That’s more entertaining than Wolf Man!

02/08/2025

Minneapolis: This Week (02/16/2025)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Destroy Lonely at Fillmore (11 Feb 2025)

Read More

Destroy Lonely

Destroy Lonely w/ Homixide Gang, lil 88, Granada- Lawrence, Following the release of his latest project, NO STYLIST, the Atlanta rapper is embarking on a tour with label mate Homixide Gang, and lil 88 providing support. With a sonically ambitious project, a handful of viral singles …

11 Feb 2025 Tuesday

Destroy Lonely
at Fillmore
first-avenue.com

Groundbreaking artist Destroy Lonely will be on a massive Forever Tour second North American leg in 2025, stopping by the Fillmore, in Minneapolis, on February 11, 2025.

Tour dates:

Jan. 8, 2025 Indianapolis, IN The Egyptian

Jan. 9, 2025 Louisville, KY Old Forester's Paristown Hall

Jan. 10, 2025 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works

Jan. 11, 2025 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall

Jan. 12, 2025 Raleigh, NC The Ritz

Jan. 13, 2025 Raleigh, NC The Ritz

Jan. 15, 2025 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues Myrtle Beach

Jan. 18, 2025 Norfolk, VA The NorVa

Jan. 19, 2025 Richmond, VA The National

Jan. 20, 2025 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage

Jan. 21, 2025 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore

Jan. 23, 2025 Wallingford, CT Toyota Oakdale Theatre

Jan. 24, 2025 Huntington, NY The Paramount

Jan. 25, 2025 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theater

Jan. 27, 2025 Toronto, ON HISTORY

Jan. 29, 2025 Buffalo, NY Buffalo RiverWorks

Jan. 30, 2025 Montreal, QC MTELUS

Feb. 1, 2025 Providence, RI The Strand Ballroom & Theatre

Feb. 2, 2025 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Feb. 4, 2025 Columbus, OH KEMBA Live!

Feb. 5, 2025 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater & Ballroom

Feb. 6, 2025 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE

Feb. 7, 2025 Cincinnati, OH The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Feb. 8, 2025 Milwaukee, WI The Rave / Eagles Club

Feb. 11, 2025 Minneapolis, MN The Fillmore Minneapolis

Feb. 12, 2025 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater

Feb. 13, 2025 St Louis, MO The Pageant

Feb. 15, 2025 San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater

Feb. 16, 2025 Austin, TX Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater

Feb. 18, 2025 Albuquerque, NM Revel

Feb. 19, 2025 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre

Feb. 21, 2025 Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal Auditorium

Feb. 22, 2025 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas

Feb. 23, 2025 Anaheim, CA House of Blues Anaheim

Feb. 24, 2025 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

Feb. 26, 2025 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic

Mar. 1, 2025 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo

Mar. 3, 2025 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

Mar. 4, 2025 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum

JJ Sweetheart at Mortimer’s (13 Feb 2025)

Read More

Rupert Angeleyes

Speaking of local support, joining Los Angeles, by the way of Mississippi, Dent May on stage were two ex-locals Rupert Angeleyes and Joey Joey Michaels. Apparently Rupert and Joey Joey have relocated to Los Angeles .…

13 Feb 2025 Thursday

JJ Sweetheart
with Rupert Angeleyes, Jumbos, Prim Woes
at Mortimer’s
mortimerscalendar.com

JJ Sweetheart is having an album release party for Absolutely Yours on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at Mortimer’s.

Self-described as “LOFI trashy psychedelic yearnpop, project of France Camp, Howler and Prim Woes // sounds divorced.”

We haven’t seen France Camp since Aug 2012 and Howler since Jordan dating Johnny Marr’s daughter.

Rupert Angeleyes, Jumbos, Prim Woes to open.

Rupert Angeleyes at Basilica Block Party (10 July 2015)

We saw Rupert Angeleyes in July 2015 and wrote, “Next up was Rupert Angeleyes, in green hair and shorts. Like their previously live appearance at Record Store Day 2015, the garagey/60s surf band played tracks from their latest album Young Sunset, including some sensitive songs like ‘Delicate Guy’ and ‘When I Fell in Love’. ”

JJ Sweetheart writes:

“BIG THINGS” EP release party YALLL I am beyond excited for this one. The lovely beautiful @primwoes will be making an appearance. One of my favorite songwriters ever @rupert_angeleyes another one of my favorite songwriters @jumbosband @worldwidebasementvibes and certified sweeties @absolutelyyrs I’m gonna have a Valentine’s Day raffle, I’m gonna bring you all flowers. FEB 13th MARK YOUR CALENDAR. @mortimersbar big things happening for JJ sweets 2025 I will be accompanied on drums by @tommydrumbeats GET HYPED SWEETIES

Rachel Grae at 7th St Entry (14 Feb 2025)

Read More

Caleb Dee

Caleb Dee, a local Minneapolis, six-piece band was the opener. Dee mentioned that they had also opened for Krooked Kings last year. This was solid indie pop and seemed thematically similar …

14 Feb 2025 Friday

Rachel Grae
with Holden Miller and Caleb Dee
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Rachel Grae, the singer with over 1.3 million TikTok followers and 400 million+ Spotify streams, will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025. Grae’s debut album, Journal No. 1 is out now on Virgin Music.

Caleb Dee at Turf Club (25 Nov 2024)

Holden Miller and Caleb Dee to open. We saw Dee in Nov 2024 and wrote, “Caleb Dee, a local Minneapolis, six-piece band was the opener. Dee mentioned that they had also opened for Krooked Kings last year. This was solid indie pop and seemed thematically similar to the headline. The band played an as yet unreleased song for the second in the list, with the four guitars making a rich sound. Dee invited fans to come closer to the stage, and it was one of the very few times I’ve seen that actually work.”

Tour Dates:

02/06 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs

02/07 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

02/13 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas

02/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7TH St Entry

02/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall

02/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge

Michigan Rattlers at 7th St Entry (15 Feb 2025)

Read More

Michigan Rattlers

Michigan Rattlers to open. Tour Dates 02/23 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall 02/24 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn 02/25 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge 03/09 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club …

15 Feb 2025 Saturday

Michigan Rattlers
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Michigan Rattlers returns to touring in support of their third album Waving From A Sea.

Tour Dates:

2/12 – Columbus, OH – A&R Bar

2/13 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable

2/14 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

2/15 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry

2/18 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown

2/20 – Denver, CO – Meow Wolf

2/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge

2/22 – Boise, ID – Neurolux

2/24 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lous

2/25 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret

2/26 – Portland, OR – The Showdown

2/28 – San Francisco, CA – Brick + Mortar

3/1 – Los Angeles, CA – The Peppermint Club

3/2 – San Diego, CA – Casbah

3/4 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live

3/7 – Austin, TX – 3Ten at ACL Live

3/8 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

3/9 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock at HOB

3/12 – Kansas City, MO – Encore at Uptown Theatre

3/13 – St Louis, MO – Old Rock House

3/27 – Lexington, KY – The Burl

3/28 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme

3/29 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig

4/8 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom

4/10 – New York, NY – DROM

4/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy

4/12 – Washington DC – Pearl Street

4/13 – Raleigh, NC – Kings

4/15 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room

4/17 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage - Vinyl Room

4/18 – Orlando, FL – Tuffy’s Music Box

4/19 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse

4/21 – New Orleans, LA – Chickie Wah Wah

4/24 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall - 1884 Lounge

4/25 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn

4/26 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Hall

4/27 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar

4/29 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Crafthouse

4/30 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop

5/1 – Buffalo, NY – Rec Room

5/2 – Syracuse, NY – Funk N Waffles

5/4 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair

5/6 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music

5/7 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

5/8 – Montreal, QC – Le Belmont

5/9 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern

5/16 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall

Dua Saleh at Fine Line (16 Feb 2025)

Read More

Dua Saleh

Local artist Dua Saleh is having his Nur EP release show on Tuesday, January 22nd. Support will come from Kamilla Love, Booboo, R.A.D, with music between sets from Sophia Eris. …

XINA

XINA (rhymes with China) is a 23-year-old, multi-disciplinary artist based in the Twin Cities. If you ask what she does, she'll simply say "arts and crafts," an umbrella term for her expansive roles as a …

16 Feb 2025 Sunday

Dua Saleh
with XINA and SoulFlower
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles based Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh will be headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis on February 16, 2025. Their new album I Should Call Them came out October 2024.

Dua Saleh writes:

so excited to announce I SHOULD CALL THEM World Tour! text me ur fav song of mine at 213-463-1329 for early access to presale tickets. special guest @samaustins will be joining me. can't wait to play these new songs for u ❤️‍🔥🌐

XINA and SoulFlower to open.

Tour dates:

Jan 25, 2025 Phoenix, United States

Jan 28, 2025 Houston, United States

Jan 29, 2025 Austin, United States

Jan 31, 2025 Atlanta, United States

Feb 1, 2025 Carrboro, United States

Feb 2, 2025 Washington, United States

Feb 4, 2025 Philadelphia, United States

Feb 7, 2025 New York, United States

Feb 8, 2025 Allston, United States

Feb 11, 2025Toronto, Canada

Feb 14, 2025 Detroit, United States

Feb 15, 2025 Chicago, United States

Feb 16, 2025 Minneapolis, United States

Mar 13, 2025 London, United Kingdom

Mar 15, 2025 Manchester, United Kingdom

Mar 17, 2025 Cologne, Germany

Mar 19, 2025 Berlin, Germany

Mar 21, 2025 Milano, Italy

Mar 24, 2025 Paris, France

Mar 26, 2025 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Mary Bue at Parkway Theater (16 Feb 2025)

Read More

Mary Bue

Duluth's Mary Bue will be in town next Wednesday to promote her latest Holy Bones, the so-called "Best Local Albums of 2015" by the Star Tribune. The vegetarian will likely sing about "mummies, love and candy." ...

Mae Simpson

Twin Cities’ “Best New Band” of 2019, Mae Simpson, and her seven-piece band, including a horn section, will be headlining the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on December 3rd. ...

16 Feb 2025 Sunday

Mary Bue
with Mae Simpson
at Parkway Theater
theparkwaytheater.com

Minnesota’s singer/songwriter Mary Bue is celebrating the release of her ninth album The Wildness of Living & Dying at the Parkway Theater, in Minneapolis, on February 16, 2025.

Opening the show is award-winning folk, soul, and rock artist Mae Simpson.

Mary Bue writes:

JUST ANNOUNCED! SO THRILLED! Wildly stoked to perform at the beautiful Parkway Theater with the powerhouse that is Mae Simpson kicking it off! Tix on sale FRIDAY!

Mary Bue // The Wildness of Living & Dying Album Release Party with special guest Mae Simpson Duo Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 // 7 pm

Minnesota-based singer/songwriter Mary Bue celebrates the release of her new album, The Wildness of Living & Dying. Her ninth release, the album showcases Mary’s blend of raw lyrical honesty and warm, folk/pop sensibility. Opening the night is award-winning folk, soul, and rock artist Mae Simpson.

On sale Friday, Jan. 10 at 8 am!

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 05:18 AM in Caleb Dee, Destroy Lonely, Dua Saleh, France Camp, Mae Simpson, Mary Bue, Michigan Rattlers, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Rachel Grae, Rupert Angeleyes, Xina | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/07/2025

St. George Street

St Augustine

Read More

Jacksonville

As you know by now, I go into hibernation for the winter. This time it’s a little different, for the next three or four months, I will be temporarily residing in Jacksonville, Florida…

After a week of dreaded cold, and even some rare snowfall in Florida about two weeks ago (although I did not witness this in my area), the weather here has been in the high 70s to 80’s in the past week! It’s glorious. Since the temperature have gone way up, we decided to take a day trip to St Augustine, a nearby city.

The city is about an hour’s drive away from where we live in Jacksonville (about 40 miles), and known as the earliest settlement in the USA. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish colonists, was known as the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years.

Walking down the city’s famous St George Street, you can feel the city’s rich history. Nowadays, it’s become a tourist attraction… leading to Castillo de San Marcos (the castle or fort), St. Augustine Light (the lighthouse), or Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.

If you don’t want to walk around the city, you can also get on the trolley tour, which runs regularly throughout the day. A great way to spend the afternoon sightseeing.

Of course, there’s always live music at various pubs and bars throughout St George Street. We must have heard three areas that had booked musicians. Most of them are free, but please check the venues to see if there are cover charges. Or better yet, you can aways plan your trip in advance with the latest music schedule at visitstaugustine.com.

The Lullaby of the Rivers Festival (23 Feb 2025)

While we were in the city, we noticed there is an upcoming event called The Lullaby of the Rivers Festival. It will take place at the Amp, in St Augustine, on Sunday, February 23rd from 10am to 8pm. They mentioned that there’ll be three music stages featuring folk, Americana, blues and gospel. It looks pretty cool, and hey, it’s free!

The full music schedule is listed on their website (lullabyoftherivers.com), and it shows over twenty musicians. I have not heard of any of them, and I’m assuming they are from the area.