W♥M

Diablo IV Beta

Read More Diablo Blizzard’s “Do you guys not have phones?” game, Diablo Immortal launched on iOS and Android on June 1st. The PC version followed soon after. I have tested the game on iPhone 13, iPad (2020), ..…

You guys know me, I love Diablo. Ever since I played the demo disc from PC Gamer, I’ve been addicted to Diablo since 1996. I’ve bought every Blizzard games from Warcraft to Starcraft… but Diablo was my first love.

I started to dislike the company when, in an effort to fight piracy and make money, requires their games to always be online, starting with Diablo III. At the time, in 2012, my internet wasn’t reliable. I hated the fact that Blizzard was treating me like a criminal, asking me to check with their server whenever I play my game that I purchased.

So, in protest, I didn’t buy Diablo III when it came out on the PC. When the game was ported to PS3, it didn’t require an online connection - so I finally got to play the game, finally, in 2014. It’s a good game, even though I didn’t experience it until much later.

By now, my attitude towards “always online” games (even for single player games), have changed since I have reliable internet. I just recognize that it’s not going away, and it is just the way it is. Sure, I still don’t like it, but what can you do?

So I’ve been itching to play Diablo IV, seeing as it’s been over a decade since Diablo III came out. Sure we had the “fake” Diablo: Immortal and the re-mastered Diablo II: Resurrected, but Diablo IV is the true successor to the third game.

In order to get early access to Diablo IV on March 17-19, you had to pre-order the game, get a Diablo tattoo, or buy a KFC’s Double Down sandwich. Then the public open beta will be available March 24-26.

My Long Wait Time

Absolutely no surprise to anyone, there were very, very long waiting queue just to play the game. I was a 148-min wait time at one point. Do you see the problem here? Even if you own the game, you’re not allowed to play it until Blizzard can log you in.

Once you can actually get in to play, you’ll randomly get disconnected from the server. It’s super annoying. I just hope that this kind of thing doesn’t happen when the game actually officially releases on June 6.

As for the game, it’s very good from what I’ve seen. In the beta, you’re limited to a small map of the game and you’re capped at level 25. In the hours that I played, I reached Level 13, so it doesn’t take long to level up (especially if you just follow the main quest). I also like that it’s more role-playing now, and you have a lot of skill options. For example, you can build up your rogue to be focused on bows/crossbows or dual-wielding dagger assassin. Even though it’s the same class, they play very differently.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that each weapon feels different too. For example, a bow is very different from a crossbow. Although both shoot arrows, I find the bow just more satisfying, based on animation, sound, and movement.

So far, from what I’ve played of Diablo IV, I love it. This is only based on playing the Rogue. The other classes available right now is the Barbarian and the Sorcerer. I don’t like playing magic, so I think I’ll try out the Barbarian in my next character creation.

Anyway, Diablo IV is going to be a hit when it comes out on June 6th.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

Read more Weekend Gamer.

Diablo IV

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

Minneapolis: April 13 to April 14

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

04/13 Ryan Traster and NEWSKI with Long Range Hustle at Turf Club Read More Ryan Traster Minneapolis-based musician Ryan Traster is having a Choses Obscures CD album release party this July 6th at the Turf Club. Looking at the poster, he is putting the name Ryan Traster Band on the bill. … Brett Newski Milwaukee-based alternative songwriter / illustrator / podcaster Brett Newski is releasing his first book It’s Hard To Be A Person: defeating anxiety, surviving the world, and having more fun and its ... Chipotle We learned that again over the previous weekend as the Chipotle Cultivate Festival came to town for a day long adventure of food, ideas, and music. ...

04/13/2023 Thursday

Ryan Traster and NEWSKI
with Long Range Hustle
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

The co-headlining tour of Ryan Traster and Newski will be stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul on April 13th.

The press release of the year, for me, was for Newski’s disastrous unlicensed pop-up concert at Chipotle.

“We played an unlicensed show at Chipotle and everyone hated us,” says NEWSKI.

Everything that could go wrong did, for Wisconsin’s jangle pop rock outfit NEWSKI on their spontaneous and unlicensed performance at Chipotle; the guitar fell out of tune, no free burritos were rewarded, and nearly everyone in the place was pissed off.

I thought it was funny enough that I shared it with the W♥M team. Even if the story was made up or overly exaggerated, it made us notice and we like a band with a sense of humor.

I did some digging, and apparently this trio features Steve “Mr Bicep” Vorass on drums, Sean “Tubs” Anderson on 4-string, and led by Brett Newski on guitars and vocals.

Brett Newski (06 July 2016)

Funny enough, we have seen Brett before, at the Violent Femmes show in July 2016, which we described, “Brett Newski opened up the show with his improv-ish songs. Very fun guy, really witty. Highlight of his set was getting an audience member to help play harmonica during ‘In Between Exits’. He ended his brief 30-min set with ‘D.I.Y.’... and newfound fans in the front started to sing along to his catchy lyrics, “I’m D.I.Y., I’m punk as f***. Don’t need your money, I don’t want your love.” Newski also tend to swap out lyrics to make his song more personal and timely. For example, he name dropped The Replacements in the mixtape lyrics on ‘D.I.Y.’”

Long Range Hustle to open.

Tour dates:

03.29 - YPSILANTI, MI @ Ziggys
03.30 - HAMILTON, ON @ Mill’s Hardware
01.31 - TORONTO, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
04.01 - ELORA, ON @ Elora Brewing Co
04.02 - BARRIE, ON @ Queens Hotel
04.06 - STEVEN'S POINT, WI @ UWSP Dreyfus Center
04.07 - MILWAUKEE, WI @ Anodyne Walkers Point
04.08 - MANITOWOC, WI @ Sabbatical Brewing
04.12 - CHICAGO, IL @ Golden Dagger
04.13 - ST PAUL, MN @ Turf Club
04.14 - APPLETON, WI @ Appleton Beer Factory
04.21 - COLUMBUS, OH @ Rambling House Series
04.22 - YOUNGSTOWN, OH @ Westside Bowl
04.23 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ Krobath series
04.26 - NEW YORK, NY @ Bowery Electric
04.27 - DEWEY BEACH, DL @ Fort Ishu House Show
04.28 - WASHINGTON DC @ Pearl St Warehouse
04.30 - RICHMOND, VA @ Hardywood Brewing
05.03 - ORLANDO, FL @ Will’s Pub
05.04 - ST AUGUSTINE @ Sarbez
05.05 - WEST DESTIN, FL @ Rock by the Sea Fest
05.06 - WEST DESTIN, FL @ Rock by the Sea Fest
05.20 - HAVANA, IL @ Havana Songwriters Fest
05.23 - SEATTLE, WA @ Fun House
05.24 - BEND, OR @ Old St Francis School
05.25 - PORTLAND, OR @ The White Eagle
05.26-27 - PORT ANGELES, WA @ JFFA Festival
06.02- MARSHFIELD, WI @ Hub City Days
06.17 - SHEBOYGAN, WI @ Three Sheeps
06.23 - CEDAR RAPIDS, IA @ Newbo City Market
06.30 - BARABOO, WI @ Tumbled Rock Brewing
07.01 - MADISON, WI @ Terrace at Memorial Union
07.12 - GOSHEN, IN @ Goshen Brewing
07.14 - LANSING, MI @ Bridge Fest
07.15 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ Founders
07.16 - THREE OAKS, MI @ Acorn Theatre

04/14 Fruit Bats at First Avenue Read More Fruit Bats If you are looking for a laid back collection of summer tracks then I suggest you look no further than The Ruminant Band by the Fruit Bats. …

04/14/2023 Friday

Fruit Bats
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Nashville’s Fruit Bats (Eric D. Johnson) is currently on tour in support of A River Running to Your Heart. The record will be available April 14 via Merge Records.

“Over the years there's been a lot of geography in my music, a lot of landscapes,” Johnson says. “Sometimes the places are real, sometimes they're emotional. I've always liked the idea of songs and albums that exist in a continuum with one another. I'm not talking about some kind of deep series of concept albums, mind you. More like the idea that my songs are all pretty much tributaries of the same river. Which makes a lot of metaphorical sense because my path has been long and winding and often slow and muddy. But always moving towards the sea…. I guess you could say this album is the one where I took all that emotional geography and kind of mapped it out.”

We saw Fruit Bats in Oct 2015 and said, “Johnson’s honeyed voice was perfect, rivaled only by the dreamy strum of Barker’s guitar and gentle whirr of Klippert’s keyboards. Folk-pop gems like fan-favorite “When You Love Somebody” (from Mouthfuls) saw many people singing the famously quirky lyric, “When you love somebody and bite your tongue all you get is a mouthful of blood.” Blood, bats, love and folk - I couldn’t have asked for a better precursor to Halloween.”

Fruit Bats Spring 2023 Tour:

4/12 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi
4/13 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
4/14 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
4/15 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow
4/16 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
4/18 – Toronto, ON, Canada – Phoenix Theatre
4/19 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl
4/20 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
4/21 – Boston, MA – Royale
4/22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
4/25 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle
4/27 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
4/28 – Scaly Mountain, NC – Bear Shadow +
4/29 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
4/30 – Jacksonville, FL – Intuition Ale Works
5/10 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up Tavern
5/11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre
5/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
5/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
5/14 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
5/17 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
5/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
5/20 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth Room
5/21 – Bozeman, MT – The Elm
5/24 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall
5/25 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
5/26 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Market
5/27 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Commodore Ballroom

+ w/ Spoon

04/14 Aoife O’Donovan with The Westerlies at Turf Club Read More Aoife O'Donovan Opening the show was Ber. Originally from Minnesota, Ber moved to London in 2020 to work on music. With a massive fanbase on TikTok, she caught the attention of London’s Zane Lowe and Travis Mills ...

04/14/2023 Friday

Aoife O’Donovan
with The Westerlies
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

GRAMMY Award-winning artist Aoife O’Donovan will be playing her live recording of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska live at the Turf Club, this April 14th, 2023.

O’Donovan loves Nebraska and explains, “It was this concept album in a way that was just so natural, it was so unforced. Springsteen found these characters and sort of placed them. It’s almost like the American Songbook or something. I just love the record; from the opening moments to the final cut, ‘Reason to Believe,’ it has this beautiful arc. It’s almost novelistic in that way.”

Aoife O’Donovan (20 Nov 2015)

We saw Aoife O'Donovan in Nov 2015 and wrote, “Opening up the show, was Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan playing some folky/storytelling songs from her latest solo album Fossils, including set opening song "Lay My Burden Down", "Oh, Mama", and "Beekeeper". She played a couple of new songs, like "Hornets", which she said she played recently when she hosted (along with Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz) at the A Prairie Home Companion show in October 2015. ”

The Westerlies to open.

Aoife O’Donovan Plays Nebraska Tour

March 15 - The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA*
March 16 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY*
March 17 - Sanders Theatre - Cambridge, MA*
March 18 - Stone Mountain Arts Center - Brownfield, ME+
April 12 - Stoughton Opera House - Stoughton, WI^
April 13 - SPACE - Evanston, IL^
April 14 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN^
April 15 - The Sheldon Concert Hall - St. Louis, MO^
April 16 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN^

*performing the album Nebraska solo, with special guests Hawktail
+performing the album Nebraska solo
^performing the album Nebraska solo, with special guests The Westerlies

Additional Aoife O’Donovan Tour Dates
April 28 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN ~
May 30 - Dresden Music Festival - Dresden, DE
August 18-19 - Green Mountain Bluegrass - Manchester, VT
August 25 - The Long Road - Leicestershire, UK
August 26-27 - Tønder - Tønder, DK
September 9 - Moon River - Chattanooga, TN

~ supporting Nickel Creek

04/14 Trapper Schoepp at 7th St Entry Read More Trapper Schoepp Milwaukeean Trapper Schoepp started things off with a fantastic cover of the classic Jimmie Rodgers’ tune “T for Texas” before moving into …

04/14/2023 Friday

Trapper Schoepp
with Becky Kapell and Laura Hugo
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter Trapper Schoepp is touring in support of his upcoming album Siren Songs, available April 21 via Grand Phony (US) / Rootsy (EU).

Trapper Schoepp (31 May 2017)

We saw Trapper Schoepp in May 2017 and said, “As a former resident of Green Bay, I was charmed to learn that Trapper Schoepp’s newest EP was written all about the city’s Bay Beach, an east-side amusement park nestled on the bay that happens to be celebrating 125 years of existence this year. Schoepp treated the Turf crowd to a performance of Bay Beach Amusement Park in its entirety with help from Shades bandmates Justin Krol on drums, Quinn Scharber on guitar, brother Tanner on bass/vocals and a 3-piece horn section lovingly called “The Horns”.”

Tour dates:

3/23 - Lake Orion, MI - 20 Front Street
3/24 - Akron, OH - Barno's House
3/25 - Ligonier, PA - Sweet Rust
3/26 - Washington, D.C. - Pie Shop DC
3/28 - Boston, MA - City Winery Boston
3/29 - Cambridge, NY - Argyle Brewing Company
3/30 - Syracuse, NY - The 443 Social Club & Lounge
3/31 - Freehold, NJ - Concerts in the Studio
4/1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
4/2 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
4/14 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
4/15 - Madison, WI - Kiki's House of Righteous Music
4/21 - Milwaukee, WI - Colectivo **
4/22 - Berwyn, IL - FitzGerald’s **
4/23 - Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl **
5/7 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall #
5/9 - Davenport, IA - Raccoon Motel #
5/10 - Berwyn, IL - FitzGerald’s #
5/11 - Des Moines, IA - xBk Live #
5/12 - Omaha, NE - Reverb Lounge #

** With Mike Viola
# Supporting Daniel Rodriguez

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

Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS

Read More Sony What I am eyeing, is the rather expensive Sony 70-200mm G-Master Lens. It retails for $2,500, but I have seen it as low as $2,000 during the Black Friday/Christmas sale. I know the price is way more expensive than the …

As I previously mentioned, I had my eye on the Tamron 50-400mm lens, since I wanted a nice long reach at 400mm… but unfortunately, due to the F6.3 (at 400mm), it’s not suitable for photographing concerts.

Then, the idea popped in my head to look at the Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS lens. This is the original lens that started Sony’s Gold Master (or G Master) lens line up in 2016. Sony has four types of lens: basic (not labeled), Zeiss (developed in cooperation with Carl Zeiss), G (Gold), and GM (Gold Master). G Master is the highest tier, basically the best of the best.

For most photographers, any lens, at any F-Stop should be fine in daytime. For people shooting night photography, you want a low F-Stop… so for a time, I just thought the G Master lens was just too expensive.

But as I looked into it, the low F2.8 started to look more attractive. Once Sony released a version 2 of the 70-200 in 2021, prices for the original version dropped from $2,500 to $2,000… making it slightly more affordable.

When you read into it, you find out that the lens can produce 30 frames a second, if you have a camera that can take advantage of it (no third party lens can do this per Sony’s restrictions). On top of that, with a 2x teleconverter, you can turn the Sony 200mm lens to a 400mm (but it will make the lens a F5.6). Finally, Sony’s Ring Drive Super Sonic wave motor, with Double linear motor, combined with Optical Stabilization (OSS), is one of the fastest autofocusing system on the market.

Basically, I’m just trying to convince myself that all these future-proof features are worth the $2,000 I paid for the lens. And guess what? After using it for concert photo shoot, it’s absolutely worth it!

I’m serious, every shot I looked at my view screen and I’m like Wow! That’s sharp! After a few more shots, I’m like all these photos are keepers!

The Sony G-Master lens, at low light, is on another level! I’ve been using the Tamron 28-200mm (F5.6 at the 200mm end), and while the lens performs fine in good light… it does produce grainy or soft images when you’re shooting in poor lighting conditions.

Now for the negative: the first generation of the 70-200mm F2.8 GM lens is heavy. It’s really heavy. Officially, Sony lists the lens as weighing 3.3lbs, but it feels like 5lbs (the version 2 solves the weight problem by bringing it down to 2.3lbs). Basically, you’ll need both your hands to shoot. You’re going to tire out after a long shooting session… so most people use a tripod or monopod. In fact, Sony knows this, and included a removable tripod foot for the lens (which doesn’t fit Arca mounts).

Size Matters: Sony 70-200mm vs Tamron 28-200mm

The lens is also very long at 8 inches (12 with the hood… it’s the size of a Subway sandwich). The reason for this is because of the internal zooming mechanics. Adding the lens hood, the GM lens is twice as long as my Tamron 28-200 when collapsed.

The size and weight of the 70-200 GM lens makes it unconventional to just bring to, like a birthday party, or just randomly doing impromptu street photography. This is a business lens, that requires planning and commitment.

Still, despite the monstrous size and weight, I think it’s a fair tradeoff for amazing image quality. You can always look at version 2, if the weight bothers you, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra $800.

Anyway, from my experience of shooting with the 70-200 GM lens, I think it’s a very, very good lens. I’m going to try and take it on a hike, when the weather is a little warmer.

P.S. I was surprised to see that the 70-200 GM lens came with its own padded carrying case (with shoulder strap). All the lens I’ve ever purchased never came with its own custom carrying case, so this is a very nice addition.

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

Minneapolis: This Week (03/26/2023)

Here are some shows, this week, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

02/22 The Beths with Sidney Gish at First Avenue Read More The Beths Tribune called The Beths, one of the “best up-and-coming bands”, so we were really eager to catch this young New Zealand trio (Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce and ....

03/20/2023 Monday

The Beths
with Sidney Gish
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Update: Remember that The Beths show on Feb 22? Well, no thanks to that blizzard of a century that passed through Minneapolis, the Australian band had to postponed the show until March 20, 2023… at the end of their American tour. We are still covering this upcoming show… hopefully no more snow on this date.

Sidney Gish to open.

>>>
New Zealand-based quartet The Beths is back on tour in support of their album Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark Records).

The Beths at Fine Line (04 Mar 2022)

We saw The Beths in Mar 2022 and wrote, “As for The Beths (singer and guitarist Liz Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck) … it’s been a while since we last saw the band at Rock the Garden in 2019. We wrote, “Chicago Tribune called The Beths, one of the “best up-and-coming bands”, so we were really eager to catch this young New Zealand trio (Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce and Benjamin Sinclair) on tour. This is also partly because they are one of those few bands that we haven’t covered and was excited to see their first time in the area. According to guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Pearce, the band have been on a co-headlining tour with Bad Bad Hats since February 2019, so they were pretty happy to share the stage once again with the local band. The band basically played their debut Future Me Hates Me, available now from Carpark Records.”

Tour dates:

Wed. Mar. 8 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Fri. Mar. 10 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
Sat. Mar. 11 - Dallas, TX @ Tulips
Tue. Mar. 14 - Denver, CO @ Summit
Thu. Mar. 16 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Fri. Mar. 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
Sat. Mar. 18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Mon. Mar. 20 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

03/22 Betty Who with Shea Couleé at First Avenue Read More Betty Who Just in time for Valentine, Betty Who's single "Heartbreak Dream" is coming out February 18th. Who cited Katy Perry and Robyn as massive influences on her music ....

03/22/2023 Wednesday

Betty Who
with Shea Couleé
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Pop sensation Betty Who recently covered Kate Bush’s iconic “Running Up That Hill”; the song had a renaissance last year when it was featured prominently in an episode of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

In other Who news, Betty Who was also been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Music Artist category for her acclaimed album BIG! (BMG). The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD, the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.

Shea Couleé to open.

Tour dates:

02/28/23: Phoenix, AZ at The Van Buren*
03/02/23: Dallas, TX at The Echo Lounge*
03/03/23: Austin, TX at Scoot Inn*
03/04/23: Houston, TX at House Of Blues*
03/06/23: Nashville, TN at Brooklyn Bowl*
03/07/23: Atlanta, GA at Variety Playhouse*
03/08/23: Asheville, NC at The Orange Peel*
03/10/23: Washington, DC at The Anthem#*
03/11/23: New York, NY at Hammerstein Ballroom*
03/14/23: Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer*
03/15/23: Boston, MA at House Of Blues*
03/17/23: Toronto, ON at The Danforth Music Hall*
03/18/23: Detroit, MI at Saint Andrews Hall*
03/19/23: Columbus, OH at Newport Music Hall*
03/21/23: Chicago, IL at Riviera Theatre*
03/22/23: Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue*
03/24/23: Denver, CO at Ogden Theatre*
03/25/23: Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot*
03/28/23: Seattle, WA at Showbox SoDo*
03/29/23: Portland, OR at Wonder Ballroom*
03/31/23: San Francisco, CA at The Warfield*
04/01/23: Los Angeles, CA at The Novo*

* With Shea Coulee
# With Slayyyter
^ With Neve

03/23 Masego with Ogi at First Avenue Read More Ogi Los Angeles-based Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Ogi, to open. Tour dates: 09/03 – San Diego, CA – Music Box 09/04 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory …

03/23/2023 Thursday

Masego
with Ogi
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Jazz/R&B/multi-instrumentalist Masego is currently on his “You Never Visit Me Tour”. Masego’s self-titled album is available now on EQT Recordings/Capitol Records.

“I'm very thankful of the journey. This went from a hobby to a job,” says Masego. “I was getting all the things that they say that you're supposed to be fulfilled by and I wasn't fulfilled by it. I had to do a re-evaluation of a lot of things. I said, ‘I can't make this what I imagined it to be. So I cannot remain here. I need to move.’”

Ogi to open.

Tour Dates

Mar 12, 2023 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Mar 13, 2023 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA
Mar 14, 2023 The Warfield San Francisco, CA
Mar 16, 2023 The Showbox Seattle, WA
Mar 17, 2023 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, BC
Mar 18, 2023 Roseland Theater Portland, OR
Mar 20, 2023 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Mar 23, 2023 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
Mar 24, 2023 The Salt Shed Chicago, IL
Mar 25, 2023 Royal Oak Music Theatre Detroit, MI
Mar 28, 2023 Agora Theatre and Ballroom Cleveland, OH
Mar 29, 2023 HISTORY Toronto, ON
Mar 31, 2023 House of Blues Boston Boston, MA
Apr 1, 2023 Terminal 5 New York, NY
Apr 2, 2023 Terminal 5 New York, NY
Apr 4, 2023 The Fillmore Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA
Apr 5, 2023 Rams Head Live! Baltimore, MD
Apr 7, 2023 The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD
Apr 8, 2023 The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD
Apr 9, 2023 The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, NC
Apr 11, 2023 Marathon Music Works Nashville, TN
Apr 12, 2023 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
Apr 14, 2023 Jannus Live St. Petersburg, FL
Apr 15, 2023 House of Blues Orlando Orlando, FL
Apr 16, 2023 Oasis Wynwood Miami, FL
Apr 19, 2023 Republic NOLA New Orleans, LA
Apr 21, 2023 House of Blues Dallas Dallas, TX
Apr 22, 2023 Warehouse Live Houston, TX
Apr 23, 2023 Stubb's Austin Austin, TX
Apr 26, 2023 The Van Buren Phoenix, AZ
Apr 27, 2023 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
Apr 28, 2023 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
May 28, 2023 Cross The Tracks Festival Brixton, UK

03/23 The Church with DJ Jake Rudh at Fine Line Read More The Church Australia’s The Church is back in the city. The last time we saw them at the Cedar in 2015 we noted, “The show was performed as one long set, versus the two separate sets done …

03/23/2023 Thursday

The Church
with DJ Jake Rudh
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Australia’s progressive, psych band The Church is touring in support of their forthcoming album The Hypnogogue (Communicating Vessels). The group will stop by the Fine Line in Minneapolis on March 23rd.

The Church at Turf Club (15 Oct 2018)

We saw the band in Oct 2018 and wrote, “Australia’s longtime 80s band The Church recently played the sold-out Turf Club show in St Paul, as part of their 30th Anniversary of Starfish tour. Undoubtable, this is the Sydney band’s most well-known album, at least to an international audience, thanks to their top 40 hit single, “Under the Milky Way”. ”

DJ Jake Rudh to DJ before the band.

Tour Dates

Mar 11 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
Mar 12 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Mar 14 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Mar 16 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Mar 17 Tacoma, WA Elks Temple Ballroom
Mar 21 Englewood, CO Gothic Theater
Mar 23 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Hall
Mar 25 St Louis, MO Delmar Hall
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Mar 28 Kent, OH Kent Stage
Mar 29 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Mar 30 New York, NY Gramercy Theater
Mar 31 Boston, MA The Sinclair
Apr 1 Hartford, CT Infinity Hall
Apr 3 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes
Apr 4 Alexandria, VA Birchmere Music Hall
Apr 5 Norfolk VA The Norva
Apr 6 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Apr 8 Pelham, TN The Caverns

03/24 J.I.D and Smino at Fillmore Minneapolis Read More Smino SZA will be appearing in Minneapolis on September 1st. Originally booked at the Cabooze, the show was upgraded to First Avenue’s. Smino and Ravyn Lenae to open. ...

03/24/2023 Friday

J.I.D and Smino
at Fillmore Minneapolis
livenation.com

J.I.D and Smino are on a co-headlining Luv is 4ever tour… they are stopping by the Fillmore in Minneapolis on March 24th, 2023.

Atlanta rapper J.I.D’s latest is The Forever Story, which topped many “Best of 2022” lists, including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork.

St. Louis rapper Smino’s third album Luv 4 Rent was his debut project with Motown Records, in partnership with Zero Fatigue.

Tour dates:

Feb 15 San Antonio, TX, US Aztec Theatre
Feb 16 Houston, TX, US Revention Music Center
Feb 18 Atlanta, GA, US Coca-Cola Roxy
Feb 19 Atlanta, GA, US Coca-Cola Roxy
Feb 21 St Petersburg, FL, US Jannus Live
Feb 22 Miami, FL, US Oasis Wynwood
Feb 22 Miami, FL, US Oasis Wynwood
Feb 24 Charlotte, NC, US The Fillmore
Feb 26 Silver Spring, MD, US The Fillmore
Feb 27 Silver Spring, MD, US The Fillmore
Mar 1 Philadelphia, PA, US The Fillmore
Mar 3 New York (NYC), NY, US Terminal 5
Mar 4 New York (NYC), NY, US Terminal 5
Mar 7 Wallingford, CT, US Dome
Mar 8 Boston, MA, US Citizens House
Mar 9 Boston, MA, US Citizens House
Mar 12 Montreal, QC, Canada MTELUS
Mar 13 Toronto, ON, Canada History
Mar 15 Toronto, ON, Canada History
Mar 17 Detroit, MI, US The Fillmore
Mar 18 Grand Rapids, MI, US GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Mar 21 Chicago, IL, US Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Mar 23 Madison, WI, US The Sylvee
Mar 24 Minneapolis, MN, US Fillmore Minneapolis
Mar 25 Kansas City, MO, US Arvest Bank Theatre
Mar 28 Cincinnati, OH, US Andrew J. Brady Music Center
Mar 29 Nashville, TN, US Marathon Music Works
Apr 19 Berlin, Germany Gretchen
Apr 21 Antwerp, Belgium TRIX
Apr 22 Paris, France Élysée Montmartre
Apr 24 London, UK KOKO
Apr 25 London, UK O2 Forum Kentish Town
Apr 27 Dublin, Ireland The Button Factory

03/25 Inhaler with Sun Room at First Avenue Read More Inhaler Following a sold-out UK tour, Irish quartet Inhaler released My Honest Face EP, which features their cover of Billie Eilish’s single “Your Power”. ....

03/25/2023 Saturday

Inhaler
with Sun Room
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Irish band Inhaler will be headlining First Avenue on March 25, in support of their second album Cuts & Bruises (Geffen Records).

“If You’re Gonna Break My Heart” is the new single fromCuts & Bruises, which the band described, “Whilst on tour in America last year we were listening to a lot of music by some of the great American writers such as Bob Dylan, The Band, Bruce Springsteen etc. Listening to these artists while travelling on big open highways resonated with us and helped shape this song into making us sound more like a live band than we had before.”

Cuts & Bruises is the follow-up to Inhaler’s debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This which debuted at no.1 in both the UK & Irish Official Charts. Released in July 2021,It Won’t Always Be Like This became the fastest-selling debut album on vinyl by any band this century and saw Inhaler become the first Irish group to top the Album Charts with a debut in 13 years.

Southern California’s Sun Room to open. The rock four-piece features Luke Asgian (lead vocals & guitar), Ashton Minnich (guitar), Max Pinamonti (bass), and Gibby Anderson (drums). Their latest EP Outta Their Minds is out now.

Tour dates:

03/06 Austin Emo’s
03/07 Houston White Oak Music Hall
03/08 Dallas The Echo Lounge
03/10 Nashville Brooklyn Bowl
03/11 Atlanta Buckhead Theatre
03/13 Washington DC 9:30 Club
03/14 Washington DC 9:30 Club
03/16 Philadelphia DC TLA
03/17 New York Hammerstein Ballroom
03/18 Boston House of Blues
03/20 Montreal Corona Theatre
03/21 Toronto Danforth Music Hall
03/23 Detroit St Andrews Hall
03/24 Chicago Riviera Theatre
03/25 Minneapolis First Avenue
03/27 Denver Summit
03/28 Salt Lake City The Complex Grand
03/30 Seattle The Showbox
03/31 Vancouver Commodore Ballroom
04/01 Portland Wonder Ballroom
04/03 San Francisco The Regency Ballroom
04/05 Los Angeles The Wiltern Theatre
04/06 Los Angeles The Wiltern Theatre

03/25 Ingrid Andress with Madeline Edwards at Fine Line Read More Ingrid Andress Keith Urban with Tyler Hubbard Ingrid Andress, T-Mobile Center. $29.50-$169.50 Australia’s favorite country music export is out on his Speed of Now World Tour and bringing along two solid support acts- half of Florida Georgia Line and a rising singer-songwriter. …

03/25/2023 Saturday

Ingrid Andress
with Madeline Edwards
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

3x GRAMMY-nominee Ingrid Andress is on a headlining “The Good Person Tour”.

Andress reached the top of the Country Aircheck chart with her Platinum-certified hit “Wishful Drinking (with Sam Hunt),” as seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, taken from her celebrated sophomore album, Good Person.

Madeline Edwards to open.

Tour Dates

Feb 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth ^
Feb 25 – Denver, CO – Bluebird ^
Feb 28 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall ^
March 2 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey ^
March 15 – New York City, NY – Gramercy Theatre •
March 16 – Boston, MA – Sinclair •
March 23 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation ^
March 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line ^
April 1 – San Diego, CA – Boots In The Park *
May 4 – Dublin, IRL – Whelans +
May 5 – Belfast, UK – Limelight 2 +
May 7 – Glasgow, UK – St. Luke's +
May 9 – Manchester, UK – Gorilla +
May 10 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute 3 +
May 11 – London, UK – Scala +
May 15 – Paris, France – Le Pop Up du Label +
May 16 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg OZ +
May 17 – Cologne, DE – Blue Shell +
May 19 – Berlin, DE – Frannz Club +
May 20 – Hamburg, DE – Nochtwache +
May 21 – Copenhagen, DK – Lille Vega +
May 23 – Stockholm, SE – Nalen Club +
May 24 – Oslo, NO – John Dee +

^ with special guest Madeline Edwards
• with special guest Carter Faith
+ with special guest Nick Wilson * festival date

03/26 Yo La Tengo at First Avenue Read More Yo La Tengo Dark Dark Dark (they're from Minneapolis!), Yo La Tengo (not sure if they fit in "folk"), Cadence Weapon (I like him, but again, not sure "folk" fits him), and The Felice Brothers. ...

03/26/2023 Sunday

Yo La Tengo
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Hoboken rock trio Yo La Tengo (“I have it”) is touring in support of their sixteenth studio album This Stupid World (Matador Records). For the first time, Yo La Tengo put together this album entirely on their own, including doing their own mixes.

The tour kicks off March 9th in North Carolina and they’ll end the USA tour at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Then the band will play the UK starting in April 2023.

Tour dates:

Mar 9 Carrboro, NC, US Cat's Cradle
Mar 10 Carrboro, NC, US Cat's Cradle
Mar 11 Asheville, NC, US The Orange Peel
Mar 12 Asheville, NC, US The Orange Peel
Mar 13 Nashville, TN, US The Basement East
Mar 14 Nashville, TN, US The Basement East
Mar 16 Charlottesville, VA, US Jefferson Theater
Mar 17 Philadelphia, PA, US Union Transfer
Mar 18 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel
Mar 19 Washington, DC, US 9:30 Club
Mar 21 Pittsburgh, PA, US Mr Smalls Theater
Mar 22 Cleveland, OH, US Beachland Ballroom
Mar 24 Chicago, IL, US Metro
Mar 25 Milwaukee, WI, US Turner Hall Ballroom
Mar 26 Minneapolis, MN, US First Avenue
Apr 10 Dublin, Ireland 3Olympia Theatre
Apr 12 Manchester, UK Manchester New Century
Apr 13 Bristol, UK SWX
Apr 14 London, UK The London Palladium
Apr 18 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso Grote Zaal
Apr 19 Rotterdam, Netherlands LantarenVenster
Apr 20 Hamburg, Germany Uebel & Gefährlich
Apr 21 Copenhagen, Denmark Bremen Teater
Apr 23 Cologne, Germany Gloria Theater
Apr 24 Prague, Czech Republic MeetFactory
Apr 25 Berlin, Germany Huxley's Neue Welt
Apr 27 Paris, France La Cigale
Apr 29 Barcelona, Spain Sala Apolo
Apr 29 Murcia, Spain Warm Up festival
May 2 Madrid, Spain Warner Music Station
May 3 Bilbao, Spain Santana 27
May 4 Bordeaux, France Rock School Barbey

03/26 The Scarlet Goodbye with Willie Wisely at Icehouse Read More Scarlet Goodbye Cancelled - Feb 11 Willie Wisely and The Scarlet Goodbye at Turf Club Cancelled - Mar 2 The Staves at First Avenue Cancelled - Mar 4 Jonathan Richman at The Fitzgerald Theater …

03/26/2023 Sunday

The Scarlet Goodbye
with Willie Wisely
at Icehouse
icehousempls.com

Minneapolis’ The Scarlet Goodbye has an album release party for Hope's Eternal (InGrooves/Universal Records) at the Icehouse in Minneapolis.

The band features Daniel Murphy (from Soul Asylum) and Jeff Arundel. The two met randomly at a café, after Murphy already quit music and sold all his gears. Murphy regrets his decision, as after meeting Arundel, when they decided to form a new band, the Scarlet Goodbye.

“In 2012 I sold all the guitars and amps” said Murphy, “Now I’m busy buying them all back!”

Arundel adds, “Dan and I have been playing and writing for the same decades, we just never ran into each other. And obviously, we were walking different ends of the musical street… but we met, and I became intrigued when he told me that after being out of it for 10 years, maybe he missed it. So I invited him to the studio, and it was pretty instantly magical—a mutual collision of suggesting things to each other that the other wouldn’t have normally done”.

The Jayhawks (21 Dec 2018)

We saw Murphy randomly appearing at The Jayhawks show in Dec 2018 and wrote, “… the highlight had to be with Johnson and longtime Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy (looking thinner but very happy) forming “semi-Smog” an almost lineup of alt supergroup Golden Smog (sans Jeff Tweedy) for a version of 1998’s ‘Until You Came Along’.”

Willie Wisely to open.

Tour dates:

3/26/23: VINYL RELEASE SHOW---> ICEHOUSE (w/Wille Wisely) Mpls, MN
4/20/23: The Dubliner (Acoustic Show) St. Paul, MN
5/6/23: Palmers (Outdoor w/Run Westy Run) @ 6pm Mpls, MN
5/26/23: Earth Rider Brewery (w/Rich Mattson and the Allstars) Superior, WI
6/11/23: Hewing Hotel (Outside Rooftop Music Series) Mpls, MN
8/19/23: Hook and Ladder ("Under the Canopy" series w/ Turn Turn Turn) Mpls, MN
8/25-26/23: Outdoor Festival, Silver Bay, MN
9/23/23: 318 Cafe (Acoustic Show) Excelsior, MN

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

¿Téo? at Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis (18 Mar 2023)

03/18 ¿Téo? with Maesu at Studio B ¿Téo? Setlist Besame Thru My Hair Rrrrrico Assim In the Essence Belong in the Sun Buena A Mi Cama Dumo Best Damn Thing Nylon Jam Uno Dos Luna Listening Session Lunatic Tumbao Hagale The Most In Your Body Magic Hour/Confession Americano Read More ¿Téo? ¿Téo? Recently dropped his new single, “A Mi Cama” from his upcoming new album Luna. The song was produced by Colombia-based producer

Colombian-American actor and musician Mateo Arias, or better known as ¿Téo? (formerly T.O), is currently on his Sol & Luna Tour, stopping by Studio B (inside the Skyway Theatre), in Minneapolis, on Saturday night.

Los Angeles, by the way of Birmingham, Alabama, Maesu (pronounced “may-sue”) opened the show.

The singer/producer was inspired by such artists like Toro y Moi and FKA twigs, when he released his debut EP deSerVe. He also mentioned on stage that he’s actually writing songs for other artists, so you may have heard his songs, but not know it.

He ended his set with “Protection”, which had the audience singing along to the catchy chorus, “I need protection.”

Maesu’s latest single is called “Ｓｅｘ Ｏｎ ＧＰＳ.”

¿Téo? is very, very happy to see so many faces, up close and personal: “you show up!” He loves seeing everyone. He said he plays stadium shows (opening for Justin Bieber) and there’s just no connection to his fans. They all seems so far away.

Music wasn’t always in the cards for ¿Téo?, he started posting just fun little songs he produced when he was 17 years old on Soundcloud, and before he knew it, he was producing his debut single “Eclipse” and then with Jaden Smith’s encouragement, he released Enlightened Now. If you didn’t know, Smith, ¿Téo?, and his older brother Moisés Arias, are founding members of MSFTSrep, a creative clothing company.

As expected, since this was the Sol & Luna tour, and as you can see from the setlist, he played a balance of songs between the two albums. He also threw in some songs from his debut self-titled album, such as “Belong in the Sun” and “Uno Dos” (which originally featured Jaden Smith).

In April ¿Téo? will be playing at Coachella, as one of the few Latin artists confirmed to play this year. He’ll play, alongside Jaden Smith and Willow Smith… that should be a treat.

¿Téo? new album Luna is out now.

Remaining Tour dates:

March 21, 2023 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
March 23, 2023 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
March 25, 2023 Seattle, WA Barboza
March 26, 2023 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
March 29, 2023 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
April 14, 2023 Coachella Indio, CA
April 21, 2023 Coachella Indio, CA

Maesu

Maesu

Maesu

Maesu

¿Téo?

¿Téo?

¿Téo?

¿Téo? at Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis (18 Mar 2023)

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

Marco Benevento at Turf Club, St Paul (17 Mar 2023)

Mike Dillon Setlist Desert Monsoon Inflorescence Slowly But Surely Stravinsky Spectacles Pandas Devil's Playground Homer & Debs Apocalypse Daydream Another Slippery Slope Never Been To Paris Drivin' Down the Road Read More Marco Benevento Dance rock, psych experimentalist Marco Benevento will stop by the Turf Club in St Paul on March 17th. The Woodstock, NY-based artist will be joined by his band, featuring bassist Karina Rykman and drummer Chris Corsico. … Mike Dillon Mike Dillon & Punkadelick’ album Inflorescence is out now on Royal Potato Family. Tour dates: 3/10 - Jersey City, NJ - White Eagle Hall …

New York’s Marco Benevento just headlined the Turf Club, in St Paul, their penultimate show before they end their long tour. The trio (keyboardist Benevento with bassist Karina Rykman and drummer Chris Corsico) is touring in support of their new album Benevento.

It’s a brutally cold, cold night in St Paul, and it’s up to Mike Dillon & Punkadelick to try and warm us up. The trio features xylophonist Dillon with pianist Brian Haas and drummer Nikki Glaspie. At first, you get the impression that they’re somewhat of a chaotic jazz ensemble, and as they played, you it starts to all make sense.

Dillon announced that they are playing their new record, Inflorescence, from start to finish… basically giving the audience a listening party, only with extra grunts and “yeah!”

The audience was somewhat older, perhaps some of them remembered Dillon when he opened for L7 at the sold-out 7th Street Entry show in 1993? He was there, of course, with a different band (Billy Goat), but he still yelled out, “Welcome to 7th Street Entry, Let’s GO!!!!!!!”

As announced earlier, the group played the last song, “Never Been To Paris”, complete with some weird mermaid siren vocal styling from Glaspie. With some time left on the clock, the band played “Drivin' Down the Road” to end their set.

Marco Benevento’s set is full of dance, psych rock… except “Dropkick”, the second song on their set, sounds a little too pop and a little too 60s. That’s not bad, the audience didn’t seem to mind, as they danced the night away.

This 2023 tour sees the band playing a variety of songs from their new album Benevento (Royal Potato Family). The studio album was written and recorded over the pandemic (2020-2021). Locked up at his home studio in Hudson Valley, Benevento experimented with different instruments (some old broken gears) and long solo jam sessions. The whole album was put together entirely by Benevento (who mixed and played every instrumental with vocals), with the exception of adding his wife and daughter’s vocals on some songs.

Anyway, drummer Chris Corsico looks like he’s ready to rock out, while bassist Karina Rykman (who replaced original bassist Dave Dreiwitz when he joined Ween) is all smiles, doing her head-banging on the bass. The group looks like they are having a good time on this tour, even if it’s about the end. Their last show is tonight, at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, Wisconsin.

Trivia: Marco Benevento and Mike Dillon are members of Garage A Trois, with Stanton Moore.

Mike Dillon & Punkadelick ft. Brian Haas & Nikki Glaspie

Mike Dillon

Karina Rykman

Marco Benevento

Marco Benevento at Turf Club, St Paul (17 Mar 2023)

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

Minneapolis: April 8 to April 12

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

04/08 Tennis with Kate Bollinger at First Avenue Read More Tennis Husband/wife duo Tennis is back in town. Their forthcoming album Yours Conditionally will be out March 10th via Mutually Detrimental / Thirty Tigers. …

04/08/2023 Saturday

Tennis
with Kate Bollinger
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Husband/wife duo Tennis returns to Minneapolis, at First Avenue, on April 8, 2023.

Tennis (07 Mar 2017)

The last time we saw Tennis, it was Triple Rock Social Club in Mar 2017: “Now, feeling fresh and with new songs from Yours Conditionally, the band seemed rather excited to be back on the road. Judging from the attendance and fan support, singer Alaina Moore seemed really happy that people hadn’t forgotten about them. The title of the record and their song ‘Matrimony’, Moore would explain that it was in reference to their wedding day. They were sailing and ported in Baltimore and decided, for better or worst, that it was time have their wedding ceremony. With a quick self-haircut and her sister bringing them a last-minute vintage wedding dress (and no shoes!)... the “reluctant” wedding became their “best memory”.”

Kate Bollinger to open.

Tour dates:

03/24 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
03/25 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
03/27 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
03/29 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03/30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03/31 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
04/01 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
04/03 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
04/04 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts of Homer
04/05 - Toronto, ON - History
04/07 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
04/08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
04/10 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
04/11 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
04/12 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
04/14 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom
04/15 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
04/16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
04/18 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
04/20 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
04/21 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
04/22 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
04/24 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
04/25 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
04/26 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
04/28 – Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
04/29 – San Diego, CA - Humphrey’s Bar & Grill
05/02 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
05/04 - Austin, TX - ACL Live
05/05 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
05/06 - Dallas, TX - South Side Music Hall

04/08 Avey Tare at 7th St Entry Read More Avey Tare Avey Tare (a.k.a David Portner), one third of influencial experimental band Animal Collective is headlining the Amsterdam Bar & Hall on Sunday, April 7th. Avey Tare’s latest album Cows On Hourglass Pond …

04/08/2023 Saturday

Avey Tare
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Avey Tare (one third of Animal Collective) is touring in support of his fourth album 7s. The tour stops by the 7th Street Entry on April 8th, in Minneapolis.

Animal Collective (11 Oct 2019)

We last saw Animal Collective at Desert Daze (in California) in Oct 2019 and wrote, “… electro-psych band Animal Collective’s set did not disappoint. They opened up with the old school tune from 2005’s Feels, Banshee Beat, fronting stunning visuals of disco dancing girls and hearts. These guys played a bunch of new material, a few being “Gem and I”, “Bolder”, and “Strangers”. Another, “DownDownDownDown” was one that was rare and unreleased. The trippy background art was ridiculous, the one with hands almost holding onto each other being my favorite. Their encore performance was “For Reverend Green”, which they hadn’t played in 12 years.”

Tour Dates

3/23: The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
3/24: Lodge of Sorrows – Savannah, GA
3/25: Aisle 5 – Atlanta, GA
3/27: Motorco Music Hall – Durham, NC
3/28: Songbyrd – Washington, DC
3/29: First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
3/31: Market Hotel – Brooklyn, NY
4/01: Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
4/03: Bar Le Ritz PDB – Montreal, QC
4/04: The Drake Underground – Toronto, ON
4/06: El Club – Detroit, MI
4/07: Sleeping Village – Chicago, IL
4/08: 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
4/27: Henry Miller Memorial Library – Big Sur, CA
4/28: The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
4/29: HopMonk Tavern – Novato, CA
5/01: Polaris Hall – Portland, OR
5/02: The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
5/03: Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
5/05: Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
5/06: Lost Lake Lounge – Denver, CO
5/08: Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM
5/09: Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ
5/10: Casbah – San Diego, CA
5/13: Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA

04/12 Michigander with Abby Holliday at Turf Club Read More Michigander Rising indie rock artist Michigander (the stagename for Jason Singer) will be heading out on tour in support of his third EP Everything Will Be Ok Eventually. This is Singer’s biggest tour yet, and he’ll be bringing various support ....

04/12/2023 Wednesday

Michigander
with Abby Holliday
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Buzzworthy indie rock artist Michigander (Jason Singer) is on tour in support of his EP It Will Never Be The Same (C3 Records).

It Will Never Be The Same, produced and mixed by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, M83), mastered by Dave Cooley (Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore), and recorded at L.A.’s Sunset Sound (with the exception of “In My Head” produced by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra), marks a creative transformation for Singer.

Abby Holliday to open.

Tour dates:

March 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
March 31 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
April 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
April 2 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone Berkeley
April 4 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
April 5 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
April 6 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
April 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
April 8 – Boulder, CO @ The Fox Theater
April 11 – Kansas City, MO @ RecordBar
April 12 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
April 14 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
April 15 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
April 16 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
April 19 – Washington, DC @ DC9 Nightclub
April 21 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
April 22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
April 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
April 26 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
April 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
April 29 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

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

R.I.P. Lance Reddick

Read More Bosch Out of nowhere, I got notification that the new Season 7 of Bosch just dropped on Amazon Prime! I was so excited that I launched the pilot and after viewing the “Last Season on Bosch” recap… …

Actor and musician, Lance Reddick has died at the age of 60. According to Variety, “His rep at Portrait PR confirmed the news, saying he died of natural causes but not providing other details.”

Although Reddick is best known as an actor in roles such as Cedric Daniels in The Wire (2002–2008), Phillip Broyles in Fringe (2008–2013), and Chief Irvin Irving in Bosch (2014–2020), and as Charon in the John Wick films… not many people know that he started studying music as a teenager at the Peabody Preparatory Institute. He actually earned a Bachelor of Music degree at University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music.

Lance Reddick (02 May 2015)

We saw Reddick at Wizard World Minneapolis in May 2015 and wrote, “One of the hardest working Hollywood actor, Lance Reddick spent his time at his panel answering questions about Lost, The Wire, and, of course, Fringe. Recently, Reddick is most recognizable from American Horror Story, and per a fan's request, he re-created his Papa Legba character and did a line in the Cajun voodoo accent.”

Rest in peace, Lance Reddick.

Read more Musicians who died in 2023

[17 Mar 2023] Lance Reddick (American actor and musician), 60 Lance Reddick was best known for playing Cedric Daniels in The Wire (2002–2008), Phillip Broyles in Fringe (2008–2013), and Chief Irvin Irving in Bosch (2014–2020). As a teenager, he studied music at the Peabody Preparatory Institute and studied classical music composition at University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. … via deadline

[17 Mar 2023] Fito Olivares ( Mexican cumbia musician), 75 The music ringing out at Fiesta next month will have a note of sadness as social media posts report that Mexican musician Fito Olivares has died. A Facebook post from San Antonio’s Tejano station KXTN on Friday, March 17 reported Olivares’ death … via mysanantonio

[16 Mar 2023] Tony Coe (English jazz musician), 88 Sad news. One of the understated greats of British jazz, saxophonist and clarinettist Tony Coe, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 88. … via londonjazznews

[15 Mar 2023] Théo de Barros (Brazilian composer), 80 Composer Theo de Barros, known for "Disparada", alongside Geraldo Vandré, and for his partnership with singer Elis Regina, died early this Wednesday (15th) in São Paulo. … via folha

[15 Mar 2023] Daniel Bourgue (French horn player), 86 The virtuoso horn player Daniel Bourgue, ‘surely be the last representative of the old school of French playing’ according to the IHS, has died at the age of 86. … via slippedisc

[14 Mar 2023] Bobby Caldwell (American singer and songwriter), 71 Singer Bobby Caldwell, known for his smooth blue-eyed soul voice, is dead after battling illness for several years ... TMZ has confirmed. Bobby, whose biggest hit is the classic "What You Won't Do for Love," died in his sleep Tuesday night at home in New Jersey, according to his rep. … via tmz

[14 Mar 2023] Dix Denney (American guitarist for The Weirdos, Thelonious Monster), 65 Dix Denney, guitarist and co-founder of pioneering LA punk band The Weirdos, has died. Along with his brother John, Dix Denney formed The Weirdos in Los Angeles in 1975. Although initially inspired by The Ramones, they soon became trailblazers … via louderthanwar

[13 Mar 2023] Canisso (Brazilian bassist for Raimundos), 57 Bassist José Henrique Campos Pereira, known as Canisso, died this Monday (13/3), aged 57. The information was confirmed by the band's manager, but the cause of death was not disclosed. The musician was part of the original formation of the Brasilian rock group Raimundos. … via metropoles

[13 Mar 2023] Jim Gordon (American convicted murderer and musician for Eric Clapton, Derek and the Dominos), 77 Jim Gordon, a top drummer for Eric Clapton, George Harrison and countless others who was diagnosed with schizophrenia after murdering his mother in 1983, has died. … via variety

Read more Musicians who died in 2023.

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

We♥Comics!: Comic Conventions 2023

Planet Comicon Kansas City (March 17, 18,19) Read More Planet ComiCon Crowds in the thousands flocked to Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City over the weekend to attend the three-day Planet Comicon Kansas City, the region’s largest and longest-running comic and pop …

As 2023 began, so did comic convention season, back in full effect, after the last several years of nothing, or scaled-back. At the end of January, the Angoulême International Comics Festival took place in France, the 2^nd biggest in Europe and third largest in the world, and stateside, Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle was very successful.

We’re sad that the long-running Spring and Fall Cons in Minnesota came to an end, but efforts are underway to resurrect them.

Some show schedules shifted as well, and the end of this month is the staring contest between MegaCon in Orlando and C2E2 in Chicago, both held on the same weekend. Two of the biggest shows in the country on the same weekend- unprecedented!

Here are a few of the major shows scheduled for 2023:

Planet Comicon Kansas City (March 17-19)

(tickets: Planet Comicon Kansas City 2023 :: GROWTix )

The Midwest’s first big show is this weekend’s gathering at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City. Celeb guests include William Shatner, Richard Dreyfuss, Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, and Giancarlo Esposito, along with voice actors, authors, and wrestlers Kevin Nash and “Jungle Boy” Perry.

Comic creators attending include writers Garth Ennis, Roy Thomas and Chris Claremont, artists Patrick Gleason, Jim Steranko, Todd Nauck, TMNT’s Kevin Eastman, and many more. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott is among other special guests.

Megacon Orlando

Megacon Orlando (March 30-April 2)

(tickets: Buy Tickets | MEGACON Orlando (fanexpohq.com) )

Fan Expo runs this and many other shows around the country, including all the former WizardWorld conventions. Because Orlando is a large tourist destination, flights and lodging are plentiful, there’s plenty else to do and see, but this show is also very busy and large. We were there last year and were amazed at the size of the convention floor.

Celebs include Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, James McAvoy, Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley, John Cleese and Zachary Levi. Comic creator heavyweights include Frank Miller, Geoff Johns, Joe Quesada, Donny Cates, Frank Cho, Simone Bianchi, and Adam and Andy Kubert.

C2E2 Chicago

C2E2 Chicago (March 31-April 2)

(tickets: Ticket Information (c2e2.com)

Held in downtown Chicago at McCormick Place, this Reed Pop-run show immediately became a “must-go” on the convention scene and food, lodging, and entertainment, are all close by (though the trains still don’t run direct to the venue). We last hit the show several years ago and are overdue for another weekend in the Windy City.

Guests of honor are actors Chris Evans and Tenoch Huerta aka Namor.. Creators scheduled to attend include Arthur Adams, Gene Ha, Joe Staton, Kevin McGuire, Scott Snyder, Sean Murphy, Tony Daniel, and Kyle Higgins.

HeroesCon Charlotte

Heroes Con Charlotte (June 16-18)

(tickets: HEROESCON 2023 :: TICKETS | Eventbrite )

Founded in 1982, this large but small show remains one of the most comic-centric and fan-friendly shows in the country. Usually held over Fathers Day weekend, we loved being there over a decade ago, and can’t wait to return.

Celeb guests: none! This is a real old-school comic convention!

Creators attending include Alan Davis, Mike Grell, Ron Frenz, Lee Weeks, Bill Sienkiewicz, Michael Cho,Matt Kindt, Michael Golden, Rick Leonardi, and numerous others.

Comic Con International San Diego)

Comic Con International: San Diego (July 20-23)

(tickets: Badge Info | Comic-Con International: San Diego )

This is the show that defined the culture and brought the phrase “comic con” into general conversation. The country’s best-known entertainment and pop culture experience, hotels and tickets...err, badges are sold a year in advance through a very specific process, and of course, all is already sold out. World premiere screenings, A-list surprise appearances, and large-scale studio booths are just some of what’s in store.

Initial creator appearances have been announced (including Jim Lee, Jamie and Gilbert Hernandez, Frank Miller, Jock, and Dan Slott) with no schedule highlights yet announced, but anyone who is anyone, will likely be appearing.

Comiket Tokyo)

Comiket (mid-August / December)

(tickets: コミックマーケット100チケット販売について (comiket.co.jp)

Held at Big Sight in South Tokyo both in mid-August and again in December, The Comic Market (Comiket) is the largest comic-related gathering in the world.

Comiket primarily focuses on acting as a communal exchange place for self-published books, known as dojinshi. Japanese dictionaries define dojinshi as self-published material aimed toward like-minded individuals and they also invite any publication (books, music, films, software, etc.) published by individuals not available through standard commercial outlets.

Baltimore Comic Con)

Baltimore Comic Con (September 8-10)

(tickets: Baltimore Comic Con :: GrowTix )

Self-described as “America’s greatest comic book convention”, this like Heroes Con, is a true comic convention that focuses on the hobby, and is a perennial favorite among creators. The venue is in downtown Baltimore (close to the Ravens Stadium) with good infrastructure and plenty of amenities very near the venue.

Celeb /wrestling guests: none! Creators announced so far include Brian Bendis, Howard Chaykin, Frank Cho, Greg Hildebrandt, Al Milgrom, Louise and Walt Simonson, Steve Rude, and Mark Waid.

New York Comic Con)

New York Comic Con (October 12-15)

(tickets: Ticket Pricing and Info (newyorkcomiccon.com))

On paper, this is actually the biggest, most-attended show in the country (some say San Diego under reports their numbers to avoid fire marshall troubles). It takes over the huge Javits Center on Manhattan’s lower West Side and is another well-run Reed Pop show that often features many older classic comic creators as well as newer ones, and entertainment guests.

Guest lists have yet to be revealed but expect plenty of A-List names in all categories.

Lucca Comics and Games – Lucca, IT (November 1-5)

(tickets: Lucca Comics & Games - Molto più di un festival (luccacomicsandgames.com))

Europe’s biggest and the second largest in the world, last year’s show featured special guest Tim Burton and sold a record 320,000 tickets. This year’s show will be it’s 58^th annual, and will, as usual, present their highly regarded international awards of distinction (Yellow Kid Award, Gran Guinigi, etc).

Ticket prices are reasonable and creators appearing represent a wide selection of international artists as well as a few more familiar names, with the show’s gaming portion as or more popular, than the comic side. 

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

Circles Around The Sun at Turf Club, St Paul (15 Mar 2023)

Setlist Scarlotta's Magnolias Landline Memories Away Team Detroit Dos Third Sunrise Over Gliese 667 Money's No Option Leaving (Rogue Lemon) Language One for Chuck Tour Dates Mar 16 Madison, WI, US High Noon Saloon Mar 17 Evanston, IL, US SPACE Mar 18 Milwaukee, WI, US Turner Hall Ballroom Apr 19 Ventura, CA, US Skull and Roses May 11 Eureka Springs, AR, US Spaceberry Music Festival May 26 Outdoor Chillicothe, IL, US Summer Camp May 26 Outdoor Thornville, OH, US Dark Star Jubilee Jun 29 Quincy, CA, US High Sierra Music Festival Jun 29 Outdoor Scranton, PA, US The Peach Music Festival Jul 26 Floyd, VA, US Floydfest Aug 12 Richmond, VA, US Jam Packed Craft Beer Aug 18 Wellston, MI, US Hoxeyville Festival Read More Circles Around the Sun New guitarist Scott Metzger will be joining Circles Around the Sun on their upcoming September tour across the West Coast, Pacific Northwest and Colorado. Metzger replaces founding member Neal Casal, who passed away in August 2019. … Jenny O Los Angeles’ Jenny O. is touring in support of her sophomore album Peace & Information. We caught Jenny O in October 2016 and said, “Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jenny O opened the evening with a demure set of songs from .....

Psychedelic-jam-rock-experimental group Circles Around The Sun (Adam MacDougall on keyboards, Dan Horne on bass, Mark Levy on drums, and John Lee Shannon on guitar) is currently on tour for their new album Language (Megaforce Records), stopping by the Turf Club, in St Paul, last night, March 15th.

Opening the show was singer/songwriter Jenny O, touring in support of her new album Spectra (Mama Bird Recording Co).

Jenny O (18 Jun 2019)

We’re so excited to have the singer/songwriter back in the city. The last time we saw her, in June 2019, we said, “It’s the first night of the tour, and Jenny O came on stage on time and started her set, playing solo. The last time she was at the 7th Street (with Tristen in October 2017), she had a full band and fondly remembered that the whole band accidentally got stoned and lost track of time. Needless to say, they came on stage super late and apologized to anyone who was at the show.”

Jenny O., perhaps did lost track of time at the Turf, showing up on stage about 20 minutes than advertised. She would play using two different guitars, switching between them and keeping guitar-tuning to a minimum.

While tuning, she did mention that something happened to her car and she would love if we could help out with the “deductibles”. As anyone who tours, transportation is the biggest hurdle, especially with rising gasoline prices and auto insurance.

She played “People” from Peace & Information early in the set, followed by “Lazy Jane” from Automechanic.

Jenny O ended her set with “You Are Loved Eternally”, one of the new songs from Spectra. The song is easy to follow, and it sounded like a great song to end her set.

Circles Around The Sun, they have a very good fanbase. Their music is instrumental, of the funk/psychedelic flavor. Even though they only played about 9 songs, each song averages about 10 minutes, due to the way they jam and extend their songs. As guitarist John Lee Shannon explains how one of their songs, “Outer Boroughs” was created through jamming: “[the song] initially composed when the track emerged from an impromptu jam in the studio around a four-chord sequence Adam was playing around with. Dan’s bassline is one of my favorites, and is unusual in that he initially heard the '1' in a different place than intended, giving extra emphasis to the downbeat of the second measure. It’s a breezy groove that paints several landscapes in vivid color before departing into deep space for an extended middle jam.”

Whatever they are doing, it’s working, because their fans packed the dancefloor and dancing to all the songs.

Circles Around The Sun’s new album, Language is out now on Megaforce Records.

Jenny O.

Jenny O.

Circles Around the Sun

Circles Around the Sun

Circles Around the Sun at Turf Club, St Paul (15 Mar 2023)

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