Minneapolis Music Guide: June 22 - June 28, 2014

Here is a guide of some Minneapolis (and St Paul) live concerts and events taking place next week: June 22 - June 28.

Read More The Fray Fans hoping to hear the Fray's fourth album might have to look under Joe King (or rather under his simple pseudonym of KING) in the temporary. His first ever solo track "Need a Woman by Friday" went on sale on iTunes recently. … Barcelona I've been meaning to check out this new Barcelona band, as they share their name with the new wave synth nerd band that I mentioned last year. This band, based out of Seattle, is a quartet …

SUNDAY, JUNE 22
THE MYTH
The Fray

Denver's The Fray are back on tour in support of their fourth studio album Helios, out now on Epic Records.

In addition to the latest album, expect the band to play lots of piano-driven hit songs from their double platinum debut How to Save a Life and certified gold self-titled sophomore album.

Opening up for this latest tour are Brooklyn-based Oh Honey and Seatle-based Barcelona (who we previously saw in 2008 - and not to be confused with synthpop Barcelona.)

Tour dates:

06/18 Vancouver, BC Malkin Bowl*
06/21 Moorhead, MN Bluestem Center*
06/22 St Paul, MN The Myth*
06/27 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre*
06/28 Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre*
06/29 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center*
07/03 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest *
07/09 New York, NY Pier 97*
07/12 Philadelphia, PA Festival Pier*
07/11 Toronto, ON Echo Beach*
07/14 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater*
07/18 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amph*
07/19 Nashville, TN Woods at Fontanel*
07/21 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall*
07/30 Boston, MA Blue Hills Pavilion*

*with Barcelona and Oh Honey

Read More Guitar Gods The king of neo-classical shred guitar, legendary guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, will soon return to stages across North America this summer for the first-ever “Guitar Gods” festival tour. …

MONDAY, JUNE 23
SKYWAY THEATRE
Guitar Gods: Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Gary Hoey, Bumblefoot

Guitar Gods are coming, praise the loud.

Hard rock guitar legends Yngwie Malmsteen, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and Gary Hoey have united for the “Guitar Gods” tour, which makes an upcoming stop at the Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis.

Malmsteen, the “Paganini of heavy metal” has been dazzling crowds with his riffs, solos and fret speed for decades, and has a new album, Spellbound (on his own label), and autobiography, "Relentless: A Memoir," out currently.

Bumblefoot is perhaps best known as the guitarist for the post-Slash incarnation of Guns n’ Roses and is seen playing in their upcoming live DVD/Blu-Ray, Appetite for Democracy, which was filmed at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.  The multi-genre dabbling Hoey, best known for song, “Hocus Pocus”, plays a blend of rock, blues, and surf, and unfortunately; fourth “God”, ex-Scorprions guitarist Uli Jon Roth, had to pull out of the tour due to last-minute visa issues.

Expect a more than ample share of face-melting shredding, as well as perhaps an on-stage collaboration or two, with the three icons playing together.

06/20/14 Saint Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
06/21/14 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
06/22/14 Joliet, IL Mojoes
06/23/14 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theatre
06/26/14 Seattle, WA The Showbox
06/27/14 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
06/28/14 Richmond, BC River Rock Casino Resort
07/02/14 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
07/03/14 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre
07/04/14 San Jose, CA Milano
07/05/14 Ramona, CA Ramona Rodeo Grounds
07/07/14 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
07/08/14 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
07/10/14 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
07/11/14 Pharr, TX Pharr Events Center
07/12/14 Houston, TX House Of Blues

Read More Courtney Barnett Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett is one of the hottest new artists of the last year and she commenced her first American tour in fine style Tuesday night at the sold out Empty Bottle in Chicago. …

TUESDAY, JUNE 24
VARSITY THEATER
Courtney Barnett

Melbourne's Courtney Barnett was previously here earlier this year, which we caught in Chicago, but now she's back with a full expanded North American tour.

This current tour takes her as far north as Toronto's NXNE and ending at far south as Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin.

North American Tour Dates:

06.17.14 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY **
06.18.14 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA **
06.19.14 - Firefly Festival - Dover, DE
06.20.14 - 06.22.14 - NXNE Festival - Toronto, ON
06.24.14 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN **
07.01.14 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO ^^
07.02.14 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT ^^
07.04.14 - Fortune Sound Club - Vancouver, BC ^^
07.05.14 - Neptune - Seattle, WA ^
07.07.14 - The Triple Door - Seattle, WA
07.30.14 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL
08.01.14 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL
08.02.14 - Osheaga Festival - Montreal, QC
08.03.14 - Pickathon Festival - Happy Valley, OR
08.07.14 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
08.08.14 - Pappy and Harriets - Pioneertown, CA
08.08.14 - 08.10.14 - Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco, CA
11.07.14 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX

* w/ Phosphorescent
** w/ Benjamin Booker
^ w/ Sharon Van Etten
^^ w/ Your Friend

Read More Cut/Copy Cut Copy is currently on a worldwide tour to promote their third album, Zonoscope. Already they have played sold out shows in New York and Washington DC. On April 8th they play to a packed …

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
FIRST AVENUE
Cut Copy

Free Your Mind…and the rest will follow.

So says that ‘90s R&B song, and Australian synth-pop/indietronica four-piece Cut Copy, mean to prove that point as they head out in support of their latest, Free Your Mind (Modular Recordings).  Trippy producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) helmed the latest release, and single “We Are Explorers” featured a music video with characters made using a 3D printer; the files for which were then released, so the public could download them to print and create their own videos.  Expect their very danceable music in concert to strive for three-dimensionality as well.

All night moving is on tap as Los Angeles Classixx and fellow Melbourne resident, Joel Dickson (aka Nile Delta) both open an evening that will be impossible to stand still at.

6/17: Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor *
6/18: Miami, FL @ Grand Central *
6/20: New Orleans, LA @ Joy *
6/21: Austin, TX @ Stubbs *
6/22: Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
6/25: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
6/26: Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall *
6/27: Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue *
6/28-6/29: Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest Festival
8/1-8/3: Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
8/1-8/3: Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
8/5: Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/8: Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
8/8-8/10: Outside Lands Festival

* = w/ Classixx

Read More The Felice Brothers The Felice Brothers kicked off in 2006. They did what any delinquent youths, lost in upstate New York with dim job prospects would do: become obsessed with traveling the world and playing extremely …

THURSDAY, JUNE 26
TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB
The Felice Brothers w/ Robert Ellis

The Felice Brothers are currently on tour in support of their latest album Favorite Waitress, released June 17thi via Dualtone Records.

I've actually seen the band before, when they were just starting out circa 2003. I believe it was at the 7th Street Entry.

Tour dates:

06/19 - Washington D.C. - Rock & Roll Hotel #
06/20 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall #
06/21 - Toronto, ON - NXNE Festival
06/23 - Ferndale, MI - Loving Touch #
06/25 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall #
06/27 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon #
06/26 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock #
06/28 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown #
06/30 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway #
07/01 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar #
07/02 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
07/04 - Waverly, AL - Standard Deluxe #
07/05 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree Café #
07/09 - New York, NY - Webster Hall #
07/10 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer #
07/11 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair #
08/30 - Moseley, UK - Moseley Folk Festival

* w/ Langhorne Slim & The Law
# w/ Robert Ellis

Read More Freezepop We have always loved synthy Freezepop, so I thought I'd mention their upcoming tour. If you've never heard of them, then you've probably never played Guitar Hero. …

FRIDAY, JUNE 27
SKYWAY THEATRE
Kodomo

Brooklyn's Kodomo (aka Chris Childs) has a forthcoming album called Patterns & Light, coming out July 22nd. The new record was inspired by pieces from Bach, Schubert, Debussy, and Chopin ... far from his previous works remixing music for Freezepop.

Here is how they described the album:

On Patterns & Light, Child samples the music of these classical composers directly from vinyl, processing and re-processing them into an unrecognizable state while insuring the new sounds retained a distinct harmonic structure. The samples were fed through various software processing programs and analog gear, generating new sounds, patterns, and ideas from which elements for a track would manifest itself.

Tour dates:

06/27/14 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theatre
07/29/14 Brooklyn, NY The Glasslands Gallery

Read More Northrop Auditorium After 85 years, a facelift was most in order. The centerpiece of the University of Minnesota, Northrop Auditorium, just completed a five-year long major renovation, and is due to re-open as a vital performance space …

SATURDAY, JUNE 28
NORTHROP AUDITORIUM
Ray LaMontagne w/ The Belle Brigade + Hamilton Leithauser

This could go cosmic.

Folk rock singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne is back on the road in support of his latest, Supernova (RCA Records), which includes a stop at the newly remodeled Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis.  Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys produced the latest effort, which hones LaMontagne’s 60’s influenced blissful, emotional sound even more, and is on the heels on his last full-length, which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

The just remodeled Northrop’s revamped sightlines and whisper-friendly acoustics should be an ideal venue for this somewhat shy performer and expect songs from all five of his albums to be played.

Arrive early as well, as brother-sister duo, The Belle Brigade opens the show, as wells as sticks around to play in Montagne’s band and ex-frontman for The Walkmen (who officially are on “extreme hiatus”), Hamilton Leithauser plays a set in support of his solo debut, Black Hours (Ribbon Music).

06/22/14 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park 06/24/14 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre 06/25/14 Milwaukee, WI Henry Maier Festival Park 06/27/14 Chicago, IL FirstMerit Bank Pavilion 06/28/14 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium 07/10/14 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall 07/11/14 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Perf. Arts Centre 07/12/14 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach 07/15/14 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre 07/16/14 North Charleston Perf. Arts Center 07/18/14 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amph. 07/19/14 Birmingham, AL BJCC Concert Hall 07/20/14 Louisville, KY Louisville Waterfront Park 07/22/14 Interlochen, MI Kresge Auditorium 07/23/14 Grand Rapids, MI Frederik Meijer Gardens

07/25/14 Whites Creek, TN Woods At Fontanel 07/26/14 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheatre 07/27/14 Floyd, VA FloydFest 07/29/14 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre 07/30/14 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre 08/01/14 Austin, TX The Long Center 08/02/14 Dallas, TX The Music Hall At Fair Park 08/03/14 Houston, TX Jones Hall 08/05/14 Santa Fe, NM The Downs of Santa Fe 08/07/14 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre 08/08/14 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden 08/10/14 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Park 08/12/14 Troutdale, OR McMenamins Edgefield Amp 08/13/14 Redmond, WA King County's Marymoor 08/15/14 Sandpoint, ID Memorial Field 08/23/14 Dundas, ON Christie Lake Cons

Read More John Mark Nelson Local singer-songwriter John Mark Nelson capably opened the show with a delicate performance of songs from his previous efforts, “Still Here” and “Waiting and Waiting”, including the locally in-rotation … Bad Bad Hats It must be duo Tuesday, as there is a double bill of Bad Bad Hats (duo Chris Hoge and Kerry Alexander) and twin sisters Brooke and Brit's Good Graeff (pronounced "grayf"). Plus bonus third wheel …

SATURDAY, JUNE 28
CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER
John Mark Nelson w/ Bad Bad Hats

Minneapolis singer/songwriter John Mark Nelson has an album Sings The Moon release party this Saturday, June 28th, at the Cedar Cultural Center. The album comes out June 24th via Tone Tree.

The record was recorded during his senior year of high school and features guests Jeremy Messersmith, Jeremy Ylvisaker and Kenni Holmann.

Here is the description of the show:

John Mark Nelson album release with Bad Bad Hats
Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 8:00pm
Doors Open: 7:00pm
Advance: $12.00
Day of show: $15.00
Standing show; all ages

Two months after his high school graduation, John Mark Nelson jumped to the top of Minneapolis' folk-pop scene with 2012's Waiting and Waiting, a homemade album that split the difference between Nick Drake's quiet, stripped-back acoustics and Andrew Bird's orchestral sweep. Two years later, he's ready to make a bigger splash with Sings the Moon (June 24, 2014), the most detailed, collaborative album of his young career.

Warm and welcoming, Sings the Moon conjures up images of a winter's night spent inside a cabin, with a fire in the hearth and a soft song on the radio. Nelson, who fills the songs with autobiographical memories of his past and imagined events of his possible future, calls it "the soundtrack to a single human life." For this folk-pop songwriter, though, the soundtrack is just beginning.

Join the celebration as John Mark Nelson Sings The Moon at The Cedar in a full band show. Bad Bad Hats open.

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