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Jonas Blue: Perfect Strangers Remixes EP

Read More Jonas Blue Fast Car (Radio Edit) Jonas Blue By Tommy on June 11, 2016 Format: MP3 Music Verified Purchase Great remake of a favorite song. …

Yesterday saw the release of London native Jonas Blue’s Perfect Strangers Remixes EP. It features remixes of Blue’s hit song Perfect Strangers by Gregor Salto, Jerome Price, Bump & Flex and Pedro Carilho, as well as a Club Mix. The EP is now available everywhere, including iTunes and Spotify.

Blue and fellow Brit JP Cooper co-wrote the song Perfect Strangers, with Cooper on vocals. Cooper is a rising star with a strong potential for greatness. The original tropical house version of the song is available for download, as well as an acoustic version in which Cooper’s vocals and Blue’s musicianship really shine. The acoustic version also offers a unique perspective into the framework upon which these songs are constructed. This version of Perfect Strangers is available on iTunes and Spotify. Videos for both versions of the song can be viewed on YouTube.

Track listing:

1. Perfect Strangers feat. JP Cooper (Club Mix)
2. Perfect Strangers feat. JP Cooper (Gregor Salto Remix)
3. Perfect Strangers feat. JP Cooper (Jerome Price Remix)
4. Perfect Strangers feat. JP Cooper (Bump & Flex Remix)
5. Perfect Strangers feat. JP Cooper (Pedro Carrilho Remix)

Jonas Blue - Perfect Strangers ft. JP Cooper

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Minneapolis: July 27 to July 28, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 27 to July 28, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Børns Børns set to open the show. Tour dates: 07/28/15 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex 07/29/15 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 07/31/15 Lollapalooza Aftershows 08/01/15 Lollapalooza Chicago …

BØRNS
at First Avenue
Wednesday, 07/27/16, 6pm ($20/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ Børns, often stylized as BØRNS, is headlining First Avenue next Wednesday, July 27th. Børns recently opened up for Charlie XCX in August 2015, so expect his music to be on the dancey-side.

The show is sold out.

Show up early to check out a pair of duos from New York Beau (Heather Golden and Emma Rose Jenney) and Lewis Del Mar (Danny Miller and Max Harwood).

Lewis Del Mar’s single ‘Loud(y)’ was number one on Hype Machine, #3 on the Spotify Viral 50 chart, and their debut EP peaked at number 7 on Billboard Emerging Artists.

Lewis Del Mar’s Tour dates:

7/22 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant +
7/23 - Detroit, MI @ Mo Pop Festival
7/26 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom *
7/27 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
7/29 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
8/02 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
8/03 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
8/06 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
8/12 - Somerset, WI @ Summer Set
8/26 - Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
8/27 - Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
9/02 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
9/04 - Denver, CO @ Riot Fest
9/23 - Las Vegas, NV @ Life Is Beautiful
10/01 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

* w/ BØRNS
+ w/ Glass Animals

Read More On An On The Minneapolis Trio On An On will be heading out on tour in support of their latest album And The Wave Has Two Sides, which is coming out next Friday, July 24th, via Roll Call Records. ...

ON AN ON
at Turf Club
Wednesday, 07/27/16, 6pm ($12/$14)
turfclub.net

We got word that On An On is going on an extended hiatus. The group is playing their farewell show at the Turf Club in St Paul next Wednesday, July 27th. If you’ve never seen them, you definitely need to do it now.

The band offered this message:

ON AN ON is going to be taking a break from touring. We may still release music and play concerts now and then around Minneapolis, but we are winding ourselves in for now. There are a few reasons that this is our next move. If you're able to make it to any of the last OAO shows in the next couple months we can talk more about it... It's an entirely positive decision for us. We're redirecting the energy we were giving to OAO into new exciting things.

Of course, everyone in the band has their solo projects, Alissa Ricci is making ambient music and doing art. Ryne Estwing has been writing songs for the past several years under the name Louis (the band) and an electronica project called MLMO. Nate Eiesland’s solo project is called Como.

As we noted at the On An On’s And The Wave Has Two Sides record release party in July 2015, they have a good, strong local fanbase.

We’ve been writing about the trio since 2013, with Jess championing them when she discovered them at SXSW 2013: “On an On is one of those bands that got the attention of Jess, who said they look and sound amazing from their recent SXSW appearance.”

Opening the farewell show will be locals Margaret (not to be confused with the Polish singer or the London band) and Val Son.

Tour dates:

07/23 Capitol Hill Block Party
07/24 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
07/27 The Turf Club Saint Paul
07/28 The Empty Bottle Chicago, IL

Read More Ghost Ghost B.C. has a new EP out now called If You Have Ghost on Loma Vista Recordings. The five track EP was produced by Dave Grohl and includes cover versions of songs by and a live version .…

GHOST
at Myth
Thursday, 07/28/16, 6pm ($27.50)
mythlive.com

Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came out last summer via Loma Vista Recordings).

The metal band is known for their visually unique live shows, and it’s easy to see why they won “Best Metal Performance” at the Grammy’s.

Special guest Macabre to open.

Tour dates:

07/23/16 Hell & Heaven Metal Fest
07/27/16 Clive, IA Seven Flags Event
07/28/16 Saint Paul, MN Myth
07/29/16 Lollapalooza
07/30/16 Lollapalooza Aftershows
07/31/16 Green Bay, WI Sandlot
08/06/16 Heavy Montreal
09/16/16 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory
09/17/16 Revolution Rock Festival
09/18/16 Rock Allegiance Festival
09/19/16 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
09/21/16 Cleveland, OH Masonic Auditorium
09/23/16 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
09/24/16 Texas Mutiny
09/25/16 Houston Open Air
09/27/16 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
09/28/16 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
09/30/16 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank
10/01/16 JJO Sonic Boom
10/02/16 Louder Than Life Festival
10/03/16 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
10/04/16 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo State
10/05/16 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre
10/07/16 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre
10/08/16 Salt Lake City, UT Rockwell
10/09/16 Missoula, MT The Wilma
10/11/16 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
10/13/16 Vancouver, BC The Vogue Theatre
10/14/16 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
10/15/16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
10/16/16 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
10/18/16 Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal
10/20/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
10/21/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
10/22/16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl
10/23/16 Monster Energy Aftershock Festival
10/25/16 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
10/27/16 Lubbock, TX City Bank Auditorium
10/28/16 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre

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Mitski at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (19 July 2016)

Tour Dates 7/22 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern * 7/23 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz * 7/24 - Burlington, VT @ Monkey House 7/25 - Portland, ME @ SPACE Gallery * 7/27 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * * w/ Japanese Breakfast and Jay Som Read More Mitski Mitski, an identity and solo project from New York, is coming to First Avenue’s side room, the 7th street entry on November 19th. I did not know about Mitski when I saw her co-headline with Elvis Depressedly ... Japanese Breakfast Opening will be singer Michelle Zauner, of Philadelphia indie punk band Little Big League, under the solo moniker of Japanese Breakfast. The music showcases Zauner's dark ... Jay Som San Francisco’s Jay Som (aka Melina Duterte) to open. Tour dates: 7/15 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court * ...

Mitski brought a sold out show to the 7th Street Entry on Tuesday night as she took the stage with touring mates Japanese Breakfast and Jay Som.

Jay Som

The show was opened up by Jay Som from San Francisco, California. Her sweet and quiet demeanor was met with cute songs about real life events such as riding a bus. Som seemed young and her voice sounded young but it was a perfect start to the evening and the sold out crowd appreciated her quick, twenty-minute set.

Jay Som recently announced that she has signed to Polyvinyl. Her debut album is set for release in 2017... in the meantime, she will reissue Turn Into, a collection of finished and unfinished songs written, recorded, and mixed between March 2014-October 2015. The collection is available digitally for purchase, but will also be available on vinyl, cassette and CD on November 18th.

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast is the solo moniker for Michelle Zauner, who was the front woman of Philadelphia indie punk band Little Big League and numerous other musical groups.

The music was Japanese Breakfast seemed to be a bit more experimental than the music of Zauner’s other bands but had the energy you would want from a punk band. Zauner was joined on stage by a drummer and bassist who also did backup vocals and keyboards on some select songs.

The songs were chilling yet up-beat. At times Zauner's voice was haunting and beautiful and other times you could really hear her punk side come out as she screamed into the microphone. Her set was ended with her song about falling in love with a robot. This song really stood out due to the electronic feeling and auto-tune on Zauner's voice. It felt completely different than the rest of the set and she even got down in the crowd to jump around a bit. Although it was completely out of leftfield compared to the rest of the set, it worked and showed just how versatile Zauner could be.

Japanese Breakfast recently released Psychopomp on Yellow K Records/Dead Oceans in April of this year.

Mitski is known for being gutsy yet gorgeous when it comes to her music and that's exactly what she was as she performed on stage with nothing more than her voice, a guitar, and a drummer. She is currently on tour in support of her fourth studio album, Puberty 2, which was released on June 17th on Dead Oceans. She played songs from this album but also dug into her catalog to play some of her old songs. It was hard to tell what song was from what album due to her consistency which is a truly remarkable thing to hear.

It was hard to take your eyes off of Mitski as she sang through her set with more power than a single person should be able to have. Her music had a hint of being complicated but still understandable. It was dark but the performance of the music turned the light on it. There was a mixture of slow and fast songs. 99% of Mitski’s set was of originals but she did slip in a beautiful cover of “How Deep Is Your Love” by Calvin Harris. It was recognizable but had her own touch on the song with made it truly special and different.

Mitski at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (19 July 2016)

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Minneapolis: July 25 to July 26, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 25 to July 26, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Indigo Girls Indigo Girls is back with their latest One Lost Day (IG Recordings/Vanguard Records). We previously caught Amy Ray solo at the Turf Club in 2012 and at the Fine Line Music Café in 2008 …

INDIGO GIRLS
at Minnesota Zoo
Monday, 07/25/16, 7pm ($50/$62)
suemclean.com

Folk duo The Indigo Girls (Emily Saliers and Amy Ray) is returning to the “Music in the Zoo” series this July 25th. Spanning thirty-five years of performing together, the girls have produced sixteen albums (seven gold, four platinum, and one double platinum), earned a Grammy and seven Grammy nominations, and have toured arenas, festivals, and clubs the world over.

Their latest One Lost Day came out last year, and we wrote, “The new album was represented with just over half of the tracks played live, with the new songs somewhat downbeat lyrically, but ably fitting within the group’s canon of songs. The long and lyrically dark tale of ‘Findlay, OH 1968’ took a positive upswing with crowd favorite ‘Get Out the Map’ following, and Ray’s ‘Spread the Pain Around’ and ‘The Rise of The Black Messiah’ were tough but vital listens with the pain injected in lines describing failed relationships and racial inequalities.”

New York’s Great Caesar to open.

Tour dates:

07/21/16 Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival
07/22/16 Kent, OH The Kent Stage
07/23/16 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
07/25/16 Apple Valley, MN Minnesota Zoo
07/26/16 Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Place
07/27/16 Kansas City, MO Crossroads-KC
07/29/16 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
08/07/16 Salmonfest
08/09/16 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
08/11/16 Los Angeles, CA Fonda Theatre
08/12/16 San Diego, CA Humphrey's Concerts
08/13/16 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
09/08/16 Sea Island, GA Cloister
09/09/16 Saint Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amph
09/13/16 Jackson, MS Duling Hall
09/14/16 Jackson, MS Duling Hall
09/16/16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
09/18/16 Charleston, WV Cultural Center
09/20/16 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
09/23/16 Lincoln, CA Outdoor Amphitheater

Read More Black Sabbath So it's all true, Black Sabbath will reunite with a new studio album (and possibly a new Ozzfest nationwide tour?) to be out in 2012 via Vertigo/Universal. The band (Ozzy Osbourne ....

ZAKK WYLDE
at Skyway Theatre
Tuesday, 07/26/16, 6:30pm ($29/$35)
skywaytheatre.com

If you love Ozzy Osbourne, then there’s no doubt you’ve seen Zakk Wylde. Wylde played with Ozzy for nearly twenty years as his lead guitarist and song co-writer.

Branching on his own with Black Label Society in 1998, the Wylde group sold over 1.5 million albums over their seven studio albums.

Now, Wylde’s first solo album in 20 years, Book of Shadows II came out in 2016 on the Entertainment One Music (eOne Music), and this tour is in support of that record.

Supporting Wylde on this Skyway Theatre show will be Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown. Their critically acclaimed Nashville rock ‘n’ roll band’s The Wayside EP is available now via John Varvatos Records/Republic Records.

Also on the bill: Jared James Nichols to open.

Also, if you can’t get enough of Wylde, he will be back as Zakk Sabbath, supporting Clutch this October 21st at First Avenue. As Zakk Sabbath, this is Zakk’s take on Black Sabbath songs.

Zakk Sabbath’s band includes bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) and drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queens Of The Stone Age).

Tour dates:

7/22 Charlotte, NC Amos’ Southend
7/23 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
7/24 Chicago, IL Concord Music Hall
7/26 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theatre
7/28 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre
7/29 Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre and Ballroom
7/30 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
7/31 Boston, MA Royale
8/2 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
8/8 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
8/10 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
8/11 Lincoln, NE Bourbon Theatre
8/15 Denver, CO The Summit Music Hall
8/16 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
8/18 Missoula, MT The Wilma
8/19 Calgary, AB Flames Central
8/20 Saskatoon, SK Obrian’s Event Centre
8/21 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick Centre
8/23 Edmonton, AB The Ranch Roadhouse
8/25 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
8/26 Seattle, WA Showbox SODO
8/27 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
8/28 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
8/30 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
9/1 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
9/2 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
9/3 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda Theatre

Read More Mothers I went to see Mothers at the 40 Watt Club. They are a band that evolved from the solo work of vocalist/rhythm guitarist Kristine Leschper. When I hear her …

MOTHERS
at 7th Street Entry
Tuesday, 07/26/16, 7pm ($12)
first-avenue.com

We just caught Athen’s Mothers at Athfest 2016 and wrote, “Mothers makes me glad I’m capable of experiencing melancholy. This haunting, lovely melancholy is such a wonderful feeling when you listen to songs like Copper Mines. Then, with a pleasantly surprising departure from their customary ethereal style, the band suddenly changed gears with their own rendition of Glenn Frey’s The Heat Is On. Kristine introduced the song by telling us it was in the film Beverly Hills Cop. I was surprised to find myself not just swaying, but dancing at a Mothers show.”

Mothers is also excited to announce a support slot for Band of Skulls in September and October.

Invisible Boy (Chris Bierden, not to be confused with the Australian band) to open.

Tour dates:

Jul 23 WayHome Music & Arts Festival
Jul 24 El Club Detroit, MI
Jul 26 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
Jul 27 The Frequency Madison, WI
Jul 28 Lollapalooza Aftershow Chicago, IL
Jul 31 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL
Aug 14 Wrecking Ball Festival Atlanta, GA
Aug 17 Lexington London
Aug 19 Green Man Festival Brecon
Aug 20 Pukkelpop Hasselt, Belgium
Aug 22 Green Door Store Brighton
Aug 25 Headrow House Leeds
Aug 26 Bodega Nottingham
Aug 27 Knee Deep Festival Liskeard
Aug 29 Louisiana Bristol, United Kingdom
Aug 31 Perfect Sounds Forever #6 Bergen, Norway
Sep 02 End of the Road Festival Compton Bishop
Sep 02 Moseley Folk Festival Birmingham
Sep 03 Electric Picnic Stradbally, Ireland
Sep 06 Royale Boston Boston, MA
Sep 07 Corona Theatre Montreal, Canada
Sep 08 The Opera House Toronto, Canada
Sep 09 Skullys Music Diner Columbus, OH
Sep 10 LouFest Saint Louis, MO
Sep 10 Metro Chicago, IL
Sep 13 Gothic Theatre Englewood, CO
Sep 14 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 16 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, Canada
Sep 19 Revolution Hall Portland, OR
Sep 21 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Sep 23 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
Sep 24 The Casbah San Diego, CA
Sep 26 Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
Sep 28 Antone's Austin, TX
Sep 29 Trees Dallas, TX
Sep 30 1884 Lounge Memphis, TN
Oct 01 Exit/In Nashville, TN
Oct 03 Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC
Oct 04 Black Cat Washington, DC
Oct 06 Terminal 5 New York, NY
Oct 07 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA

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Hollywood Vampires, John Mellencamp and more at Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala, St Paul (17 July 2016)

John Mellencamp Setlist Pink Houses Stones in My Passway (Robert Johnson cover) Save Some Time to Dream Jack and Diane Hollywood Vampires Setlist Intro/ Raise the Dead Pinball Wizard (The Who cover) My Generation (The Who cover) Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith cover) School's Out / Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd cover) The Tenors Setlist Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover) Funiculì, Funiculà Elvis Medley: Suspicious Minds / Always on my Mind/ O Sole Mio / It's Now or Never/ Can't Help Falling in Love with You Nessun Dorma Trent Harmon Setlist Stand By Me (Ben E. King cover) Tennessee Whiskey Maddie and Tae Setlist Fly John Mellencamp Tour Dates 09/17/16 Bristow, VA "Farm Aid" 10/11/16 Worcester, MA Hanover Theatre 10/12/16 Utica, NY Stanley Center 10/14/16 Wilkes-Barre, PA F.M. Kirby Center 10/15/16 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino 10/18/16 Hershey, PA Hershey Theatre 10/19/16 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre 10/21/16 Toledo, OH Stranahan Theater 10/22/16 Niagara Falls, NY Seneca Niagara Resort 10/25/16 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 10/26/16 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts 10/28/16 Columbia, MO Jesse Auditorium 10/30/16 Ames, IA Stephens Auditorium 11/01/16 Lincoln, NE Lied Center 11/02/16 Sioux Falls, SD Washington Pavilion 11/04/16 Grand Forks, ND Chester Fritz Auditorium Hollywood Vampires Tour Dates 07/22/16 Rohnert Park, CA Weill Hall 07/23/16 Jacksonville, OR "Britt Festivals" 07/24/16 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery 07/25/16 Paso Robles, CA California Mid-State Fair The Tenors Tour Dates 07/29/16 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre 07/30/16 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery 12/11/16 Newark, NJ Prudential Hall Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Not in the sky, but actually were on hand for The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace ....

In terms of the senses, hearing is likely the most critical for any musician,

And so, it makes sense that so many musicians, as well as celebrities, sports figures, and dignitaries all descended on St Paul over the weekend to attend The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions and locally help to support grants for area nonprofits.

Previously, we covered the red carpet and arrivals; now, we want to focus on the gala itself and its many memorable music performances.

With a full orchestra on hand, the program began promptly at 5:30 in a large upstairs ballroom with the attendees enjoying their dinner and drinks at ten-person tables.  An introductory video was shown (with numerous celebrity cameos) to get the festivities started and then Canadian group The Tenors sang their version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, complete with an eagle flying over the onlooking crowd.

Usually a quartet, the operatic group has for now slimmed down to a trio, the result of fallout from an unexpected verse (by a now former member) during the Canadian national anthem earlier in the week at the MLB All-Star Game, which resulted in his expulsion.

Comedian Jay Leno got things going with a few jokes, and several videos of Starkey mission trips were shown, where people young and old, were seen receiving the benefits of this ever-constant humanitarian program. Executive director and co-founder of PACER, Paula F. Goldberg was then honored and included an impassionate plea against bullying, in her acceptance speech.

Hollywood Vampires members Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp took to the podium to describe their mission experience with the Foundation, while the band was on tour playing Rock in Rio in Brazil as well as Lisbon.  Depp joked about the road life, saying “I went to sleep in Detroit and woke up next to a Charlie Brown statue in St. Paul” and Cooper mentioned that seeing children, parents and grandparents hear for the first time, was truly the highpoint of their touring.

Jay Leno then returned for a full comedy routine, covering politics, everyday life, his older technology, and getting older during his twenty-five minute routine, which closed with a “Minnesota hunting joke”.  The most recent American Idol winner Trent Harmon was next, playing a soulful version of ‘Stand By Me’, followed by his own original, ‘Tennessee Whiskey”.

Country duo Maddie and Tae prefaced their lone (but appropriate) song, ‘Fly’, from last year’s Start Here (on Republic Records) with a story of sponsoring a recent video contest to promote hearing awareness among the nation’s high schools.

Starkey founder Bill Austin centered his Founder’s speech on a Civil War officer saving his descendent, making the point of the difference that a single person can make, followed by a forty-minute auction segment (which raised the majority of funds for the evening), including even a mission to Jamaica, taking place at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studios.

All-star band Hollywood Vampires roared out of the gate next, for a loud and energetic half-hour that no doubt vibrated the wine glasses of every table near the front, making many reach for the complimentary ear plugs on each table.

In addition to Cooper and Depp, the band was ably rounded out by STP bassist Robert DeLeo, G’nR/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, Bruce Witkin, and from Cooper’s band, Tommy Henriksen, with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry still missing since an on-stage collapse the previous weekend at Coney Island.

After playing a pair of Who covers, Depp had to fill in on the talkbox for Perry on ‘Sweet Emotion’ and the group ended with Cooper’s own, ‘School’s Out’. “If you don’t know this song, you were never a teenager”, Depp quipped to the tuxedo and ball gown crowd.

Immediately following, Depp’s guitar was auctioned for $60,000 to a lucky bidder, with a competing bidder also winning a signed guitar for the same donation amount.

Right Honourable Tony Blair (UK Prime Minister 1997-07) was honored following, breaking the ice by admitting he always wanted to be Alice Cooper and expanded on his work with the Africa Governance Initiative, in furthering development on the continent.

The Tenors returned with more gusto, weaving through the crowd for ‘Funiculì, Funiculà’ before returning to the stage for a swinging Elvis medley that included ‘Suspicious Minds’ and ‘It’s Now or Never’ and ended with a larynx-stretching version of the operatic classic, ‘Nessun Dorma’.

Jennifer Garner seemed genuinely humbled and awestruck for being honored as an advocate for early childhood education and trustee for Save the Children, and singer John Mellencamp (who arrived late enough to miss any red carpet) closed out the evening with a four-song, twenty minute set starting with classic, ‘Pink Houses’.

Playing with longtime guitarist Mike Wanchic, Violinist Miriam Sturm, and two background singers, the intimate set continued with bluesman Robert Johnson’s ‘Stones in My Passway’, rich with Wanchic’s slide guitar work. Mellencamp then stepped back to let his singers take the vocals for ‘Save Some Time to Dream’ because “their voices deliver a lot better than my old raspy voice”, he said. 

The all-American ‘Jack and Diane’ ended the set (and evening) with many up out of their chairs waving hands above heads and singing along to the stripped down, slower version.

“If you want a better world, it starts with you”, Mellencamp said, leaving the stage, managing to casually encompass the message of the night in one short sentence.  Using hearing as a vehicle to change lives around the world, the Starkey Foundation embodies Mellencamp’s statement, providing a gift to so many, “So the World May Hear”.

Photo Gallery:

The Tenors

The Tenors

Paula F Goldberg

Jay Leno

Bill Austin

The Tenors at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Tony Blair

Jennifer Garner

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

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Minneapolis: July 23, 2016 (Bonus)

Read More Citizen Cope Citizen Cope at Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans Coooooooope is back! He was rocking the boots, slick back hair, and of course stone cold look. Clarence Greenwood is as chill as they get, and that's why we love him. …

Bonus Edition: Shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on July 23, 2016. This Saturday is turning out to be one of the busiest day of the Summer. Here are two late additions.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

CITIZEN COPE
at Skyway Theatre
Saturday, 07/23/16, 7pm ($36 - $56)
skywaytheatre.com

It’s been a few years since we saw Citizen Cope, and this upcoming Saturday show at the Skyway Theatre is described as a solo acoustic show. There are a few reasons for these acoustic shows: the cost is minimal (you’re not paying all the band members), these shows are generally meant for dedicated fans and really a great way to really “listen” to the music as generally it’s a quieter, or “intimate”, experience.

Opening the show will be Detroit’s Mayaeni (pronounced Ma-yay-nee), touring in promotion of her latest Basement Kid, as well as her Elocution EP (released July 8th via Jay Z’s Roc Nation label).

Citizen Cope’s tour dates:

22 Jul 2016 Orpheum Theater, Madison, WI
23 Jul 2016 Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
13 Aug 2016 Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
15 Aug 2016 Ocean City Music Pier, Ocean City, NJ
19 Aug 2016 Theater of the Living Arts, Phila, PA
16 Sept 2016 Kaaboo Festival 2016
17 Sept 2016 Kaaboo Festival 2016
18 Sept 2016 Kaaboo Festival 2016
05 Nov 2016 Union Chapel, London

Read More We Are The Willows Black Diet and We Are The Willows to open the show. The latter may have been just recently added to the show, as they're not listed on the show poster. …

WE ARE THE WILLOWS
at Turf Club
Saturday, 07/23/16, 8pm ($10)
turfclub.net

We Are The Willows will be headlining the Turf Club this Saturday, July 23rd. The local band has been touring this summer in support of their recently-released record, Picture (Portrait) Parts 1 & 2 (Homestead Records/Amble Down Records), which recently included a Daytrotter and Iowa Public Radio session.

NPR Morning Edition recently spotlight the Picture (Portrait) Parts 1 & 2 album, describing it as a series of 350 letters written by songwriter/frontman Peter Miller’s grandfather to his grandmother while he was stationed in the Southwest Pacific during World War II.

Matthäus and Fathom Lane to open the Turf Club show. We Are The Willows’ next stop will be The Riot Room in Kansas City, Missouri (loves company).

Details of the Turf Club show:

We Are The Willows
with special guest Matthäus, Fathom Lane
on Saturday, July 23, 2016

Doors: 8PM
21 + | $10

More info: turfclub.net

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Femi Kuti at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (15 July 2016)

Tour Dates 07/21/16 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom 07/22/16 Wayhome Music And Arts 07/24/16 XPoNential Music Festival 07/26/16 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 07/27/16 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl 07/28/16 Pittsburgh, PA The Altar Bar 07/29/16 Washington, DC 9:30 Club 07/30/16 Floydfest Read More Femi Kuti As usual, the Cedar does a great job putting together the lineup, showcasing some of the best current African musicians, schedule as follows: 06/26 Femi Kuti & the Positive Force …

The Cedar and Sue McLean & Associates brought Femi Kuti and The Positive Force to the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Friday night, July 15th. This was the second show for the Cedar’s annual “African Summer” music series... and by the large turnout to Friday’s event, it’s a huge success. This is really a good thing, as only the Cedar and the Walker Art Center seemed to be the only two venues bringing world music to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, and it’s a “positive” thing.

Worldwide Discotheque

Worldwide Discotheque was a DJ who spun some World, Tribal, Afro-Dance music, to keep guests entertained while waiting for the show to begin. They continued to provide music between sets (and even after the show). The unique thing about them is that they only used a vinyl setup... which is challenging when queueing up the correct song, etc.

Zuluzuluu

Zuluzuluu opened up the show. This experimental project is fronted by Greg Grease, and seemed to look like three men standing over electronic switches. They described themselves as African/Astro music, and had more in common with current pop/r&b sound, with heavy dance, funk beats. I understand what they trying to, that is to take African music and take it into the future or modern age... but to me, the heavy reliance on electronic-produced sound kind of defeats why people like Africana music (which has always been traditional organic instruments). Perhaps time will tell if people accept this new sound or not.

Highlight of their set: they had a guest flutist and saxophonist Troy Williams (of Mind and Matter) appeared near the end of their set.

Femi Kuti

If you’re not familiar with Femi Kuti’s name, he is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti (or simply known as Fela). Like Fela’s youngest son Seun Kuti, Femi continues his father’s massive music legacy by creating new Afrobeat works and campaigning against political injustice (in fact, some of the songs performed live included a piece about “Political Corruption” in his song ‘Politics Na Big Business’).

In a typical funk show with a large musical cast (there were at least 15 people on stage), we get a long introduction to the various band members. At first, the backing back, known as The Positive Force, came on stage, playing their intro music. Next, the horns section comes on and do their little ditty... then promptly head back to their respective area. The traditional girl dancers in colorful garb came on next, did a little twerking, and then settled in the dancing section. Finally, the main star of the show, Femi Kuti came on stage to a roaring cheer from the audience.

Right at the start of Femi’s show, he tells us, “This is Africa. This is Afrobeat.” He asked us to forgive him for not talking much, as he would rather just let the music play, hoping that through his music that he brought Africa to us.

The majority of his set seemed to be songs from his last few albums, including 2013’s No Place for My Dream and 2010’s Africa for Africa (live set included the title track). However, he did play some unrecorded music, which he said, “now for the new.”

If you want to learn more about Afrobeat, you really need to check out a Femi or Seun Kuti show. I promise you will be dancing throughout the night.

Femi Kuti at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (15 July 2016)

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Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala (Red Carpet) at Rivercentre, St. Paul (17 July 2016)

Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Saint Paul’s Rivercentre  rolls out the red carpet this coming Sunday for one of the most anticipated events of the year, The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala. ....

With a nearly full moon in the sky (94% full, to be exact and called waxing gibbous for all you science-types), the stars were out at the Rivercentre in St. Paul –

Not in the sky, but actually were on hand for The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions and locally help to support grants for area nonprofits.

This year’s Award honorees included actress Jennifer Garner, advocate for early childhood education and trustee for Save the Children, Paula F. Goldberg, executive director and co-founder of PACER for making a lifeline for parents of children and young adults with all disabilities, and Right Honourable Tony Blair for his relentless belief in the future of Africa.

We’ll have full coverage for the gala itself shortly, which included brief musical performances from Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp); singer-songwriter John Mellencamp; country duo Maddie & Tae; The Tenors; and American Idol winner Trent Harmon, but wanted to first showcase the red carpet arrivals and the numerous celebrity attendees that showed their support.

Among the additional guests were:

Former astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Charles Duke; the first deaf winner of America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with The Stars winner Nyle DiMarco; Miss World America 2016 Audra Mari; actors Cedric The Entertainer, Michael Madsen, Verne Troyer, Barry Bostwick, Frankie Muniz and Kyle and Christopher Massey; The Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron, Austin & Ally actress Laura Marano, Gilmore Girls actress Vanessa Marano; Ray Donovan actor Steven Bauer; entrepreneur Rohan Marley; Minnesota Vikings player Kyle Rudolph, and legend Carl Eller; Boxing legend Evander Holyfield; boxer Andre Berto; Paralympian Mallory Weggeman; Arizona Cardinals players Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd; MLB Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Rollie Fingers; pitcher Barry Zito; Minnesota Timberwolves’ Cole Aldrich; NBA champion Ron Harper and Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson.

Photo Gallery:

Carl Eller

Ralph Sampson

Charles Duke

Buzz Aldrin

Barry Bostwick

Tony Blair at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Barry Zito

Rollie Fingers

Steven Bauer

Paula F Goldberg with Bill and Tani Austin

Frankie Muniz

Jay Leno at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Massey Brothers with the Austins

Mallory Weggemann

Evander Holyfield

Murano Sisters

Michael Madsen with Bill Austin

Cedric the Entertainer at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Dave Winfield

Rohan Marley w sports stars

Cole Aldrich

Maddie and Tae

Verne Troyer

Jennifer Garner at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Quinton Aaron

Nyle DiMarco

The Tenors

Kyle Rudolph

Audra Mari

Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

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Violent Femmes at First Avenue, Minneapolis (05 July 2016) (Update)

Setlist Blister in the Sun Country Death Song I Could Be Anything Good For/At Nothing Love Love Love Love Love Memory American Music Issues Jesus Walking on the Water Old Mother Reagan / Freak Magnet Gimme the Car I Held Her in My Arms Color Me Once Black Girls Gone Daddy Gone -- Encore -- Kiss Off Rejoice And Be Happy Add It Up Read More Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are back at it again. This time, it looks like they are going back to their typical setlist. The key differences from last night’s show and tonight was that Gordon Gano …

Violent Femmes’s triumphant return to First Avenue (their first night) took place last night, July 5th.

Violent Femmes

Having experienced both VF’s shows (July 5th and July 6th), I can tell you, on reflection, that the band really wanted to give fans that attended both nights something worth their time and money. Sure, the popular classic tracks were a staple on all their shows (although rearranged in some cases), but it’s the rarely heard ‘Gimme the Car’ that were indeed special for fans who attended the first night. For that particular song’s introduction, songwriter/singer Gordon Gano said that he wrote the song after seeing a Prince concert in 1980. Gano added, “I don't know why that just came to me!”

Joining the trio (singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and new drummer John Sparrow) were saxophonist Blaise Garza, and additional horns section: Todd and Mike.

Personally speaking, I really like the extra brass sound, and so did the audience... every time Garza played the subcontrabass (this gigantic saxophone), people went nuts.

For ‘I Held Her in My Arms’, Ritchie dedicated the song to Steve Mackay, who wrote the saxophone portion of the song. Mackay passed away last year at the age of 66.

If you look at many of the Violent Femmes’ songs, you can start to see a certain pattern: teenage angst, desire/need/drive for sex, memory or lack of, and sometime a little religious/old timey tales. It’s these themes that fans growing up in the 90s can identify with.

These fans probably haven’t seen the Violent Femmes in a long time. That is because, shortly after touring for Freak Magnet in 2000, Gano decided he just about had it with the tough touring life... then the band broke up in 2009 because of bassist Brian Ritchie sued Gano for, basically, selling out to Wendy’s.

It basically boils down to the fact that fans probably haven’t seen VF for 16 years. That’s a long time, but, based on hearing almost every song sung back, word for word, these same fans clearly haven’t forgotten about the Violent Femmes.

They saved two of their biggest singalong classics ‘Kiss Off’ and ‘Add It Up’ for the encore. Sandwiched between the two favorites, was a request for ‘Rejoice And Be Happy’, which they said that they haven’t played in a long time. However, like their new album We Can Do Anything, the band proved that they can play anything.

Violent Femmes’ remaining tour dates:

Jul 19 House Of Blues
Jul 20 Stubbs Austin, TX
Jul 22 Newport Folk Festival Newport, RI
Jul 23 Kerfuffle 2016 Festival Buffalo, NY
Jul 24 Massey Hall Toronto, Canada
Sep 24 The Park at Harlinsdale Farm Franklin, TN

Violent Femmes at First Avenue, Minneapolis (05 July 2016)

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The Wombats at First Avenue, Minneapolis (12 July 2016)

Wombats Setlist Give Me a Try Jump Into the Fog Moving to New York 1996 Be Your Shadow Your Body Is a Weapon Patricia the Stripper Pink Lemonade Techno Fan Emoticons Curveballs The English Summer Kill the Director Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) -- Encore -- Isabel (Murph solo acoustic) Greek Tragedy Let's Dance to Joy Division Coast Modern Setlist Going Down Guru Tiny Umbrella Dive Cool Comb My Hair Animals Pockets Hollow Life Tour Dates 07/19/16 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom 07/23/16 Zwarte Cross Festival 07/24/16 Liverpool Intl Music Festival Summer Jam 07/29/16 Osheaga Festival 08/01/16 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom 08/03/16 Los Angeles, CA Fonda Theatre 08/05/16 Santa Ana, CA Observatory 08/06/16 Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival 08/08/16 Buffalo, NY Waiting Room 08/10/16 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall 08/12/16 Providence, RI Waterplace Park 08/13/16 107.7 The End Summer Camp 08/26/16 Leeds Festival 08/28/16 Reading Festival 09/23/16 Life Is Beautiful Festival 09/27/16 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre 09/29/16 Omaha, NE Waiting Room 09/30/16 Des Moines, IA Wooly's 10/01/16 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre 10/07/16 Austin City Limits Music Festival 10/08/16 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall Read More The Wombats The good news is that with their third album Glitterbug just recently released (April 13, 2015), the band is back in the USA on tour. They are stopping by the Varsity Theater on May 6th. ... Coast Modern Los Angeles duo Coast Modern (Coleman Trapp & Luke Atlas) will open the show. Their debut single went viral on the HypeMachine Charts and got about a million streams ...

We’re unabashed fans of The Wombats—

…not the actual marsupial, which is a fine animal native to Australia (fun fact: a group of wombats is called a wisdom); rather the indie synth-pop Liverpool-based trio, making music since 20003 and out in support of third label full-length, Glitterbug (Bright Antenna Records).

The band was back in town last week for its third proper local concert on the current tour (after last May at the Varsity and a brief slot at December’s Go 96.3 Snow Show) and their audience seems to be only growing.  The show was all but sold out, with a crowd still seemingly getting younger, which is rare for a band that has been around for over a decade.

W♥M gave a heads-up about the band as early as 2007, and yours truly was likely the first DJ in the country to play the band, spinning a limited ‘Lost in the Post’ single, long before the band had signed to any label.  So, we’ve been on board for a while…

Coast Modern

The evening began with a spirited short set from relative newcomers, Coast Modern, a Los Angeles-based duo (Luke Atlas and Coleman Trapp) rounded out by a full band and in support of a handful of singles (on 300 Entertainment).

Self-proclaiming themselves “America’s Newest Band”, their forty-minute set was filled with the eagerness and exuberance of a band just starting out, and happy to be reaching audiences everywhere for the first time.

Coast Modern

The released singles (‘Guru’, ‘Animals’, ‘Hollow Life’) were sprinkled in-between even newer tracks, likely destined for their first album, with not much talk between songs, choosing instead to properly introduce themselves with their music.  Grouplove and Cage the Elephant comparisons have been made, but the duo is clearly striking out on their own and returns again in September, opening for The Temper Trap.

Murph

Choosing to open with ‘Give Me a Try’, The Wombats properly introduced themselves to any of the uninitiated with an open invitation to enjoy their music.  ‘Moving to New York’ started uncharacteristically quiet, but quickly built into a dervish, with drummer Dan Haggis pounding increasingly harder, and bassist Tord Knudsen leaping from one end of the stage to the other as his instrument kicked in. “Let’s see you dancing!”, singer Matt “Murph” Murphy asked (but didn’t have to).

Murph recalled the band’s first gig in town years back, and driving past First Avenue that day, being told of the venue’s history, saying how grateful they were to finally grace the legendary stage.  The irony of ‘Patricia the Stripper’ is that Murph’s mother is a Patricia, though the song thankfully has no relation.

‘Pink Lemonade’ was written in Barcelona in the midst of a relationship squabble Murph had, and older favorites ‘Kill the Director’ and ‘Tokyo’ had the crowd clapping and singing along to end the 70 min. main set.

After chants of “one more song”, the crowd was actually given three as an encore, starting more gently with Murph alone singing ‘Isabel’ with its opening lyric, “Two tickets to the rabbit hole, please”.

The new album’s second single ‘Greek Tragedy’ made things more cheerful with the bartender sending a set of shots up to the band following the song, of which Murph viewed the pours and described them as “American-sized” before downing his own.

Fueled by a little alcohol (except for Knudson), the set-ending ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ got everyone moving and singing along with its “So happy” lyrical bridge before the song ended with a crunchy, hard rocking instrumental end.

For bypassing Minneapolis on its initial US tours, The Wombats have more than made up for it, playing here at least three times each for the last two tours, and to ever-growing audiences.  They’re a secret no more- the cat, err, wombat, is out of the bag, and with glorious results.

The Wombats at First Avenue, Minneapolis (12 July 2016)

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