W♥M

Torres at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (2021-09-17)

Setlist Are You Sleepwalking? Don't Go Puttin Wishes in My Head Constant Tomorrowland Cowboy Guilt Dressing America Big Leap Skim Hug From a Dinosaur Thirstier Kiss the Corners Hand in the Air Three Futures Last Forest Sprinter New Skin Helen in the Woods -- Encore -- Gracious Day Read More Torres Opening will be Torres, aka Brooklyn-via-Nashville musician Mackenzie Scott. We saw her in May 2015, but the last thing I read about Scott was that life on tour/on the road in 2015-2016 had led her to a breaking point … Ariana & the Rose I got an announcement that Ariana & the Rose (the new indie pop project from singer/songwriter Ariana DiLorenzo) will be playing a series of Lady Gaga after parties in New York and Miami. The debut EP, Love Me, Love Me Not …

Torres headlined the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, onFriday, September 17th, 2021, as part of her long tour in support of her new record Thirstier (Merge Records).

Synth-pop project, Ariana and the Rose (aka Ariana DiLorenzo), opened the show. We’ve previously written about Ariana in 2013 , briefly mentioning her debut EP Love Me, Love Me Not.

This was Ariana’s first time in Minneapolis, and she seemed excited to be touring. Every song she sang, she probably had a story for, like getting back with her ex, in “You Were Never My Boyfriend”.

She did a “rare” club song called “London Boys”, which had her doing her DJ-thing by playing back loops.

She ended her set with “Supercool”.

Mackenzie Scott, or better known as Torres originally booked this show at the Turf Club, in St Paul, but for whatever reason, the show was moved to the 7th Street. Perhaps it has something to do with the Turf Club in the process of rebuilding after it had suffered fire damage from George Floyd protests in August 2020.

Still, I do prefer seeing Torres at the 7th Street, considering we saw her very first Minneapolis appearance at the same venue in May 2015, “Turnout to Torres’ very first Minneapolis appearance at the 7th Street Entry last night was very good for a Wednesday night.”

Much has changed since her “deeply personal” tour in 2015. With her fifth album, Thirstier, out now, Torres seemed much more comfortable on stage, even being bold and confident in her ability to rock and roll. So much movement probably wasn’t good, as the show had to take a few minutes to clean up a “spilled drink situation”.

Probably the most personal song on her set is a song called “Big Leap”, which, as Torres explained, was about how her father had an accident and fell off the roof. He survived, but he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Torres’ new record Thirstier is out now on Merge Records.

Remaining tour dates

09/19 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
09/21 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
09/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/25 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
09/27 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
09/28 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
09/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
10/01 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium @ Catalyst
10/02 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
10/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
10/04 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
10/06 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co.
10/07 - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock
10/08 - Austin, TX @ 3TEN @ ACL Live
10/11 - Chattanooga, TN @ House Show
10/12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/13 - Asheville, NC @ ISIS Asheville
10/14 - Nashville, TN @ EXIT/IN
10/15 - Knoxville, TN @ Open Chord
10/16 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
10/17 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
10/21 - New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom

Torres

Ariana and the Rose

Ariana and the Rose

Setlist

Torres

Torres at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (2021-09-17)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC - September 16-30 2021 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

2021-09-18 Torres recordBar  2021-09-19 Alanis Morissette / Garbage  2021-09-20 Rufus Wainwright and José González at Uptown   2021-09-21 Shinedown and Struts Azura   2021-09-22 Glass Animals at Azura   2021-09-23 Wood Bros at Knuckleheads   2021-09-24 Faith No More at Grinders   2021-09-28 cleopatrick at recordBar   2021-09-29 Kevin Gates at Uptown   2021-09-29 Mt Joy at Grinders   2021-09-29 Future Islands at Liberty Hall   2021-09-30 311 at Grinders   Read More Glass Animals The latest UK buzz band, Glass Animals, recently just sold out their show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, last night, September 9th...

Fall is typically one of the busiest times to see live shows, Even with health protocols, the season is getting busier, leading into Rocktober, Vu from W♥M’s favorite month!

In the Kansas City / Lawrence, KS area, several postponements and a cancellation or two (see below) and Simple Plan recently dropped out of the New Found Glory show, replaced by Less Than Jake.

 

Similarly, Liz Phair dropped off the Alanis Morissette/Garbage bill, but has been replaced with Cat Power (who can be brilliant or puzzling, depending on the night). Please check with the venue and artist beforehand, for any health restrictions or last-minute changes.

Last month in the KC area was filled with live highlights – Foo Fighters serenading protesters on a flatbed truck, Wilco were not able to play outdoors due to weather so turned on a live webstream to give everyone a free backstage concert, and KC’s own Waxahatchee began her tour to end last month with a sold-out show, and help from partner Kevin Morby. 

Not sure how Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real and The Allman Betts Band shows got scheduled the same night (there is definite audience crossover), classic stalwarts Kansas will play a nearby homecoming show, and country fans will get to see Little Big Town up close, opting for two theater shows instead of one big arena gig.  

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the last half of September

(a few recommended shows are highlighted below):

Thursday September 16

Dance Gavin Dance with Animals As Leaders and more, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $27.50-$35

Kane Brown w Restless Road, Chris Lane, Russell Dickerson, T-Mobile Center. $35-$75

Wild Feathers, Bottleneck Lawrence, $20.

Sub Urban and Bella Poarch, RecordBar. CANCELED

Lucinda Williams, Knuckleheads. (postponed to Jan 15)

Friday September 17

John Pizzarelli Trio, Folly. $20-$55

Sara Evans, Ameristar. $55-$209

Here Comes the Mummies, Knuckleheads. $35.

Saturday September 18

Torres w/ Ariana and the Rose, recordBar. $12-$50
Vu previewed her new album Thirstier (on Merge Records)which came out in July and upcoming tour here. “I’ve been conjuring this deep, deep joy that I honestly didn’t feel for most of my life,” she says of the new release. “I feel like a rock within myself. And I’ve started to feel that I have what it takes to help other people conjure their joy, too.”

Albert Cummings, Knuckleheads. $18.50

Grand Funk Railroad, Ameristar. $40-$175

The Mountain Goats (solo) w/ Sophia Boro, Granada Lawrence. $24

Randy Rainbow, Uptown (Postponed to Jan 15, 2022)

Sunday September 19

Alanis Morissette w Garbage, Cat Power T-Mobile Center, $46.50-$146.50

Monday September 20

Rufus Wainwright and José González, Uptown. $35-$79
On the heels of last year’s Unfollow The Rules, Wainwright just released The Paramour Sessions, recorded live at a famous Los Angeles mansion.  We’re very much looking forward to hearing ‘You Ain’t Big’, played early in the set which name-checks “Topeka” and “Lawrence, KS” and he’s also been playing a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest”. (Vu previewed the Minneapolis show here). 

Swedish singer-songwriter González(who we've seen solo and w/ Junip) has a new single "Swing" out now, and like Wainwright deserves your attention live, so hope for no audience chatter. 

Avatar w/ Magic Sword, Tallah, The Truman. $28.50-$55

Dead Sara, recordBar. $12

Tuesday September 21

Shinedown with The Struts and Zero 9:36, Azura Amphitheater. $35-$124.50

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Uptown. $35-$49.50
One of Willie Nelson’s sons and his band has very much come into his own, after backing Neil Young and others for so long, while cultivating their own career and recordings.  The latest is A Few Stars Apart (on Fantasy Records) released in June, but fans know the live element is where the band really shines. Vu previewed their upcoming Minneapolis show here

Allman Betts Band w/ Marc Ford, Knuckleheads. $28.50-$48.50

Son Little, Bottleneck Lawrence, $18.

Dinosaur Jr., The Truman (Postponed to TBA)

Wednesday September 22

Glass Animals w/ binki,  Azura Amphitheater. $25-$39.50
Their highly successful tour continues, in support of last year’s Dreamland (on Universal Music) and held over from its beginning instantly sold-out gigs in small clubs (their March 2020 show at recordBar in KC was one of our last shows before pandemic lockdown), and are now playing to much larger, proper-size audiences. “Heat Waves” remains on heavy airplay and the song we couldn’t get out of our head for over a year now. 

Be sure to show up early for opener binki, a NYC-based genre-blending musician born to Kenyan immigrants, whose debut EP, Motor Function (on FADER label) with single “Invisible Fence” just dropped last month. 

Bianca Del Rio, Folly, $39.50-$212.

New Found Glory w/ Less Than Jake, Uptown. Ticket prices TBA.

Grouplove, Liberty Hall. $30

New Found Glory and Simple Plan, Uptown. $31-$40

The Wailers, Grinders Crossroads, Free.

Thursday September 23

The Wood Brothers w/ Andrea von Kampen, Knuckleheads (moved from The Folly). $26-$39.50
The Americana trio hits the road again, in support of last year’s Kingdom on My Mind (on Thirty Tigers Records), Blending folk, gospel, jazz and blues, ...what other band covers the obscure group, Little Bob & The Lollipops?

Be sure to arrive early for opener von Kampen, whose new album That Spell, was just released on Fantasy Records.  She often collaborates with her brother David, who does string arrangements, and is Lincoln, NE based, so might bring some of her fanbase to town and just played this same venue in June, opening for Punch Brothers. 

Kansas, Prairie Band Casino Mayetta, $65

Bad Bad Hats w/Alyssa Murray, recordBar. $15

Shakey Graves, The Truman. $27-54.

Andy Mineo, Uptown (Postponed to Fall 2022, TBA).

Friday September 24

Little Big Town with Nightfall, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $35-$115

Oak Ridge Boys, Ameristar. $30-$110

Pecos & The Rooftops, Granada. $13

Faith No More, Grinders. $47-$100

Jameson Rodgers, The Truman. $15-$30

Saturday September 25

Little Big Town with Nightfall Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $35-$115

America, Lied Center. $21-$55

Don Felder, Ameristar. $45-$170

Tacos & Tequila Festival with Ludacris, Twista, Mario and more, Legends Field. $39-$99

Sunday September 26

Boney James, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $34.50-$49.50

Lauren Daigle w/ Ellie Holcomb, T-Mobile Center. $26.50-$122

Samia with Savannah Conley, recordBar. $15

Monday September 27

The Brook & The Bluff,  recordBar. $15-$18

Yung Bleu with Ann Marie, Seddy Hendrix and Noby, The Truman. $27.50-$55

Tuesday September 28

cleopatrick at recordBar, $12.50
The buzzing Canadian DIY duo released their debut album Bummer, in June (on Thirty Tigers) a title we can all relate to after the last eighteen months(!), with lead track “Victoria Park” of which vocalist Luke Gruntz says, “It's our thesis, our first impression. The proverbial icebreaker. It's named after a real Victoria Park here in Cobourg, Ontario”.  Having already played Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Reading/Leeds Festivals, this is a chance to see them up close. 

Wednesday September 29

Kevin Gates, Uptown Theater, $45
A major playa in the hip-hop game, Baton Rouge native Gates has almost twenty mixtapes to his name and two previous albums, both of which went Top Five.  The KHAZA Tour also features openers DDG and Gang51e June and expect a mix of previous bangers, alongside a taste of the new album to come. 

Mt. Joy and Trampled By Turtles, Grinders. $34.50-$134
We’ve covered Mt. Joy previously (here), most memorably when the band joined The Lone Bellow on stage to cover Tom Petty and released their second full-length, Rearrange Us, last June during the pandemic. 

Of course, we love Trampled by Turtles as well, the Northern Minnesota band’s short-lived Palomino Festival(here) was one of our annual favorites to cover.

Future Islands, Liberty Hall Lawrence. $26-$30
The Baltimore band with a known reputation for their live shows is returning, in support of last October’s As Long As You Are (on 4AD), their sixth release.  Vocalist Samuel Herring is mesmerizing to watch and the Calling Out in Space Tour maybe references all the billionaires in rockets or maybe the 59-dates the band is playing, some with Modest Mouse and Hinds in Europe and the UK, following the North American dates. 

Jukebox the Ghost, The Truman. $20-$25

Colony House, Granada Theater Lawrence $18-$20.

Thursday September 30

311 w/ Iration,Iya Terra, Grinders. $45-$99

Amir El Saffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble, Lied Center Lawrence. $14-$25

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Knuckleheads. $20

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com

Girls Girls Girls: TORRES, Heartless Bastards, Brynn Elliott, Samia

Read more Girls Girls Girls.

Read More Torres Opening will be Torres, aka Brooklyn-via-Nashville musician Mackenzie Scott. We saw her in May 2015, but the last thing I read about Scott was that life on tour/on the road in 2015-2016 had led her to a breaking point … Ariana & the Rose I got an announcement that Ariana & the Rose (the new indie pop project from singer/songwriter Ariana DiLorenzo) will be playing a series of Lady Gaga after parties in New York and Miami. The debut EP, Love Me, Love Me Not …

TORRES
torresmusicofficial.com

Indie rocker, Mackenzie Scott, or better known as Torres (stylized as TORRES), will be on tour in support of her new record Thirstier (Merge Records). She stops by the 7th Street Entry (originally booked at the Turf Club) with Ariana and the Rose.

TORRES was previously in town, playing with Sleigh Bells, in 2018.

2021 Tour dates

Sun. Aug. 29 - Fairfield, CT @ StageOne
Mon. Aug. 30 - Portsmouth, NH @ Press Room
Tue. Aug. 31 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
Fri. Sept. 3 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
Fri. Sept. 10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
Sat. Sept. 11 - Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow Barn
Mon. Sept. 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Tue. Sept. 14 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Wed. Sept. 15 - Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar
Thu. Sept. 16 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Fri. Sept. 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. Sept. 18 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
Sun. Sept. 19 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Tue. Sept. 21 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Wed. Sept. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sat. Sept. 25 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
Mon. Sept. 27 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Tue. Sept. 28 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Thu. Sept. 30 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
Fri. Oct. 1 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium @ Catalyst
Sat. Oct. 2 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Sun. Oct. 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Mon. Oct. 4 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Wed. Oct. 6 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co.
Thu. Oct. 7 - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock
Fri. Oct. 8 - Austin, TX @ 3TEN @ ACL Live
Mon. Oct. 11 - Chattanooga, TN @ House Show
Tue. Oct. 12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Wed. Oct. 13 - Asheville, NC @ ISIS Asheville
Thu. Oct. 14 - Nashville, TN @ EXIT/IN
Fri. Oct. 15 - Knoxville, TN @ Open Chord
Sat. Oct. 16 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Sun. Oct. 17 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Mon. Oct. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Thu. Oct. 21 - New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom

Read More Heartless Bastards Heartless Bastards is back on tour, in support of their fifth album Restless Ones (Partisan). You may recall that Lara reviewed their The Mountain album, and described it as …

HEARTLESS BASTARDS
theheartlessbastards.com

Acclaimed rock ’n’ roll band Heartless Bastards is currently on tour in support of A Beautiful Life (Sweet Unknown Records/Thirty Tigers). The album comes out September 10, 2021.

Frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom talks about the influences on the sixth studio album, “When I wrote "You Never Know," I imagined it being in "Moonrise Kingdom," the Wes Anderson film, even though the movie has already been made. There’s a sense of adventure and innocence that youth embodies whether it’s with love or goals and dreams. This song is a reminder to stay open. Life is short. Take chances.”

Tele Novella will be touring with Heartless Bastards. Their sophomore album Merlynn Belle is out now on Kill Rock Stars.

2021 Tour Dates

08/20 - C Boys - w/ Joseph M
08/21 - The Continental Club w/ Marmalakes
08/27- C Boys - w/ Little Mazarn
08/28 - The Continental Club - w/ Ghost Wolves
09/16 – Little Rock, AR – Stickyz
09/17 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
09/18 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
09/19– Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley Lightning
09/22 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
09/23 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
09/24 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
09/25 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater
09/27 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Small's Theatre
09/29 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
09/30 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
10/01– Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
10/02 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
10/04 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle
10/05 – Atlanta, GA – Smith's Olde Bar
10/07 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater
10/08 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival
10/09 – Kerrville, TX – Kerrville Folk Festival
10/29 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall
10/30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre
10/31 – Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot Brewery
11/01 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
11/03 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
11/04 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
11/05 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
11/06 – Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club Ballroom
11/08 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow's Restaurant & Nightclub
11/09 – Arcata, CA – Arcata Theatre Lounge
11/11 – Eugene, OR – Sessions Music Hall
11/12 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
11/13 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
11/14 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
11/15 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM
11/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth Room
11/19 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
11/20 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
11/21 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
11/24 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater

Read More Brynn Elliott In typical zoo shows, they end before 10:30pm, so it’s not to disturb the animals at the zoo. Brynn Elliott will open. She was previously was in town in April 2016 with Parachute. …

BRYNN ELLIOTT
brynnelliottofficial.com

Passionate singer-songwriter Brynn Elliott was forced to rescheduled last year’s “Can I Be Real” tour to this September 2021. According to First Avenue, she wrote, “Coming this September I will be embarking on The Can I Be Real Tour! Unfortunately, I need to reschedule some of the shows so if you bought a ticket for one of those shows you will get a full refund via your point of purchase AND I will send you a clip of an acoustic version of your favorite song from my new EP, Can I Be Real? just dm me.”

Elliott is set to perform at Minneapolis’s 7th St Entry on September 22nd.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Minneapolis show has been cancelled.

Tour Dates:

09/13 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
09/14 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
09/15 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
09/17 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
09/20 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
09/22 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
10/04 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw
10/05 – Los Angeles, CA – Moroccan Lounge

Read More Sylvan Esso Sylvan Esso have sold out. The band was recently in Minneapolis at the second annual 10 Thousand Sounds Music Festival, which we caught the "up-and-coming dreamy indie-folk duo" last year.…

SAMIA
samiaband.com

After a tour with Sylvan Esso, New York City’s Samia will be headlining her own tour… which includes Minneapolis and Kansas City.

Samia ’s is touring in support of her new EP, Scout , released digitally July 23rd on Grand Jury , but arrived in physical formats in August 13rd.

Fall 2021 Tour Dates:

9/6 - Troutdale, OR – Edgefield *
9/7 - Redmond, WA – Marymoor Amphitheater *
9/9 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley *
9/10 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre *
9/11 - San Diego, CA - SOMA *
9/13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Union Event Center *
9/14 - Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom * SOLD OUT
9/16 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom *
9/17 - Austin, TX - The Moody Amphitheater *
9/18 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom *
9/19 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center *
9/21 - Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre *
9/22 - Asheville, NC - Rabbit Rabbit * SOLD OUT
9/24 – Chicago, IL – Schubas # SOLD OUT
9/25 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line #
9/26 – Kansas City, MO – Recordbar #
9/28 – Indianapolis, IN – Hifi #
9/30 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s # SOLD OUT
10/1 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall # SOLD OUT
10/2 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom # SOLD OUT
10/4 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe # SOLD OUT
10/5 – Washington DC – Songbyrd # SOLD OUT
10/7 – Columbus, OH – The Basement #
10/8 – Nashville, TN – The Basement # SOLD OUT

^ Pinegrove
* w/Sylvan Esso
# w/Savannah Conley

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: August 13 to August 16, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from August 13 to August 16, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Sam Smith at Xcel Read More Sam Smith Sam Smith has sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC and The Forum in Los Angeles in minutes, with a second show in Los Angeles being added on January 29, 2015. The month-long .... Gossip I got a hold of their debut album, That's Not What I Heard, from one of my favorite label, Kill Rock Stars, a few years later... by that time they had dropped the "the" ...

SAM SMITH
+ Beth Ditto
Xcel Energy Center
Tue 08/14/2018 (7pm/$39.75)
xcelenergycenter.com

Sam Smith is returning to the Minnesota area with a headlining appearance at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul on August 14th. We caught Smith in Jan 2015 and wrote, “A week after headlining NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Sam Smith made his long overdue local debut (a March 2014 showcase set at the Dakota last year for a few radio and retail tastemakers notwithstanding) with a grandiose entrance that set the stage for a polished and entertaining 77 min. set from the Londoner and band. Lights dimmed and the crowd screamed as a heavy gray curtain dropped to reveal yet another, more translucent curtain with caricatures of Smith’s right and left profiles and behind it, and Smith himself appearing then descending slowly from a center platform.”

Not to downplay Smith’s singing ability, but let me tell you that you should absolutely show up early to see Beth Ditto as the opener. Ditto has a great voice, as we can confirm when we saw her as singer of Gossip in October 2012: “The first thing you should know about Ditto, is that she has an amazing voice. Even though she was feeling a little under the weather, she was still belting out these electrifying notes.”

Beth Ditto – Tour Dates with Sam Smith

8/14 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
8/15 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
8/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena
8/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
8/21 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
8/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home
8/24 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
8/25 – Anaheim, CA @Honda Center
8/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
8/31 – Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
9/1 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino
9/4 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
9/5 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
9/7 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
9/8 – Seattle, WA @ KeyArena
9/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
9/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
9/13 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome

The Blueberry Tour Rod Stewart with Cyndi Lauper Sleigh Bells at Fine Line Poster Read More Cyndi Lauper Cyndi Lauper is currently on tour for her 30th Anniversary of She's So Unusual (originally released October 14, 1983, on Portrait Records), stopping by Mill City Nights in Minneapolis last night. … Sleigh Bells Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller are Sleigh Bells, and they are finally back after taking a small break. Last night was only their fourth show in the past two years but it felt as if they had never stopped. .…

Other shows in the area:

THE BLUEBERRY TOUR
Turf Club
Mon 08/13/2018 (7pm/$15/Sold Out)
turfclub.net

The all-star sold-out comedy tour dubbed The Blueberry Tour will be stopping by the Turf Club on Monday. Each show will feature standup from Joe Pera (Adult Swim), Jo Firestone (The Tonight Show), Conner O’Malley (Seth Meyers), and Dan Licata (The Chris Gethard Show) – all writers and actors from Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You.

Note: This is a seated show.

Tour dates:

Aug 8 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill
Aug 10 Chicago, IL The Hideout
Aug 10 Chicago, IL The Hideout
Aug 11 Milwaukee, Wi Underground Collaborative
Aug 12 Detroit, MI Small’s
Aug 13 Minneapolis, MN Turf Club
Aug 14 Madison, Wi Comedy Club on State
Aug 16 Denver, CO The Oriental Theater

ROD STEWART
+ Cyndi Lauper
Xcel Energy Center
Wed 08/15/2018 (6:30pm/$35)
xcelenergycenter.com

What a voice! No one sings like Rod Stewart. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-music icon is currently touring with Cyndi Lauper at Xcel Energy on August 15th.

Tour dates:

08/07 New York, NY -- Madison Square Garden
08/10 Toronto, ON -- Budweiser Stage
08/11 Pittsburgh, PA -- PPG Paints Arena
08/14 Kansas City, MO -- Sprint Center
08/15 St. Paul, MN -- Xcel Energy Center
08/18 Indianapolis, IN -- Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
08/19 St. Louis, MO -- Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/22 Denver, CO -- Pepsi Center Arena
08/24 Phoenix, AZ -- Talking Stick Resort Arena
08/26 San Diego, CA -- Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
08/28 Reno, NV -- Event Center **
08/29 San Francisco, CA -- Shoreline Amphitheatre
08/31 Portland, OR -- Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre
09/01 Seattle, WA -- White River Amphitheater

SLEIGH BELLS
+ Torres
Fine Line Music Cafe
Thu 08/16/2018 (8pm/$25)
finelinemusic.com

Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells have booked a gig at the Fine Line Music Café on Thursday, August 16th, fresh off their recent tour with Weezer and The Pixies.

Opening will be Torres, aka Brooklyn-via-Nashville musician Mackenzie Scott. We saw her in May 2015, but the last thing I read about Scott was that life on tour/on the road in 2015-2016 had led her to a breaking point, as she mentioned on Flood Magazine. It was a learning experience, and Scott is back, stronger and healthier than ever and more experienced with a touring lifestyle.

Tour dates:

08/7/18 Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
08/11/18 Chula Vista, CA @ Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
08/12/18 Phoenix, AZ @ AK-Chin Pavilion
08/16/2018 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
08/17/2018 Metro Chicago, IL
08/18/2018 Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH
08/19/2018 Basement East Nashville, TN

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Torres at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (20 May 2015)

Torres Setlist Son, You Are No Island New Skin Sprinter A Proper Polish Welcome Cowboy Guilt Strange Hellos Honey The Harshest Light November Baby -- Encore -- Ferris Wheel (solo) Tour Dates 05/21 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle 05/22 Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory 05/23 Toronto, ON @ The Garrison 05/27 Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right 05/31 Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound 06/02 Paris, FR @ Le Carmen 06/03 Berlin, DE @ Privat Club 06/04 London, UK @ Rough Trade East 06/25 Allston, MA @ Great Scott 06/26 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 06/27 Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle 06/28 Washington, D.C. @ DC9 06/30 Durham, NC @ The Pinhook 07/01 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl 07/02 Chattanooga, TN @ Rhythm & Brews 09/04 – 09/06 @ End of the Road Festival Read More Torres TORRES, 24 year old, Georgia-bred, Brooklyn-based Mackenzie Scott, will release her sophomore album, Sprinter, next week on Partisan. Suffused with a keen awareness of Scott's place in ...

Turnout to Torres' very first Minneapolis appearance at the 7th Street Entry last night was very good for a Wednesday night.

Aero Flynn

Opening up the show was Eau Claire's Aero Flynn. Although the singer Josh Scott said that this was "our round two of Minneapolis" (indicating that it was their second appearance?) for their 7th Street appearance, the truth is more like "Round Five", having appeared with Sacco, Dana Buoy, Local Natives, and others, throughout 2014 to 2015. Maybe I misunderstood Scott, perhaps he's just referring to his second pint.

Aero Flynn played tracks from their self-titled album (Ooh La La Records), including "Crisps".

Torres

Brooklyn-based Mackenzie Scott, or better known by her stage name Torres, is currently on tour for her sophomore album Sprinter, available now on Partisan.

After a full three minutes of an instrumental introduction song, Torres came on stage, burning an incense to cleanse the room. Clearly she's been doing this ritual every night.

Joining Torres on stage were guitarist Cameron Kapoor, keyboardist Erin Manning, and drummer Dominic Cipolla.

While the music of the show was of a serious nature, Torres did let out some jokes. After hearing loud cheers after she announced it was her first time in the city, Scott said, "I don't say that to all the girls. Very glad to be here." Then later in the set, a fan who asked for the band to "make it funky", Scott laughed and dedicated "Cowboy Guilt" to the fan.

The majority of the set was taken from Sprinter, mostly played early on. Making up the rest of the set were two songs from her self-titled debut album, including "Honey" and set closer "November Baby."

"Strange Hellos" was my favorite song off her set... only because it was the loudest and probably the most rock 'n roll from Torres.

After a brief exit from the stage, Torres would come back by herself to play out to "Ferris Wheel", a sad song about the realization that someone only liked her for her car. She would end the show with another incense burning.

Torres' Sprinter is out now on Partisan. For a deeply personal and emotional show, check out Torres on this tour.

Torres at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (20 May 2015)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic