W♥M: Blitzen Trapper

11/09/2024

Minneapolis: This Week (11/17/2024)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

11 Nov 2024 Dehd with Gustaf at Fine Line

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Dehd

Dehd w Sara Grace White, Oct. 5, recordBar. Chicago indie-rock three piece (Emily, Jason, and Eric) returns to the area, in support of fourth album (and first for Fat Possum), Blue Skies, which offers 13 songs .…

Gustaf

Brooklyn art punks Gustaf opened the show, playing, basically, their entire debut album Audio Drag For Ego Slobs (Royal Mountain Records). They even played “Dog”, which was clearly not written on their setlist ...

11 Nov 2024 Monday

Dehd
with Gustaf
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Chicago’s Dehd is headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on November 11, 2024. The band’s latest Poetry is out now on Fat Possum Records.

Dehd at Granada Theater (15 Nov 2021)

We saw Dedh in Nov 2021 and said, “The evening began with a crowd-impressing fifteen song/forty-three minute set from Chicago trio Dehd (pronounced “dead”) who blend surf rock, dream pop, and shoegaze into a palette that is both retro and modern. Emily Kempf- vocals/guitar, Jason Balla- guitar/vocals and Eric McGrady- stand-up percussion make up in the band, who are out in support of last year’s third studio album, Flower of Devotion (on Fire Talk Records). Singer Kempf laughingly remarked between songs that her in-ear monitors resembled earpieces worn by the FBI, guitarist Balla never stood still, often lithely slithering about his corner of the stage while waving his bright green guitar, while drummer McGrady stood in the middle of things, mostly nonplussed but able to anchor all songs with a seemingly simple post-punk rhythm. The band was generally well-received by a crowd that were mostly unaware of them prior, and their merch booth was crowded between sets, which is always a good sign.”

Gustaf at Palace Theatre (07 Oct 2021)

Gustaf to open. We accidentally caught Gustaf at Palace Theatre in Oct 2021 and was simply blown away. We loved their songs, we love their attitude, and we love their show, simply put, “Their music is described as ESG meets Jonathan Richman… and you can hear it: they got that rhythmic “dance dance dance” sound with Richman’s humorous story-songs.”

Tour dates:

10/20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

10/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry

10/23 - Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre

10/25 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West

10/26 - New Orleans, LA @ Chickie Wah Wahs

10/27 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

10/28 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn

10/31 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom

11/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

11/02 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall

11/04 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

11/05 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre

11/06 - Seattle, WA @ The Neptune Theatre

11/08 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

11/09 - Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theatre

11/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

11/12 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

11/13 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

11/14 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

03/15 - Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen

03/16 - Stockholm, SE @ Bar Brooklyn

03/18 - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang

03/19 - Utrecht, NE @ Ecko

03/20 - Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo

03/21 - Brussels, BE @ Le Botanique

03/24 - Brighton, UK @ Patterns

03/25 - Southampton, UK @ Papillon

03/26 - London, UK @ Strange Brew

03/29 - Dublin, IR @ Whelan’s

03/31 - Manchester, UK @ YES

04/01 - Glasgow, SC @ Oran Mor

14 Nov 2024 Blitzen Trapper with GoldenOak at Turf Club

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Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper will be taking over the First Avenue main room on Sunday, October 4th and you will definitely want to be there. I have never been able to see these …

14 Nov 2024 Thursday

Blitzen Trapper
with GoldenOak
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Blitzen Trapper is touring in support of 100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions, available on Yep Roc Records. The tour will stop in at the Turf Club, in St Paul, on November 14, 2024.

Blitzen Trapper at First Avenue (04 October 2015)

We saw Blitzen Trapper in Oct 2015 said, “Blitzen Trapper were the headliners last night. I had heard a little bit of these guys before last night but it was always just background music for me. It's a bit too calm for my liking. That being said, they completely blew me away last night. Blitzen Trapper is a five piece alternative country band from Portland, Oregon. These guys have been around for quite some time. Their first studio album came out in 2003 and they have released seven more since then. Their newest album All Across This Land came out just a couple of days ago so they seemed to focus on playing songs from that album with a few older songs thrown in.”

GoldenOak to open.

Tour dates:

November 2 – SPACE – Evanston, IL

November 3 – Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI

November 4 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH

November 6 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA

November 7 - Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis, MD

November 8 – Baby’s All Right – Brooklyn, NY

November 9 – Black Cat – Washington, DC

November 10 – Mountain Stage – Charleston, WV

November 12 – Vivarium – Milwaukee, WI

November 13 – Pablo Center – Eau Claire, WI

November 14 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN

November 15 – Flannel Fest – Kimberly, WI

November 16 – Flannel Fest – Madison, WI

November 17 – Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL

15 Nov 2024 Golden Smog with Eleganza! at First Avenue

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Golden Smog

Golden Smog to open. The show is billed as Golden Smog Electric, featuring Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Marc Perlman, and Steve Gorman. Tour dates: Nov 11 Madison, WI, US Barrymore Theatre ...

Eleganza!

Eleganza!, a three-guitar super group of sorts with Brian Vanderwerf and Jeff Johnson of Chooglin’ , ex-Ol’ Yeller’s Greg McAloon, and Romantica’s Tony Zaccardi (who also fronts a Guns n’ Roses tribute band). ...

15 Nov 2024 Friday

Golden Smog
with Eleganza!
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Minnesota’s supergroup Golden Smog (featuring Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Marc Perlman, and Steve Gorman) is back for a special one-night appearance at First Avenue on November 15, 2024.

Since you already know all the names, you know that each band member is an accomplished musician, and they’re usually pretty busy going on tour or making public appearances. Once in a while, the band will get together, so it’s a special event, for sure.

Please note that “new guy” Jeff Tweedy will not be joining the band for this event.

Eleganza! at Turf Club (06 May 2016)

Eleganza! to open. We caught the band in May 2016 and wrote, “The night started with two opening bands- The Carnegies featuring the Mars brothers (Royce on drums, and Roman on bass) and Taylor Tolle on the guitar who played retro-fueled blues/psych rock and Eleganza!, a three-guitar super group of sorts with Brian Vanderwerf and Jeff Johnson of Chooglin’ , ex-Ol’ Yeller’s Greg McAloon, and Romantica’s Tony Zaccardi (who also fronts a Guns n’ Roses tribute band).”

Golden Smog writes:

Golden Smog, America's favorite Stupergroup, is pleased to announce that Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Marc Perlman and Steve Gorman (the latest in a long line of Smog drummers dating back to Dave Pirner) will be appearing for one night only on Friday, November 15 at First Avenue & 7th St Entry, the scene of so many great Golden Smog and Golden Smog-related shows over the last 4 decades. In other words, home. Eleganza will be opening.

In lieu of any new music, the current mode for Golden Smog is to play when circumstances allow, whether it's a year between shows or a decade. For this year's show the plan - and, yes, there is a plan - is to invoke the spirit of early GS, when fun with a capital F was the driving force. So expect lots of stuff from the 1996-2006 "Major Label" era but also a healthy dose of old faves from the 1988-1993 "What The Hell Are We Doing" era, when the goal was to not be the worst cover band in town....and have fun, did we mention that?

Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, October 18 at 10 am CT but there will be an exclusive artist presale this Wednesday, October 16 at 10am CT. Presale code is KEYS

16 Nov 2024 Tycho with Brijean at First Avenue

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Tycho

Tycho is back in Minneapolis this Tuesday, April 8th, in support of Awake, at a much bigger venue, First Avenue. Hopefully it's big enough to accommodate all of Tycho's fans. …

16 Nov 2024 Saturday

Tycho
with Brijean
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

2X Grammy Award-nominated Tycho is back on tour to support their new album Infinite Health (Mom + Pop / Ninja Tune). The tour will stop in Minneapolis, at First Avenue, on November 16, 2024.

Tycho at First Avenue (22 March 2015)

We saw Tycho in March 2015 said, “Scott Hansen, or probably better known as Tycho is back in Minneapolis. The band was recently in Minneapolis last April 2014, promoting Awake, which Hansen described as "the first true Tycho record." According to Hansen regarding the April 2014 show, "almost didn't happen!" He didn't go into details about "crazy story" on stage, but I suspect it was likely due to transportation issues. In fact, Hansen rarely spoke at all, instead letting his music speak for him.”

Brijean to open.

Tour dates:

10/29 - San Diego, CA - The Sound

10/30 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren

10/31 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf

11/03 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater

11/04 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

11/07 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern

11/08 - Pelham, TN - The Caverns

11/09 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater

11/10 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

11/11 - Boston, MA - Royale

11/12 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel

11/14 - Toronto, ONT - History

11/15 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed

11/16 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:59 PM in Blitzen Trapper, Dehd, Eleganza, Golden Smog, Gustaf, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Tycho | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/29/2024

Minneapolis: November 13 to November 14, 2024

09/13/2020

Flashback: Blitzen Trapper at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 Feb 2009)

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Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper will be taking over the First Avenue main room on Sunday, October 4th and you will definitely want to be there. I have never been able to see these â€¦

I have seen Blitzen Trapper at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on July 29, 2007.

Blitzen Trapper at Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis (29 July 2007)

I can say it now, but when I saw them at the Triple Rock, it wasn’t a very good turnout, due to the fact it was a Sunday night. The band was really late to the venue because of roadwork on Highway 61. It wasn’t the band’s finest hour, especially going on cold without a soundcheck.

Fortunately, for Lara’s show, at First Avenue, on February 18, 2009, the show was “packed”...

>>>
Originally scheduled to perform at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis, Blitzen Trapper outdid themselves with fan-age and the show was moved to the much larger First Ave. “Danceteria.” Even so, the club was packed—not packed in the fun way, when a girl can casually rub against a sweaty young hipster and still play coy, but packed like a big awkward sardine tin, with the majority of the crowd standing, immobile, clutching Red Stripes and sort of doing the head bob. Weird, huh. I mean, Blitzen Trapper are certainly no Dance Band, but you’d think they’ve earned a few arm thrusts, maybe some leg spasms, at least a pogo or two (the shit’s going to rain on me for that comment; pogo = bad)*.

Blitzen Trapper have been described as “experimental folk,” but I say this with a smirk, as it seems these days, any band that writes lyrics concerning farms or hills or serial killers is deemed “folk-y”**. Similarly, any band that uses synth as a garnish (and not as a main course, a la New Wave/proponents of New Wave), gets a broad ‘experimental’ tagged onto their name. Thus, “experimental folk” is born; though, I have some problems with calling a band whose frontman occasionally enters the Tom Petty sing-talk-groove territory “experimental.” 2008’s Furr may have folk-ish tendencies, but it also rocks (kinda) hard (“Sleepytime in the Western World” sounds positively 70s and makes me think of being inside some dive and throwing a drink in a man’s face).

On Wednesday, I managed to arrive at First Ave. just as opener Alela Diane was finishing her set (unreliable public transportation; cigarette). Unfortunately for me (and also for Alela Diane fans), the crowd chatter was so obnoxiously loud that instead of music, I heard entire conversations about bangin’ chicks (classy crowd chatter). The talking might not have seemed so obvious had Diane’s vocals and instrumentation been more suited to the large venue (the Varsity would fit her perfectly). It wasn’t her fault, and it wasn’t the crowd’s fault (maybe it was the crowd’s fault a little—give children more space and they feel the need to be unruly); still, the lukewarm beginning did not bode well for the rest of the evening.

By the time Blitzen Trapper took the stage most of the chatter had dissipated. This was the first time I’d seen BT live, but from what I’ve heard, they have a reputation as an inconsistent live act. General consensus within the blogging community has been ambivalence—this was not one of their stellar performances. Still, I would hardly call the show bad. For now I’ll give them the benefit of doubt: switching to a big, dirty historic concert hall from a smaller, curtain-festooned, lounge setting could potentially be vexing. I enjoyed live versions of “Not Your Lover,” “Black River Killer” (my favorite strange little gothic country narrative), and the abovementioned “Sleepytime in the Western World.” The band looked good (I made a comment about how singer Eric Earley sort of looks like Jeff Tweedy from a great, great, great distance), sounded good, played good. It was one of those “good” shows: no surprises, no special energy, no funny in-between song jokes, no extra credit. A solid B show (B- if you factor in the apathetic crowd).

Blitzen Trapper is currently on tour with Alela Diane supporting. The next few dates are East Coast shows; for more information, visit their Myspace or Website.

*At one point during the show I did notice that somewhere in the horizon, near the stage, far from our standing place, a small group of girls were doing something that resembled dancing!

**I’ve done it. More than once.

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

Posted at 12:00 AM in Blitzen Trapper, First Avenue, Flashback, Lara | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/07/2015

Blitzen Trapper, w/ The Domestics at First Avenue, Minneapolis (04 October 2015)

Tour Dates

10/06 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
10/07 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
10/08 The Loving Touch Ferndale, MI
10/09 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, ON
10/10 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
10/11 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
10/13 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA
10/14 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
10/15 Black Cat Washington, DC
10/16 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC
10/17 The Loft Atlanta, GA
10/18 Exit / In Nashville, TN
10/19 Saturn Birmingham, AL
10/21 The Parish Austin, TX
10/22 Club Dada Dallas, TX
10/23 The Opolis Norman, OK
10/24 Bottleneck Lawrence, KS
10/26 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
10/27 State Room Salt Lake City, UT
11/09 HiFi Music Hall Eugene, OR
11/11 SOhO Santa Barbara, CA
11/12 San Diego Music Thing San Diego, CA
11/13 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
11/14 Don Quixote’s Felton, CA
11/15 Independent San Francisco, CA
11/16 Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA
11/17 Humboldt Brews Arcata, CA
11/19 Neptune Theatre Seattle, WA
11/20 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC
11/28 Revolution Hall Portland, OR

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Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper will be taking over the First Avenue main room on Sunday, October 4th and you will definitely want to be there. I have never been able to see these …

The Domestics

Opening up will be The Domestics, a five piece indie folk-rock group from Portland, Oregon. They are new to the scene but have already been turning heads. They will be out supporting …

Blitzen Trapper recently stopped by First Avenue in Minneapolis, in support of their latest release All Across This Land (Vagrant Records).

The Domestics

There's a reason why Spin Magazine named The Domestics a "band to watch". From the instant the band took the stage, the growing crowd that had been lingering in the back of the venue began to get closer and closer.

The Domestics are a five piece band from Portland, Oregon that were truly turning heads last night. They recently released their self-titled debut LP on Tender Loving Records and I truly hope there are more releases to come. They seemed to play just about everything off of their debut in their somewhat short, but enjoyable, set.

Their music was up-beat but calming. It was the type of music that you just want to sit on your balcony/ porch with a bottle of wine and listen to on repeat. The band members must have had the same idea being that they were passing around a bottle of wine. It was the perfect way to start off a night of great, calming music.

Blitzen Trapper were the headliners last night. I had heard a little bit of these guys before last night but it was always just background music for me. It's a bit too calm for my liking. That being said, they completely blew me away last night.

Blitzen Trapper is a five piece alternative country band from Portland, Oregon. These guys have been around for quite some time. Their first studio album came out in 2003 and they have released seven more since then. Their newest album All Across This Land came out just a couple of days ago so they seemed to focus on playing songs from that album with a few older songs thrown in.

Eric Earley, singer, has a voice that very much resembles that of Bob Dylan. The music altogether has a very similar sound and feel to Dylan. The lyrics take you back to a simpler time and make you want to curl up next to a fire or something calm like that

The fact that one of their songs led into "Come Together" by The Beatles is a perfect example of the type of music this was. Everything was so chill and informal but at the same time very polished. Every guitar solo was filled with simple yet beautiful riffs that truly made you lose yourself in the music.

Everything about this show was personal. Earley seemed to have a few brain farts during the show where he completely forgot the lyrics. He could have easily brushed it off and kept going but instead, he stopped and started the song over. I loved this. Why? Because it just proves that musicians are humans too and they make mistakes. Instead of going on and shrugging it off, he wanted perfection and he got it. Even with the brain farts, the whole set was flawless. Each note had a purpose and each beat had you tapping your feet.

For the encore, the band brought drummer Brian Koch up to the front of the stage with just a snare drum and some brushes. This gave the crowd a great chance to see just how much talent these men have especially when they went a capella for a wee bit.

Blitzen Trapper at First Avenue, Minneapolis (04 October 2015)

langen ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Posted at 06:40 PM in Blitzen Trapper, First Avenue, Langen, Minneapolis, Tender Loving Empire, The Domestics | Permalink | Comments (0)

09/28/2015

Rocktober: October 4, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 4, 2015.

Just a reminder that the Gardens & Villa show will also at the 7th Street Entry.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

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Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper, these guys rock. Call it alt country or southern rock, either way they know what they are doing and they do it well. Great tunes, three part harmonies …

BLITZEN TRAPPER
at First Avenue
Sunday, 10/04/2015, 7pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

Blitzen Trapper will be taking over the First Avenue main room on Sunday, October 4th and you will definitely want to be there. I have never been able to see these guys but am definitely excited! These guys are a five piece country/folk band from Portland, Oregon. With eight studio albums under their belt, these guys are sure to bring the house down with their quirky sound. I'm not typically a country fan but there's something about these guys that keeps you wanting more.

Blitzen Trapper's latest All Across This Land will land on October 2 via Vagrant Records.

Opening up will be The Domestics, a five piece indie folk-rock group from Portland, Oregon. They are new to the scene but have already been turning heads. They will be out supporting their self-titled debut album coming out via Tender Loving Empire records. These guys were named an "artist to watch" by Spin for a reason!

Blitzen Trapper's tour dates:

09/30 Faultline North Bozeman, MT
10/01 Carlin Events Center Billings, MT
10/03 The Aquarium Fargo, ND
10/04 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
10/06 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
10/07 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
10/08 The Loving Touch Ferndale, MI
10/09 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, ON
10/10 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
10/11 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
10/13 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA
10/14 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
10/15 Black Cat Washington, DC
10/16 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC
10/17 The Loft Atlanta, GA
10/18 Exit / In Nashville, TN
10/19 Saturn Birmingham, AL

10/21 The Parish Austin, TX
10/22 Club Dada Dallas, TX
10/23 The Opolis Norman, OK
10/24 Bottleneck Lawrence, KS
10/26 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
10/27 State Room Salt Lake City, UT
11/09 HiFi Music Hall Eugene, OR
11/11 SOhO Santa Barbara, CA
11/12 San Diego Music Thing San Diego, CA
11/13 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
11/14 Don Quixote’s Felton, CA
11/15 Independent San Francisco, CA
11/16 Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA
11/17 Humboldt Brews Arcata, CA
11/19 Neptune Theatre Seattle, WA
11/20 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC
11/28 Revolution Hall Portland, OR

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Sun Club

Sun Club didn’t just open the show, they took a mallet and bashed their way in. Their set was weird, wild and wonderful - as if they were all hooked up to electrodes that caused violent convulsions …

THE DISTRICTS
at Triple Rock Social Club
Sunday, 10/04/2015, 8pm ($15)
triplerocksocialclub.com

You might remember how we caught Sun Club (Shane McCord, Adam Shane, Mikey Powers, Devin McCord, Kory Johnson) with Alvvays at the Turf Club in December 2014 and was totally blown away. As Emily described it, "Sun Club didn’t just open the show, they took a mallet and bashed their way in. Their set was weird, wild and wonderful - as if they were all hooked up to electrodes that caused violent convulsions in the form of sexy dancing."

Baltimore band recently signed with ATO Records and is currently out on tour in support of their debut LP The Dongo Durango (out October 30th).

Headliner is Philadelphia's The Districts, currently touring in support of their 2015 album A Flourish and a Spoil (Fat Possums Records).

Sun Club's tour dates:

09/28 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT#
09/29 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, Canada#
09/30 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, Canada#
10/02 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH#
10/03 - Metro - Chicago, IL#
10/04 - Triple Rock - Minneapolis, MN#
10/05 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI#
10/07 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO#
10/09 - Top Hat - Missoula, MT#
10/10 - Neurolux - Boise, ID#
10/11 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR#
10/12 - Neumos - Seattle, WA#
10/14 - Great American - San Francisco, CA#
10/16 - The Irenic - San Diego, CA#
10/17 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA#
10/20 - The Parish - Austin, TX#

10/21 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX#
10/22 - Studio - Houston, TX#
10/23 - Hi-Hi Lounge - New Orleans, LA#
10/24 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN#
10/26 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA#
10/27 - The High Watt - Nashville, TN#
10/28 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY#
10/29 - Cosmic Charlie's - Lexington, KY#
10/31 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC#$
11/02 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC#$
11/03 - The Sinclair - Boston, MA#$
11/04 - Music Hall - Brooklyn, NY#$
11/05 - Music Hall - Brooklyn, NY#$
11/06 - Baltimore, MD - The Crown

# = The Districts; $ = Lady Lamb

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The Black Crowes

I have The Black Crowes's Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution 1-track radio promo here. ...

JACKIE GREENE
at Cedar Cultural Center
Sunday, 10/04/2015, 7pm ($17)
thecedar.org

You may have remembered American singer-songwriter Jackie Greene as one of the band members in the final lineup for The Black Crowes before they broke up in January 2015.

Jackie Greene is currently on tour in support of his new album Back to Birth (his seventh album!), which landed #5 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #43 on the Rock chart, and #10 on the Folk chart when it debut earlier in August.

The record was produced by Los Lobos member Steve Berlin, the album was recorded at Portland’s Supernatural Sound. The 11-song set features Paul Rigby (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar); Damian Erskine (bass); Reinhardt Melz (drums); Jason Crosby (violin, string arrangements) with Greene stretching out on a number of instruments including guitar, piano, organ and drums.

Special guest Nashville's Derik Hultquist will open the show.

Tour dates:

09/26 - Levon Helm’s Studio - Woodstock, NY
09/27 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
09/30 - Musica - Akron, OH
10/01 - Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI
10/02 - Deluxe - Indianapolis, IN
10/04 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
10/05-10/6 - City Winery - Chicago, IL

langen + vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Posted at 12:00 AM in Blitzen Trapper, Gardens and Villa, Jackie Greene, Langen, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Rocktober, Sun Club, The Districts, The Domestics, Vu | Permalink | Comments (0)

11/27/2014

Minneapolis: December 10 - December 12, 2014

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from December 10 to December 12, 2014.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

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Skinny Puppy

In an effort to unite instead of isolate, The Alliance of Sound plans on bringing the different flavors of electronic music together for an unforgettable tour. …

ALLIANCE OF SOUND
at Mill City Nights
Wednesday 12/10/14, 8pm ($30)
millcitynights.com

Some of the biggest metal/industrial/electronic bands Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, VNV Nation, and Haujobb have joined forces to "unite instead of isolate."

All these bands formed in the 80s or 90s (I remember these Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly way back in my radio DJ days in 1993-1995), with the exception of Los Angeles duo Youth Code... who must be over the moon to be playing with these legends.

The Alliance of Sound tour:

Nov. 28 – The Sound Academy (Toronto, ON)
Nov 29 – Metropolis (Montreal, QC)
Nov. 30 – House of Blues (Boston, MA)
Dec. 2 – Best Buy Theater (NYC)
Dec. 3 – Trocadero Theatre (Philadelphia, PA)
Dec. 5 – Jannus Landing (Tampa, FL)
Dec. 6 – Buckhead Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
Dec. 8 – The Pageant (St. Louis, MO)
Dec. 9 – The Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL)
Dec. 10 – Mill City Nights (Minneapolis, MN)
Dec. 12 – Ogden Theatre (Denver, CO)
Dec. 13 – The Complex (SLC)
Dec. 15 – Showbox SODO (Seattle, WA)
Dec. 16 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver, BC)
Dec. 17 – Roseland Theater (Portland, OR)
Dec. 19 – Regency Ballroom (San Francisco, CA)
Dec. 20 – The Fox Theater (Pomona, CA)

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Alvvays

Alvvays are two women, three men, a crate of C-86 tapes and a love of jingle-jangle. Molly Rankin and Kerri MacLellan grew up as next-door neighbours in Cape Breton, lifting fiddles and folk-songs. …

ALVVAYS w/ Sun Club
at Turf Club
Thursday 12/11/14, 7:30pm ($12)
turfclub.net

There must be something delightful in the drinking water up in Canada, ‘cause Toronto keeps sending Minneapolis music fans some choice indie-pop bands to enjoy. Having just hosted fantastic power-pop giants Sloan, St. Paul’s Turf Club will be welcoming another great Toronto band on December 11th: Alvvays, whose influences, ranging from Teenage Fanclub to Belle & Sebastian, certainly left a mark on their bright, reverb-soaked sound.

Childhood friends Molly Rankin and Kerri MacLellan formed Alvvays in 2012 with Alec O'Hanley Brian Murphy, and Phil MacIsaac rounding out the lineup. They did some touring with bands like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart before releasing their full-length self-titled debut in July. The album features members of Holy F*ck and was recorded at Chad VanGaalen’s home studio (dubbed “Yoko Eno Studio”) in Calgary.

Fans of Frankie Rose and Best Coast will be pleased by the album’s shimmering lo-fi melodies. But even folks who aren’t keen on this kind of starry-eyed groove still have to check out the soaring wedding-bell-blues single “Marry Me, Archie.” Hell, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) covered the song at a solo gig in Seattle last Saturday.

Opening for Alvvays are Sun Club, a band influenced by the likes of the Beach Boys and Animal Collective. Their debut EP is out now on Goodnight Records.

Tour dates (* indicates with The Decemberists)

11/28/14 Los Angeles, CA Echo
11/29/14 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
12/01/14 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
12/02/14 Seattle, WA Barboza
12/03/14 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
12/05/14 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
12/06/14 Calgary, AB The Gateway at SAIT
12/09/14 Saskatoon, SK Amigos Cantina
12/10/14 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre Cafe
12/11/14 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club
12/12/14 Iowa City, IA Blue Moose Tap House
12/13/14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
12/18/14 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
12/19/14 Kingston, ON The Grad Club
12/20/14 Toronto, ON Opera House
01/16/15 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
01/17/15 Chicago, IL Various Venues
01/21/15 Manchester The Deaf Institute
01/22/15 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
01/23/15 Newcastle upon Tyne Think Tank?
01/26/15 Nottingham Bodega Social Club
01/27/15 Birmingham Hare & Hounds
01/28/15 London Scala
01/30/15 Oxford O2 Academy Oxford

01/31/15 Bristol, United Kingdom Thekla
02/02/15 Antwerp, Belgium Muziekcentrum Trix
02/03/15 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
02/05/15 Oslo, Norway John Dee
02/06/15 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser Strand
02/07/15 Copenhagen, Denmark Beta
02/09/15 Hamburg, Germany Molotow
02/10/15 Berlin, Germany Kantine Am Berghain
02/12/15 Vienna, Austria B72
02/13/15 Milan, Italy Lo-Fi
02/14/15 Zurich, Switzerland Bogen F
03/24/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop *
03/25/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside*
03/27/15 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre*
03/28/15 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak*
03/30/15 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall*
03/31/15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center*
04/01/15 - Buffalo, NY @ UB Center For the Arts*
04/03/15 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues*
04/04/15 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues*
04/06/15 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre*
04/07/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music*
04/09/15 - Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore Charlotte*
04/10/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle*
04/11/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle*

Read More

Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper, these guys rock. Call it alt country or southern rock, either way they know what they are doing and they do it well. Great tunes, three part harmonies …

BLITZEN TRAPPER
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Friday 12/12/14, 7pm ($25)
finelinemusic.com

The last time I saw Blitzen Trapper it was in 2007, although other people caught them in 2009 and at SXSW 2012.

The Portland-based band will be playing a one-off show to benefit the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Details below:

89.3 The Current and McTerry Music Presents

A Benefit Show Featuring

Blitzen Trapper

For Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

w/Special Guests

Farewell Milwaukee
Bigtree Bonsai
And
Old Desert Road

Doors 7:00
Music 8:00

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

Posted at 11:00 PM in Alvvays, Bigtree Bonsai, Blitzen Trapper, Emily, Farewell Milwaukee, Front Line Assembly, Haujobb, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Old Desert Road, Skinny Puppy, Sun Club, The Decemberists, VNV Nation, Vu | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/09/2012

SXSW 2012 Preview, Part 3

La Sera: Break My Heart

Read More

SXSW

The massive music+interactive+movies festival drew over 2,000 plus bands in the area.

I thought I was done with all the previews for SXSW 2012, but clearly, I was wrong. There are actually way too many announcements to make any sense of it all, so I suggest if you're going, just use the official sxsw.com and figure it all out yourself.

Just quickly, Barsuk Records' SXSW Showcase is taking place March 15th at Red Eyed Fly. I just saw the sweet, sweet Laura Gibson at 7th Street on Monday, so be sure to see her. Also on the bill: Nada Surf, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Maps & Atlases, Ramona Falls, Say Hi and Yellow Ostrich (which Lara is covering their Minneapolis show on Saturday).

SPIN'S BEST SXSW ACTS 2012
spin.com

I know, I keep talking about Spin Magazine, but that's because I love them and all the free music and content they provide. I can't say that I'm a fan of their website (it seems to run slow with all the javascripts on my computer), but you have to give them thumbs up for trying to keep up with the times.

And just in time for SXSW, they have put together their playlist: Austin Power: SPIN's Best SXSW Acts 2012. It is a free download.

□ 2:54 – "Scarlet"
□ Ava Luna – "Ice Level"
□ A.Dd+ – "Sh*t Got Crazy"
□ Bear in Heaven – "Sinful Nature"
□ Bleached – "Searching Through The Past"
□ Blondes – "Wine"
□ Blue Sky Black Death – "Sleeping Children Are…"
□ Chelsea Wolfe – "Tall Bodies"
□ Cities Aviv – "Jaguar"
□ Class Actress – "Weekend"
□ Cloud Nothings – "No Future/No Past"
□ DaVinci – "D.R.E.A.M."
□ Django Django – "Default"
□ Dope Body – "Lazy Slave"
□ Hospitality – "Betty Wang"
□ Hull – "In Death, Truth"
□ Jacques Greene – "Arrow" ft. Koreless
□ King Tuff - "Wild Desire"
□ La Sera – "Break My Heart"
□ Main Attrakionz – "Bossalinis & Fooliyones pt. 2"

□ Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – "The Gold Watch"
□ Natural Child – "Ain’t Gonna Stop"
□ Screaming Females – "It All Means Nothing"
□ Sharon Van Etten – "Serpents"
□ Spoek Mathambo – "Let Them Talk"
□ St. Lucia – "We Got It Wrong"
□ Star Slinger – "Dumbin’" ft. Reggie B
□ The Coathangers – "Smother"
□ The War on Drugs – "Baby Missiles" Mbr
□ Thee Oh Sees – "The Dream"
□ Thundercat – "For Love I Come"
□ Torche – "Kicking"
□ Tycho – "Hours"
□ Unknown Mortal Orchestra – "FFunny FFrends"
□ Xray Eyeballs – "Four"
□ White Fence- "Swagger Vets and Double Moon"
□ Widowspeak – "Harsh Realm"
□ Youth Lagoon – "July"
□ Zola Jesus – "Seekir"

THE HYPE HOTEL
hypem.com/hotel

We love The Hype Machine, please add us to your favorites.

You can RSVP to their parties at hypem.com/hotel. If you aren't (or can't) attending SXSW, the good news is that you can Livestream.

The schedule listing to the Hype Hotel Schedule is rather funky, I just wish they'd lay it out in a traditional view…. So I've stripped out all that fancy playlist/extra information and here is the raw set time and band listing:

Tuesday, March 13 (Night) • The Syndicate's Conflict of Interest 8 PM Oberhofer 9 PM Incan Abraham 10 PM Little Hurricane 11 PM Miniature Tigers 12 AM Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. 1 AM Delta Spirit	Wednesday, March 14 (Day) • My Old Kentucky Blog & Song, by Toad 1 PM Brown Brogues 2 PM Jonathan Meiburg 3 PM The Twilight Sad 4 PM Micah P. Hinson 5 PM Big Deal 6 PM Blitzen Trapper	Wednesday, March 14 (Night) • Hype Machine & Feed the Beat 10 PM Friends 11 PM Pond 12 AM Miike Snow 1:15 AM Madeon 3 AM Penguin Prison	Thursday, March 15 (Day) • Aquarium Drunkard 1 PM Nick Waterhouse … 2 PM Lee Fields … 3 PM Youth Lagoon 3:45 PM Bass Drum Of Death 4:30 PM Futurebirds 5:15 PM Alabama Shakes 6:15 PM Bleached 6:45 PM Father John Misty Thursday, March 15 (Night) • Gorilla vs. Bear & Yours Truly 10 PM THEESatisfaction 11 PM Korallreven 12 AM Jimmy Cliff 1 AM Kindness 3 AM Jacques Greene
Friday, March 16 (Day) • No Modest Bear & Cream Team 1 PM Young Man 2 PM Caged Animals 3 PM Jonquil 4 PM Blouse 5 PM Korallreven 6 PM Taken By Trees	Friday, March 16 (Night) • I Guess I'm Floating 10 PM Caveman 11 PM White Rabbits 12 AM Lower Dens 1 AM Neon Indian 3 AM Star Slinger	Saturday, March 17 (Day) • Nialler9 1 PM Mmoths 2 PM New Look 3 PM Body Language 4 PM Niki & The Dove 4:30 PM New Build (DJ Set) 5 PM Clock Opera 6 PM Tennis	Saturday, March 17 (Night) • Hype Machine & Feed the Beat 10 PM Fanfarlo 11 PM Best Coast 12 AM Wavves 1 AM XV 2 AM Chiddy Bang 3 AM The Knocks

TUNEIN
tunein.com

There is a need for people not attending SXSW to get the latest updates and live streams. Tunein is a free service that will be broadcasting SXSW shows. I did go to the website and was rather confused at where to go. However, according to their blog, there is an app you can download and all you need to do is search "SXSW".

Full listing shows M. Ward, Howler (from Minneapolis!), Nada Surf, Alabama Shakes, Andrew Bird, Sharon Van Etten, Magnetic Fields, Yellow Ostrich, Of Monsters and Men (from Iceland!), Blitzen Trapper, and "the boss" Bruce Springsteen.

FADER FORT
thefader.com

The Fader Fort is back SXSW, taking place March 14-17, 2012.

Santigold, all four members of the Black Hippy collective and Zola Jesus will perform. More performers will be announced next week, I'm sure announcements will be made via @thefader. You can watch it all live at fuse.tv/thefaderfort

The FADER FORT Presented by Converse is made possible this year by Nokia, Bushmills Irish Honey, vitaminwater, Beats by Dre, Votiv, Roberta's Pizza, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, SiriusXMU and Southwest Airlines.

vu (

) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Posted at 12:21 AM in Blitzen Trapper, Hype Machine, La Sera, Santigold, Spin Magazine, SXSW, Yellow Ostrich | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/24/2009

Blitzen Trapper @ First Ave., MN 2/18/09

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Blitzen Trapper

Tour Dates

02/25/09 Pearl Street w/ Alela Diane Northampton, MA
02/26/09 Paradise w/ Alela Diane Boston, MA
02/27/09 Bowery Ballroom w/ Plants & Animals, Alela Diane -- SOLD OUT! NY
02/28/09 Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Plants & Animals, Alela Diane -- SOLD OUT! Brooklyn, NY
03/01/09 First Unitarian Church w/ Alela Diane Philadelphia, PA
03/02/09 Black Cat w/ Alela Diane Washington, Washington DC
03/04/09 40 Watt Club w/ Alela Diane Athens, GA
03/05/09 Orange Peel w/ Alela Diane Asheville, NC
03/06/09 Mercy Lounge w/ Alela Diane Nashville, TN
03/07/09 Bottletree w/ Alela Diane Birmingham, AL
03/08/09 Hi-Tone w/ Alela Diane Memphis, TN
03/09/09 The Opolis w/ Alela Diane Norman, OK
03/10/09 Jackpot Saloon w/ Alela Diane Lawrence, KS
03/12/09 Hi-Dive w/ Alela Diane Denver, CO
03/13/09 Kilby Court w/ Alela Diane Salt Lake City, UT
03/19/09 The Parish -- NPR SXSW Day Party Austin, TX
03/19/09 Radio Room -- Sub Pop SXSW Showcase Austin, TX
04/12/09 Crystal Ballroom w/ Fleet Foxes!! -- SOLD OUT Portland, OR
04/13/09 Arcata Community Center w/ Fleet Foxes Arcata, CA
04/14/09 The Filmore w/ Fleet Foxes -- SOLD OUT San Francisco, CA
04/16/09 Rio Theatre w/ Fleet Foxes Santa Cruz, CA
04/18/09 Coachella Fest Indio, CA
05/25/09 Sasquatch Fest George, WA
07/31/09 Pickathon Pendarvis Farm, OR

Read More

Blitzen Trapper

http://weheartmus...

They hail from Portland, Oregon and they've been garnering a weird collection of Beck and Pavemen...

Originally scheduled to perform at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis, Blitzen Trapper outdid themselves with fan-age and the show was moved to the much larger First Ave. “Danceteria.” Even so, the club was packed—not packed in the fun way, when a girl can casually rub against a sweaty young hipster and still play coy, but packed like a big awkward sardine tin, with the majority of the crowd standing, immobile, clutching Red Stripes and sort of doing the head bob. Weird, huh. I mean, Blitzen Trapper are certainly no Dance Band, but you’d think they’ve earned a few arm thrusts, maybe some leg spasms, at least a pogo or two (the shit’s going to rain on me for that comment; pogo = bad)*.

Blitzen Trapper have been described as “experimental folk,” but I say this with a smirk, as it seems these days, any band that writes lyrics concerning farms or hills or serial killers is deemed “folk-y”**. Similarly, any band that uses synth as a garnish (and not as a main course, a la New Wave/proponents of New Wave), gets a broad ‘experimental’ tagged onto their name. Thus, “experimental folk” is born; though, I have some problems with calling a band whose frontman occasionally enters the Tom Petty sing-talk-groove territory “experimental.” 2008’s Furr may have folk-ish tendencies, but it also rocks (kinda) hard (“Sleepytime in the Western World” sounds positively 70s and makes me think of being inside some dive and throwing a drink in a man’s face).

On Wednesday, I managed to arrive at First Ave. just as opener Alela Diane was finishing her set (unreliable public transportation; cigarette). Unfortunately for me (and also for Alela Diane fans), the crowd chatter was so obnoxiously loud that instead of music, I heard entire conversations about bangin’ chicks (classy crowd chatter). The talking might not have seemed so obvious had Diane’s vocals and instrumentation been more suited to the large venue (the Varsity would fit her perfectly). It wasn’t her fault, and it wasn’t the crowd’s fault (maybe it was the crowd’s fault a little—give children more space and they feel the need to be unruly); still, the lukewarm beginning did not bode well for the rest of the evening.

By the time Blitzen Trapper took the stage most of the chatter had dissipated. This was the first time I’d seen BT live, but from what I’ve heard, they have a reputation as an inconsistent live act. General consensus within the blogging community has been ambivalence—this was not one of their stellar performances. Still, I would hardly call the show bad. For now I’ll give them the benefit of doubt: switching to a big, dirty historic concert hall from a smaller, curtain-festooned, lounge setting could potentially be vexing. I enjoyed live versions of “Not Your Lover,” “Black River Killer” (my favorite strange little gothic country narrative), and the abovementioned “Sleepytime in the Western World.” The band looked good (I made a comment about how singer Eric Earley sort of looks like Jeff Tweedy from a great, great, great distance), sounded good, played good. It was one of those “good” shows: no surprises, no special energy, no funny in-between song jokes, no extra credit. A solid B show (B- if you factor in the apathetic crowd).

Blitzen Trapper is currently on tour with Alela Diane supporting. The next few dates are East Coast shows; for more information, visit their Myspace or Website.

*At one point during the show I did notice that somewhere in the horizon, near the stage, far from our standing place, a small group of girls were doing something that resembled dancing!

**I’ve done it. More than once.

02/24/2009 18:25:02 ♥ lara (/lara206.vox.com) ♥blitzentrapper.net ♥ myspace.com/blitzentrapper

Posted at 06:28 PM in Blitzen Trapper, First Ave, First Avenue, Lara, Minneapolis | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/30/2007

Concert: Blitzen Trapper at the Triple Rock Club

The Green King Sings

Blitzen Trapper

View site

♥ Blitzen Trapper at Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis (29 July 2007)

I guess I've never noticed it before, but the reason why it's called The Triple Rock Club is that a show usually calls for three bands (one headliner and two openers).

This venue is mostly known for their punk rock shows, although they do book a variety of indie and experimental bands from time to time.

The two opening bands sounded nothing like Blitzen: an alt-country band The Godevils and folk singer Patrick Tierney. Both bands are from Minneapolis.

It was hard for me to understand The Godevils because the singer didn't speak clearly into the microphone most of the time. They started off with the banjo/drums/cello and ended their set with an electric guitar and bass.

Patrick Tierney did a pretty long set, half of which seems like they were cover songs. Covers included Bob Dylan, White Stripes and Leonard Cohen.

Blitzen Trapper was late to the venue because they took Highway 61 (the nice scenic route along the Great River) from Chicago to Minneapolis. So they hadn't had time to setup their instruments or had a proper soundcheck, so a good 10 minutes were spent uttering the words "check check check check" or "can I get more sound on my monitor".

When they actually started playing, it was very loud and really put a little life into the audience - this was a band that was meant to play in front of a very large crowd. Unfortunately, because it's late night on Sunday (and normally people have to work the next morning), hardly anyone showed up. However, the people that did show up was very responsive (e.g. talking back to the band and recognizing all the songs).

I just think that if they played on a Friday or Saturday that they would've had a much better turnout.

They added a few more dates, so check them out if you live in these places:

30 Jul 2007