W♥M

Communion, ft. Jakubi / Walker Lukens / Cyn / Aidan Knight at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (21 April 2016)

poster Tour Dates April 26 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX April 28 - Historic Scoot Inn - Austin, TV Read More Communion Communion is an artist-led organization and record label, based out of the UK and New York, that is putting on shows and releasing albums by up and coming artists. They put on shows across the country (and the world) full … Jakubi This month will feature Melbourne-based band Jakubi as headliner. The family band (two brothers, two cousins and one friend) will be joined by Austin’s Walker Lukens … Aidan Knight Aidan Knight. Knight is touring in support of his new album Each Other (out now via Outside Music). …

The monthly Communion: Twin Cities show recently took place last Thursday, April 21st. This month’s Communion feature the typical odd mix of Melbourne’s Jakubi, Austin’s Walker Lukens, Chicago’s Cyn, and Canada’s Aidan Knight.

The Current’s Kelsey (displacing Jade who previously hosted all the Communion shows) served as DJ and MC for the event. Kelsey played nothing but Prince music, but eventually switched to her standard playlist (we’re assuming she eventually ran out of Prince songs).

To talk about the Communion show, we also have to talk about Prince, his death, and its aftermath. When news of Prince’s death went online at 10am, it spread like a viral wild fire. As a result, First Avenue announced a late night dance party in tribute to the beloved artist a little after midday... then realizing the massive interest - they quickly announce a block party. The whole show event was organized within hours, and by 5pm, the roads were blocked by the city and fans started to fill up the area.

If you were there, you know that the Prince block party was completely packed ... thus unintentionally blocking the entrances to First Avenue and its little sibling, 7th Street Entry.

First Avenue thought by moving the Communion show to a later time at 10pm (originally listed at 7pm as noted by the show poster) would alleviate some of the congestions - it did not. If you really wanted to see the Communion show, you really had to push and fight your way through a sea of people - just to make it to the door.

Aidan Knight

Speaking of difficulties in attending the show, the experience was probably similar to Aidan Knight’s difficulties in obtaining a work VISA for his tour in the USA... but everything seemed to work out in the end.

Knight took the stage with his full band: Julia on keys, Ryan on bass, Will on guitars/horns, and Oliver on drums at 10pm. The band played some tracks from his latest 2016 record Each Other.... although they ended their brief 30-min set with “You Will See The Good In Everyone” taken from their Small Reveal album.

Cyn

Cyn was next. She did a good job announcing her song titles and what she went through when she wrote those songs. Some of the songs on her set included “The Only Lo Lo Lo” (dedicated to Prince), “Power” (about taking back the power from people “pissing you off”), her single “Something”, and her set closer “So Bad”.

Although “Take” was announced as a cover song by Khai, I feel it’s also Cyn’s song because she wrote the lyrics.

Unfortunately, during some of her slower/quieter song, the constant noises from the block party outside (and also sound were bleeding in from First Avenue’s mainroom), was a little distracting. It was, perhaps, the wrong venue for her.

Walker Lukens

Walker Lukens and his band The Side Arms, feat. Zac Catanzaro, Mckenzie Griffin, Grant Himmler, and Kyle Vonderau, was a lot of fun, thanks to Lukens’ high energy performance (particularly on “Jacket On Ya Shoulders”).

Apparently, according to Lukens, this was his first time in Minnesota and, of course, on the tragic eve of Prince’s death.

Lukens and company paid their respect by playing a last-minute cover of Prince’s “Kiss” in falsetto, of course. The cover was actually pretty good, despite Lukens apologizing in advance for any mistakes (if there were flaws, I don’t think anyone cared).

Melbourne-based Jakubi closed out the show, starting their set way-late at 12:30am. The family bands, composed of two brothers, two cousins and one friend, featured: singer/keys/talk box Jerome, guitarist Robert, drummer Jesse, guitarist Addam, and bassist/moog Jacob.

Although they haven’t officially released any music in the USA, Jakubi is touring just on the strength of their millions of streams from Soundcloud and YouTube for various singles, thanks to taste-makers such as Perez Hilton and Australia’s television show “Highway Patrol”.

They kicked off their set with a funky, guitary version of “Holiday”... but saving their biggest hit song “Couch Potato” to the end. “Couch Potato” was incredibly well-received from the fans, based on the loud feedback and dancing.

The next Communion: Twin Cities show will take place next month, May 19th, with Basecamp, Kiev, and Blue Healer. These Communion shows are a great way of checking out upcoming, rising bands. Hopefully, next month, you won’t have any problems getting inside the venue.

Jakubi at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (21 April 2016)

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

Minneapolis: April 20 to April 21, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from April 20 to April 21, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Big Wild Opening the show was Big Wild from Los Angeles. Big Wild is Jackson and was definitely a jaw dropper as an opening act for an already amazing line up. What sets Big Wild apart from the other acts of the night …

BIG WILD
at 7th Street Entry
Wednesday, 04/20/16, 8pm ($10 / Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

California’s Big Wild sold out his 4/20 show at the 7th Street Entry. He’s touring in support of his new single “Aftergold”, featuring Tove Styrke, and sold under ODESZA's Foreign Family Collective. We previously caught him in 2015 and wrote, “was definitely a jaw dropper as an opening act for an already amazing line up.”

One of the biggest breakout electronic acts of the year, no doubt gaining new fans with his Coachella appearance. Look for his debut album coming later this year.

Opening up the show will be Profresher (aka Billy Blacklight).

Tour dates:

April 15 – April 16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
April 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
April 21 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
April 22 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Pig
April 23 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison *
April 24 – Montreal, QC @ NewSpeak *
April 27 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott *
April 28 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
April 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *
April 30 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
May 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
May 5 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile ^
May 6 – Portland, OR @ Holocene ^
May 7 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club ^
May 11 – Boise, ID @ The Reef ^
May 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge ^
May 14 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
May 15 – Albuquerque, NM @ Stereo Bar at El Rey ^
May 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar ^
May 19 – San Diego, CA @ Bang Bang ^
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo ^
May 21 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
May 22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
July 14 – July 16 – Scranton, PA @ Camp Bisco
Aug – Sun Aug 7 – Buena Vista, CO @ Vertex Festival

* w/ Chet Porter
^ w/ Electric Mantis

Read More Filter Filter's 1995 debut album, Short Bus, is a fine example of industrial rock (although Richard Patrick doesn't like the term) at its best. I find the criticism Rich has received regarding Filter's similarities to Nine Inch Nails to be absurd. …

FILTER
at Mill City Nights
Wednesday, 04/20/16, 6:30pm ($20 / $23)
millcitynights.com

Filter will be back in Minneapolis next week on April 20th. Although most people will likely show up because of their hit single “Hey Man Nice Shot”, industrial music fans have embraced the band for their innovative music from singer Richard Patrick (guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang left the band in 1997). The band’s music and direction is always changing, with Patrick explaining that, “You recognize it’s us from my aggression and singing, but the instrumentation had to change. It wasn’t about just stacking guitars like we might’ve done on the last couple records. There are way more electronics and sound design.”

Filter is touring in support of their seventh studio album Crazy Eyes, available on Wind-Up Records.

Opening will be Orgy, Vampires Everywhere! and Death Valley High.

Tour dates:

04/15/16 Portland, OR Dante's
04/16/16 Vancouver, BC Venue
04/17/16 Seattle, WA Studio Seven
04/19/16 Mandan, ND Rock Point
04/20/16 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
04/21/16 Arlington Heights, IL Home Bar Chicago
04/22/16 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom
04/23/16 Pontiac, MI Crofoot Ballroom
04/24/16 Toronto, ON Opera House Concert Venue
04/26/16 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
04/27/16 Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs
04/28/16 Amityville, NY Revolution Bar & Music Hall
04/30/16 Welcome To Rockville
05/01/16 Atlanta, GA Hell At The Masquerade
05/03/16 New York, NY The Gramercy Theatre
05/04/16 Washington, DC The Howard Theatre
05/05/16 Knoxville, TN The International
05/06/16 Carolina Rebellion
05/07/16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
05/08/16 Nashville, TN Exit / In
05/10/16 Houston, TX House Of Blues
05/11/16 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre
05/12/16 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
05/13/16 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
05/14/16 Lincoln, NE Bourbon Theatre
05/15/16 Denver, CO Herman's Hideaway
05/17/16 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
05/18/16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
05/19/16 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
05/20/16 Pomona, CA Glass House Concert Hall
05/21/16 West Hollywood, CA The Roxy Theatre
05/28/16 May Day Rock Fest

Read More Communion Communion is an artist-led organization and record label, based out of the UK and New York, that is putting on shows and releasing albums by up and coming artists. They put on shows across the country (and the world) full …

COMMUNION: TWIN CITIES
feat. Jakubi
at 7th Street Entry
Thursday, 04/21/16, 7pm ($10/$12)
first-avenue.com

The monthly Communion: Twin Cities show is returning next Thursday, April 21st.

This month will feature Melbourne-based band Jakubi as headliner. The family band (two brothers, two cousins and one friend) will be joined by Austin’s Walker Lukens and his band The Side Arms.

Also on the bill is Cyn (short for Cynthia), and Aidan Knight. Knight is touring in support of his new album Each Other (out now via Outside Music).

Tour dates:

April 13 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
April 14 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY
April 20 - Lincoln Hall + Schubas - Chicago, IL
April 21 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
April 22 - Village Theater - Davenport, IA
April 23 - The Tank Room - Kansas City, MO
April 26 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX
April 28 - Historic Scoot Inn - Austin, TV

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

Communion Twin Cities, ft. Moonrise Nation, Allan Rayman, Lolo, Whiskey Shivers, at the 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (18 Feb 2016)

Communion Dates 02/20 Kansas City, MO 02/24 Dallas, TX 02/29 Boston, MA 03/01 New York, NY 03/02 Washington, DC 03/03 Philadelphia, PA 03/08 Atlanta, GA 03/09 Nashville, TN 03/10 Louisville, KY 03/23 Dallas, TX 03/24 Austin, TX 03/25 New Orleans, LA 04/05 New York, NY 04/06 Boston, MA 04/07 Philadelphia, PA 04/08 Washington, DC 04/12 Atlanta, GA 04/13 Nashville, TN 04/14 Louisville, KY 04/20 Chicago, IL 04/21 Minneapolis, MN 04/23 Kansas City, KS 04/27 Dallas, TX 04/28 Austin, TX Read More Communion The monthly Communion Club Night just took place at the Turf Club in St Paul on Tuesday, June 16. We have been supporting Communion since it began at the Varsity Theater in 2013. … Lolo The show started off with a bang. The opener was Lolo (aka Lauren Pritchard), the sole woman on this men-centric tour. She had majority of the crowd absolutely stunned …

Communion is an artist-led organization and record label, based out of the UK and New York, that is putting on shows and releasing albums by up and coming artists. They put on shows across the country (and the world) full of these up-and-coming artists. Currently, here in Minneapolis, they have a residency at the 7th Street Entry every month or so.

Last night was one of the most eclectic line-ups I have seen in a while and it made my heart ridiculously happy. I get so bored with shows that have all of the bands playing the same music. I get that they are trying to appeal to their fans but majority of the time all of the bands just start to blend together and nothing stands out. Because of the bipolar line-up last night, I remember every single band and I loved every single band because they each sounded fresh and new. Not to mention that each band that played was ridiculously talented to begin with.

Whiskey Shivers

Whiskey Shivers was the first band to take the stage and from the very first note, they had me questioning all of my life choices. I'm not typically a fan of bluegrass. It sounds old and the twanginess mixed with the overpowering banjo makes my head throb. Whiskey Shivers did it right. Instead of leaving me with a throbbing headache, they left me wanting much more than the small taste I was given in their short thirty-minute set. Have I been missing out on a bunch of great music because I typically turn my nose to bluegrass?!

Just by looking at these guys I could tell I was in for a treat. They all took the stage barefooted and the singer's mullet was truly something to be proud of. They caught my attention with the first note. The Southern/ Texas accent was alive and well but you could still understand every word the singer. The music was fast and upbeat but not too over the top. There was a nice balance between all of the instruments and all of the voices that this band had going on at once. Instead of sounding muddy, it sounded clean and professional.

Lolo

Second to hit the stage was Lolo. I said it before and I will say it again, expect huge things to come from Lolo. The last time I saw her was at the Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness/ New Politics show last October. She completely blew me away that time and did the exact same thing last night. Her voice is one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard in my life. She took the stage with her guitarist Josh and had the crowd licking up every single word and every single moment.

The crowd seemed to be a little caught off guard by her huge voice in such a tiny venue. It seemed as if everything had stopped. People moved away from the bar and towards the stage just to catch a glimpse of where this huge voice was coming from. Everyone was clapping and hooting and hollering even though majority of the crowd had never heard of Lolo before. She played some of the same songs I saw her play back in October but had added a couple of new ones that had me excited to see what her next release will bring.

Allan Rayman

Up next was Allan Rayman. I felt so out of place because I had to have been the only person in the crowd that had no clue who this guy was. He walked up on stage, lit a candle that was sitting on a little round table, poured a beer into a plastic cup and sat there while his intro music played. The crowd was antsy. You could feel the tension and excitement in the room. What the hell was going on here?

Then, as soon as Allan started singing, the crowd erupted and sang pretty much every word with him through his forty-five-minute set. Hip-hop music was the name of his game and he was slaying the competition. His music sounded raw because of his raspy voice but it was also extremely sexy at the same time. The crowd was eating it up as they sang and danced along. In between songs, he would sit back at the table and calmly take a sip of his beer before erupted back up to the mic and captivating everyone with his music.

The last band to play last night was Moonrise Nation. Their instrumentation alone caught my attention. You had the standard drummer and then a standard guitarist who doubled as a bassist. Then you had the cello player and the pianist who doubled as a violinist. So many instruments, so few people. I was truly worried how it was all going to work out but they pulled it off flawlessly. Their music was probably the calmest of the night so it was a nice way to end the bipolar line-up.

The voice of the three front-women in the band meshed perfectly. They all matched but at the same time they were all distinctive. Their music was pop with a hint of some Americana/folk mixed it. The crowd seemed to calm down a bit during their set but it was still all eyes on the stage as people bought their last drinks and slowly filtered out of the venue all with a smile on their faces

Last night was one of the most bipolar line-ups I have ever seen. It was one of the best shows that I have seen in months and I fell in love with every single band that played. I can't wait for my next Communion! The next Communion show will feature Jakubi, Cyn, Walker Lukens and Aidan Knight on April 21st, 2016, at the 7th Street Entry.

Moonrise Nation at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (18 Feb 2016)

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

W♥M247: Hero

W♥M247: Hero (9 mins) Read More Family of the Year The W♥M family like Family of the Year, having covered their appearance in New Orleans and in Minneapolis, where John noted that the band offers "feel good vibes and melodies". .…

It’s new band showcases in Minneapolis on Thursday night with John and Vu.

Topics:

Communion Club Nights now at 7th Street Entry. Every month on the second Thursday.

Communion February features: Lolo.

Go 96.3 New Music Showcase at the Skyway Theatre... four new bands for one low price of $9.63.

Last minute cancellation from Transviolet... only to be replaced by New York’s Mainland (not to be confused with local Mainland band).

Family of the Year was headliner for the New Music Showcase.

Song of the Show:

"Hero" by Family of the Year.

--
W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!

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____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com. Recording of this podcast was made possible by Skype, CallGraph, and Audacity.

W♥M246: Keep Calm and Ringo Deathstarr (31 January 2016) Vu, Emily W♥M245: We Can Be Heroes (05 January 2016) Vu, John W♥M244: 2015 (03 January 2016) Vu, John W♥M243: Reader Meet Author (21 December 2015) Vu, Emily W♥M242: Love Me (11 December 2015) Vu, John W♥M241: Hello (01 December 2015) Vu, John, Langen

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

RIP Viola Beach

Read More Communion The monthly Communion Shows is returning next Thursday at their new home at the 7th Street Entry. We’ve been covering the monthly club shows since it came to Minneapolis ...

This is totally crazy! Usually we hear about a drummer or bassist dying in a band - but the entire band dying at once is almost unheard of! That is exactly what happened to young British band Viola Beach as they plunged to their deaths by driving off an open bridge in Sweden on Saturday. The band was in the country on their first (and last) overseas gig took place last Friday at the Where’s the Music? festival in Norrköping, Sweden.

Four band members, plus their manager died: Kristian Leonard, 20; River Reeves, 19; Tomas Lowe, 27, Jack Dakin, 19; Craig Tarry, 32.

According to telegraph.co.uk, there was a little snow earlier in the day... but, personally speaking, if I was in a foreign place (with Swedish signage), I could have mistakenly done the same thing.

Excerpt from their publicist:

They were a truly great team of young men and about to the take on the world together. The four piece recently put out their second single 'Boys That Sing' on the 22nd of January on Communion Records.

All proceeds made from the single will be donated from Communion Records to the band and Craig’s families.

Communion Records: Viola Beach had only recently come into the Communion family, and had everything going for them – great songs, passion, talent, drive… everything that a band should have. To sit down with the band was to sit down with a group of guys whose band you wanted to be in, and to be in the presence of a band who knew just what it would take to make it. This is why the band had been in Sweden, rather than sit back and wait for it to happen to them, Kris, River, Jack and Tom were determined to go out into the world and play every show they could until the world was singing along with them, and now that dream has been sadly taken away from all of us. Equally, Craig, their manager was possessed by a passion to help the band achieve everything they wanted to, and to speak with Craig about Viola Beach, and music in general was an absolute pleasure – you knew he was doing it all for the right reasons. Everyone here at Communion is in a state of total shock and sorrow, and our thoughts go out to the families and friends of Craig and the band.

Truly shocking and sad.

For updated list, head over to Musicians who died in 2016.

February (31)

[15 Feb 2016] Vanity (Vanity 6), 57, sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis

[15 Feb 2016] Joey Floyd (Toby Keith's Easy Money Band), 54, cancer

[14 Feb 2016] L. C. Ulmer, 87, natural causes

[14 Feb 2016] Anselmo López, 81, not given

[13 Feb 2016] Viola Beach (Entire band, plus manager: Kristian Leonard, 20; River Reeves, 19; Tomas Lowe, 27, Jack Dakin, 19; Craig Tarry, 32), 19-32, accidentally driving off bridge

[13 Feb 2016] Robin Ghosh, 76, respiratory failure

[12 Feb 2016] Gene Stuart (The Mighty Avons, The Homesteaders), 72, long illness

[11 Feb 2016] Kim Williams, 68, not given

[09 Feb 2016] Hillary Lukyamuzi (aka New Testament), 24, killed by Police car

[08 Feb 2016] Ray Dunne (Armagh Rhymers), 34, tragic circumstances

[07 Feb 2016] Rick Wright (Connie Smith's backup band The Sundowners), 57, car accident

[07 Feb 2016] Berre Bergen (The Scabs), 53, protracted emphysema

[06 Feb 2016] Gilles Brown, 73, not given

[06 Feb 2016] Sam Spence (NFL Films), 88, ill health

[06 Feb 2016] Dan Hicks (Hot Licks), 74, liver cancer

[06 Feb 2016] Eddy Wally, 83, cerebral hemorrhage

[06 Feb 2016] Shan Johnson, 29, cardiac arrest

[06 Feb 2016] Gaby Shoshan, 66, unknown

[05 Feb 2016] Mikey Clement (Valleys), 23, car accident

[04 Feb 2016] Maurice White (Earth, Wind and Fire), 74, Parkinson's Disease

[04 Feb 2016] Joe Dowell, 76, heart attack

[03 Feb 2016] Alba Solís, 88, unknown

[03 Feb 2016] DJ Big Kap, 45, heart attack

[02 Feb 2016] Steve ‘Tregenda’ Childers (Black Witchery), 49, car accident

[01 Feb 2016] Robert Hamlett (The Fairfield Four), 84, unknown

[01 Feb 2016] Jon Bunch (Sense Field), 45, unknown

[01 Feb 2016] Jim Reeves (Sqeezer), 47, murdered

Read more: Musicians who died in 2015.

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

Minneapolis: February 17 to February 18, 2016

Read More Bullet for my Valentine UK metal band Bullet For My Valentine has kicked off “The British Invasion Tour” in support of their recently released album, VENOM, and in celebration has premiered a new …

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from February 17 to February 18, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
The British Invasion Tour
at Myth Live
Wednesday, 02/17/16, 7pm ($30)
mythlive.com

The British Invasion tour will be stopping at The Myth in Maplewood on Wednesday, February 17th. Now, don't think this will be anything like the "British Invasion" of the Beatles... think more yelling and screaming. This tour features Bullet For My Valentine, Asking Alexandria, and While She Sleeps. Both Bullet For My Valentine and Asking Alexandria have gone through lineup changes in the past year so it will be interesting to see how the new members fit in these long-lasting bands. This would be the perfect Valentine's gift for that metal head in your life. I have seen all of these bands previously and they all have great energy in their live shows.

Tour dates:

Feb. 11 – Dallas, Texas, House Of Blues
Feb. 12 – Houston, Texas, House Of Blues
Feb. 13 – Oklahoma City, Diamond Ballroom
Feb. 16 – Kansas City, Mo, Arvest Bank Theatre
Feb. 17 – Saint Paul, Minn., Myth
Feb. 19 – Chicago, Ill., House Of Blues
Feb. 20 – Milwaukee, Wis., Eagles Ballroom
Feb. 23 – New York, N.Y., Best Buy Theater
Feb. 24 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Stage AE
Feb. 25 – Norfolk, Va., The NorVa
Feb. 27 – Lake Buena Vista, Fla., House Of Blues
Feb. 28 – Birmingham, Ala., Iron City
March 1 – Silver Spring, Md., Fillmore Silver Spring
March 2 – Philadelphia, Pa., Fillmore Philadelphia
March 3 – Boston, Mass., House Of Blues Boston
March 5 – Toronto, Ontario, The Phoenix Concert Theatre
March 7 – Montreal, Quebec, Metropolis

Read More Lolo The show started off with a bang. The opener was Lolo (aka Lauren Pritchard), the sole woman on this men-centric tour. She had majority of the crowd absolutely stunned …

COMMUNION (February)
ft. Allan Rayman, Lolo, etc...
at 7th Street Entry
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($8/$13)
first-avenue.com

The monthly Communion Shows is returning next Thursday at their new home at the 7th Street Entry. We’ve been covering the monthly club shows since it came to Minneapolis in 2013 at the Varsity Theater. Starting in November 2014, the club moved to the Turf Club in St Paul.

Now for a fresh start in 2016, Communion is now at the 7th Street Entry... which, personally speaking, will be a great home for them. The small venue is known for launching so many up and coming artists... simply perfect for Communion artists.

For the month of February, we’re treated to these artists: Allan Rayman, Lolo, Whiskey Shivers, and Moonrise Nation... with DJ sets from Sean McPherson (from 89.3 The Current).

We’re mostly excited to see Lolo again, having caught her at the Wilderness Politics Tour in 2015. We described her voice as “It's so powerful that she doesn't need a huge backing band to give her an edge. It was just her, a computer, and a guitarist named Josh (who she confessed she couldn't tour without his help) and it was perfect.”

Lolo’s tour dates:

2/11 - Nashville, TN @The Basement
2/13 - Pontiac, MI @Pike Room
2/14 - Columbus, OH @Big Room Bar
2/16 - Indianapolis, IN @The Hi Fi
2/17 - Chicago, IL @Schubas Tavern*
2/18 - Minneapolis, MN @7th Street Entry*
2/20 - Kansas City, MO @Tank Room*
2/22 - Memphis, TN @Hi Tone Cafe
2/23 - Houston, TX @The Green Room
2/24 - Dallas, TX @Dada Dallas*

Read More Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from …

PARQUET COURTS
with Love of Everything
at Triple Rock Social Club
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($15/$17)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Parquet Courts recently announced their new record Human Performance, set for release on April 8th via Rough Trade. Expect the band to preview some new songs from the upcoming album on this new 2016 tour.

We caught the band in 2013, at the height of their buzz, and noted, “The audience was squeezed together to get close to this old school punk band. So awesome! Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Savage, commented on the storm they just drove through to get to the Triple Rock, and was afraid that he had been blown into Oz after entering Minneapolis, so surreal it was to the band.”

Love of Everything and Gem Jones to open.

Tour dates:

02/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
02/16 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
02/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
02/19 - Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Bar
02/20 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
02/23 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
02/24 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
02/26 - Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
02/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
02/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
03/12 - Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths
04/14 - Providence, RI @ The Met
04/15 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
04/16 - Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston
04/17 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
04/18 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
04/20 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
04/21 - Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar
04/22 - Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Theater
04/28 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
04/30 - Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
05/02 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
05/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
05/12 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/13 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
05/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
05/16 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
05/17 - Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
05/18 - Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
05/20 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/04 - Barcelona, SP @ Primavera Sound Festival
06/12 - London, UK @ Field Day
06/14 - Bristol, UK @ Trinity
06/15 - Liverpool, UK @ New Kazimier
06/16 - Edinburgh, UK @ La Belle Angele
06/17 - Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre
06/18 - Manchester, UK @ Gorilla

Read More Family of the Year The W♥M family like Family of the Year, having covered their appearance in New Orleans and in Minneapolis, where John noted that the band offers "feel good vibes and melodies". .… Transviolet Opening up the show was Los Angeles' Transviolet, a four-piece pop band featuring singer Sarah McTaggart, guitarist Judah McCarthy, bass player Mike Panek and drummer Jon Garcia. …

GO 96.3 NEW MUSIC SHOWCASE
ft. Family of the Year, New Beat Fund, etc.
at Skyway Theatre
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($9.63/$10)
skywaytheater.com

Unfortunately, we’re not covering this event, but it was recently brought to my attention that Transviolet will be stopping by the Skyway Theatre, as part of Go 96.3 New Music Showcase, in Minneapolis next Thursday.

We caught the band on their first national tour in 2015, and knew right away that this band was going to be massive, “Based on their bright sound and love for performing live music, this band will be on the road to bigger, better things.”

Transviolet

The 2015 show also produced one of our favorite photograph of singer Sarah McTaggart.

Currently, their new video and single for “New Bohemia,” is climbing quickly at Alternative radio, can be heard in the national advertising campaign for Google Android, which will run through summer 2016.

Other artists on the Go 96.3 New Music Showcase is Family of the Year, New Beat Fund and Ben Hazlewood.

Transviolet’s tour dates:

2/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
3/15-3/20 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
6/3-6/5 - Governors Ball Music Festival
6/16-19 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival

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

Minneapolis: December 17, 2015

Read More Communion The monthly Communion Club Night just took place at the Turf Club in St Paul on Tuesday, June 16. We have been supporting Communion since it began at the Varsity Theater in 2013....

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on December 17, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

COMMUNION: TWIN CITIES
feat. NoMBe • Austin Plaine • Holy White Hounds
at Turf Club
Thursday, 12/17/15, 7:30pm ($8/$13)
turfclub.net

The monthly Communion Clubnight is here next Thursday, December 17th. Minneapolis is one of nine cities across America to host the Communion Residency, inspired by the successful UK shows.

The December showcase will feature these artists:

Germany's NoMBe is 23-year-old Noah McBeth, a classical pianist-turned-producer.

We previously mentioned Austin Plaine, comparing him to Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst and Bruce Springsteen.

Des Moines' Holy White Hounds is Brenton Dean (vocals, guitar) and Ambrose Lupercal (bass).

Remaining Communion shows:

12/16 Chicago - Schubas
12/17 Twin Cities - Turf Club
12/19 Kansas City - Thank Room

All dates with NoMBe, Austin Plaine, and Holy White Hounds, except for Kansas City, which Plaine is headlining with Holy White Hounds and Yes You Are.

Read More Joanna Newsom The Royal Albert Hall was made for Joanna Newsom. Forget anything you think you may know about it's official history. It opened in 1871 and has played host to over 150,000 shows since then. But not one of …

JOANNA NEWSOM
with Alela Diane and Ryan Francesconi
at Fitzgerald Theater
Thursday, 12/17/15, 8pm ($35 - $50)
publicradio.org

After a five-year absent, Joanna Newsom is back on tour (we previously caught her in 2007 at the Royal Albert Hall). Since she's been away, many of her shows have already sold out months in advance - including her upcoming Fitzgerald Theater's appearance.

Newsom's latest Divers is out now on Drag City. She recently appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, playing the new single "Leaving the City".

Alela Diane and Ryan Francesconi to open the show. Francesconi previously worked with Newsom on her 2010 album Have One on Me.

Joanna Newsom Tour Dates:

Dec. 14 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
Dec. 15 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre*
Dec. 16 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre*
Dec. 17 - St. Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater*
Dec. 18 - Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre*
Jan. 19 - Melbourne, AU @ Hamer Hall
Jan. 21 – Sydney, AU @ Sydney Opera House
Jan. 23 – Brisbane, AU @ Concert Hall, QPAC
Jan. 26 – Osaka, JP @ Osaka Club
Jan. 27 – Tokyo, JP @ Christ Shinagawa Church
Jan. 28 – Tokyo, JP @ Christ Shinagawa Church
Feb. 24 – Brussels, BE @ Palais de Beaux-Arts
Feb. 25 – Hamburg, DE @ Kampnagel
Feb. 27 – Groningen, NL @ De Oosterpoort
Feb. 28 – Nijmegen, NL @ Concertgebouw De Vereeniging
March 1 – Liverpool, UK @ Philharmonic Hall
March 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
March 3 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre
March 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
March 27 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
March 28 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
March 29 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
March 30 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
March 31 - Spokane, WA @ Bing Crosby Theater
April 1 - Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre
April 2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
April 3 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater

* = with Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi

Read More American Scarecrows The first of four bands, American Scarecrows drew in a lot of local supports from their fans, friends and family. Their brief set included tracks from their latest Yesteryear and their debut album ... Laurels String Quartet Joining B&S on stage were Laurels String Quartet, who actually recorded tracks for the band's latest Girls in Peacetime Wants to Dance. Several tracks from the new album were played, which went over well. ...

AMERICAN SCARECROWS
ft. Laurels String Quartet w/ Going To The Sun
at Cedar Cultural Center
Thursday, 12/17/15, 7:30pm ($12/$15)
thecedar.org

We made the show announcement for this American Scarecrows show in October, but the how is finally coming up next Thursday.

We previously caught the band's 5th Anniversary show at the Turf Club and described it as, "Folks all around me were wildly singing along, raising their drinks and hands as they cheered, yelling their approval (“that definitely did not suck!”) and one guy near me was doing some severe head-banging that required his entire body to lurch forward."

We previously caught The Laurels String Quartet as they graced the stage with Belle & Sebastian at Rock the Garden in June 2015. We are assuming that the quartet will be embellishing American Scarecrows' songs.

Going To The Sun to open. GTHS previously opened for Hey Rosetta! in April 2015.

Details:

The summer of 2015, American Scarecrows was introduced to Triple A radio pro-grammers across the country. Stations started spinning “The Peak” and “Gods of the West” in regular rotation. The Star Tribune invited the band to close out their stage at the Basilica Block Party, exposing the band to music fans across the Twin Cities. July was also the month the Scarecrows reunited with the Evening Rig for their annual gig at the Triple Rock Social Club.

Following their 5-year band anniversary celebration at the Turf Club in October with over 300 fans, American Scarecrows will cap off the year with a special all-ages performance at the Cedar Cultural Center, featuring Laurels String Quartet playing w/ American Scarecrows, and special guest Going to the Sun.

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

Communion Club Night ft. Jared and the Mill, Parlour Tricks at the Turf Club, St Paul (16 June 2015)

Jared & the Mill Setlist Crawl Returning Half Hold On Brave Young Man Love To Be Found She Battle Flies Carry Me Home Messengers Ides of Fall Young & Dumb Breathe Me In Life We Chose Wooden Sky Setlist Child of the Valley (Bit Part) Saturday Night Our Hearts Were Young Baby Hold On Summer Days Don't You Worry About A Thing Oh My God (It Still Means a Lot to Me) Society Read More Jared & The Mill Singer/songwriter Alexz Johnson is currently on her Let 'Em Eat Cake tour, with Jared & The Mill and Patrick Droney, fresh off her appearances at CMJ 2014. … Parlour Tricks The New York-based indie pop sextet Parlour Tricks will also be there, promoting their debut Broken Hearts/Bones on June 23 on Bar None Records. … The Wooden Sky Toronto band The Wooden Sky has a sound that’s hard to define. They’ve been described as alt-country, alt-folk, fuzz-folk, folk rock and roots rock. On June 16th, they will release their fourth full-length album, Let’s Be Ready. …

The monthly Communion Club Night just took place at the Turf Club in St Paul on Tuesday, June 16. We have been supporting Communion since it began at the Varsity Theater in 2013.

Aero Flynn (solo)

At nearly the last minute, we found out that headliner Aero Flynn (aka Josh Scott) was now listed as sans band and will be opening the show at 7:30pm. His solo 30-min set consisted of stripped down version of songs from self-titled album, including drone version of "Dk/Pi".

We previously caught Aero Flynn as a full band when they went on tour with Torres.

In between the live sets were songs as selected by DJ Jade (who also introduced all the bands on the bill). She's currently hosting The Current radio show from 10 to 2pm.

The Wooden Sky

Canada's The Wooden Sky was up next, playing songs from their latest album Let's Be Ready, which Dena called "soothing and upbeat".

While they mostly just played straight through their set, they did pause a minute to dedicate "Baby Hold On" to the Replacements and how three members of the band went to see them on their first show in Toronto.

Highlight of their set was for their last song, which they dedicated to "William to Christy"... which a boy got on his knees to proposed marriage to his girlfriend.

Parlour Tricks

My favorite band on the bill was Parlour Tricks; their very first time in Minnesota. Like the Pipettes, they're lead by three singing women and an all-boys backing back (who are just there to play music for the girls). The three Parlour Tricks women (Lily Cato, Morgane Hollowell, and DeeDee Golub) dressed alike, often doing synchronized dancing and hand claps. Really fun to watch, and they had great harmonies.

My favorite song on their set was "Lovesongs", which got the girls holding the stop/wait hand gestures. The song is very 60s pop, and I can see why Village Voice named them "Best Pop Band in NYC 2014".

Look for their latest Broken Hearts / Bones this June 23, 2015, on Bar/None Records.

Tempe's Jared & The Mill drew the biggest crowd, which is impressive considering that this was only their second time in Minnesota (they previously appeared at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis with Alexz Johnson in November 2014).

The band played everything off their latest Life We Chose, including the title track which ended their set. On retrospect, singer Jared Kolesar admitted that after they had pressed the CDs and approved the artwork - they realized that the title "Life We Chose" wasn't quite right. It was missing a "the" in front of the title.

The band noted that Minneapolis/St Paul had the best crowd, participating in hand clapping and sing-along. Judging from the enthusiastic crowd, you can tell that Jared and the Mill will likely come back to the Twin Cities on their next tour itinerary.

Biggest blunder of the night, Kolesar dedicated "Young & Dumb" to the fan who wore their T-Shirt... then quickly backtracked because he probably realized he unintentionally called his fan 'dumb' and immediately said that the song was actually about himself.

Jared & The Mill's Life We Chose is out now.

Jared and the Mill at the Turf Club, St Paul (16 June 2015)

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

Minneapolis: June 16 - June 18, 2015

Read More Communion This was my third time seeing the Canadian seven-piece indie rock/pop band Hey Rosetta!, who is currently headlining the Communion Club Night national series. The band stopped by the Turf Club in St Paul, Minnesota ...

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on June 16 to June 18, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

COMMUNION RESIDENCY: TWIN CITIES
at Turf Club
Tuesday, 06/16/15, 7pm ($8/21+)
Details: turfclub.net

The monthly Communion Residency is upon us once again, Tuesday, June 16th at the Turf Club in St Paul.

This month will feature Eau Claire's Aero Flynn, who we just saw with Torres last month.

The New York-based indie pop sextet Parlour Tricks will also be there, promoting their debut Broken Hearts/Bones on June 23 on Bar None Records.

Also on the bill are Toronto's The Wooden Sky, on tour for their latest Let's Be Ready, and Arizona's Jared & The Mill... featuring best friends Jared and Michael.

Parlour Tricks' tour dates:

06/10/15 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
06/11/15 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06/14/15 Kansas City, MO The Tank Room
06/16/15 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club
06/18/15 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
06/25/15 New York, NY The Mercury Lounge
06/26/15 Philadelphia, PA MilkBoy
06/30/15 Cambridge, MA Middle East Upstairs

Read More Suuns Beginning in November 2012, Suuns (Ben Shemie, Liam O'Neill, Max Henry and Joseph Yarmush) and long time friend, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, aka Jerusalem In My Heart, rented a studio in Montreal for seven days. …

SUUNS + JERUSALEM IN MY HEART
at Turf Club
Wednesday, 06/17/15, 7:30pm ($10/18+)
Details: turfclub.net

The secret origin of the Suuns and Jerusalem In My Heart collaboration started in 2012 when the two friend bands rented a studio in Montreal to work out ideas. Fast forward three years later, the band(s) released the session last month via Secretly Canadian.

With that, the two bands will be touring in support of the project.

Special guest local Minneapolis' Sasha Conda to open the show.

Tour dates starts this week:

6/11 – Wakefield, QC – The Black Sheep Inn
6/12 – Kingston, ON – Grad Club
6/13 – Toronto, ON – Geary Lane
6/18 – Winnipeg, MB – The Good Will Social Club
6/20 – Saskatoon, SK – Moso Festival
6/21 – Calgary, AB – Broken City
6/23 – Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club
6/24 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar
9/18 – Guelph, ON – Guelph Jazz Festival
9/19 – Prince Edward, ON – Sandbanks New Waves

Read More The Maccabees The Maccabees follow-up their acclaimed Mercury nominated album ‘Given To The Wild’, with their stunning new record ‘Marks To Prove It’ to be released July 31st on Fiction. Written by The Maccabees - Orlando Weeks …

THE MACCABEES
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Thursday, 06/18/15, 7:30pm ($17/18+)
Details: finelinemusic.com

The last time I saw London's The Maccabees, they were one of three bands at Schubas Tavern in Chicago (09 June 2007). The other two bands were headliner Noisettes and Chicago local band Reds and Blue. The Maccabees were on their first American tour for their debut album Colour It In.

The band came to Minneapolis in February 2012, but unfortunately it was in the middle of winter so we didn't cover the show.

The Maccabees' latest Marks To Prove It will be out on July 31st via Fiction. The band is currently on tour on the Mumford & Sons' Gentlemen of the Road travelling festival. On their days off, they've booked some smaller club dates - including a stop at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis.

Special guest Two Harbors to open the show.

Tour dates:

06/08/15 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
06/09/15 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
06/10/15 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post
06/11/15 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amph
06/13/15 Washington, DC U Street Music Hall
06/15/15 Niagara On The Lake, ON Butler's Barracks
06/16/15 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
06/17/15 Chicago, IL Montrose Beach
06/18/15 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
06/19/15 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
06/20/15 Waverly, IA Wartburg College

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

Communion, feat. Hey Rosetta! at Turf Club, St Paul (21 April 2015)

poster Hey Rosetta! Setlist Gold Teeth Yer Spring What Arrows Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering) Young Glass Alcatraz Cathedral Bells Harriet Red Heart Welcome Bandages Communion Club Night Residency - May 2015 May 5 - Rockwood Music Hall, New York May 6 - Milkboy, Philadelphia May 13 - Zanzabar, Louisville May 14 - High Watt, Nashville May 17 - Tank Room, Kansas City May 19 - Turf Club, St Paul May 21 - Schubas, Chicago May 22, Codfish Hollow Barn, Maquoketa Read More Hey Rosetta! It's that time of the month again! That's right, the Communion Club Night is taking place on Tuesday, April 21st. This month will feature Canadian band Hey Rosetta!, they previously opened up for Stars last November 2014. …

This was my third time seeing the Canadian seven-piece indie rock/pop band Hey Rosetta!, who is currently headlining the Communion Club Night national series. The band stopped by the Turf Club in St Paul, Minnesota, last night, April 21st, in support of their latest album Second Sight.

This was also our sixth time we've covered Communion and what is the same is The Current's radio DJ Jade is still MCing/announcing bands. What's changed is the location, from the Varsity Theater in Dinky Town/Minneapolis, to the Turf Club in St Paul. Also noticeably missing are the little shops... this is now just a live concert event.

Opening up the show was local Going to the Sun, promoting their self-titled debut album. I am told the album had singer/songwriter David Young playing all the instruments... but for the live show, he had a full band.

Kevin Garrett

Also on the bill was Brooklyn's Kevin Garrett; he's joined by Sean Mullins on drums and Jeremy McDonald on keys/etc. Garrett's set included some very sensitive/personal original songs, including crowd favorites "Coloring" and "Control". He ended his set with a Sam Cooke cover, "You Send Me".

Hey Rosetta!'s singer Tim Baker was recovering from a vocal loss, who was unable to speak for the past two days, was forced to canceled a few dates on their tour. Luckily his voice came back, but a little patchy, as the band resumed the tour at the Turf Club. You can tell he wasn't feeling 100%, but the band is always fun and remained upbeat, particularly toward the end of their blockbuster set.

I've mentioned it before, but this band is large. There are seven band members, Baker on vocals, guitars, and sometime keys, Josh Ward on bass, Adam Hogan on lead guitar, Romesh Thavanathan on cello and guitars, Phil Maloney on drums, Kinley Dowling on violin and glockenspiel, and Mara Pellerin on trumpets, keys, French horn. Most of the band members are versatile enough to be able to switch instruments when the songs called for it.

Hey Rosetta! Setlist

As you can see from the setlist, about half their set were devoted to their latest album Second Sight, which came out in Canada in 2014 via Sonic Records, but the USA just got the album earlier this year. The was pretty close to their November 2014 appearance with Stars.

Highlight of their set was for "Red Heart", which got a great introduction from Tim Baker: "This song is about coming a little closer to the stage [immediately fans swarmed to the front]. This song is about shaking your butt!"

They ended their set with "Bandages" and there was no encores (all of the Communion shows we've covered never had encores).

Remaining Communion dates with Hey Rosetta!:

04/23 Chicago, IL Schubas
04/24 Rock Island, IL Rozz-Tox†‡

Hey Rosetta! at Turf Club, St Paul (21 April 2015)

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