W♥M

Minneapolis: June 27 to June 30

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

06/27 slenderbodies with Mokita at Fine Line Read More Slenderbodies UPDATE: Apparently Slenderbodies' entire tour was rescheduled. We write these previews months ago - so apologies for these last-min changes. The new Minneapolis date is now Jun 27th. …

06/27/2022 Monday

slenderbodies
with Mokita
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Indie duo Slenderbodies (stylized as slenderbodies) was supposed to be in Minneapolis in Feb 2022, but “Slenderbodies' entire tour was rescheduled.”

The new Minneapolis date is now Jun 27th, which is coming up.

There’s also some updates about their new album Simple Shapes, set for June 10th, with preceding double-singles “Smilin” and “Miracle”.

Mokita to open.

Tour dates:

Jun 02 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Music Club
Jun 03 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box
Jun 04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent
Jun 06 ­– Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
Jun 07 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Jun 09 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Jun 10 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
Jun 11­ – Philadelphia, PA @ Foundry @ Fillmore
Jun 13 ­– Washington D.C. @ Union Stage
Jun 14 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Jun 15 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Jun 17 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Jun 18 – Montreal, ON @ Ritz
Jun 19 – Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
Jun 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
Jun 22 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Bar
Jun 25 – Rothberg, MI @ Electric Forest
Jun 26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Jun 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
Jun 30 ­– Denver, CO @ Gothic
Jul 01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Hanger House
Jul 03 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Jul 04 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
Jul 05 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Jul 07 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Jul 08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre

06/28 Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers with Monica LaPlante at Turf Club Read More Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 …

06/28/2022 Tuesday

Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers
with Monica LaPlante
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Fan favorite Craig Finn is returning to the Twin Cities with his new band The Uptown Controllers (billed as Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers). Finn also announced a new album, A Legacy of Rentals, via Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers.

Finn explained the title, “The title A LEGACY OF RENTALS acknowledges that we can never completely hold any of our possessions, and that our bodies are merely a temporary residence for our souls. All moments are fleeting. After the destruction of the past few years, I believe that there is joy in each and every living action, however mundane – walking to the kitchen, missing a train, spilling coffee, cleaning it up, meeting a friend for a meal. We all want to be remembered. We all want our time here to be consequential. In taking these daily actions, we engage in hope, and we guarantee our unique place in history.”

We saw Finn in June 2015 and wrote, “The Hold Steady's frontman Craig Finn opened up the show. Although he normally has to introduce himself in other cities on this tour ... for Minneapolis, he felt, "I think it's safe to assume we can skip that part." Clearly seeing that his fans (all proudly wearing their Hold Steady T-Shirts) were present and in front for this show.”

Monica LaPlante to open.

Tour dates:

06/28 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
06/29 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
06/30 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
07/01 – Davenport, IA – The Raccoon Motel
08/13 - Grand Junction, CO - Supergrass Festival

06/28 Corb Lund with Lauren Morrow at 7th St Entry Read More Corb Lund Canada’s Corb Lund will be stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul as part of his Western Destinations Tour. Tour dates: . …

06/28/2022 Tuesday

Corb Lund
with Lauren Morrow
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Canadian country/wester singer/songwriter Corb Lund will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this June 28th. The singer released his new album, Songs My Friends Wrote, on New West Records.

“Songs My Friends Wrote is an album I’ve been threatening to make for years,” says Lund. “In most cases I’ve picked relatively obscure songs that have always spoken to me, even though many of them won’t be so familiar to people. The best part about recording all these tunes was that they reminded me of all the people who I haven’t been able to hang out with for the past two years because of the plague we’ve all been dealing with. All of these tunes bring a smile to my face and I hope they do the same for you.”

Lauren Morrow to open.

Tour dates:

June 1, 2022 - Livingston, MT - Pine Creek Lodge
June 3, 2022 - Weiser, ID - Weiser River Music Festival
June 5, 2022 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Urban Lounge
June 7, 2022 - Roswell, NM - Liberty Social Club
June 8, 2022 - Lubbock, TX - Cactus Theater
June 9, 2022 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
June 10, 2022 - Denison, TX - Music on Main
June 11, 2022 - Austin, TX - Spiderhouse Ballroom
June 12, 2022 - Tulsa, OK - Mercury Lounge
June 14, 2022 - Kearney, NE - Joe's Honky Tonk
June 15, 2022 - Fort Collins, CO - The Coast
June 18, 2022 - Kaycee, WY - Chris Ledoux Days
June 24, 2022 - Scobey, MT - Daniels Country Museum
June 26, 2022 - Sioux Falls, SD - Bigs Bar
June 28, 2022 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
June 29, 2022 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Brewing Company
July 31, 2022 - White Sulphur Springs, MT - Red Ants Pants Music Festival
August 11, 2022 - Challis, ID - Braun Brothers Reunion

06/30 Liily with Catcher at 7th St Entry Read More Liily Los Angeles shoegaze band Liily (Dylan Nash, Sam De La Torre, Charlie Anastasis & Maxx Morando) will be touring in support of their debut record TV or Not TV. After being added to popular Spotify playlist, the band found themselves ....

06/30/2022 Thursday

Liily
with Catcher
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles Liily is back in town! We just saw them about seven months ago, 7th Street Entry (2021-10-24) and wrote, “Liily is still a very new, but they they are very good and shows a lot of promise. Singer, Dylan Nash, reminds me of a stoic Ian Brown, while the band, guitarist Sam De La Torre, bassist Charlie Anastasis, and drummer Maxx Morando, plays post-punk, art-rock music. While the band didn’t mentioned their influences, I felt like they were inspired by a lot of UK-bands, as I hear sparks of The Fall and Gang of Four in their sound… which is a positive thing.”

Catcher to open.

Tour dates:

5/27-5/29 - Napa, CA - BottleRock Napa
6/1 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar #!
6/2 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre #!
6/7 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios #!
6/8 - Vancouver, BC - The WISE Hall #!
6/9 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile #1
6/11 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater #
6/14 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
6/15 - Houston, TX - The Secret Group
6/16 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada
6/17 - Memphis, TN - Carolina Watershed
6/18 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi
6/19 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
6/21 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall *^
6/22 - Washington DC - DC9 *^
6/23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Lodge *^
6/24 - Philadelphia, PA - Silk City *^
6/25 - Brooklyn, NY - Market Hotel ^
6/26 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz *^
6/27 - Toronto, CA - Baby G *^
6/29 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle ^
6/30 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry ^
7/1 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown ^
7/3 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep ^
7/5 - Salt Lake City, UT - Hangar House ^

# Sunflower Bean
! Palehound
* with Model/Actriz
^ with Catcher

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

Nelson Devereaux and The RT’s at Turf Club, St Paul (2021-08-21)

The RT’s Setlist Freewheelin' River Thumbtack See You Again Let It Go / Everything On Fire Rest My Case Overtime We Didn't Know Need You Right Now 99 in October Spanish Radio Never Let Me Down Read More The RT’s Brooklyn band The Rad Trads officially changed their name to The RT’s with the release of See You Again last year. Regarding the name change, Patrick Sargent (vocals, saxophone, keys) reflected … Nelson Devereaux According to details about the show, the show is co-headlined by Minneapolis’ Nelson Devereaux. …

The co-headlining show of New York’s The RT’s and Minneapolis’ Nelson Devereaux just took place at the Turf Club in St Paul on Saturday, August 21.

Opening the show was local The Symptones, playing their first show since “retirement”. From what was said on stage, it appears the band haven’t played live in one and a half years (540 days?). Some fans in the audience is in similar situation, where they haven’t gone to a live show in over a year, no thanks to the pandemic, of course.

The Symptones is just happy to be back on stage, playing such songs as “Rosetta” and singing about Buster’s dog song. They ended their 50-min set with “Never”.

I feel like this is actually The RT’s headlining show, but for whatever reasons, they didn’t want to close out the show. This is the first tour and album released and billed officially as The RT’s. They were previously known as The Rad Trads… which a quick search will tell you that is a term used by the Catholics for “radical traditionalists”. I originally thought that’s where they stole the term, but apparently the band doesn’t want any association with that term.

Patrick Sargent previously mentioned about the name change, “This name change is an update, and one that may be long overdue or may just be right on time. A shift, a maturing, a removal of preconceived notions. Quite simply, the name and the music no longer make sense together, but the music and the people who make it have never made more.”

The RT’s played a full 55-min set, going over time and pushing Nelson Devereaux’s setup 15 minutes past their original start time. Speaking of overtime, the band asked if the audience prefers the Twins (Minnesota Twins) or the Saints (St. Paul Saints)… right before playing “Overtime”, a song about Baseball.

The RT’s played their biggest hit “Thumbtack” early in their set, before playing something new, such as “See You Again”, which is the lead single, the album, and the tour was named after.

They ended their set with two epic songs, “Spanish Radio”, a song about driving and listening to a Spanish radio station and being scared and lost… and “Never Let Me Down” a seemingly extended version.

Nelson Devereaux closed out the show. Devereaux’s music feels more jazz-like, like the melodies can shift in any direction, based on how he’s feeling. His musical instrument is an alto saxophone, which he’s been playing since the age of 8.

Devereaux seemed really comfortable on stage, starting with some instrumental songs from his album Bad Water.

He’s toured with Bon Iver and Craig Finn … so any bands that needs wind instruments, Devereaux is your guy.

The Symptones

The Symptones

The Symptones

Nelson Devereaux

Nelson Devereaux

Nelson Devereaux

The RT’s Setlist

The RT’s

The RT’s

The RT’s

The RT’s at the Turf Club, St Paul (2021-08-21)

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

Craig Finn and The Uptown Controllers at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (08 June 2019)

Craign Finn 2019 Tour Craig Finn Setlist Be Honest Blankets Magic Marker Birds Trapped in the Airport Bathtub in the Kitchen Maggie I've Been Searching for Our Son Grant at Galena Something to Hope For Perfect Crosses Holyoke Christine Preludes Newmyer's Roof Her With the Blues Trapper Avenue -- Encore -- God in Chicago Ninety Bucks Craig Finn Tour Dates 13/06/2019 Joe's Pub, New York, NY 14/06/2019 Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA 15/06/2019 Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington, DC 22/06/2019 Crossroads, Garwood, NJ 11/10/2019 Exchange, Bristol, UK 12/10/2019 The Bodega , Nottingham, UK 13/10/2019 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, UK 15/10/2019 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK 16/10/2019 The Deaf Institute, Manchester, UK 17/10/2019 Oslo Hackney, London, UK 19/10/2019 Jacaranda Records Phase One, Liverpool, UK 20/10/2019 The Sugar Club, Dublin, Ireland 22/10/2019 TRIX, Borgerhout, Belgium 23/10/2019 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands 24/10/2019 Molotow Skybar, Hamburg, Germany 25/10/2019 Privatclub, Berlin, Germany Read More Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 … Laura Stevenson The last time I saw Laura Stevenson, she was with "The Cans" at The Triple Rock in 2011. I wonder if the band decided to drop the "The Cans" part and just going with "Laura Stevenson"? Anyway, she is …

Uptown took over downtown as Edina-raised Craig Finn and the Uptown Controllers played a homecoming show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis.

The evening started with Long Island, NY singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson who we have seen a handful of times (here, here, and here) as an opener, and who had just played her own headlining show five days prior, at the nearby 7^th Street Entry.

Stevenson has a new record out, her fifth full-length, The Big Freeze (on Don Giovanni Records) recorded appropriately in the dead of winter, and with themes many of us living in the frozen tundra can easily relate to. Stevenson sounds more confident and upbeat (though many of the songs can still be categorized as sad themed) than previous and seemed positively gleeful at the strong response she received.

With his third solo album in four years, I Need a New War (on Partisan Records) Craig Finn completes his own musical trilogy which finds him still painting narrative pictures with enriched character studies that explore a gamut of emotional highs and lows. As with his other solo work, the musical spirit is much more subdued than with his role as frontman for The Hold Steady, which made everyone attending this club show, listen that much harder to the character-driven lyrics.

Finn’s touring band is The Uptown Controllers (the name derived from a hilarious Craigslist ad from someone purportedly selling a Sony PS4 controller Finn may have once used after hours at an Uptown apt.) and the latest incarnation (playing only their fourth show together) assembles longtime sidemen Will Berman- bass and Falcon Valdez-drums, alongside Stuart Bogie- sax/horns/flute, Parker Shper- keys and MGMT guitarist James Richardson.

Finn and band began their ninety-five set amid pale red and blue stage lighting with a cut from their 2017 previous album, ‘Be Honest’ with the crowd woo-ing every Twin Cities reference in his lyrics, following next with the opening two songs from the new record, ‘Blankets’ and ‘Magic Marker’, with arms outstretched on the latter as Finn sang, “some nights it just feels good to write your name”.

“You could have stayed home and you could have been under the illusion... that you were connected to people” Finn said, eschewing the isolation of modern technology, “It’s going to become more important that we do this” referring to an interactive real world experience.

‘Bathtub in the Kitchen’ gives insight into a character that never made things work when leaving for a bigger city and the upbeat tempo of 2015’ single, ‘Maggie, I’ve Been Searching for Our Son’ belies its dark references to ATF raids and guns inside movie theaters.

Finn introduced ‘Grant in Galena’, the centerpiece of the new album, as being originally a Fitzgerald quote which likened failure to a period of former President Ulysses Grant’s life in Illinois, with Stevenson returning to the stage to give Finn a vocal hand on the song. Returning to staying positive, Finn’s new Springsteen-like ‘Something to Hope For’ let a downtrodden woman know she could count on someone, as Bogie’s sax punctuated the song.

Finn stopped to verbally admire the so-far season performance of his still-favorite baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, mentioning an online poll had solicited nicknames for the Cinderella-season team, calling New Power Generation his favorite (but alas, non-winning) choice - “I hope they Hold Steady” a fan then yelled, to collective laughter.

‘Christine’ was the only song Finn has written (to his recollection) about a person who was too careful, fans cheered during the Twin Cities-set ‘Preludes’, and ‘Newmyer’s Roof’ briefly re-visited watching the towers fall during 9/11.

“In 2019, the truth has become a moving target” Finn remarked, “the truth is the most important thing” seguing into 2015’s ‘Trapper Avenue’ to end the main set.

“It might be weird to listen to a lot of sad songs on Saturday night” Finn said, re-emerging along with Stevenson for their two-song encore culled from 2017 album We All Want the Same Things, “but when you listen to sad songs in a room with a bunch of other people, it’s an acknowledgment that we all suffer” introducing the spoken piano ballad, ‘God in Chicago’.

“Sometimes I can push ahead, some nights the wheels just spin” Finn sang in the night’s closing ‘Ninety Bucks’, a somber lyric that questions the sincerity of a friend’s financial need, set against an upbeat piano rhythm that kept the song from submerging into darker territory, another musical character study of an amalgamation of a familiar type of person we all seem to know.

Reflecting modern times and the constant change in New York City where he’s lived for nineteen years, Craig Finn turns his songwriting mirror both around and also back at us, like the best authors that shine a spotlight on the everyman and their basic desires to just keep pace, to hopefully move forward, and do the best they can, qualities that everyone can identify with.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Laura Stevenson

Laura Stevenson

Craig Finn Setlist

Craig Finn

Craig Finn

Craig Finn

Craig Finn

Craig Finn

Craig Finn

Craig Finn and The Uptown Controllers at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (08 June 2019)

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

Minneapolis: June 6 to June 12, 2019

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from June 6 to June 12, 2019.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

The Specials 2019 US Tour Read More The Specials Many musicians called for Mandela's release, including the Specials, who recorded a song called "Free Nelson Mandela". … L.A. Salami London-based L.A. Salami (aka Lookman Adekunle Salami) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on Thursday. His new single, “Jean Is Gone” is taken from his forthcoming album The City of Bootmakers …

THE SPECIALS
+ L.A. Salami
First Avenue
Fri 06/07/2019 (8pm/$40)
first-avenue.com

UK 2 tone ska legends The Specials will be stopping by First Avenue this June 7th. The Specials, along with The Beat, Selecter, and Madness, have influenced a generation of ska bands.

The band was recently declared May 29th as “The Specials Day” in Los Angeles, and deservingly so. The new album Encore is the first album since 1980 and it went straight to #1 in the UK Charts.

London’s L.A. Salami will open the show. If you remember, we saw the singer in Mar 2018 and said, “Coming on stage to an extended band jam intro, L.A. Salami (short for his full name Lookman Adekunle Salami) confessed that he’s been “spying from the bar” to survey the crowd. He’s come to the conclusion that we were an “interesting group.” If you couldn’t tell, it was clear that he was pretty happy about the large audience, possibly thanks to his appearance at the popular local station The Current ahead of the show.”

Tour dates:

5/27 - Las Vegas, NV @ Punk Rock Bowling
5/28 - Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC 11.35/10.35c
5/28 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
5/30 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
5/31 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
6/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
6/03 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
6/05 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
6/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
6/08 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
6/10 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
6/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
6/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
6/15- Boston, MA @ House of Blues
6/17 - Montreal, QB @ Corona Theatre
6/18 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
6/19 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall

Other shows in the area:

JoJo Siwa 2019 Tour Craign Finn 2019 Tour Art Alexaskis' Songs & Stories Dennis Llyod at Amsterdam Greeting Committee 2019 Tour Mattiel at 7th Street Entry Read More Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 … Morgan Saint Morgan Saint is known for her magnetic live show and striking visual presence and she recently released Alien (Epic Records) on October 5th. … Moonwalks Though hailing from relatively nearby Detroit, opening garage psych alt-rock trio Moonwalks (Kerrigan Pearce- drums; Kate Gutwald- bass; Jacob Dean-guitar/vocals) was making their first local appearance, supporting last January’s second full-length, In Light …

JOJO SIWA
+ The Belles
Northrop
Thu 06/06/2019 (6:30pm/$39.50)
northrop.umn.edu

Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa is bringing her D.R.E.A.M. The Tour to the Northrop in Minneapolis this June 6th.

Special guests The Belles to open.

Tour Dates:

05/28/2019 Abravanel Hall Salt Lake City, UT
05/30/2019 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO
06/01/2019 Brady Theater Tulsa, OK
06/02/2019 Arvest Bank Theatre Kansas City, MO
06/04/2019 Stifel Theatre St. Louis, MO
06/05/2019 Des Moines Civic Center Des Moines, IA
06/06/2019 Northrop Minneapolis, MN
06/08/2019 Huntington Bank Pavilion Chicago, IL
06/09/2019 Huntington Bank Pavilion Chicago, IL
06/11/2019 KeyBank State Theatre Cleveland, OH
06/12/2019 Modell Performing Arts Baltimore, MD

CRAIG FINN & THE UPTOWN CONTROLLERS
Fine Line Music Café
Sat 06/08/2019 (8pm/$25)
finelinemusic.com

Craig Finn is back in town, this time, billing as Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers … in support of his new record I Need a New War (Partisan Records). We’ve previously mentioned that the Hold Steady singer is very popular in the Minneapolis area… so expect a huge turnout.

Tour dates:

06/5 - St. Louis, MO - TwangFest
06/6 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
06/7 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School
06/8 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
06/9 - Milwaukee, WI - The Backroom
06/11 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
06/12-06/13 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub
06/14 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall
06/15 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel

ART ALEXAKIS
+ John Wozniak, Chris Collingwood, Max Collins
Varsity Theater
Sun 06/09/2019 (5:30pm/$39)
varsitytheater.com

If you love Everclear, you’ll want to catch singer/frontsman Art Alexakis at the Varsity Theater this June 9th.

As usual, Alexakis handcrafted his opening bands:

John Wozniak from Marcy Playground

Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne

Max Collins of Eve 6

Tour dates:

5/28 Boston, MA @ City Winery
5/29 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
5/30 New York City, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
6/1 Waterloo, ON @ Maxwell's Concerts
6/2 London, ON @ London Music Hall
6/4 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
6/5 Chicago, IL @ City Winery
6/6 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
6/7 Mt Clemens, MI @ The Emerald Theatre
6/10 Fargo, ND @ Fargo Theatre
6/11 Sioux Falls, SD @ The District

DENNIS LLOYD
+ Morgan Saint
Amsterdam Bar and Hall
Mon 06/10/2019 (6:30pm/$20)
amsterdambarandhall.com

Dennis Lloyd is headlining the Amsterdam Bar & Hall on Monday, June 10th. What’s interesting is that Morgan Saint will open up the show. If you have been following the singer, she’s been in Minneapolis/St Paul two other times in the last few years … so she must really love playing here.

Tour dates:

5/29 New York, NY Irving Plaza
6/2 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall
6/3 Montreal, QC Corona Theatre
6/5 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
6/7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
6/10 St. Paul, MN Amsterdam Hall
6/12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
6/16 Dallas, TX Club Dada
6/17 Austin, TX The Parish
6/19 Atlanta, GA Terminal West

THE GREETING COMMITTEE
+ Con Davison
7th St Entry
Tue 06/11/2019 (7pm/$12)
first-avenue.com

Join Kansas City’s The Greeting Committee on their first-ever North American headlining tour at the 7th Street Entry this Tuesday, June 11th. The band opened up for MisterWives in June 2017.

Tour dates:

5/31 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre *
6/1 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre *
6/2 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre *
6/4 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
6/5 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
6/7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
6/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
6/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
6/13 – Nashville, TN @ High Watt
6/15 – Kansas City, MO @ Boulevardia

* supporting Rainbow Kitten Surprise

MATTIEL
+ Moonwalks
7th St Entry
Wed 06/12/2019 (7pm/$10)
first-avenue.com

Atlanta-based band Mattiel (fronted by singer Mattiel Brown) will be headlining the 7th Street Entry on June 12th. The band is touring in support of their forthcoming sophomore album.

Show up early to check out Detroit trio Moonwalks, who we caught them on their first Minneapolis appearance in Feb 2019 and wrote, “Though hailing from relatively nearby Detroit, opening garage psych alt-rock trio Moonwalks (Kerrigan Pearce- drums; Kate Gutwald- bass; Jacob Dean-guitar/vocals) was making their first local appearance, supporting last January’s second full-length, In Light (The Scales in the Frame) (on Stolen Body Records).”

Tour dates:

05/30/19 - Gasa Gasa - New Orleans, LA
05/31/19 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX
06/01/19 - Mohawk (Indoors) - Austin, TX
06/04/19 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
06/05/19 - Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
06/07/19 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR
06/08/19 - Barboza - Seattle, WA
06/09/19 - Wise Hall & Lounge - Vancouver, BC
06/12/19 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
06/13/19 - The Back Room - Milwaukee, WI
06/14/19 - Blueberry Hill - St. Louis, MO
06/15/19 - Proud Larry's - Oxford, MS

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

Rocktober: October 18, 2017

Read More Violent Femmes Violent Femmes have announced details of their eagerly awaited new EP, HAPPY NEW YEAR. The four-track EP will be released April 18th, exclusively on 180 gram champagne clear vinyl …

Rocktober: Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 18, 2017.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

VIOLENT FEMMES
+ Teenage Strangler
First Avenue
Wed 10/18/2017 (7pm/$35)
first-avenue.com

Do you like American Music?

You know we still love the Violent Femmes. Their Midwestern tour starts next Wednesday, October 18th.

We caught the band when they re-formed in 2015 and again at their triumphant return to First Avenue with a double residency: 05 July 2016 and 06 July 2016. Both shows were great because they did two different sets.

And we can confirm they play all their hit songs, including ‘Blister in the Sun’, ‘Kiss Off’, ‘Gone Daddy Gone’ and ‘American Music’.

Tour dates:

10/18 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10/20 - South Milwaukee, WI - Performing Arts Center *
10/22 - Wausau, WI - Grand Theatre *
10/23 - Oshkosh, WI - The Grand Opera House
10/24 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre *
10/25 - Eau Claire, WI - State Theater *
10/27 - Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theatre *
10/28 - Chicago, IL - The Vic *
10/29 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre *

*w/Special Guest Brett Newski

Read More Bad Suns Another Southern California band, Bad Suns, played next, in support of their Vagrant Records EP, Transpose, with full-length, Language & Perspective, due out in late June. ... Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 … Kings of Leon Multi-platinum selling rock band Kings Of Leon’s latest single and video ‘Find Me’ was released late last year (December 2016), taken from their #1 album WALLS .... The War on Drugs Although Kurt Vile is no longer in The War On Drugs, the Philadelphia is proving that they can survive without Vile with a string of sold-out shows. The shoegazey band is currently out on tour in support of their latest release …

Other shows in the area:

BAD SUNS
+ Hunny, Qty
Cedar Cultural Center
Wed 10/18/2017 (7:30pm/$20)
thecedar.org

BEACH FOSSILS
+ Snail Mail, Raener
7th Street Entry
Wed 10/18/2017 (7:30pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

Beach Fossils’ new album Somersault is out now on Bayonet Records.

Beach Fossils Tour Dates:

10/11 - Providence, RI @ The Met
10/12 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
10/13 - Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theater
10/14 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
10/15 - Detroit, MI @ Loving Touch
10/17 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
10/21 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
10/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
10/ 24 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/25 - Richmond, VA @ Capital Ale House
10/27 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/28 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

CRAIG FINN
+ John K. Samson
Turf Club
Wed 10/18/2017 (7pm/$26)
turfclub.net

Craig Finn is touring for his new album We All Want the Same Things (Partisan Records). Finn is really popular around the Minneapolis/St Paul area, so this show is probably sold out.

Tour dates:

10/13 - Gainesville, FL - High Dive
10/14 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery
10/15 - Nashville, TN - City Winery
10/16 - St. Louis, MO - The Ready Room
10/17 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
10/18 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
10/20 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
10/22 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
10/23 - Chicago, IL - City Winery
10/24 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
10/25 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
10/27 - Buffalo, NY - The Leopard Lounge at Town Ballroom
10/28 - Philadelphia, PA - Milkboy Philadelphia
10/29 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
10/30 - Boston, MA - City Winery
10/31 - New York, NY - City Winery

KINGS OF LEON
+ Dawes
Xcel Energy Center
Wed 10/18/2017 (6pm/$35)
xcelenergycenter.com

Dawes is touring with Kings of Leon.

10/13 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
10/16 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
10/18 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
10/20 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
10/21 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
10/23 - Tuscaloosa, AL - Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
10/25 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
10/27 - West Palm Beach, FL - Perfect Vodka Amph
10/28 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Union Amph
110/3 - Mexico City, MX - Sports Palace

THE WAR ON DRUGS
+ The Building
Palace Theatre
Wed 10/18/2017 (7pm/$31/Sold Out)
palacestpaul.com

The War On Drugs’ A Deeper Understanding is out now on Atlantic Records. Their show at Palace Theatre is sold out.

THEE COMMONS
+ Bad Man
Icehouse
Wed 10/18/2017 (10pm/$12)
icehousempls.com

Thee Commons’ new album is available now on Cosmica Records. Note: Late start time of 11pm.

10/12 Philadelphia, PA Milkboy
10/13 Columbus, OH The Basement
10/14 Ft. Wayne, IN Brass Hall
10/15 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
10/17 Iowa City, IA The Mill
10/18 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
10/19 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
10/20 St. Louis, MO Bootleg
10/21 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
10/22 Omaha, NE Reverb
10/25 Ft. Collins, CO Hodi's Half Note
10/27 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
10/28 Boise, ID Neurolux
10/31 Spokane, WA Big Dipper

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

Minneapolis: August 10 to August 13, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from August 10 to August 13, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Every Time I Die Every Time I Die is an extremely popular metalcore band from Buffalo, NY. They got their huge break after their song "The New Black" was featured on Guitar Hero 2 …

TAKING BACK SUNDAY
at First Avenue
Thursday 08/10/17 (6:30pm/$27.50)
first-avenue.com

Taking Back Sunday will be taking back First Avenue (they previously performed at First Avenue in 2012) this Thursday (too bad it’s not a Sunday!), touring in support of their seventh studio album Tidal Wave (Hopeless Records).

Taking Back Sunday is Adam Lazzara (vocals), John Nolan (guitar, vocals), Eddie Reyes (guitar), Shaun Cooper (bass), and Mark O’Connell (drums).

Every Time I Die and All Get Out to open. The former, we previously saw in December 2015, and noted, “Every Time I Die is an extremely popular metalcore band from Buffalo, NY. They got their huge break after their song "The New Black" was featured on Guitar Hero 2 but have had a huge base of fans ever since they started in 1998. I have seen ETID over a dozen times live and it's all about their live shows. The amount of energy these guys have is unreal.”

Tour Dates:

Aug 04 Showbox Seattle, WA
Aug 06 Knitting Factory Boise, ID
Aug 07 The Complex Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 08 The Summit Music Hall Denver, CO
Aug 09 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE
Aug 10 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
Aug 12 Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
Aug 13 Crofoot Ballroom Pontiac, MI
Aug 14 Bogart’s Cincinnati, OH
Aug 15 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
Aug 16 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA
Aug 18 Saranac Brewery Utica, NY
Aug 19 Waiting Room Buffalo, NY
Apr 09 When We Were Young Santa Ana, CA
May 05 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis, TN
May 07 Carolina Rebellion Charlotte, NC
May 20 Rock On The Range Columbus, OH
May 27 River City Rockfest San Antonio, TX
Jul 13 Great South Bay Music Festival Patchogue, NY

Read More Coldplay I see there are quite a few bands announcing fall/winter tour dates, except for that "it's all yellow" band, Coldplay. They're giving away a nine-track live...

COLDPLAY
at U.S. Bank Stadium
Saturday 08/12/17 (5pm/$27.50)
usbankstadium.com

Popular Coldplay is touring in the USA this Summer. The band released The Kaleidoscope EP today (August 4th). The EP was produced by long-term collaborators Rik Simpson and Daniel Green, together with Bill Rahko, and features a new live version of Coldplay's hit single with The Chainsmokers, Something Just Like This, recorded in Tokyo in April.

Their “A Head Full Of Dreams Tour” continues to North America... with more than 4.6 million tickets have now been sold for the tour so far!

Show up early to check out London duo AlunaGeorge (Aluna Francis and George Reid), fresh off of touring with Sia. The duo’s sophomore album I Remember is out now.

Also Southwest London’s Izzy Bizu is on the bill. The 22-year-old singer songwriter was a 2016 Brits Critics Choice finalist, and widely considered one of the fresh new voice of 2016 (The BBC’s Introducing Artist of the Year and support from 1Xtra and BBC Radio 1).

Tour Dates:

08/01 Met Life Stadium, NY
08/04 Gillette Stadium, Boston
08/06 Fed Ex Field, Washington
08/08 Bell Centre, Montreal
08/09 Bell Centre, Montreal
08/12 US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
08/14 Century Link Centre, Omaha
08/15 Sprint Centre, Kanssas City
08/17 Soldier Field, Chicago
08/19 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
08/21 Rogers Centre, Toronto
08/22 Rogers Centre, Toronto
08/25 NRG Staudium, Houston
08/28 Hard Rock Staudium, Miami
09/23 - Seattle, WA - CenturyLink Field
09/26 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
09/29 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place
10/02 – Portland, OR - Moda Center
10/04 - San Francisco, CA - Levi's Stadium
10/08 - San Diego, CA - Qualcomm Stadium

Read More Irish Fair The annual Irish Fair of Minnesota is taking place next weekend at Lilydale-Harriet Island Regional Park... typically these events are free and open to the public, however .... .… Summer Set Music Festival Summer Set Music Festival, not to be confused with the band The Summer Set, is wrapping itself up over the weekend (August 15-17), in, where else?, Somerset, Wisconsin. … Sweet Spirit Austin locals Sweet Spirit (members of A Giant Dog) will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this Sunday in support of their sophomore record St. Mojo (out April 7 via Nine Mile Records). … The Rocket Summer The Rocket Summer (the solo-project of Bryce Avary) is currently on tour in support of his sixth studio album, Zoetic (Aviate Records). The record is “without a doubt, this is the most ambitious ...

Other shows in the area:

08/11-08/13/2017 The annual Irish Fair Minnesota is taking place this weekend on Harriet Island. This event is free and open to the public. For the full schedule, head over to irishfair.com The year’s bands includes Screaming Orphans, Screaming Orphans, and Eileen Ivers. 3pm, free.

08/11-08/13/2017 Over in Somerset, Wisconsin, is the annual Summer Set Music & Camping Festival. Lots of dance DJ/electronica bands on the bill, but honestly, I haven’t heard of many of them. 1pm, $75-$500.

08/11/2017 Austin’s Sweet Spirit will be headlining the 7th Street Entry this Friday. We previously saw the fun band in April 2017, and they played an amazing version of Pulp’s ‘Common People’, thanks to special guest Har Mar Superstar. Local “All the way from Uptown, Minnesota” Pornonono (Amy Hager and Jacob Mullis from Fort Wilson Riot) to open. 8pm, $12.

08/12/2017 The popular annual Pizza Luce Block Party is this Saturday. This year’s lineup is one of the best I’ve seen in years: Haley Bonar, Craig Finn, Allan Kingdom, Sophia Eris, etc. 12pm, Free.

08/12/2017 Esso Afrojam Funkbeat will be headlining the Turf Club in Saint Paul this Saturday. Alma Andina, DJ Don Cuco, and DJ Miguel Vargas will open. 8pm, $12.

08/13/2017 The Rocket Summer (led by Bryce Avary) is playing The Cabooze. The band is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2007 album Do You Feel with a full US tour. We previously saw the band in April 2016 and said, “The Rocket Summer is a one-man band. Bryce Avary does everything when it comes to recording. When he goes on tour, he brings a guitarist and drummer but still seems to do majority of the work. It was amazing to watch him move effortlessly between guitar, bass, piano, vocals, drums, hell, he even beatboxed at one point.” 888 to open. 7pm, $20.

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

Minneapolis: February 13 to February 16, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from February 13 to February 16, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More K.Flay After a short set by hip-hop songstress K. Flay (who we previously saw at a Go 96.3 show and was still promoting last year’s Life as a Dog (Bummer Picnic Records), this co-headlining bill ...

K.FLAY
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Monday, 02/13/17, 7pm ( Sold Out)
finelinemusic.com

Go 96.3’s Go Show with K.Flay this Monday, February 13th, is sold out.

K.Flay’s second full-length album Every Where Is Some Where will come out April 7th via Night Street / Interscope Records. Expect her to preview some songs from the forthcoming record, including the preview single ‘Black Wave’.

Paper Route is listed to open, while Miles the DJ will serve as DJ and MC / Host.

Tour dates:

2/09 Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard
2/10 Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre
2/11 St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
2/13 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
2/16 Indianapolis, IN - HiFi
2/17 Covington, KY - Madison Live
2/18 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
2/20 Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre
2/21 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Hell Stage
2/23 Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
2/27 New York NY - Bowery Ballroom
3/02 Buffalo, NY - The Waiting Room
3/29 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
4/05 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
4/21 Honolulu, HI - The Republik
6/15-18 Dover, DE - Firefly Festival
7/14-16 Louisville, KY - Forecastle Festival
7/15-16 Birmingham, AL - Sloss Music

Read More Japandroids Japandroids are still set to play. This Canadian band is incredibly popular in Minneapolis, apparently, selling out both their shows (why not do a 'triple' Triple Rock show?) … Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 …

JAPANDROIDS
at First Avenue
Tuesday, 02/14/17, 7pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

What are you up to on V-Day? Take your loved ones to see Japandroids at First Avenue.

We saw Japandroids in December 2012 and wrote, “Japandroids started off their set with a big F.U. to Vita.MN, who summed it up in their header, "Japandroids' first night good, not great." I wasn't at Friday's show; all I know is that Saturday's show rocked. HARD. The duo exploded on stage, sweating and bleeding into every epic song as the lights flash and singer/guitarist Brian King bounced all over the stage.”

Former local legend and hero, Craig Finn (bill as Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers) will open. Based on numerous other shows we’ve seen Finn play, he often command a massive local fanbase.

Tour dates:

2/8 - Austin, TX - Waterloo Records
2/13 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre*
2/14 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue*
2/15 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre*
2/17 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Theatre*
2/18 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Theatre*
2/20 - Boston, MA - Royale*
2/23 - New York, NY - Terminal 5*
2/24 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*
2/25 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*
2/27 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
2/28 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
3/01 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle*
3/03 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse*
3/04 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn*
3/05 - St Louis, MO - The Ready Room*
3/07 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre*
3/09 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre*
3/10 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre*
3/11 - San Diego, CA - Music Box*
3/13 - Santa Ana, CA -Observatory*
3/14 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore*
3/15 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore*
3/17 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall*
3/18 - Seattle, WA - Neptune*
3/20 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom*
4/18 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
4/19 - Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefährlich
4/20 - Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9
4/22 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
4/23 -Frankfurt, Germany - Zoom
4/24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
4/26 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
4/27 - Brussels, Belgium - The Rotonde
4/28 - Birmingham, UK - o2 Institute Birmingham
4/30 - Glasgow, UK - The Garage
5/01 - Leeds, UK - Stylus
5/02 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
5/04 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla
5/05 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
5/06 - London, UK - o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
6/03 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound
6/04 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound
6/10 - Porto, Portugal - Primavera Sound

* with Craig Finn

Read More Tove Lo Swedish singer Tove Lo is headlining First Avenue. She won "Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year" (for "Habits (Stay High)") at the Swedish Grammis earlier this year. Her latest album … Phoebe Ryan Indie “bad-girl” pop artist Phoebe Ryan will co-headline the the 7th Street Entry this Sunday, July 10th. Her latest single “Boyz N Poizn” recently came out to rave reviews, and with the fun …

TOVE LO
at First Avenue
Wednesday, 02/15/17, 7pm ($30 / Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Swedish singer Tove Lo is back in town on her “Lady Wood” tour (you know, the opposite of Man Wood?).

We described her last Minneapolis appearance as, “ ‘Run on Love’ is actually a song by fellow Swede Lucas Nord, featuring Lo, but Lo made the electronic song her own, and her biggest hit to date, ‘Habits (Stay High)’ ended the night with the crowd singing the chorus back to Lo and the band...”

The show is sold out, but if you have a ticket, definitely show up early to check out opener Phoebe Ryan. We previously mentioned that Ryan was on her Make America Dance Again 2016 Tour.

Ryan is hot off the heels of her chart-topping collaboration with The Chainsmokers on ‘All We Know’. She described the song as “It's about being in love with someone who may not necessarily be the best for you, but you're too deep in it to care.”

Tour Dates (all dates with Tove Lo):

02/8 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
02/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
02/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
02/16 – Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
02/17 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
02/19 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
02/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Electric Factory
02/22 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
02/24 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Other shows in the area:

02/13/17 Juno Award-nominated, critically acclaimed rapper, singer, songwriter SonReal is headlining the 7th Street Entry. SonReal’s The Name EP is available now on Capitol Records/Black Box.

02/14/17 Run The Jewels is returning to Minnesota, this time at the Myth. Openers will be The Gaslamp Killer, CUZ , Nick Hook , and Gangsta Boo.

02/14/17 Tribal Seeds with Raging Fyah and Nattali Rize & Notis will be at the Turf Club in St Paul.

02/16/17 Walkman’s Hamilton Leithauser is headlining the Turf Club next Thursday.

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

Minneapolis: July 8, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on July 8, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Basilica Block Party The 20th Anniversary of the Basilica Block Party is taking place on Friday (July 11) and Saturday (July 12). I have mentioned before that it's not a great place to see music (because of the talkers.... The Fray Denver's The Fray are back on tour in support of their fourth studio album Helios, out now on Epic Records. In addition to the latest album, expect the band … Death Cab for Cutie Anyroad, before we get to Death Cab for Cutie, I have to explain that I've seen the band before in 2001 at the 7th Street Entry for $5. People who live in Minnesota know that the 7th Street is a tiny venue. …

BASILICA BLOCK PARTY
at Basilica St. Mary
Friday, 07/08/16, 5pm ($60)
Saturday, 07/09/16, 5pm ($60)
basilicablockparty.org

Once again, the incredibly popular Basilica Block Party is taking place this weekend, July 8th and 9th at the Basilica St. Mary in Minneapolis.

We had a great time last year, covering all the bands (which is a feat in itself, because the three stages overlap in set times).

July 8: Great Clips Stage Matt Hires X Ambassadors American Authors Death Cab for Cutie PreferredOne Stage Andra Day Cold War Kids Gary Clark Jr. Star Tribune Stage Step Rockets Fort Wilson Riot Gospel Machine

July 9: Great Clips Stage Ron Pope Matt Nathanson Phillip Phillips The Fray PreferredOne Stage Craig Finn Milky Chance Ryan Adams and The Shining Star Tribune Stage Farewell Milwaukee Holidae Eric Mayson

Note: the Great Clips Stage will also feature DJ sets by THEbEATRASCAL & ACG [As The Tastemakers]

Read More Debo Band Debo Band is an 11-member group led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by charismatic vocalist Bruck Tesfaye. Since 2006, the band has toured Ethiopia twice …

DEBO BAND
at Cedar Cultural Center
Friday, 07/08/16, 7pm ($18/$20)
thecedar.org

Ethiopian funk-rock group Debo Band is currently on tour in support of their sophomore album Ere Gobez. The large group lists 11 band members, which typically means an arsenal of musical instruments, like violins and brass instruments.

The group, formed in 2006, is led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen, but its singer is vocalist Bruck Tesfaye. The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NPR, who placed the band’s debut album—produced by Thomas “Tommy T” Gobena of Gogol Bordello—on their “50 Favorite Albums Of 2012” list.

As of this writing, no opening band is listed.

Tour Dates:

07/06/16 Cleveland, OH, Transformer Station
07/08/16 Minneapolis, MN, Cedar Cultural Center
07/09/16 Chicago, IL, Square Roots Festival

Read More Frankie Lee The fifth birthday celebration of United States of Americana is taking place at the Turf Club in St Paul on Thursday, November 6th. The show features Israel Nash and local musician Frankie Lee (not the 70s blues musician). …

FRANKIE LEE
at Electric Fetus / Turf Club
Friday, 07/08/16, 7pm (Free)
Saturday, 07/09/16, 8pm ($15)
turfclub.net

Singer-songwriter Frankie Lee recently just wrapped up his tour with Esmé Patterson. He will be back in town, doing three Minnesota dates: In-store at Electric Fetus in Minneapolis on July 8th, headlining the Turf Club in St Paul on July 9th, and also at Red Herring Lounge in Duluth on July 14th.

With the Electric Fetus appearance, Lee will be playing a three or four songs from his third album American Dreamer (Loose/Thirty Tigers). Attendees who buys the album at the store will also receive a limited edition event poster (while supplies last). Frankie will sign copies of after his set.

No opening act listed for the Turf Club show.

Frankie Lee Tour Dates:

07/08 - Minneapolis, MN - Electric Fetus In-Store
07/09 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
07/14 - Duluth, MN - Red Herring Lounge
09/17 - Shakopee, MN - Festival Paolomino

More tour dates will be announced soon.

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

Rocktober: October 25 - October 26, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from October 25 to October 26, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More A Silent Film As soon as Greycoats set ended, A Silent Film's fans raced up front to the stage: clearly, they were the band of the hour. The English alternative band had great energy, with a dedicated singer … Flagship Flagship's soundcheck and stage setup took nearly an hour, going well passed their originally set time of 9:30pm. I am assuming the long setup was due to sound problems with their guitarist's …

A SILENT FILM
at 7th Street Entry
Sunday, 10/25/2015, 7pm ($25)
first-avenue.com

Oxford, UK band A Silent Film is back with a new self-titled, full-length studio album out just last week on +180 Records and featuring new single "Lightning Strike".

Living up to their name, the band is known for their widescreen sound, sweeping choruses and synth anthemic hooks. After a series of intimate 'in-the-round' performances called the Secret Rooms tour, opening bigger gigs and playing summer festivals, their intimate club gigs are a great way to experience the band live. We previously caught the band on their first-ever Minneapolis appearance in 2013 and noted that singer Robert Stevenson was so pleased with their fan attendance that he declared, "That's it, we're coming back!!"

Charlotte, NC band Flagship opens the show, with their own blend of dreamy orchestral indie-pop that sounds bigger than the sum of their parts. We caught the band last year and noted that singer Drake Margolnick sounded like like Thom Yorke.

Tour dates:

10/23 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
10/25 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
10/26 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
10/27 Detroit, MI The Shelter
10/29 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
10/30 Indianapolis, IN Rathskeller
11/01 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
11/02 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
11/04 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
11/05 Uncasville, CT Wolf Den
11/06 Brooklyn, NY Rough Trade
11/07 Washington, DC Rock 'n Roll Hotel
11/09 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre
11/10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
11/11 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
11/13 Gainesville, FL High Dive
11/14 Orlando, FL The Social
11/16 Tampa, FL The Crowbar
11/18 New Orleans, LA The Parish
11/19 Dallas, TX Club Dada
11/20 Austin, TX Stubbs Jr.
11/21 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's
11/24 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar

Read More Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 …

CRAIG FINN
at Turf Club
Sunday, 10/25/2015, 7pm ($25)
turfclub.net

Craig Finn will be at Turf Club in St Paul, this is the second night that he's in town (he also appeared at the Woman's Club in Minneapolis on Saturday). The Hold Steady's singer is incredibly popular in Minnesota, having started his music career in the area... so expect these shows to incredibly crowded.

All dates with Esmé Patterson.

Tour dates:

Oct. 17 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Oct. 19 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
Oct. 20 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi Fi
Oct. 22 – Chicago, IL @ Old Town School
Oct. 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Cactus Club
Oct. 24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Women’s Club
Oct. 25 – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Oct. 26 – Rock Island, IL @ Rozz-Tox
Oct. 28 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
Oct. 30 – Cincinnati, OH @ Ballroom
Oct. 31 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Nov. 02 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Nov. 03 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Nov. 04 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Nov. 05 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Wonder Bar
Nov. 06 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Read More Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack can still qualify as a local band, despite their nationwide popularity and proof that they still connect in Minneapolis, was seen at a crowded main stage for their late afternoon set. … You Blew It! Orlando's You Blew It! has a five-track all-Weezer covers EP called You Blue It. Singer/guitarist Tanner Jones explained their love for the Weezer, "We chose Surf Wax because it's a really great song, plain and simple. …

THE WONDER YEARS
at First Avenue
Sunday, 10/25/2015, 5pm ($25)
first-avenue.com

Co-headliners The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack will be in town next Sunday, October 25, at First Avenue.

This is a special show for MCS, as it is their hometown gig, touring in support of the band's latest Panic Stations (Epitaph Records).

Hoping to score a free ticket to the show? It's not too late to pick up the special exclusive "Panic Stations" coffee blend at Five Watt Coffee (sale ends October 25th). All bags of the blend come with a free download card of single "Lose Control," plus a limited number of bags come with a download of Panic Stations OR a pair of tickets for the band’s show at First Ave.

Guests State Champs and You Blew It! set to open.

Tour dates:

10/17/15 Webster Hall - New York, NY
10/18/15 Webster Hall - New York, NY
10/20/15 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
10/22/15 Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH
10/23/15 The Fillmore - Detroit, MI
10/24/15 Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
10/25/15 First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
10/27/15 Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
10/28/15 Murray Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
10/30/15 Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA
10/31/15 Showbox at the Market – Seattle, WA
11/02/15 Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
11/03/15 The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
11/05/15 House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
11/06/15 The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
11/07/15 SOMA – San Diego, CA
11/08/15 The Marquee – Tempe, AZ
11/10/15 Alamo City – San Antonio, TX
11/11/15 House Of Blues – Houston, TX
11/12/15 House Of Blues – Dallas, TX
11/13/15 The Blue Note – Columbia, MO
11/14/15 The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
11/16/15 Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
11/18/15 The Ritz Ybor – Tampa, FL
11/19/15 Revolution – Fort Lauderdale, FL
11/20/15 House of Blues – Orlando, FL
11/21/15 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
11/23/15 Amos’ Southend – Charlotte, NC
11/24/15 Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD
11/25/15 Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
11/27/15 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ

Read More Andrew McMahon Rising from the ashes of previous bands, Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon has blazed a successful trail all over again, this time under his own name. ... New Politics The clear headliner with a full set (note even their setlist showed a two-song encore) was Denmark's New Politics. They were really high energy, and just watching them work the crowd, and improvised … The Griswolds Australia's The Griswolds were recently chosen as one of nine other artists on Spotify's Emerge campaign, which began Tuesday. Past winners includes now-established bands such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis …

ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS
at First Avenue
Monday, 10/26/2015, 6pm ($30)
first-avenue.com

The co-headlining Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and New Politics show will be arriving in Minneapolis next Monday, 10/26, at First Avenue. We previously caught Denmark's New Politics at the Go Show #1 in March 2015 and was basically blown away at their live showmanship.

The Journeys-sponsored tour will also feature Australia's The Griswolds (who just headlined in June 2015) and American singer-songwriter and actress Lolo (aka Lauren Pritchard).

What is unique about Lolo's inclusion in this tour is that she's the only woman on this all-men band tour. Show up early to check out why HillyDilly.com wrote, "the most gut-wrenchingly good, heart-piercing vocals you've ever heard."

Lolo's latest EP Comeback Queen is out now.

Tour dates:

10/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
10/18 - Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura
10/20 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/21 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto
10/23 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Complex
10/26 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
10/27 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
10/28 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/30 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
10/31 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
11/01 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
11/03 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
11/04 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
11/07 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
11/08 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
11/09 - Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore
11/11 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
11/12 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery
11/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
11/14 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
11/15 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
11/17 - Washington, DC @ Echo Stage
11/18 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/20 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
11/21 - Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/22 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre
11/24 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland
11/25 - Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
11/27 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore

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

Heartless Bastards w/ Craig Finn at First Ave, Minneapolis (29 Jun 15)

Heartless Bastards Setlist Simple Feeling Gates of Dawn Got to Have Rock and Roll Black Cloud Journey Hi-Line Skin & Bone Pocket Full of Thirst The Fool The Mountain Could Be So Happy Into The Light Down in the Canyon Late in the Night New Resolution Wind Up Bird Only for You Parted Ways -- Encore -- Early In The Morning Nothing Seems the Same Tristessa Craig Finn Setlist Maggie I've Been Searching For Our Son Modesto Is Not That Sweet (Hold Steady song) Extras Mission Viejo (Lifter Puller song) Certain Songs (Hold Steady song) Western Pier Newmyer's Roof Dennis and Billy Tour Dates 07/01 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar 07/02 - Dallas, TX - Trees 07/24 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival 09/09 - New Orleans - One Eyed Jacks 09/10 - Atlanta - Terminal West 09/11 - Asheville - The Orange Peel 09/12 - Washington DC - 930 Club 09/13 - Bearsville - Bearsville Theater 09/16 - Northampton - Pearl Street Downstairs 09/17 - Portland, ME- Port City Music Hall 09/18 - Boston - Paradise Rock Club 09/23 - Chicago - Metro 09/24 - Indianapolis - Deluxe 09/26 - Madison - Majestic 09/27 - Milwaukee - Turner Hall 09/29 - St Louis - Off Broadway 09/30 - Little Rock - Revolution Music Room* 10/16 - Marfa - El Cosmico 10/17 - Albuquerque - Launchpad 10/18 - Phoenix - Crescent Ballroom 10/19 - Solana Beach - Belly Up 10/20 - Pomona - Glass House 10/22 - Los Angeles - Fonda 10/23 - Calpine - Sierra Valley Lodge 10/24 - Napa - City Winery 10/25 - San Francisco - The Fillmore 10/27 - Vancouver - Venue 10/28 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom 10/29 - Seattle - Neumos 10/30 - Missoula - Top Hat Lounge 10/31 - Boise - Neurolux 11/02 - Salt Lake City - Urban Lounge 11/03 - Denver - Bluebird Theater 11/04 - Boulder - eTown Hall 11/07 - San Antonio - Sam's Burger Joint 11/21 - Austin - Mohawk Read More Heartless Bastards Heartless Bastards is back on tour, in support of their fifth album Restless Ones (Partisan). You may recall that Lara reviewed their The Mountain album, and described it as … Craig Finn Craig Finn, singer/guitarist/front man of The Hold Steady, will open the show. The last time we saw The Hold Steady at the Weesner Amphitheatre in 2014 and at Midway Stadium in 2014 …

It's been three years since Heartless Bastards was in town, and as bassist Jesse Ebaugh noted, "Too dang long!" The Cincinnati alternative rock band headlined First Avenue's main stage in Minneapolis last night, in support of their latest album Restless Ones (Partisan).

Craig Finn

The Hold Steady's frontman Craig Finn opened up the show. Although he normally has to introduce himself in other cities on this tour ... for Minneapolis, he felt, "I think it's safe to assume we can skip that part." Clearly seeing that his fans (all proudly wearing their Hold Steady T-Shirts) were present and in front for this show.

Helping Finn on this low-key acoustic tour was Arun Bali (Saves the Day), however throughout his set, he borrowed Heartless Bastards' drummer Dave Colvin and bassist Jesse Ebaugh ... and for this Minneapolis show, Lifter Puller's Steve Barone joined Finn on stage to play "Mission Viejo".

Finn talked about all his songs on his 40-min set, explaining that he's never been to Modesto, California ("Modesto Is Not That Sweet") or that "Extras" was a "touring song" (even though he specifically hated tour songs) or that "Western Pier" was his answer to "Knights In Satan Service" (KISS).

The rest of his set featured Hold Steady songs, and some tracks from his forthcoming sophomore album Faith In The Future (set for release September 11th, 2015), including "Maggie I've Been Searching For Our Son" and "Newmyer's Roof".

Finn ended his set with a very quiet song about "Dennis and Billy", from New York.

Erika Wennerstrom photo by Jayme Halbritter

The secret origin to Heartless Bastards is that it came from one of the incorrect choices for a trivia quiz for the name of Tom Petty's backing band, "Tom Petty and the Heartless Bastards". By 2003 the band came together, but they didn't come to our attention when they solidified their current band roster with their third album The Mountain in 2009. With that record, we wrote that they drew heavy comparison to "the Black Keys and favorable mentions from alt-country heavyweights like Lucinda Williams."

The contemporary blues rock band centers around singer/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom, who sounded a lot more epic rock as we just witness from her hour and fifty minute set last night.

My favorite moment during the show was Wennerstrom's "Wind Up Bird" performance, where she outstretched her arms as if they were wings. The new song was followed by a pair of classic songs, "Only for You" and "Parted Ways", both from 2012's Arrow, which closed out their set.

Setlist

As you can see from their setlist, with the exception of "Eastern Wind", every song from their latest Restless Ones were played ("Gates of Dawn", "Black Cloud", "Journey", "Hi-Line", "Pocket Full of Thirst", "The Fool", "Into the Light", "Wind Up Bird", and "Tristessa").

For the encore, they started with "Early In The Morning", followed by "Nothing Seems the Same". The latter had a long extended jam, and slowly, one by one, the band left Wennerstrom on stage... who remain to recite lyrics from "Tristessa" to a drowning drone noise and feedback from the remaining guitars.

Heartless Bastards' fifth studio album Restless Ones is out now on Partisan. The band is touring with Craig Finn until July 2nd at Trees in Dallas, Texas.

Photo gallery from Jayme Halbritter:

Heartless Bastards at First Avenue, Minneapolis (29 June 2015) photo courtesy of Jayme Halbritter, jaymehalbritter.com

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