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Transmission 24

Transmission 24 at First Avenue (22 Mar 2025) Partial Playlist I Touch Myself - The Divinyls Kiss Them For Me - Souixsie and the Banshees Too Shy - Kajagoogoo West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys Pure - Lightning Seeds Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears For Fears Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics It’s My Life - Talk Talk Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs Psycho Killer - Talking Heads Roxanne - The Police One way or Another - Blondie Don’t Change - INXS Temptation - New Order Just Can’t Get Enough - Depeche Mode Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go’s Modern Love - David Bowie Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes It’s the End of the World - R.E.M. Been Caught Stealing - Jane’s Addiction Laid - James Mandinka - Sinead O’Connor Just What I Needed - The Cars Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol Lust for Life - Iggy Pop Are You Gonna Be My Girl? - Jet Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand Pressure - Queen & David Bowie Read More Transmission The 23rd Anniversary Transmission, with DJ Jake Rudh, is this March 29, 2024, at First Avenue, in Minneapolis. This is a great social event that you can spend on your Friday night with your friends …

In addition to live music, First Avenue hosts a number of DJ dance parties. King among these is the annual Transmission show hosted by DJ Jake Rudh. Rudh is well known for his weekly show of the same name on The Current radio station, as well as throughout the Twin Cities night club scene.

The set up is a familiar one for those who have seen Rudh before. Doors open as he gets started, sliding between songs with the videos on the large screen, while Rudh controls everything from the booth at the back of the second floor. With a focus on New Wave, British Invasion, and similar genres, Rudh weaves a continuous mix of danceable music. An early appearance of The Divinyls’ I Touch Myself had a round of applause from the early revelers.

Rudh has honed this to such a fine point that, superficially, it looks effortless, which to me is a sign of the skill and work that went into the mix. During a great mix of British bands, punctuated by Pet Shop Boys’ classic West End Girls, Rudh briefly got on the microphone to welcome the crowd and his appreciation of those who have supported Transmission before launching back into the music. The Lightning Seeds’ Pure had many in the crowd singing along, as the dance floor really started to get crowded.

Though the crowd might have skewed a little older, it was one united by the wish to let loose on the dance floor. There were a number of people outfitted for the evening, ranging from classic club dance wear to more unique looks (someone dressed up in a Ms. America sash and tiara). The Eurythmics’ Here Comes the Rain Again got a new influx of dancers. The overriding vibe was one of joy, just having this moment of communal music and dance. It was fun to see people having so much fun. Roxanne by The Police continued to amp the crowd, and when that was directly followed by Blondie’s One Way or Another was a masterful way to ramp up the adrenaline.

It was also interesting to watch Rudh time a few exits from the booth to catch up with fans and friends. Although he was clearly pleased to be talking with people, you could see him mentally timing how much time he had before the next transition and needing to get back to the music. Overall, Rudh kept the hits rolling and it was an extremely appreciative audience. Just as you thought there couldn’t be another banger to keep the dancers going, Rudh would transition to the next one that would keep people out the for “just this last one”. For many people, the evening may have been summed up by a latter entry of The Cars’ Just What I Needed. Rudh led yet another evening of enjoyment and forgetting the outside world for a little bit.

Transmission 24 at First Avenue (22 Mar 2025)

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Cactus Blossoms at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (2022-02-12)

Read More The Cactus Blossoms Ahead of their 2022 tour for their new album One Day For February 11, Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms (brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum) will be playing a residency at the Turf Club, every Monday. …

Immediately after the release of The Cactus Blossoms’ new album, One Day, the American duo appeared at three stores, performing at Mill City Sound (in Hopkins), Down In The Valley (in Golden Valley), and Electric Fetus (in Minneapolis), all on February 12th.

There will also be a national tour in support of the new record:

02/16/22 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre *
02/17/22 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre *
02/18/22 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Lulu’s Downstairs *
02/19/22 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall *
02/22/22 - Bozemen, MT @ Live From The Divide
02/23/22 - Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge ∞
02/24/22 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern ∞
02/25/22 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ∞
02/26/22 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ∞
03/01/22 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel ∞
03/02/22 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Felton Music Hall ∞
03/03/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre ∞
03/19/22 - Red Wing, MN @ Tower View Barn
03/23/22 - Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo +
03/24/22 - Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark +
03/25/22 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern +
03/26/22 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe +
03/29/22 - Troy, NY @ The Hangar +
03/30/22 - New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom +
03/31/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live +
04/02/22 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle +
04/03/22 - Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley
04/06/22 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar +
04/07/22 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04/08/22 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
04/29/22 - Indio, CA @ Stagecoach
06/04/22 - McGill, NV @ Schellraiser Music Festival
06/08/22 - Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon ▲
06/09/22 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ponyboy ▲
06/10/22 - Dallas, TX @ Sons Of Hermann Hall ▲
06/11/22 - Austin, TX @ 3TEN ▲
06/12/22 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall ▲
06/15/22 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway ▲
06/16/22 - Iowa City, IA @ Gabes ▲
06/17/22 - Des Moines, IA @ xBk ▲
06/18/22 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge ▲

* w/ The Still Tide
∞ w/ Kacy & Clayton
+ w/ Alexa Rose
▲ w/ Esther Rose

Cactus Blossoms at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (2022-02-12) photo: Dan

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

Record Store Day 2021 Drop 2 - Sat. July 17

Read More Record Store Day The annual Record Store Day is tomorrow (Saturday, April 16th). Here are some events taking place in the Minneapolis area .…

In another positive sign of returning normalcy, Record Store Day returns this Saturday to your favorite neighborhood independent record store, with the final of two “drops” of exclusive and rare releases.

Planned in the midst of the global pandemic, thisbest day of the year for music collectors is to be wisely split into two dates this year, making the most sense fiscally and socially responsible, while also giving production plants a chance to meet customer demands.

In addition to Saturday July 17, June 12 also served as a RSD release day and there are likely some limited releases left over from that day at your favorite indie store.

Titles available are all listed on the official RSD website but availability will vary depending on the store and their ability to receive what they pre-ordered. Additionally, rules and social protocols will likely be taking place, from mask wearing, to limiting quantities, browsing time and in-store capacity, so check with the preferred establishment of your choice.

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, Electric Fetus will be handing out early line numbers and selling out of their back garage, while Down in the Valley features grab bags and giveaways and will be partnering with Broken Clock Brewing for an exclusive lime-tinged beer.

In Kansas City, Josey Records completes their first RSD at their new location (just a block from the old one), Mills Record Co. will be handing out early wish lists to fill out then have their staff shop for you, while Love Garden in Lawrence will randomize the lining up order with a lottery system.

Each year, the event also selects a celebrity Record Store Day Ambassador and this year, it is musician/ comedian/ actor/ writer/ late- night- talk- show- bandleader Fred Armisen (who also releases a new EP as part of the July 17 drop).

“I've been completely lost in records for most of my life”,Armisen said, “They have defined the way I see the world and how I remember different years in the past. As I moved to different cities throughout my life, I never stopped collecting records. That also goes for CDs.”

Though the releases are primarily on vinyl, there are a few on CD, as well as on another “thought-dead” format, the cassette.  With 162 titles coming this Saturday, there are far too many to mention, but here are a few highlights:

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The Monkees Missing Links Volumes 1, 2 and 3 LP each limited to 2000	Aretha Franklin Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly 1972 2 x LP limited to 5050	Amy Winehouse Remixes 2xLP limited to 13000	Waterboys How Long Will I Love You (2021 Remix) 12” Vinyl limited to 3000
The Cure Wild Mood Swings 2 x LP Picture Disc limited to 8000	Ramones Live in Sydney, Australia, July 8, 1980 LP limited to 6000	Bob Dylan Jokerman / I And I Remixes 12" Vinyl  limited to 7000	Ultravox Vienna (Steven Wilson Remix) 2xLP limited 2500 / 2xCD limited to 1500
The Clash If Music Could Talk 2 x LP  limited to 3600	Cat Stevens / Yusuf Songs From Harold & Maude LP limited to 8000	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà vu Alternates LP limited to 10000	Rolling Stones Hot Rocks (50th Anniversary Edition) LP limited to 7200
Karen O & Willie Nelson Under Pressure 7" Vinyl limited to 2500	Allman Brothers Band The Final Note  2 x LP limited to 9000	Pearl Jam Alive Cassette limited to 6300 / LP limited to 18500	Foo Fighters (as The Dee Gees) Hail Satin LP limited to 12000

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Ingrid Chavez at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (in-store) (07 June 2019)

Ingrid Chavez at Electric Fetus Setlist Light Rays Mine All the Love in the World Read More Ingrid Chavez Ingrid Chavez Heaven Must Be Near, Clap your hands and stomp your feet Perfection. Great album. Even more poignant with the passing of Prince. …

Though Prince never wanted to celebrate his birthday in later years, the fans increasingly are doing so, since his untimely passing more than three years ago (a more appropriate time to me, than scheduling a Paisley Park Celebration Weekend near the April date when he died).

Singer/songwriter/poet Ingrid Chavez helped mark the occasion with a short performance and meet-and-greet at record store The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis.

Chavez was a one-time protege of Prince, appearing in the film Graffiti Bridge and having the Purple One compose music to her spoken word poetry for 1991’s May 19, 1992 debut solo album on Paisley Park Records (the title somewhat randomly refers to the year-later anniversary of when the cover photo was shot) and she has a brand new album out, Memories of Flying, on her own Ten Windows Records.

Chavez would later meet and marry musician David Sylvian and expand into visual art, acting, and some musical side projects, but has returned to Minneapolis several times more recently, to play a mid-winter show at the now-defunct Prime6, for the late April Celebration, and most recently for a rooftop performance the previous night, at a downtown hotel, in support of the new record.

Accompanied by the same violinist and guitarist she had in late April, Chavez began her three-song fifteen minute performance with ‘Light Rays’, a single from the new album and Chavez emoting “I just want to swim in the deep sea of you”. 

The trio then dipped back to her 2010 album for the breathy and downtempo of ‘Mine’ which accelerated towards its finish, and ended with another single from the new record, ‘All the Love in the World’ with the foreboding staccato of a sharp guitar riff and sad gypsy violin as backdrop to Chavez’ yearning lyrics.

Although she still attracts fans due to her Prince association, her work is more downbeat, ethereal and worldly, with much more musically in common with ex-husband Sylvian and his frequent collaborator Ryuichi Sakamoto, than the funk/R&B hybrid of the Minneapolis Sound.

Chavez stayed around following, to meet fans, sign autographs and pose for pictures – with no scheduled tour dates listed, it’s assumed she’ll return to her home base in New Hampshire to work on other projects, but given her recent appearances here (and the fact she lived here for twelve years), look for Ingrid Chavez to again return to Minneapolis, sooner than later.

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Ingrid Chavez at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (in-store) (07 June 2019)

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Electric Fetus 50th Anniversary Party, feat. Real Estate, at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09 June 2018)

Real Estate at First Avenue Poster Real Estate Setlist Friday Stained Glass Serve the Song Had to Hear Crime Green Aisles November Past Lives It's Real Half A Human Darling Beach Comber -- Encore -- Saturday Habibi Setlist Khodaya Gypsy Love I Got The Moves Detroit Baby Nedayeh Bahar Green Fuz Siin Born Too Late Tomboy Unknown Flamin’ Oh’s Setlist Talk Like That Big Love We Do What We Like Every Game Has a Name Gasoline Stop I Remember Romance Here and Now Moon Long Live The King Tour Dates 06/12 || Indianapolis, IN || HI-FI 06/13 || Cleveland, OH || Beachland Ballroom 06/14 || Jersey City, NJ || White Eagle Hall 06/15 || Providence, RI || The Columbus Theatre Read More Real Estate Next up, Psychedlic surf pop straight from the heart of the Garden State, courtesy of New Jersey’s very own Real Estate. Real Estate are a super group of sorts… Habibi Last year, media Pitchfork gave their self titled debut 8.5. Interesting stuff, but, a lot to live up to.” Habibi to open. … The Flamin’ Oh’s The day began with sets from some longtime national bands with Minnesota roots—The Flamin’ Oh’s (who have been around since the late ‘70s) played the indoor second stage and …

The special Electric Fetus 50th Anniversary Party took place at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 9th. If you’re not from the area, the The Electric Fetus is a record store in Minneapolis (with a second Duluth location) that began operations since June 1968. Over the 50 years, only Keith Covart remained as the owner. Currently Covart’s daughter Stephanie and husband Aaron are the owners.

There were three short films prepared for us, playing before each band (with the exception of the Last Import). They were videos of various bands wish a happy 50th Anniversary to the Electric Fetus. They were mostly local favorites, but few national bands like The Wombats, Sting (with Shaggy), and Ringo Starr made it in the films. Although the films weren’t very long (average less than five minutes each), they did push all the bands a little later than scheduled. As you know, in these multi-band lineup festival-type shows, a few minutes here and there will result in going over time. Ultimately, the final band, Real Estate, had to drop their song “The Bend” (which you can clearly read on their setlist) as a result of starting a little late.

Anyway, the celebration began with DJ Roy Freedom spinning music before and between sets. The first band to arrive on stage were Last Import, an all-grrrl trio featuring Emily Bjorke on vocals and guitars, Grace Baldwin on bass, and Jane Halldorson on drums.

The new-ish band, with their garage-y sound will fit well with other Minneapolis girl bands like Kitten Forever. Near the end of their brief 30-min set, the group mentioned that they are playing the Battle of the Bands free show at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall on June 13th.

Next up were Flamin’ Oh’s (currently: Robert Wilkinson - guitar and vocals, Bob Burns - keyboards and vocals, Terry Isachsen - guitar, Sean Sauder - drums, and Jenny Case - bass guitar and vocals), also from Minneapolis. The group were originally called Flamingo, but were forced to change their name to the Flamin’ Oh’s due to another group with the same/similar name. They actually broke up in 1987, but eventually reunited a decade later just in time for the Mill City Music Festival in 1997.

Even with rotating band members, but having been around for so long, the group were completely comfortable playing the main stage. Seeing them make goofy faces and doing standard rock poses, they look like they were having a lot of fun.

Host David Campbell did a good job introducing each band, but sometime he had to deal with a dead mic or had to speak without a spotlight, so it felt like not everyone was on the same page.

Brooklyn’s Habibi came on next. The pysch girl group (Rahill Jamalifard, Lenaya Lynch, Erin Campbell, Karen Isabel, and Leah Beth Fishman) were probably my favorite of the lineup. What made this group unique is that they mix traditional psych rock with girl harmonies, and sometime would sing in Farsi. It works, at least for me.

The group played a new song for us called “Born Too Late”, which they said was written on this current tour. In fact, the song debut only a few days ago, and it sounded like it’s a hit for the girls.

New Jersey’s Real Estate (singer/guitarist Martin Courtney IV, bassist Alex Bleeker, drummer Jackson Pollis, keyboard Matt Kallman, and guitarist Julian Lynch) closed out the show.

Bassist Alex Bleeker mentioned on stage that this was the band’s first time playing the First Avenue mainroom. This is, in fact, true, since they were originally scheduled for First Avenue in November 2017 (with Lucy Dacus), but unfortunately had to postponed it until this year.

Since the band started later than scheduled (due to compounding video time and Electric Fetus’ staff introduction and thank you’s), Real Estate did have to drop their final intended song “The Bend” from the set. With this jam-packed show, if they drop a song, I don’t think anyone minded ... they got their money’s worth.

It was a great 50th Anniversary Party for the Electric Fetus... here’s hoping for another 50.

Last Import

Real Estate Poster

Bob Mould on video screen

Roy Freedom

David Campbell

Last Import

Flamin’ Oh’s

Flamin’ Oh’s Setlist

Flamin’ Oh’s

Flamin’ Oh’s

Habibi

Habibi

Habibi

Aaron and Stephanie

Aaron, Stephanie and David Campbell

Real Estate Setlist

Real Estate

Real Estate

Real Estate at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09 June 2018)

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

Liv Warfield / Shelby J at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (18 Apr 2018)

Liv Warfield Poster Setlists Liv Warfield w/ Ryan Waters Set The Unexpected Blackbird Shelby J Set Good 2 Know Who U R Moved On Tour Dates 07/10/2018 Seattle, WA Dimitriou's Jazz Alley 07/11/2018 Seattle, WA Dimitriou's Jazz Alley Read More Liv Warfield All corners filled as the pre-show festivities started just after 10pm, with an hour-plus of music featuring singers Shelby J, Liv Warfield, and Elisa (Fiorello) Dease doing a short set ... Shelby J The spirited encore started with a non-stop medley of hits anchored by Shelby J, Prince returning to the stage just as ‘Dancing Machine’ finished and launching into a...

Ahead of their busy weekend in town for Paisley Park’s Celebration 2018 weekend, late period Prince vocalists Liv Warfield and Shelby J, each played their own separate in-store sets and met fans (err, fams) at the Electric Fetus in downtown Minneapolis. 

Liv Warfield was up first, accompanied by guitarist/songwriter Ryan Waters, himself a longtime member of Sade’s live band (jokingly, he said they seem to tour once a decade) and the off-shoot project, Sweetback.  Warfield had lined up two shows at the Dakota Jazz Club for the weekend and sang a couple songs from her 2014 debut, The Unexpected.

“Purple energy, we are a family” Warfield said, beginning a two-song set of under twenty-minutes, admitting “it’s been a tough journey for me… for all of us” referring to the loss of Prince, some two years later though everyone is still dealing with it. 

“I recognize who I am...now more than ever" Warfield said, telling a story of Prince not initially recognizing her at a Baltimore concert after Warfield experimented with a new weave hairstyle. 

The Waters-scribed ‘Blackbird’ followed the title track, with Warfield calling it one of Prince’s favorites, judging by his body language and reaction to the song, listening for the first time once the album was complete.  “His love is alive, constantly” she would say, after finishing the song. 

Warfield remains on the road, both as a solo artist, and as a part of Roadcase Royale, the new project with Nancy Wilson and Heart, that will tour late summer into the fall. 

“Thank you for your support of our whole purple family” Shelby J began, happy as always to see everyone and beginning her set with elevated energy.  Her three song set was all culled from her full-length, debut, 10, and she would be a featured vocalist at Saturday’s Prince: On the Big Screen tribute concert on Friday at Target Center.

‘Good 2 Know’ began her three-song set, with Shelby admitting afterward, “I love singing - if they ever make it illegal, I'ma be in jail” as the crowd laughed. 

Getting serious again, she mentioned that “one of things that Prince instilled” was to “be your authentic self” and to “stand in your truth”, a feeling that inspired her own, ‘Who U R’ – “Be yourself, everyone else is taken”, she said. 

‘Moved On’ would finish the set, about a jilted lover making her own path, knowing that many in the crowd still haven’t fully done that from the loss of The Purple One, but she managed to keep things light and very celebratory – “Positive Purple Vibes Only” she exclaimed. 

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Shelby J

Shelby J

Shelby J

Liv Warfield

Liv Warfield

Liv Warfield

Liv Warfield at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (18 Apr 2018)

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

Wolf Alice / The Big Pink at First Avenue, Minneapolis (27 March 2018)

Wolf Alice at First Ave Wolf Alice Electric Fetus Acoustic In-Store Setlist Sadboy Space & Time Don't Delete The Kisses Bros Wolf Alice First Avenue Setlist Heavenward Yuk Foo You're a Germ Your Love's Whore St. Purple and Green Don't Delete The Kisses Planet Hunter Bros Lisbon Silk Beautifully Unconventional Formidable Cool Sadboy Space & Time Moaning Lisa Smile Visions Of A Life Fluffy -- Encore -- Blush Giant Peach Tour Dates 3/29 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall 3/30 Chicago, IL Metro 3/31 Detroit, MI The Shelter 4/2 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall 4/3 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom 4/4 Pittsburgh, PA Club AE 4/6 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom 4/7 Albany, NY The Hollow 4/9 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall 4/10 Boston, MA Paradise 4/12 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall 4/13 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live 4/14 Norfolk, VA NorVa 4/16 Chapel Hill, NC Cat’s Cradle 4/17 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre 4/19 Charleston, SC The Music Farm 4/21 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre 4/22 Nashville, TN Third & Lindsley 4/24 Austin, TX Austin 360 Amph 4/25 Irving, TX Pavillion 4/26 Shreveport, LA Municipal Auditorium 4/27 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre 4/29 Jacksonville, FL Welcome to Rockville 5/1 Miami, FL Bay Front Amp 5/2 St. Petersburgh, FL Municipal Auditorium 6/1 New York, NY Governors Ball Read More Wolf Alice London-based four-piece Wolf Alice will release their debut album My Love Is Cool on June 23rd via Dirty Hit / RCA Records. They actually did not include the cover artwork, but they did ... The Big Pink British electronic rock band The Big Pink to open. Tour Dates 3/24 Houston, TX In Bloom Festival 3/27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue 3/29 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall ...

The Wolf can have two faces-

One docile, beguiling and seemingly gentle, while the other being dark, ferocious, and relentless, and we saw both of these faces on display as rising UK alt-rock band Wolf Alice played three performances in two days (all in support of their sophomore full-length, Visions of a Life [Dirty Hit/RCA Records]), including to a capacity crowd in the Mainroom at First Avenue. 

Wolf Alice at The Electric Fetus Poster 26 Mar 2018

Coming into town a day early, the North London quartet (Ellie Rowsell –vocals, guitar; Joff Oddie- guitar; Theo Ellis- bass; Joel Amey- drums) scheduled an in-store appearance and meet and greet with their fans at area record store, The Electric Fetus, that brought a large crowd out in the cold English-like rain of late afternoon. 

The performance turned out to be a surprising sit-down acoustic set of four songs, beginning with newest single, ‘Sadboy’ from the new record, followed by ‘Space & Time’. The band took a minute after, to plug their headlining show at First Avenue the following night, humbly saying “it will probably be good”, to crowd laughter.

When someone asked what they had seen of the city so far, “quite a lot of the hotel room” was the reply, also noting their stop at nearby Brit’s Pub for a pint, the authentic UK surroundings there getting them a little homesick. 

The wordplay on the new ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ by Rowsell was more pronounced in the unplugged format, and the more bare arrangements allowed her voice to soar like a floating bird over the audience, while 2013’s ‘Bros’ became a slowly rolling soundtrack for the cold rain spackling outside, Roswell asking in song, “are you wild like me?”.

The following afternoon, the band reprised that format and three of the four songs, for an in-studio at local public radio station, The Current, streaming here:

• thecurrent.org

For their headlining show, the evening was opened up by another London-originating band, The Big Pink, whose music remains a moody guitar/electro pop blend ,but whose lineup has changed since being originally being a duo.  Now a quartet (Robbie Furze, Lady Mary Charteris, Bradford Lee Conroy, and [not present Nicole Emery]), original member Furze has re-invented the band, adding wife Charteris and is in support of EP Empire Underground (B3SCI Records) and some recent singles. 

The boy/girl vocals on the newer tracks make for a refreshing update to their sound (think Jesus and Mary Chain w/Hope Sandoval-esque), while hits like 2009’s ‘Dominos’ played early on, remain intact as remembered.  Ending their set with 2009’s other single, ‘Velvet’, Furze seems re-energized, particularly singing lines like “I found her in a dream, looking for me, this heart's on fire,” as his wife stands mere feet away.

Fittingly, hoots and howls from the crowd greeted Wolf Alice as they made their way to the stage for their eighty-minute set, playing over half the new album and beginning their set with its two opening tracks, the lifting ‘Heavenward’ and the angst-filled rage of ‘Yuk Foo’, the Wolf baring its teeth early on, and without mercy. 

The band isn’t really one to say much between songs, preferring instead to let the music do the talking and keep the dark, unflinching momentum they work on building throughout, though the smiles from the members indicated their gratefulness for the engaged crowd. 

Rowsell shed her guitar temporarily six songs in, for their self-described “love song”, ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’, speaking “I’d like to get to know you, I’d like to take you out”  like she was talking individually to each member in the crowd, many then wailing along with her, as she wondered aloud, “what if it’s not meant for me?- love”.

The title of the new ‘Beautifully Unconventional’ almost defines the band’s unique identity as a whole, featuring lyric, “She's beautifully unconventional, I love to see her rise above us all” (or maybe the following ‘Formidably Cool’, because they’re that as well). 

The throb of ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ had the crowd on the floor moving en masse and the new album’s ‘Space & Time’ found everyone clapping along, as guitarist Oddie gradually abused his guitar more and more, shaking it violently and holding it up swinging. 

The two-song encore began by reaching back to the title track of their initial 2013 EP, ‘Blush’, which is mostly the quiet of their loud-quiet-loud sound, the devoted as “punch drunk, dumb struck, pot luck happy happy” to hear it live, as the song lyrics imply.

Refusing to leave any stone unturned (or any face not melted) things ended with the grinding gut punch of ‘Giant Peach’, Rowswell’s and Oddie’s beast-size fierce guitar riffs talking us along on their stalking journey through a “dark and pretty town”.  As the feedback and delay remained snarling, the band waved and left the stage one last time, to cheers, exhaustion, and a sense of awe. 

Look for Wolf Alice to continue their hunt, on the road for most of the summer, playing venues from club-size to massive stadiums, opening for Foo Fighters, with likely a few more acoustic promotional appearances peppered in as well. 

The Wolf has two faces, one deceptively calm but brooding; the other swift, cunning, and showing no quarter, both the faces of an urgent and vibrant band well worth watching how they might strike next.

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Wolf Alice at Electric Fetus in store (26 Mar 2018)

Big Pink

Big Pink

Big Pink

Big Pink

Wolf Alice Setlist

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice at First Avenue, Minneapolis (27 March 2018)

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

Matthew Sweet at The Electric Fetus (acoustic in-store), Minneapolis (10 July 2017)

Setlist Pretty Please Trick (of the Light) Music for Love I've Been Waiting Read More Matthew Sweet Anyway, currently, Matthew Sweet is back with a new album, after a six-year hiatus, called Tomorrow Forever (Honeycomb Hideout, through Sony’s RED Distribution). The new 17-song album will be …

Ahead of his following night’s long sold-out show at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Matthew Sweet stopped by local record store The Electric Fetus on a Monday evening, to play a few acoustic songs, and meet and greet the fans that had crowded near the front registers, to see him. 

Sweet is back with a new album, his first solo effort in six years, the Kickstarter-funded Tomorrow Forever (on his own imprint, Honeycomb Hideout, via Sony’s RED Distribution) and the 17-song album is currently available on CD, double 180-gram vinyl, and digital.

The Omaha, NE- based singer just began his latest tour there, which takes him through September, and was pleased at the couple of shows done so far.  The too short four-song/fifteen-minute set only made those in the audience that didn’t have tickets, wish they did even more, and mostly showcased the new record. 

Sweet and his two guitarists, Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush) and Jason Victor (Steve Wynn) played seated, with Sweet partially hidden under a black baseball cap and wearing a dark Blade Runner t-shirt. “Hello everyone, I’m Matthew”, he said as he introduced everyone as politely as anyone from the Midwest would. 

‘Pretty Please’ touches on some Big Star influence, but has that defining Sweet power-pop familiarity, the album’s opener, ‘Trick (of the Light)’ has as memorable a beat and chorus as any of Sweet’s 90’s alt-radio hits, and ‘Music for Love’ was short but still featured a nice and jangly Chastain guitar solo. 

“This one…is not new … a golden oldie” Sweet said as the trio strummed the familiar ‘I’ve Been Waiting’ from 1991’s Girlfriend, the album that proved to be his breakthrough.  “Over and out” he waved, getting up to go over and meet the fans and autograph CDs and records, and for those fans lucky enough to have tickets for the next night, Tomorrow Forever was truly something they were looking forward to. 

Matthew Sweet Tour Dates:

07/11/2017 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club 07/12/2017 Des Moines, IA Wooly's 07/13/2017 Chicago, IL City Winery 07/14/2017 Chicago, IL City Winery 07/15/2017 Springfield, IL Donnie's Homespun 07/16/2017 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill's Duck Room 07/18/2017 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads 07/20/2017 Dallas, TX The Kessler Theater 07/21/2017 Austin, TX 3Ten Austin City Limits Live 07/22/2017 Austin, TX 3Ten Austin City Limits Live 07/23/2017 Houston, TX The Heights Theater 07/25/2017 Jackson, MS Duling Hall 07/26/2017 Atlanta, GA City Winery Atlanta 07/27/2017 Atlanta, GA City Winery Atlanta 07/28/2017 Nashville, TN City Winery Nashville 07/29/2017 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall 08/15/2017 Los Angeles, CA Echo 08/16/2017 San Diego, CA The Casbah

08/17/2017 Felton, CA Don Quixote's Int'l 08/18/2017 San Francisco, CA Independent 08/20/2017 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge 08/21/2017 Seattle, WA The Triple Door 09/07/2017 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere 09/08/2017 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage 09/09/2017 Havertown, PA Haverford Music Festival 09/10/2017 New York, NY City Winery NYC 09/13/2017 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall 09/14/2017 Londonderry, NH Tupelo Music Hall 09/15/2017 Brownfield, ME Stone Mountain Arts Ctr 09/16/2017 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 09/17/2017 Norfolk, CT Infinity Hall Norfolk 09/19/2017 Fall River, MA Narrows Center 09/20/2017 Hudson, NY Club Helsinki 09/21/2017 Wilmington, DE World Cafe Live 09/22/2017 Tarrytown, NY The Tarrytown Music Hall 09/23/2017 Port Washington, NY Landmark 09/24/2017 South Orange, NJ South Orange Perf Arts Ctr

Matthew Sweet at The Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (10 July 2017)

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Jesca Hoop at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (14 Mar 2017)

Jesca Hoop Setlist Pegasi Songs of Old City Bird Murder of Birds Tour Dates 03/20/17 San Francisco, CA Great American 03/21/17 West Hollywood, CA Roxy Theatre 03/26/17 Glasgow, UK Tramway Theatre 6 Music 03/28/17 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club 03/29/17 London, UK The Lexington 03/30/17 Bristol, UK Exchange 03/31/17 Leicester, UK The Musician 04/01/17 Brighton, UK Patterns 04/02/17 Norwich, UK Epic 04/03/17 Cambridge, UK Portland Arms 04/05/17 Liverpool, UK Magnet 04/06/17 Manchester, UK Gorilla 05/12/17 Brussels, Belgium Les Nuits Botanique 05/16/17 Aarhus, Denmark Atlas 05/17/17 Copenhagen, Denmark Lille Vega 07/21/17 Deer Shed Festival Read More Jesca Hoop Jesca Hoop (not Jessica Hoop) will be at the Cedar Cultural Center next Tuesday. Her latest album Memories Are Now is out now. Lowland Hum will open. …

“Hello, gentlemen… and lady”.

Singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop looked into the still filtering in crowd for her in-store performance at local record shop The Electric Fetus and immediately noticed it was mostly male, up to that point anyway.

The Santa Rosa, CA native was playing a proper show that night at the Cedar Cultural Center but stopped by to meet fans and play a four-song, twenty-minute acoustic performance.  Her latest release is Memories for Now (on Sub Pop Records), her first new solo release in five years, after previous albums re-working older songs and a duets album with Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam.

Setlist

The songs played were half from the new record (re-uniting her with producer Blake Mills) -a delicate, strange and irresistible blend of indie folk with jazz and experimental sensibilities.  Hoop’s voice, even in this setting, rose to siren-like tones, high enough to lure sailors and challenge the simple sound system the store uses for in-stores.

2014’s ‘City Bird’ is a favorite, similar in its fragility to Laura Marling, early Suzanne Vega, or Joni Mitchell, with image-inducing smart lyrics and carefully plucked chords.  Warning she might mess her last song up, as she hadn’t played it in a while, ‘Murder of Birds’ followed ‘City Bird’, maybe foretelling the fate of the urban bird that had lost its way.

The song was played without error, much to Hoop’s relief as she smiled following, thanked everyone for coming out, and hoped she’d us all later at the evening show, before taking to the counter to sign and meet fans.

After a couple West Coast dates, Jesca Hoop takes flight to Europe for a more extensive tour; and for her, more memories of now.

Jesca Hoop in-store performance at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (14 March 2017)

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

Suzanne Vega w/ Gerry Leonard, Teddy Thompson at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (08 Nov 2016)

Setlist Teddy Thompson Set In My Arms Don’t Remind Me The One I Can’t Have Suzanne Vega Set New York is My Destination We of Me Harper Lee Caramel Tour Dates 11/10/16 Los Angeles, CA Regent Theater 11/11/16 Saratoga, CA Carriage House Theatre 11/13/16 San Francisco, CA Great American 11/15/16 Portland, OR Alberta Rose Theatre 11/16/16 Seattle, WA Triple Door 02/16/17 Austin, TX One World Theatre Read More Suzanne Vega I remember the first time I saw Suzanne Vega, she was on television, defending her song "Luka", which was about an abused child. What I thought was interesting was that the song.…

In between their two-night stand playing the Dakota Jazz Club, Suzanne Vega w/Gerry Leonard and Teddy Thompson took time out to each do a brief back-to-back acoustic in-store performance, to promote their respective new albums. 

Singer-songwriter Vega is out in support of October’s Lover, Beloved: Songs From An Evening With Carson McCullers (on her own Amanuensis Productions), based on a play Vega wrote about McCullers, her favorite childhood author, and co-written by Duncan Sheik.

Joining her was the rainbow-haired guitarist Gerry Leonard, who’s had history with Vega (and Sheik)as well as toured as David Bowie’s Musical Director for nearly a decade and also works under the moniker Spooky Ghost. 

Vega’s opening act on this tour, Teddy Thompson (son of Richard & Linda Thompson) started with a three-song mini-set of his own first, culled from his solo releases, including the most recent, 2016’s Little Windows, an Everly Brothers-esque duet retro style album with Kelly Jones. 

“This is the record store of my dreams” Thompson mused, looking around at the wide selection, before beginning with 2008’s ‘In My Arms’, a song performed on record with Rufus Wainwright.  ‘Don’t Remind Me’ was culled from the new record (sung solo though) and 2011’s ‘The One I Can’t Have’ finished his short set.

Suzanne Vega and Leonard were next, with Vega proudly holding up her new record, an homage to her favorite author and began with the new ‘New York is My Destination’, describing author McCullers’ move from the deep south to a cosmopolitan metropolis. 

As much as a history lesson on the author as a performance, ‘We of Me’ followed, inspired by and in the voice of one of the characters from McCullers’ 1946 novel, The Member of the Wedding.  ‘Harper Lee’ was written about the elder author holding some animosity toward the younger Lee, but told with a dose of plucky sarcasm in its lyrics. 

Vega and Leonard finished with the relatively obscure ‘Caramel’ from 1996’s Nine Objects of Desire (though she misspoke saying it was from 1992’s 99.9F°, which is maybe the writing sessions the song was born from), telling us we’d have to see them at the Dakota “to hear the rest” of their set, though it would be with full band and Thompson playing along with them. 

Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega at Electric Fetus, Minneapolis (08 November 2016)

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