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Mitch Rowland at Fine Line, Minneapolis (22 Mar 2024)

03/22 Mitch Rowland with Harris Harper at Fine Line Mitch Rowland Setlist See The Way You Roll Blue Bells Carry On With Your Tea On The Line Illusionist When It All Falls Down Goes With Everything Shadow Range All The Way Back The One I Love Medium Low Here Comes The Comeback Come June -- Encore -- Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (The Velvet Underground cover) Read More Mitch Rowland GRAMMY-winning songwriter Mitch Rowland, famous for being Harry Styles’ main songwriting collaborator, will be headlining the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on March 22nd, 2024… touring in ..…

GRAMMY-winning songwriter Mitch Rowland just ended his Come June tour at the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on Friday, March 22, 2024.

From my understanding, this is Harris Harper’s very first national tour, and she’s quite nervous about it. Her music is very quiet and tender, and seemed fitting to be heard at the “Fine Line Music Café”.

Her brother, CJ Harper, who makes music and beats under the stagename Four AM, joins her on stage… Four AM’s singles and music videos have featured on Billboard, Thrasher Magazine, and Lyrical Lemonade, who described the sound as “music for the future.”

If you haven’t guessed it, the Harper siblings are son and daughter of Ben Harper (we caught him in Aug 2023 as support for the Chicks) … music runs in the family.

Ben Harper actually plays on Mitch Rowland’s song “All The Way Back”, and this is probably how Harris Harper ended up joining on Rowland’s tour.

After about 30-min, the soft-spoken Harris Harper announced that their last song would be “Overjoy.”

Mitch Rowland came on stage at 8pm, due to being an all-ages show curfew. The audience were mostly teenage girls, which is understandable as he is Harry Styles’ main songwriting collaborator.

Rowland has a full band, which included his wife, drummer, and “Pillow Person”, Sarah Jones (who drummed Aynsley Lister, Bat for Lashes, Bloc Party, as well as Hot Chip). Apparently the two met as they’re part of Styles’ band.

Rowland’s story is a very interesting one. He played in a jazz band in high school, then as drummer in Lionel the Jailbird and Total Navajo. Then, working at a pizza joint, he ended up as a last-minute replacement for a session guitarist. Rowland had never been in a music studio before, so this was such an experience for him. Styles and Rowland started collaborating on the music, and before you knew it, Rowland ended up writing nine songs (out of ten!) on Styles’ debut album, Harry Styles.

Last year, Harry Styles announced Rowland’s debut album Come June on his label, Erskine Records, in association with Giant Music. This is the first record released on the Erskine Records imprint from an act other than Harry Styles.

As expected with a debut album tour, the majority of Rowland’s album, Come June, including the hit “All The Way Back”, was played. With no songs left over, Rowland covered The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” as the set encore.

Rowland announced on stage that his next single will be “Carry On With Your Tea”, set as a limited release on Record Store Day. So look for it on RSD on April 20, 2024.

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Mitch Rowland at Fine Line, Minneapolis (22 Mar 2024)

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Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at Fine Line, Minneapolis (12 Mar 2024)

03/12 Sleepytime Gorilla Museum with Dead Rider and The Kind City at Fine Line Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Setlist The Companions Phthisis Burn Into Light Ambugaton Powerless Hush, Hush Salamander in Two Worlds Old Grey Heron A Hymn to the Morning Star The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion -- Encore -- Sleep Is Wrong Tour Dates 03/13 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall 03/14 - Indianapolis, IN - Irving Theater 03/15 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom 03/16 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts 03/17 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair 03/18 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere 03/19 - Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar 03/20 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle 03/21-24 - Knoxville, TN - BIG EARS FESTIVAL 03/25 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West 03/26 - Winter Park, FL - Conduit 03/27 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum 03/28 - New Orleans, LA - Howlin’ Wolf 03/29 - Houston, TX - Secret Group 03/30 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk 03-31 - Dallas, TX - Trees 04/02 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Bar 04/03 - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom 04/04 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole 04/05 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre 04/06 - Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre Read More Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (SGM) reunited after 13 years to complete their fourth studio album titled Sleepytime Gorilla Museum of the Last Human Being (available February 23, 2024)…

Experimental rock band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (SGM) headlined the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on March 12th. This is the band’s first live show in Minneapolis since 2010.

As you can see from the photos, they look like a nightmare Hare Krishna gang, and their live performance is unlike anything you’ve seen at a typical rock concert. They’re also quite funny, although they play it straight and serious.

SGM rose from the ashes of Idiot Flesh, where Nils Frykdahl and Dan Rathbun, with Carla Kihlstedt, Moe! Staiano and David Shamrock, went on to form the first Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

The band went into hiatus in 2016, after announcing a re-issue of the band’s catalogue on vinyl.

Last year, the band launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to record Of the Last Human Being album, accompanied by a short film and a brief live tour (if they hit the $100k mark). As history would have it, they met their goal after two days of launching the campaign.

Everyone who showed up at the Fine Line wanted to be there, especially since the help funded the Kickstarter and have been waiting a year to finally see the band re-united and finally hearing new songs (their previous album was 17 years ago!)

Chicago’s Dead Rider was one of the supports for this show (they also open for SGM in their hometown). These guys have a math rock, kind of experimental sound. They played some tracks from their Crew Licks album, and had the audience dancing and head-bopping.

Dead Rider (03 Oct 2015)

We actually seen Dead Rider before, in October 2015, and had high praises: “This band is pretty weird, but probably shouldn't surprise anyone who was a fan of the Rittmann's previous experimental/noise band called U.S. Maple. Rittmann's lyrics are surreal. Here are some sample lyrics I heard: "I went to the lake and got into the water.", "If you could kill with a thought", "The house you came up burned down." These seemingly flowing thoughts are sung over funky, metal, free jazz music and beats.” The next time you see Dead Rider, tell them you saw them in a dream, in a car, and that you put your hands on the glass. Rittmann would immediately respond by saying, "I am coming to you now."”

Dead Rider’s latest single is called “The War In My Head,” which you can get from Drag City.

Local Minneapolis The Kind City started the show. They came on stage waving to the crowd, and throughout their set, the audience waving back to the band.

The 5-piece art-rock band (Marshall Bolin, Andy Schuster, Liz McAllister, Blake Albinson, Edward Folly) was excited to open, and played music from their recently released debut album (released a few days ago).

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Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at Fine Line, Minneapolis (12 Mar 2024)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

Ryan Beatty at Fine Line, Minneapolis (05 Mar 2024)

Setlist Ribbons Cinnamon Bread Andromeda Bright Red Haircut Cupid Powerslide Backseat Bruises Off the Peach Casino Hunter Multiple Endings White Teeth -- Encore -- Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (Dolly Parton cover) Little Faith Read More Ryan Beatty 17-year-old Ryan Beatty will be hosting a live concert for his fans this Valentine's Day on VyRT at 8pm EST. What that means is you don't have to get out …

The first time singer/songwriter Ryan Beatty was in Minneapolis, it was at the Fine Line Music Café, on May 5, 2013, when he was just 17 years old. Things were much different then, the show started at 11am, and he had two support acts, Color Tab and Lizzy Herder. Now, over a decade later, Beatty is back at the Fine Line, and older and wiser. Things looks different now, he confessed.

Beatty’s current 2024 tour in support of Calico didn’t have an opening band, and the show felt more like a listening party. He sits in the middle, with his headphone monitor and surrounded by five other musicians.

Unfortunately, the way the Fine Line is laid out, holding a concert with the singer sitting down can be hard to see, unless you’re up in the front or paid extra for balcony seating. And the venue was incredibly packed with fans.

Beatty played songs from his three albums (Boy in Jeans, Dreaming of David, and latest Calico)… with audience cheering loudly for any songs from his debut Boy in Jeans. Hearing “Backseat” was a rarity, because that Dreaming of David album came out during the pandemic, and the 2020 tour was cancelled.

The set ended with a double song encore, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” and “Little Faith” from the latest Calico album.

Remaining tour dates

March 7 Denver, CO Gothic Theatre
March 8 Salt Lake City, UT The Grand
March 10 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
March 11 Seattle, WA The Showbox
March 12 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
March 14 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club
March 15 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
April 19 London Alexandra Palace Theatre
June 01 Railbird Festival
June 07 The Governors Ball Music Festival 2024
June 15 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2024

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Squid at Fine Line (02-19-2024)

02/19 Squid with Water From Your Eyes at Fine Line SquidSetlist Fugue (Bin Song) Undergrowth Pancake Day (Second half only) Paddling Glass Narrator Green Light (Bryers Green Light) After the Flash Swing (in a Dream) Broadcaster Pamphlets The Blades Read More Squid UK’s Squid is heading out on tour in support of their latest album O Monolith (out now on Warp). Talking about the new album, guitarist Anton Pearson commented, “I think we’ve been … Water From Your Eyes Water From Your Eyes to open the Turf Club show. Tour dates: JAN 21 The Loving Touch Ferndale, MI JAN 22 Tomorrow Never Knows Chicago, IL …

It was a quiet night in downtown Minneapolis, quieter than most. Perhaps it was due to people fleeing to a warmer climate during the three-day weekend. About the only place that was filled to capacity on a cold Monday was the Fine Line with a band from England making its Twin Cities debut.

Water from Your Eyes opened the evening. The Brooklyn band consists of Rachel Brown on vocals and Nate Amos on electric guitar. They were joined on stage by a drummer and bassist, but I didn’t catch their names for Brown’s mic seemed to be mixed with the volume down low. After a while it became apparent that the choice was an aesthetic one instead of a mishap by the sound engineer. Still, it didn’t prevent a guy behind me from shouting, “Turn up the vocals!” which brought a slight smile and little jig from Brown.

Brown and Amos were going to do what they wanted to do and their style of dance electronica crashing into guitar screeds was well received by the gathering crowd. They have also received quite a bit of critical love, even landing their latest album Everyone’s Crushed at #27 in Pitchforks Fifty Best Albums of 2023.

Squid had quite a successful 2023. Their sophomore album, O Monolith, was well received and one of their songs “Blades” won a United Kingdom Music Video Award for Best Rock Video.

The band consists of Ollie Judge on drums and lead vocals, Louis Borlase and Anton Pearson on guitar, Laurie Nankivell on bass and Arthur Leadbetter on keys. They met at Brighton University and had an understanding that the band would not only be egalitarian but also not defined.

Fans and critics like labels and most put Squid as Post Punk, but that’s only a starting point. As Pitchfork writes in their review of O Monolith: “Squid fires off in a lot of directions.” After all, how many punk bands have synthesizers, samplers and modulators; play gongs, cowbells and tambourines; (Leadbetter plays a mean triangle) and prominently feature trumpet and cornet solos? (Nankivell)

Like the opening act Squid is not concerned about appealing to conformed musical ideas. They were locked in and looked like they would be just as happy playing to an empty room. But there was a packed crowd at the Fine Line, and they knew the songs as the floor burst into a spontaneous mosh pit for “Paddling,” then singing along (mostly shouting) to “Pamphlets.”

At one point the crowd burst into clapping, providing an extra layer of percussion. It wasn’t instructed, but spontaneous, as if the audience wanted to be part of whatever this band with its multi-instruments, dynamic energy, and a wildly symphonic sound was leading them towards.

Remaining tour dates:

Feb. 23 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Feb. 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Feb. 25 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Feb. 27 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
Feb. 29 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Mar 01 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

Squid at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02-19-2024)

Squid at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02-19-2024)

Squid at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02-19-2024)

Water from Your Eyes at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02-19-2024)

Water from Your Eyes at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02-19-2024)

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Flavor World Experience ft. Ozone Creations, Purple Funk Metropolis, creeping charlie, and Kwey at Fine Line, Minneapolis (06 Jan 2024)

01/06 Flavor World Experience ft. Ozone Creations, Purple Funk Metropolis, creeping charlie, and Kwey at Fine Line Read More Purple Funk Metropolis Local seven-piece instrumental Purple Funk Metropolis will be headlining the 7th Street Entry in Feb 11th. The band released their new album The Golden Goose recently. .... Creeping Charlie creeping charlie, composed of sister duo Julia (lead singer/ guitarist/ songwriter) and Esmé Eubanks (bassist), later incorporating Jack Malone (drums) and Harry Miles of Atomic Cafe (guitar), released their debut album. ...

Brody recently attended the Flavor World Experience show at the Fine Line Music Café, in Minneapolis, on January 6, 2024.

The music event was organized by Flavor World (a Minneapolis based creative brand, making art in many mediums, and dedicated to inspiring and empowering creatives) and local college radio station Radio K. They’ve gathered some local bands for the occasion, including Afrofusion band Ozone Creations, funk/jazz band Purple Funk Metropolis, creeping charlie, and Kwey.

Creeping Charlie (30 Dec 2022)

We last saw Creeping Charlie in Dec 2022 and wrote, “Creeping Charlie takes its inspiration from bands like Mazzy Star and Built to Spill but you could hear Veruca Salt and other female alternative rock bands of the 90’s in the guitar driven and heavy bass playing underneath Julia’s airy lyrics unless she was screaming into the microphone with songs like “Gtfo”. Like the plant Creeping Charlie has a lot of energy and curiosity and desire to expand their musical sound. They can be seen again on January 20th, 2023 at the main room of First Ave in a show billed: Best new bands of 2022. Definitely worth a visit!”

As Ozone Creations took the stage, they published this statement:

In light of recent revelations, we've become aware of a situation, or more accurately, a history of harm within First Ave spaces. Ozone Creations, as an organization, as always been dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive environments, and we will persist in upholding these values. Given the circumstances, we've decided to step back from participating in First Ave hosted spaces until essential actions and accountability steps are taken.

It's important to note that while we'll be performing at the Flavorworld Experience at Fine Line on January 6th, this will be our final show at First Ave for the foreseeable future. In light of recent events, we kindly request that you refrain from attending the show or supporting First Ave with your presence or finances. Instead, we encourage you to redirect your support towards local organizations that prioritize community safety such as Flavorworld.

As an alternative, we propose that you utilize the funds you would typically spend on a ticket for our show to contribute 100% to Flavorworld. Whether as a donation or by purchasing Flavorworld products, your support will contribute to the nurturing of safer and more inclusive spaces. Further information on how to back Flavorworld can be found in the link in our bio.

Thank you for understanding and standing with us in fostering positive change.

Warm regards,
Ozone Creations

I am unaware of any First Avenue’s “history of harm,” and the band didn’t go into details.

The only news I’ve heard about the venue is that employees have unionized (with First Ave’s blessing) or that they are selling First Ave Snowglobes… neither news are so upsetting. So until I hear more “abusive” stories or proof about First Avenue, I wouldn’t change my habits.

Purple Funk Metropolis at Fine Line, Minneapolis (06 Jan 2024)

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The Japanese House at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02 Dec 2023)

Japanese House Setlist Sad to Breathe Touching Yourself Something Has to Change Morning Pages Follow My Girl i saw you in a dream Boyhood You Seemed So Happy Baby goes again Over There Friends Worms Chewing Cotton Wool Maybe You're the Reason Dionne -- Encore -- One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones Sunshine Baby quinnie Setlist ripple itch baja bird better promised shape for you silver second man touch tank gold star Tour Dates December 1 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's December 2 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fineline December 3 - Chicago, IL @ Metro December 5 - Detroit, MI @ El Club December 6 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall December 8 - Montréal, QC @ Studio TD December 9 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground December 10 - Boston, MA @ Royale Read More The Japanese House British singer Amber Bain, billed as The Japanese House is touring the U.S.A. (heading to SXSW 2017), in support of her third EP Swim Against The Tide. She is getting great buzz for .... quinnie The evening began with a well-received forty-minute set from New Jersey folk/bedroom pop Columbia Records artist quinnie, in support of debut full-length, flounder, but also played many new ....

Buckinghamshire’s The Japanese House (Amber Bain) just headlined the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on Saturday, December 2, 2023, in support of her sophomore album In The End It Always Does (Dirty Hit).

Opening the show was Quinnie (stylized as quinnie). The singer, songwriter, is joined on stage by her two best friends, Jake and Hudson… making this tour “extra special.”

Quinnie’s debut album Flounder was re-issued as a deluxe version on Columbia Records. She described the deluxe album as, “paints a more well-rounded picture of what my life looked like throughout writing this album. These are songs that still equally represent the person that I was, but otherwise didn’t contribute to the overarching themes and palette of the album.”

She spent the entire set sitting down, playing the same set as the Liberty Hall show, a few nights ago, “…the crowd seemed completely enthralled with every note. This was even more evident towards the end of the set, as they played “touch tank”, a song which went TikTok viral last Spring, and the set-closing “gold star’, an early track from a 2019 EP that was written while in high school.”

We’ve been following The Japanese House for a while now, ever since Swim Against the Tide came out in 2016.

The Japanese House (27 Feb 2017)

We saw her first headlining show in Feb 2017 at the Triple Rock Social Club, and mentioned that she basically played every song they’ve ever recorded. During the set “Bain noticed the disco ball that hung from the Triple Rock Social Club’s ceiling and asked, “Can someone work that disco ball? That would be amazing.” The request fell on deaf ears, that in the middle of ‘Leon’, the disco ball magically turned on with a massive cheer from the audience! Bain wore a massive smile on her face and struggled to continue singing.”

Since that first sold-out show, she’s been selling out all her other appearances, including her sold out Fine Line show in May 2019, when she was touring in support of her debut album Good at Falling.

With the two year pandemic break, Bain spent the time to write and record In the End It Always Does, which came out during the summer on Dirty Hit.

Setlist is the same from Kansas show on November 30: “The seventy-minute set (band on stage surrounded in a thin mist and often low lighting) began with the second single from the new record, the sullenly beautiful “Sad to Breathe” and Bain lyrically emoting, “It's sad to breathe the air when you're not there.””

Her “classic” song “Follow My Girl” had the biggest response from the fans.

Like her previous sold-out appearances, the Fine Line is incredible hard to move around, as fans packed themselves on the dancefloor. It felt like the show was over-sold, as even the balcony felt it was over crowded.

If you can’t make it out see The Japanese House live, you can pick up the recently released live EP called ITEIAD Sessions, featuring live versions of songs from her In the End It Always Does album. Pretty much all the songs on the ITEIAD Sessions were played live, including “Boyhood” and “One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones” (on the encore)… except for her ABBA cover song, “Super Trouper”.

quinnie

Japanese House Japanese House Japanese House

The Japanese House at Fine Line, Minneapolis (02 Dec 2023)

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

Noname at Fine Line, Minneapolis (22 Nov 2023)

11/22 Noname at Fine Line Tour Dates Nov 24 Chicago, IL, US The Vic Theatre Nov 25 Detroit, MI, US Magic Stick Nov 27 Brooklyn, NY, US Brooklyn Steel Nov 28 Boston, MA, US Paradise Rock Club Nov 29 Toronto, ON, Canada Phoenix Concert Theatre Jan 23 2024 Borgerhout, Belgium DE ROMA Jan 25 2024 Cologne, Germany Die Kantine Jan 27 2024 Berlin, Germany Festsaal Kreuzberg Jan 29 2024 Vienna, Austria Werkstätten- & Kulturhaus Jan 31 2024 Milan, Italy Magazzini Generali Feb 2 2024 Paris, France Le Trabendo Feb 4 2024 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy Feb 6 2024 London, UK Eventim Apollo Feb 8 2024 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso Jan 29 2025 Vienna, Austria Werkstätten- & Kulturhaus Read More Noname Chicago’s Noname is on her first tour in four years, in support of the highly anticipated third album, Sundial. The tour will stop by First Avenue on October 15th. .....

Chicago rapper Noname finally made it to the Fine Line on November 22, 2023. The rapper was originally listed to appear in October 15, but it was slightly delayed a month later.

This is Noname’s first tour in five years, having blown up in 2018 with the debut LP Room 25. The record was named one of the top albums of the 2010.

Opening the show was Connecticut’s Stout (aka Thee Stout). Her first album Awakened landed at #11 on the Billboard gospel charts, and since then Stout has been exploring gospel, jazz, rock, hip-hop, funk, and even alternative gunge music, such as her cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (which she played on her live set).

She’s got powerful vocals and even asked the sound mixer to lower her volume to let us enjoy the show. Her goal is to heal the world, so she’s preaching stomping on negativity, stomping on self-hate, on self-doubt.

Highlight of her set was going into the crowd and started a mosh pit for an energetic fun show.

It’s been quite a long tour for Noname, in support of the highly anticipated new album, Sundial. After moving around a few dates for logistic reasons and scheduling conflicts, she’s finally in town… but jokingly asked, “where am I right now? Minneapolis?” and got the audience hyped with the mentioning of their hometown.

She’s joined on stage with a backup band and two backup singers, Camillia and Claudia, which she gave a standing ovation later in the set.

Her controversial song “Namesake”, namedropped Jay-Z and the Roc Nation partnership with the National Football League. The rapper is no stranger to these topics in her other songs (often tackling political and social issues, gun violence, capitalism, police state, etc.)

For “Gospel?”, a song featuring $ilkMoney, billy woods, and STOUT, so, of course, Stout came on stage to sing on the song.

Noname’s Sundial is out now.

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Noname at Fine Line, Minneapolis (22 Nov 2023)

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Ben Kweller at Fine Line, Minneapolis (10 Nov 2023)

11/10 Ben Kweller with Mason Jennings at Fine Line Ben Kweller Setlist How It Should Be (Sha Sha) Commerce, TX No Reason Make It Up Walk On Me Family Tree Harriet's Got a Song In Other Words Falling Lizzy On My Way My Apartment Thirteen How I Am (Z’EV cover) Starz American Cigarettes Penny on the Train Track -- Encore -- Sundress Living in the Moment with Mason Jennings Sorry Signs on Cash Machines with Mason Jennings Wasted & Ready Read More Ben Kweller New original songs includes Rufus Wainwright's "Christmas is for Kids" and Ben Kweller's "Try to Love (Joy to the World)". Track listing: It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year ...

Ben Kweller is celebrating the 20th anniversary (technically the 21st anniversary) of his cult-classic album, Sha Sha, by doing a 2023 tour. He stopped by the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis on Friday night.

Mason Jennings opened the Minneapolis show. After playing his intro song, “Darkness Between the Fireflies”, he explained that he’s been friends with Ben Kweller for 20 years and he was excited to celebrate Sha Sha with us. If Kweller didn’t ask him to open, Jennings said he would attend the show as a fan.

He normally doesn’t play “Adrian”, but decided to put it on his setlist, because Kweller requested it.

For “Crown”, Jennings put on harmonica… which instantly made the audience think it was going to be a Bob Dylan cover…

He ended his set with the first song off his album Underneath The Roses, called “Only Lovers Welcome”. Although he left the stage, he would come back for the encore to help play “Living in the Moment” and “Sorry Signs on Cash Machines.”

Just to give you a little background, Ben Kweller started his musical career when he was really young. He’s been playing the drums since he was seven years old… and by the time he was 12, he joined a band called Radish. When he decided to leave the group, he was 19, and started focusing on his solo career.

His debut album, after signing with ATO Records, was Sha Sha, which came out in 2002 and instantly became a hit with fans, including Evan Dando (The Lemonheads), Juliana Hatfield, Guster, and Ben Folds (who created The Bens with Ben Lee and Ben Kweller).

For the anniversary tour, we’re shown footage from 2002, on a video projector, when the album first launched in Japan. My god, Kweller looks like a baby in 2002 (when he was 21).

After the videos montage, Kweller, and his full band (including actor/musician Christopher Mintz-Plasse), would play all the songs from Sha Sha, but throwing in various hits and oddities to fill out a full show. The setlist is not exactly one-on-one with the tracklisting of the ATO album, but as Kweller explained, he had to shuffle some songs for pacing reasons. Otherwise, it’ll be “bangers after bangers” as Kweller puts it.

If you were curious about the one cover song, “How I Am”, this was a tribute to his 16 year old son, Dorian Kweller (who plays as his stagename Z’ev). His son died in a car accident in February 2023, and it was a shame, because, like Ben, Dorian was also a child prodigy, and over time, he would’ve been just as accomplished as his father.

“How I Am” is one of Ben’s favorite Dorian songs, so it felt fitting to include it on the setlist.

Fans who loved the Sha Sha album was so happy to hear these songs performed live. Those same fans fondly remembers seeing him for the first time, with Pete Yorn, at First Avenue in 2011.

Remaining tour dates:

Nov 11 Chicago, IL, US Lincoln Hall
Nov 18 New York, NY, US Racket NYC
Nov 19 New York (NYC), NY, US Racket NYC

Mason Jennings Mason Jennings

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Ben Kweller at Fine Line, Minneapolis (10 Nov 2023)

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Mipso at Fine Line (11-01-23)

11/01 Mipso with Humbird at Fine Line Tour Dates Nov. 2 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Nov. 3 - Madison, WI - High Noon Nov. 4 - Indianapolis, IN - Hifi Nov. 5 - Detroit, MI - The Ark (Ann Arbor) Nov. 8 - Toronto , ON - Velvet Underground Nov. 9 - Ottawa, ON - Red Bird Live Nov. 10 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz Nov. 11 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Nov. 12 - Portland, ME - Portland House Nov. 15 - Boston, MA - Sinclair Nov. 16 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Made Nov. 17 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Nov. 18 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater Nov. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas Read More Mipso Folk band Mipso is headlining Cedar Cultural Center, in support of their latest Old Time Reverie (Robust Records). Joining them on this show will be 10 String … Humbird Humbird to open. Tour dates: Oct. 21 - Chattanooga, TN - Barrel House Ballroom Oct. 22 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn Oct. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West …

Last night may have been one of the few times the opening and headliner not only shared the same producer for their latest albums, but that producer, Shane Leonard, also supported both bands by playing drums.

Humbird opened the evening with Siri Undlin on lead vocal and guitar and Pat Keen on upright bass.

Undlin said it was a little weird to be playing at the Fine Line for she is currently on the road, but also back in her hometown, playing in front of a welcoming crowd of friends and family. She and Keen in fact had been in town for two days and did the only logical thing a musician would do with a day off - laundry.

Undlin grew up in south Minneapolis, performing in Irish ensembles and church choirs. She spent her first year out of college on a fellowship traveling through Norway, Scotland and Ireland researching Nordic and Gaelic folk songs.

The band she formed melds these traditions with American folk music, country and I believe based on some of Keen’s bass solos, elements of improvisational jazz.

Undlin’s songs are a nice amalgamation, never preachy, never strident, but light of touch and deeply thoughtful. Like the song “Summer Storm for Charlotte” from her sophomore album Still Life, a song about Undlin’s five year-old neighbor learning to ride a bike hours before her and Undlin’s homes would be filled with tear gas during the George Floyd Riots.

Mipso next took the stage. They are an Indie folk band based out of Chapel Hill, NC with Jacob Sharp on mandolin and guitar, Joseph Terrell on guitar, Libby Rodenbough on fiddle and keys and Wood Robinson on bass. They all sing and they are in their sweet spot when crowded around one microphone.

With ten years on the road, Mipso found themselves at a crossroads, frankly burnt out by the demands of relentless touring. Was it the seven year itch to call it quits? Well, they decided to stick it out and expand their musical horizons on their sixth album Book of Fools set to release November 23rd.

Based on the new songs it sounds like they are all looking to explore other musical avenues with songs that had Rodenbough playing an Irish dance lick and Terrell responding with a bluesy, soulful retort; Robinson taking his time to lay down some fine introspective bass solos, and the whole band turning to a reggae vibe for the encore.

But it wasn’t all experimental. Sharp acknowledged the reason everyone came was to hear and sing along to songs like “Hurts so Good” from Coming Down the Mountain,” “Louise” from Dark Holler Pop and a personal favorite “Wallpaper Baby” from their self-titled album:

Get over the wallpaper, baby
This house is coming down

Also, let it be noted that it wasn’t all experimental on their soon to be released album. “Carolina Rolling By” is a sweet, wistful song that will have fans singing along next time Mispo comes to town.

Mipso

Humbird Humbird Mipso

Mipso at Fine Line, Minneapolis (01 Nov 2023)

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Neil Frances at Fine Line, Minneapolis (28 Oct 2023)

Neil Frances Setlist Standing My Ground It's like a dream Games Show Me the Right Took a While High Dancing Ask Me Anything Some Kind of Static Let's Break It Down Gimme She's Just the Type of Girl Falling for You Be Free Music Sounds Better With You (Stardust cover) Teardrops Dumb Love Read More Neil Frances Los Angeles duo Neil Frances (Jordan Feller and Marc Gilfry) is headlining the Fine Line in Minneapolis on October 28. ...

Los Angeles duo Neil Frances (Jordan Feller and Marc Gilfry) headlined the Fine Line in Minneapolis on October 28.

Opening the show was Real Action and Mango Cart (billed on First Avenue’s website as only Real Action). Mango Cart came out with a joke, yelling “Hello Wisconsin!”, then Jordan Feller from Neil Frances came out and introduced the opening group. Real Action and Mango Cart played a lot of 90s rap songs and had the crowd swaying side to side to the old school beats.

Neal Francis, not to be confused with Neal Francis, is an indie-dance duo. They released their debut album There Is No Neil Frances in 2022, and spent that year performing at over sixteen major festivals, including Life Is Beautiful and Austin City Limits.

The group was humbled and thanked everyone for coming out to see them play, and thanked those from last year that were also there.

With this new tour, in support of their sophomore album It's All A Bit Fuzzy, the group naturally played the new songs released earlier this month (October 6).

What sets this new record apart from There Is No Neil Frances, is that there are a lot of exciting collaborations, including up-and-coming LA hip hop artist St Panther for “Let’s Break It Down” and PawPaw Rod for “High.”

The new album was designed to make for a good live show, and everyone was dancing in approval.

Of course, their big hit was a cover of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You.” Their song amassed over 150 million streams, so when they played that song near the end of their set, the crowd went absolutely crazy.

Neal Francis’ It's All A Bit Fuzzy is out now.

Remaining tour dates:

10/31 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
11/1 Seattle, WA Neptune
11/3 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
11/4 Los Angeles, CA The Novo
11/10 Tucson, AZ Dusk Music Festival
11/11 Tucson, AZ Dusk Music Festival
11/17 México City, MX Corona Capital Festival
11/18 México City, MX Corona Capital Festival
11/19 México City, MX Corona Capital Festival

Neil Frances Real Action and Mango Cart Neil Frances

Neil Frances at Fine Line, Minneapolis (28 Oct 2023)

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