W♥M

100 Gecs at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-10-19)

Setlist Hey Big Man stupid horse 757 Gamelan Interlude ringtone fallen 4 Ü Hollywood Baby gecgecgec (Remix) hand crushed by a mallet One Million Billie Knows Jamie Me Me Me money machine what's that smell 800db cloud Read More 100 Gecs American duo 100 Gecs (stylized as 100 gecs) consists of Dylan Brady and Laura Les. Since their debut album 1000 Gecs in 2019, the band have grown in popularity, particularly in the video game Minecraft. During the pandemic ....

Minecraft fans flocked to the sold-out, all-ages 100 Gecs show at First Avenue on October 19th.

Self-proclaimed best rapper, Aaron Cartier, opened the show, with his catchy song “F*** It I Do What I Want”. One thing is certain about Cartier’s brief 25-min set, is that he certainly knows how to command the audience, and that he’s very comfortable being on stage… as if he was born to perform.

Cartier ended his set with “GETITRIGHTBACK” and “You Too”

Setlist

After their intro song, “Hey Big Man” (that’s what was written on their setlist), 100 Gecs bursted out in Wizard costumes. It ended abruptly as the music stopped playing. They had technical difficulties resulting in about five minutes of dead air. The fans still loved them and started chanting “Gecs! Gecs! Gecs!” as they worked out what was wrong. To pass the time, Laura Les incite the audience to start singing, “Happy Birthday To You”. We’re not exactly sure who’s birthday, as neither Dylan Brady or Laura Les were born in October.

The popular young duo were still working out the kinks of their tour for 1000 Gecs and 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues. Hearing the two talk on stage, apparently they are very close to a new album, even playing some new (not officially named) tracks live. One of those songs, as written on their setlist, “Gamelan Interlude”, is an instrumental song with the two of them hitting a xylophone.

This this was an all-ages show, the band had to end their set before curfew.

Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore that this is the future of music, seeing so many young video gamers out in force, knowing, obsessing over their songs. So far, from what I’ve read, the 10,000 gecs Tour is sold out.

Remaining tour dates:

10/21 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
10/22 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
10/23 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater
10/25 - Boston, MA @ Royale
10/26 - Montreal, QC @ Corona Theater
10/27 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
10/29 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/30 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
10/31 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
11/02 - Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
11/03 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
11/05 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
11/06 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
11/07 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
11/10 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/11 - Austin, TX @ Emos Ballroom
11/12 - Dallas, TX @ HiFi - Dallas
11/13 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
11/15 - Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
11/16 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
11/18 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
11/19 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
11/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
12/08 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
12/09 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5

Aaron Cartier

Aaron Cartier

100 Gecs

100 Gecs

100 Gecs

100 Gecs at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-10-19)

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Bob Mould Band at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-09-25)

Bob Mould Band Setlist Next Generation American Crisis Fireball Forecast of Rain Password to My Soul Sinners and Their Repentances I Don't Know You Anymore The Descent You Say You See a Little Light Sunny Love Song Celebrated Summer (Hüsker Dü) Hardly Getting Over It (Hüsker Dü) The War Voices in My Head I Fought Sunshine Rock If I Can't Change Your Mind (Sugar) Hoover Dam (Sugar) Siberian Butterfly Something I Learned Today (Hüsker Dü) New Day Rising (Hüsker Dü) -- Encore --                Flip Your Wig (Hüsker Dü) I Apologize (Hüsker Dü) Makes No Sense at All (Hüsker Dü) Kestrels Setlist Vanishing Point Everything is New Feels Like the End Don't Dream It's a Secret Grey and Blue A Way Out Read More Bob Mould “Distortion and Blue Hearts!” is the name of the new tour from Bob Mould. The guy is a legend, we’ve been listening to his music since Sugar and through back catalogs, Hüsker Dü. …

Musician Bob Mould headlined First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on September 25. The show was billed as Bob Mould Band, although if you look at the show poster, it lists Bob Mould / Jason Narducy / Jon Wurster... and deserving so, as the band is very good and their names should be recognized.

This was Halifax’s Kestrels eight and final show with Bob Mould, and what a great show to end their brief tour (being as this used to be Mould’s old stomping grounds).

The band released an album, Dream or Don’t Dream, on Darla Records, during the COVID pandemic, and so the band was so excited to finally play those songs live.

The set started with “Vanishing Point”, which singer and guitarist Chad Peck explains, “I liked the idea of the record opening with the band kicking in with this intense and hypnotic riff as opposed to a synth overture or a bunch of sound effects. This is a song where John Agnello took out some of the layered rhythm guitars to open the song up, and as a result it really jumps out of the speakers. He also ran the vocals through a Leslie which is a cool effect. Lyrically, it’s about recognizing a relationship is ending and the unease that comes with the undeniable, inevitable feeling of collapse, and recognizing distortions in your thinking. It careens between “wanting to hide” and “I don’t want to lie”, reflecting the oscillating feelings involved in letting go. The title comes from the David Markson book of the same name, one of the best I’ve read in the past few years.”

Highlight of their set was “Grey and Blue”, which features Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis playing the guitar solo. Apparently, the band met after Kestrels played at a bike shop with Dinosaur Jr. and became musical friends. The song would later be named one of Guitar World’s “essential guitar tracks”.

For alternative music fans Bob Mould needs no introduction. He’s a Minneapolis legend, having started Hüsker Dü, and later Sugar.

We’ve seen Bob Mould Band before, playing Sugar’s songs at Rock the Garden 2013… but I’ll have to admit that the band (featuring Jason Narducy on bass and Jon Wurster on drums), were in top form at the First Avenue show. All the songs off Bob Mould’s album Blue Hearts were played with an explosive loudness – fast and to the point.

This tour is really to promote Mould’s latest album, Blue Hearts (Merge Records), but it’s also a reflection of his late 80s and early 90s songs, which were collected in Demon Records’ Distortions 1989-1995 box set.

As you can from the setlist, the first part of the set were mostly songs from Blue Hearts. The rest of the set features early Mould solo songs and a lot of Hüsker Dü’s songs with a splash of Sugar songs.

After playing the show, Mould praised the city and the venue, writing, “Thanks Minneapolis for a super fun night! It’s great to be back “home away from home” and First Avenue always feels like home. If you’ve never been to see a show at First Ave, add it to your list of things to do. The production is amazing, the sight lines are great, and the crowds are enthusiastic.”

Bob Mould’s Blue Hearts is out now on Merge Records.

Remaining Tour Dates:

BOB MOULD BAND: DISTORTION AND BLUE HEARTS
09/28 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
09/29 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
10/01 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
10/02 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
10/04 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
10/05 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
10/06 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk

BOB MOULD SOLO ELECTRIC: DISTORTION AND BLUE HEARTS
10/15 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theatre
10/16 - Stoughton, WI - Stoughton Opera House
10/17 - Kalamazoo, MI - Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
10/19 - Kent, OH - Kent Stage
10/20 - Nelsonville, OH - Stuart’s Opera House
10/22 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall
10/23 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub
10/24 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Theater

Kestrels

Kestrels

Kestrels

Bob Mould

Bob Mould Band

Bob Mould Band at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-09-25)

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Japanese Breakfast at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-09-19)

Setlist Paprika Be Sweet In Heaven The Woman That Loves You Kokomo, IN Tactics Boyish (Little Big League song) The Body Is a Blade In Hell Glider Posing in Bondage Savage Good Boy Road Head Slide Tackle Everybody Wants to Love You -- Encore -- Posing for Cars Diving Woman Read More Japanese Breakfast Our favorite Korean musician Japanese Breakfast (stagename for Michelle Zauner) is back on tour in support of her new album Jubilee (Dead Oceans Records). ... Luna Li Toronto native multi-instrumentalist and producer, Luna Li (aka Hannah Kim) will open the show. …

Korean musician Japanese Breakfast (stagename for Michelle Zauner) headlined the mainroom at First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on September 19th, 2021, as part of her tour for Jubilee (Dead Oceans Records).

Toronto band Luna Li opened the show. The name is really Hannah Kim’s band, a multi-instrumentalist and producer, and she recruited Charise on keys, Sabrina on bass, and Braden on drums, for her live shows.

Originally Hannah was using the name Veins, but felt that it painted her band as “a metal or a dark hard rock band.” So they changed the name to Luna Li, after it ended up on a shortlist of names.

Luna Li kicked off her 40-min set with “Alone But Not Lonely”, a song that she wrote in her first cockroach infested apartment. Yes, the insects have kept her from being completely alone…

By the time she started to play “Trying”, she decided to take off her custom jacket. She wanted to show off the jacket, but it was just too hot on stage.

She then talked about how she wrote an instrumental EP during the pandemic and wanted to play some of those songs for us. The song required the use of her violin… which got huge cheers from all the classical fans in the audience.

The turnout for Japanese Breakfast’s biggest headlining venue to date was quite impressive… and she certainly deserves it.

We previously saw her open for other bands: Mitski at 7th Street in July 2016, Porches at 7th Street in Sep 2016, Slowdive at Palace Theatre in May 2017… before she graduated to headlining her own show at Triple Rock in Oct 2017. This was all in the span of two years!

If you’ve been keeping up with Japanese Breakfast setlists, she’s been playing a different cover song at each show of this tour… making for a new and different setlist every time. Sometime she would ask her fans what songs they want to hear, sometime she covers a song she just likes. For Minneapolis, she covered Little Big League’s “Boyish”.

“Glider” was an interesting choice in this live set. Some people said it was a live debut, but it’s not true, she previously sang it at Summer Game Fest. Not many fans are familiar with the song, as it’s a song from the video game soundtrack Sable, which came out Sept 24, via Sony Music Masterworks.

The rest of the set is a good mix of older albums (Psychopomp, Soft Sounds from Another Planet) and her latest Jubilee.

Remaining tour dates:

9/21 - Ogden, UT @ Ogden Twilight + - SOLD OUT
9/23 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Festival
9/24 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall *
9/25 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune * - SOLD OUT
9/26 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune * - SOLD OUT
9/27 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
9/28 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * - SOLD OUT
9/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom * - SOLD OUT
10/1 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom * - SOLD OUT
10/2 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent * - SOLD OUT
10/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent * - SOLD OUT
10/4 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park * - SOLD OUT
10/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl *
10/7 - Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf * - SOLD OUT
10/8 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater *
10/9 - Lawrence, KC @ Granada Theater *
10/10 - St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *
10/11 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * - SOLD OUT
10/12 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * - SOLD OUT
10/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * - SOLD OUT
10/15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * - SOLD OUT
10/16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * - SOLD OUT
10/17 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * =
10/30 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/31 - Austin, TX @ Levitation 2021

^ w/ Mannequin Pussy
* w/ Luna Li
~ w/ Spirit of the Beehive
+ w/ Portugal. The Man = w/ Charly Bliss

Luna Li

Luna Li

Luna Li

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast at First Avenue, Minneapolis (2021-09-19)

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News: First Avenue now requires proof of vaccination

Read More Waxahatchee Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's ...

With rising COVID-19 cases, due to the delta variant, First Avenue (which also includes 7th Street Entry, Turf Club, Fine Line Music Café, Palace Theatre, and Fitzgerald) announced that they are requiring all guests and patrons to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours, according to the Star Tribune .

The sudden announcement came out on Monday, so those who already paid for a concert, but don’t meet the requirements… you can ask for a refund.

We’ve attended a few shows last month, and can say that most fans in attendance did not wear masks or had a care in the world. Will full, or near capacity, of my recent shows, I can easily see that someone with the virus could easily infect everyone in the room.

With the new rules announced, local venue Hook & Ladder announced they’ll also follow suit. Once all the other local Minnesota venues open back up again, it would probably make sense that they’ll also have the same requirements.

The Cedar Cultural Center announced that they’ve just recently re-opened August 3rd, 2021, but made no mentioning of the vaccine requirements.

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Flashback: Metric at First Avenue, Minneapolis (13 June 2009)

Setlist Dead Disco Grow Up and Blow Away Help I'm Alive Sick Muse Stadium Love Gold Guns Girls Gimme Sympathy Twilight Galaxy Front Row -- Encore -- Monster Hospital Live It Out Read More Metric I've seen Metric twice (four times if you count Emily Haines solo or Broken Social Scene), so you know I love this little Canadian band. Their Rock the Garden's set was very similar to their …

At this point in time, I've already seen Metric a few times, but the band was still strugglingly to make waves in America (it didn't help that lead singer Emily Haines left the group temporarily to try going solo). They had a big debut hit with "Combat Baby" in 2003, but the Canadian band was largely ignored by America. All that changed with Metric's fourth album Fantasies, which the album was on the short list for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for "Canadian Album of the Year", and won the "Alternative Album of the Year" at the 2010 Juno Awards. The album was red hot, and you can tell with the completely sold out show at First Avenue in June 2009.

>>>
Metric played to a very packed First Avenue last night. The show was sold out in advance (plus all the reserves at the door were immediately sold out), so let's just say Minneapolis can't get enough of this Canadian band.

Before we get to them, we have two very different bands opening up for Metric. First up was cute boy/girl duo, Smile Smile. I didn't quite catch what they were saying but Jency Hirunrusme said something like how they were so glad to be in Minneapolis from Kansas. What's wrong with Kansas ? They didn't really specify. They seem like they're a couple, like The Submarines or KaiserCartel.

Saddle Creek's recording artist Sebastien Grainger brought the rock, all in that crazy cokecola jumpsuit. At one point Mr Grainger slid across the stage on his knees - he didn't get too far as the performing stage was tiny due to all the other equipment. But I laughed to myself seeing that. As for the music, well best not think too hard (or think at all) when you hear them. They seem like a really fun band, at least the band seems to enjoy themselves.

I've seen Emily Haines live at the Varsity Theater on her solo record, Knives Don't Have Your Back, and between the audience and the venue, it was like night and day. Haines' solo material and live performance is a lot mellower. I don't know if it's the same fans, but last night's audience was mostly younger 18-23 year olds. The audience dance and sung along to every song.

When Emily Haines isn't rocking out the keyboard, she's rocking the wireless mic in her disco-y glittery dress. She would play for chunks of five songs and then talk. And when she talks, it's actually long conversations. I did remember hearing her thank Radio K and talking about the Minneapolis' shitty weather. All true.

Perhaps the long talk was meant for the rest of the band gearing up to play the next song (in this case, the first talk-break was before "Gimme Sympathy" and after "Help I'm Alive"). Right after the first encore, "Monster Hospital", she did another long conversation. I didn't catch call the banter, something about music in 2009 or something like that. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, the words were just recited like it was from a poem or something.

PS, Usually I'll just grab the setlist at these shows, but when I asked the guy at the stage, he said to me, "They've gone green, their setlist are on the monitor." Wow, this is a first.

Metric at First Ave, Minneapolis (13 June 2009)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**I’ve done it. More than once.

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Flashback: The Faint at First Avenue, Minneapolis (14 Nov 2008)

Setlist Get Seduced Glass Danse Dropkick the Punks Take Me To The Hospital Forever Growing Centipedes Psycho Call Call Posed to Death Desperate Guys Machine In The Ghost Birth I Disappear I Treat You Wrong The Geeks Were Right Worked Up So Sexual Paranoiattack -- Encore -- The Conductor Southern Belles in London Sing Agenda Suicide Read More The Faint Modern synth/Dark Wave/Danse band The Faint just released their Capsule: 1999-2016. The retrospective collects their early classics with new classics from their 2016

This was the first time I saw The Faint, at First Avenue in Minneapolis on November 14, 2008. The group was closing out their North American tour for their fifth album, Fasciinatiion, and was about to head over the UK. I was already a big fan of their album Danse Macabre, so I was very much looking forward to seeing the group. Unfortunately, since the tour was for the new album, the band played a lot of new songs… not all of them were bad, but just that fans weren’t used to the new stuff.

Since then, I’ve seen the band numerous times, and they really put on a fun show. It’s all about creating a sort of dance light show, and Todd Fink usually is amazing to watch.

>>>
Minneapolis is the last stop for famed The Faint before heading off to Scotland, England, Germany, Italy, and Spain, before heading back stateside in mid-December. UK concert goers should be in for a real treat, as these guys put on a spectacular light show consisting of part rave, part Casio-crashing, part discotheque, but all fun.

Everyone in the band was dressed in dark clothing, except for singer Todd Fink, who came out with tinted circular glasses/goggles and dressed up as a mad scientist or chemist. He does his same dance he does for all the songs, smiling and laughing the whole time, while the rest of the band do their thing. I will have to say that "Dapose" rocked out pretty hardcore on the guitar.

There was a long experimental noise intro before "The Geeks Were Right", which was well-received, although I suspect fans weren't used to their new songs.

Speaking of which, and I won't spend too much time on this, the audience seem to be a lot of younger kids (with black marked "X" on their hands indicating they are under 21), and they all seem to be really into their hair.

Setlist

The ended their set with a three song encore, including the very last song, Agenda Suicide, which is not listed on their set list.

I should also mention the two warm-up band, His Mischief and Baby Walrus. His Mischief was a three piece band from St Paul, they sounded more power-pop/rock - like they might be more in their elements opening up for Motion City Soundtrack.

As for Baby Walrus, they are from Nebraska, and they seem to be more blues-influenced, with a bit of Ben Folds with the keyboard-thing. I don't know the song they ended their set, but it was really good.

The Faint at First Avenue, Minneapolis (14 Nov 2008)

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Flashback: Broken Social Scene at First Avenue, Minneapolis (13 Oct 2008)

Read More Broken Social Scene One of the most important Canadian band Broken Social Scene is making their return to Minnesota at the Palace Theatre next Thursday. The all-star collective …

It looks like Lara and Dolly decided to do math problems over at the Broken Social Scene show at First Avenue in Minneapolis on October 13, 2008. As you may, or may not, know, practically every musician in Canada is a member of BSS, including Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, that woman from Metric (Emily Haines), that woman from Stars (Amy Millan), etc. Seriously, everyone is a member of Broken Social Scene.

>>>
Here is a math problem: At any given moment a few dozen Broken Social Scene band members exist on this planet, creating Music! (M!), either collectively or individually. If k = Kevin Drew, b = Brendan Canning, i = instruments and their humans, and f = previous female vocalists with established solo careers and/or have been featured in Apple commercials, then solve for M!:

(k + b) + 20i) – 2f = M!

Watching BSS perform on Monday was similar to watching a math genius write some really long complex equation on a chalkboard: confusing, nauseating, awesome, mentally painful, impressive, bizarre-o, nice. It’s literally impossible for me to describe the show in a logical, succinct fashion because in order to do so I would probably need to create new words like “bogglebang” and “fantizzle“ and I’m just really tired. Instead, what follows is a bulleted list of highlights from the show, immediately followed by some lowlights. Both lists are underlined:

List of Highlights

Brendan Canning (“beardy”) literally leaping into the air, defying age and science (and answering the question: what would Peter Pan look like if he grew up and didn’t shave for ten years?).

Kevin Drew peeling off a used band-aid and tossing it into the audience (not on eBay yet).

Two men in business casual dress high-fiving each other after a particularly awesome/nauseating “song.”

On a similar note, the ratio of hipsters to normal people was surprisingly not 500:2.

KD attempting to crowd surf but actually sort of walking off the stage into the audience. I think he was giving hugs.

Sam Goldberg of curiously (and probably ironically) named Canadian group Hawaii singing THE SEXIEST SONG EVER: “Three Thousand Miles.”

LOUD. At one point Goldberg mouthed “loud” to a bandmate. Yeah, I know dude, I’m standing right in front of a giant speaker.

BSS fans are easy to please! KD promised to “rock his guts out” for us but could have stood on stage eating a sandwich, judging by the crowd’s apeshit reaction to every single song (even the bad ones).

Some Lowlights

The “impromptu jam” inspired the dude in front of me to initiate air drumming.

A large cluster of unwashed youth obstructed my view of the large cluster of unwashed musicians; stepping on (my own) gum was also upsetting.

This may be sacrilegious to say, but: sometimes the dizzying instrumental outros made me feel like I needed to use the bathroom.

Adorable Liz Powell (of Land of Talk) contributed pretty lady sounds to the man mix but had to leave early due to strained vocal cords (or maybe she was gettin’ some backstage. Who knows, really).

Lowlights notwithstanding, BSS was pretty fucking awesome (am I right, apeshit fans? Yeah! Trumpets!). I’m going to guess that the reason why the band has such a loyal, diverse following is their ability to produce accessible “experimental” music, in the same vein as The Flaming Lips or a more convoluted Arcade Fire. You can dance like a crazy person or you can just, you know, stand there and robotically move your head, it doesn’t matter. That’s the beauty of this type of music—it’s embracing (and forgiving). Supposedly the band played, like, seventeen encores and then KD refused to leave the stage or something. We didn’t stay. Another thing about accessible experimental rock shows is that you can leave any time and still feel fulfilled and generally positive about life (take that, techno!).

Broken Social Scene is currently on tour, through November (select dates with Land of Talk). Visit their website for more information.

* This is also one of three ways that math can be applied to real life. The other ways are: calculating tips and teaching math.

Broken Social Scene at First Avenue, Minneapolis (13 Oct 2008) photo by Dolly

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Flashback: Doves at First Avenue, Minneapolis (07 July 2001)

Read More Doves 10. SFA - Ice Hockey Hair 09. Doves - Pounding 08. Teenage Fanclub - Sparky's Dream …

Cheshire’s Doves recently announced their new album The Universal Want, due out September 11, 2020. You can pre-order the album on their official website dovesofficial.com … where you can hear the new song “Prisoners” on youtube.com.

The Universal Want will be Doves’ long-awaited fifth, their first album in eleven years. The band (featuring twin brothers Jez Williams and Andy Williams with Jimi Goodwin) went on a long hiatus in 2010.

Anyway, with the new album coming out later this year, I thought it’ll be fun to talk about the band in a Flashback article.

I caught Doves at the height of their popularity, during their The Last Broadcast tour in 2001/2002, at both First Avenue on July 7, 2001, and Fine Line Music Café on June 12, 2002. I don’t have scrapbook information on the Fine Line show, but I came away with buying one of their grey “DOVES” T-Shirt and their album The Last Broadcast as a memento from the show.

As for First Avenue show, I do have some clippings and advertisements from the local weekly newspaper, The City Pages.

Doves in City Pages (July 2001)

Since my memory is so poor, you’ll have take the clipping as the truth: Kevin Tihista and Matthew Jay opened the show at this 21+ show. Tickets were $10 in advance, and $12 at the door.

At the time (in 2001), The Last Broadcast had not come out, but they were clearly working in those songs (like “Hit the Ground Running”) in their 2001 set.

This was a great time for concert-going, from what I can recall. If you show up to the show early enough (when doors open at 6pm), the venue would often give out free complimentary tickets to future shows (that probably didn’t sell well for pre-sale). For a time, you can probably see the majority of shows at First Avenue for free, if you were willing to just check out random shows.

Hopefully, a cure for the COVID-19 will arrive soon, and life will return to normal. And maybe we can get to see Doves, live in concert again, for their promotional tour for The Universal Want. Anyway, if you haven’t seen the new “Prisoners” video, click below. It’s a good song, and there’s never been truer words sung: “Hello old friend, it’s been a while… ”

Doves - Prisoners

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain exhibits at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

About First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom Your all-access pass to the stars, the shows, and the stories of the legendary club that put Minnesota music on the map. Exterior entrance of First Avenue, 7th Street Entry. Black and white photo by Daniel Corrigan. Since 1970, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been at the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Celebrate the musicians, the employees, and the regulars who called First Avenue their rock 'n' roll home. About Prince: Before the Rain Minnesota photographer Allen Beaulieu helped shape the icon we know today as Prince. As Prince's personal photographer and friend, he had access to Prince that few photographers have had, before or since. Based on Beaulieu's photography book, Prince: Before the Rain, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candids. Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center...

(Note: like most other public buildings, the Minnesota History Center is currently closed, but we invite you to check out the exhibits once this public health crisis subsides)

Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's. That fabled history is documented in a unique exhibit now on display called First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom at the Minnesota History Center.

Filled with decades of memorabilia showcasing renowned national, international and local acts, the exhibit is all-access pass that brings the club into sharp focus as to how and why it has flourished over five decades of presenting live music.

The beginning hallway of the exhibit features an impressive collage of monthly calendar flyers from its heyday, with numerous acts who would later play arenas and stadiums (like U2 who composed part of 'October' during their first soundcheck there), penciled in alongside bands that have been forgotten over time.

A front corner of the exhibit highlights the club's 70's-era days as a danceteria and the tenure when it was known as Uncle Sam's, complete with a lighted disco dance floor with accompanying videos and ephemera from the period.

A battered first cash register, graffiti wall with stickers, numerous photographs, and backroom documents are many of the mini kiosk displays seen along the way. Heralded national bands that began in Minnesota are given their own individual displays, including a speaker and lyric-filled drum kit from Husker Du, sneakers and a Gibson Les Paul from Soul Asylum, and even the actual touring van from hip-hop collective Doomtree.

A small theater features a mini-movie about the club running every twenty minutes, a wall of impressive silkscreen gig posters is located near the back, and interactive displays let you write in your most memorable shows attended, and guests can even customize their own First Avenue star.

Of course, a good amount of the exhibit is dedicated to Prince, who gave First Avenue even more acclaim and awareness, when the club was used as a central location in 1984's Purple Rain. His famous purple suit is there, along with associated memorabilia and even fan-made memorial tributes left after he passed, are on display. Additionally, an unused version of his famous motorcycle in the film, is located in the museum's main lobby downstairs.

As a bonus, a sister exhibit called Prince: Before the Rain is located nearby and features photographic prints from friend and early official photographer Allen Beaulieu, covering the time period from the late 70's to just before Purple Rain.

Based on Beaulieu's photography book of the same name, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candid images that provide an insider's visual insight into the musical legend.

We were on-hand for the official opening of the Before The Rain exhibit last October, celebrated with a group discussion featuring Beaulieu, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson, and DJ Kevin Cole, moderated by Andrea Swensson of The Current. Each of the panel related stories and memories from the time period that provided additional detail into Prince's early days, his association with the club, and meteoric rise into the public eye.

The exhibits were initially due to run only until May 3^rd, but with Paisley Park's annual Celebration delayed into the fall, and the museum currently closed due to virus concerns, expect an extended run for both exhibits, once all is re-opened. Additionally and related, a documentary on First Avenue is premiering on the local Minneapolis public television channel on March 30.

Prince PR motorcycle

Prince exhibit

Prince exhibit

Purple Rain suit

Theater mini movie

DoomTree van

Husker Du drumkit

Soul Asylum display

sticker wall

poster display

Uncle Sams dancefloor

Uncle Sams items

History Center hallway

History Center hallway

Al Beaulieu / Andrea Swensson

Dez Dickerson / Kevin Cole

Al Beaulieu

Dez Dickerson

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic