W♥M

Once (musical) from KCRep- through September 22, 2024 at UMKC Spencer Theatre, Kansas City MO

Once Playbill from UMKC Spencer Theatre Kansas City, MO)   ONCE SHOWTIMES Ticket Link: Once | KCRep   September 4 7:00PM September 5 7:00PM September 6 8:00PM September 7 2:00PM September 7 8:00PM September 8 2:00PM September 10 7:00PM September 11 7:00PM September 12 7:00PM September 13 8:00PM September 14 2:00PM September 14 8:00PM September 15 2:00PM September 18 7:00PM September 19 7:00PM September 20 8:00PM September 21 2:00PM September 21 8:00PM September 22 2:00PM   Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album....

We’re falling quickly and all over again--

The eight-time Tony Award-winning musical, “Once,” based on the boy-meets-girl busking in Dublin film (written/directed by John Carney) with music and lyrics by The Swell Season (aka Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) has found new life in Kansas City, as KCRep presents the production through September 22, at the Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus.

The modern classic tells the story of two seemingly wandering spirits brought together by music and circumstances, as he sings for donations and she peddles flowers on Grafton Street, a busy retail area of the city. Artistic dreams and unspoken emotions are both re-kindled and spur the pair to carry on in trying to realize their dreams, even though the true reality of the situation may not be as ideal as the potential fairy tale coupling, it’s been made out to be.

Featuring a Book by Enda Walsh and directed by Artistic Director Stuart Carden and heartfelt and poignant songs like the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly,” it’s the music that drives the narrative of this simple love story made fresh and appealing and entices the viewer to be emotionally invested in what happens next.

Our own history with ‘Once’ is lengthy; from pre-ordering the soundtrack ‘blind,’ only knowing it contained music written by the lead singer of The Frames, to seeing an early preview of the film, then catching The Swell Season live in Minneapolis in May 2008, not long after they won the Best Song Oscar, even having a chance to briefly speak with Glen and Mar following the show.

We caught the first national tour of the production as well, in 2014 when the stage was also a fully working bar and the audience was invited up before the show, and at intermission, to purchase a Guinness, and make some new friends as the band played.

This smaller production unfortunately did not have the onstage bar, but did feature the musical cast playing a few songs informally before the actual show got underway. Additionally, in the lobby pre-show (and on every upcoming Friday), Dublin-born area musician Eddie Delahunt entertained with his own songs, all getting the audience ready for the production.

The actors playing Guy (Ben Ferguson) and Girl (Tiffany Topol) both are affable and very relatable in their lead roles (she somewhat more confident and less sheltered than Irglova’s part in the film), and both are expressive in showing two characters trying to realize their creative aspirations while not sure whether to follow their heads, or their hearts.

The supporting cast is solid- most also play an instrument and the transitions between scenes especially worked well, as all of those had a short musical interlude while cast members organically moved to new spots and replaced set furniture. The company’s collective harmonies are showcased late in the second act, to a honed perfection which kept the crowd absolutely silent and in awe.

Dan Weschler is the production’s music director and also plays Billy, the owner of a small shop they rehearse in, and who provides enough comic relief and lightheartedness, he often steals the scene (in a good way). The venue works well for this seemingly simplistic tale as well, taking advantage of its size to bring the audience in closer, with many of songs becoming interactive clap-a-longs as well.

We liked just about everything in KCRep’s production of “Once”, a quietly stirring story of human emotions and the overwhelming power of music, all driven with honest and memorable Irish folk songs at its core. KCRep’s production runs through September 22.

 (photos by KCRep- Don Ipock; Click on any image to enlarge and see in full) 

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com

Minneapolis: March 10 to March 12

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

03/10 Hiss Golden Messenger with Alexa Rose at Fine Line Read More Hiss Golden Messenger Grammy nominee Hiss Golden Messenger is releasing Quietly Blowing It this week (June 25) on Merge Records. Bandleader, songwriter and lead vocalist M.C. Taylor is excited to return to touring this Winter/Spring …

03/10/2022 Thursday

Hiss Golden Messenger
with Alexa Rose
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Going for Gold XXXI:

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
HissGoldenMessenger.com

Grammy nominee Hiss Golden Messenger is releasing Quietly Blowing It this week (June 25) on Merge Records.

Bandleader, songwriter and lead vocalist M.C. Taylor is excited to return to touring this Winter/Spring in support of the new album. The new tour begins November 30th in Hummelstown, PA, before heading to Webster Hall in New York City on December 2nd.

Tour dates:

02/03 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room
02/04 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
02/05 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
02/06 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
02/09 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
02/10 – Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
02/11 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
02/12 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
02/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
02/16 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
02/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
02/19 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
02/23 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
02/24 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
02/25 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
02/26 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial Vancouver
03/01 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
03/02 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth Room
03/03 – Fort Collins, CO – Venue TBA
03/04 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
03/05 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
03/07 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
03/08 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
03/09 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
03/10 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
03/11 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
03/12 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl

03/10 Parquet Courts with Mdou Moctar at First Avenue Read More Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from …

03/10/2022 Thursday

Parquet Courts
with Mdou Moctar
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

New York’s Parquet Courts is currently on tour for Sympathy For Life (Rough Trade Records).

Show up early to check out Mdou Moctar, who we recently saw in Sep 2021 and said, “It’s the third time that Mdou Moctar had stopped in Minneapolis. The singer mentioned on stage that he loves Prince and is always honored to come back. While talking about his influences, he also mentioned the next song is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, which you can hear some similar notes from “Purple Haze” in the song. If all this sounds familiar, that’s because Mdou Moctar star in the musical Rain the Color of Blue with A Little Red In It film, which homages Prince’s Purple Rain and Jimi Hendrix.”

Tour dates

Feb. 27 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *
Feb. 28 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
March 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
March 3 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn *
March 4 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
March 5 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
March 7 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
March 8 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
March 10 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
March 11 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
March 12 - Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre *
March 13 - Detroit, MI @ MOCAD *
Mar. 15 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre *
Mar. 16 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre *
March 17 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
March 18 - Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre *
March 31 - Boston, MA @ Royale #
April 1 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel $
April 2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel #
April 4 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
April 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore %
April 20 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
April 22 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
April 23 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
April 25 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
April 27 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
April 28 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Theatre
April 29 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
April 30 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
May 21 - Paris, FR @ La Trianon
May 22 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix
May 24 - Cologne, DE @ Stollwerck
May 25 - Berlin, DE @ Heimathafen Neukölln
May 27 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
May 28 - Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
May 30 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
May 31 - Lille, FR @ Le Grand Mix
June 1 - Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
June 3 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
June 8 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk
June 9 - London, UK @ Brixton O2 Academy
June 11 - Dublin, IE @ Helix
June 12 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
June 13 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus
June 15 - Glasgow, UK @ The Barrowland Ballroom
June 16 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute

^ w/ P.E.
! w/ Public Practice
* w/ Mdou Moctar
# w/ Hailu Mergia
% w/ Sun Ra Arkestra
$ w/ Yu Su

03/11 Swell Season at State Theatre Read More Once I think I just saw the best music movie recently. It's called Once and it stars Glen Hansard, from The Frames, and Markéta Irglová. The movie has a documentary feel to it.…

03/11/2022 Friday

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of The Swell Season
at State Theatre
hennepintheatretrust.org

It’s a reunion for The Swell Season - the duo featuring Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard.

The two met for the filming of Once in 2007 and continued their collaboration as The Swell Season, releasing Strict Joy on ANTI- Records. Of course, the Once movie was adapted for Broadway, which we saw in Apr 2014 and wrote, ““Once” the Musical is so good, I’ll say it twice—See It! See It!

The touring version of the stage musical adaptation of the 2006 indie film of the same name, is currently playing in Minneapolis through this Sunday, at the Orpheum Theatre.

The plot is simple: set in Dublin, guy meets girl and both make beautiful music together... but it’s much more than that. The centerpiece of the stage version (as well as the film) are the genius songs, done by Frames lead singer Glen Hansard and his Swell Season co-creator (and former girlfriend), Markéta Irglová.”

Tour dates:

3/11 – Minneapolis, MN - State Theater
3/12 – Chicago, IL - Cadillac Palace Theatre
3/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Cultural Campus
3/15 – Boston, MA - Emerson Theatre
3/17 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
3/18 - Washington DC - The Anthem

03/12 The Midnight with Nightly at First Avenue Read More The Midnight The Midnight is a duo featuring Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan. The two are touring in support of their latest release Kids. …

03/12/2022 Saturday

The Midnight
with Nightly
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Here There Be Monsters

THE MIDNIGHT
themidnightofficial.com

Monsters is the new album from The Midnight (Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Tyler Lyle and Danish producer Tim McEwan). The album actually came out in 2020 via Counter Records, but due to the COVID shutdown, the duo will finally tour for the album in 2021 and 2022.

North American Tour dates:

09 Mar 22 - Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville, TN
10 Mar 22 - Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
11 Mar 22 - Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
12 Mar 22 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
14 Mar 22 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
15 Mar 22 - Deluxe , Indianapolis, IN
16 Mar 22 - Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks, PA
18 Mar 22 - Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
19 Mar 22 - Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
21 Mar 22 - Royale, Boston, MA
23 Mar 22 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
24 Mar 22 - Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY
25 Mar 22 - Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
28 Mar 22 - The National, Richmond, VA
29 Mar 22 - Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
30 Mar 22 - The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
01 Apr 22 - Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
02 Apr 22 - The Beacham, Orlando, FL
03 Apr 22 - The Oasis, Miami, FL

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Minneapolis: September 1 to September 6, 2019

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 1 to September 6, 2019.

Note: September 2 is Labor Day.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Squeeze 2019 Tour Read More Squeeze "The New Lennon and McCartney", Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook (billed under their popular band name Squeeze) will be playing an acoustic set across America this November. ... KT Tunstall I’ll never forget seeing KT Tunstall over at the now-defunct Epic in Minneapolis in November 2010. KT actually paused the show so she can ask the girl in front to stop talking on her cellphone.

SQUEEZE
+ KT Tunstall
State Theatre
Sun 08/25/2019 (6:30pm/$39.50)
hennepintheatretrust.org

The “Lennon and McCartney of their generation” Squeeze is celebrating their 45th band anniversary this 2019. To celebrate, the duo is on their “The Squeeze Songbook 2019” tour.

We caught the band in Nov 2015 and wrote, “Everything old is new again as classic UK band Squeeze is back on the road, in the Americas as an acoustic tour featuring founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, playing a lively two-night sold out run recently in town and promoting Cradle to the Grave (Virgin/EMI Records), their thirteenth album and first new music since 1998.”

KT Tunstall will open the show. We’ve seen KT a few times, the last being Sep 2016 and we described it as, “The funny story about her biggest hit ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’, she said after moving to Florida, she walked by an Irish bar and heard the local bar band covering her song. The singer started shredding on the solo, and she locked eyes with the singer and gave him the A-Okay hand gesture. The punch line is, the band at the Irish bar, had no idea who she was.”

“The Squeeze Songbook 2019” USA tour:

08/29, Lenox, MA, Tanglewood
08/30, Munhall, PA, Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
08/31, Chicago, IL, Chicago Theatre
09/01, Milwaukee, WI, The Pabst Theater
09/03, Minneapolis, MN, The State Theatre
09/04, Omaha, NE, Kiewit Concert Hall
09/06, Arvada, CO, Arvada Center
09/07, Park City, UT, Deer Valley Resort
09/09, Seattle, WA, The Showbox
09/10, Salem, OR, The Elsinore Theatre
09/12, Oakland, CA, The Fox Theatre
09/13, Los Angeles, CA, The Orpheum Theatre
09/15, Chandler, AZ, The Chandler Center for the Arts
09/17, Austin, TX, The Paramount
09/18, Houston, TX, Warehouse Live
09/19, Dallas, TX, The Bomb Factory
09/22, Atlanta, GA, The Tabernacle

Other shows in the area:

Jon Spencer at Turf Club Barns Courtney at Fine Line Glen Hansard at State Theatre Dominic Fike at Fine Line Ezra Furman at Turf Club Seratones at 7th Street Entry Grace Vanderwaal 2019 Tour Read More Barns Courtney The evening was opened by Ipswich, UK singer-songwriter Barns Courtney (not to be confused with Australian singer/guitarist Courtney Barnett) in support of his Hands EP (Virgin EMI Records). … Ezra Furman Last night's show opened with Ezra Furman. The crowd was sparse to begin with but trickled in throughout the night. Ezra's performance had a raw, garage band… Grace Vanderwaal The youngest star of the evening, thirteen year-old Grace Vanderwaal next took to the stage for a short three-song set. The winner of last year’s America …

JON SPENCER AND THE HITMAKERS
+ Demolition Doll Rods
Turf Club
Sun 09/01/2019 (7pm/$18)
turfclub.net

Singer/songwriter Jon Spencer (famous for his involvement in Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) is back with his new band Jon Spencer & the HITmakers. They will be stopping by the Turf Club this September 1st.

Demolition Doll Rods to open.

Tour dates:

8/28 - Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids MI
8/29 - HI-FI - Indianapolis IN
8/30 - Schubas - Chicago IL
8/31 - H.O.G. National Rally - Milwaukee WI
9/1 - Turf Club - St. Paul MN
9/2 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines IA
9/3 - Ignition Music Garage - Goshen IN

BARNS COURTNEY
+ The Hunna
Fine Line Music Cafe
Tue 09/03/2019 (6:30pm/$22)
finelinemusic.com

UK singer/songwriter Barns Courtney is headlining the Fine Line Music Café this September 3rd… touring in support of his new album 404 (set for release September 6 on Capitol Records). We saw Courtney in Oct 2018 and said, “Rising singer-songwriter Barns Courtney opened the evening with a spirited half-hour opening set that left him completely drenched at the end of things. New full-length is due soon on Virgin Records, but in the meantime, Courtney has released various singles and has both a lyrical sensitivity and a big room stomp sound to his songs, which include radio-friendly songs, ‘99’, ‘Glitter & Gold’, and ‘Fire’ (which first caught on in the Bradley Cooper-as-chef movie, Burnt).”

The Hunna to open.

Tour dates:

9/3 | Minneapolis, MN | Fineline
9/4 | Chicago, IL | Park West
9/6 | Columbus, OH | Newport Music Hall
9/7 | Toronto, ON | The Mod Club
9/9 | New York, NY | Webster Hall
9/10 | Boston, MA | Paradise Rock Club
9/11 | Buffalo, NY | Rec Room
9/13 | Hamden, CT | Space Ballroom
9/14 | Washington, DC | The 9:30 Club
9/16 | Nashville, TN | Mercy Lounge

GLEN HANSARD
+ OHMME
State Theatre
Wed 09/04/2019 (7pm/$39)
hennepintheatretrust.org

We love Irish singer Glen Hansard (from The Frames and Swell Season) and always happy to see that he’s back in town. We last saw him in Nov 2015 and mentioned, “We've seen Glen Hansard before, but never quite like this. He's joined on stage by a large ensemble (see entire cast and crew photograph below), including both a horn and wind instrument section. Familiar The Swell Season songs were suddenly shown in a new, livelier, and possibly improved, versions of these classic songs.”

Hansard is returning with his new record This Wild Willing.

OHMME to open.

Tour Dates:

9/4 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre
9/6 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
9/7 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater & Ballroom
9/9 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
9/10 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
9/12 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues New Orleans
9/13 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
9/14 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
9/16 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre

DOMINIC FIKE
+ Deb Never
Fine Line Music Cafe
Wed 09/04/2019 (7pm/$20/Sold Out)
finelinemusic.com

Florida-native Dominic Fike will be headlining the Fine Line Music Café this Sep 4th. The show is sold out.

If you’ve got a ticket, show up early to check out Deb Never. She recently released “Ugly” and “Swimming” (taken from her debut House on Wheels EP). Expect to hear those songs on this tour.

Tour Dates:

8/31 - Philadelphia, PA @ Made in America
9/4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fineline
9/5 -Chicago, IL @ Reggies
9/6 - Detroit, MI @The Shelter
9/9 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
9/11 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
9/12 - Washington, D.C @ Union Stage
9/17 - Miami, FL @ The Ground

EZRA FURMAN
+ Stef Chura
Turf Club
Thu 09/05/2019 (7pm/$15)
turfclub.net

Ezra Furman is touring in support of his new album Twelve Nudes (Bella Union). Furman will be stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul on Sept 5th.

Stef Chura to open.

Tour Dates:

09/5 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
09/7 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09/8 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
09/9 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
09/10 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz P.D.B.
09/11 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
09/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
09/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
09/16 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage

SERATONES
+ The Violet Nines, Courtney Yasmineh
7th St Entry
Fri 09/06/2019 (8pm/$13)
first-avenue.com

Louisiana's Seratones is headlining the 7th Street Entry this September 6th. The band’s sophomore album is called Power.

Tour Dates:

8/29 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
8/31 - McMinnville, OR @ Walnut City Music Festival
9/1 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
9/3 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
9/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
9/7 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
9/9 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel
9/10 - Montreal, QC @ Quai Des Brumes
9/11 - North Adams, MA @ Hi Lo
9/12 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott
9/13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right
9/14 - Washington, D.C. @ Pearl Street Warehouse

GRACE VANDERWAAL
+ Patrick Martin
Varsity Theater
Fri 09/06/2019 (7pm/$29.50)
varsitytheater.com

Singer/songwriter Grace VanderWaal will be headlining the Varsity Theater this Friday, September 6th. We saw VanderWaal at Starkey 2017 (when she was 13 years old) and wrote, “The youngest star of the evening, thirteen year-old Grace Vanderwaal next took to the stage for a short three-song set. The winner of last year’s America Got Talent competition seemed very humbled and appreciative to be invited and opened with ‘Clay’ from her Perfectly Imperfect EP (Columbia Records). “Music is the universal language, it connects to everyone in some way” she said before ‘Light the Sky’ and ended with picking up the ukulele for her first single, ‘Moonlight’.”

VanderWaal’s new single “Waste My Time” is out now and Teen Vogue described it as “synthy dance-pop smash”.

Tour Dates:

08/28/2019 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
08/29/2019 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
09/01/2019 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
09/02/2019 Fort Collins, CO Washington's
09/03/2019 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
09/06/2019 Minneapolis, MN Varsity
09/07/2019 Chicago, IL Park West
09/09/2019 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
09/11/2019 Toronto, ON The Opera House
09/13/2019 Boston, MA Royale
09/14/2019 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall
09/16/2019 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
09/17/2019 New York, NY Webster Hall
09/19/2019 Richmond, VA The National
09/20/2019 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
09/21/2019 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live

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

Minneapolis: March 15 to March 17, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from March 15 to March 17, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

TMBG Tour Poster Read More They Might Be Giants The thing about They Might Be Giants is that they understand their fans. They get it; they know people don't automatically rush out to get the latest album, so they didn't bombard us with playing all 25 brand new tracks

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
First Avenue
Thu 03/15/2018 (8pm/$30)
first-avenue.com

We can't be silent, because they might be giants!

Yes, John and John of They Might Be Giants are back in town, with their all new album I Like Fun. We’ve been the Brooklyn band many, many times, and they are always such fun, like the title of their new album.

Although I know every TMBG’s song lyrics pre-Apollo 18, you don’t need to be a hardcore fan to enjoy their shows. TMBG’s songs are catchy, and you’ll find yourself singing along - even though it’s the first time you’ve heard it!

On this “An Evening with They Might Be Giants”, the duo will be playing a double set, meaning they are the opening band and headliner. They’ll likely play some songs from I Like Fun, but also promised “deep cuts”, so you’ll have to stick around for the second set to hear some old classics.

I Like Fun arrives on vinyl on March 16th, but I suspect you may be able to purchase it at the First Avenue show the day before.

Tour dates:

3/3 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
3/4 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
3/6 Eugene, OR @ HiFi Music Hall
3/7 Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
3/8 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3/9 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
3/10 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
3/11 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
3/13 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
3/14 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
3/15 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/16 Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre
3/17 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
3/18 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
4/13 New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
4/14 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
4/15 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre
4/17 Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Theater
4/19 Rochester, NY @ Anthology
4/20 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
4/21 Portland, ME @ State Theatre
4/22 Albany, NY @ The Egg
4/26 Northampton, MA @ Academy of Music
4/27 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
4/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts

We Banjo 3 Tour Poster Jonathan Richman: A Penchant for the Stagnant 7” Ella Vos Tour Poster An Evening with Glen Hansard at the Palace Theatre Lights Tour Poster Marty Stuart at Hopkins Center Titus Andronicus: A Productive Cough Read More Jonathan Richman Whether you think Jonathan Richman is an untrained genius or an overrated man-child, you can’t deny that he’s entertaining… Glen Hansard Just a little backstory on Glen Hansard, we first saw him with Ireland's The Frames in April 2007 (but, of course, most of us have seen Hansard in the 1991 film The Commitments). .… Lights Canadian electro-pop singer-songwriter Lights had lost all of her lights. Thankfully, after some quick-thinking scrambling by her lighting director and after an only slightly ... Marty Stuart Five time Grammy-winner Marty Stuart (billed as Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives) will be at the Fine Line Music Café this Tuesday. … Titus Andronicus Merge Records' Titus Andronicus sold out show at Triple Rock Social Club. Spider Bags and Baked to open. (8pm/$15/Sold Out) …

Other shows in the area:

WE BANJO 3
+ Talisk
Cedar Cultural Center
Thu 03/15/2018 (7pm/$20)
thecedar.org

Come celebrate St Patrick’s Day with Ireland’s We Banjo 3 (brothers Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley), playing music they described as “Celtgrass” (Celtic bluegrass) at the Cedar Cultural Center on Thursday, March 15th.

Show up early to check out Scottish/Irish folk trio Talisk (Mohsen Amini, Hayley Keenan, and Graeme Armstrong).

JONATHAN RICHMAN
Cedar Cultural Center
Fri 03/16/2018 (7pm/$18)
thecedar.org

We love singer Jonathan Richman (of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers), and always delighted to see that he’s back in town. He doesn’t use the internet, so we’re not actually sure how he’s getting word out whenever he’s in town.

Like last time, Tommy Larkins will join Richman on drums.

ELLA VOS
+ Freya Ridings
7th Street Entry
Sat 03/17/2018 (7:30pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

One of the most unique voice today, Ella Vos, is headlining the 7th Street Entry this Saturday in support of her debut album Words I Never Said. As a bonus, she’ll be bringing her friend, London-based singer-songwriter Freya Ridings on tour. Note: Sharaya Summers will only be joining on tour for the first five dates.

Tour dates:

03/3 Atlanta, GA Vinyl
03/5 Washington, D.C. U Street Music Hall
03/6 Philadelphia, PA The Foundry
03/8 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
03/9 Brooklyn, NY Rough Trade NYC
03/10 Cambridge, MA Sonia
03/11 Montreal, QC Petit Campus
03/13 Toronto, ON The Mod Club
03/15 Detroit, MI El Club
03/16 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
03/17 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
03/19 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge
03/22 Vancouver, BC Fortune Sound Club
03/23 Portland, OR Holocene
03/24 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern
03/26 San Francisco, CA The Independent
03/28 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
03/29 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room
03/30 San Diego, CA The Casbah

GLEN HANSARD
Palace Theatre
Sat 03/17/2018 (7:30pm/$35)
palacestpaul.com

What can we say about the former The Frames singer and actor (and sailor!) Glen Hansard? He’s just a talent. With his third solo album Between Two Shores out earlier this January 19, 2018, via Anti- Records, Hansard will be headlining the Palace Theatre in St Paul this Saturday.

LIGHTS
+ Chase Atlantic, DCF
Minneapolis Music Hall
Sat 03/17/2018 (7pm/$26)
musichallmpls.com

Canadian singer (and now comic book creator) Lights is playing the new Minneapolis Music Hall on Saturday. Show up early to check out Australian alt-pop trio Chase Atlantic (Mitchel Cave, Christian Anthony and Clinton Cave), on tour for their self-titled debut album.

Tour dates:

3/3 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
3/4 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club
3/6 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
3/7 Pittsburgh, PA Mr Small's Theatre
3/8 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
3/9 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
3/10 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
3/12 Chicago, IL House of Blues
3/13 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
3/14 St. Louis, MO Delmar Hall
3/15 Kansas City, MO Madrid Theatre
3/16 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
3/17 Minneapolis, MN Music Hall MLPS
3/24 Melbourne, AU Download Festival

MARTY STUART
Hopkins Center For The Arts
Sat 03/17/2018 (7pm/$45)
hopkinsartscenter.com

Five time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Marty Stuart will be performing at the Hopkins Center for the Arts on Saturday, March 17th.

Tour dates:

03/17 ­ Hopkins, MN ­ Hopkins Center for the Arts
03/23 ­ Madisonville, KY ­ Glema Mahr Center for the Arts
03/24 ­ Chattanooga, TN ­ Robert Kirk Walker Theatre
03/29 ­ Marietta, OH ­ The Adelphia Music Hall
03/30 ­ Cincinnati, OH ­ Memorial Hall
04/5 ­ Savannah, GA ­ Savannah Music Festival
04/6 ­ Alexandria, VA ­ The Birchmere
04/7 ­ Alexandria, VA ­ The Birchmere
04/14 ­ Boca Raton, FL ­ Southern Jam 2018
05/12 ­ Lancaster, PA ­ American Music Theatre
06/16 ­­­­­­­ Brandon, MS Brandon Amphitheater
06/22 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
06/28 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
06/29 Philadelphia, PA BB&T Pavilion
06/30 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
07/13 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
07/19 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
07/20 Portland, OR Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
07/21 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
07/26 South Lake Tahoe, NV Harveys Lake Tahoe
07/27 Sacramento, CA Toyota Amphitheatre
07/28 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

TITUS ANDRONICUS
+ Rick Maguire
Turf Club
Sat 03/17/2018 (8pm/$15)
turfclub.net

New Jersey indie/punk Titus Andronicus (named after William Shakespeare’s play of the same name) will be at the Turf Club on Saturday, March 17th. The band announced an “Acoustic” tour in support of their new album A Productive Cough.

Titus Andronicus on tour:

Mar 07 Kingston, NY – BSP Kingston
Mar 08 Boston, MA – The Sinclair
Mar 09 Providence, RI – AS220
Mar 10 Burlington, VT – Arts Riot
Mar 11 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz
Mar 13 Toronto, ON – Great Hall
Mar 14 Detroit, MI – El Club
Mar 15 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
Mar 16 Madison, WI – The Frequency
Mar 17 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
Mar 18 Omaha, NE – Slowdown
Mar 19 Denver, CO – Globe Hall
Mar 20 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Mar 22 Boise, ID – Treefort Festival
Mar 23 Seattle, WA – Crocodile
Mar 24 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
Mar 27 Sonoma, CA – Gundlach Bundschu
Mar 28 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
Mar 29 Santa Cruz, CA – Crepe Place
Mar 31 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater
Apr 02 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Apr 03 Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
Apr 06 Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Room
Apr 07 Austin, TX – Barracuda
Apr 08 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Apr 10 Birmingham, AL – Saturn
Apr 11 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Apr 12 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
Apr 13 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
Apr 14 Philadelphia, PA – UArts Black Box
Apr 15 Brooklyn, NY – Murmrr Theatre

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

Glen Hansard, with Aoife O'Donovan, at the State Theatre, Minneapolis (20 November 2015)

Glen Hansard Setlist Grace Beneath the Pines Winning Streak Just to Be the One My Little Ruin When Your Mind's Made Up (Swell Season song) Bird of Sorrow Getting Through / Stay the Road Astral Weeks (Van Morrison cover) with Pearl Jam's "Smile" snippet Paying My Way Back Broke (Swell Season song) Love Don't Leave Me Waiting with Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" snippet McCormack's Wall Lowly Deserter with Prince's "When Doves Cry" snippet Way Back in the Way Back When High Hope This Gift -- Encore -- Say It to Me Now (The Frames song) Falling Slowly (Swell Season song) Didn't He Ramble The Auld Triangle (Brendan Behan cover) with Aoife O'Donovan -- Encore II -- Her Mercy Aoife O'Donovan Setlist Lay My Burden Down Hornets Look Out You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio (Joni Mitchell cover) Oh, Mama Beekeeper Magic Hour Read More Glen Hansard Just a little backstory on Glen Hansard, we first saw him with Ireland's The Frames in April 2007 (but, of course, most of us have seen Hansard in the 1991 film The Commitments). .…

Irish songwriter and actor Glen Hansard just played the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Friday, November 20th.

Aoife O'Donovan

Opening up the show, was Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan playing some folky/storytelling songs from her latest solo album Fossils, including set opening song "Lay My Burden Down", "Oh, Mama", and "Beekeeper".

She played a couple of new songs, like "Hornets", which she said she played recently when she hosted (along with Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz) at the A Prairie Home Companion show in October 2015.

After her Joni Mitchell cover song "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio" (to be released as a B-Side on this Black Friday Record Store Day 7" single), she is joined on stage with Thomas Brosseau, who provided piano for the rest of her 30-min set.

Glen Hansard

We've seen Glen Hansard before, but never quite like this. He's joined on stage by a large ensemble (see entire cast and crew photograph below), including both a horn and wind instrument section. Familiar The Swell Season songs were suddenly shown in a new, livelier, and possibly improved, versions of these classic songs.

Hansard also added snippets of popular songs into his various songs, but my personal favorite was hearing a couple of lines from Prince's "When Doves Cry" ("maybe I'm just like my father/maybe you're just like my mother/she's never satisfied") on "Lowly Deserter".

Setlist

The band stuck to the setlist, right up until the encore, where some changes were made. They decided to play an old Frames song "Say It to Me Now" (with Glen Hansard playing in the balcony to the real Kristen's mother from Dublin), followed by The Swell Season's "Falling Slowly" with opener Aoife O'Donovan, who stood in for Markéta Irglová's part.

O'Donovan stayed in for the rest of the encore, with the entire cast & crew (including guitar tech Mic) singing off-mic for Brendan Behan's "The Auld Triangle"... making for a very satisfying ending.

However, that wasn't the end of the show. With only three minutes left before curfew, the band made a last-minute decision to come back on stage to play "Her Mercy". They did break the curfew by a few minutes, but it was worth it seeing Hansard singing "Mercy! Mercy!" with his hands in the air like it was some old-time religion.

Glen Hansard's latest album Didn't He Ramble is out now on ANTI- Records.

Remaining tour dates:

11/23 St. Louis, MO The Pageant*
11/24 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre*
11/25 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre*
11/27 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center†
11/28 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall†
11/30 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre†
12/01 New York, NY Beacon Theatre‡

*supported by Aoife O’Donovan
†supported by Richard Thompson
‡supported by August Wells

Glen Hansard at State Theatre, Minneapolis (20 Nov 2015)

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

Minneapolis: November 20, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on November 20, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Glen Hansard Things are still pretty swell for Glen Hansard. The Irish songwriter, actor, vocalist and guitarist for The Frames has an Oscar via his music from the film Once, a Tony from the musical .… Aoife O'Donovan Tour with Aoife O'Donovan, and Ivan & Aloysha ending on The Late, Late show with Craig Ferguson on Dec. 13th. They've already sold out their California tour dates!.…

GLEN HANSARD
at State Theatre
Friday, 11/20/2015, 8pm ($40)
hennepintheatretrust.org

The Frames at First Ave (17 Apr 2007)

Just a little backstory on Glen Hansard, we first saw him with Ireland's The Frames in April 2007 (but, of course, most of us have seen Hansard in the 1991 film The Commitments).

Although the Frames is still around, they have been relatively inactive (let's face it: they pretty much broke up), mostly because the band's ex-bassist, John Carney, went on to directing film (notably for directing Once with starred Hansard and future/past love Markéta Irglová). As I've already mentioned, Once was my favorite musical that I've seen (at that time in 2007). The film was eventually re-made into a Broadway musical, which we wrote about, noting that "“Once” the Musical is so good, I’ll say it twice—See It! See It!"

Anyway, Hansard and Irglová continued as The Swell Season... but since the couple broke up, Hansard went on to release his solo album Rhythm and Repose in 2012. His latest Didn't He Ramble was produced by Thomas Bartlett (The National, Sufjan Stevens) and Grammy winner and former Frames band-mate David Odlum (Paloma Faith, Tinariwen). The album is available now on Anti- Records.

Aoife O'Donovan to open. We previously mentioned O'Donovan with The Lone Bellow in 2013. The American singer/songwriter is best known for fronting the progressive bluegrass/string band Crooked Still.

Tour dates:

11/14 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre*
11/16 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre*
11/17 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater*
11/19 Madison, WI Orpheum Theatre*
11/20 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre*
11/21 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre*
11/23 St. Louis, MO The Pageant*
11/24 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre*
11/25 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre*
11/27 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center†
11/28 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall†
11/30 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre†
12/01 New York, NY Beacon Theatre‡

*supported by Aoife O’Donovan
†supported by Richard Thompson
‡supported by August Wells

Read More Allen Stone Seattle-based hippy R&B artist Allen Stone brought on a raucously entertaining set to NYC’s Terminal 5 Thursday, October 9. .… Bernhoft Jarle Bernhoft goes by his surname, like Morrissey. At this very moment, Bernhoft is the number one selling artist in Norway, thanks to his modern take on a soulful sound, which is unique in the .…

ALLEN STONE
at Varsity Theater
Friday, 11/20/2015, 7pm ($22.50)
varsitytheater.org

Seattle soul singer/songwriter Allen Stone will be stopping by the Varsity Theater on November 20th, in support of his new album Radius. The album is being re-released with bonus material in winter 2016 on ATO Records.

We previously caught Stone in October 2014, and described it as "a raucously entertaining set." Although he had a full band of two bassists, two keyboardists, two backup singers, and one drummer... this time, I am told he is bringing two additional horn players to his group, which should add a bit of funk to his sound!

So "Get Up and Dance" to why Stone is described by the NYT as "glimmers of Al Green, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, Prince and a bit of Sting."

The #1 Selling Artists in Norway Bernhoft to open the show!

Tour dates:

11/14/15 New York, NY Apollo Theatre*
11/15/15 Huntington, NY The Paramount*
11/17/15 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall*
11/18/15 Cleveland, OH House of Blues*
11/20/15 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre*
11/21/15 Chicago, IL House of Blues*
11/22/15 Lawrence, KS The Granada Theater*
11/24/15 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre*
11/25/15 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre*
11/27/15 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl*
11/28/15 San Diego, CA House of Blues*
11/29/15 Napa, CA City Winery*
12/01/15 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater*
12/02/15 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory*
03/26/16 "Bluesfest" (Byron Bay, AUS)
03/28/16 "Bluesfest" (Byron Bay, AUS)

* = Bernhoft

Read More Moon Taxi Moon Taxi is an indieprog rock band based in Nashville, Tennessee. The band features singer/guitarist Trevor Terndrup, bassist Tommy Putnam, guitars/programmer …

MOON TAXI
at Turf Club
Friday, 11/20/2015, 8pm ($10)
turfclub.net

As of last month, Moon Taxi's single "Year Zero" is #34 on the AAA charts and receiving airplay across the US, including major FM stations such as: WXRV Boston, WRLT Nashville, KGSR Austin, KINK Portland, and WTTS Indianapolis. In support of their recently released album Daybreaker (BMG), the band is currently touring across the country.

Their new single "Run Right Back", Moon Taxi's guitarist Spencer Thomson said, "'Run Right Back' might have come together quicker than any other song on Daybreaker. Wes [Bailey] wrote the chorus lyrics and melody one evening and recorded it on his phone. Everyone in the band loved it when they heard it. It was obviously something we could all relate to - the idea of missing your loved ones while you are away and having the memories with that person to help keep you going. I had a daughter while we were in the middle of writing and preparing for the album. I wrote the verses at about 4am after she had woken up and I had held her back to sleep. I actually got a lot of good writing done in those moments. It was quiet, dark and there were no distractions. I think the song might be my favorite the band has ever recorded."

Fathom Lane to open.

Moon Taxi 2015 tour dates:

11/14 - Eugene, OR - Wow Hall
11/15 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
11/20 - Saint Paul, MN - Turf Club
11/21 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
11/22 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
11/28 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
12/04 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
12/05 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
12/31 - Nashville, TN- War Memorial

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

Minneapolis Music Guide: August 3 - August 9, 2014 - Part Two

Because it’s that time of summer where SO MUCH is going on (in addition to art fairs, street festivals, beer fests, sporting events, etc.) and with many bands stopping by on the way to/from Lollapalooza in Chicago, here are a few more options for the week ahead—

Read More Lyle Lovett Certainly legends Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett took noticed of her and had her open up their shows. Lovett even asked her to do a duet with him, covering the Christmas classic, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." …

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
WEISNER AMPHITHEATER
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

Lyle Lovett is still definitely large.

The Texas-based singer, composer and actor has released 14 albums to date and has appeared in even more TV series and movies than that. His well-known gift for storytelling, highlights his own music in concert, which fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues into a style all his own. Lovett continues touring in support of 2012’s Release Me (Curb/Lost Highway Records).

TOUR DATES

08/03/14 Apple Valley, MN Zoo Amphitheater
08/06/14 Grand Rapids, MI Frederik Meijer Gardens
08/08/14 Williamsburg, MI Flintfields Horse Park
08/09/14 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
08/10/14 Madisonville, KY Glema Mahr Ctr.
08/12/14 Columbus, OH The LC Pavilion
08/13/14 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony
08/14/14 Cleveland, OH Hard Rock Live
08/15/14 Natick, MA Natick Legion
08/16/14 Lowell, MA Boarding House Park
08/17/14 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre At Westbury
08/19/14 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre
08/20/14 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent
08/21/14 Richmond, VA Maymont Park
08/22/14 Vienna, VA Filene Center At Wolf Trap
08/24/14 Westhampton Beach Performance
08/26/14 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
08/27/14 Durham, NC DPAC - Durham Perf
08/28/14 Asheville, NC Biltmore Estate
08/29/14 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Botanical Garden
08/30/14 Florence, SC Francis Marion University
09/04/14 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts
09/09/14 Orange, TX Lutcher Theatre
09/10/14 Fort Worth, TX Bass Performance Hall
09/11/14 Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell
09/13/14 Santa Fe, NM The Downs of Santa Fe
09/19/14 Fairbanks, AK Hering Auditorium
09/20/14 Anchorage, AK Atwood Concert Hall
09/22/14 Calgary, AB Jack Singer Concert Hall
09/23/14 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee
10/17/14 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Perf. Arts Hall
10/18/14 Live Oak, FL Spirit Of The Suwannee
10/21/14 Mobile, AL Saenger Theatre
10/26/14 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center Theater
10/31/14 New Albany, OH McCoy Center For The Arts
11/01/14 Goshen, IN Goshen College
11/11/14 San Antonio, TX H-E-B Performance Hall

Read More Cayucas Cayucas is once again touring, and yes, SXSW time of the year. They will likely showcase some of their songs from their debut LP Bigfoot, released on Secretly Canadian …

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
STATE THEATRE
Broken Bells w/ Cayucas

Broken Bells, the project of duo Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) and Shins frontman James Mercer is back from hiatus and on the road, returning in support of their second album, After the Disco (Columbia Records), featuring the single “Holding On For Life.” Expect most of both albums to be played and some trippy accompanying visuals, to ensue.

Cayucas, an indie pop band from the Santa Monica area, featuring Zach Yudin, his twin brother Ben Yudin on bass, Christian Koons on Guitar, and Casey Wojtalewicz on drums opens the show, in support of last fall’s Bigfoot (Secretly Canadian Records) and was last seen in these parts opening for Ra Ra Riot late last year.

TOUR DATES

08/03/14 Minneapolis, MN The State Theatre
08/04/14 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
08/06/14 Calgary, AB EPCOR
08/07/14 Edmonton, AB Winspear Centre
08/09/14 Squamish, BC Logger Sports Grounds
08/10/14 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
08/11/14 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
09/26/14 New York, NY Rumsey Playfield
09/27/14 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
09/28/14 Richmond, VA The National
09/29/14 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
10/01/14 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
10/02/14 Birmingham, AL Iron City
10/04/14 Austin, TX Zilker Park
10/05/14 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theater
10/07/14 Dallas, TX South Side Ballroom
10/08/14 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
10/11/14 Austin, TX Zilker Park
10/24/14 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
10/25/14 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
10/28/14 San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center

Read More Foster the People Foster the People made a name for themselves with the release of the super catchy Pumped Up Kicks. They’ve created their own ‘Foster the People’ sound, something that you can listen to for hours while relaxing on the sofa…

MONDAY, AUGUST 4
MYTH NIGHTCLUB
Foster the People w/ NONONO

Supermodels at Myth? Not exactly...

Los Angeles threesome Foster the People is back with their “Pumped Up Kicks” follow-up, Supermodel (Columbia Records) and an upcoming show at Myth in suburban Maplewood, MN.  The album was produced by UK producer-of-the-moment Paul Epworth, who has manned the boards for the latest from the likes of Adele, Paul McCartney, and Coldplay, with “Best Friend” as the album’s newest single.

Another trio, Sweden’s NONONO opens the show, consisting of production team Astma & Rocwell and singer Stina Wäppling and are in support of their first full-length, We Are Only What We Feel (Warner Music)

TOUR DATES

08/04/14 Saint Paul, MN Myth
08/05/14 Council Bluffs, IA Stir Concert Cove
08/06/14 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/08/14 Squamish, BC Logger Sports Grounds
08/09/14 Troutdale, OR McMenamins Edgefield
08/23/14 Reading, United Kingdom Richfield Avenue
08/24/14 Leeds, United Kingdom Bramham Park
08/28/14 Anchorage, AK Moose's Tooth Pub
08/30/14 Edmonton, AB Northlands Grounds
08/31/14 Calgary, AB Fort Calgary Historic Park
09/01/14 Seattle, WA Seattle Center
09/05/14 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
09/06/14 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
09/07/14 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
09/08/14 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
09/10/14 Ottawa, ON Hog's Back Park
09/11/14 Buffalo, NY Canalside
09/12/14 Columbus, OH The LC Pavilion
09/13/14 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
09/27/14 La Jolla, CA RIMAC Arena
09/28/14 Tempe, AZ Tempe Beach Park
09/30/14 Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center
10/02/14 Oklahoma City, OK OKC Downtown
10/03/14 Austin, TX Zilker Park
10/05/14 Mobile, AL Downtown Mobile
10/08/14 Columbia, MO Downtown Columbia
10/08/14 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
10/10/14 Austin, TX Zilker Park
10/16/14 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach
10/18/14 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Cafe / Hard Rock Live
10/20/14 Louisville, KY Louisville Palace Theatre
10/24/14 New York, NY United Palace
10/25/14 New York, NY United Palace
11/01/14 Monterrey, Mexico Cardines De Parque Fundidora
11/08/14 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
11/10/14 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
11/14/14 Los Angeles, CA Shrine Aud & Expo Hall
11/15/14 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl

Once - the Musical at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (03 Apr 2014) stage review

Playbill Once Program Book Once Schedule 04/01/2014 - 04/06/2014 Minneapolis, MN 04/08/2014 - 04/20/2014 St. Louis, MO 04/22/2014 - 04/27/2014 Des Moines, IA 04/29/2014 - 05/4/2014 Tempe, AZ 05/06/2014 - 05/18/2014 Denver, CO 05/20/2014 - 05/25/2014 Las Vegas, NV 05/27/2014 - 06/08/2014 Seattle, WA 06/10/2014 - 06/15/2014 Portland, OR 06/17/2014 - 07/13/2014 San Francisco, CA 07/15/2014 - 08/10/2014 Los Angeles, CA 08/12/2014 - 08/17/2014 San Diego, CA 08/19/2014 - 08/31/2014 Costa Mesa, CA 09/09/2014 - 09/14/2014 Baltimore, MD 09/30/2014 - 10/5/2014 Charlotte, NC 10/21/2014 - 10/26/2014 Ottawa, ON 10/28/2014 - 11/02/2014 Memphis, TN 11/11/2014 - 11/23/2014 Cincinnati, OH 12/17/2014 - 12/28/2014 Dallas, TX 01/06/2015 - 01/11/2015 Tulsa, OK 01/13/2015 - 01/18/2015 Oklahoma City, OK 01/20/2015 - 01/25/2015 Louisville, KY 01/27/2015 - 02/01/2015 Appleton, WI 02/03/2015 - 02/15/2015 Detroit, MI 02/24/2015 - 03/01/2015 Austin, TX 03/03/2015 - 03/08/2015 San Antonio, TX 03/10/2015 - 03/15/2015 Houston, TX 03/17/2015 - 03/22/2015 New Orleans, LA 04/07/2015 - 04/12/2015 Salt Lake City, UT 04/29/2015 - 05/3/2015 Fayetteville, AR 05/05/2015 - 05/10/2015 Toledo, OH 05/26/2015 - 05/31/2015 Hartford, CT 06/09/2015 - 06/14/2015 Columbus, OH 06/16/2015 - 06/21/2015 Kansas City, MO Read More Once I think I just saw the best music movie recently. It's called Once and it stars Glen Hansard, from The Frames, and Markéta Irglová. The movie has a documentary feel to it.…

“Once” the Musical is so good, I’ll say it twice—See It! See It!

The touring version of the stage musical adaptation of the 2006 indie film of the same name, is currently playing in Minneapolis through this Sunday, at the Orpheum Theatre.

The plot is simple: set in Dublin, guy meets girl and both make beautiful music together... but it’s much more than that. The centerpiece of the stage version (as well as the film) are the genius songs, done by Frames lead singer Glen Hansard and his Swell Season co-creator (and former girlfriend), Markéta Irglová.

The stage version uses twelve cast members/musicians, that are on stage at all times, serving as both supporting characters and backing band, and the main set is made to look like a classic Irish bar.

Three key reasons to arrive early for this show: 1) the bar stage is “open for business” and the public is able to go up on stage with the crew and order a drink (available at intermission as well); 2) the band warms up early, playing 4-5 songs loosely before the stated show time; and 3) there is a “seating hold” as long as 45 min., meaning if you arrive after the play actually starts, you may be in the lobby a while, before you can enter.

The main characters, as in the movie, remain nameless, but still are fleshed out enough we feel for their highs and lows: Guy- he, a struggling Dublin busking guitarist and vacuum repairman for his father, still reeling from a previous relationship, and is generally lost. Girl – she, a Czech immigrant, living with her family, is a piano player positive in her outlook, and able to see the talent in the Guy, that he himself cannot see.

The staging, transitions, and lighting are all well done throughout and the touring leads, Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal, are pitch perfect in voice and believable in imparting the story. Both give only a slight imitation of Hansard and Irglová as seen in the movie, with de Waal’s voice more projecting and confident in her solos, than Irglová ever was.

The central song of the musical is ‘Falling Slowly”, which is performed early in the first act, as well as reprised at the end. It won the Best Song Oscar for the film, and the musical has won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, as well as 8 Tony Awards. Thankfully, the songs are authentic in their versions and not “Broadway’d up” unnecessarily, as they easily stand on their own, in their original form.

Those that know the story from the film (and in part, from real life) will be enchanted all over again, and those coming to the tale for the first time, will be swept up in the rich songs, and heartfelt story. 'Once' is one to see while you can.

"Once" the Musical photo courtesy of YouTube

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ oncemusical.com

Luck of the Irish

Drive All Night EP ANTI- Records Read More Glen Hansard I think I just saw the best music movie recently. It's called Once and it stars Glen Hansard, from The Frames, and Markéta Irglová.…

GLEN HANSARD
glenhansardmusic.com

CBS Interactive recently featured Academy Award winning singer/songwriter Glen Hansard for their webcast concert series, "Live on Letterman."

Hansard is currently promoting his Drive All Night EP, which came out earlier this month (December 3, 2013) on ANTI- Records. The title track is a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song.

$1 from each digital sale of Drive All Night will benefit Little Kids Rock, the non-profit charity that provides music education classes to K-12 students in public schools.

The Frames at First Avenue, Minneapolis (04/17/07)

You probably know Glen Hansard as singer/songwriter for the Irish band The Frames, who I caught live at First Avenue in Minneapolis on April 17th, 2007. Since then, Hansard formed The Swell Season with Markéta Irglová. The two of them appeared in the film "Once", which pretty much document the two falling in love with each other on camera.

I believe The Swell Season are no longer a band, having only released two studio albums. Although Irglová mentioned a third Swell Season is in the works. If their debut album The Swell Season was about them falling in love and Strict Joy was about them falling out of love. Then the third album is about them maintaining a friendship?

The Weezer Cruise Poster designed by Marie Chatelot Read More Ash "We got delayed by a storm for... seven years," joked singer Tim Wheeler from Ash, as they apologized for staying away from Minnesota for so long. Ash is currently on small U.S. tour, making a rare Minneapolis…

ASH
ash-official.com

We are longtime Ash fans at W♥M so I'm happy to announce that the Irish band will be doing a US 2014 tour leading up to their appearance on The Weezer Cruise, taking place February 13-17, 2014, in Florida. If you can afford it, you'll be on a boat with these other musicians: Toro y Moi, The Cribs, The Orwells, Caveman, Ozma, Cat Power, Holy F***, Adame Devine, Palma Violets, Diiv, Doug Benson, The Relationship, and, of course, Weezer. I suspect meeting your favorite artists is a lot easier since ... I mean, where else are they going to go?

This is Christmas Infectious Records

In Ash news, lead singer Tim Wheeler and Emmy the Great (which I may have noted they were dating) did a few Christmas shows last week. They probably played some holiday songs from their 2011's This is Christmas album, like "(Don’t Call Me) Mrs. Christmas", "Jesus The Reindeer", and "Zombie Christmas."

Ash, the band, is writing new material at their Atomic Heart Studios in Manhattan, so expect some new singles (Ash said they will stop releasing albums altogether) in the coming year.

Ash's 2014 Winter tour dates:

01/27/14 @ Tractor Tavern in Seattle WA
01/28/14 @ Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, OR
01/30/14 @ Popscene in San Francisco, CA
01/31/14 @ The Echo in Los Angeles, CA
02/01/14 @ The Casbah in San Diego, CA
02/02/14 @ Obscura @ Rips in Phoenix, AZ
02/04/14 @ Cambridge Room in Dallas, TX
02/05/14 @ Stubbs Bar-B-Q in Austin, TX
02/06/14 @ Fitzgerald’s in Houston, TX
02/07/14 @ One Eyed Jack’s in New Orleans, LA
02/08/14 @ Juanita’s Café & Bar in Little Rock, AR
02/10/14 @ Mercy Lounge in Nashville, TN
02/11/14 @ The Bottletree in Birmingham, AL
02/13/14-02/17/14 on Weezer Cruise in Florida/Bahamas

Love Like This Tour tour poster Read More Kodaline “I wanna travel the world, but I just can’t do it alone”, Kodaline vocalist Steve Garrigan sings in their song, ‘Brand New Day’. Because of the Dublin folk-based quartet’s recent success with breakout single…

KODALINE
kodaline.com

Dublin's Kodaline recently announced a North American tour dates for February 2014, taking them from Toronto, Canada, to Chicago, Illinois. Kodaline's album In A Perfect World debuted at #1 in Ireland, #3 in the UK and in the Top 10 in the Netherlands.

Kodaline at Turf Club, St Paul (10/23/13)

You may recall that we've covered the band twice when they were at First Avenue on April 23rd and at Turf Club on October 23rd. Read John's review to get an idea of what to expect when you see the band: "The evening’s strongest highlight came late in the set, when the four left the stage and walked to a mid-room platform, to serenade an older woman with an acoustic, soulful doo-wop cover of Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring It On Home’ with full audience snapping (or ‘clicking’ as the Irish say) along."

Kodaline "Love Like This" Tour Dates

02/08/14 Toronto, ON Phoenix
02/09/14 Montreal, QC Sala Rossa
02/12/14 New York, NY Webster Hall
02/13/14 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
02/14/14 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
02/15/14 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
02/17/14 Atlanta, GA Terminal West
02/18/14 Nashville, TN Exit/In
02/20/14 Austin, TX The Parish
02/25/14 San Diego, CA Casbah
02/26/14 San Francisco, CA Great American Music
02/27/14 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
03/02/14 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
03/06/14 Columbus, OH A&R Music Bar
03/07/14 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge

Read More LCD Soundsystem It starts off with a piano beating that wouldn't feel out of place on a Roxy Music record from the 70's, but then steadily reveals itself as more of a sped up half relative of the piano on that Velvet …

SH** ROBOT
sh**robot.com

Sh** Robot (aka Marcus Lambkin) is an Irish electronic DJ/producer and musician who started his career with his friend James Murpher from LCD Soundsystem.

Sh** Robot recently announced his new second album called We Got A Love, which is coming out on March 18th, 2014 via DFA Records.

Apparently Lambkin was not inflicted with that difficult sophomore slump syndrome, commenting, "It wasn't as tricky as I thought it was going to be. I think my first record was pretty special because there was a lot of lucky coincidences and a lot of being in the right place at the right time, so I didn't try to repeat it. I just tricked my brain into just making stuff and not trying to follow up the first."

Upcoming DJ Shows:

12/31: Dublin, Ireland @ Sugar Club
01/18: Lisbon, Portugal @ Music Box
01/24: Freiburg, Germany @ Jackson Pollock
01/25: Munich, Germany @ Kong
01/31: Vienna, Austria @ Pratersauna
02.01: Berlin, Germany @ Panorama Bar
02.07 Brooklyn, NY @ SRB
02.08: Philadelphia, PA @ Dolphin
02/15: Denver, CO @ Vinyl
03/14: Istanbul, Turkey @ Indigo
03/15: Athens, Greece @ Plixi
03/22: Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory
03/05: Cornwall, UK @ The Masked Ball

BRIEFLY:

GIRL BAND facebook.com Irish four-piece noise rock band Girl Band announced their 7" single "Lawman", to be release on January 20th, 2014, in the U.S. on Any Other City Records. The record has a limit pressing of 300 copies and the cover will be screen printed on some nice fabric. The Irish Times called them as "a fantastic blast of punky fury and righteous energy" while Rough Trade named-dropped some bands, "musically somewhere between bleach-era Nirvana, Mclusky, Jesus Lizard and even that incendiary first Idlewild demo in their teens, long before they started sounding like REM."

IN SUNSHINE AND IN SHADOW dannyboystory.com In Sunshine and in Shadow is the new book, written by Anthony Mann, that examined the truth behind the Irish song "Danny Boy." Anthony Mann is the grandson of Fred Weatherly, who wrote some verses for "Danny Boy" in 1910, but it became a song until it was set to the music of the victory anthem song "The Londonderry Air" in 1912. There's more to this story, as written in In Sunshine and in Shadow, which is available now.

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