W♥M

Lunar New Year Celebration at Mall of America, Bloomington (2022-02-12)

Read More Chinese New Year Yesterday was Chinese New Year! As you know, it's the Year of the Rat. So here's some positive attributes of being born in the year of the Rat …

The Alliance of Minnesota Chinese Organizations is celebrating The Year of the Tiger, with the 2022 Lunar New Year Celebration at the Mall of America, in Bloomington this weekend, February 12-13th from 12:30pm to 4pm.

The free event is opened to anyone visiting the MOA at the TCF Rotunda, now re-named as Huntington Bank Rotunda.

The program showcased a variety of dancing, costumes, singing, and musical performances from Chinese and Asian culture.

Some of the highlight from this year includes Teng Lili (滕莉莉), a member of the Chinese Dancers Association and the artistic director of the Minnesota Huaxing Art Troupe. Xu Qian (许倩), a soprano and deputy artistic director of the Minnesota Huaxing Art Troupe. She sang a song He Aiqun (贺爱群), from the Chinese Musicians Association, composed and conducted the Song and Dance Troupe for nearly 60 years. Li Jiaxiang (李家骧), is a famous guzheng player, who joined the folk band of Beijing Dance Academy in 1980, before immigrating to the USA in 1995. Ping Chunyang and Yu Ye (余野先生), is a composer and saxophonists, who wrote “Romantic Saxophone in G Minor” for the Minnesota Huaxing Art Troupe. Ma Mei (马梅) is a singer and lyrical soprano, and full-time vocal music teacher.

All these talents, plus many more, were on full display at the Lunar celebration. The Lunar New Year Celebrations continues at the Mall of America to Sunday, February 13th.

Lunar New Year Celebration at Mall of America, Bloomington (2022-02-12)

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

Black Friday 2021

Read More Radiohead Radiohead was called On A Friday in 1995 because that's when they met to rehearse. Oasis originally named themselves after a Beatles song called "The Rain" …

RADIOHEAD
radiohead.com

You know, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), is tomorrow (Nov 26)… but the sales have been taking place all week (and even all month from some retailers). This used to be one of my favorite times of the year, but since the COVID restrictions… I haven’t been too enthusiastic about the shopping “holiday”. Since supplies are limited (products stuck in shipping containers), prices haven’t exactly been amazing.

As usual, the best deals are with large televisions, physical media, and games. Usually games released last year can be had for 50% or more. The typical digital game store fronts have their annual sale, such as Steam and GOG. The discounts are basically the same across the board, and this year, I might not get anything. There aren’t any games that I’m interested in playing.

I take that back, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is on sale, and it’s a game (three games actually) that I’m interested in checking out the new “remaster”. It’s currently on sale for $35 on Amazon, but unfortunately, there’s no rush for me, as I played the original games when they first came out and I’m not exactly sure if I want to play the same story again.

If you don’t want to spend money at all, over at Epic, you can get Kid A Mnesia Exhibition for absolutely free. I love Radiohead, but Kid A and Amnesiac was a change in direction for their music. Although I appreciate those albums, I still prefer OK Computer-era Radiohead. Still, for $0, it’s worth checking out Kid A Mnesia Exhibition.

Read More Troye Sivan Teen idol Troye Sivan brought his Bloom tour to the State Theatre in Minneapolis on October 17th. First on the lineup was Carlie Hanson (who was a surprise as she’s not listed on the venue’s website). ..…

JORDY
jordymusic.com

Speaking of free, if you are in the area, stop by the world famous Mall of America, in Bloomington, to see Los Angeles’ Jordy and New Jersey’s WanMor on Black Friday, November 26th, for free. They’ll be performing an exclusive live performance at noon, on the Huntington Bank Rotunda. If you arrived early enough (before 10am), you can also receive special wristbands to meet and greet the musicians.

We’ve been to a few of these events, the artists usually play three or four songs. Check out more Mall of America coverages here.

Here’s additional details about the Jordy/WanMor event:

Join us for a special performance with Jordy + WanMor. Plus get the opportunity to meet the bands!

JORDY is an up +coming singer-songwriter now based in Los Angeles. Drawing influences from Lauv and Troye Sivan with catchy melodies and unforgettable hooks, JORDY has been releasing a steady supply of pop hits + features. He has been taking over media, first as one of Radio Disney’s featured artists with the release of his song “Tomorrow feat. OSTON,” + most recently on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where he participated in and won the Songwriter’s Challenge. With a heart-on-sleeve approach to modern pop music, JORDY’s music explores themes of rejection and loneliness through the lens of hope and empowerment, such as in Is It Love?’ which asks...

WanMor, a pop + R&B group from South Jersey, features 4 brothers, Big Boy, Chulo, Tyvas + Rocco. With their powerful sound + influence of music from Boyz II Men, they are taking the stage to perform at Mall of America.

Wristbanding for the meet + greet will begin at 10 a.m. Masks will be required to participate in the meet + greet. Please check Official Event Guidelines for details.

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

Eric Hutchinson at Music in the Zoo 2017 reveal, Mall of America, Bloomington (15 Apr 2017)

Setlist Dear Me Watching You Watch Him Lost in Paradise Rock & Roll Tell the World Music In The Zoo 2017 Season Schedule Jun 14 Delta Rae with Lauren Jenkins Jun 16 Buddy Guy Jun 18 Boz Scaggs Jun 22 Dark Star Orchestra Jun 24 Mason Jennings Jun 25 Texas Dance Hall Tour Jun 30 Ziggy Marley Jul 2 The B-52s Jul 6 Ben Harper Jul 9 Choo Choo Soul Jul 10 Natalie Merchant Jul 12 Robert Cray Jul 14 Jonny Lang Jul 18 Amos Lee Jul 19 Amos Lee Jul 21 Jerry Jeff Walker Jul 29 Mary Chapin Carpenter Jul 30 Steve Earle & The Dukes Aug 5 Gear Daddies Aug 8 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Aug 9 Los Lonely Boys Aug 10 Dave Koz and Larry Graham Aug 11 Herbie Hancock Aug 12 BoDeans Aug 13 Josh Thompson Aug 18 John Butler Trio Aug 20 Eric Hutchinson Aug 22 Gregory Alan Isakov Aug 25 Five For Fighting Aug 29 Indigo Girls Aug 30 Indigo Girls Read More Eric Hutchinson 2017 release. If there is an overriding theme to Eric Hutchinson's career, it is his relentless pursuit of the kind of feel-good music that will make his fans dance and sing while still managing …

It was a set of twenty-fifth anniversaries at the Mall of America—

The Mall itself is celebrating its own 25^th anniversary, with events planned all year, and provided free dessert from Cupcake in the main rotunda as the 25^th season of Music in the Zoo summer concerts from promoter Sue McLean and Associates at the MN Zoo’s Weesner Family Amphitheater was revealed, highlighted by a short performance from one of the summer’s acts, singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson. 

The affable Washington DC native is a Twin Cities favorite, regularly stopping by on tour and has played almost every venue in the metro, returning to the Zoo for his own headlining appearance on Sunday, August 20.  He’ll be in support of latest full-length, Easy Street (Let’s Break Records/Kobalt) which was released last August. 

For his brief twenty-minute solo appearance, Hutchinson made the most of his time, showcasing a few songs from his latest, as well as working in the songs that most people are familiar with him from, beginning with ‘Dear Me’, a letter to his younger self, from the new record. 

“How’s everybody feeling today?” he asked smiling, “how ‘bout you guys, in the cheap seats” Hutchinson joked scanning the people along the rails of the mall’s four upper levels.   ‘Watching You Watch Him’, a song supposedly inspired by his wife watching tennis star Roger Federer play, was next, from 2012’s second album. 

‘Lost in Paradise’ followed, a new song about the feeling that many of us have, of a vacation that should never end.  2008’s ‘Rock & Roll’, his breakthrough song from debut Sounds Like This, was laid back but bouncy, Hutchinson in dark suit and armed with acoustic guitar, trying to fill out the song as best he could. 

2014’s ‘Tell the World’ closed his short set, the song best known as the soundtrack for the first Microsoft Windows 10 commercial (as well as NBC’s short sit-com Growing Up Fisher).

Look for Eric Hutchinson to play all of these songs, and more with full band as he returns to our area in late August, as part of the Music in the Zoo 25^th Anniversary season of summer 2017 concerts.

Eric Hutchinson at Music in the Zoo 2017 reveal, Mall of America Bloomington (15 Apr 2017)

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

Little Mix at Mall of America rotunda, Bloomington (16 March 2017)

Little Mix Setlist Black Magic Shout Out to my Ex Touch Tour Dates 03/21/17 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Smart Home Arena 03/23/17 Seattle, WA KeyArena At Seattle Center 03/24/17 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena 03/26/17 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center 03/27/17 San Jose, CA SAP Center At San Jose 03/30/17 Anaheim, CA Honda Center 03/31/17 Inglewood, CA Forum 04/03/17 Denver, CO Pepsi Center 04/06/17 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center 04/08/17 Houston, TX Toyota Center 04/09/17 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 04/11/17 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center 04/12/17 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena 04/14/17 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena 04/15/17 Orlando, FL Amway Center 05/21/17 Merseyside, Prenton Park 05/24/17 Berlin, Mercedes-Benz Arena 05/25/17 Dusseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle 05/27/17 Vienna, Austria Gasometer Halle 05/29/17 Zurich, Switzerland Samsung Hall 05/30/17 Milan, Italy Live Forum 05/31/17 Munich, Olympic Hall 06/02/17 Merksem, Belgium Lotto Arena 06/03/17 Amsterdam, Netherlands AFAS Live 06/05/17 Copenhagen, Denmark Valby Hallen 06/06/17 Stockholm, Sweden Annexet 06/08/17 Paris, France Zenith Paris 06/23/17 Newmarket, Newmarket Racecourse 06/24/17 Gloucester, Kingsholm Stadium 06/29/17 Dundee, Slessor Gardens 06/30/17 Edinburgh, Royal Highland Centre 07/01/17 Derby, Donington Park 07/06/17 Scarborough, Open Air Theatre 07/07/17 Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College 07/08/17 Colwyn Bay, Eirias Stadium 07/09/17 Southampton, The Ageas Bowl 07/13/17 Caldicot, Caldicot Castle 07/14/17 Exeter, Powderham Castle 07/15/17 Durham, Durham County Cricket Club 07/20/17 Perth, Crown Theatre Perth 07/22/17 Melbourne, Margaret Court Arena 07/26/17 Hindmarsh, Adelaide Entertainment 07/28/17 Boondall, Brisbane Entertainment 07/29/17 Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena 07/30/17 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena 10/09/17 Aberdeen, GE Oil & Gas Arena 10/10/17 Aberdeen, GE Oil & Gas Arena 10/11/17 Newcastle upon Tyne, Metro Radio Arena 10/13/17 Birmingham, Genting Arena 10/14/17 Leeds, First Direct Arena 10/16/17 Liverpool, Echo Arena 10/17/17 Sheffield, Sheffield Arena 10/19/17 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro 10/20/17 Manchester, Manchester Arena 10/26/17 London, The O2 - London 10/27/17 Sheffield, Sheffield Arena 10/28/17 Sheffield, Sheffield Arena 10/30/17 Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff 10/31/17 Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff 11/01/17 Liverpool, Echo Arena 11/03/17 Newcastle upon Tyne, Metro Radio Arena 11/04/17 Newcastle upon Tyne, Metro Radio Arena 11/06/17 Dublin, Ireland 3Arena 11/07/17 Belfast, The SSE Arena, Belfast 11/08/17 Belfast, The SSE Arena, Belfast 11/10/17 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro 11/11/17 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro 11/13/17 Leeds, First Direct Arena 11/14/17 Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena 11/15/17 Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena 11/17/17 Birmingham, Genting Arena 11/18/17 Birmingham, Genting Arena 11/20/17 Liverpool, Echo Arena 11/21/17 Manchester, Manchester Arena 11/22/17 Manchester, Manchester Arena 11/25/17 London, The O2 - London 11/26/17 London, The O2 - London Read More Little Mix Ariana Grande is back at the large stadium Xcel Energy Center. Little Mix to open. Be sure to meet Little Mix at the Mall of America for a promo appearance at 3pm that day. …

Bigger than the Spice Girls, Pussycat Dolls, and even in some ways, Adele—

UK pop foursome Little Mix is back in the US, determined to be as big here, as they are in the UK, Europe and Australia and stopped by the rotunda at the Mall of America in suburban Bloomington, to play a few songs and meet the hundreds of fans that filled the mall’s center area. 

The girl group (Perrie Edwards; Jesy Nelson; Leigh-Anne Pinnock; Jade Thirlwall) is in the country supporting Ariana Grande on her arena tour and in promotion of their own fourth studio full-length, Glory Days (Syco/Columbia Records) , which of course, topped the charts in the UK, Scotland and Ireland,  going top ten in numerous other countries as well. 

Formed during the eighth series of X Factor UK, Simon Cowell could clearly see their talent as they became the first and only group, to ever win the singing competition, quickly signing them to his label.  The new album, released last October, made an immediate splash in the UK, culminating in the girls’ first ever Brit Award last month and the coveted opportunity to open that broadcast. 

The group was due to hit the stage at 3pm, with many fans in the front rows there since early morning, but the girls finally came on at 3:30 for a brief but lively three-song twelve-minute acoustic set.  “How is everyone doing?  Thank you so much for coming – this is such a treat for us”, they said, above the many screams and shrieks. 

2015’s ‘Black Magic’ started the mini-set, the foursome on spaced stools on the stage and in well-rehearsed harmonic convergence, with Nelson in a cut up Nirvana shirt and Pinnock sporting a Blackhawks hockey jersey (someone must have told her Chicago was the previous night, as she emerged in a Minnesota Wild jersey for the post-performance signing). 

The girls remembered their previous appearance at the mall (in 2014), yearning to try out some of the new rides before launching into the groups’ fourth number one single and lead song from the new record, ‘Shout Out to my Ex’. 

Rounding out the performance was ‘Touch’, the second single from Glory Days and recently re-released as a remix featuring Kid Ink. The dancehall tropical sound of that version wasn’t apparent in this stripped performance, done only with a bass player to accompany them, but still had the fans hooting and clapping along. 

The group took a brief moment backstage, then seated along a table to quickly meet fans and sign the new CD.  Although there were several hundred in line, the line moved incredibly fast, helped along by their imposing tour manager who kept fans moving through. “We’ve got a system down”, Thirlwall would tell me and they certainly did, finishing and departing the stage, less than an hour after they arrived. 

Little Mix continues on tour with Ariana Grande for the next month, before moving on to Europe and Australia for an arena headlining tour of their own, which includes a multi-night stand at London’s fabled O2 Arena. These are glory days indeed for the girls…

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Jade Thirlwall

Perrie Edwards

Jesy Nelson

Little Mix

Little Mix at Mall of America rotunda, Bloomington (16 March 2017)

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

Boyz II Men at Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (11 Feb 2017)

Setlist On Bended Knee Water Runs Dry I'll Make Love to You End of the Road Motownphilly Tour Dates 03/03/17 Waterloo, NY Del Lago Resort & Casino 05/12/17 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center 05/13/17 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena 05/16/17 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena 05/17/17 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena 05/19/17 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center 05/20/17 Houston, TX Toyota Center 05/21/17 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center 05/23/17 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 05/24/17 Tulsa, OK BOK Center 05/26/17 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort 05/28/17 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena 05/31/17 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center 06/01/17 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena 06/02/17 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl 06/03/17 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center 06/04/17 San Jose, CA SAP Center At San Jose 06/06/17 Portland, OR Moda Center 06/07/17 Seattle, WA KeyArena At Seattle Center 06/10/17 Denver, CO Pepsi Center 06/11/17 Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center Omaha 06/12/17 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center 06/14/17 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 06/15/17 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena 06/16/17 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena 06/17/17 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center 06/18/17 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life 06/20/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 06/21/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 06/23/17 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center 06/24/17 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center 06/25/17 Washington, DC Verizon Center 06/27/17 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center 06/29/17 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace 06/30/17 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 07/01/17 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena 07/02/17 Newark, NJ Prudential Center 07/05/17 Allentown, PA PPL Center 07/06/17 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 07/07/17 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans 07/08/17 Boston, MA Fenway Park 07/09/17 Albany, NY Times Union Center 07/11/17 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena 07/13/17 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center 07/14/17 Duluth, GA Infinite Energy Center 07/15/17 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena 07/16/17 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live Read More Boyz II Men the crowd would get to hearing the missing New Edition member this tour), before ending with two of his best known songs written / produced for Michael Bivins’ own protégés, Boyz II Men. ...

Motown… Philly… Mall of America Rotunda?!

Ahead of their sold out evening performance singing alongside the Minnesota Orchestra, Boyz II Men made an afternoon stop at the Mall of America’s main rotunda, for a short concert appearance to kick off the mall’s twenty-fifth birthday celebrations. 

The trio (Nathan Morris; Shawn Stockman; Wanya Morris) made the crowd “feel like it’s 1992” all over again, as this somewhat impromptu pop up show, was only announced at 9am on the same day, but the mall’s floors and multi-leveled balconies were still full of fans and onlookers. 

Harmonizing to backing tapes, the casually dressed threesome had hands swaying in the air from the opening, ‘On Bended Knee’.  Before proceeding, the group recalled their time in the area, having recorded that song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at their Flyte Tyme Studios, when the producing pair was still calling Minneapolis home.  “We spent a lot of time in this mall... shopping!” Stockman confessed. 

After getting the crowd to snap along with ‘Water Runs Dry’, the 1994 chart-topping ‘I’ll Make Love to You’ was next, written by Babyface and still had women in the crowd swooning as the trio handed out long stem roses to the lucky few. “Your standing here to watch us sing, is still the biggest compliment”, Stockmen said, acknowledging that musical tastes and the times, can change quickly. 

Their voices still in good form, the crowd ended up singing most of the end choruses of ‘End of the Road’, though that wasn’t quite the end as Stockmen announced, “We can’t leave you without dancing”. Tempo picked up and the group launched into their breakout single, ‘Motownphilly’, busting out a few signature moves as colored streamers rained from the ceiling near the end of the song. 

As the beats continued, Boyz II Men left the stage, people still screaming for more.  And the feeling of “partying like it’s 1992” can continue this summer as the group joins New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul for an arena tour, including a June 14 stop at Xcel Energy Center, dubbed The Total Package Tour. 

Boyz II Men at Mall of America rotunda, Bloomington, MN (11 Feb 2017)

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

BØRNS at Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (27 July 2016)

Setlist 10,000 Emerald Pools American Money Electric Love Tour Dates 08/20/16 FM4 Frequency Festival 08/26/16 Leeds Festival 09/01/16 Nashville, TN Public Square Park 09/10/16 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion 09/13/16 Charlottesville, VA Sprint Pavilion 09/15/16 Cary, NC Koka Booth Amphitheatre 09/16/16 Virginia Beach, VA Classic Amph 09/17/16 Charleston, SC Volvo Cars Stadium 09/29/16 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater 09/30/16 Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma Zoo 10/01/16 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP 10/06/16 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre 10/07/16 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre Read More Børns Los Angeles’ Børns, often stylized as BØRNS, is headlining First Avenue next Wednesday, July 27th. Børns recently opened up for Charlie XCX in August 2015, so expect …

Ahead of his sold-out First Avenue show later that evening, Michigan-raised and Los Angeles-based indie psych-pop musician  BØRNS (aka Garrett Borns) stopped by the mecca of shopping, the Mall of America, for a short acoustic set and meet-and-greet with the fans.

The event nearly didn’t happen at all, as van troubles in Iowa from the previous night, caused them to get a late start on travel north, and resulted in a cancellation of a planned earlier mini-concert, for radio station 89.3 The Current.

The musician and band are out on the road in support of first full-length, Dopamine (Interscope Records), which has had a slow but sustained burn up the charts, peaking at #2 on Billboard’s Alternative Album Chart.

Choosing to start with “something that fits the architecture” the singer (joined by keyboard player Misty Boyce and guitarist Connor Doyle) began with a stripped ’10,000 Emeralds Pool’ - maybe (or maybe not) realizing he was playing in The Land of 10,000 Lakes.

BØRNS

“How are ya’ll feeling?” he asked, looking amazed with mouth slightly agape at the full floor and the four levels of fans looking downward at the stage.  The irony of singing “So take me to the paradise in your eyes;  green like American Money” inside the ideal symbol of the nation’s retail capitalism was likely lost on the mostly younger crowd, who were just happy to be seeing the rising star up close, and for free.

“Thank you for coming out, this is really special” Borns said, before the trio began the catchy single, ‘Electric Love’, which was slowed slightly in its acoustic form and resonant with howling harmonics, matched by the crowd singing its chorus.

After a short break, BØRNS resumes their tour with a few European festival appearances, and a fall stint supporting The Lumineers.

BØRNS at Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (27 July 2016)

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Wizard World Minneapolis - KickOff Reception / Fan Q+A at the Rotunda at Mall of America (05 May 2016)

Details Join Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis and CW to "Kick-Off the Con" in the Rotunda at Mall of America! Come in your favorite cosplay and participate in celebrity Q + A with Lou Ferrigno of "Hulk," Chris 51 from Epic Ink, Barry Botswick of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and Clinton Hobart who is a licensed Disney Fine Artist. Make sure you take time to stop by this celebrity-packed Q + A! Due to scheduling conflicts, previously announced guest James Marsters will no longer be attending this year’s event. Read More Wizard World Minneapolis The second annual Wizard World Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center just ended on Sunday. Compared to last year, I felt this year more fans were attending the panels... …

Wizard World Minneapolis, the annual convention gathering of comics, and pop culture fun began its weekend takeover with a Kick Off reception and fan Q+A at the Rotunda at the Mall of America on Thursday.

The convention itself takes place starting today, and runs through Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center  festuring media guests from hit shows like Grimm, Firefly, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, and comic creators such as Neal Adams, Michael Golden, Gerhard, and Dean Haspiel.

For the kickoff, guest attendees Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk); actor Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show); Clinton Hobart (Disney fine artist); and tattoo artist Chris 51 (Epic Ink) were present to greet fans and take audience questions.

TC Bear The CW

Additionally, Minnesota Twins mascot TC Bear and the local CW station were on hand, with the station also promoting its three DC Comics primetime series (Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow) with local cosplay members representing each of the shows and posing for pictures.

Chris 51 seemed genuinely thrilled to be in Minneapolis for the first time, being a longtime Twins baseball fan from Portland (even sporting a Twins jersey).  He also talked about his favorite tattoos to do, some of his own tattoos, and the process to be officially licensed by Lucasfilm to do Star Wars images.

Clinton Hobart gave drawing tips for aspiring young people, explained his art process, mentioned that Disney receives 15-20,000 submissions annually (and selects only a small handful), and revealed his favorite character to envision was The Beast from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Barry Bostwick, a three-time Tony nominee (w/one win) told a few Rocky Horror Picture Show stories, of his early days at NYU and playing Danny Zuko on stage for Grease, and revealed at 71, he could still do the splits (…though wasn’t about to demonstrate).

Lou Ferrigno mentioned his ongoing support for the local Starkey Foundation, his days filming with Arnold Schwarzenegger on Pumping Iron, his experiences on the Hulk series and recent Apprentice stint (being fired by Trump), and his role as Michael Jackson’s trainer for twenty years.

Additionally, trivia questions about Captain America were asked for first-day passes to the new Captain America: Civil War movie and three-day passes to the convention itself, were awarded as well.

Convention hours run  Friday, May 6– 3pm - 8pm; Saturday, May 7– 10am -7pm;  Sunday, May 8– 10am - 4pm with the most recent guest, panel, and events updates on Wizard’s own website and social media sites.

Chris 51, Clinton Hobart, Barry Bostwick, and Lou Ferrigno at Mall of America, Bloomington (05 May 2016)

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

Tori Kelly at Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (27 Nov 2015)

Tori Kelly Setlist Where I Belong Unbreakable Smile Nobody Love Should’ve Been Us Tour Dates 12/08/2015 98.7 AMP Kringle Jingle Detroit, MI 12/09/2015 99.5 ZPL Jingle Jam Indianapolis, IN 12/10/2015 HOT 107.9 Santa Jam Fort Wayne, IN 12/11/2015 The Year in Vevo @ New York, NY 12/12/2015 K104.7 Not So Silent Night, NY 12/15/2015 KISS 95.1 KISSMAS Charlotte, NC 12/17/2015 XL’ent Xmas at HOB Orlando, FL 12/18/2015 The G105 Holiday Social at Ritz, NC 12/19/2015 Acoustic Christmas 2015, TN 02/26/2016 London O2 Academy London 02/27/2016 Birmingham O2 Institute Birmingham 02/28/2016 Manchester 02 Ritz Manchester 03/01/2016 Glasgow O2 ABC Glasgow Read More Tori Kelly The girl with the big hair, and potentially as big future, Tori Kelly comes to The Varsity in Minneapolis for what will no doubt be a sold out show as part of her Where I Belong tour. One of MTV’s Artists to Watch …

It was the best kind of break from crazy Black Friday shopping in the biggest mall the country—

Buzzing singer-songwriter Tori Kelly stopped by the Mall of America’s main rotunda that Friday afternoon, for a brief acoustic set and meet and greet for a few of the lucky that arrived extra early for wristbands.  Kelly was in town not so much to promote her own smash debut full-length, but  a new Disney cover compilation called I Love Disney (Verve /Disney Records), for which she contributed a track.

Tori Kelly

Dressed in an oversized knit hat to cover her flowing blonde mane, black t-shirt and zippered leather jacket, Kelly strode casually to the holiday-decorated stage after her intro, before a four-level throng of screaming fans for a four-song acoustic set.

Oddly, she didn’t do the song she contributed to the Disney album, ‘Colors of the Wind’ (from Pocahontas), maybe due to the song arrangement and trying to do it just solo with guitar, and instead concentrated on the songs most known from her June debut, Unbreakable Smile (Capitol/Schoolboy Records).

‘Where I Belong’ started the brief set followed by  ‘Unbreakable Smile’, sounding more soulful and resonant, stripped to its essence. The buoyant ‘Nobody Love’ and closing ‘Should’ve Been Us’ were familiar to most, having already succeeded (and still in heavy rotation) on radio.

“I’m running out to words to describe…this is so rad”, Kelly said, her neck craning to see fans along the railings of all four mall levels.  She even briefly stopped during her last song, noticing a snow machine just to her right showering the front rows with a dose of the (fake) white stuff.

Kelly continues on the road with a run of holiday radio concerts before heading across the pond in early February.  But, for shoppers at the Mall of America on Black Friday, it was a most welcome break from the retail madness.

Tori Kelly at Mall of America rotunda, Bloomington, MN (27 Nov 2015)

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

Rachel Platten at Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (17 Aug 2015)

Setlist Beating Me Up Lone Ranger You Don’t Know My Heart Stand by You Fight Song Tour Dates Aug 19 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre* Aug 20 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre * Aug 22 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort Aug 23 Rohnert Park, CA Sonoma State University * Aug 25 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery* Aug 26 Livermore, CA Wente Vineyards Sep 05 Columbus Fashion Meets Music Festival Sep 27 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl w/ Colbie Calliat, Christina Perri Read More Rachel Platten Starting at 5:30pm, New York City-based singer/songwriter Rachel Platten (along with drummer Craig Meyer) started off the evening with a very brief 25-min set, including her new single "Fight Song" …

Rachel Platten just appeared Out of The Blue—

In addition to her sudden fame with worldwide hit, ‘Fight Song’, singer-songwriter Platten is in full-tilt promotion mode for her upcoming full-length album, due later this fall.

On Sunday, she sang in gold sneakers at the Teen Choice Awards at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles, and Tuesday morning, she’s in New York to perform on the Today Show, so what to do in-between? Why, make a stop in Minneapolis and perform to a packed rotunda at the Mall of America, as part of Pepsi’s Out of the Blue summer concert series.

Some of the faithful had been waiting over eight hours for her, with wristbands for her post-concert meet-and-greet, quickly snapped up before midday.  The 34 year-old is riding high on her anthem song, which has gone platinum domestically and hit #1 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, and has inspired young and old, and those overcoming all kinds of obstacles, with her empowering lyrics.

The Fight Song EP is her first for major label Columbia Records and Platten was quick to enter and leave for her brief five-song, 20 minute mini-concert.  ‘Beating Me Up’ from the EP was up first, about a failed relationship, though not from lack of trying.  “This is incredible!” Platten gleaned after, surveying the filled floor and railings filled with people on the other four levels.

‘Lone Ranger’ followed, a song about her “gypsy traveling” and independence as an artist, also mentioning that she had previously been to the mall as a shopper and was excited to be now actually performing there.

Platten, accompanied by keyboardist Dallin Applebaum and drummer Craig Meyer, then went into a new song, ‘You Don’t Know My Heart’, another anthemic song of love-lost and self-worth.

Another new song, ‘Stand by You’ was described by Platten as “one her favorites” of the new tunes she’s currently recording, a number that builds and could easily be done backed by a full choir.

“You are awesome, thank you very, very much for all of the love today”, Platten exclaimed, before going into her biggest song.  “If you have a dream, please believe in yourself” she told the audience before the biggest cheers of the day went up.

“I still have a little fight left in me”, ‘Fight Song’ ends – and based on the rabid reception at the Mall of America today, Rachel Platten may have seemingly come from out of the blue, but you’ll be hearing her name for some time to come.

Rachel Platten at Mall of America rotunda, Bloomington, MN (17 Aug 2015)

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

Nico & Vinz at Mall of America, Minneapolis (19 September 2014)

Setlist Find a Place Last Time Running Homeless When The Days Come Am I Wrong Read More Mall of America The Rotunda at the Mall of America hosted a pre-event kickoff celebration, with appearances from Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”), Jason David Frank (“Mighty Morphin’ ...

“Am I Wrong?” Nope, The Hard Rock Café is back in business in Minneapolis—

After closing its downtown location over three years ago, the iconic rock restaurant has re-opened at the (probably more appropriate) Mall of America and just hosted rising international duo, Nico & Vinz for a concert performance and meet-and-greet signing session, as part of its grand opening festivities.

The pair (Nico Sereba of Ivory Coast origin and Vincent Dery of Ghanaian origin) are from Oslo, Norway and first began making music together as Envy in 2009.  After signing with Warner Brothers in U.S. last year and to avoid name confusion, the duo has evolved into their current moniker and has made a worldwide splash with single, “Am I Wrong” from their upcoming, Black Star Elephant (Warner/WEA Records), due out Oct. 14.

The duo was introduced to the stage by members of local hit radio station KS95, who had the distinction of being the first station in the country to play the duo’s now-hit single, and the local performance was an appreciation of that fact.  When ‘Am I Wrong’ made its American radio debut in April, it was the #1 most added record at the Top 40/mainstream format, a rarity in first-week airplay for a new artist, went to #1 on Shazam’s Top 100Worldwide, and went Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Nico & Vinz played a generous 38 min., 6-song set to the mass of people on the floor at the Mall of America’s Rotunda, and to those watching from the rails of the upper three levels. The duo was visibly happy and excited to have broken through in the States and the enthusiasm of their performance reflected that.

Performance highlights included opening song, ‘Find a Place’, an uptempo number that set the spirited tone perfectly, ‘Homeless’, a stretched out version with Vinz on harmonica and the duo both on percussion at the end, and of course, ‘Am I Wrong’ of which Nico said, “we’d like to sing this along WITH you” and had the crowd singing along, with hand waving side-to-side.

After the live performance, attendees were ushered over to the Hard Rock Café on the Mall's first level, to line up for a meet and greet and signing session.  Nico & Vinz' touring continues into 2015, and includes an appearance on this Tuesday's Dancing with the Stars-The Results on ABC.

Nico & Vinz at Mall of America, Minneapolis (19 September 2014)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com