W♥M

Minneapolis: July 16 to July 20, 2024

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

07/16 Hana Vu with Babebee at Turf Club Read More Hana Vu California’s Hana Vu opened the show. The 18-year-old is joined on stage by guitarist Christian Wright, bassist Sebastian Jones, and drummer Jair Hernandez. .… Babebee Babebee opened the evening. They’s birth name is shrouded in mystery, starting as a musical project in 2020 when they decided, “The artist side of me was like, ‘My real name is dead. I gotta come up with a new one.’” .…

07/16/2024 Tuesday

Hana Vu
with Babebee
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

California’s Hana Vu is back on tour to support her new album Romanticism. The theme and promotional photos seems to suggest it was influenced by Caravaggio’s paintings.

Hana Vu (05 Sep 2018)

We first saw Hana Vu in Sep 2018, on her very first tour: “After spending 30 hours driving in a car, Hana Vu was happy and relieved to finally play for us. Although Vu had written and recorded three albums (about 30 songs) since 2014, this was the first time the group went out on a national tour, with the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis a first stop for the band. Vu mentioned early in their set, “This is our first time not in California. The first time ever.””

Babebee (29 Sep 2023)

Babebee to open. We saw the singer in Sep 2023 and wrote, “Babebee’s musical is lush, experimental dance music that could be made in the bedroom. In fact, most of the instrumentation came from a computer while Babebee sang and Mitchell played the drums.”

Tour dates:

July 9 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

July 11 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

July 12 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

July 13 - Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall

July 16 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club

July 17 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean

July 19 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G

July 20 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz

July 22 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

July 23 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia

July 25 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis

July 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

July 27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe

July 29 - Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview

July 30 - Nashville, TN @ Row One

July 31 - Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory

Aug. 2 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

Aug. 3 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk

Aug. 4 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

Aug. 7 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Aug. 9 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room

07/18 Jessica Pratt with June McDoom at Fine Line Read More Jessica Pratt California songbird Jessica Pratt will be in town at the Cedar Cultural Center next Tuesday, in support of her latest Drag City album On Your Own Love Again. ...

07/18/2024 Thursday

Jessica Pratt
with June McDoom
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Jessica Pratt is touring (with her full band) in support of her her fourth album, Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer).

Jessica Pratt (11 Oct 2019)

We saw Pratt in Oct 2022 and noted, “Jessica Pratt came out decked in a black suit wearing dark shades, her blonde hair shaggy around her face as she clutched her acoustic guitar. I had never heard her music before this festival, and after giving her latest album Quiet Signs a solid listen I was beyond thrilled to find this lady. She’s a 70’s folk dream, a lullaby and a haunting figure as she strummed her guitar and mesmerized the crowd with her breathy tunes. Accompanied by Matthew McDermott on piano, the set was slow and soft, a nice sigh of air as festival goers sipped on their coconut waters and beers. Ya gotta stay hydrated in the desert, people.”

June McDoom to open.

Tour Dates:

June 25 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret %

June 26 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos %

June 27 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom %

June 29 - Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu %

July 18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line ^

July 19 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre ^

July 21 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival

July 22 - Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy ^

July 24 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ^

July 25 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #

July 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live #

July 27 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair #

July 29 - Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre #

July 30 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom #

Aug. 1 - Asheville, NC @ AVL Fest

Aug. 2 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East #

Aug. 3 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #

Sept. 14 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups &

Sept. 15 - Detroit, MI @ El Club &

Sept. 17 - Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall &

Sept. 18 - Montréal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques &

Sept. 20 - Sun. Sept. 22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time ∞

Sept. 21 - Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall &

Sept. 21 - Sun. Sept. 22 - Accord, NY @ Woodsist Festival

Oct. 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

* = with Joanna Sternberg
~ = with Astrid Sonne
% = with Tony Molina
^ = with June McDoom
# = with @
& = with Otto Benson

07/19-07/20 Minnesota Yacht Club Festival at Harriet Island Regional Park Read More Minnesota Yacht Club Festival There is a new major music festival coming to Minneapolis in 2024. The very first Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (MYC) will be held at Harriet Island Regional Park on July 19-20, 2024. … Alanis Morissette The Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning new musical is about a perfectly imperfect American family, based on Alanis Morissette’s memorable ... Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers could have been called Tony Flow And The Miraculously Majestic Masters Of Mayhem, or as Ryan would have it as TFATMMMoM. … The Black Crowes The Black Crowes first came into fame with their rocking version of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle". I don't think they have ever achieved such success, at least from what I remember.... Gary Clark Jr. Gary Clark Jr. and band then unassumingly took to the stage for their two-hour headlining set, in support of his second live full-length Live North America 2016 (Warner Bros Records), released this March. Starting …

07/19/2024 Friday
07/20/2024 Saturday

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
at Harriet Island Regional Park
minnesotayachtclubfestival.com

We’ve previously mentioned the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival in January, but at that time, nothing was really known about it.

Now that we’ve gotten closer to the date, they’ve announced the full lineup. The two major headliners are Alanis Morissette for Friday and Red Hot Chili Peppers for Saturday’s show. It also looks like there’ll be two stages per day. The reasons for this is because the music can keep going (it might take up to 30 minutes to setup the stage for the next band). Unfortunately, if you want to get a good spot, you might have to pick one stage and camp out there, instead of running back and forth between the two stages.

Nico Vega (18 Oct 2007)

Anyway, if you show up early, these are the bands that we love and have seen in the past.

We first saw Nico Vega in Oct 2007 and wrote, “So I went to see a few bands played last night. Two were from Sweden, but the best (performance-wise), I thought was Nico Vega, from Los Angeles, California. They're a three-piece band that sounds kind of like a thrash/rap/hard rock band, but what really impressed me was Aja's bold leotard outfit. You can't tell from the photo, but she's also barefoot.”

Oklahoma band Wilderado is touring in support of their new LP Talker via Bright Antenna Records. The album comes out September 20, 2024.

Wilderado (20 June 2023)

We caught the band in June 2023 and said, “From Tulsa, Oklahoma, the band is comprised of Max Rainer and Tyler Wimpee on vocals and guitar, Justin Kila on drums and David Arthur Timson on bass. Rainer and Wimpee formed the group in 2015 when they met in college and decided to start writing songs by their fifth year when they noticed all their friends had moved on. Their music resides in that aura of transition. Rainer told the Atwood Magazine that it took them five years as a group to all get on the same page. And right now they seemed to have found the right gear with Billboard Magazine describing their sound like a fine whiskey: “Wilderado just goes down easy.””

The Head And The Heart (06 June 2023)

The Head And The Heart is playing on Friday night. We recently saw them in Jun 2023 and wrote, “We’ve been longtime fans of the band, seeing them on their initial national tour (and an accompanying in-store live set at Electric Fetus in Minneapolis) and several times since, most recently last October in Minnesota. Hopes were dashed that original co-vocalist Josiah Johnson might feel ready enough to join the band on stage for a few dates, including the previous night at Colorado’s Red Rocks, but the band carried on as they always have, impressing veteran followers and making many new ones.”

Lineup:

JULY 19 • Alanis Morrissette • Black Crowes • Gwen Stefani • Head & the Heart • Joan Jett & the Blackhearts • Durry • Morgan Wade • Michigander • Gully Boys • Harbor and Home

JULY 20 • Red Hot Chili Peppers • Gary Clark Jr • Offspring • Hold Steady • Hippo Campus • Trombone Shorty • Soul Asylum • Wilderado • Bugsy • Nico Vega

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

Summer Songs of Nostalgia for an Oakland Weekender

Oakland Weekender June 6th - Night 1 All Girl Summer Fun Band Neutrals The Smashing Times Lightheaded Artsick DJ Poindexter June 7th - Night 2 Poundsign Seablite Maria Mo Dotti Tony Jay DJ Jessica B. June 8th - Night 3 Lunchbox Yea-Ming & The Rumors Chime School Kids on a Crime Spree Lavender Blush DJ Kid Frostbite — 3 Night Pass June 6th-8th: $60 Includes Weekender t-shirt, poster and The Velvet Underground tribute cassette featuring a track by each weekender band) This event is 21+ Read More Oakland Weekender The indie music festival Oakland Weekender is returning to Oakland this week: June 6-8, 2024. The three-day music festival is taking place at the Thee Stork Club, in Oakland, San Francisco. …

Oakland Weekender
Thee Stork Club
2330 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland
June 7, 2024

Summer in June is lovely in theory, but every true Bay Area local knows that our mercurial microclimates beckon us east this time of year, away from San Francisco’s gloomy June and through the BART tunnel, surfacing in Oakland for snatches of sunshine. The same holds true not just for the weather but for lovers of indie pop. As art lovers and party people packed Uptown’s Telegraph Avenue for the First Friday art scene, music scenesters packed Thee Stork Club on Friday for night 2 of Oakland Weekender, the yearly music festival. “Festival” may seem like a stretch, as it all takes place in the cozy, dive-y environs of just the one bar, but the stellar lineup did make the weekend feel and sound larger than life. From the lo-fi, ‘90s pop nostalgia of Santa Cruz’s #Poundsign# to the honeyed, atmospheric melodies of San Francisco’s Seablite, the Weekender’s Friday night lineup had music fans basking in the sounds of an indie-pop summer. It was the kind of indie pop night where lyrics and words took a backseat to music, mood, and sound.

Thee Stork Club is a kind of lo-fi venue in and of itself, the kind perfectly suited to the Weekender’s vibe—packed rooms romantically lit in red hues, a series of cheeky, pop culture dioramas just to the right of the small stage, and a side-by-side stall-slash-urinal that seemed to give some restroom-goers performance anxiety. The mood felt rough and ready. DJ Jessica B. primed the crowd with spot-on, breezy pop sets in-between bands. I bopped my head to throwback New Wave gems like Altered Images’ “Happy Birthday” as bands expertly set up and broke down their gear for each set.

San Francisco’s Tony Jay is like listening to the Velvet Underground in a darkened bedroom at the end of the night, all soft-spoken, breathy, almost incoherent vocals against stripped-down guitars, the aural equivalent of the faint smell of cigarettes and street lights shining outside your bedroom window. Never mind that the singer sometimes wears KISS makeup and a leather jacket; the vibe is all downtempo and lofi.

Mo Dotti, a Los Angeles band that bills themselves as “a jangle-gaze band [of] four cat lovers,” combine soaring guitars and airy, feminine vocals into perfect pop prettiness. It’s the moody marriage of pop and shoegaze, guitars climbing chords towards heaven but tethered to catchy hooks.

Maria, who called themselves a “Latino indie pop band from Oxnard,” broke up in 2010, but reunited for new music and a brief but bright slot at the Weekender. With disarmingly cute, cracking vocals playing against breezy guitars, they wobbled into a charming set of indie pop à la the indie band Hefner, full of strumming melodies. They performed a lo-fi cover of the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Set Free,” along with a nice soupçon of honey-inflected guitar pop on their own catchy little ditties, like “Baby Honey.”

Seablite of San Francisco epitomizes the indie rock of their environs—the sound of summer fog, and of winter melodies that breach the clouds, angling towards the sun. “They sound like Stereolab meets My Bloody Valentine,” cooed my friend. It’s the mercurial magic sound of shoegazing and stargazing in the same moment. On songs like “Hit the Wall,” their spacy, swirling guitars harmonize with singer Lauren Matsui’s lush, breezy vocals, crescendoing into dreamlike snatches of psychedelic harmonies. Lyrics feel secondary to the mood of the music, and live it feels as if you’re meant to close your eyes and appreciate the weightlessness of fuzzy guitars and dreamy vocals in a soundscape of loveliness.

It was the best of the indie-pop ‘90s all over again with the triumphant return of Santa Cruz band #Poundsign#, who brought the kind of jangly pop that perfectly fit this early Oakland summer night. Channeling the melody-centered riffs of bands like the Smiths and the Field Mice, #Poundsign#’s deconstructed pop in songs like “Starry Night” and “Michigan” layered hints of ‘60s girl groups and bright harmonies deconstructed into sunshine-flavored songs of equal parts hope and despair. By the end of the Oakland Weekender’s Friday set, local music fans were sent out into the summer night, their hearts full of nostalgia and their ears ringing gratefully with the sounds of a Bay Area summer.

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#Poundsign# at Thee Stork Club (07 Jun 2024)

Robin Lapid ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Something for the Weekend

First time, I did it for the hell of it
Stuck it on the back of my tongue and then swallowed it
Second time, things are getting easier
Blow me down, this wind's getting breezier
Third time lucky, maybe feeling fuzzy
Oh my god, we're getting hippy dippy
Four, six, seven, man I'm in heaven

- Super Furry Animals

Read More All Girl Summer Fun Band All Girl Summer Fun Band (or AGSFB), are just that ... an all girl fun band. Actually, the band that was asked to be reviewed here was the Thermals, which I can't say that I really like. But I do like the Thermals' Kathy Fosters' side project, AGSFB. …

Oakland Weekender 2024
twitter.com/oakland_weekndr

The indie music festival Oakland Weekender is returning to Oakland this week: June 6-8, 2024.

The three-day music festival is taking place at the Thee Stork Club, in Oakland, San Francisco. If you decide to get the upgraded 3-night pass, it will come with an Oakland Weekender t-shirt, poster and a cassette tribute to The Velvet Underground featuring a cover song from each band playing the festival. It is totally worth it, you don’t get this kind of gifts from other more expensive music festival.

Similar to Popfest (which was held in Oakland, New York, Athens, and more), Oakland Weekender promises Slumberland or MicroIndie-type twee/indiepop bands, such as our favorite All Girl Summer Fun Band, who playing on June 6. We previously described AGSFB in April 2007 as “All Girl Summer Fun Band (or AGSFB), are just that ... an all-girl fun band… the band came into existence after Kim Baxter approached Jen Sbragia after a Softies show in Portland in 1998 with her music tape. That summer, they got together, and well the rest is history as they say.”

The other big name on the Weekender show is Lunchbox, playing on June 8th. The 30-year-old band was actually on a California tour in May to promote their new Slumberland album Pop and Circumstance (which was released on May 10, 2024). The new record is described as a mix of British pop, but with a Southern California pop sensibility.

Full lineup:

June 6th - Night 1 • All Girl Summer Fun Band • Neutrals • The Smashing Times • Lightheaded • Artsick • DJ Poindexter

June 7th - Night 2 • Poundsign • Seablite • Maria • Mo Dotti • Tony Jay • DJ Jessica B.

June 8th - Night 3 • Lunchbox • Yea-Ming & The Rumors • Chime School • Kids on a Crime Spree • Lavender Blush • DJ Kid Frostbite

Read More Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend must be very pleased with themselves. I mean, these guys were on SNL (3/18/08), on the cover of Spin Magazine (Mar 2008), and overall huge support from MPR ... so basically these guys are probably the most overhyped band right now. … Ra Ra Riot Ra Ra Riot is back in town at the Triple Rock Social Club this April 7th, in support of their fourth LP Need Your Light (Barsuk Records). The record came out in February but already Harper’s ....

Vampire Weekend
vampireweekend.com

I had no idea that New York’s Vampire Weekend have gotten so big. They are playing the Armory in Minneapolis at the end of July, and this venue is massive (8,400 capacity!) In fact, demand was so high, the band even added a second night for the Armory, you can see them on July 30th or 31st (or both if you’re feeling dangerous).

Vampire Weekend (03 Apr 2008)

We saw the band in April 2008 at the Triple Rock Social Club and wrote, “You know me, the more hyped a band is, the more they have to prove to me that they are worth all the buzz. Fortunately, I was impressed with them. They clearly know how to manipulate their audience ("this is a tall order, but could you guys ....") and the band played really well. The one downfall is that they are still very, very young (and I don't mean the way Ezra Koenig looks like he's barely 18 with his dashing good looks and polo shirt). They barely had enough material to make the show last for an hour. In fact, they played their entire debut album, plus two other songs. Of the two songs, one of them is untitled as of this writing - and it requires the keyboardist, Rostam Batmanglij, to pick up an extra guitar. This new song is actually pretty good, possibly the best song on the whole set... plus I was quite surprised with the way Batmanglij handled the guitar with ease.”

Ra Ra Riot will be support for this tour. The band released their first music in five years, a single called “The Wish”. The single was co-written and produced by their friend and longtime collaborator Rostam Batmanglij (Remi Wolf, Carly Rae Jepsen, HAIM), mixed by Andrew Maury (Madi Diaz, Tegan and Sara, Shawn Mendes), and mastered by Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar (Coldplay, Jacob Collier, Beck).

Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles adds, “Rostam and I have been longtime collaborators and have gotten to work on all kinds of different projects together over the years. It’s always something fun and exciting and new. When we got into his studio recently, we found we’d both been getting into fingerpicking – some folk stuff, like Fairport Convention, Joni Mitchell, Anne Briggs, Judy Sill, that kind of stuff. And so we just went from there. It started with a riff I had, super rough, with a sort of nebulous story, and he helped simplify the fingerpicking pattern and start molding it into more of a specific story and vibe. Rostam added some organ - Hammond B3 - and some mandolin, and Joey, his assistant, who’s studied Latin percussion, really added a lot of movement to it. Over the course of two trips to LA, we wrote, re-wrote and recorded the song almost in real time, and I think it’s something really new for us. To me, the song’s about the power of imagining a different world – not necessarily in a fantastic or escapist way, but in an empowering way. About manifesting these deeply held wants and desires. Having these powerful dream visions and trying to capture that moment before you fall deeply into dreaming. Rostam and I love working on songs that can read as both happy and sad at the same time and using that tension to amplify and understand the depth of these feelings and visions.”

Ra Ra Riot (27 Sep 2016)

We saw the band in Sep 2016, and said, “The group started with one of their earliest songs, 2008’s ‘Too Too Too Fast’ co-written by the band’s original late drummer, John Pike (but excluded early hit, ‘Dying is Fine’, which was about his passing). The taste of the new began with 2013’s ‘Binary Mind’ with vocalist Miles easily sliding between mid-range vocals to more falsetto as violinist Zeller at his left, led the added elegance with added strings. Closing tracks ‘Water’, which throbbed with electro-bass and ‘I Need Your Light’ which was also beat propelled, were both from the new album, produced on record by ex-Vampire Weekend keyboardist and longtime friend of the band, Rostam Batmanglij.”

Tour dates:

July 22, 2024 in Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theater+

July 23, 2024 in Lincoln, NE @ Pinewood Bowl Theater+

July 25, 2024 in Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park+

July 26, 2024 in Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island+

July 27, 2024 in Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island+

July 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory+

July 31, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory+

August 1, 2024 in Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Pavilion+

+with Vampire Weekend

Vacant Weekend
linktr.ee/vacantweekend

Manchester based trio Vacant Weekend announced their new release “Funny Dad”, available on May 31, 2024. This is the second track (after “Talk”) from the upcoming EP, due out this summer via Manchester indie label Cosmic Glue.

The song is described by the band as “the closest thing we have to a ballad…” they later expand, “It’s just raw emotion poured into sound, and that sort of thing is only able to happen in a room you really feel comfortable being vulnerable in - being friends for most of our lives, it’s a privilege we’re always afforded. After that, the lyrics just fit into place, they’re so sparse but it’s as if most of what needs to be said is already present in the music.”

If you’re in the UK, go check them out at one of these live concerts:

14th June, Newcastle, The Globe

16th June, London, The Windmill

17th June, Liverpool, Jacaranda

19th June, Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club

20th June, Kendal, Glisky

21st June, Manchester, Low Four

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 ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Best of the Fest: Mosswood Meltdown and SXSW 2024

07/06/2024-07/07/2024 Mosswood Meltdown, Oakland Read More B-52s One of them is the distinctive vocal styling of B-52's frontsman, Fred Schneider! I actually don't have any music for this and probably won't request more music to review, since I'm knee-deep in a crappy ... Hunx and His Punx Hunx (aka Seth Bogart), from said-band, have branched out to 50s teen music, with his band Hunx and His Punx. And you know what ? It's GOOD AWESOME. It's not sexual, it's not ... Big Freedia Boyfriend is opening for Big Freedia. Big Freedia is a rapper that knows how to get a crowd going. Frederick Ross (AKA Big Freedia) is not a newcomer to the hip-hop…

Mosswood Meltdown
July 6th & 7th, 2024
mosswoodmeltdown.com

Bay Area music festivals represent! Cult filmmaker and local bad-ass John Waters is gearing up to host the Mosswood Meltdown summer festival in Oakland for the tenth time this year, on July 6th and 7th. Get ready to revel in some proper throwbacks, and, as Waters says, “our days to shine in the punk grime.”

This year’s full line-up has already been announced, and includes headliners The B-52s, who keep saying they’re retiring for good but happily keep coming back to give us more. Also playing are the Bay Area baddies Hunx and his Punx, Big Freedia, Redd Kross, Gibby Haynes and the Paul Green Rock Academy performing songs by the Butthole Surfers, and the first-ever drag contest hosted by Peaches Christ, with Waters as one of the judges.

Recent line-ups have included Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Bratmobile, and the Linda Lindas. As always, Mosswood promises a more DIY, gritty vibe than your larger Cali-based Outside Lands and Coachella. That’s East Bay-style, baby.

MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2024 LINEUP

The B52s

Hunx & His Punx

Big Freedia

Peaches Christ Hosts a Drag Contest!

Redd Kross

Pure Hell

Egyptian Lover

Gibby Haynes & The Paul Green Rock Academy

Die Spitz

Bush Tetras

Go Sailor

Pansy Division

Wifey

The Space Lady

Sheastie Boys

Diesel Dudes

Trap Girl

Non Plus Temps

Gumby’s Junk

Baus

Hot Laundry

Hosted by John Waters!!!

03/08/2024-03/16/2024 SXSW, Austin Read More SXSW What a year, once again! This was my 12th SXSW in the last 16 years, and I'll be honest I thought it was going to be a down year post-Covid…. But far from a dull year, Austin was alive and well with loads of great new ....

SXSW
March 8th-16th, 2024
sxsw.com

Once again, SXSW (South by Southwest Music Festival) is returning to Austin, Texas. This year marks the festival’s 38th annual event. Like previous years, there are a million bands.

Too many to list here, go to their website to see the full listing.

Some of the bands I’m interested in seeing:

Ash (Ireland)

Bad Bad Hats (Minneapolis)

Bootsy Collins (Cincinnati)

Fat Dog (London)

Gruff Rhys (Wales)

Love Language (Montréal)

Lottery Winners (Leigh)

MC Frontalot (Berkeley)

Peach Luffe (Toronto)

porij (Manchester)

Pussy Riot (Russia)

Psymon Spine (Brooklyn)

Sabrina Song (Brooklyn)

Spyres (Glasgow)

villagerrr (Columbus)

robin ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

Lakeside Guitar Festival 2023

08/12 Lakeside Guitar Festival with Marc Ribot, Joyann Parker Duo, Rod Harris Jr, Honeybutter, Skarlett Woods, Kelley Smith, Dandy L, Freling, Paul Metzger at Como Lakeside Marc Ribot Setlist Fried Neck Bones And Some Home Fries (Willie Bobo) Ain't It Funky Now (James Brown) Come Rain or Come Shine/I'm After Shrimps My Gospel Times Square (Ornette Coleman) Chelsea Girls (Nico) Jumpin Around There Will Never Be Another You (Harry Warren) Sookie, Sookie (Grant Green Sextet) Tour Dates 08/19 – Marlboro, VT - Sonic Circus Festival 10/13 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center 10/14 – Seattle, WA – Earshot Jazz Festival @ Town Hall 10/15 – Portland, OR – PDX Jazz @ Revolution Hall 10/16 – Vancouver, BC – Capitano University * 10/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom 10/21 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater 10/22 – Ft. Collins, CO – Washington’s All Dates w/ The Bad Plus Except * Read More Marc Ribot Based on Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog hour-long set, I would describe this show as a co-headliner show with Marc Ribot. The trio (Marc Ribot on guitar/vocals, Shahzad Ismaily on bass, and Ches Smith on drums) …

The annual free Lakeside Guitar Festival at the Como Lakeside Pavilion took place over the weekend, taking place on Friday, August 11st with Brothers in Mud, The Mood Swings, and Charlie Parr. It continues to Saturday, August 12th, and ending with the afterparty at the Turf Club on Sunday, August 13th.

Saturday’s day event was very well organized, thanks to the direction of Molly Maher and Todd Clouser.

There were four stages, starting with The Grand Lawn, which featured El Diablo Pedal Swap and "Strum Along/Sing A Song" led by Kith and Kin Chorus.

The Waterfall Stage features Paul Metzger and Mexico-Minnesota Collaboration Flow.

The Cafe Stage features Skarlett Woods, Dandy L. Frelin, and Kelley Smith.

The main stage, the Promenade Stage, had Joyann Parker Duo, Rod Harris Jr, HoneyButter and Marc Ribot's Jazz Bins

HoneyButter is a Minneapolis jazz/bossa nova band. Normally a trio with Clara Wicklund on vocals and sometime on miniature guitar and upright bass, Zak Khan on guitars, and Andreas Fenner on keys… but for the live show, they’re also joined by a bassist/saxophonist, and drummer.

On their 40-min set, they played their first single “Swim”, and ended on a new song (not released yet) called “Turn Around”. The group will be playing the Dakota Jazz Club on August 17th.

New York, by the way of New Jersey, Marc Ribot closed out the event. As you may have known, Ribot worked extensively as a session guitarist, famously worked with Tom Waits, Caetano Veloso, John Zorn, Cibo Matto, Elvis Costello, Tift Merritt, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Plant, The Black Keys, Elton John, Neko Case, Joe Henry, and many, many others.

His experiences led him to experimenting with many musical genre, free jazz, rock, Cuban, blues, etc. When we caught Ribot earlier in June 2023, he was playing under the Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog (featuring Shahzad Ismaily on bass and Ches Smith on percussion), which was a combination of rock music with experimental jazz.

With Marc Ribot’s Jazz Bins (featuring Greg Lewis on hammond organ and Joe Dyson on drums), it would seem like this is a band playing standards (or interprets mainstream music) as jazz instrumentals. Often time, they pick a beat and work around the song, extending a standard three minute song to fifteen minutes. And that’s just the first song, “Fried Neck Bones And Some Home Fries”, originally by Willie Bobo.

My favorite was James Brown’s “Ain’t It Funky Now”, which sound familiar but with more keys added, due to the Jazz Bins’ instruments. Marc’s guitar would play the trumpet part of the song.

Although, looking at their setlist and based on their 45-minute allotted time, I do not believe they played everything (especially considering that each song they played was about 10 minutes or more a piece!). Perhaps, the rest of the set will be carried over to tonight’s Lakeside Guitar Festival Afterparty, taking place at the Turf Club on Sunday, August 13.

The Afterparty show will feature Marc Ribot + John Medeski, with Carrie Rodriguez and Klezmerson.

Kelley Smith

HoneyButter Mexico-Minnesota Collaboration Flow Dandy L. Freling Kelley Smith HoneyButter

HoneyButter

Marc Ribot Greg Lewis Joe Dyson

Marc Ribot’s Jazz Bins at Lakeside Guitar Festival (12 Aug 2023)

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

SXSW 2023

Read More SXSW SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17–22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. ....

What a year, once again! This was my 12th SXSW in the last 16 years, and I'll be honest I thought it was going to be a down year post-Covid…. But far from a dull year, Austin was alive and well with loads of great new artists from all over the world in very tiny intimate settings.

To future SXSW attendees it’s still always good to have a nice daily list of shows you want to see and the locations to map out a schedule. All the venues are centrally located near downtown and the transportation options with walking, scooters, bikes, and Lyfts make life easy getting around the music festival.

Anyone that is buying a $1,000 music badge is out of their mind (that isn’t getting it free through label/company etc.). The collection of free day parties all over the city is endless, all you had to do was RSVP to a few, but most of them were free without it. And as far as the nightly showcases paying for $10-20 covers is the way to go.

The first night I saw 15 bands at three venues and paid $30 in covers. The second stage locations were extremely convenient when making decisions on who to catch.

Now for the music enrichment of new music with the top 10 lists.

Top 10 performances at SXSW

1. Orions Belte @ International day stage (Khruangbin/Delicate Steve fans)
2. The Garrys @ Swan Dive and Lazarus Brewery (caught them twice) (Unreal surf rock)
3. Lemonade Shoelace @ Cedar Street Courtyard and Laz (killer psychedelic band from Belfast / Tame Impala-esque)
4. Heavy Heavy @ Parish (killer Ed Sharpe/Nathaniel Rateliff sound) (every song gets better love the male/female vocals)
5. Red Rum Club at Lazarus Brewery
6. Been Stellar @ Swan Dive (Creek and the Cave)… Ben Stellar showed up at this party (Tokyo Police Club sound)
7. The Goa Express @ Swan Dive (killer Britrock)
8. Silverbacks @ Lazarus Brewery (great Irish band reminds me of The Rakes/Art Brut)
9. Kiwi Jr. @ Lazarus Brewery (Strokes vibes)
10. Lounge Society @ Chess Club
    
    --
    Honorable Mention: Sports Team @ Mohawk

Top 10 Artists missed @ SXSW Thee Sacred Souls Fennac (killer DJ) Vanille Balthvs Fonteyn Iguana Death Cult

Good Looks Wild Child Jockstrap Girl Scout -- Honorable mention: Circa Waves, Philline Sonny, Zella Day, Julianna Rolino, Salarymen, Vox Rea

Best Venues at SXSW Lazarus Brewery Mohwak Swan Dive

Can't wait for next year!!!! Rock On!

P.S. Favorite moment at SXSW was hanging out with Ben Romans Hopcraft (former lead singer of Childhood), who I interviewed for W♥M eight years ago at Great Escape Festival in Brighton, England. Crazy small world, we ran into each other at the Lounge Society show at Chess Club. Some of the members of The Nude Party were there as well, who have a sold out show at Turf Club coming up.

Ben has a new band he plays drums and sings for called Miss Tiny. Check them out on Spotify.

Silverbacks at Lazarus Brewery

Lemonade Shoelace Thao at High Noon (15 Mar 2023) Heavy Heavy at the Parish (16 Mar 2023) Red Rum Club Lounge Society at Chess Club (16 Mar 2023)

Lemonade Shoelace at Cedar Street Courtyard, Austin (16 Mar 2023)

brody ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Courtney Barnett / Lucy Dacus / Quinn Christopherson - Here and There Festival, Kansas City (2022-08-08)

COURTNEY BARNETT SETLIST Rae Street Sunfair Sundown Avant Gardener Need a Little Time Nameless, Faceless Small Poppies Turning Green Here's the Thing Sunday Roast Depreston Walkin' on Eggshells Elevator Operator If I Don't Hear from You Tonight History Eraser Pedestrian at Best Write a List of Things to Look Forward To Oh the Night (with Quinn Christopherson) Before You Gotta Go LUCY DACUS SETLIST Triple Dog Dare First Time Addictions Hot & Heavy Christine VBS Partner in Crime Brando Thumbs I Don't Wanna Be Funny Anymore Kissing Lessons Believe (Cher cover) Night Shift QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON SETLIST Bubblegum Celine Evelene Loaded Gun 2005 I Don’t Like Who I Am (?) HERE AND THERE FESTIVAL TOUR DATES AUG 09 st. louis, mo the factory AUG 10 cleveland, oh the agora AUG 12 harrisburg, pa harrisburg university at xl live AUG 13 north adams, ma mass moca AUG 14 syracuse, ny beak & skiff apple orchards AUG 16 chicago, il salt shed AUG 20 portland, or edgefield AUG 21 redmond, wa marymoor park AUG 26 stanford, ca frost amphitheater at stanford AUG 28 san diego, ca humphrey’s concerts by the bay AUG 31 dallas, tx the factory in deep ellum SEP 01 austin, tx acl live at the moody theater SEP 03 denver, co mission ballroom

“I got lost somewhere between Here And There, I’m not sure what the town was called” – Courtney Barnett “Scotty Says” (2012 song)

As indie singer-songwriter-guitarist Courtney Barnett first started playing shows, she drove long distances through the Australian countryside, passing through numerous small towns before arriving at the next bigger city. She would later realize that these towns were filled with community, experience, and stories.

That journeying instinct has culminated in her organizing and curating the Here and There Festival, a 15-stop show with a rotating lineup of almost two dozen total artists, that would begin in Kansas City at The Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland.

Barnett has also owned a label (Milk! Records) for a decade so she also has curated a limited cassette/digital compilation in conjunction with the tour, to raise money for organizations supporting reproductive justice, with all profits going towards the National Network of Abortion Funds and Advocates For Youth. Pre-order it here.

Additionally, non-profit Sounds of Saving are tour partners- their mission uses the connection to music as a direct path to mental well-being. The group on-site also highlighted the recent implementation of the 988 number to a network of suicide/crisis lifeline call centers. Pride Haven were also on-site at the Kansas City show – SAVE, Inc.’s overnight shelter who offer a welcoming environment for transition-aged 18-24 youth, facing homelessness.

The music began with rising Anchorage singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson, whose debut full-length, Write Your Name in Pink will be released September 16 for a half-hour set, accompanied by only his guitarist and beginning with the title track from his I Am Bubblegum EP. “My family has been telling stories forever, and this is how I tell mine”, Christopherson explained after the new “Celine”, a touching song about his mother.

Christopherson was verbally pleased to be playing indoors again after numerous outdoor shows and “2005”, which included several throwback references (17 years ago?!, kinda made us feel old!) and pined for a simpler time. “I do like who I am today” Christopherson admitted after their final number, “...it’s an old song”.

===

As the analog home movies began rolling on-screen, we knew it was time for an hour-long set from singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus, who we caught headlining in Lawrence back in February.

We were just happy to see Dacus upright and recovered, as she spent several shows singing and playing on her back, after slipping some discs but still determined to carry on performing.

We first caught Dacus live in Spring 2018 and have proudly watched her grow into a performer of more confidence and watched her fan base grow exponentially as well. 2021’s “Home Video” remains her latest full-length (and a VHS graphic rolled on-screen between songs), with a few new singles released since.

The same band as previous accompanied her, including secret weapon, guitarist Jacob Blizard and though things started more solemn with 2021’s “Triple Dog Dare”, tempo would soon pick up.

Though the set was an abridged version of her headlining set in February, it still sounded fresh and relevant, especially to the loyal fans that hang on her every word, with numerous traveling from around the country to see this opening date. The crowd responded well early to 2018’s “Addictions” which offers the great conflicting lyric, “You've got a sense of adventure and a penchant for comfort that keeps you at home”.

“This is what a theater should look like” Dacus said, looking around, also remembering a very early date at the venue opening for Houndmouth. “Did anyone here go to vacation bible school?” she asked before launching into “VBS” as a crowd roar went up, “Predictable…!” she quipped.

Recent two-minute single, “Kissing Lessons” (which Dacus described as “a little gay song”) was played as the video played behind the band, then the group launched into a slowed and atmospheric version of Cher’s “Believe”, stripping away all the dance beats and auto-tune vocals, leaving the longing of the song’s lyrics exposed. The still-powerful 2018 song “Night Shift” would end the set, with many singing along to the heartbreaking but empowered lyrics.

===

As colleague Vu has noted previous, we’ve had Melbourne native Courtney Barnett on our radar for a decade, first praising her debut two EPs in 2013. We saw her in Chicago in February 2014 (sold out), Varsity Theater in June 2014 (Sold Out), Rock the Garden in June 2015, Desert Daze in October 2017, Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile in October 2017 (Sold Out), Surly Brewing Festival in July 2018 and Rock the Garden 2019, so ahem, we have some history.

Her latest full-length is last November’s Things Take Time, Take Time (on Mom+Pop) and she began her eighty-minute headlining set with the first two songs from the new record, “Rae Street” and “Sunfair Sundown” before elevating things with her breakout single, 2015’s “Avant Gardener”.

Only accompanied by bassist Bones Sloane and drummer Dave Mudie, the sound was still big with Barnett not saying very much between songs (as usual, so no mention of fellow Australian Olivia Newton-John, who died earlier that day).

Her stream of consciousness style lyrics and irrefutable guitar skills made for a mesmerizing performance in mostly minimal lighting. 2021’s “Turning Green” turned things slightly funkier, with Barnett even singing as she played cowbell then “Here’s the Thing” had her confessing, “I'm not afraid of heights, maybe I'm just scared of falling.”

“Any real estate agents here? This song’s for you...it’s a happy song” she remarked before 2015’s “Depreston” and she described the new “If I Don't Hear from You Tonight” as “a love sing” asking if anyone in the crowd was on a first date.

The end of the main set would really ramp up with an energetic “Pedestrian at Best” and the forward-chugging “Write a List of The Things to Look Forward To”, followed by a two-song encore beginning with the Dylan-esque “Oh the Night”, the new album’s closing track, where Barnett harmonized with Christopherson, who came back on stage to lend a vocal hand.

The show ended ideally with road song “Before You Gotta Go” and Barnett assuring the crowd “you’re always on my mind” and the feeling seemed to be mutual with so many singing along.

With a touring festival that promotes both wandering and inclusion, those themes might seem like polar opposites, but in fact, end up being very closely related. And based on the first tour stop and the roster of so many musically interesting artists, The Here and There Festival seems like a show worth getting lost in.

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON

QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON

LUCY DACUS SETLIST

QUINN CHRISTOPHERSON

PRIDE HAVEN BOOTH

SOUND OF SAVING BOOTH

LUCY DACUS

JACOB BLIZARD

LUCY DACUS

LUCY DACUS

DOMINIC ANGELELLA

COURTNEY BARNETT SETLIST

COURTNEY BARNETT

COURTNEY BARNETT

COURTNEY BARNETT

DAVE MUDIE

BONES SLOANE

COURTNEY BARNETT

COURTNEY BARNETT

 

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

The Regrettes at Innovation Festival, Crown Center, Kansas City MO (2022-08-06)

The Regrettes Setlist Dress Up Monday Rosy Nowhere Smile (Lily Allen cover) Pumpkin Barely on My Mind La Di Da California Friends Seashore Show Me You Want Me The Regrettes Tour Dates Aug 8 – Marquis Theater – Denver, CO Aug 11 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA Aug 12 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA Aug 13 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA Aug 16 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR Aug 17– Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver, BC Aug 18 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Aug 20 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA Sep 22–- Sep 25 –Firefly Music Festival – Dover, DE Read More Riot Grrrls Jen Smith from Bratmobile inspired the name "riot grrrl". The short-lived band reformed in the 2000 with Ladies, Women and Girls and I finally got to see the band live! When they first started in 1993…

Regrettes (but no regrets) braving the heat for a day of Beats, Beers and Biologics,

Los Angeles buzzing band The Regrettes was one of the showcase musical performers at the inaugural Innovation Festival, held at Crown Center in Kansas City. Organized by BioKansas, the festival is a regional convergence of music and innovation, featuring scientific conferences, as well as highlighting area innovation and music entertainment, to help promote the city as a potential hub of technology, science, and forward-thinking development.

The beats were supplied by numerous artists, as the organizers were forced to slightly pivot after original headliner The Black Pumas were forced to cancel several weeks of shows with short notice. As a result, the festival’s general admission became free, and crowds descended on the outdoor grounds despite the triple-digit heat index.

Other acts included the co-headlining The Greeting Committee, and alternative rock artists Argonaut & Wasp, Dreamgirl, The Freedom Affair, MellowPhobia, The Cavves, Whitehall, and Caroline Blu.

Beer was highlighted as paid excursions highlighted the bioscience of regional breweries and celebration of the fermentation industry with special flights of their offerings. And biologics were highlighted in the form of conferences, on-stage interviews, and the region’s strategic plan to build the nation’s most equitable hub for biologics.

As for The Regrettes, the alt/garage pop/punk group (Lydia Night– vocals, guitar; Genessa Gariano– lead guitar, keys; Brooke Dickson – bass, keys; Drew Thomsen – drums) is out in support of their third full-length, Further Joy (on Warner Bros) and latest single, “Barely on my Mind”, though to the loyal fans sweating things out under the pavilion tent that had little air circulation, they were all that was on their mind.

The far-too-short 40 min. set had one goal in mind- “to dance any pain away” and singer Night sang “yeah, we know, you want to let go” in 2019’s “Dress Up” as she encouraged forming a mosh pit, despite the high heat. Saturday next became “Monday” and things got “Rosy”, in songs from the most recent album.

The new “Nowhere” starts with “You can't live at all, unless you can live fully (now)” and that’s the credo that the band encourages, full of confidence and on-stage swagger, despite their young ages. Night jumped off stage to high-five fans from end-to-end and sing closer into the crowd for their straightforwardly authentic cover of Lily Allen’s “Smile”.

For the very melodic “La Di Da”, Night had everyone crouch on the ground, then jumping and exploding once the final chorus kicked in. Lack of time would soon only leave the band with enough time for two songs (see the setlist pic for the intended songs), so after a quick on-stage meeting, the band decided to carry on with an older favorite, 2017’s “Seashore” before which, she encouraged any very young people cover their ears for the chorus, to avoid hearing a profane word (though the whole audience was singing it anyway).

The set ended with the final track of the latest record, “Show Me That You Want Me” and left a cheering crowd begging for more. Their sound shift to more of an indie-pop sound and the overall positive themes of Further Joy, have been both embraced by the older fans and attracted so many newer fans (as evidenced by the KC turnout), so expect bigger stages and a bigger fan base as they break out further.

Looks like The Regrettes are here to stay.

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

THE REGRETTES

The Regrettes at Innovation Festival in Kansas City, MO (08 Aug 2022)

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Country Stampede at the Heartland (SATURDAY) at Heartland Park, Topeka, KS (2022-07-16)

KID ROCK SETLIST intro music: Bad Mother F*cker/Don't Stop Believin' Devil Without a Cause You Never Met a Motherf*cker Quite Like Me American Bad Ass Cocky All Summer Long First Kiss Cowboy Wasting Time Bad Reputation Picture (duet with Kat Perkins) medley: 3 Sheets to the Wind (What's My Name) / DJ scratching / Your Love (The Outfield cover) / blues guitar solo / Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent cover) / Superstition (Stevie Wonder cover) Rock n Roll Jesus Only God Knows Why Born Free We the People Bawitdaba outro music: Never Enough BIG AND RICH SETLIST Rollin' (The Ballad of Big & Rich) Comin' to Your City Wild West Show Look at You Lost in This Moment 8th of November God Bless America I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty cover) I Play Chicken with the Train (Cowboy Troy song) medley - Make Me Wanna (Thomas Rhett cover) > Cake by the Ocean (DNCE cover) > Tubthumping (Chumbawumba cover) > Livin’ in America (James Brown cover) > Hit Me with Your Best Shot (Pat Benetar cover) > American Pie (Don McLean cover) Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) > medley: Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles snippet) > Back in Black (AC/DC snippet) > Country Girl (Luke Bryan snippet) > Baby Got Back (Sir Mix-a-Lot cover) > Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers snippet) > Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars snippet) > Jump Around (House of Pain snippet) Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) reprise CHRIS LANE SETLIST (opening music- Bright Lights – The Weeknd cover) Fix Take Back Home Girl (song w/Tori Kelly) Let Me Love You Tequila on a Boat (w/Dustin Lynch song) medley snippets – Where the Party At? (Jagged Edge cover) > This is How We Do It (Montell Jordan cover) > Party Up (DMX cover) > Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks cover) Broken Windshield View Big, Big Plans Dancin’ in the Moonlight (King Harvest cover, w/Lauren Alaina song) For Her Small Town on It (sung with brother Cory, w/Scotty McCreery song) ‘90’s medley - Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Toby Keith cover) >Watermelon Crawl (Tracy Byrd cover) > Boot Scootin’ Boogie (Brooks and Dunn cover) >Chattahootchee (Alan Jackson cover) > Dust on the Bottle (David Lee Murphy cover) > Check Yes or No (George Strait cover) > Ride Wit’ Me (Nelly cover) I Don't Know About You RUNAWAY JUNE SETLIST Lipstick Forgot About That Broken Hearts (live debut) Wild Hearts (Keith Urban cover) Wild West Fast as You (Dwight Yoakam cover) Trouble with This Town Girls Medley - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper cover) / I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Whitney Houston cover) / American Girl (Tom Petty cover) T-Shirt Magic Man (Heart cover) snippet intro/ You’re No Good (Dee Dee Warwick / Linda Ronstadt cover) Nothing Like You (live debut) Fine Wine (new song) The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band cover) My Own Drinks DRAKE WHITE SETLIST American Thunder Pawn Shop Rings and Double Wide Dreams Hard to Handle (Otis Redding /Black Crowes cover) It Feels Good Hurts the Healing / I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty cover) Power of a Woman Makin' Me Look Good Again Mix 'Em with Whiskey Story Heartbeat > Use Somebody (Kings of Leon cover) Livin' the Dream Alive (Pearl Jam cover) 50 Years Too Late > A Country Boy Can Survive (Hank Williams Jr. cover)

Country Stampede at the Heartland is an outdoor music festival featuring country music stars, camping, and more in Topeka, Kansas at Heartland Motorsports Park, held annually since 1996. Due to flooding concerns, the event moved from Manhattan, KS to its current location in 2019.

Our coverage of Thursday can be found here:

Our coverage of Friday can be found here:

===

The festival’s final day began under the threat of storms, moved back to extreme sunny heat, then returned to very brief rain, before the night would end. Musically, things were a bit diverse as well, going from more traditional country to full-on rock/rap.

Alabama native and singer-songwriter Drake White opened the afternoon with an hour-long set on the second stage, in support of March full-length The Optimystic , in part inspired by not only the collective health lockdown, but the stroke he suffered on stage a year prior. He and band The Big Fire played originals as well as working in a few covers, including an appropriate one from Pearl Jam.

Trio Runaway June has just completed recording new music and this stop gave the opportunity to hear some of the new songs, including two played live for the first time ever. A girl-centric cover medley got the females dancing, new vocalist/guitarist Stevie Woodward showed off her skills on the harmonica as well, and their version of a Charlie Daniels Band classic, found fiddle-playing (and Opry Live host) Natalie Stovall defying gravity as she arched back playing in hyper speed.

North Carolina’s Chris Lane was the first act on the main stage and engaged the audience more directly than anyone over the weekend, stopping his set to pit the left side vs. right side in terms of crowd noise, played two long medleys of familiar sing-along hits, and even jumped off the runway to race into the crowd for high-fives and hugs. Lane’s band includes his twin brother Cory on drums, who both sang on their hit, “Small Town on It”.

As usual, Big and Rich featuring Cowboy Troy brought the party along with them, on their Peace, Love, & Happy Tour, drawing from over two decades of hits, as well as working in some familiar covers. We last caught them in an intimate acoustic promo performance in 2015 at a downtown Minneapolis club. 

A tradition at all their shows, the band brought up several military veterans on stage to have a drink and toast from their makeshift bar, with Runaway June members pouring the shots, and the band had good fun, goading their Italian guitarist into playing a few classic rock riffs.

The always controversial Kid Rock would close the festival, with a hardworking, mostly music-does-the-talking ninety-minute set that both brought the rain, and then swiftly chased it away. The new album is his twelfth studio release, Bad Reputation on his own Top Dog Records and the set was a no-holds barred in-your-face rock/rap/country extravaganza.

As with most shows, we saw the musical dexterity of aka Bob Ritchie, as he played sax, blues guitar, drums, and also did some turntable scratching.

For the ballad hit, “Picture”, band member and The Voice alumnus Kat Perkins (who we’re familiar with from our Twin Cities base) helped sing it as a duet, and we were surprised to connect how much his 1998 hit, “Cowboy” sounds so similar to many contemporary Country songs.

The encore began with a taped intro from our 45^th President, which then segued into his lyrically incendiary “We the People” and the show ended with “Bawitdaba”, a twenty-five-year-old classic that still packs a massive sonic punch.

Note that Professional Photography was Not Allowed by Kid Rock’s management. (His name was not allowed to be mentioned on-stage in the intro either, so go figure...)

Country Stampede is set to return in July 2023, with scheduled headliners: Thursday- Hardy  Friday- Lee Brice  Saturday: Cory Johnson.

KID ROCK TOUR DATES

JULY 22 NORTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR Minot, ND

JULY 27 CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS RODEO Cheyenne, WY

AUG 02 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FAIR Davenport, IA

AUG 05 BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER Cuyahoga Falls, OH

AUG 06 THE PAVILION AT STAR LAKE Burgettstown, PA

AUG 12 RUOFF MUSIC CENTER Nobelsville, IN

AUG 17 RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER Cincinnati, OH

AUG 19 HOLLYWOOD CASINO AMPHITHEATRE Tinley Park, IL

AUG 20 HOLLYWOOD CASINO AMPHITHEATRE Maryland Heights, MO

AUG 24 XFINITY CENTER Mansfield, MA

AUG 26 JIFFY LUBE LIVE Bristow, VA

AUG 27 PNC BANK ARTS CENTER Holmdel, NJ

SEPT 3 SOARING EAGLE CASINO & RESORT Mount Pleasant, MI

SEPT 4 SOARING EAGLE RESORT & CASINO Mount Pleasant, MI

SEPT 16 PINE KNOB MUSIC THEATRE Clarkston, MI

SEPT 17 PINE KNOB MUSIC THEATRE Clarkston, MI

SEPT 30 TOYOTA AMPHITHEATRE Wheatland, CA

OCT 1 GLEN HELEN AMPHITHEATER San Bernardino, CA

OCT 7 NUGGET EVENT CENTER Reno-Sparks, NV

OCT 8 LAUGHLIN EVENT CENTER Laughlin, NV

BIG AND RICH TOUR DATES

23 Jul West Union, IA Fayette County Fair

04 Aug Deadwood, SD Outlaw Square

05 Aug Grandstand Rifle, CO Garfield County Fair

06 Aug Woodstock, IL McHenry County Fair

11 Aug West Fargo, ND Lights Amphitheater

12 Aug Hinckley, MN Hinckley Amphitheater

19 Aug Lynden, WA Northwest Washington Fair

20 Aug Longview, WA Cowlitz County Fairgrounds

30 Aug Syracuse, NY Chevy Court Concerts

02 Sep Reno, NV Atlantis Hotel Casino

16 Sep Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center

17 Sep Fort Dodge, IA Central Plaza

 

CHRIS LANE TOUR DATES

JUL 21 - JUL 23 Country Jam Eau Claire, WI

JUL 28 Waterside District Norfolk, VA

JUL 29 Power Plant Live! Baltimore, MD

AUG 5 Seward County Fair Seward, NE

AUG 10 Jenks Club Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

AUG 11 Cape Cod Melody Tent Barnstable, MA

AUG 12 Bold Point Park East Providence, RI

AUG 13 R10 Venue Long Creek, NB

AUG 14 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH

SEP 10 Waterfront Park San Diego, CA

SEP 16 Central Park Plaza Valparaiso, IN

SEP 17 Splash into Country – Rise Up McHenry, IL

OCT 1 AvidXchange Music Factory Charlotte, NC

OCT 8 The Big Red Barn Retreat Columbia, SC

OCT 14 Boots In The Park Bakersfield, CA

OCT 15 Boots In The Park Santa Clarita, CA

DEC 1 Canadian Tire Centre Ottawa, Canada

DEC 2 Centre Bell Montreal, QC

DEC 3 Budweiser Gardens London, ON

DEC 4 Scotiabank Arena Toronto, ON

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

DRAKE WHITE

DRAKE WHITE

DRAKE WHITE

DRAKE WHITE

RUNAWAY JUNE

RUNAWAY JUNE

RUNAWAY JUNE

RUNAWAY JUNE

RUNAWAY JUNE

CHRIS LANE

CHRIS LANE

CHRIS LANE

CHRIS LANE

BIG AND RICH

BIG AND RICH

BIG AND RICH

BIG AND RICH

BIG AND RICH

BIG AND RICH

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

Country Stampede at the Heartland (FRIDAY) at Heartland Park, Topeka, KS (2022-07-15)

JAKE OWEN SETLIST Best Thing Since Backroads The One That Got Away Days of Gold Homemade American Country Love Song Up There, Down Here Beachin' Down to the Honkytonk Alone with You East Bound and Down (Jerry Reed cover) Yee Haw Eight Second Ride Anywhere With You I Was Jack (You Were Diane) encore: Made for You Barefoot Blue Jean Night LOCASH SETLIST Things We Love (new song) One Big Country Song In the Woods I Know Somebody You Gonna Fly (Keith Urban song) Ring on Every Finger Sleep with You I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys cover) Sippin' Sunsets Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard cover)> Truck Yeah (Tim McGraw song) Chillionaire medley - Dust on the Bottle (David Lee Murphy cover)> Pickup Man (Joe Diffie cover)> Your Love (The Outfield cover)> Summer of '69 (Bryan Adams cover)> Stacy's Mom (Fountains of Wayne cover) I Love this Life Don't Stop Believin' (Journey cover)   CRAIG MORGAN SETLIST Sticks Redneck Yacht Club I Got You This Ain't Nothin' Little Bit of Life That What I Love About Sunday Love Remembers This Ol' Boy I'll Be Your Soldier (Gavin DeGraw cover) Almost Home How You Make a Man (new song) Wake Up Loving You / Hey Jude (Beatles cover snippet) More Trucks than Cars International Harvester Bonfire   IAN MUNSICK SETLIST Coming Home to You Humble When I Come Home to You Neon Bright Side Solo More than Me (new song) Long Live Cowgirls (w/ Cody Johnson song) Cowboy Killer / band intros I Want You Back (Jackson 5 cover) Long Haul I See Country Me Against the Mountain Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover) Horses are Faster

Country Stampede at the Heartland is an outdoor music festival featuring country music stars, camping, and more in Topeka, Kansas at Heartland Motorsports Park, held annually since 1996. Due to flooding concerns, the event moved to its current location from Manhattan, KS in 2019.

Our coverage of Thursday can be found here:

===

The heat index remained in the triple-digits for Day 2, but a warm breeze helped temper things somewhat. The action on stage and plentiful food and beverage options kept the party in the heartland going

Lubbock, TX modern traditionalist Randall King opened the day in support of his album, Shot Glass and may be one of those names to watch and can say you saw him when.

Wyoming native Ian Munsick would follow, with a spirited and solid set and confident stage demeanor, making him a name to remember. He peppered in a couple of covers- The Jackson 5 song showed off his falsetto and ability to hold a high note, and the Fleetwood Mac cover of “Dreams” was laid back and easy going.

Craig Morgan showed off what it means to have longevity and be a still-relevant veteran of the industry. Always led by faith, family, and country, he mentioned his upcoming memoir due out in September and gave the crowd a live preview of his upcoming single to country radio, his first in five years.

The Maryland/Indiana duo Locash (stylized as LOCASH) dutifully got the crowd in more of a festive spirit, in support of their latest EP, Woods & Water, out at the end of last year. In addition to their own hits like “I Love this Life”, there was a jukebox medley which took a half-dozen familiar covers, to get the crowd dancing.

Florida native Jake Owen closed the night, in support of latest full-length, Greetings from... Jake, his first on the Big Loud label, after leaving RCA. Newer songs like “Down to the Honkytonk” and the Mellencamp-sampled, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” fit in well alongside older classics like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and his first breakout single, “Yee Haw”.

JAKE OWEN TOUR DATES

Jul 21 KEGS Canalside Jordan, NY

Jul 22 Faster Horses Brooklyn, MI

Jul 23 Citizens Banks Park Philadelphia, PA

Jul 24 Stone Pony Summer Stage Asbury Park, NJ

Jul 31 Watershed Festival George, WA

Aug 12 The Fruit Yard Modesto, CA

Aug 13 Tailgate Fest Fontana, CA

Aug 14 Vina Robles Amphitheatre Paso Robles, CA

Aug 20 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas

Aug 24 Bash on the Bay Put-in-Bay, OH

Aug 26 The Mill Terre Haute, IN

Aug 27 Country in the Burg Cedarburg, WI

Sep 1 Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater Decatur, IL

Sep 2 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA

Sep 3 Long Island Community Hospital Amph Farmingville, NY

Sep 4 Leader Bank Pavilion Boston, MA

Sep 15 Freeman Arts Pavilion Selbyville, DE

Sep 16 After Hours Concerts Doswell, VA

Sep 17 Annapolis City Dock Annapolis, MD

Sep 22 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH

Sep 23 Bold Point Park East Providence, RI

Sep 29 Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre Youngstown, OH

Sep 30 The Amp at Dant Crossing Gethsemane, KY

Oct 1 City of Buford Fall Concert Buford, GA

Oct 13 Rosemont Theater Rosemont, IL

Oct 14 Family Arena St. Charles, MO

Oct 15 West Plains Civic Center West Plains, MO

Oct 20 Mayo Clinic Health Center Mankato, MN

Oct 21 Viaero Event Center Kearney, NE

Oct 22 Bridge View Center Ottumwa, IA

Nov 3 Maverik Center West Valley, UT

Nov 4 Budweiser Events Center Loveland, CO

Nov 5 United Wireless Arena Dodge City, KS

Nov 10 Sports Center Owensboro, KY

Nov 12 The Caverns Pelham, TN

LOCASH TOUR DATES

JJUL 16 SeaWorld Concert Series San Diego, CA
JUL 22 Mattoon Bagelfest Mattoon, IL
JUL 23 Fayette County Fairgrounds West Union, IA
JUL 24 Grand Ole Opry House Nashville, TN
JUL 29 THE FESTIVAL AT SANDPOINT @ MEMORIAL FIELD Sandpoint, ID
JUL 30 Rivers Run Event Center Arlington, WA
JUL 31 Watershed Festival Quincy, WA
AUG 8 Shade Valley Camp Resort Sturgis, SD
AUG 13 Rock the Box 2 Orange Park, FL
AUG 20 BLVD PUB AND GRUB Sterling, IL
AUG 28 The Long Road Festival Lutterworth, UK
SEP 9 Osage Casino Tulsa, OK
SEP 10 Songs4Soldiers Benefit Concert Columbia, IL
SEP 24 North Georgia State Fair Marietta, GA
OCT 25 Country Fest Cancun Riviera Maya, Mexico

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

IAN MUNSICK

IAN MUNSICK

IAN MUNSICK

IAN MUNSICK

CRAIG MORGAN

CRAIG MORGAN

CRAIG MORGAN

CRAIG MORGAN

CRAIG MORGAN

LOCASH

LOCASH

LOCASH

LOCASH

JAKE OWEN

JAKE OWEN

JAKE OWEN

JAKE OWEN

JAKE OWEN

JAKE OWEN

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