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Lord Huron / Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats / Caroline Rose at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (31 May 2016)

Lord Huron Setlist Time to Run Lonesome Dreams Cursed Ends of the Earth Dead Man's Hand The Birds Are Singing Way Out There Frozen Pines Meet Me in the Woods The World Ender The Night We Met Fool for Love -- Encore -- The Ghost on the Shore She Lit a Fire The Stranger Nathaniel Rateliff Setlist I Need Never Get Old Look It Here The Intro Howling at Nothing Wasting Time I've Been Failing Shake Out On the Weekend Thank You I Did It Trying So Hard Not To Know S.O.B. The Shape I'm In (The Band cover) Lord Huron/Nathaniel Rateliff Tour Dates 06/05 Boston, MA House of Blues 06/06 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore 06/07 Vienna, VA Filene Center 06/09 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater Read More Lord Huron Lord Huron's steady rise to the spotlight continues on another lengthy US Tour. Their debut release was just two years ago called "Lonesome Dreams". They have a similar sound to bands like Fleet Foxes… Nathaniel Rateliff I think Nathaniel Rateliff and his band The Night Sweats have finally made it. It's hard to believe that we've been writing about him since 2013.... Caroline Rose Opening up the show was Caroline Rose, a self-described Americana band, but I would throw them in the country category as well. They were actually more excited to be playing …

The co-headlining Lord Huron and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats tour recently stopped by Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. As expected, the seated show sold out.

Caroline Rose

Opening up the show was Caroline Rose in “modern-day hobo” wear, complete with flip-flops. We previously seen the vagabond with Rateliff in 2014 and we wrote that they were “Americana” but noted that they seemed to go beyond that.

Rose is joined on stage by Pat Melvin on bass, Brett Lanier on pedal steel, and Dan Davine on drums. Notably gone is the upright bass!

Now that Rose’s national debut album I Will Not Be Afraid is out, the 26-year-old songwriter looked even more confident about playing to a large audience. Rose confessed that she wasn’t quite comfortable playing so early (7:30pm), after they finished playing their first song ‘When You Go’. They would play a few other songs from I Will Not Be Afraid on the rest of their brief 30-min set.

Nathaniel Rateliff

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats was next. We’ve been covering Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats since 2013, when the band first formed. We knew they were special when we noted that they were “channeling the dance moves of James Brown” and “Rateliff’s traditionally gentle and alluring vocals morph into that of a bellowing soul god with ‘Trying So Hard Not to Know’ the night immediately shifted from exciting to epic.”

It was all confirmed that the band had exploded when their lead single ‘S.O.B.’ (Stax Records) broke through to mainstream. By Summer 2015, the band found themselves on radio waves... and eventually lead to appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, etc. Currently, on the tour, the Night Sweats includes bassist Joseph Pope III, keys Mark Shusterman, drummer Patrick Meese, guitarist Luke Mossman, trumpeter Wesley Watkins, and saxophonist Andy Wild.

Unfortunately, it really felt like this was the wrong venue for this high-energy band. They’re used to seeing people dancing and moving to their music... not a bunch of people sitting down. So near the end of their set, Rateliff basically gave permission for people to stand up - and they did sure did.

Rateliff Setlist

As you can see from the photo of their setlist, they practically played everything off their 2015 self-titled album, including ‘I Need Never Get Old’ and massive hit song ‘S.O.B.’

Rateliff also threw in a couple of new songs, ‘The Intro’ and ‘I Did It’. They closed out their 80-min set with The Band cover song ‘The Shape I’m In’. As they exit the stage, Rateliff shouted out, “Vote for Bernie Sanders!!”

If you missed Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats on this tour, be sure to see them as the final band announced at Rock the Garden 2016 on June 18th. For lineup and details head over to news.weheartmusic.com.

Ben Schneider

Lord Huron (singer/guitarist Ben Schneider, drummer Mark Barry, bassist Miguel Briseño, guitarist Tom Renaud) closed out the show. We previously caught them in 2014, when they were out promoting their debut Lonesome Dreams (IAMSOUND).

We described their sound as bringing together a “Mumford and Sons-like bombast and Vampire Weekend-esque rhythms, with a pinch of Paul Simon/Peter Gabriel worldbeat made for bigger rooms, to their own unique take on modern folk.”

Now that their sophomore album Strange Trails (also on IAMSOUND) is out, it’s clear that based on their setlist and background display (showing a neon “Strange Trails” logo), that the band was still touring in support of their 2015 record.

Based on their interactions on stage, that the band clearly love playing live and having such a grand old time on the first night of this tour.

They ended their 100-min set with ‘Fool for Love’, leaving enough time before curfew to come back for a three song encore: ‘The Ghost on the Shore’, ‘She Lit a Fire’, and ‘The Stranger’.

Lord Huron at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (31 May 2016)

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

Puscifer at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (23 March 2016)

Setlist -- Act I -- Simultaneous Galileo Agostina -- Act II -- Vagina Mine Horizons The Arsonist The Remedy -- Act III -- Life of Brian (Apparently You Haven't Seen) Rev 22:20 Grand Canyon The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix) Breathe -- Act IV -- Toma Telling Ghosts Flippant Conditions of My Parole Money Shot Man Overboard -- Encore -- The Humbling River Autumn Tour Dates 03/28/16 Rockford, IL Coronado 03/29/16 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre 03/30/16 Columbus, OH Express Live! 04/01/16 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE 04/02/16 Detroit, MI Fillmore Detroit 04/04/16 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre 04/05/16 Buffalo, NY UB Center 04/06/16 Toronto, ON Sony Centre 04/08/16 Portland, ME Merrill Auditorium 04/09/16 Huntington, NY The Paramount 04/10/16 Reading, PA Santander 04/12/16 Englewood, NJ Bergen 04/13/16 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre 04/15/16 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel 04/16/16 Providence, RI The VETS 04/18/16 Richmond, VA The National 04/19/16 Raleigh, NC Memorial Auditorium 04/20/16 Louisville, KY The Louisville Palace 04/22/16 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House 04/23/16 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre 04/24/16 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater 04/26/16 Wichita, KS Orpheum Theatre 04/27/16 Lubbock, TX City Bank Auditorium 04/28/16 Albuquerque, NM Popejoy Hall 04/30/16 Tucson, AZ Tucson Music Hall 05/01/16 San Diego, CA Jacobs Music Center l 05/30/16 Manchester Bridgewater Hall 05/31/16 London Roundhouse 06/02/16 Paris, France Grand Rex 06/06/16 Lausanne, Switzerland Les Docks 06/07/16 Teatro Degli Arcimboldi 06/09/16 Nova Rock Festival 06/11/16 Pinkpop Festival 06/12/16 Brussels Ancienne Belgique 06/13/16 Luxembourg Rockhal 06/15/16 Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene 06/16/16 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus 06/18/16 Northside Festival Read More Puscifer Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer will be headlining the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis next Wednesday, March 23rd. Fans of Keenan’s involvement with Tool and A Perfect Circle will want to check out Puscifer. …

A multimedia variety rock show, Mexican wrestlers, an abundance of smoke, and complete evacuation of the venue- just a little beyond a normal concert night in Minneapolis.

Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle, is also the mainstay behind Puscifer, a band he considers to be his "creative subconscious" - and how creative it was when the band’s “Money $hot Heard Round the World Tour” stopped recently at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis.

Luchafer

Opening act Luchafer was not a band but a troupe of masked wrestlers, inspired by classic Mexican luchadore fighters who sparred against each other in a large center stage ring, complete with spring floor. The two teams (man and woman each, blue vs. red) first battled each other in the ring, then combined forces to try and thwart the referee, who traded his striped garb for a solid black suit with large spider logo, slightly resembling the Spider-Man villain, Venom.

The crowd was entertained by the thirty-minute highly physical performance, especially as the spidered wrestler managed to single-handedly defeat the other four, complete with signature moves and enhanced drama.

Lights then went dark, the wrestling ring moved back and musician platforms moved quickly into place as Puscifer took to the stage for their headlining set, after almost no downtime in-between.  As the crew fine-tuned everything, a video warning from side stage monitors by one Major Douche (one of Keenan’s many personas) cautioned against any cameras or cellphone use, which was also reinforced by the tighter-than-normal security.

Another Keenan character, Billy D, then appeared on video, slurring and rambling while drinking shots and generally self-abusing.  As his visage faded from the screens, the band seamlessly launched into the opening ‘Simultaneous’, cloaked in the dimmest of blue light with a lone footlight near drummer Jeff Friedl as the only beacon.

Keenan was mostly hidden in darkness (as he does performing with his other bands as well), wearing a dark suit, mask and sunglasses, splitting his time singing with co-vocalist Carina Round either inside the wrestling ring itself, or on the edge of stage right.

The show itself was divided into four Acts, with often obtuse visuals enhancing the music from the backdrop screen.  All but one song from the new album, Money $hot (on Puscifer Entertainment) was played (even the iTunes-only track ‘Flippant’) though not in the same order as on the record.

Guitarist Mat Mitchell proved to be the steady musical rock on guitar, with Paul Barker (formerly of Ministry) on bass and Mahsa Zargaranon on keys, samples, and guitar filling out the live band. Wrestlers Luchafer had been watching from the side grandstands, posturing at each other, before briefly returning to the ring to battle anew at the break point between Acts.

UK vocalist Round, a solo star in her own right, continues to take a more active role in the band, lending a more cohesive nature to the narrative and is a fine vocal counterpart to Keenan’s wandering-in-the-desert in an altered state voice.  Shining in particular on Act II’s ‘Vagina Mine’ and Act III’s ‘Rev 22:20’, Round’s voice soared over Mitchell’s dark riffs and accompanying synths on the latter, with its lyrics, “Saviors and saints, devils and heathens alike; She'll eat you alive”.

The momentum building hit its stride in the Third Act, continuing with initial single, ‘Grand Canyon’ and “witnessing the majesty” of the sprawling natural wonder from all angles on video followed by ‘The Rapture’, with a snarling Keenan emoting “Like a bad idea, echoing salvation, threatening damnation, about to drop you like Cain”.

Fire Evac

Halfway into ‘Breathe’, a loud siren blew, strobe lights emanated from all sides of the venue, and house lights came up, with the band still playing before the soundboard gradually faded them out.  Security and staff took over the venue, announcing a Fire Alarm had been activated and the entire venue had to be immediately evacuated.

As the main alarm stations were all backstage or generally out of the public sight, it can assumed that the increasing smoke coming from certain parts of the audience (that grew exponentially as the set continued), eventually activated the sensors.  The outside of the arena was lights, sirens, and confusion, with many just standing around talking just outside the doors.

After just under a half-hour, the emergency services had cleared and the venue was allowed to be re-entered, though a fair portion of the crowd had gone home at that point.  But, to the band’s credit, they picked up where they left off, completing Act IV on an extra loud note, with the encore songs (band never left the stage) ending the night more gently.

The group even made light of the situation on social media following the show, tweeting “insert joke about the band being ON FIRE tonight”, complete with video of the fire alarm itself and the droning repetitive sound.

Despite the impromptu evac break (which might have been more appropriate happening during ‘The Arsonist’), the band ably rebounded with momentum to end the show and give everyone the “money $hot” they’d been more than patiently waiting for.  Puscifer stage shows are always known for their often-indescribable uniqueness and this unexpected night in Minneapolis, was no exception.

Puscifer at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (23 March 2016)

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

Go96.3 Snow Show (Day 1) feat. Silversun Pickups, Metric, Wombats, Melanie Martinez at Northrop, Minneapolis (03 Dec 2015)

Silversun Pickups Setlist Cradle (Better Nature) Well Thought Out Twinkles The Royal We Nightlight Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance) The Pit Friendly Fires Latchkey Kids Panic Switch Ragamuffin Lazy Eye Metric Setlist Lie Lie Lie Youth Without Youth Help I'm Alive Too Bad, So Sad Cascades Black Sheep Synthetica Combat Baby Gold Guns Girls The Shade Breathing Underwater Wombats Setlist Give Me a Try Jump into the Fog Moving to New York Be Your Shadow Techno Fan Emoticons Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) Greek Tragedy Let's Dance to Joy Division Melanie Martinez Setlist Cry Baby Sippy Cup Tag, You're It Soap Mrs. Potato Head Read More Go 96.3 We were really impressed with Go 96.3 FM's first Go Show #1 (featuring New Politics and Banks at Aria on Mar 2015). We were wondering how they can top that debut show … Silversun Pickups Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!" … Metric I've seen Metric twice (four times if you count Emily Haines solo or Broken Social Scene), so you know I love this little Canadian band. Their Rock the Garden's set was very similar to their … The Wombats The good news is that with their third album Glitterbug just recently released (April 13, 2015), the band is back in the USA on tour. They are stopping by the Varsity Theater on May 6th. ...

Thanks to an El Niño weather season, there hasn’t yet been much Snow, but the musicals acts playing made for more than enough Show, at the first night of the inaugural Go 96.3 Snow Show, held at Northrop Auditorium.

The holiday show attempts to become a year-end tradition, in the same spirit as other eclectic-act year-end concerts in other major markets, and the local alternative rock FM station is well on its way to having the Snow Show do just that, having already introduced the GO Fest this summer at Target Field, and a series of exclusive Go Shows, held at smaller venues.

Here’s a rundown of the acts that played the first night of the two-night show:

MELANIE MARTINEZ

The relative newcomer that most know from NBC’s The Voice, opened the evening with a 25 min. five-song set culled from her debut, Cry Baby (Atlantic Records).

Wearing socks, a frilly pink Casper the Friendly Ghost sweater, and sporting dual colored hair, Martinez charmed the crowd (some of whom were still finding their seats) with seemingly spry and child-like but really sadder, undertoned songs like the title track and ‘Mrs. Potato Head’ which shines the light on beauty pressures with little girls that “pucker up their lips until they suffocate”.  ‘Soap’ can be heard on the radio currently and she is everywhere next year, including a March return locally to Myth in Maplewood.

THE WOMBATS

The Wombats photo: John

We’re unabashed fans of the Liverpudlian trio (Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis, and Tord Øverland Knudsen) having discovered them with early single ‘Lost in the Post’ and covering them just about every time they’ve come to town.  Latest album Glitterbug (Bright Antenna Records) came out in the Spring and features their trademark poppy songs while gaining them further momentum and mass appeal.

Their abbreviated 40 min. set was still fun, having to convert a seated crowd that mostly hadn’t heard of them (fitting then to start with ‘Give Me a Try’) and singer Murph did so with kind words, as bassist Knudsen (wearing a local Electric Fetus t-shirt) used the large stage to catapult manically from end to end.

Murph successfully got the crowd all standing for ‘Techno Fan' and the new album’s ‘Greek Tragedy’ was more than familiar to regular listeners of the sponsoring station.  The bouncing ‘Let's Dance to Joy Division’ ended their short set, getting even the oldest and jaded in the crowd, moving.

METRIC

The Canadian four-piece (Emily Haines, James Shaw, Josh Winstead, and Joules Scott-Key) is out in promotion of their sixth full-length Pagans in Vegas (Metric Music Intl) and started their 55 min.with a dimly lit stage, odd spoken word introduction, and new song, ‘Lie Lie Lie’.

Singer Haines made an immediate impression, dressed mostly in black, wearing shorts, a floppy hat, and a showgirl jeweled peacock feather set of wings that made her also appear Christmas Tree-like.   Longtime fans may have been disappointed that songs were mostly from the last three albums, but given the nature of the show, they wisely played to the strength of the more recent material.

Their set was well put together and paced, with Haines dancing at one point with a flowing yellow scarf held aloft by twin floor fans, as she moved between vocals, keys, and even guitar.  A spacey and affirming spoken word intro led into ‘Synthetica’ and new album lead single, ’The Shade’ sounded more urgent played live.

Highlight was undoubtedly the closing and extended ‘Breathing Underwater’ lasting some eight minutes that started as an anthem and ended stripped to its essence, acoustic with the crowd clapping and singing back the chorus.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS

The Los Angeles foursome (Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao and Joe Lester) has been around since 2002, but is just starting this chapter of the band with their fourth full-length, September’s Better Nature (New Machine Recordings).  The new material is slightly more synth based with less guitar, though the mix of new and old songs seemed to please the crowd, most of whom were there for the headliner.

The stage had been cleared out, leaving a sparse area for the band to take their places (as they seem to prefer) opening their 65 min. set with (sort-of) title track, ‘Cradle (Better Nature)’.  Roughly half the set was new album material, though they did dial it back several times, including two songs from their 2006 debut.

New album single, ‘Nightlight’ added more punch live than on record, with singer Aubert avoiding so-called “rock talk” but admitted his enthusiasm in “making records just to play places like this” and promising to keep the secret of how great the area is, to live in.  ‘Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)’ featured bassist Monninger (in a sparkly dress), who we missed at the band’s Rock the Garden appearance a few years ago, when she was off having twin girls

Drummer Guanlao got jibed about his NBA allegiance to the Lakers, though peace was made when it was reminded that the team was originally the Minneapolis Lakers.  ‘Panic Switch’ got rave applause, while ‘Ragamuffin’ started with an Edge-like infinite guitar intro in front of a brooding bassline.

Silversun Pickups Setlist

Aubert echoed his whisperings of “spoilers” earlier in the set by leaking a key Game of Thrones fact for anyone that hadn’t seen it, before launching into the set and show-closing ‘Lazy Eye’, looking rambunctious and unapologetic with the band waving and leaving the stage to a standing ovation.

Operationally, the venue’s sound was impeccable, the result of a recent total building refurb and the radio staff came out between acts, to introduce bands and rave up the crowd.

Initial set times slowly fell by the wayside, with the Pickups taking the stage at 10:23 instead of their 9:40 posted start, but no one seemed to mind (unless you had to be at work extra early the day).

So, with little Snow outside, but plenty Show inside, consider the inaugural Go96.3 Snow Show a success with the hope that this becomes a bigger and better holiday tradition, for years ahead.

All photos below are by Jayme Halbritter.

Metric	Metric	Metric	Metric	Metric	Metric
Metric	Metric	Metric	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups	Silversun Pickups

Silversun Pickups at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (3 Nov 2015) photo courtesy of Jayme Halbritter, jaymehalbritter.com

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

Ben Rector, w/ Judah & the Lion at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (24 Sept 2015)

Ben Rector Setlist Something Beautiful Brand New Favorite Song Never Gonna Let You Go When a Heart Breaks The Men That Drive Me Places Fear Loving You is Easy Paris Note to Self Forever Like That (new arrangement) Like the World Is Going to End When I'm With You The Beat Follow You More Like Love White Dress Tour Dates 10/07 Singletary Center - Lexington, KY 10/08 The Pageant - St. Louis, MO 10/09 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN 10/10 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN 10/17 New Daisy Theatre - Memphis, TN 10/18 Rudder Auditorium - College Station, TX 10/22 House of Blues - Houston, TX 10/23 South Side Ballroom - Dallas, TX 10/24 Stubb's - Austin, TX 10/25 Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, OK 10/28 Tennessee Theatre - Knoxville, TN 10/29 The Fillmore - Charlotte, NC 10/30 The Ritz - Raleigh, NC 11/03 Charleston Music Hall - Charleston, SC 11/05 Louisiana Tech University - Ruston, LA 11/06 Alabama Theatre - Birmingham, AL 11/07 Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA Read More Ben Rector Nashville's Ben Rector is back with a brand new sixth studio album called Brand New (Aptly Named Recordings, LLC). He'll be stopping by the Northrop Auditorium at the U of M this Thursday ... Judah & the Lion Nashville based trio Judah & the Lion (not to be confused with Daniel & the Lion) is on tour in support of their full-length studio album Kids These Days entered Billboard's Heatseekers chart at #2 and the Folk Albums …

With singer-songwriter Ben Rector, everything is new again…make that Brand New-

The Nashville resident has been gradually building his loyal audience for years, releasing three EPs and seven albums on his own terms, the most recent being  Brand New on his Aptly Named Recordings label, and his recent performance at the recently refurbished Northrop Auditorium on the campus of the University of Minnesota, showed that  brand new is just fine with his multitude of fans.

Judah & the Lion

The evening began with a spirited  and fun performance from another Nashville band, Judah & the Lion, and Americana folk band who are finishing their upcoming full-length, hot on the heels of last year’s self-released EP, Kids These Days.

Judah & the Lion

Vu saw the band at a sold out 7^th Street Entry show last November and the group (six on stage) is growing leaps and bounds in terms of their animated live show and growing audience.  The band has a blend of “city-fied” bluegrass and alt-country music; from the banjo lesson we all got on ‘Southern Ground’ to the snap-a-long/clap-a-long participation of ‘Water’ that closed their 40 min set enthusiastically as singer Judah Akers jumped into the crowd, raced around the aisles, and ended the song high-fiving everyone at the entry doors.

Ben Rector

With a stark spotlight on the piano, a solo, suit-jacketed Ben Rector began his 90 min set with the delicate ‘Something Beautiful’ before moving into the anthemic title track of his new album.  The sound in the “new” Northrop carries farther and adds some additional punch to percussion and lower-end, each of which benefited Rector’s live band.

After the fifth song, a touching ‘When a Heart Breaks’, Rector took a breath to address the crowd, mentioning Minneapolis as the first city to sell out, when Rector first started touring.  ‘The Men That Drive Me Places’ from the new album was inspired by a story of a cab driver, with Rector determined to preserve his story as an everyday hero in our land of opportunity.

‘Note to Self’ brought out the vocal harmonies and then the band gathered around a center mic for a mini-acoustic set, including a re-arranged ’Forever Like That’, spotlighting two members of the band, that both come from the area originally.

Audience

For main set closer, ‘Follow You’ Rector again revealed the secret of the encore- “we just walk twenty five feet over, wait for you to applaud, then come back out”, and after the song, they did exactly that, instead of staying out on stage.  Several homemade signs were held high in the crowd throughout (something you don’t see a lot of, especially at this venue) and Rector spied one held by a little girl and invited her onstage briefly.

The two encore songs were tailor-made for weddings, the new ‘More Like Love’ and 2010’s ‘White Dress’, the latter being one of Rector’s biggest hits and had audience members young and old (a good number of families there) clapping along from the song’s beginning.

Rector’s inspired music captures the upbeat magic that happens on an everyday basis, that is often not noticed or appreciated, but it’s clear his loyal fans notice and value every note, whether old or brand new.

Ben Rector at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (24 Sept 2015)

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

Lindsey Stirling w/ Karmin at Northrop, Minneapolis (04 June 2015)

Lindsey Stirling Setlist Ascendance Moon Trance Master of Tides Shadows Elements 📹   Lindsey Twirl Nerd Medley Medley: Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Halo, Legend of Zelda Song of the Caged Bird Swag Transcendence Take Flight 📹   Water Story Crystallize Firefly Roundtable Rival Stars Align 📹   Ballerina Story Shatter Me -- Encore -- Beyond the Veil / Phantom of the Opera (medley) Karmin Setlist Intro Didn't Know You Acapella / Started From The Bottom (Drake cover) Blame it on my Heart / Here To Stay (Korn cover) Sugar Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover) / Hello Pure Imagination (Willy Wonka cover) Save Me Now / Look At Me Now (Chris Brown cover) Along The Road Brokenhearted Read More Lindsey Stirling Top Dance/Electronic Album Daft Punk “Random Access Memories” Lady Gaga “ARTPOP” Lindsey Stirling “Lindsey Stirling” … Karmin The journey for Karmin’s Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan has been a wild one, to say the least after the duo signed to Epic Records and scored the double-platinum hit “Brokenhearted” off their 2012 EP Hello …

Violinist Lindsey Stirling is currently on her Music Box Tour, stopping by the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis last night, June 4th.

Cailee Rae

Kicking off the event was Los Angeles, by the way of St. Louis, Cailee Rae, who had with a full band. Her five song set included "Beautiful Lights" which she dedicated to the audience and set closer "Running Back to You".

Based on her brief 17-minute appearance, I can tell that she's very confidence in her music and message.

Karmin

Boston's Karmin was up next, appearing on stage after an ominous dramatic music intro and darkened stage lighting. Seeing singer Amy Heidemann doing very specific dance moves, you got the feeling that she has very specific dances for certain songs.

Their set featured plenty of covers - often medley into existing Karmin songs, making it easily accessible by pop or rock music fans.

Prior to playing their new song "Blame It On My Heart" (with rapid Korn rap/singing of "Here to Stay"), Heidemann said that after years of being on a major label, the trio is striking on their own: being an independent band once again. With more control over their music and freedom over how their image is used, they seem relieved to finally break away and announced that their second full-length album Leo Rising will be available sometime this year (2015).

They previewed some of the new tracks from Leo Rising, including their first song "Didn't Know You", "Blame It On My Heart" and "Along the Road". The latter song had Heidemann sitting on a stool, but then changed her mind and preferred sitting on the floor instead.

I'll say this, the band was really fun to watch. I can see why over 1.5 people liked their Facebook page and I noticed plenty of hardcore Karmin fans in the audience.

Arizona's Lindsey Stirling is a super star violinist and dancer. I believe her personality (which you can see on her popular YouTube channel) and talent help her sell half a million of her album. Whatever she is doing, she's doing it right.

Setlist

Her show is actually pretty fun, because of the costume changes and choreographed dance sequence by her four dancers (from Los Angeles, Nebraska, Utah, and Michigan), her set is mostly unchanged from show to show. For the time-consuming costume changes, we're shown 2-3 minute videos to allow for setup to the next song.

If I were to describe her show, it would be a cross between Riverdance and Celtic Woman. So if you like those things, you'll have a good time.

The majority of her set is instrumental, with one exception: "Firefly" had Stirling singing on the track.

My favorite song on her set was her so-called "Nerd Medley", a medley of Assassin's Creed, Skyrim, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Halo, Legend of Zelda.... basically all the games I own.

Other highlight was her battle with keytar player Gavi on "Roundtable Rival". That was fun, I'm not entirely sure if you can actually text your votes during the performance... but the violin won over the keytar.

Lindsey Stirling's Shatter Me is out now. She continues her tour with Karmin and Cailee Rae on the Music Box Tour:

06/05 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
06/08 – Grand Rapids, MI – Devos Performance Hall
06/09 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
06/10 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark
06/12 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
06/13 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
06/15 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theatre

Lindsey Stirling at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (04 June 2015)

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

Decemberists w/ Alvvays at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (24 March 2015)

The Decemberists Spring Tour 2015 Poster Decemberists Setlist intro The Singer Addresses His Audience Cavalry Captain Down by the Water Hank Eat your Oatmeal > Calamity Song On the Bus Mall The Wrong Year Make You Better The Island Los Angeles, I'm Yours Carolina Low A Bower Scene > Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) The Rake's Song 16 Military Wives Dracula's Daughter O Valencia! -- Encore -- June Hymn The Mariner's Revenge Song Alvvays Setlist The Agency Group Next Of Kin Your Type Atop A Cake New Haircut Dives Adult Diversion Party Police Archie, Marry Me Tour Dates 03/30 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON 03/31 – Benedum Center – Pittsburgh, PA 04/01 – UB Center For The Arts – Buffalo, NY 04/03 – House of Blues – Boston, MA 04/04 – House of Blues – Boston, MA 04/06 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY 04/07 – Academy of Music – Philadelphia, PA 04/09 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC 04/10 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA 04/11 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA 04/12 – Rhythm N’ Blooms Festival – Knoxville, TN 04/13 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN 04/29 – Mesa Performing Arts Center – Mesa, AZ 04/30 – North Park Theatre – San Diego, CA 05/01 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA 05/02 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 05/22 – Les Schwab Amphitheatre – Bend, OR 05/24 – Big Sky Brewing Company – Missoula, MT 05/27 – Red Rocks – Denver, CO 05/29 – Sumtur Amphitheatre – Papillion, NE 05/30 – Peabody Opera House – St. Louis, MO 05/31 – The LC Pavilion – Columbus, OH 06/01 – nTelos Wireless Pavilion – Charlottesville, VA 06/03 – Red Hat Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC 06/04 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD 06/05-06/07 – Governors Ball – New York, NY 07/10 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR Read More The Decemberists Sure, their music is associated with hipsters and it's fair to assume singer Colin Meloy writes lyrics like he's from 1920, but The Decemberists are an unbelievably good band. … Alvvays Opening up the show will be Alvvays, who we recently caught at the Turf Club on December 2014 and reported, "Although the band only has one album, you couldn’t ask for better surf-pop sweetness." …

You have to respect a band that dresses nicely in vests, jackets, and ties to go work… only to be later eaten one-by-one on stage…!

What a terrible show, what a beautiful show from Portland’s The Decemberists, when they came to Minneapolis to play the sold-out and acoustically shiny Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus—thankfully, the beautiful parts were very much so, and the couple terrible parts were very purposely meant to be that way.

Alvvays

Toronto indie-pop band Alvvays was on their first night as support act and had reason to feel the slightest bit awkward as singer Molly Rankin mentioned it being their first time playing to a seated audience.  The five-piece played most of their eponymous debut (out now on Polyvinyl) working in nine songs in just forty minutes.

Molly Rankin

During tuning for their song ‘Dives’, Rankin muttered to herself jokingly, "play 'Freebird', man."  If only she was aware that Decemberists' singer Colin Meloy is "famously" a self-ordained board member of “MACOF (Musician Against Calling Out Freebird)” as we found out at his last solo gig in town.

Alvvays managed to play all four released singles, ending with current radio hit, ‘Archie, Marry Me’, with guitarist Alec O'Hanley playing on Rankin's so-called "tiny girl guitar".

The Decemberists

Amidst a giant lighted backdrop very similar to the quilt-like pattern of the new album’s cover (What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World out now on Capitol Records), The Decemberists confidently strode out to the regal trumpet intro music before singer Meloy started gently with the hushed and folky ‘The Singer Addresses His Audience’ before it progressed into the expansive full band sound.

Reserved but joyous applause met the next song, ‘Calvary Captain’, causing Meloy to mention, “So, so, so very quiet... unnerving.” That quiet was quickly broken as everyone stood and clapped along for ‘Down by the Water’, from 2011’s The King is Dead.

A purposefully simple ditty called ‘Hank Eat Your Oatmeal’ was created as Meloy strummed at his kitchen table, trying to convince his young son to eat—that same song (as we also heard at Nov 2013 Meloy gig) would morph into ‘Calamity Song’, also from 2011 (much better song, though both are catchy).

New songs were a little limited with ‘The Wrong Year’ going back to back with single, ‘Make You Better’ before the band launched into their folk-prog epic, ‘The Island’, with standout performances from instrumentalist Chris Funk and accordionist/keys player, Jenny Conlee. Even background singers were top notch as Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor Kean (both artists in their own right) kept a steady hand on the vocal rudder.

Colin Meloy

Before ‘Los Angeles, I’m Yours’, Meloy reminisced about the band first jaunt into town, at the now-closed 400 Bar, and managing to pinch a picture of The Replacements’ Bob Stinson while there.  After an errant Applebee’s comment went the wrong way, Meloy righted himself by saying how much he enjoying the previous night’s dinner at the James Beard award-nominated, The Bachelor Farmer, which mostly redeemed him.

Stage lights went from all red for ‘Won’t Want for Love’ to all blue for crowd favorite, ‘The Rake’s Song’, with the latter song turning into an extended clap-a-long and ’16 Military Wives’ was a fun call-and-response contest between different parts of the venue.

“We’re going to play you the very worst song I’ve written in my entire life”, Meloy mentioned, before going into ‘Dracula’s Daughter’, to then stop to a hushed crowd, save someone from the upper balcony, shouting, “…sucks!”, which drew immediate laughter.

Setlist

The encore was first teased with the ready for springtime song, ‘June Hymn’, then was a direct hit to the gullet, with their other folky mega-epic, the bouncy ‘The Mariner’s Revenge Song’ which stretched some twenty minutes. People were prompted to scream at a certain part ¾ of the way into the song, and the reaction was not unwarranted as a large cut-out profile of a whale ambled on stage to slowly eat each of the band members in a row, to the crowd’s shrieking delight.

Luckily, as stage lights rose back up after the song, band members seemed unscathed and ready to carry on, in the next town.  So, what a terrible show,what a beautiful show -  the two half-baked songs purposely provided good comic relief and the audience was really treated to a nattily-dressed  band, returning as strong as ever, after a few year’s hiatus.

The Decemberists at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (24 March 2015)

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

Minneapolis: February 22 - February 24, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from February 22 to February 24, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Frankie Teardrop Also for the Minneapolis show, we have my brother's fave band Frankie Teardrop and local Teenage Moods. ...

CORNERS w/ Frankie Teardrop
at Turf Club
Sunday 02/22/15, 8pm ($5)
turfclub.net

Post-Punk band Corners are touring in support of Maxed Out On Distractions and will be in Minneapolis, this February 22nd, which is my brother's birthday. My brother's favorite local band Frankie Teardrop is also listed on the bill... so the chances of him being at this show is high.

Like most indie bands, Corners are out touring around, or rather to, SXSW 2015. They're scheduled to play six shows at SXSW alone.

Tour dates started last night (Feb 10th):

02/11 - San Diego, CA @ The Hideout
02/12 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Wayfarer
02/13 - Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress
02/14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Trunkspace
02/15 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Flagstaff Brewing
02/16 - Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse
02/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
02/18 - Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
02/19 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
02/20 - Des Moine, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
02/21 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverwest Public House
02/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club
02/23 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
02/24 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Brass Rail
02/25 - St. Louis, MO @ Foam
02/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Motr Pub
02/27 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
02/28 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
03/01 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right
03/02 - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
03/03 - Baltimore, MD @ Holy Frijoles
03/04 - Asheville, NC @ Tiger Mountain
03/05 - Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Fest
03/06 - West Palm, FL @ Vintage Tap
03/07 - Miami, FL @ Churchills
03/08 - Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub
03/09 - Saint Augustine, FL @ Shanghai Nobby's
03/10 - Tallahassee, FL @ Retrofit Records
03/11 - New Orleans, LA @ Circle Bar
03/12 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Lagniappe Records
03/13 - Denton, TX @ 35 Denton Music Fest
03/14 - Houston, TX @ House of Creeps
03/15 - Beaumont, TX @ Log on Cafe
03/16 - San Antonio, TX @ TBA
03/17-03/22 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/26 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
03/27 - Reno, NV @ Holland Project
03/29 - Santa Ana, CA @ Burgerama

Read More Kaivama Kaivama and the Polka Chicks did a sort of tagteam concert last night at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Their show can be broken down by this: The Polka Chicks did their set...

AALLOTAR w/ Abyss
at Cedar Cultural Center
Monday 02/23/15, 7pm ($12)
thecedar.org

Finnish-American violinist Sara Pajunen (formerly of Kaivama) and Finnish accordionist Teija Niku (The Polka Chicks) are Aallotar. They are touring in support of Aallotar's debut record In Transit, recorded and released in Finland in early 2014.

We've covered many Finnish bands in the past, and what I can tell you is that Minnesota has a very strong, close-knit Scandinavian community.

Also on the bill is Abyss, the new new solo project by singer and songwriter Aby Wolf.

Tour dates:

02/10/15 Mankato MN Bethany Lutheran
02/11/15 Chicago IL Old Town School
02/13/15 Newark OH Ohio State University
02/14/15 Mechanicsburg OH Hemisphere Coffee
02/16/15 Bloomington IN Lotus Blossoms
02/17/15 Bloomington IN Lotus Blossoms
02/18/15 Folk Alliance International
02/22/15 Folk Alliance International
02/23/15 Minneapolis MN Cedar Cultural Center

Read More Northrop Auditorium The centerpiece of the University of Minnesota, Northrop Auditorium, just completed a five-year long major renovation, and is due to re-open as a vital performance space in the Twin Cities … World Music There's something compelling about seeing two different people from two different worlds teaming up together (for example Habib Koite and Eric Bibb; Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal). …

THE NILE PROJECT
at Northrop
Tuesday 02/24/15, 7pm ($26+)
northrop.umn.edu

We've been paying close attention to the revamped Northrop Auditorium since its grand re-opening, back in March 2014.

If you're into world music (particularly East Africa/Nile Basin music), The Nile Project collective is stopping in at Northrop in Minneapolis on Tuesday, February 24th. The show have had very positive feedback from New York Times, NPR, and BBC.

Tour dates:

02/10/15 Santa Barbara, CA Campbell Hall
02/11/15 Santa Barbara, CA Campbell Hall
02/12/15 Folsom, CA Harris Center For The Arts
02/13/15 Folsom, CA Harris Center For The Arts
02/13/15 Rohnert Park, CA Green Music Center
02/17/15 Berkeley, CA Zellerbach Auditorium
02/18/15 Berkeley, CA Zellerbach Auditorium
02/18/15 Palo Alto, CA Bing Concert Hall
02/19/15 Berkeley, CA Zellerbach Auditorium
02/19/15 Palo Alto, CA Bing Concert Hall
02/20/15 Berkeley, CA Zellerbach Auditorium
02/24/15 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium
02/25/15 Madison, WI Wisconsin Union Theater
02/26/15 Madison, WI Wisconsin Union Theater
02/28/15 Akron, OH E.J. Thomas Hall
03/01/15 Akron, OH E.J. Thomas Hall
03/02/15 Akron, OH E.J. Thomas Hall
03/03/15 Akron, OH E.J. Thomas Hall
03/05/15 Urbana, IL Krannert Center
03/06/15 Urbana, IL Krannert Center
03/07/15 Urbana, IL Krannert Center
03/08/15 Urbana, IL Krannert Center
03/09/15 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre
03/10/15 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre
03/11/15 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre
03/12/15 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre

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

Rocktober: October 13, 2014

Read More Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club and a Shakira reference don’t exactly go together… ..But, the connection will shortly be revealed ... Milo Greene Los Angeles-based cinematic pop band Milo Greene is like Pink Floyd... in the sense that there's no one actually named Milo Greene in the band. Oddly named after a fictitious ...

Here are shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul on October 13, 2014. Monday, October 13th, is by far the worst date of Rocktober so far... Plenty of amazing shows on this date. You can't go wrong with any of these shows.

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB with Milo Greene, Luxley
at First Avenue
Monday 10/13/14
$22 / $25 (Door): first-avenue.com

Didn't we just see Bombay Bicycle Club earlier this year? Well, thanks to renewed interesting in their record So Long, See You Tomorrow being on the shortlist for the Mercury Prize Award, the band is back in Minneapolis. We like British bands, so it's always nice to see them back in town, we don't mind it.

Opening up for BBC will be Milo Greene (who previously opened up for Stars) and Luxley, a new band from New Orleans.

US Tour Dates:

10/09/14 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
10/10/14 Calgary, AB MacEwan Conference
10/12/14 Winnipeg, MB Garrick Centre
10/13/14 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
10/14/14 Chicago, IL Park West
10/16/14 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
10/17/14 Ottawa, ON Algonquins College
10/18/14 Boston, MA House Of Blues Boston
10/19/14 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/21/14 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
10/22/14 New York, NY Terminal 5
10/24/14 Atlanta, GA Heaven
10/25/14 Coral Skies Music (Tampa)
10/26/14 Coral Skies Music (West Palm Beach)
11/22/14 Stockholm, Sweden Arenan
11/23/14 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio
12/03/14 Leicester De Montfort Hall
12/04/14 Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions
12/05/14 Bournemouth Solent Hall
12/07/14 Manchester O2 Apollo
12/08/14 Manchester O2 Apollo
12/10/14 Wolverhampton Civic Hall
12/11/14 Edinburgh Usher Hall
12/12/14 Newcastle O2 Academy
12/13/14 London Earls Court

Read More Rachael Yamagata Rachael Yamagata is back at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis as part of her "Dealbreaker Heart Tour". It was only about six months ago was she just here ...

RACHAEL YAMAGATA with the Dove & the Wolf
at Varsity Theater
Monday 10/13/14
$20: varsitytheater.org

Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata recently had a successful Pledge Music campaign to help record her latest album, plus help fund her first-ever vinyl release of Happenstance for its 10th anniversary!

Yamagata is currently on a headlining tour in North America, and she's stopping by Minneapolis' Varsity Theater this Monday, October 13th. Although this is not listed as a Happenstance 10 Year Anniversary Show, expect her to play some fan favorites from this album.

Opening up for Yamagata will be The Dove & The Wolf, a duo (Paloma & Lou) from Paris, France... their first ever North American tour! So show up early to show support for these two girls.

Rachael Yamagata Fall 2014 Live Dates

10/09 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL***
10/10 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
10/11 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
10/13 - The Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
10/15 - Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS
10/17 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
10/18 - The State Room - Salt Lake City, UT
10/20 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
10/21 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
10/23 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR***
10/24 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
10/25 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
10/17 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA
10/28 - Hotel Café - Los Angeles, CA***
10/29 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
11/01 - Sons of Hermann Hall - Dallas, TX
11/02 - The Parish - Austin, TX
11/03 - Fitzgerald's Upstairs - Houston, TX
11/05 - 3rd & Lindsley Theatre - Nashville, TN
11/06 - WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
11/07 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC
11/08 - Cat's Cradle - Back Room - Carrboro, NC
11/10 - Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis, MD
11/11 - Birchmere - Alexandria, VA***
11/13 - Mohegan Sun Casino - Uncasville, CT
11/14 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA***
11/15 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia
11/17 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
11/18 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY***

*** Indicates a special 'Happenstance' 10 Year Anniversary Show

Read More Ryan Adams I discovered via Stereogum, that Ryan Adams blogged about his decision to stop making music (and to stop blogging) and then later went back and deleted the blog. Fortunately ... Butch Walker How generous is rocker Butch Walker to his diehard fans? Enough to give up the stage for his biggest radio hit, and let an audience member instead sing it to the crowd. More on that in a moment… ...

RYAN ADAMS with Butch Walker
at Northrop Auditorium
Monday 10/13/14
$38 / $49.50 (Door): northrop.umn.edu

It's probably just me, but whenever I think of Ryan Adams, I think of Bryan Adams. You know, that "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" fella? Ryan Adams is the cooler/hipper, younger singer/songwriter.

Adams recently blamed "walking the dogs" as why it took three years to release his new, self-titled album, via NY Times: "Some of that time was life, like yardwork, walking the dogs. I made a record with Glyn Johns, and we spent a bunch of money on it too. Then I had to go sit at a dinner table with my manager and the head of Capitol Records and say, “Hey, man, you can’t put this out.” It was about losing my grandmother. It was too sad..."

Opener Butch Walker is on tour in support of his seventh LP, Afraid Of Ghosts (out now on Dangerbird Records). Apparently the two are friends, as Adams produced the record at his PAX AM Studios in Los Angeles.

The Adams/Walker tour dates:

10/09: Edmonton, AB @ Francis Winspear Centre
10/10: Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Aud.
10/12: Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
10/13: Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop Auditorium
10/14: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
10/16: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
10/18: Ames, IA @ Iowa State Center
10/19: St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
10/20: Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
11/06: Indianapolis, IN @ The Murat Theatre
11/08: Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
11/09: Detroit, MI @ Fillmore Detroit
11/11: Cleveland, OH @ State Theatre
11/12: Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/15: New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall
11/17: New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall
11/18: Boston, MA @ The Wang Theatre
11/19: Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
11/20: Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
11/22: New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
11/23: New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Read More Maps & Atlases Maps & Atlases, which I did catch the majority of their set... unlike missing them entirely at the 80-35 last year. I'm not sure if new songs from their forthcoming album Perch Patchwork ...

FINCH with Maps & Atlases, Wounds, Helen Earth Band
at Mill City Nights (Nether Bar)
Monday 10/13/14
$17 / $20 (Door): millcitynights.com

Post-hardcore band Finch is currently touring in support of their recently released Back to Oblivion album on Razor & Tie. With this tour, they are bringing along Maps & Atlases (who will likely play tracks from their Beware and Be Grateful album), Wounds (with a debut album Die Young out on November 24 via Razor & Tie) and Helen Earth Band (touring for We F****** Quit album, pending release on October 21, 2014).

Usually with four bands on the bill - start time for these 'mini-music festivals' is likely quite early than usual.... and usually openers' set times are limited to 30 minutes or less... so show up early if you intend to get your money's worth of music.

Back to Oblivion tour:

Oct 10 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue *
Oct 11 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall *
Oct 13 – Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
Oct 14 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
Oct 15 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews
Oct 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
Oct 18 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
Oct 19 – Philadelphia, PA – EFC
Oct 20 – Boston, MA – Paradise
Oct 22 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage
Oct 23 – Raleigh, MC – Lincoln Theater
Oct 24 – Jacksonville, FL – Freebird
Oct 25 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham
Oct 26 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Oct 28 – Houston, TX – Warehouse
Oct 29 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
Oct 30 – Austin, TX – Red 7
Nov 02 – Phoenix, AZ – Joes Grotto
Nov 05 – San Francisco, CA – Slims
Nov 06 – Sacramento, CA – Slims
Nov 07 – Los Angeles, CA – Roxy
Nov 08 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theatre

* No Maps & Atlases

Read More Sinkane Sinkane is the multi-dimensional music project from Ahmad Gallab. If you saw Of Montreal, Caribou, or Yeasayer, you may have noticed that Gallab ... Helado Negro Island Universe Story Two is the second of an ongoing series of EPs from Roberto Lange, under his stagename Helado Negro. The EP is out now on digital and cassettes. ...

SINKANE with Helado Negro
at Turf Club
Monday 10/13/14
$12 / $14 (Door): turfclub.net

Ahmed Gallab's solo project Sinkane is currently on tour in support of his album Mean Love. The record is described as pan-African traditional rhythms, funk, soul ... but with synths & electronica and even country twangs. Fans of Fela and Afrobeat should give Sinkane a chance.

On tour with Sinkane is Helado Negro (which means "Black Ice" in English), the stagename for Roberto Carlos Lange. He is currently touring in support of his new album Double Youth, out now via Asthmatic Kitty Records.

US Tour Dates:

10.09.14 - The Southern - Charlottesville, VA *
10.11.14 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY *
10.12.14 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL *
10.13.14 - Turf Club - Saint Paul, MN *
10.17.14 - Barboza - Seattle, WA *
10.18.14 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR *
10.19.14 - Independent - San Francisco, CA *
10.21.14 - Echo - Los Angeles, CA *
10.22.14 - Casbah - San Diego, CA *
10.23.14 - Last Exit Live - Phoenix, AZ *
10.24.14 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ *
10.26.14 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX *
10.27.14 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA *
10.28.14 - Bottletree - Birmingham, AL *
10.29.14 - Exit In - Nashville, TN *
10.30.14 - Ohio State University - Columbus, OH *
11.1.14 - Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA *
11.2.14 - SOB's - - New York, NY *

* with Helado Negro

Read More O'Death Speaking of Halloween and death.... O'Death, a band based out of New York, just unleashed Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin last Tuesday on Kemado Records in the US ... Stone Jack Jones We previously mentioned that Stone Jack Jones was going to release their album Ancestor... now that the album is out, the band announced a Fall 2014 in support of the album ...

O'DEATH
at Triple Rock Social Club
Monday 10/13/14
$10 / $12 (Door): triplerocksocialclub.com

Brooklyn's O'Death is currently on tour in support of their latest Out of Hands We Go, out now on Northern Spy Records.

The folk/Americana/metal band will be joined on tour by Al Scorch (a Chicago-based band who plays "Country Soul" music) and Nashville's Stone Jack Jones (touring in support of their Ancestor album).

US Tour Dates:

10/10/14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop
10/11/14 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
10/13/14 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
10/14/14 Iowa City, IA The Mill
10/16/14 Manhattan, KS Auntie May's
10/17/14 Lincoln, NE Zoo Bar
10/18/14 Englewood, CO South Moe's
10/20/14 Boise, ID Neurolux
10/22/14 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
10/23/14 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
10/25/14 Arcata, CA Depot
10/27/14 Santa Cruz, CA Crepe Place
10/28/14 San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar
10/29/14 Oakland, CA Leo's
10/30/14 Los Angeles, CA Echo
10/31/14 Pioneertown, CA Pioneertown Palace
11/01/14 Costa Mesa, CA The Wayfarer
11/02/14 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
11/03/14 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
11/04/14 Albuquerque, NM Low Spirits Bar
11/08/14 New Orleans, LA The Beatnik
11/11/14 Atlanta, GA The EARL
11/12/14 Durham, NC The Pinhook
11/13/14 Washington, DC DC9
11/14/14 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
11/15/14 Cambridge, MA Middle East Upstairs
11/16/14 Portland, ME SPACE Gallery

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

Haley Bonar at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (29 Aug 2014)

Haley Bonar Setlist Too Much Nothing Candy Machine Gun Silver Zephyrs A Piano No Sensitive Man Heaven's Made For Two Last War From A Cage Arms of Harm Leo Ransom Better Than Me Blue Diamonds Fall Stupid Face Bad For You Can't Believe Our Luck Woke Up In My Future Bad Reputation Kill The Fun -- Encore -- Daddy Eat For Free John Mark Nelson Setlist Home Boy The Moon & the Stars Truly, You Are Dream Last Night Shorebird Reminisce Rain Comes Down Haley Bonar Tour Dates 23.10 Cologne, DE - Blue Shell 24.10 Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet Amsterdam 27.10 Brighton, UK - Green Door Store 28.10 Bristol, UK - Start The Bus 29.10 London, UK - The Lexington 30.10 Manchester, UK - Gullivers NQ 31.10 Glasgow, UK - Nice N Sleazy 01.11 Liverpool, UK - Liverpool Music Week 04.11 Paris, FR - La Flèche d'Or Read More Haley Bonar I previously mentioned that the Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson show was $10, I have been corrected, the show is free to everyone. If you've got nothing going on this Friday evening, why not check out the show … John Mark Nelson You knew this John Mark Nelson show was special and was meticulously planned from the beginning.…

It has got to be good to be a student at the University of Minnesota, as there were about a hundred free events taking place throughout the campus. One of the free event was the Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert, featuring Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson, at the Northrop Auditorium, courtesy of the Council of Graduate Students.

The Northrop is an impressive venue, able to seat and accommodate for nearly five thousand people. It has an old fashion theater-style setting (after all, it was built in 1929), but with the renovation completed earlier this year, the Northrop is fresh, polished, new, and modernized.

John Mark Nelson

We last saw John Mark Nelson at his CD release show, and that was a lot of fun. Although it lacked the guest singers, congo line of brass, and confetti, it was still no less just as exciting.

Right before playing his new song "Dream Last Night", Nelson talked about his album Sings the Moon... and ultimately gave two albums to people sitting in the first row. During the rest of his set, he still took a little time to thank the audience for coming out and that he never took playing in front of people for granted. It's a message that I'm sure we'll see from Nelson again.

During his set finale, "Rain Comes Down", he suggested that people should stand up and dance... and they did. Many of the younger fans rushed to the front of the stage and danced off to the last song.

Setlist

Since 2003 The Size of Planets, Haley Bonar has been the staple Minneapolis singer/songwriter for years, even when she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2009! Bonar's latest album Last War (Graveface Records) came out this year, and, as you can see on her setlist, all those songs made it on her setlist.

The students who showed up early to the show was given glow sticks and various "Back to School" product advertisements, so Bonar had to comment on how this was "the quietest ravers" she's ever seen.

Bonar switched guitars to acoustics (and had technical difficulties switching plugs before "Last War"), however for a block of songs "From A Cage" to "Ransom", Bonar played on the keyboard.

Jeremy, Kate, and Jacob

The Haley Bonar band, as introduced by Bonar, were Jacob on guitar, Kate on keys, Rob on bass, and Jeremy on drums. She mentioned that because Jacob just had a newborn baby, that he couldn't go on tour with the band in the UK next month. Bonar would later dedicate "Daddy" on the solo encore to her guitarist. For the second song on the encore, Jeremy, Kate, and Jacob gathered around a mic to help harmony for "Eat For Free".

Haley Bonar's latest album Last War is out now on Graveface Records. Look for her on her UK tour next month.

Haley Bonar at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (29 Aug 2014)

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Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert: Featuring Haley Bonar with John Mark Nelson (free concert this Friday, August 29)

Read More Haley Bonar We caught John Mark Nelson at his CD release show Sings the Moon at the Cedar, and it was just full of surprises. He is opening up for Haley Bonar, who we last saw with Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders. … I previously mentioned that the Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson show was $10, I have been corrected, the show is free to everyone. If you've got nothing going on this Friday evening, why not check out the show, particularly because it's being held at the new Northrop Auditorium. Catch Haley Bonar now before her UK tour in October. Here's the details for the "Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert" from northrop.umn.edu. The Council of Graduate Students presents Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert Featuring Haley Bonar with John Mark Nelson Fri, Aug 29, 8:00 pm Carlson Family Stage FREE, tickets required Tickets PARKING ALERT: Parking for the Haley Bonar concert is not available in the 4th St Ramp and these Lots: #37, Gold, Maroon, Minnesota, Ski-U-Mah, Victory, Gateway, C58, C33. Those facilities are reserved for State Fair patrons. Concert attendees can park in Church St Garage, Nolte Center Garage, Washington Avenue Ramp, East River Road Garage. Directions to these spaces can be found here. Sponsored by The Marshall and 89.3 The Current Doors Open: 7:00 pm 18+, General Admission Tickets: Free for U of M students and the general public. The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) welcomes University of Minnesota students back on campus and invites the Twin Cities community to join in the celebration. As part of the first annual “Graduate and Professional Student Week of Welcome,” COGS will host local musicians Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson at Northrop, hoping to allow incoming students to experience cultural life in the metro area. Representatives in the arts, Minnesota museums, radio stations, and more will be on site for students to gain familiarity with these and other cultural offerings in the Twin Cities. Haley Bonar is more than a hard working musician. She is an innovator, creative ass-kicker, and visionary dug into the trenches of living. She writes genuine, epochal, and poetic tales that feel like our heartbreak, failure, frustration, and joy. In a clear, insistent, and often haunting voice, she tells real stories back to us, as if they were our own. It just doesn’t get much better than that. Only 20 years old, John Mark Nelson sings with a slow-smoked croon that belies his age, and he fills his lyrics with sharp, detailed observations of life and love in the Midwest. This folk-pop songwriter has racked up an impressive list of accolades, too. Note: Official After Party will be at The Library in Dinkytown. As a part of the celebration, The Current is providing a giveaway for two free Music-On-a-Stick concert tickets and the Minnesota State Fair. To learn more about COGS Week of Welcome, visit the COGS website. vu ♥ weheartmusic.com