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David Byrne at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (17 May 2018)

David Byrne 2018 Poster David Byrne Setlist Here Lazy I Zimbra (🗣️) Slippery People (🗣️) I Should Watch TV (David Byrne & St. Vincent song) Dog's Mind Everybody's Coming to My House This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (🗣️) Once in a Lifetime (🗣️) Doing the Right Thing Toe Jam (Brighton Port Authority/Fatboy Slim song) Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (🗣️) I Dance Like This Bullet Every Day Is a Miracle Like Humans Do Blind (🗣️) Burning Down the House (🗣️) -- Encore -- Dancing Together The Great Curve (🗣️) -- Encore 2 -- Hell You Talmbout (Janelle Monae cover) (🗣️ = Talking Heads song) Benjamin Clementine Setlist Gone Condolence Phantom of Aleppoville One Awkward Fish By the Ports of Europe Jupiter Adios Tour Dates 05/24 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater * 05/25 - George, WA - Sasquatch Festival 05/27 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium * 05/28 - Eugene, OR - Hult Center * 05/30 - Salt Lake City, UT - Capitol Theatre * 06/06 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater * 06/2 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater * 06/3 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater * 06/5 - Des Moines, IA - Des Moines Civic Center * 06/7 - Kansas City, MO - Kauffman Center * 06/8 - St. Louis, MO - Peabody Opera House * 06/9 - Indianapolis, IN - Farmers BureauAmph* 06/14 - Oxford, England - New Theatre ** 06/15 - Glasgow - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall ** 06/17 - Birmingham - Birmingham Symphony Hall** 06/18 - Manchester - Manchester Apollo ** 06/19 - London, England - Hammersmith Apollo ** 06/20 - London, England - Hammersmith Apollo ** 06/23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Metronome Festival 06/25 - Zagreb, Croatia - INmusic Festival 06/26 - Wien, Austria - Museumsquartier 06/27 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom 06/30 - Ewijk, Netherlands - Down The Rabbit Hole 07/3 - Paris, France - Days Off Festival 07/5 - Gdynia, Poland - Open'er Festival 07/6 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival 07/8 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter 07/11 - Cascais, Portugal - Cool Jazz Festival 07/13 - Bilbao, Spain - Bilbao BBK Live Festival 07/14 - Barcelona, Spain - Cruilla Barcelona 07/17 - Zürich, Switzerland - Theater 11 07/19 - Ravenna, Italy - Ravenna Festival 07/20 - Perugia, Italy - Umbria Jazz Festival 07/21 - Trieste, Italy - Piazza Unità 07/27 - Camden, NJ - XPoNential Music Festival 07/28 - Washington, DC - Merriweather Post Pavilion * 07/29 - New York, NY - Panorama Music Festival 07/31 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion * 08/1 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion * 08/3 - Toronto, ON - Sony Center * 08/4 - Toronto, ON - Sony Center * 08/5 - Canandaigua, NY - Marvin Sands Center * 08/7 - Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica* 08/8 - Grand Rapids, MI - Devos Performance Hall * 08/10 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theater * 08/11 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center * 08/12 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend * 08/16 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater ~ 08/17 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater ~ 08/18 - San Jose, CA - City National Civic ~ 08/21 - Sacramento, CA - Community Theater ~ 08/22 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Center ~ 08/24 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl ~ 08/25 - Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium ~ 08/27 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater ~ 08/28 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater ~ 09/7 - West Long Branch, NJ - OceanFirst Bank + 09/8 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre + 09/9 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre + 09/11 - Merrill Auditorium - Portland, ME + 09/15 - Queens, NY - Forest Hills Stadium + 09/17 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre + 09/23 - North Charleston, SC - N. Charleston Ctr+ 09/26 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater + 09/28 - Orlando, FL - Dr. Phillips Center + 09/29 - Miami Beach, FL - The Fillmore + 09/30 - Tampa, FL - Mahaffey Theater + 10/06 - Dallas, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie ~ w/ Ibeyi + w/ Tune-Yards * w/ Benjamin Clementine # w/ Lisandro Aristimuño % w/ Juana Molina $ w/ Karina Zeviani @ - w/ Mexico Institute of Sound ^ w/ Perfume Genius ** w/ Laura Mvula Read More David Byrne David Byrne’s new solo record American Utopia is out now on Todomundo/Nonesuch Records.... his highest charting album ever (entering at No. 1 on the Top Current Album Chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 and …

For two nights, the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis was home to a performance of musical utopia, as David Byrne returned for two energetic and jubilant shows, proving this was his house- and everybody was coming to his house. 

The evening began with a generous fifty-minute set (that played more like a continuous theater piece) from enigmatic (i.e.- he did not allow any photos) London singer-songwriter Benjamin Clementine, who recently re-located from the UK to France to Topanga Canyon and released his second full-length, I Tell a Fly (Behind Records/Barclay) in late 2017. 

The 2015 Mercury Music Prize-winning Clementine is gifted with an unforgettable voice of dynamic range described as a spinto tenor (meaning “pushed” – one who can handle the operatic weight of large musical climaxes) and his opening set was part performance, part performance art, with the multi-instrumentalist sticking to piano, dressed in a straw hat and blue work jumper that matched his guitarist’s, as a bald pregnant female mannequin draped in a US flag, stood at center stage with various doll parts strewn around her. 

Clementine would wander about, eventually making a boy from the doll parts laid about and as he sang, he often soared, in a somewhat haphazard but often brilliant manner, slicing through the music like how the modern painter Basquiat would approach a canvas.  From his recent stay in California, Clementine also told the story of encountering a large snake, and learning the lesson that the good will sometimes imitate the bad, just to feel safe. 

The stage was completely cleared and a beaded curtain framed the floor area as David Byrne took his place at a bare table, quizzically holding a brain while singing the opening lines of ‘Here’ (“here is a region that is seldom used, here is a region that continues living”) to begin his hundred-minute headlining set.   

As the set progressed, Byrne (in a dapper grey Kenzo suit with three jacket pockets on each side) was joined gradually by his eleven-piece standing band, dressed similarly- half being primarily percussionists and two primarily dancers, the musicians with their instruments strapped to them so they could move untethered in tandem with the songs. 

Byrne is in support of his first solo studio album in fourteen years, American Utopia (Todo Mundo/Nonesuch Records) which is the musical component of his larger project, Reasons to Be Cheerful, something that chooses to spread positivity at a time when it’s sorely needed.    

Talking Heads songs ‘I Zimbra’ and ‘Slippery People’ were played early on and back-to-back, the first of eight Heads songs that got even the most lethargic out of their seats and dancing in the aisles and for ‘I Should Watch TV’ (a collaboration with St. Vincent), Byrne was drawn to an ebbing light from side stage as the players danced around him. 

Byrne briefly spoke about his partnership with Head Count, who had a table in the lobby registering people to vote before starting the album’s lead single, ‘Everybody’s Coming to My House’, a song (helped on the record by Brian Eno and Sampha) that recalls the joyous best work of his former band, following that perfectly with the Talking Heads classic, ‘This Must be the Place’, then stumbling and jerking about as only he could, for a signature ‘Once in a Lifetime’.

Byrne remains in fine shape and voice, staying active with gesturing movements for most of the set and having no problems re-creating the melodies of songs, some over forty years old.  “Everything you hear is being played by these incredible musicians” Byrne reminded us, dispelling any myths of backing tracks or pre-recordings, with Milwaukee guitarist Angie Swan particularly standing out on several songs. 

The somberness of the new album’s ‘Bullet’ was quickly juxtaposed by the ever-hopeful ‘Every Day is a Miracle’, expertly followed by 2001’s ‘Like Humans Do’ and the 1988 Talking Heads song, ‘Blind’, both recalling the monkey on the cover of the band’s final album, Naked.  Byrne smiled as he briefly missed the guitar opening for the main set-closing ‘Burning Down the House’, with the sold-out crowd on their feet and singing along. 

For the encore, Byrne dipped back into 2010’s ‘Here Lies Love’, about the Philippines’ Imelda Marcos for ‘Dancing Together’ (its lyrics derived from her direct quotes), then way back to 1980’s classic Remain in Light for the ‘The Great Curve’, as the band moved more frantically about the stage to keep up with the fast rhythms. 

“Sadly, it’s still relevant today” Byrne said of the highly percussive cover of Janelle Monae’s ‘Hell You Talmbout’ a protest song that would  compose the second encore. Its lyrics consisted chiefly of chanted names of black Americans killed by police and vigilantes, with Byrne updating those names (w/Monae’s blessing) to include even Philando Castile, shot and killed in July 2015 in nearby Falcon Heights. 

Despite the heavy subject matter to end the night, the set did end on a passionate and powerful note and a true artistic statement of the times, that has always helped define Byrne’s musical vision and we should expect no less.  

At the age of sixty-six, this was a David Byrne still at the height of his powers, presenting a show that played as a musical utopia in a uniquely minimalist yet complex staging that makes this one of the very best shows of the year.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

David Byrne at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (17 May 2018)

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

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (22 Feb 2018)

Robert Plant Setlist New World... Turn It Up The May Queen Rainbow Going to California (Led Zeppelin song) All the Kings Horses Please Read the Letter (Page/Plant song) Friends (Led Zeppelin song) Carry Fire Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (Joan Baez cover/Led Zeppelin song) Little Maggie (Grayson and Whitter cover) Fixin' to Die (Bukka White cover) Gallows Pole (traditional/Led Zeppelin song) -- Encore -- In the Mood Bring It On Home / Whole Lotta Love / Santianna [trad] / Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin songs) Seth Lakeman Setlist The Hurlers Solomon Brown Silver Threads The Bold Knight The Educated Man Portrait Of My Wife Kitty Jay Robert Plant Tour Dates 02/26/2018 Phoenix, AZ Symphony Hall 02/28/2018 Oakland, CA Fox Theater 03/02/2018 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre 03/23/2018 Sydney, Australia State Theatre 03/26/2018 Sydney, Australia Concert Hall 03/27/2018 Sydney, Australia Concert Hall 03/30/2018 Tyagarah, Bluesfest 04/01/2018 Melbourne, Palais Theatre 04/02/2018 Melbourne, Palais Theatre 04/05/2018 Adelaide, Thebarton Theatre 04/08/2018 Parramatta, Riverside Theatre 05/26/2018 Bearded Theory Festival 05/27/2018 Bath, UK "The Bath Festival" 07/22/2018 Festival Les Vieilles Charrues 07/23/2018 Paris, France Salle Pleyel 07/25/2018 Festival De Carcassonne 07/29/2018 Stimmen Festival 07/31/2018 Prague, Czech Republic Tipsport Arena 08/01/2018 Dresden, Germany Junge Garde Read More Robert Plant Robert Plant, the English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre this Thursday. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, .… Seth Lakeman Seth Lakeman, who contributes viola and fiddle to three tracks from Carry Fire, will open the show. Tour dates: 02/16 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre .…

After over five decades, the tall cool one can still immediately sell out his show “in the land of the ice and snow”, carrying the fire of both new music and all-time classics—

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters brought fans to their feet at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis for most of their ninety-five minute set, playing songs from all eras of his long-storied musical career. 

UK multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman did double-duty for the evening, both as a member of the Space Shifters, and on his own, for a buoyant thirty-minute opening set that ended with a standing ovation from the already-filed in capacity crowd.   

The Mercury Music Prize-nominated musician, known more overseas and for collaborations with his brothers Sam and Sean, played mostly fiddle and tenor guitar, also telling the audience he finished the follow-up album to 2016’s Ballads of the Broken Few (Cooking Vinyl Records) last month, so look for new music later in 2018. 

Lakeman enchanted with his journeyman songs such as the sea shanty-like tale of ‘Solomon Brown’, ‘Silver Threads’ from most recent album, and the foreboding violin undercutting on ‘The Bold Knight’. ‘The Educated Man’ is a brand new song, dedicated to teachers and told from the point of view from a man named Tommy, and Lakeman ended things mightily with the title track from 2004’s ‘Kitty Jay’.

With the smell of incense in the air, and the taped intro from 1983’s ‘In the Mood’ cued up, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters (Justin Adams – guitar; Liam "Skin" Tyson – guitar; John Baggott – keys; Billy Fuller – bass; Dave Smith – drums; Seth Lakeman – viola, fiddle) entered to start things off with ‘New World…’ from the latest album, Carry Fire (Nonesuch/Warner Bros Records). 

“Come on in!”, he invited everyone, going next into the percussion-propelled ‘Turn it Up’ from 2014, then returning to the new album for its opener, the hopefulness of ‘The May Queen’, dedicated to “the first princess of summer”, echoing a previous lyrical reference from Led Zeppelin’s classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

Guitarists Tyson and Adams played off each other well all night, the former of ‘90s UK band Cast (though near unrecognizable from those days, now in long grey beard) meticulous in his craft while Adams was slightly more rockbilly, cutting and slashing across songs with true flair.  Led Zeppelin’s ‘Going to California’ was re-christened ‘Going to Minnesota’ as Plant changed the location in the first verse, to rave shouts and applause. 

Bluegrass and Americana has become Plant’s more recent music of choice, as evidenced by a folk version of 2005’s ‘All the King’s Horses’ and ‘Please Read the Letter’, a song originally created during the Page/Plant years, but re-imagined into Grammy-winning goodness with Alison Krauss in 2007.

“Let’s go further East”, Plant teased as the solidly tight band brought Arabic rhythms to 1970’s ‘Friends’, the title track from the new album next revealed a screen backdrop with fire images and patterns, and a mesmerizing ‘Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You’ stretched out by Tyson’s nimble string work and done mid-set, was perhaps the whole show’s highlight. 

Plant and co. even dusted off a 1929 obscure blues number, adding some trippy back beats compliments of Baggott and Smith, pairing that with a 1940 Delta Blues cover that gave Adams a chance to show off his formidable guitar talents, before ending the main set with the Leadbelly version of ‘Gallows Pole’, a centuries-old song brought back to life in the ‘70s... by the greatest rock band ever.

As most Plant fans know, the song does not remain the same, as he prefers to avoid looking backward and finds musical satisfaction in re-inventing many of the older songs, with some now sung in a lower register as he approaches the age of seventy.  And that was the case with the encore, which began with ‘In the Mood’, done in a country/blues style that only slightly resembled the original, but fit it perfectly with his current sound. 

“Is there anybody out there?!” he said following, to the response of loud applause as things got much more familiar with a classic Jimmy Page guitar riff from ‘Bring It On Home’ introducing the night’s final medley, seguing that into the raw rock of ‘Whole Lotta Love’, throwing in part of a traditional sea shanty ‘Santianna’ (which spotlighted Lakeman’s fiddle) for good measure, before reprising back into the rock classic. 

“We’ll see you again soon, we’re coming back through in the summer… when it’s a little bit warmer” Plant promised, with he and the band taking well-deserved bows as the snowflakes and temperatures continued falling, just outside. 

Let’s hope Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters follow through with just that, still bringing the fire of yesterday’s classics in tandem with today’s forward-looking and still-vibrant newer music. 

Seth Lakeman

Seth Lakeman

Robert Plant Setlist

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (22 Feb 2018)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Once" the Musical photo courtesy of YouTube

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ oncemusical.com

Celtic Woman at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (04/13/13)

Read More Celtic Woman The good news is now that Spring is here, the all-female Irish ensemble is currently taking their beautiful New Age/Celtic Folk music on a world tour this year - stopping by Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre this Saturday, April 13th. …

Celtic Woman stopped by the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last night, as part of their 2013 World Tour.

If you've never heard of Celtic Woman, they are an all-female Irish music ensemble, currently represented by three angelic voices (Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden) and one firecracker fiddler (Máiréad Nesbitt). Nesbitt doesn't exactly sing, but her fun energetic fiddling stole the show for many fans.

Having seen some Celtic Woman on PBS (via TPT/Twin Cities Public Television), I knew what to expect… but it's still very exciting to finally see the live performance. The light show was some of the best I've ever seen, and the musicians (including various Celtic instruments such as bagpipes, bodhrán, mandolin) are some of the best I've heard. This wasn't amateur hour; the people who worked on this production are seasoned veterans.

There were two parts in this 2013 Celtic Woman show. The first part seems like they were focused on Irish songs ("Nocturne", "Danny Boy", cover of Enya's "Orinoco Flow"), but throwing in a Scottish song, "Caledonia" (this is actually Scotland's old name).

The second part of the show (after the intermission), the songs seem like they were tailored for the North American audience, throwing in some American music. Songs like "Amazing Grace", "I Dreamed a Dream"/"Circle of Life", cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", were extremely well done as beautiful vocal pieces.

Set closer and encore was a wonderful version of "The Parting Glass". The lyrics of "I'll gently rise and I'll softly call 'Good night and joy be with you all.'" was very fitting to end the show.

Audience attentiveness were high, beautiful lighting, perfect harmonies & melodies, they all came together to produce one of the most entertaining shows I've seen this year.

Celtic Woman continues their tour:

04/14/13 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Theatre 04/16/13 Des Moines, IA Performing Arts 04/18/13 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre 04/19/13 Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga Mem 04/20/13 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts 04/21/13 Springfield, IL Sangamon Aud 04/23/13 Dayton, OH Schuster 04/24/13 Louisville, KY Louisville Palace Theatre 04/26/13 Cherokee, NC Harrah's Cherokee Casino 04/27/13 Durham, NC Durham Performing 04/28/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater 04/30/13 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre 05/02/13 Jacksonville, FL Moran Theater 05/03/13 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre 05/04/13 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Perf. Arts Centre 05/05/13 Fort Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann 05/07/13 Lakeland, FL The Lakeland Center 05/09/13 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Perf. Arts Hall 05/10/13 Coral Springs, FL Coral Springs 05/11/13 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center 05/12/13 Melbourne, FL King Center 05/14/13 Columbus, GA RiverCenter 05/16/13 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center 05/17/13 Longview, TX S.E. Belcher, Jr. 05/18/13 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre 05/19/13 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre 05/20/13 Midland, TX Wagner Noël

05/25/13 Chandler, AZ Wild Horse Pass 05/26/13 Las Vegas, NV Smith Center 05/28/13 San Rafael, CA Marin Veterans' 05/29/13 San Rafael, CA Marin Veterans' 05/30/13 Santa Ynez, CA Chumash Casino 06/01/13 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer 06/02/13 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth 06/04/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 06/05/13 Spokane, WA INB Performing 06/06/13 Boise, ID Velma V. Morrison Center 06/08/13 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza 06/09/13 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amph 06/11/13 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theater 06/12/13 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival 06/14/13 Vienna, VA Filene Center 06/15/13 Bethel, NY Pavilion Stage 10/13/13 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena 10/14/13 Berlin, Germany O2 World 10/15/13 Hamburg, Germany O2 World 10/17/13 Frankfurt, Germany Alte Oper 10/18/13 Stuttgart, Germany Porsche Arena 10/19/13 Vienna, Austria Wiener Stadthalle 10/20/13 Leipzig, Germany Leipzig Arena 10/22/13 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle 10/23/13 Amsterdam Royal Carré Theatre 10/25/13 Hasselt, Belgium Congrestheater 10/26/13 Zurich Hallenstadion Zurich 12/22/13 Atlanta, GA Symphony Hall

Celtic Woman at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (04/13/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ www.celticwoman.com

Celtic Woman at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (04/13/13)

Read More Celtic Woman The good news is now that Spring is here, the all-female Irish ensemble is currently taking their beautiful New Age/Celtic Folk music on a world tour this year - stopping by Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre this Saturday, April 13th. …

Celtic Woman stopped by the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last night, as part of their 2013 World Tour.

If you've never heard of Celtic Woman, they are an all-female Irish music ensemble, currently represented by three angelic voices (Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden) and one firecracker fiddler (Máiréad Nesbitt). Nesbitt doesn't exactly sing, but her fun energetic fiddling stole the show for many fans.

Having seen some Celtic Woman on PBS (via TPT/Twin Cities Public Television), I knew what to expect… but it's still very exciting to finally see the live performance. The light show was some of the best I've ever seen, and the musicians (including various Celtic instruments such as bagpipes, bodhrán, mandolin) are some of the best I've heard. This wasn't amateur hour; the people who worked on this production are seasoned veterans.

There were two parts in this 2013 Celtic Woman show. The first part seems like they were focused on Irish songs ("Nocturne", "Danny Boy", cover of Enya's "Orinoco Flow"), but throwing in a Scottish song, "Caledonia" (this is actually Scotland's old name).

The second part of the show (after the intermission), the songs seem like they were tailored for the North American audience, throwing in some American music. Songs like "Amazing Grace", "I Dreamed a Dream"/"Circle of Life", cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", were extremely well done as beautiful vocal pieces.

Set closer and encore was a wonderful version of "The Parting Glass". The lyrics of "I'll gently rise and I'll softly call 'Good night and joy be with you all.'" was very fitting to end the show.

Audience attentiveness were high, beautiful lighting, perfect harmonies & melodies, they all came together to produce one of the most entertaining shows I've seen this year.

Celtic Woman continues their tour:

04/14/13 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Theatre 04/16/13 Des Moines, IA Performing Arts 04/18/13 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre 04/19/13 Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga Mem 04/20/13 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts 04/21/13 Springfield, IL Sangamon Aud 04/23/13 Dayton, OH Schuster 04/24/13 Louisville, KY Louisville Palace Theatre 04/26/13 Cherokee, NC Harrah's Cherokee Casino 04/27/13 Durham, NC Durham Performing 04/28/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater 04/30/13 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre 05/02/13 Jacksonville, FL Moran Theater 05/03/13 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre 05/04/13 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Perf. Arts Centre 05/05/13 Fort Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann 05/07/13 Lakeland, FL The Lakeland Center 05/09/13 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Perf. Arts Hall 05/10/13 Coral Springs, FL Coral Springs 05/11/13 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center 05/12/13 Melbourne, FL King Center 05/14/13 Columbus, GA RiverCenter 05/16/13 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center 05/17/13 Longview, TX S.E. Belcher, Jr. 05/18/13 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre 05/19/13 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre 05/20/13 Midland, TX Wagner Noël

05/25/13 Chandler, AZ Wild Horse Pass 05/26/13 Las Vegas, NV Smith Center 05/28/13 San Rafael, CA Marin Veterans' 05/29/13 San Rafael, CA Marin Veterans' 05/30/13 Santa Ynez, CA Chumash Casino 06/01/13 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer 06/02/13 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth 06/04/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 06/05/13 Spokane, WA INB Performing 06/06/13 Boise, ID Velma V. Morrison Center 06/08/13 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza 06/09/13 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amph 06/11/13 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theater 06/12/13 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival 06/14/13 Vienna, VA Filene Center 06/15/13 Bethel, NY Pavilion Stage 10/13/13 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena 10/14/13 Berlin, Germany O2 World 10/15/13 Hamburg, Germany O2 World 10/17/13 Frankfurt, Germany Alte Oper 10/18/13 Stuttgart, Germany Porsche Arena 10/19/13 Vienna, Austria Wiener Stadthalle 10/20/13 Leipzig, Germany Leipzig Arena 10/22/13 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle 10/23/13 Amsterdam Royal Carré Theatre 10/25/13 Hasselt, Belgium Congrestheater 10/26/13 Zurich Hallenstadion Zurich 12/22/13 Atlanta, GA Symphony Hall

Celtic Woman at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (04/13/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ www.celticwoman.com

Soundgarden at the Orpheum Theatre February 2nd, 2013

Tour Dates 02/06/13 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 02/07/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 02/08/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 02/10/13 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre 02/12/13 Oakland, CA Fox Theater 02/13/13 Oakland, CA Fox Theater 02/15/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 02/16/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 02/17/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 05/05/13 Concord, NC Charlotte Motor Speedway Discography [1988] Ultramega OK [1989] Louder Than Love [1991] Badmotorfinger [1994] Superunknown [1996] Down on the Upside [2012] King Animal Read More Soundgarden When I caught wind that reunited (two years strong!) alternative-rock giants Soundgarden were releasing new music AND making a tour stop at Minneapolis, I fell down the stairs. Well... not quite. But getting the breath knocked out of you due to .…

I’m certainly not the first person to wax poetic about how life-changing discovering Soundgarden as a youth was and I definitely (thankfully) won’t be the last. But it’s hard not to express just how important this band was to me and how crushing it was when they broke up. While watching the show, it occurred to me that, along with the 2,600 other folks nestled the Orpheum, I was witnessing something really momentous; something beyond the mass nostalgia. This was a band successfully picking up right where they left off after a 13-year absence from the music scene and 18 years since the band even played in Minneapolis. That cold, snowy Saturday evening Soundgarden blasted through plenty of old and familiar songs, but kept everyone planted in the here and now. Who needs nostalgia when the most exciting time in your life is happening right now, right in front of you?

Unleashing “Incessant Mace” from 1988’s Ultramega OK as the first song of the night was just one of many wonderful surprises the band had in store for the wild sold-out crowd. Vintage favorites like “Hunted Down” and “Flower” followed and had the audience going absolutely insane. Fans were punching the air, pointing violently at and screaming with a very lean, curly-haired Chris Cornell, who shut down all the naysayers who assumed he wouldn’t be able pull off those high notes. I am ashamed to admit I was one of those folks (but singing the way he does has got to have an expiration date) However, by the time guitarist Kim Thayil tore into the dirty, chugging “Outshined,” I was begging Cornell’s forgiveness and reveling in that most impressive wail of his. Chris, I will never doubt you again!

The sonic punches kept flying as the band kicked into Superunknown’s “Let Me Drown.” Badmotorfinger’s “Jesus Christ Pose” encouraged a choir of voices to sing along and all eyes were on Cornell as he stretched out his arms in that iconic stance. The heavy throb of “Gun” fluidly gave way to urgent new track “By Crooked Steps” as Thayil stalked the corner of the stage, occasionally trading grins with bassist Ben Shepherd and some very lucky audience members. Drummer Matt Cameron, while stationary behind the drums, isn’t one of those drummers that sulks in the background; not only did he make himself present by pummeling those skins raw, but he was also interacting a lot with the crowd. Tall, stoic Shepherd, who stood on the opposite end of Thayil, experienced tons of love from fans as well; when he wasn’t lost in the music, he was bumping fists with audience members. Clearly, these guys were having as much fun as fans were.

I have to say the best part of the entire show had to be the slew of tracks from my favorite album and Soundgarden’s final album, 1996’s Down on the Upside. Songs I never thought I would ever hear like “Rhinosaur,” “Blow Up the Outside World” and the beautiful, slow-burning “Zero Chance” suddenly filled every corner of the theater and left me feeling very bittersweet. Cornell had been introducing many of the songs, occasionally relating a story, but mostly just murmuring the title into the mic. So when he approached the mic and quickly muttered, “This is called ‘Ty Cobb,’” the joy was almost too much to bear and I nearly toppled over the poor woman in front of me. “Ty Cobb” is pretty rarely heard live track these days which is unfortunate considering that it contains a gleefully caustic chorus (“Hard-headed, f*ck you all”) that is difficult not to sing out loud. Cornell mentioned during the set that the band regretfully skipped Minneapolis on the national tour supporting Down on the Upside - I can’t help but wonder if these Upside gems were selected just for Minnesotans.

Thayil set his guitar from stun to kill...

The band concluded the set with two killer Superunknown tracks: “Fresh Tendrils” and the album’s title track, wherein Thayil set his guitar from stun to kill and the band poured out this hard, swirling psychedelia that had everyone dancing in the isles. The deafening roar from the crowd brought the band back after a very brief exit for an intense three song encore featuring a blistering performance of “Spoonman.” As a result of being overplayed on the radio, “Spoonman” had somewhat lost it’s appeal to me, but watching it was such a visceral experience. Cameron, especially, really flexed his percussive muscle on this one. The high energy classic “Rusty Cage” and sinister throat-shredder “Slaves and Bulldozers” closed the show in a shower of blissful reverb. Maybe it’s a premature (slightly biased) prediction, but I feel like Soundgarden has the talent and savvy to be as big now as they were when they called it quits.

Near the end of the concert, Cornell told the crowd that Minneapolis would see Soundgarden again. Just don’t keep us waiting too long, fellas. We’re hungry for more.

emily () ♥ soundgardenworld.com

The Script and Tristan Prettyman at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (10/26/12)

Tour Dates 10/27/12 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom 10/29/12 Dallas, TX - House Of Blues 10/30/12 Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center 11/01/12 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live 11/02/12 Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amph 11/03/12 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle 11/06/12 Toronto, ON - Sony Center 11/07/12 Washington DC - Dar Constitution 11/09/12 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena 11/10/12 Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Read More Tristan Prettyman Earlier this summer, I mentioned that Tristan Prettyman is coming back with a new album. At the time of writing, I didn't have artwork for the new record, Cedar + Gold. The album is ...

The Script with Tristan Prettyman just played the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last night, October 26th.

If you go to enough of these old style historic theater shows, artists goes on stage on time. So if the ticket says 7:30, it starts at 7:30, not one minute earlier or later. I really like that.

Tristan Prettyman started off the show with her live band, Steve Miller and Josh Dunahoo. Listening to her talk about her songs, you realized that her music is basically a biography of her life and experiences.

Songs from her set included new ones from Cedar + Gold (out now via Capitol Records), including "I Was Gonna Marry You", "Never Say Never", and "My Oh My." Now when I think of that last song, "My Oh My", I think of Prettyman eating tacos, because she's "a taco girl."

My absolute favorite is, I believe is called "The Rebound" which is a hidden/bonus track off Cedar + Gold. It's about meeting a guy at Trader Joe's and falling for his bananas. It's pretty funny, I wish you could've heard it when Prettyman sings, "and you were pretty f**** hot," which got a loud cheer from some women in the audience.

The Irish rock band The Script had a three column stadium light, which I felt was underused. Instead the attention is always focused on singer Danny O'Donoghue who spent much of their songs in high energy mode, jumping and singing and pointing his fingers at the audience. He often breaks the stage/audience barrier by going into the aisle and singing to his adoring fans.

Hearing The Script talk about America (and why they're always touring here), I felt that the band generally really, really loves it here.

Highlight of their set was their first single, "We Cry," which was played early in their show, setting a tone that they were going to do hits as well as new songs from their #3 album (which came out earlier this month). The majority of their set was high energy pop/rock songs, with the exception "I'm Yours."

New songs? They were generally well-received, included "Six Degrees of Separation" and "Give the Love Around." The latter is about Karma and what you do will come back to haunt you.

Encore was "Breakeven" and "For The First Time."

The Script and Tristan Prettyman are currently on tour in North America in support of their respective new albums, #3 and Cedar + Gold.

Tristan Prettyman at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (10/26/12)

The Script at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (10/26/12)

vu () ♥ thescriptmusic.com ♥ tristanprettyman.com

Norah Jones at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (10/07/12)

Tour Dates 10/09/12 Chicago Theater Chicago, IL 10/11/12 Civic Center Des Moines, IA 10/12/12 Orpheum Theatre Omaha, NE 10/13/12 Midland Theatre Kansas City, MO 10/15/12 Peabody Opera House St. Louis, MO 10/16/12 Brady Theatre Tulsa, OK 10/19/12 ACL Moody Theatre Austin, TX 10/20/12 Bayou Music Center Houston, TX 10/22/12 McFarlin Auditorium Dallas, TX 10/23/12 Mahalia Jackson New Orleans, LA 11/04/12 Aichiken Gymnasium Nagoya 11/05/12 Grand Cube Osaka, Japan 11/06/12 Honda no Mori Hall Kanazawa 11/08/12 Budokan Tokyo, Japan 11/09/12 Budokan Tokyo, Japan 11/10/12 Umeda Geijutsu Gekijo Osaka 11/12/12 Shi Bunkakoryo Kaikan Hiroshima 11/14/12 Nitori Bunka Hall Sapporo 11/30/12 Metro Parque Bogota, Columbia 12/02/12 CC Maria Angola Lima, Peru 12/04/12 Movistar Arena Santiago, Chile 12/07/12 Teatro de Verano Montevideo 12/08/12 Luna Park Buenos Aires, Argentina 12/12/12 Teatro Araujo Vianna Porto Alegre 12/15/12 Via Funchal Sao Paulo, Brazil 12/16/12 Vivo Rio Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 02/15/13 State Theatre Sydney, Australia 02/19/13 Brisbane Conv Centre Brisbane 02/21/13 The Plenary Melbourne, Australia 02/22/13 Festival Theatre Adelaide 02/24/13 Riverside Theatre Perth, Australia Read More Norah Jones If you haven't figured it out, Norah Jones is on tour for her latest album, Little Broken Hearts, which was released earlier this year. ...

Norah Jones is currently on tour with Cory Chisel in support of her album Little Broken Hearts. Her appearance at the sold-out Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last night proves to me that people haven't forgotten her talent and star power. Just to give you an idea, the Orpheum is the papa bear (2,650 capacity) in the three historic theaters in Minneapolis with baby bear Pantages Theatre at 1,000 capacity and mama bear State Theatre at 2,163 capacity.

Vuart: Cory Chisel view from Row Z

Kicking the show off was Cory Chisel (with Adriel Harris on keys). Although Chisel is traveling pretty light, I believe he will be appearing with his full live band, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, when they appear on Conan O'Brien on November 1st.

Of the brief seven song-set, Chisel did a few songs from his latest album Old Believers, including "Never Meant To Love You" and "This Is How It Goes." He threw "Tennessee" from 2009's Death Won't Send a Letter, and the rest seems like unreleased songs like "In The Deep End." Rounding out the rest was a cover of Tom Waits' "Rosie."

Cory Chisel will be on tour with Norah Jones until she flies off to Japan in November. Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons' latest album Old Believers is out now on Readymade Records.

As for Norah Jones, she's certain talented, watching her ease effortlessly from keyboard to acoustic guitar to electric guitar to piano and back again.

She started off with "Good Morning," followed by "Say Goodbye" and "Take It Back", all from the new album Little Broken Hearts.

Since she's got four previous albums to mine from, we were treated with songs from The Fall ("It's Gonna Be" and "Chasing Pirates"), Not Too Late ("Wake Me Up" and "Sinkin' Soon"), and Come Away With Me ("Don't Know Why", "Cold Cold Heart" and "Painter").

The rest of her set are from the new album, including the title track "Little Broken Hearts", "Out On The Road", "Miriam", and "Happy Pills."

Odd songs from the bunch were cover from Tom Waits' "Long Way Home", her Danger Mouse collaboration for "Black", and her cover of Grateful Dead's "It Must Have Been The Roses."

Highlight of the show was when Cory Chisel and Adriel Harris came on stage to help sing their cover of Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind."

Encore featured three old songs: "Sunrise", "Creepin' In", and "Come Away With Me."

Norah Jones and Cory Chisel are touring mates at the moment. Jones' album Little Broken Hearts is out now via Blue Note Records.

Confirmed: Norah Jones is prettiest girl at the ball. Norah Jones at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (10/07/12)

PS, I wasn't granted a photo pass, so I couldn't move around to take pictures. Instead, I've included a quick sketch of what I saw from Row Z (which near the back of the theater). I think any further, I wouldn't make fun if you brought binoculars.

vu () ♥ norahjones.com ♥ corychisel.com

Ben Folds Five at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (09/29/12)

Tour Dates 09/30/12 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 10/02/12 Detroit, MI Fillmore Detroit 10/03/12 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre 10/05/12 Buffalo, NY Kleinhans Music Hall 10/06/12 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post 10/07/12 Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre 10/09/12 Port Chester, NY Capitol Theatre 10/13/12 Boston, MA House Of Blues Boston 10/15/12 Toronto, ON Kool Haus 11/11/12 Werribee, Australia Werribee Park 11/17/12 Sydney, Australia Parramatta Park 11/18/12 Brisbane, Australia Botanic Gardens 11/23/12 Bournemouth, UK O2 Academy 11/24/12 Nottingham, UK Rock City 11/26/12 Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street 11/27/12 Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street 11/29/12 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo 11/30/12 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy Glasgow 12/01/12 Leeds, UK O2 Academy Leeds 12/03/12 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy 12/04/12 London, UK O2 Academy Brixton 12/05/12 London, UK O2 Academy Brixton Read More Ben Folds Five Here’s the big news, Ben Folds Five are officially back in the room! Many people thought this would probably never happen and that when they released their last album “The Unauthorized…

It's been thirteen years since Ben Folds Five set their feet in Minneapolis, and the band was itching to try out songs from their brand new album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, at last night's performance at The Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.

Kate Miller-Heidke

Kate Miller-Heidke, singer/songwriter from Brisbane, Australia, came on stage at exactly 8pm with her husband, Keir Nuttall, who provided acoustic guitars and backing vocals.

The thing about Miller-Heidke is that she has this amazing voice that echos and chirps and vibrates throughout the grand Orpheum Theatre. You don't normally associate this kind of classical sound to pop songs or even rap, yet those were the kind of songs that Miller-Heidke was pulling off on stage.

Of course, judging from the massive positive feedback, the highlight of her set has got to be their cover of Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." Trust me, you've never heard of a cover like this.

Songs on her set was mostly from her latest album, Nightflight, including "The Tiger Inside Will Eat The Child", "Humiliation", and "Beautiful Darling." There was the odd cover, as mentioned above, and the single "Words", from her debut 2007 self-titled album.

My favorite song last night was "Sarah", also from the new album. This song was something that happened to Miller-Heidke, about how she and her best friend, Sarah, going to Livid Festival in 1997 to see Ben Folds Five. Sarah went missing and turned up a few days later with no memory of what happened.

Kate Miller-Heidke is currently on tour with Ben Folds Five, until her Toronto date on October 15th. I am assuming she'll also be playing with Ben Folds when they land in Australia.

Ben Folds Five, as you know, called it quits twelve years ago. Sure, they reformed here and there to do one or two performances, but with this new album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, which just came out September 18th, and this tour, it seems like maybe the band is serious about staying together.

Ben Folds told this great story about their first gig in Minneapolis at the 7th Street Entry. If you live around here, you know that place is tiny, so I had this vision of their grand piano taking up 90% of the stage. It was the first time the band came to Minneapolis and they had no idea how cold it was. It was snowing, negative 60 degree (at least that's what they said!), and they were moving the piano outside. They had "jackets" on but it was so cold, they ran back inside - leaving the piano in the middle of the street! Lessons learned.

Anyway, I honestly didn't even know about the new album, but it seems like maybe the first half of their setlist last night were from The Sound of the Life of the Mind. My notes said the songs that sounded great live from the new album was "Hold That Thought", "Erase Me", and, of course, the latest single, "Do It Anyway."

Things started to pick up when Ben Folds Five set into their big hit song, "Brick." You would think the crowd would stay standing up for this hit song, but it's really a bummer song and the audience was in complete silence. That's the thing about the Orpheum crowd, sometime they'll stand and sometime they'll sit. It confused Ben Folds, who mentioned it a few times (he didn't know if he should sit or stand at his grand piano!)

All the old songs, which appeared near the end of the set, were clearly crowd favorites, including the sing-along "Song for The Dumped", "Kate", "Best Imitation Of Myself", and the closer, "Army." The former was probably my highlight; Ben Folds even medley in "Eye of the Tiger"!

Encore songs were "Underground" and "One Angry Dwarf & Two Hundred Solemn Faces"

I have to say, I'm not really that knowledgeable with Ben Folds Five, but I was pleasantly surprise that I knew a lot of their songs. I wondered about this, and throughout the years, I must have heard them on the radio, listening to an album once*, hearing other musicians covering Ben Folds, or background music. Whatever the case, they're great songs.

Ben Folds Five is currently on tour in support of his PledgeMusic album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind.

Ben Folds Five at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (09/29/12)

* I often buy albums to try it out and listen (or never listen) to them once and put it away.

vu () ♥ benfolds.com ♥ katemillerheidke.com

Stars at the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles. Nov. 10, 2007

Stars, at the Orpheum Theatre

Last night the Canadian band Stars took over the beautiful Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Somehow it seemed the perfect venue for this grand performance. Lead singer Torquil Campbell came out to introduce the opener, who's quite a legend in his own right: Lloyd Cole. It was just him and his guitar but somehow it seemed right.

When he was done, we were counting down the minutes until our heroes took the stage. Looking around I saw Sandra Oh in attendance, and apparently the Watson Twins were hanging out, too. There was a row of enthusiastic kids (I don't know how old they were but I call everyone "kid") dancing to "Video Killed the Radio Star." And then. And then, the lights went down and the opening strains of "The Beginning After the End" filled the room. The band took the stage amidst cheers and screams and Torq yelled for everyone to "Get up, GET UP!!!" (The Orpheum is an all-seated venue.) We all did and it was non-stop dancing and smiles and flying flowers all around.

Take Me To The Riot

Stars are the kind of live band you could see a hundred times and every time they will create for you a new experience. The band were in top form and Torq's seemingly-endless energy was contagious. Stars have been around for a while so you get the feeling that they never take anything for granted, and perhaps it is this earnestness that earns them a special place in my heart.

The Ghost of Genova Heights

They played a nice mix of most of the songs from their new album, In Our Bedroom After The War, as well as some of the older favorites. For "The Ghost of Genova Heights," Torq came out wearing a light-bulb jacket, asking if we wanted to hear a ghost story. During the encore, they played an old crowd-pleaser, their cover of the Smiths' "This Charming Man," and the very last song was "Calendar Girl" which came to a glorious close with Torq holding out his mic to the audience, the whole room singing "I'm alive."

I'm ALIVE

W♥M ♥s Stars | More photos