W♥M

Alina Maira at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (13 Apr 2022)

Setlist Gin & Smoke Overtones White Noise If You Asked Me To (Keep It Vague) On the Table At An Arm's Length Morning Eyes He Would Feel Sorry State Lines Reservoir Read More Alina Maira Tokyo Police Club and Alina Maira at 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on October 27th. Canadian band, Pkew Pkew Pkew, who was originally listed to open, had cancel their U.S. appearances ...

Alina Maira launched her “Reservoir” single release party last night at the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis.

Opening the show was Pit Stop (singer/guitarist Sarah Mevissen, singer/guitarist Jake Balistrieri, guitarist James Patrick Horigan, bassist Zack Warpinski, and drummer Gage Webster). We were actually pretty impressed with them at the Parquet Courts show in March 2022... but to be perfectly honest, they were a little too country to be on the bill. But that’s exactly why we liked them.

I believe they played the same set from First Avenue, including their first-ever song, “Good at Being Alone”. My favorite was “I’m Smiling”, with its catchy “la la la la la” back vocals.

Next up was unofficial “Better Call Saul” spokesband Author. Apparently their singer is really, really into the Breaking Bad spin-off show, and that’s cool, because no one ever thought a show about lawyers would be any good (but it is gripping).

They ended their set with “Blur”, a fitting song with its line, “Can't go away, go away, can't go away.”

Author’s next show is at the My Town, My Music Thesis Residency in Rochester with Sleeping Jesus. The show was postponed to May 13th, 2022, from January 12th, 2022.

Local singer/songwriter, by the way of Philadelphia, Alina Maira end the show. She’s joined on stage by her band (and I got the impression that they are also her best friends): Tim, Seth, Jess, and Jonny.

Maira first came to our attention when she opened up for Tokyo Police Club in Oct 2021.

Maira described her songs as a way to provoke the human connection through shared experiences… and it would seem that many of her songs are about her past experiences and she’s singing her story.

She seemed really happy to see so many people showed up (for a Wednesday) and was more than happy to deliver the set finale, of course, “Reservoir”.

Pit Stop

Pit Stop

Pit Stop

Author

Author

Author

Setlist

Alina Maira

Alina Maira

Alina Maira at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (13 Apr 2022)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Parquet Courts at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10 Mar 2022)

Parquet Courts at First Avenue Parquet Courts Setlist Application/Apparatus Human Performance Dust Marathon of Anger Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience Freebird II Sympathy for Life Walking at a Downtown Pace Plant Life Homo Sapien Light Up Gold II Mardi Gras Beads Stoned and Starving Pulcinella Read More Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from … Mdou Moctar Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar (currently based in based in Agadez) is coming back to Minneapolis, at the Cedar Cultural Center on September 18, 2021, to support Afrique Victime (Matador Records). … Pit Stop Pit Stop, a fresh, new band from Minneapolis, plays original tunes combining elements of Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, Rock and a dash of Doo-wop. …

New York’s Parquet Courts headlined First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on March 10, touring in support of Sympathy For Life (Rough Trade Records).

Opening the show with a brief 30-min set was local country, Americana group Pit Stop.

One of the songs they played was called “Good at Being Alone”, which singer and guitarist Sarah Mevissen said that she cried when songwriter, singer, guitarist Jake Balistrieri first sent her the song.

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

Of course, the Niger band loves coming back to Minneapolis. They played a solid set of mostly instrumental songs from Afrique Victime. The audience were all on board, clapping and hand-waving at all the songs. If the audience weren’t fans of the group before, they became fans after seeing this show.

New York’s Parquet Courts closed out the show to a dimmly lit stage.

We first saw the punk band in June 2013 at the Triple Rock Social Club, and described it as, “Out of Brooklyn, New York, headliner Parquet Courts, came on at midnight. The Tripe Rock was mobbed by this time. The audience was squeezed together to get close to this old school punk band. So awesome! Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Savage, commented on the storm they just drove through to get to the Triple Rock, and was afraid that he had been blown into Oz after entering Minneapolis, so surreal it was to the band.”

As you can see from the setlist, they played a few songs from their latest album, including the title track.

Parquet Courts’ Sympathy For Life is out now on Rough Trade Records.

Remaining tour dates

Mar. 15 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre *
Mar. 16 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre *
March 17 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
March 18 - Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre *
March 31 - Boston, MA @ Royale #
April 1 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel $
April 2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel #
April 4 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
April 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore %
April 20 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
April 22 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
April 23 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
April 25 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
April 27 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
April 28 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Theatre
April 29 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
April 30 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
May 21 - Paris, FR @ La Trianon
May 22 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix
May 24 - Cologne, DE @ Stollwerck
May 25 - Berlin, DE @ Heimathafen Neukölln
May 27 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
May 28 - Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
May 30 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
May 31 - Lille, FR @ Le Grand Mix
June 1 - Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
June 3 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
June 8 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk
June 9 - London, UK @ Brixton O2 Academy
June 11 - Dublin, IE @ Helix
June 12 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
June 13 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus
June 15 - Glasgow, UK @ The Barrowland Ballroom
June 16 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute

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

Pit Stop

Mdou Moctar

Pit Stop

Pit Stop

Mdou Moctar

Setlist

Parquet Courts at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10 Mar 2022)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC - March 1-7 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence KS)

03/01 K Flay w/ corook at Truman Read More K.Flay After a short set by hip-hop songstress K. Flay (who we previously saw at a Go 96.3 show and was still promoting last year’s Life as a Dog (Bummer Picnic Records), this co-headlining bill ...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Slowly, things are coming back--

Postponements and cancellations still persist, but not only are we starting to see more shows, but some of the previously rescheduled dates are now trickling in, all a very good thing.

Several high-demand shows start off March in the area, and things only get busier as the weather warms. The return of K Flay is a welcome one, Ty Segall in a tiny, tiny bar is a treat for anyone that jumped on tix, there’s several good double bills coming including Parquet Courts / Mdou Moctar.

Despite some health mandates loosening up, several artists are still requiring for entry, so check with the venue and/or better to assume masks and/or vaccination proof are required.

Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City / Lawrence area for the First WEEK of MARCH:

Tuesday March 1

K.Flay w corook, The Truman. $21.50-$27

The singer aka Kristine Flaherty has combined two EPs to make new album Inside Voices / Outside Voices (on BMG Records), even collaborating with Tom Morello on single, “TGIF” which should go over well live, despite the show being on a Tuesday night.

We caught her live several times in the Minneapolis area, including at a couple of GOShows, when local station 96.3FM was much more committed to bringing new rising acts to the area.

Arrive early for opener corook, a Nashville-based DIY singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who had made initial waves with her debut single, “sims” and accompanying video in which she transforms into a virtual persona.

The Wonder Years w Spanish Love Songs, Origami Angel, Granada, $27.50-$35

No, not the TV revival, the Pennsylvania indie pop/punk six-piece whose 2020 single, “Brakeless” aimed to encourage greater voter registration awareness.

Thursday March 3

03/03 Anderson East at Madrid Theater Read More Anderson East Originally this Anderson East show was booked at the Fine Line Music Café, but thanks to terrific presales, the show has been upgraded to the much larger First Avenue mainroom. …

Anderson East, Madrid, $25

Maybe We Never Die is the name of the Alabama native soul / roots rock artist’s latest album and tour, in this rescheduled date from last December. We’ve caught Anderson East live a few times- at festivals and as an opener, and his live show is always more urgent and unexpected.

Regarding the record, East reveals, “I wanted to create something unique with this record. A piece of music, that as a whole, knew where its footing was but yet still attempted to see what was behind the curtains. “

Koe Wetzel, Cable Dahmer Arena, $34-$49

Gloria Gaynor, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, $30-$35

She of course, sang “I Will Survive” and “Never Can Say Goodbye” apparently really meant it, well into her fifth decade of performing. We caught Gaynor in 2018 for a brief charity performance and her 2019 album Testimony, was a gospel Grammy® Award winner.

Oneus, Liberty Hall. $55-$75

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, Bottleneck. $25

Lil Tecca, Uptown POSTPONED - To Granada-Lawrence, April 23

Friday March 4

03/04 The Birthday Massacre at BLVD Nights Read More The Birthday Massacre Excited fans at the Cabooze wearing lighted bunny ears weren’t holdovers from any extended Easter Parade… They instead were among the most devoted fans, in attendance for a roaring appearance from Ontario, ONT Rock/Goth/Industrial band The Birthday Massacre. ...

The Birthday Massacre, BLVD Nights, $20-$119

Dig out those bunny ears, goth/industrial fans, one of the shows from the recently departed Riot Room did manage to get properly rescheduled. The Ontario dark wave group has a brand-new album, Fascination, and singer “Chibi” Taylor never holds back live, vocally and otherwise. We caught them live most recently in 2017 and our eyeballs may still be recovering.

Everclear, Ameristar. $35-$115

Trevor Wallace, Truman, $29-$45

KC Blues Festival w/Pokey Bear, Nellie Tiger Travis, Calvin Richardson, Music Hall $61-$127

Kountry Wayne, Uptown, $22-$77

The Staves, recordBar, CANCELED

Saturday March 5

Korn with Chevelle and Code Orange, T-Mobile Center. $29.50-$105

Ty Segall w Charles Mootheart, The Ship SOLD OUT

If you got tix, congrats, as this tiny venue show sold out in the blink of an eye. The official description of the show is all you really need to know- “This concert features two absolute legends of garage rock showing off their solo chops and blowing the bulkheads out of The Ship”

Allison Moorer, Folly $15-$50

Frogpond, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $15-$18

Like a few others, this Warrensburg, MO band from the ‘90s has returned, their 1996 debut was lucky to have been produced by Art Alexakis of Everclear and they’re back with new album, TimeThief.  

Keith Harkin, Knuckleheads SOLD OUT   

Claire Rosinkranz, RecordBar. $22    

Circa Contemporary Circus pres. Sacre, JCCC Yardley Hall, $14-$42 

This Brisbane troupe is one of the world's leading performance companies and has toured the world since 2004. In Sacre, ten acrobats from the ensemble brings Stravinsky’s seminal “The Rite of Spring” to the circus stage.

Dennis DeYoung, Ameristar POSTPONED

Songs From Ireland, Liberty Hall CANCELED

Monday March 7

03/07 Parquet Courts/ Mdou Moctar at Liberty Hall Read More Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from …

High Kings, March 6-7 Kansas City Irish Center. $35-$60

Hiss Golden Messenger, recordBar. $22

Parquet Courts w/ Mdou Moctar, Liberty Hall Lawrence. $25-$35

The Rough Trade signed NYC band is out in support of their seventh studio release, Sympathy for Life and the quartet’s unique indie rock/post punk sound, has a decade’s worth of fans but we haven’t seen them for a while, so maybe need to catch up.

We’ve seen opener Mdou Moctar much more recently and came away impressed by the Tuareg songwriter and musician that is based in Niger. Afrique Victime (on Matador Records) is the guitarist’s sixth album and is sung in Tamasheq, a North African language heard mostly in Mali.

03/05 Circa Contemporary Circus- Sacre at Yardley Hall

 

                                    03/05 Ty Segall at The Ship

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

Minneapolis: March 10 to March 12

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

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

03/10/2022 Thursday

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

Excerpt Going for Gold XXXI:

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
HissGoldenMessenger.com

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

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

Tour dates:

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

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

03/10/2022 Thursday

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

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

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

Tour dates

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

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

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

03/11/2022 Friday

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

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

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

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

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

Tour dates:

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

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

03/12/2022 Saturday

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

Excerpt Here There Be Monsters

THE MIDNIGHT
themidnightofficial.com

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

North American Tour dates:

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

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Desert Daze: October 11-13, 2019

Desert Daze 2019 Read More Desert Daze Ah, the mornings are beginning to be met by a cool autumn breeze...so this must mean desert festival season is under way! Desert Daze has been a myriad of magical atmospheric wonder along with the most entertaining of artists .... The Flaming Lips I think this was my first time seeing The Flaming Lips, but I could be wrong. Seems odd that this was "a very special Early Evening performance", since the band's psychedelic/space rock seems to work better at night … Stereolab Headliners include ESG, The Apples in Stereo, Superchunk, Waxahatchee, Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), Sneaks, Elf Power, The Veldt, Pylon Reenactment Society, Eureka California and Tunabunny. … Devo Devo is in top form. They have their show down to an artform, complete with their own lights and fog machine and images on screen. With this sort of tight control over their images … Ween Anyway, Gene and Dean Ween are back, newly reunited as Ween, proving that they haven’t quite push the little daisies just yet. The reunion was announced last year (November 2015) … Wu-Tang Clan The entire Wu-Tang Clan (minus the ones that are no longer on Earth) is back in the studio with RZA for a new record this Fall. In the meantime, the group released "Family Reunion" to celebrate their 20th anniversary. … Temples Along their way to Minneapolis, Temples have been building huge buzz appearing at Great Escape 2013 and (recently) SXSW 2014. With all that excitement for the band, they sold out the Turf Club presale … 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." … Pussy Riot A similar story happened with Russian punk group Pussy Riot being jailed for performing "Virgin Mary, Please Drive Putin Away" song in front of a church…

It is said that autumn is a time of rebirth, reflection and revitalization the soul. It’s a time of coziness, togetherness and ease as the cooler weather blankets our everyday lives. For some this means pumpkin spice lattes and dinners with friends by a fire and for some, it means an expansive weekend long music festival filled with a wonderland of modern-day rock legends. It means a perfectly curated playground of psychedelic art and communion with the promise of an all-around good freakin’ time. For some, the allurement of this season is the sprinkling of rock tunes on your tongue and a whole new version of Woodstock. Rock, my friends, is not dead.

This festival has undoubtably earned the title of a SoCal staple as each year gets seemingly better and better. Last year was challenging with the rain and the parking situation of a new venue, but the location is in the same stunning setting of Moreno Beach (situated beautifully between the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains), so this year they’ve worked out the kinks. You can float peacefully on the lake while hearing your favorite bands christen the sky in the background. You can head on over to The Mystic Bazaar, a safe haven for those needing a breather from the enormity of the crowd energy. Here in this village holds all the yoga, tea ceremonies and sound baths your little heart can desire. The amenities and curated adornments here are endless, and there is always some amazement around every corner.

Now for the bands!

The gentleness of Friday starts out with Triptides, Wave, Frankie and the Witch Fingers and DIIV. Brooklyn’s DIIV released their third album, Deceiver, yesterday on the label Captured Tracks. The album is grungier than they’ve been in the past with a kind of Silverchair resemblance to it, so with this drop it is sure to be a highly anticipated performance. Singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt will be performing recent LP Quiet Signs at the Block at 4pm. Fred Armisen will do a comedy set in the mid-afternoon, followed by Atlas Sound and Crumb.

Saturday kicks off with Blackwater Holylight, the super heavy psych all-girl band from Portland. This group has all the elements to make you squirm and drool with delight, from folk-rock to grunge melodies to whispers of gothic intensity…and they’re mesmerizing onstage. Following acts are Klaus Johann Grobe, Altin Gün, Anika, Surfbort, Big Business and the true legends themselves- JJUUJJUU. Going into sunset time is DEVO, Cruel Diagnonals and Lumerians. Ween, Nick Hakim, and Pussy Riot. Temples highlight the evening.

The most massive act on the list is surely Wu-Tang Clan, performing their 36 Chambers LP on Sunday. The crew of DD this year (started by Phil Pirrone’s of JJUUJJUU, who always performs at least one killer set) were smart, because they saved a ton of the most exciting acts for the wee hours into Sunday evening. Also performing Sunday are Dead Meadow, Moses Sumney, The Black Angels, White Fence and Shintaro Sakamoto, to name a few.

Weather permitting (Tame Impala got rained out last year halfway through their set) this upcoming weekend will surely be one of mystery, wonderment and delight. The scintillating adventure of time travel or a portal to a new universe is always optional…but never enforced.

Details and lineup:

Desert Daze 2019
October 11th-13th, 2019
Lake Perris, California
More Info: desertdaze.org

Friday, October 11 The Flaming Lips Perform 'The Soft Bulletin' Stereolab Animal Collective Fred Armisen Comedy For Musicians But Everyone Is Welcome Witch W.I.T.C.H. Connan Mockasin Presents Botsyn N' Dobsyn Episodes + Solo Performance Diiv Crumb Atlas Sound Metz Jessica Pratt Wand Mdou Moctar Post Animal Faye Webster Part Time Jonathan Bree Sessa Frankie & The Witch Fingers Al Lover Triptides Opening Ceremonies With Ian Svenonius 'We Intend To Cause Havoc' Documentary + Q+A W/ Emmanuel Jagari Chanda THE SANCTUARY: Cristopher Cichocki - Circular Dimensions, Kid 606, Tom Hall, Byron Westbrook, Devin Sarno, Mitchell Brown, Ellen Phan, Conscious Summary, Wave

Saturday, October 12 Ween Perform 'Chocolate And Cheese' Devo - The Beginning Of The End Flying Lotus 3D The Locust Parquet Courts Temples Connan Mockasin + Friends Pussy Riot Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Nick Hakim Viagra Boys Altin Gün Big Business Surfbort The Kvb Klaus Johann Grobe Anika Lumerians Jjuujjuu Black Water Holy Light Trupa Trupa Automatic THE SANCTUARY: Cristopher Cichocki - Circular Dimensions, Dntel, Pod Blotz, Cruel Diagonals, The Eternal Chord Featuring Gabie Strong, Jim Haynes, Rotary Ect, Jeff Frost, George Jensen

Sunday, October 13 Wu Tang Clan Perform 'Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' Khruangbin The Claypool Lennon Delirium The Black Angels Alvvays Shintaro Sakamoto Moses Sumney Lightning Bolt Dead Meadow White Fence Jakob Ogawa Jerry Paper George Clanton Blanck Mass Froth Sasami Richard Rose The Paranoyds Particle Kid Winter Kills Birds Les Claypool & Sean Lennon Q+A THE SANCTUARY: Cristopher Cichocki - Circular Dimensions, Randy Randall, Ensemble Economique, Shana Shenai, White Boy Scream, Ellen Phan (Hypnosis Session), Zachary Paul, Live For Each Moon

jess (jess@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: July 18 to July 24, 2019

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 18 to July 24, 2019.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Belle & Sebastian 2019 Tour Read More Belle & Sebastian Our favorite Scottish band Belle & Sebastian is releasing Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance tomorrow, January 20th, via Matador Records, their first new record since 2010's Write About Love. ... Men I Trust Men I Trust to open. This all-girls group from Montreal, Canada, features Jessy on bass/guitar, Dragos on keyboards and Emma vocals/guitar. ... DJ Jake Rudh This is billed as a Transmission (aka DJ Jake Rudh) / BNLX release show, but music fans may want to take note that at nearly midnight, The Ocean Blue is scheduled to appear. …

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN
+ Men I Trust, DJ Jake Rudh
Weesner Family Amphitheater
Tue 07/23/2019 (7pm/$56)
suemclean.com

With all my cards on the table, I have to let you know that Scottish band Belle & Sebastian is one of my favorite bands. Yes, I own all their records, own all their singles, and have seen the band every time they play in Minnesota (which you can count on one hand: 4 times).

I’m very excited to let you know that B&S is back in the area, they’ll be playing the Weesner Family Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. That’s a bit of a drive (for me), but they’re worth it.

Let’s hope the band will play older/classic B&S songs, considering that their last release were three singles, collected into one How to Solve Our Human Problems compilation album (available on Matador Records). I have read that they’re recording a new album called Days of the Bagnold Summer, but I don’t think the band will be playing forthcoming songs.

Special guests Men I Trust will open. The all-girls band was previously in town with Wild Nothing in November 2018.

For the Minnesota show, it’s listed that Transmission’s DJ Jake Rudh will play music pre-show.

Tour dates:

11 July 2019 Sprint Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA
13 July 2019 House of Blues Boston, Boston, MA
15 July 2019 MTELUS, Montreal, QC
18 July 2019 Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
19 July 2019 – 21 July 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival 2019
23 July 2019 Weesner Amphitheater, Minnesota Zoo, MN
08 August 2019 – 12 August 2019 The Boaty Weekender 2019
31 October 2019 – 03 November 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival Paris 2019
08 November 2019 – 09 November 2019 Primavera Weekender 2019

Other shows in the area:

Cate Le Bon 2019 Tour La Misa Negra/Dos Santos at Cedar Jackie Venson at 7th Street Entry Night Moves at First Ave The Posies Chris Smither: Call Me Lucky Drugdealer at 7th Street Entry Read More Night Moves The locally based band, promoting their debut, Colored Emotions (Domino) impressed us enough opening for Poliça (in Minneapolis and Colorado) and Django Django last year…

PARQUET COURTS
+ Cate Le Bon
First Avenue
Thu 07/18/2019 (7pm/$25)
first-avenue.com

Parquet Courts will be headlining First Avenue (a one-off date extending from Pitchfork Festival?) this Thursday, July 18th.

Cate Le Bon, who is touring in support of her new Reward album (available on Mexican Summer) will open the show. We last saw Le Bon in May 2016 and mentioned, “It was an incredibly healthy turn out for the Los Angeles, by the way of Wales, Cate Le Bon. Words must have spread since her last appearance in Minneapolis, in January 2014... despite the fact that Cate Le Bon physically could not say the words ‘Minneapolis’. Le Bon, in her thick Welsh accent said, “Wish ah could sae your city’s name. Ah just carn’t say it.””

Cate Le Bon Tour Dates:

July 12 - Seattle, WA @ Doug Fir Lounge
July 13 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Cafe
July 18 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
July 19 - Chicago, IL - Constellation
July 20 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Festival
Aug. 23 - Bethesda, UK @ Neuadd Ogwen
Aug. 24 - West Lothian, UK @ Jupiter Rising Festival
Aug. 25 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Aug. 27 - Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
Aug. 28 - Leeds, UK @ Riley Smith Theatre
Aug. 29 - Cardiff, UK @ Portland House
Sept. 1 - Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival

LA MISA NEGRA / DOS SANTOS
Cedar Cultural Center
Fri 07/19/2019 (7pm/$18)
thecedar.org

Seven-piece California band La Misa Negra and Chicago’s quintet Dos Santos co-headlining tour will stop by the Cedar Cultural Center on Friday, July 19th.

As of this writing, they haven’t announced an opening band.

Tour Dates

07/19/2019 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
07/20/2019 John Michael Kohler Arts Center Sheboygan, WI
07/26/2019 The Ritz San Jose, CA
08/22/2019 Mill Hill Park Trenton, NJ
08/23/2019 S.O.B.'S New York, NY
08/24/2019 World Cafe Live - Upstairs Philadelphia, PA
08/27/2019 Leicht Memorial Park Green Bay, WI
10/05/2019 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz, CA

JACKIE VENSON
+ Mina Moore
7th St Entry
Sat 07/20/2019 (7:30pm/$16)
first-avenue.com

Austin-born Jackie Venson will be playing the 7th Street Entry on Saturday, July 20th.

Tour dates:

07/11/2019 Smith's Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
07/20/2019 7th St Entry Minneapolis, MN

NIGHT MOVES
+ Lady Lark, Sam Cassidy
First Avenue
Sat 07/20/2019 (8pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

Local Minneapolis Night Moves will be headlining First Avenue on July 20th, a send-off start of their tour for their new album Can You Really Find Me.

We saw Night Moves in January 2014 and wrote, “ Local band Night Moves, ably taking over the opening spot from the previously announced Night Beds, was literally feeling the Blues. For the duration of their 40 min set, the band members (guitarist/vocalist John Pelant, bassist Micky Alfano, and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ritsema , with drummer Jared Isabella) were literally bathed in muted blue stage lights, which was mood evocative of their easy-going, slightly psychedelic 70s album rock-vibed sound.”

Lady Lark and Sam Cassidy to open.

Tour Dates

July 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
July 23 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
July 24 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Jones Assembly
July 26 – Dallas, TX @ Ruins
July 27 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
July 28 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
July 29 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
July 30 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
Aug 2 – Indianapolis, IN @ LO-FI Lounge

THE POSIES
Turf Club
Sun 07/21/2019 (7pm/$22)
turfclub.net

The Posies returns to the Turf Club this Sunday, July 21.

Tour dates:

11 July 2019 McGonigel's Mucky Duck, Houston, TX
12 July 2019 Andy's Bar, Denton, TX
19 July 2019 Chicago Premium Outlets, Aurora, IL
20 July 2019 Back Room, Milwaukee, WI
21 July 2019 Turf Club, St. Paul, MN
02 Sep 2019 Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Seattle, WA

CHRIS SMITHER
Dakota Jazz Club
Mon 07/22/2019 (7:30pm/$30)
dakotacooks.com

Americana songwriter Chris Smither is returning to Minneapolis, this time playing the Dakota Jazz Club on Monday, July 22nd, touring in support of his new album Call Me Lucky (Signature Sounds). This is the performer’s first studio album in six years.

Tour dates:

07/22/2019 Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant Minneapolis, MN
07/23/2019 The Redwood Grove Berkeley, CA
07/24/2019 Bakersfield Music Hall Bakersfield, CA
07/26/2019 Palms Playhouse Winters, CA
08/02/2019 3S Artspace Portsmouth, NH
08/03/2019 Stone Mountain Arts Center Brownfield, ME
08/16/2019 The Guthrie Center Great Barrington, MA
08/17/2019 The Guthrie Center Great Barrington, MA
09/06/2019 Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH
09/07/2019 Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH
09/08/2019 Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH
09/09/2019 Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH
09/20/2019 Club Passim Cambridge, MA
09/21/2019 The Locks Philadelphia, PA
11/01/2019 My Father's Place Roslyn, NY
11/02/2019 New Hope Winery New Hope, PA
11/15/2019 Peterborough Players Theatre Peterborough, NH
11/16/2019 One Longfellow Square Portland, ME
02/21/2020 Me & Thee Coffeehouse Marblehead, MA
02/22/2020 Narrows Center Fall River, MA

DRUGDEALER
+ Summer Carols
7th St Entry
Wed 07/24/2019 (8pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

Michael Collins’ collective project Drugdealer will be playing the 7th Street Entry in support of their new album Raw Honey (Mexican Summer).

Opening will be Summer Carols to play a “Beatles set”.

Tour dates:

July 10 - Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
July 12 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda Inside
July 13 - Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
July 14 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
July 15 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
July 16 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
July 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
July 21 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
July 22 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
July 23 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
July 24 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
July 27 - Calgary, AB @ Palomino Social Club
July 29 - Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
July 30 - Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret
July 31 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Aug. 2 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Aug. 4 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriets

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: May 29 to May 31, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from May 29 to May 31, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Matt Costa: Santa Rosa Fangs Read More Matt Costa I absolutely loved Matt Costa's 2013 self-titled album. The album was recorded and produced by Belle & Sebastian fame Tony Doogan, and you can hear hints of pop rock sound in the record. .… Elizabeth & The Catapult Paste and Rolling Stone loves Brooklyn-based Elizabeth & The Catapult, calling them "fresh confidence against punchy drums and jazzy guitar riffs" and "jazzy chamber-pop sound", respectively. …

MATT COSTA
+ Elizabeth And The Catapult
Turf Club
Wed 05/30/2018 (7pm/$15)
turfclub.net

One of my favorite record of 2013 is the self-titled album by Matt Costa. The SoCal singer/songwriter is back on tour in support of his forthcoming album Santa Rosa Fangs (due out May 18th on Dangerbird Records).

With the new album, Costa said, “I’ve interwoven my own stories into a fictional idea of what Santa Rosa Fangs is, from my own time spent living in Northern and Southern California and years driving up and down the coast, seeing the landscape and where life can pull you within one state. It’s the characters’ story and my story, too, contemporary but still tortured by the past. It’s a window into a time period but spoken as if it’s the present. The beauty of love and loss doesn’t have a date on it; it’s timeless.”

Opening up the show will be Elizabeth & The Catapult - who released one of my favorite albums of 2009, Taller Children, thanks to Elizabeth Ziman’s wonderful jazz/chamber-pop vocals.

Tour dates:

05/19 Philadelphia, PA Boot & Saddle*
05/21 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java*
05/22 Brooklyn, NY Rough Trade*
05/23 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair*
05/25 Toronto, ON Longboat at Great Hall*
05/26 Ann Arbor, MI The Blind Pig*
05/27 Chicago, IL Schuba’s*
05/28 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall*
05/30 St. Paul, MN The Turf Club*
06/05 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour†
06/07 Carmel, CA Live in the Vines
07/07 San Francisco, CA Café du Nord†
07/09 Bellingham, WA Wild Buffalo†
07/10 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern†
07/11 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret†
07/12 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge†
08/16 Dana Point, CA Bluff Park at Salt Creek Beach

* with Elizabeth & the Catapult
† with Katie Toupin (ex-Houndmouth)

Maps & Atlases: Lightlessness Is Nothing New Head and the Heart 2018 Tour The Lighthouse and the Whaler 2018 Tour Parquet Courts: Wide Awake! 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 ... Lighthouse and the Whaler Ohio-based The Lighthouse and the Whaler took the stage, opening as they did on Pond’s previous outing, with a feel-good blend of indie folk-pop, in support of their self-released latest, This is an Adventure. ... The Head And The Heart Seattle's The Head and the Heart just stopped by First Avenue, in Minneapolis, as part of their national tour in support of Let's Be Still. The album was released last week, October 15th ... Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from …

Other shows in the area:

MAPS & ATLASES
+ Yana
7th Street Entry
Tue 05/29/2018 (8pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

Chicago's Maps & Atlases will be headlining the 7th Street Entry on Tuesday, in support of their third full-length Lightlessness Is Nothing New (due out June 1 on Barsuk Records).

Tour dates:

5/29: 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
6/01: Upstream Music Festival - Seattle, WA
6/02: Volume Music Festival - Spokane, WA
6/03: Holocene - Portland, OR
6/06: Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA
6/07: Lodge Room - Los Angeles, CA
6/08: Casbah - San Diego, CA
6/09: Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AZ
6/10: Sister Bar - Albuquerque, NM
6/12: Club Dada - Dallas, TX
6/13: Scoot Inn - Austin, TX

THE HEAD AND THE HEART
+ Grouplove
Armory
Wed 05/30/2018 (6:30pm/$33)
armorymn.com

The Head And The Heart is returning to the Twin Cities at the newly minted Armory in Minneapolis on Wednesday. We previously saw the band on Oct 2014 and wrote, “After an almost two hour delay, the crowd was released back outside and crowded the main stage (where extended applause took place for the stagehand that removed the protective plastic from the high stagelights) for Seattle favorites, The Head and the Heart, who had maybe the biggest overall sound of the festival acts. Led by co-vocalists Josiah Johnson, Charity Rose Thielen, and Jonathan Russell, the band’s 50 min. set leaned heavily on last year’s Let’s Be Still (Sub Pop Records) and the damp crowd showed why Minneapolis is one of the band’s best markets.”

Grouplove will open.

Tour dates:

5/22/18 - CCCU Open Air Theatre - San Diego, CA
5/23/18 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
5/24/18 - Fox Theater Pomona - Pomona, CA
5/26/18 - BottleRock Napa Valley Festival - Napa, CA
5/29/18 - Starlight Theater - Kansas City, MO
5/30/18 - The Armory - Minneapolis, MN
5/31/18 - Northerly Island Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL
6/2/18 - Artpark - Lewiston, NY
6/3/18 - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica - Cleveland, OH
6/5/18 - Ommegang Brewery - Cooperstown, NY

LIGHTHOUSE AND THE WHALER
+ Vita and the Woolf, Guytano
7th Street Entry
Wed 05/30/2018 (7:30pm/$12)
first-avenue.com

Cleveland’s The Lighthouse And The Whaler is touring with Philadelphia’s Vita And The Woolf this year. They’ll stop by the 7th Street Entry on Wednesday, May 30th.

Tour dates:

05/15 - Austin, TX @ Stubbs Jr.
05/17 - Phoenix, AZ @ The The Rebel Lounge
05/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
05/19 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Wayfarer
05/20 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
05/22 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
05/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
05/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
05/26 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge
05/27 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
05/29 - Davenport, IA @ The Raccoon Motel
05/30 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
05/31 - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
06/01 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
06/02 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom

PARQUET COURTS
+ Goat Girl
Fine Line Music Cafe
Thu 05/31/2018 (8pm/$18)
finelinemusic.com

Parquet Courts will be headlining the Fine Line Music Café in support of their forthcoming album Wide Awake! (May 18th on Rough Trade).

Tour dates:

05/23 - Boston, MA @ Royale
05/24 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom
05/25 - Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
05/26 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
05/27 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
05/28 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
05/30 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
05/31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
06/1 - Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
06/2 - St Louis, MO @ Ready Room
06/3 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East
06/5 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
06/6 - Carborro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
06/7 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: February 17 to February 18, 2016

Read More Bullet for my Valentine UK metal band Bullet For My Valentine has kicked off “The British Invasion Tour” in support of their recently released album, VENOM, and in celebration has premiered a new …

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from February 17 to February 18, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
The British Invasion Tour
at Myth Live
Wednesday, 02/17/16, 7pm ($30)
mythlive.com

The British Invasion tour will be stopping at The Myth in Maplewood on Wednesday, February 17th. Now, don't think this will be anything like the "British Invasion" of the Beatles... think more yelling and screaming. This tour features Bullet For My Valentine, Asking Alexandria, and While She Sleeps. Both Bullet For My Valentine and Asking Alexandria have gone through lineup changes in the past year so it will be interesting to see how the new members fit in these long-lasting bands. This would be the perfect Valentine's gift for that metal head in your life. I have seen all of these bands previously and they all have great energy in their live shows.

Tour dates:

Feb. 11 – Dallas, Texas, House Of Blues
Feb. 12 – Houston, Texas, House Of Blues
Feb. 13 – Oklahoma City, Diamond Ballroom
Feb. 16 – Kansas City, Mo, Arvest Bank Theatre
Feb. 17 – Saint Paul, Minn., Myth
Feb. 19 – Chicago, Ill., House Of Blues
Feb. 20 – Milwaukee, Wis., Eagles Ballroom
Feb. 23 – New York, N.Y., Best Buy Theater
Feb. 24 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Stage AE
Feb. 25 – Norfolk, Va., The NorVa
Feb. 27 – Lake Buena Vista, Fla., House Of Blues
Feb. 28 – Birmingham, Ala., Iron City
March 1 – Silver Spring, Md., Fillmore Silver Spring
March 2 – Philadelphia, Pa., Fillmore Philadelphia
March 3 – Boston, Mass., House Of Blues Boston
March 5 – Toronto, Ontario, The Phoenix Concert Theatre
March 7 – Montreal, Quebec, Metropolis

Read More Lolo The show started off with a bang. The opener was Lolo (aka Lauren Pritchard), the sole woman on this men-centric tour. She had majority of the crowd absolutely stunned …

COMMUNION (February)
ft. Allan Rayman, Lolo, etc...
at 7th Street Entry
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($8/$13)
first-avenue.com

The monthly Communion Shows is returning next Thursday at their new home at the 7th Street Entry. We’ve been covering the monthly club shows since it came to Minneapolis in 2013 at the Varsity Theater. Starting in November 2014, the club moved to the Turf Club in St Paul.

Now for a fresh start in 2016, Communion is now at the 7th Street Entry... which, personally speaking, will be a great home for them. The small venue is known for launching so many up and coming artists... simply perfect for Communion artists.

For the month of February, we’re treated to these artists: Allan Rayman, Lolo, Whiskey Shivers, and Moonrise Nation... with DJ sets from Sean McPherson (from 89.3 The Current).

We’re mostly excited to see Lolo again, having caught her at the Wilderness Politics Tour in 2015. We described her voice as “It's so powerful that she doesn't need a huge backing band to give her an edge. It was just her, a computer, and a guitarist named Josh (who she confessed she couldn't tour without his help) and it was perfect.”

Lolo’s tour dates:

2/11 - Nashville, TN @The Basement
2/13 - Pontiac, MI @Pike Room
2/14 - Columbus, OH @Big Room Bar
2/16 - Indianapolis, IN @The Hi Fi
2/17 - Chicago, IL @Schubas Tavern*
2/18 - Minneapolis, MN @7th Street Entry*
2/20 - Kansas City, MO @Tank Room*
2/22 - Memphis, TN @Hi Tone Cafe
2/23 - Houston, TX @The Green Room
2/24 - Dallas, TX @Dada Dallas*

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

PARQUET COURTS
with Love of Everything
at Triple Rock Social Club
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($15/$17)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Parquet Courts recently announced their new record Human Performance, set for release on April 8th via Rough Trade. Expect the band to preview some new songs from the upcoming album on this new 2016 tour.

We caught the band in 2013, at the height of their buzz, and noted, “The audience was squeezed together to get close to this old school punk band. So awesome! Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Savage, commented on the storm they just drove through to get to the Triple Rock, and was afraid that he had been blown into Oz after entering Minneapolis, so surreal it was to the band.”

Love of Everything and Gem Jones to open.

Tour dates:

02/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
02/16 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
02/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
02/19 - Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Bar
02/20 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
02/23 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
02/24 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
02/26 - Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
02/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
02/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
03/12 - Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths
04/14 - Providence, RI @ The Met
04/15 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
04/16 - Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston
04/17 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
04/18 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
04/20 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
04/21 - Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar
04/22 - Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Theater
04/28 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
04/30 - Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
05/02 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
05/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
05/12 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/13 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
05/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
05/16 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
05/17 - Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
05/18 - Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
05/20 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/04 - Barcelona, SP @ Primavera Sound Festival
06/12 - London, UK @ Field Day
06/14 - Bristol, UK @ Trinity
06/15 - Liverpool, UK @ New Kazimier
06/16 - Edinburgh, UK @ La Belle Angele
06/17 - Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre
06/18 - Manchester, UK @ Gorilla

Read More Family of the Year The W♥M family like Family of the Year, having covered their appearance in New Orleans and in Minneapolis, where John noted that the band offers "feel good vibes and melodies". .… Transviolet Opening up the show was Los Angeles' Transviolet, a four-piece pop band featuring singer Sarah McTaggart, guitarist Judah McCarthy, bass player Mike Panek and drummer Jon Garcia. …

GO 96.3 NEW MUSIC SHOWCASE
ft. Family of the Year, New Beat Fund, etc.
at Skyway Theatre
Thursday, 02/18/16, 7pm ($9.63/$10)
skywaytheater.com

Unfortunately, we’re not covering this event, but it was recently brought to my attention that Transviolet will be stopping by the Skyway Theatre, as part of Go 96.3 New Music Showcase, in Minneapolis next Thursday.

We caught the band on their first national tour in 2015, and knew right away that this band was going to be massive, “Based on their bright sound and love for performing live music, this band will be on the road to bigger, better things.”

Transviolet

The 2015 show also produced one of our favorite photograph of singer Sarah McTaggart.

Currently, their new video and single for “New Bohemia,” is climbing quickly at Alternative radio, can be heard in the national advertising campaign for Google Android, which will run through summer 2016.

Other artists on the Go 96.3 New Music Showcase is Family of the Year, New Beat Fund and Ben Hazlewood.

Transviolet’s tour dates:

2/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
3/15-3/20 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
6/3-6/5 - Governors Ball Music Festival
6/16-19 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival

langen + vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Parquet Courts at Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (06/21/13)

Tour Dates 06/23 - Bloomington, IN @ the Bishop 06/24 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups 06/25 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick 06/26 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall 06/29 - New York, NY @ South Street Seaport 07/13 - Boston, MA @ TT The Bears 07/14 - Portland, ME @ Space 538 07/15 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen 07/16 - Montreal, QC @ Il Motore 07/17 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 07/20 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival 07/22 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar 07/23 - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch 07/25 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar 08/02-08/04 - Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Read More Parquet Courts The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from all the music places…

Friday, June 21, 2013, will not be forgotten quickly. A thunderstorm hit the Twin Cities, knocking out electricity for 250 thousand people. All the power remaining appeared to be filtered directly into the Triple Rock Social Club, in Minneapolis.

STEREO CONFESSION

Stereo Confession was the first band of the evening. These three 16-year-old boys could really rock! They were down a member because he was out climbing a mountain, somewhere. They will be releasing their first LP called First Communion on July 2.

BNLX

BNLX played next. A post punk, psychedelic trio, featuring Ed Ackerson, this local band can really pound. Nice to see a light show considering there was a lightning show going on outside. Electric! Plug in to them and who cares that you lost power at home this night. BNLX do play around the city often, so get out and dig them.

Out of Brooklyn, New York, headliner Parquet Courts, came on at midnight. The Tripe Rock was mobbed by this time. The audience was squeezed together to get close to this old school punk band. So awesome! Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Savage, commented on the storm they just drove through to get to the Triple Rock, and was afraid that he had been blown into Oz after entering Minneapolis, so surreal it was to the band.

The external thunder could definitely be mistaken for the sound pounding from his band. The audience was blown away and went nuts! Mainly performing songs from their new album, Light Up Gold, Parquet Courts played like a good old, American punk band. The evening will be remembered for years to come, and not just because of the storm.

Parquet Courts at Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (06/21/13)

gretchen ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ stereoconfession.com ♥ bnlx2day.com ♥ parquetcourts.wordpress.com

Escaping from the Great Escape: Deap Vally and Parquet Courts

Brody and Jess were in Brighton, covering The Great Escape Music Festival earlier this month. Two of the NME Radar Showcase American bands are back in the U.S. on tour. I'm hoping to have both of these shows covered:

Read More NME Radar NME Radar - The Haunt - Saturday, May 18 Parquet Courts (22:00) Deap Vally (21:15) Highasakite (20:30) The Orwells (19:45) …

DEAP VALLY
deapvally.com

Los Angeles' Deap Vally will be appearing at all music festivals known to mankind this year. Not kidding, the rock duo (guitarist/singer Lindsey Troy and drummer Julie Edwards) will be appearing at Bonnaroo, Splendour In The Grass, Lollapalooza, Reading, Leeds, just to name a few! This is pretty great for a band with only one EP called Get Deap!

I'm personally not a fan of big festivals; I prefer the more intimate settings of a dive bar. Not problems for people like me either: the band will be doing a number of small venues with The Whigs next month.

05/31/13 Ozark, AR @ Mulberry Mountain
06/01/13 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
06/02/13 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
06/04/13 St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
06/05/13 Kansas City, MO@ Riot Room
06/10/13 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
06/11/13 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
06/13/13 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06/21/13 Southside Festival
06/22/13 Hurricane Festival
07/05/13 Les Eurockeennes de Belfort
07/12/13 Optimus Alive! Festival
07/26/13 Splendour In The Grass
08/02/13 Lollapalooza
08/09/13 Squamish Music Festival
08/23/13 Reading Festival
08/24/13 Leeds Festival
10/13/13 Corona Capital Festival

PARQUET COURTS
parquetcourts.wordpress.com

The loud punk-ish rock band Parquet Courts is currently on tour for their debut album, Light Up Gold, out now on What's Your Rupture? Records. The band has received a lot of praises from all the music places, including NME, Pitchfork, NPR and Spin.

Since the band is on tour, you can get a taste of their life on the road via Andy Capper's documentary "Light Up Gold Road Trip" on vice.com.

Hear "Stoned and Starving" now:



Go see them live to see what the buzz is about.

05/30 - Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas 05/31 - Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas 06/01 - Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas 06/02 - Marfa, TX @ El Cosmico 06/03 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 06/04 - San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe 06/05 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo 06/07 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop 06/09 - Oakland, CA @ 1234-GO Records 06/10 - Davis, CA @ Davis 4th 06/12 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir 06/13 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos 06/14 - Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl 06/15 - Victoria, BC @ Copper Owl 06/17 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux 06/18 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 06/19 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

06/20 - Omaha, NE @ Sweatshop 06/21 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock 06/22 - Madison, WI @ High Noon 06/23 - Bloomington, IN @ the Bishop 06/24 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups 06/25 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick 06/26 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall 06/29 - New York, NY @ South Street Seaport 07/13 - Boston, MA @ TT The Bears 07/14 - Portland, ME @ Space 538 07/15 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen 07/16 - Montreal, QC @ Il Motore 07/17 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 07/20 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival 07/22 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar 07/23 - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch 07/25 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar w/ Woods 08/02-08/04 - Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon

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