W♥M

Phoenix at Palace Theatre (9/6/2022)

Phoenix Setlist Lisztomania Entertainment Lasso Long Distance Call Too Young / Girlfriend Trying to Be Cool / Drakkar Noir Tonight J-Boy Alpha Zulu Armistice Love Like a Sunset Part I Love Like a Sunset Part II Lovelife If I Ever Feel Better / Funky Squaredance Ti amo Identical Rome -- Encore -- Telefono Fior di latte Starfish and Coffee (Prince cover) 1901 Identical (Reprise) Read More Phoenix When not so busy with Cassius, Zdar had worked with Phoenix, Kanye West, Cat Power and more, thanks to his ownership of Motorbass studio (named after Zdar’s old duo Motorbass) in Paris. …

Probably no better place for a French indie pop band Phoenix from Versailles to kick off their North American tour than at a place called the Palace Theatre.  Although recently renovated, the venue may hold an old world appeal to a band that once filmed one long tracking shot for “Ti Amo” at Teatro Bibiena, in Mantova, Italy.

Porches opened the evening with a solid set with songs like “Swarovski”, “I Miss That” and “Underwater”.  Trimmed down to three members, the songs were short and on point with Aaron Maine and Dan English on guitar and Noah Hecth on drums.  All in on guitars, the band at times had a Pixies vibe.  Also Hecth’s cymbals seemed to float above the rest of the set giving a new meaning to the musical term “hi-hat”.

Based out of New York, Maine said they were excited to be back on the road and opening for Phoenix, saying the band left New York on Sunday just to make it to the first show for the tour in St. Paul, MN. 

Phoenix traveled a little further and they wasted no time by opening with “Listzomania”, which seemed a brave choice.  For where do you go after playing your most well known song?

It worked, for the band electrified the audience from the start and kept them engaged with songs like “Lasso” and “Long Distance Call”.  They also played “Tonight” and “Alpha Zulu” from an upcoming (untitled) album. 

If you have the time, check out their music video to “Alpha Zulu”.  It’s a clever collection of famous paintings brought to life through CGI as historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Jean-Paul Marat sing the lyrics to a very catchy song.  Band favorite Franz Liszt makes an appearance.  And it’s not every day you get to see the original selfie taker, Rembrandt, shout out lyrics like:  “Woo ha! Singing Hallelujah.”

The band came to play.  They were tight, in sync and showed no signs of rust.  The whole evening they kept the crowd moving with guitar licks and synth grooves. 

The backdrop was also impressive.  Not just a giant screen but a collection of ringed mirrors around a main one to create the perception of three dimensions.  There were forests and the Versailles Hall of Mirrors.  The highlight was “Love Like a Sunset Parts I and II” when a camera pulls away from a sleeping man, resting comfortably in a park until the camera is 100 hundred light years away (pretty far).  Then the camera begins to zoom back to the subject’s hand where the measurements of angstroms are used (pretty tiny).

The lead singer, Thomas Mars, bounced around the stage the whole evening, grabbing binoculars, singing to a masked stranger a la Antonio Salieri in the movie Amadeus, and even waded into the crowd to personally thank individuals for coming to the show.  And for the encore he sat on a harpsichord and sang “Telefono”.  It was at that point a few females around me openly talked about kicking their husbands/boyfriends to the curb if there was a chance that Mars was available after the show. 

Marquee

Porches

Porches

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix at Palace Theatre, St Paul (06 Sep 2022)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Prince Rogers Nelson Way - street dedication, Minneapolis (2022-06-07)

Read More Prince There is a Prince Celebration kicking off Thursday evening, June 2nd, and continues to Saturday at Paisley Park. There’ll be Q&A with artists who worked closely with Prince, including his former wife and NPG dancer Mayte Garcia ...

Though Prince eventually stopped celebrating birthdays (as part of his religious beliefs in later years), the city of Minneapolis did anyway-

On Tuesday, June 7^th (the date on what would have been his 64^th birthday), at 12:07pm (Prince liked and used the number “7” throughout his career), a formal press conference was held in downtown Minneapolis to officially dedicate the block near the fabled First Avenue club, as Prince Rogers Nelson Way. 

The commemoration is the latest jewel in the city’s “Crown our Prince” project, following last week’s unveiling of Miami artist’s Heiro Veiga’s massive mural adorning the nearby Ramp A city parking structure. 

Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, CEO of the Rae Mackenzie Group and Joan (“of Art”) Vorderbruggen, a former Hennepin Theater Trust executive began this effort some seven years ago. Fully supported by the city, Mayor Jacob Frey also gave remarks as well as Steve Cramer, President / CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, Ward 7 Council Member Lisa Goodman, City Council President Andrea Jenkins, and LLondell McMillan, Prince Legacy’s music attorney and owner of The Source, accompanied by family members Brianna Nelson and John Nelson, Jr.

After the brief speeches, Smith-Akinsanya and Vorderbruggen led the procession across the street and both jointly pulled the ropes on the purple fabric covering, to formally reveal the commemorative street sign and reveal Prince Rogers Nelson Way to all- a new and celebratory sign ‘o the times. 

Sharon Smith-Akinsanya

Joan Vorderbruggen

Jacob Frey

L Londell McMillan and Nelson family

Prince Rogers Nelson Way Unveiled

Andrea Jenkins

Steve Cramer

Lisa Goodman

Crowd at unveiling

Prince Rogers Nelson Way street sign (2022-06-07)

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

Steve Noonan at Edina Art Fair (04 June 2022)

Setlist One Word Said The Harder I Try Dreamland Rising Fast A Mile Long Lying to Myself Wake up with You I Won't Be Waiting I Could Be Anywhere Either Way It's All Gone Wrong Read More Katy Vernon Singer/songwriter Katy Vernon opened up the show, she is actually British-born, but is currently living in the U.S. Vernon dedicated "Play" to Lucy Rose, fitting with the lyrics "sing to me". …

After a two-year hiatus, due to the pandemic, Minnesota’s oldest art fair, Edina Art Fair (now it its 55th year), returned to 50th & France in Edina, this weekend. An estimated 250,000 attendees and over 250 artists and vendors, the Edina Art Fair is one of the top 50 art fair in the country... bigger than Art-A-Whirl.

If you were looking for a Father’s Day gift, there were a lot of good choices, from original art, prints, local designed clothing & accessories, and hand-made goods.

Parking and traffic around the blocked area was generally bad, but the organizers did put together a park and shuttle ride situation, if you didn’t want to deal with traffic in the area.

There were plenty of food and beverage food trucks all around (usually at the end or beginning of each road). So if you’re in the mood for Indian, Tibetan, Amish, Chinese, or general fair food, you can find it here.

Of course, there were live music. We had prior commitments later in the date, but we did make a stop to see Steve Noonan (not related to Steve Noonan, the folk singer-songwriter and guitarist, who came out of the same late-1960s Orange County singer-songwriter scene that spawned Tim Buckley and Jackson Browne).

This Steve Noonan grew up in New Jersey, but transplanted to Minnesota in 1990, was the recording engineer for Prince, and released his self-titled EP in 2009.

Noonan’s latest Dreamland came out in January 2022… which was the majority of the songs that he, and his five-member band (shaker/vocalist Lauren, guitarist Chris, drummer Timmy, bassist "Mac", keys Jordan), played for us at the Edina Art Fair.

Noonan and his keyboardist Jordan Hedlund will be playing as a duo at Music on the Patio, in Prior Lake, on July 22nd.

Music Schedule for Edina Art Fair for today, Sunday, June 5:

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Maryann and the Money Makers
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Katy Vernon
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello

Edina Art Fair

Edina Art Fair

Steve Noonan

Steve Noonan

Steve Noonan at Edina Art Fair (04 June 2022)

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

Prince Celebration 2022

Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center...

There is a Prince Celebration kicking off Thursday evening, June 2nd, and continues to Saturday at Paisley Park. There’ll be Q&A with artists who worked closely with Prince, including his former wife and NPG dancer Mayte Garcia (be sure to read about her appearance at the NPG show in 2018), longtime photographer Randee St. Nicholas, collaborator and Purple Rain co-star Jill Jones, and longtime Paisley Park Studios engineer Tom Garneau, for Friday and Saturday at Paisley Park. Unfortunately, due to other commitments, we aren’t covering the event this year… but it looks like a fun time.

Instead, what I can talk about is the Prince Mural & Celebration Launch Party, which is taking place tonight, June 2nd, as they complete the 100-foot mural. The block party is open to the public… at least, that is my understanding.

I did briefly saw mural artist Heiro Veiga of Miami, organized by Sharon Smith-Akinsanya and Joan Vorderbruggen in Mid-May to get a glimpse of what the mural would eventually look like (the first image on the left). I was asked to not make a public post, at that time… but now that the mural is nearly completed, I can show you its progress. Seven years in the making, I can tell you that the artists behind the mural is very proud of their work.

JUNE 2 from 7-10pm
Ramp A, Downtown Minneapolis

Line-up:
7pm - DJ Mickey Breeze kicks us off
8pm - Dr. Mambo's Combo LIVE
9pm - Official Prince Mural Unveiling in Lights

Prince Mural

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

Sir Chloe at Turf Club, St Paul (14 May 2022)

Setlist July Untie You Animal Daddy's Car Mercy Should I Company Michelle Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover) Home Where I Am the Dog Sedona Feel Again -- Encore -- Easy on You Cake Too Close Read More Sir Chloe Sir Chloe, who recently appeared with alt-J in March 2022 at the Armory, is returning as headliner at the Turf Club in St Paul this May 14th. … Moon Kissed Moon Kissed to open the show. We caught the band in Nov 2021 and wrote, “Moon Kissed (Leah, Emily and Khaya) started their set with “Money Mouth”… and proceeded to play every song they’ve ever written. …

New York’s Sir Chloe just headlined the Turf Club in St Paul on Saturday, May 14.

Opening the show was Moon Kissed. The trio (Leah, Emily and Khaya) is ending their tour in support of their sophomore album I’d Like To Tell You Something Important, and you can tell that they are going to miss being on stage.

Seeing them perform in Nov 2021 and seeing them perform live at the Turf Club, there is a certain happiness in the band when they win over the crowd or get the audience to dance with them. They just love playing, and you can see it when they give it their all.

Like their last appearance, singer Leah has a thing for dancing on the bar at every show they play… and it’s no difference with the Turf, as she climbed the Turf Club’s bar and jumped around laughing and smiling.

Comparing their two live shows, which were only six months apart, they’ve changed up their setlist. Now they play prerecorded audio diaries before some of their songs, such as “Lost It”. The spoken word recording reminded me of early riot grrrl themes, like Chia Pet’s “I don’t need to be ‘asking for it’” from their song “Hey Baby”.

While it’s sad to see Moon Kissed go, they’ll be playing a few live shows in Brooklyn, and they’re already set to play Riot Fest 2022.

Sir Chloe is the name that Dana Foote’s mother almost gave her. In the final year at Bennington College in Vermont, Foote formed Sir Chloe. They signed with Los Angeles-based imprint Terrible Records, and released their debut EP Party Favors.

The young musician had a massive breakout hit single, “Animal” (over 12 million views), and “Michelle” also seeing massive numbers.

Currently the band is Dana Foote as band leader, guitarist and producer Teddy O’Mara, drummer Palmer Foote (her brother), and bassist Austin Holmes.

Dana mentioned that their song “Mercy” is not yet released. She didn’t explain more, but I can tell you that it is going to be a single off her forthcoming major label debut with Atlantic Records.

Highlight of their set was a cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which is fitting for the Twin Cities, as the song was written by Prince for The Family. It wasn’t until Sinéad O’Connor covered the relatively obscure song that it became a massive global hit (to this day, people still think it’s an O’Connor song).

Look for Sir Chloe’s forthcoming debut album from Atlantic Records sometime in the near future.

Remaining tour dates:

May 16 Denver, CO, US Meow Wolf Denver
May 17 Salt Lake City, UT, US Kilby Court
May 19 Portland, OR, US Polaris Hall
May 20 Vancouver, BC, Canada Fox Cabaret
May 21 Seattle, WA, US Barboza
May 23 San Francisco, CA, US August Hall
May 26 San Diego, CA, US Quartyard
May 27 Santa Ana, CA, US Constellation Room
May 28 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Moon Kissed

Setlist

Sir Chloe

Sir Chloe

Sir Chloe at Turf Club, St Paul (14 May 2022)

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

Idles at Palace Theatre, St Paul (2021-10-07)

IDLES Setlist Colossus Mr. Motivator Grounds Mother Anxiety 1049 Gotho Samaritans Divide and Conquer War Danny Nedelko Television Faith in the City Reigns Love Song The Beachland Ballroom Never Fight a Man With a Perm Danke Rottweiler Gustaf Setlist Liquid Frown Design Book Mine The Motions Best Behavior Dog Dream Cruel Package Read More Idles U.K.’s Idles (stylized as IDLES) announced new album, Crawler (Partisan Records) and their sold-out North American tour – starting it all at St Paul’s Palace Theatre on October 7th. ... Gustaf Their sold-out North American tour – starting it all at St Paul’s Palace Theatre on October 7th. Gustaf is set to open the show. ...

British rock band Idles (stylized as IDLES) headlined the Palace Theatre, in St Paul, on Thursday, October 7th. The band released Ultra Mono during the COVID pandemic, so this is the first tour to feature those songs live… and as a special bonus, the band is previewing a new song from their forthcoming album Crawler, set for release on November 12, 2021, via Partisan.

Gustaf Setlist

Brooklyn art punks Gustaf opened the show, playing, basically, their entire debut album Audio Drag For Ego Slobs (Royal Mountain Records). They even played “Dog”, which was clearly not written on their setlist, resulting them going over their set time.

Gustaf is singer/flutist Lydia Gammill, with bassist Tine Hill, guitarist Vram Kherlopian, drummer Melissa Lucciola, and backup vocalist/goofy dancer/percussionist Tarra Thiessen. Their music is described as ESG meets Jonathan Richman… and you can hear it: they got that rhythmic “dance dance dance” sound with Richman’s humorous story-songs.

They ended their set with “Package” which had a false ending. Gammill rambled on about merch and doing the YMCA symbol… before sucker-punching us with relaunching back into the song’s finale.

U.K.’s IDLES took the stage slightly later than advertised… with the audience chanting “Idles! Idles! Idles! Idles!”. You know you’re in for a heck of a show when the audience is this restless.

When they finally came on stage, the audience went nuts. Watching them perform the intro song “Colossus”, followed by “Mr. Motivator” (“You! Can! DO IT!”), I can best described their music as powerful. You can just see singer Joe Talbot trying to contain his anger.

With his heavy Welsh accent, Talbot thanked us for coming to the show, “This is the first time we’ve brought these songs to life” (referring to their pandemic album Ultra Mono).

Highlight of the show is whenever guitarist Mark Bowen is crowd surfing while still playing chords!

Perhaps it’s because they were in Minnesota, but their song “Love Song”, medley a little bit from Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”: “It's been seven hours and 15 days since you took your love away… I went to the doctor, guess what he told me. Guess what he told me?”

Even though the band announced their new album, Crawler, the band didn’t play any songs from the new album – except for “The Beachland Ballroom”, which serves as a preview for what’s to come. It made sense, considering that fans wouldn’t know any new songs since the album is not out yet.

IDLES’ Ultra Mono is out now, their fourth album Crawler will be out in November.

IDLES 2021 tour dates:

Oct. 9: Detroit (Saint Andrew’s Hall)
Oct. 10: Columbus, Ohio (Newport Music Hall)
Oct. 12: Boston (House of Blues)
Oct. 13: Philadelphia (The Fillmore)
Oct. 15: New York (Terminal 5)
Oct. 16: New York (Terminal 5)
Oct. 17-18: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Oct. 20: Asheville, N.C. (The Orange Peel)
Oct. 21: Nashville (Cannery Ballroom)
Oct. 22: Atlanta (Heaven at the Masquerade)
Oct. 25: Austin, Texas (Stubb’s)
Oct. 26: Dallas (Granada Theater)
Oct. 27: San Antonio, Tx. (Paper Tiger)
Oct. 28: Phoenix (The Pressroom)
Oct. 30-31: Pioneertown, Calif. (Pappy & Harriet’s)
Nov. 1: Pomona, Calif. (Glass House)
Nov. 3-5: Los Angeles (Fonda Theatre)
Nov. 6: San Francisco (The Warfield)
Nov. 8: Portland, Ore. (Crystal Ballroom)
Nov. 9: Seattle (Showbox)
Nov. 10: Seattle (Showbox SoDo)

Gustaf Tour dates:

10/9 - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall #
10/10 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall #
10/12 - Boston, MA - House of Blues #
10/13 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore #
10/15 - New York, NY - Terminal 5 #
10/16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5 #
10/17 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
10/18 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
10/20 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel #
10/21 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom #
10/22 - Atlanta, GA – Masquerade #
10/25 - Austin, TX - Stubb's #
10/26 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater #
10/27 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger #
11/2 - Birmingham, UK - The Sunflower Lounge $
11/3 - Bristol, UK - Rough Trade Bristol $
11/4 - London, UK - The Dome $
11/6 - Brighton, UK - Mutations Festival
11/8 - Leeds, UK - Hyde Park Book Club $
11/9 - Manchester, UK - YES (Pink Room) $
11/10 - Liverpool, UK - Arts Club Loft $
11/11 - London, UK - The Windmill, Brixton
11/13 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who Festival
11/14 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Festival
11/14 - Brussels, BE - Witloof Bar
11/16 - Berlin, DE - Cassiopeia
11/17 - Haldern, DE - Haldern Pop Bar
11/18 - Paris, FR - Les Femmes S'en Melent
11/19 - Lille, FR - The Black Lab
11/20 - Luxembourg City, LU - Rotondes Klub
12/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
12/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *

# - supporting IDLES
$ - supporting Pillow Queens
* - supporting Osees

Gustaf

Gustaf

Gustaf

Idles

Idles

Idles at Palace Theatre, St Paul (2021-10-07)

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

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain exhibits at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

About First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom Your all-access pass to the stars, the shows, and the stories of the legendary club that put Minnesota music on the map. Exterior entrance of First Avenue, 7th Street Entry. Black and white photo by Daniel Corrigan. Since 1970, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been at the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Celebrate the musicians, the employees, and the regulars who called First Avenue their rock 'n' roll home. About Prince: Before the Rain Minnesota photographer Allen Beaulieu helped shape the icon we know today as Prince. As Prince's personal photographer and friend, he had access to Prince that few photographers have had, before or since. Based on Beaulieu's photography book, Prince: Before the Rain, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candids. Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center...

(Note: like most other public buildings, the Minnesota History Center is currently closed, but we invite you to check out the exhibits once this public health crisis subsides)

Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's. That fabled history is documented in a unique exhibit now on display called First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom at the Minnesota History Center.

Filled with decades of memorabilia showcasing renowned national, international and local acts, the exhibit is all-access pass that brings the club into sharp focus as to how and why it has flourished over five decades of presenting live music.

The beginning hallway of the exhibit features an impressive collage of monthly calendar flyers from its heyday, with numerous acts who would later play arenas and stadiums (like U2 who composed part of 'October' during their first soundcheck there), penciled in alongside bands that have been forgotten over time.

A front corner of the exhibit highlights the club's 70's-era days as a danceteria and the tenure when it was known as Uncle Sam's, complete with a lighted disco dance floor with accompanying videos and ephemera from the period.

A battered first cash register, graffiti wall with stickers, numerous photographs, and backroom documents are many of the mini kiosk displays seen along the way. Heralded national bands that began in Minnesota are given their own individual displays, including a speaker and lyric-filled drum kit from Husker Du, sneakers and a Gibson Les Paul from Soul Asylum, and even the actual touring van from hip-hop collective Doomtree.

A small theater features a mini-movie about the club running every twenty minutes, a wall of impressive silkscreen gig posters is located near the back, and interactive displays let you write in your most memorable shows attended, and guests can even customize their own First Avenue star.

Of course, a good amount of the exhibit is dedicated to Prince, who gave First Avenue even more acclaim and awareness, when the club was used as a central location in 1984's Purple Rain. His famous purple suit is there, along with associated memorabilia and even fan-made memorial tributes left after he passed, are on display. Additionally, an unused version of his famous motorcycle in the film, is located in the museum's main lobby downstairs.

As a bonus, a sister exhibit called Prince: Before the Rain is located nearby and features photographic prints from friend and early official photographer Allen Beaulieu, covering the time period from the late 70's to just before Purple Rain.

Based on Beaulieu's photography book of the same name, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candid images that provide an insider's visual insight into the musical legend.

We were on-hand for the official opening of the Before The Rain exhibit last October, celebrated with a group discussion featuring Beaulieu, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson, and DJ Kevin Cole, moderated by Andrea Swensson of The Current. Each of the panel related stories and memories from the time period that provided additional detail into Prince's early days, his association with the club, and meteoric rise into the public eye.

The exhibits were initially due to run only until May 3^rd, but with Paisley Park's annual Celebration delayed into the fall, and the museum currently closed due to virus concerns, expect an extended run for both exhibits, once all is re-opened. Additionally and related, a documentary on First Avenue is premiering on the local Minneapolis public television channel on March 30.

Prince PR motorcycle

Prince exhibit

Prince exhibit

Purple Rain suit

Theater mini movie

DoomTree van

Husker Du drumkit

Soul Asylum display

sticker wall

poster display

Uncle Sams dancefloor

Uncle Sams items

History Center hallway

History Center hallway

Al Beaulieu / Andrea Swensson

Dez Dickerson / Kevin Cole

Al Beaulieu

Dez Dickerson

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

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

We♥Movies: Mr. Nelson On the Northside (Prince documentary advance screening)

Mr. Nelson On the Northside Producer: Dan D’Or, Michael J. Kirk Distributor: Kew Media Synopsis The journey to the top was a challenge for the shy kid from a broken home in North Minneapolis. This is the story never before told. In a mixedrace neighbourhood during the Civil Rights movement, Prince found security, musical opportunities and encouragement at a local community center called ‘The Way’. This influence, coupled with the culture and music of the era, gave Prince his passion for music and performance. In this film, Prince’s mentor Spike Moss explains the origin and influences that shaped Prince’s musical skills. Musical icons such as Chuck D, Macy Gray and Chaka Khan recount never before told stories of Prince and how his unique creative form inspired them. His fans share personal experiences of his social media connections and private performances at Paisley Park. Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center. …

“This is how we funk on the Northside, got to be bold” - Prince, ‘Northside’

Since Prince Rogers Nelson unexpectedly passed away just over three years ago, the veritable floodgates have opened in terms of tributes, books, and documentaries about his fabled life, with even more coming soon.

Of those, none really focuses sharply on his formative early years and life as a mostly shy, sometimes mischievous, and extremely talented kid growing up in North Minneapolis, until now.

Mr. Nelson On the Northside is an in-progress documentary that plants a foot in Prince’s North Minneapolis neighborhood going into detail about the local community center called The Way, that helped nurture and encourage his fast-developing musical talent.

A workprint of the documentary was recently screened for the neighborhood community at a semi-private affair at Minneapolis North High School (FYI, Prince’s alma mater was not North, but the now-demolished Central High School).

It is unusual and somewhat brave for a director to screen a work that is still being finished, but director/producer Michael Kirk (credited as, and on IMDB as Kirk Fera) was both in town to do a few last interviews and very much wanted the neighborhood’s opinion of the as-is film, as one of his main objectives was to give the community a collective voice, regarding their own musical favorite son.

The film as we saw it, ran approximately ninety minutes, is told mostly chronologically with some nicely done supplemental animated bits, and is peppered with interview portions from known celebrities (some more apropo than others) such as Chaka Khan, Macy Gray, Orianthi, Dennis Quaid, Public Enemy MC Chuck D, Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger, and Living Colour ex-bassist Muzz Skillings.

Localy-based interviews were done with author and on-air personality Andrea Swensson, journalist Neal Karlen, local DJ Walter “Q Bear” Banks Jr, and activist and former director of The Way, Harry “Spike” Moss, with Karlen, Banks, and Moss in attendance for the screening.

As Prince’s star rose and he left Minneapolis to tour the world, so the film leaves the area as well, until near the end when it re-connects with the neighborhood and reveals tentative future plans to re-establish The Way, both here and elsewhere.

Khan (who is also their subject for an upcoming documentary herself) has a good amount of screen time, re-telling the story where she was tricked into going to the studio by Prince over the phone, he masquerading as someone else, and Swensson fills in many details of the developing scene locally, as her 2017 book Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of Minneapolis Sound (Univ of MN Press) begins in the year of Prince’s birth, 1958.

The film’s middle wanders a bit and it tries to wrap his arms around Prince’s global success with some of the interview content more germane to its subject than others, but becomes again compelling as things move full circle back into the neighborhood that spawned him with comments from people like Moss and Banks, that reinforce Prince’s overall value as inspiration to his home community.

“This film explores the man behind the hype – never has a film about Prince included the childhood influences in his life that helped create the genius that he was,” says Kirk in a statement, and it mostly achieves this, though would be unfair to fully review it while it is still in progress.

The documentary’s title itself might be a little confusing to the casual fan, as Mr. Nelson refers to the name Prince first wanted to be known as, before first producer Chris Moon explained to him there was already a more famous Mr. Nelson (Willie), and that his birth name was the natural choice to perform as.

The film will insert a few new interviews and undergo a final editing cut, before it is solicited to streaming, cable, and broadcast channels, with hope for wider and multi-country distribution soon.

Mr. Nelson On the Northside gives a much needed voice to the proud community that helped nurture the talent of a musical one-of-a-kind, a neighborhood that has much to say, but is still rarely asked to speak.

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Sheila E. / Liv Warfield / Donna Grantis / Judith Hill at Paisley Park, Chanhassen (11 March 2019)

Women Who Rock at Paisley Park Sheila E Setlist Funky National Anthem: Message 2 America One Nation Under a Groove/Mothership Connection (Star Child) (Parliament/Funkadelic cover) Get on the Boat (Prince cover) Holly Rock The Belle of St. Mark Mona Lisa Bailar Rockstar with Purple Rain instrumental outro A Love Bizarre with Staples Singers' I'll Take You There snippet If You Want Me to Stay (Sly and the Family Stone cover) America (Prince and the Revolution cover) > Baby. I'm a Star (Prince and the Revolution cover) > The Glamorous Life Judith Hill Setlist Gypsy Lover You Can't Blame Me Queen of the Hill Chasing Rainbows Footsteps As Trains Go By Cry, Cry, Cry Jammin' in the Basement Sheila E Tour Dates Mar 30, 2019 San Carlos, AZ Apache Gold Casino Apr 20, 2019 Hammond, IN Chicago Market Apr 27, 2019 Phoenix, AZ Phoenix Convention Ctr May 26, 2019 Mableton, GA Mable House Barnes Amph May 30, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE Jun 7, 2019 Yountville, CA Lincoln Theater Jun 9, 2019 Hollywood, CA Playboy Jazz Festival Jun 13, 2019 Las Vegas, NV Ceasar’s Palace Jun 14, 2019 Tulsa, OK Oklahoma State University Jun 26, 2019 Pleasanton, CA Alameda County Fair Jun 27, 2019 Seattle, WA Suquamish Clearwater Casino Jul 13, 2019 Ontario, Canada Bluesfest Windsor July 20, 2019 Los Angeles, CA Pershing Square Aug 16, 2019 Louisville, KY Kentucky State Fair Sep 14, 2019 Concord, CA Concord Pavillion Oct 3, 2019 New York, NY Sony Hall Oct 4, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA TBA Oct 5, 2019 Washington, DC Howard Theater Dec 12, 2019 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Liv Warfield Tour Dates Apr 21 City Winery Boston Apr 23 City Winery Chicago Donna Grantis Tour Dates Mar 28 Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis, MN Judith Hill Tour Dates Apr 18 Müpa Budapest Budapest, Hungary Read More Sheila E. Night Four of Super Bowl Live, the free concert series on Nicollet Mall in anticipation of Sunday’s Super Bowl LII game… Monday, January 29, 2018 SALUTE TO PRINCE 4:00 pm DJ Dudley D 8:00 pm Sheila E. 8:30 p.m. Morris Day and the Time 9:15 p.m. The Revolution … Liv Warfield All corners filled as the pre-show festivities started just after 10pm, with an hour-plus of music featuring singers Shelby J, Liv Warfield, and Elisa (Fiorello) Dease doing a short set ... Donna Grantis from Shelby J, to Liv Warfield, Marva King, Kip Blackshire, Elisa Fiorillo Dease and Judith Hill and musicians like Donna Grantis and Ida Nielsen, guitarist Mike Scott, Levi Seacer Jr. and 90’s members Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella ... Judith Hill Midnight: members of the invited media (Star Tribune, Fox9, City Pages, The Current) are escorted back to Paisley’s Studio A, for what turns out to be an introduction to singer Judith Hill, a preview of her new music, and some Q+A. … Shelby J The spirited encore started with a non-stop medley of hits anchored by Shelby J, Prince returning to the stage just as ‘Dancing Machine’ finished and launching into a...

Pink was added to the familiar Purple at Paisley Park as International Womens Day extended past the Friday and the weekend, to welcome a marathon concert and first-ever all-female musical event held on the grounds.

The occasion was #WomenWhoRock, a mostly private, invite-only event sponsored by business-to-business tech company SAP that brought together on the same stage for the very first time Judith Hill, Donna Grantis, Liv Warfield and Sheila E., with Shelby J serving as the evening’s emcee.

Less than five hundred people attended the well-run five-hour event, the majority being SAP employees (local, national and international) with everyone being bused in from the local high school, so as not to clog up the streets around the studio complex, for an evening that celebrated women in a manner, that despite the corporate auspices, Prince would have surely approved of.

After some requisite short speeches, the evening’s entertainment began with a forty-five minute set from Judith Hill and band (including her mother on organ and father on bass), “It's so good to be back- I have literally not been on this stage in three years, so it's an emotional night” Hill said, starting things with the funky groove of ‘Gypsy Lover’ from recent self-released album, Golden Child which came out last November.

The upbeat funk continued with ‘Don’t Blame Me’, which featured a classic rhythm guitar riff and outro’d with the Michael Jackson/Sly Stone mash of ‘Don’t Stop ('til You Get Enough)/ ‘I Want to Take You Higher’ before things momentarily slowed down as Hill took to piano for ballads ‘Chasing Rainbows’ and ‘Footsteps’.

“A revolution is upon us” the taped intro to ‘As Trains Go By’ declared, and perhaps thinking of the Purple One, she said “Before it gets better, you gotta cry, cry, cry a little bit longer before the sunshine comes out” before the bluesy ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ from her Prince-produced 2015 album. “All the purple love in this building, it's infectious!” she added towards the end of her abbreviated set.

3^rd Eye Girl guitarist Donna Grantis has new music forthcoming with solo album Diamonds and Dyanamite (on eOne Records) due out April 5 and entertained the crowd with forty minutes of instrumental jazz/rock/funk/fusion. It was an ideal case of “let the music do the talking” as Grantis and band shifted styles effortlessly as the songs demanded, unleashing thunder on new tracks like ‘Trashformer’ with her drummer being the band’s not-so-secret weapon, showing considerable chops.

Liv Warfield and band were next, supercharging things right out of the gate, celebrating her 2014 album The Unexpected (on 1860 Property) finally being available on all major digital platforms with a blistering version of the title track, which sprang from Prince’s own version called ‘Wow’.

Making the most of her forty-five minutes, her raucous version of Buddy Miles’ 1970 song ‘Them Changes’ revved up the Paisley crowd along with her own ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Why Do You Lie?’ Longtime guitarist Ryan Waters (also a touring member of Sade’s band Sweetback) continued to be the yang to her musical yin, and the rest of the band was impressively solid as well.

Shelby J didn’t have a set of her own, but when DJ Michael Holtz played Prince’s ‘Chelsea Rodgers’ that originally featured her on the track, she couldn’t help but ask out loud, “Is that my song?” proceeding to sing along at full volume. And it has to be said that the soundstage at Paisley remains one of the best sounding spaces in the metro, a continuing testament to Prince’s musical determination for excellence.

Sheila E’s hour-long closing set began in the most patriotic way, with her ’Funky National Anthem: Message 2 America’ starting things as band members marched out one by one, followed by a taste of some George Clinton P-funk.

Prince’s ‘Get on the Boat’ was played early and she asked if anyone remembered Krush Groove before going into ‘Holly Rock’ from the 1986 movie. She cheekily re-titled her own ‘Mona Lisa’ as ‘Mona Lisa for SAP at Paisley Today Cha-Cha-Cha’ surely to the corporate sponsor’s delight, then brought ten fans on stage to dance along to her recent single, ‘Bailar’.

Strapping on a guitar, Sheila walked through the smiling crowd for a bubbly ‘Rockstar’ ending it with an instrumental portion of ‘Purple Rain’ then gave an emotional speech about choosing love and valuing what you might lose. From there, things turned more upbeat with signature song, ‘A Love Bizarre’ and a Sly Stone cover that showcased backup singers Lynn Mabry and Rebecca Jade.

“We have a curfew at Paisley?! That' ain't right… Tyka! Sing fast?! All right...” she said, seeing that time was running crucially short, running breakneck into versions of Prince’s ‘America’ and ‘Baby, I’m a Star’ as the other ladies joined on stage, with Sheila shouting, “I'm not done! Somebody scream!” ending the set and the evening, with ‘The Glamorous Life’.

Prince sang “I'll have your love in the end, soul of my soul, and God created woman” and on this special night at the iconic Paisley Park (which felt like a mini-Celebration concert), not only was the purple spirit alive, but also that of the #WomenWhoRock.

(all photos provided by SAP - click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Donna Grantis

Liv Warfield

Judith Hill

Judith Hill

Liv Warfield

Liv Warfield

Donna Grantis

Sheila E

Shelby J

Shelby J

Sheila E

Sheila E

Sheila E

Women Who Rock at Paisley Park, Chanhassen (11 March 2019)

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Minneapolis: December 10 to December 15, 2018

Sheile E at First Ave Read More Sheila E. Night Four of Super Bowl Live, the free concert series on Nicollet Mall in anticipation of Sunday’s Super Bowl LII game… Monday, January 29, 2018 SALUTE TO PRINCE 4:00 pm DJ Dudley D 8:00 pm Sheila E. 8:30 p.m. Morris Day and the Time 9:15 p.m. The Revolution …

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from December 10 to December 15, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

SHEILA E.
First Avenue
Wed 12/12/2018 (7pm/$45)
first-avenue.com

We’re big Prince fans, so we’re always happy to keep an eye out for any purple-related artist, such as drummer Sheila E. (Sheila Escovedo) headlining First Avenue’s main room on December 12th.

Before the age of 20, she was already jamming with George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Con Funk Shun, Marvin Gaye (on his final world tour), Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, Steve Nicks, and, of course, Prince.

No opening band listed.

Tour Dates:

12/12/2018 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
03/02/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/03/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/04/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/05/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/06/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/07/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/08/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
03/09/2019 The 80's Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL

Other shows in the area:

XIII Arrows at 7th Street Richard Thompson at First Ave Larkin Poe 2018 Tour Amber Run 2018 Tour Jordan Carr at 7th Street Mason Jennings: Race You To The Light Read More Mason Jennings Local pop/folk singer Mason Jennings has a two-night residency at First Avenue this December 5 and 6th. The thing about him is that he has a very distinctive voice... and he will definitely be playing some tracks off his 2011 .…

XIII ARROWS
+ The Push, Shamble Town Rebels
7th Street Entry
Mon 12/10/2018 (7pm/$10)
first-avenue.com

Minneapolis’ XIII Arrows (Mike Borell, Eddie Rickert, John Rickert, Harrison Kohler Wood) or 13 Arrows for non-Roman readers is headlining the 7th Street Entry on Monday, December 10th. The Push and Shamble Town Rebels to open.

RICHARD THOMPSON
+ Logan Ledger
First Avenue
Tue 12/11/2018 (7:30pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

Richard Thompson, billed as Richard Thompson Electric Trio will be arriving to the mainroom at First Avenue on Tuesday, December 11th. Thompson’s new album 13 Rivers is available now on New West Records.

Tour dates:

12/05/2018 Headliners Music Hall Louisville, KY
12/11/2018 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
12/15/2018 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, ON

LARKIN POE
+ Goodnight, Texas
7th Street Entry
Thu 12/13/2018 (7pm/$22/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Nashville-based sister duo Larkin Poe will be opening up for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band at the Xcel Energy Center the night before (December 12th).

Fans can get a more intimate show with Larkin Poe and Goodnight, Texas at the 7th Street Entry on December 13th. The show is sold out.

Larkin Poe’s third album Venom & Faith (Tricki-Woo Records).

Tour Dates:

12/8 - The Burl - Lexington, KY
12/9 - Old Rock House - St. Louis, MO
12/10 - Knuckleheads - Kansas City, MO
12/12 - Xcel Energy Arena - St. Paul, MN
12/13 - 7th St. Entry - Minneapolis, MN
12/14 - Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL
12/15 - SPACE - Evanston, IL
12/17 - El Club - Detroit, MI
12/18 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
12/20 - Bon Secours - Greenville, SC
12/21 - Booth Playhouse - Charlotte, NC
12/22 - Infinite Energy - Duluth, GA
12/31 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA
1/5 - Van Andel Arena - Grand Rapids, MI
1/9 - Huntington Center - Toledo, OH
1/11 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
1/15 - Allen County War Memorial - Fort Wayne, IN
1/19 - Nationwide Arena - Columbus, OH
1/22 - Peoria Civic Center - Peoria, IL
1/26 - Denny Sanford Premier Center - Sioux Falls, SD
2/20 - EXIT/IN - Nashville, TN
2/22 - The Brew Brothers - Reno, NV
2/23 - TEDxUniversityofNevada - Reno, NV
2/23 - The Brew Brothers - Reno, NV
2/25 - Keeping The Blues Alive - Tampa, FL

AMBER RUN
+ Ellevator
Cedar Cultural Center
Fri 12/14/2018 (7pm/$15)
thecedar.org

British trio Amber Run (Joe Keogh, Tomas Sperring, and Henry Wyeth) will be at the Cedar Cultural Center on December 14th.

Canada’s Ellevator (Elliott Gwynne, Michael Boyd, Nabi Sue Bersche & Tyler Bersche) is listed on their tour poster as opener.

Tour dates:

12/06 - The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA
12/07 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington D.C.
12/08 - Music Hall - Brooklyn, NY
12/09 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
12/11- Velvet Underground - Toronto, CAN
12/13 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
12/14 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN

JORDAN CARR & THE BOYS
+ Supportive Parents, Bird Streets
7th Street Entry
Fri 12/14/2018 (7:30pm/$10)
first-avenue.com

Jordan Carr & The Boys will be headlining the 7th Street Entry on Friday, December 14th. Supportive Parents and Bird Streets will open.

If you didn’t know, Bird Streets is the stagename of Brooklyn-based musician John Brodeur. We actually caught Brodeur, when he was performing under his name, in April 2011, and said, “In contrast to the full Humbugs band, John Brodeur was very minimalistic with his one-man show. It's kind of interesting to see Brodeur playing all the acoustic, loops, beat boxing, tambourine, etc., all in real-time.”

This time around, as Bird Streets, he will be accompanied with a live band.

Bird Streets Tour Dates:

Dec. 7 - Albany, N.Y. - The Hollow
Dec. 9 - Washington, D.C. - Songbyrd Vinyl Lounge
Dec. 10 - Columbus, Ohio - Tree Bar
Dec. 11 - St. Louis, Mo. - Ready Room
Dec. 12 - Davenport, Iowa - Raccoon Motel
Dec. 13 - Milwaukee, Wisc. - Cactus Club
Dec. 14 - Minneapolis - 7th Street Entry
Dec. 15 - Chicago - Moe’s Tavern
Dec. 16 - Detroit - Outer Limits Lounge

MASON JENNINGS
+ Tiny Deaths
First Avenue
Sat 12/15/2018 (7pm/$25)
first-avenue.com

Local singer Mason Jennings is headlining First Avenue in Minneapolis on Saturday, December 15th. Jennings new album Songs From When We Met came out on May 11, 2018.

Show up early to check out local band Tiny Deaths. The duo (Claire de Lune and Grant Cutler) just released a new album called Magic.

Details about the show:

Mason Jennings with tiny deaths at First Avenue

Tickets → bit.ly/2PDG9oE
General Admission:
$25.00 advance | $30.00 day of show
18+ / ID Required

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