W♥M

Just Like Every Groovy Christmas

It never fails, every year, around this time, we get a ton of new Christmas songs. It’s a tradition, after all.

Read More Silversun Pickups As it had been a decade-and-a-half since Silversun Pickups had last played Lawrence, Kansas; for their longtime local fans, the anticipation of this show at Liberty Hall was years in the making. … Low Low’s Mimi Parker has died. The news came via Twitter: Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but ....

Silversun Pickups
silversunpickups.com

American alternative rock Silversun Pickups recently shared their cover of Low’s “Just Like Christmas.” The song was produced by Butch Vig (Garbage) and all proceeds will be donated to Union Gospel Mission, a charity of Low’s choice, in Mimi Parker’s name. Parker recently passed away in November.

Brian Aubert of SSPU shared, “We’ve been fans of Low’s beautiful music for a long time now. When we heard the news about Mimi’s passing, we were incredibly sad. With Alan’s blessing, we decided to cover one of their Christmas songs, with hopes of raising money for a cause dear to Alan in Mimi’s name. Low’s Christmas is a classic. It was the first one I ever heard that made me feel holiday music could be cool.”

Nikki from Silversun Pickups (16 Aug 2022)

We saw Silversun Pickups in August 2022 and wrote, “As it had been a decade-and-a-half since Silversun Pickups had last played Lawrence, Kansas; for their longtime local fans, the anticipation of this show at Liberty Hall was years in the making.”

Silversun Pickups Tour Dates

Fri, Feb 17, 2023 Birmingham, AL Iron City
Sun, Feb 19, 2023 Knoxville, TN Mill & Mine
Mon, Feb 20, 2023 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Tue, Feb 21, 2023 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
Thu, Feb 23, 2023 McKees Rock, PA Roxian Theater
Fri, Feb 24, 2023 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
Sat, Feb 25, 2023 Chicago, IL Radio Show
Tue, Feb 28, 2023 Little Rock, AR The Hall
Thu, Mar 2, 2023 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Sat, Mar 4, 2023 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre
Sun, Mar 5, 2023 Ft Worth, TX Tannahill's
Mon, Mar 6, 2023 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Tue, Mar 7, 2023 Houston, TX House of Blues
Thu, Mar 9, 2023 Austin, TX Emo's

Read More Linda Lindas I was actually excited to see that The Linda Lindas will open the show. If I were to guess, the band is named after the Japanese film, Linda, Linda, Linda, which I wrote about in May 2007. .… Paramore Headliners Paramore have reunited, and the pop punk band has released new single, “This is Why” from a brand-new album of the same name, out in late Feb. Recent live sets have opened with the new single, leader Hayley Williams .…

The Linda Lindas
thelindalindas.com

The Linda Lindas (11 July 2022)

Do you guys remember The Linda Lindas? We saw them open for Japanese Breakfast in July 2022, and honestly, we were way more excited about the opener: “For a young (literally teenagers), new band, they sure had plenty of songs under their belt, as they played a rock/punk fun 43-min set on the first night of the tour.”

The Los Angeles punk band recently stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed their new holiday single “Groovy Xmas.”

Fans can catch The Linda Lindas one last time this year when they headline a sold out show at LA’s Fonda Theatre on Dec. 15. A full rundown of upcoming tour dates including a 2023 tour with Paramore.

Tour dates:

5/27 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Adjacent Music Festival
7/6 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center *
7/8 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena *
7/9 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center *
7/11 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
7/13 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena *
7/24 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
7/25 – Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum *
7/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Arena *
7/29 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
7/30 – St Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center *
8/2 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *  

* w/ Paramore

Good NEWZ Girls
@GoodNewzGirls

“Every Christmas”, the new single from Nickelodeon’s Good NEWZ Girls recently aired on Nickelodeon’s holiday TV special, The Great Nickmas Tree Sliming… Hosted by That Girl Lay Lay.

The official music video, which was helmed by MTV VMA-nominated director Sarah McColgan, already hit over 1 million views on YouTube alone.

“Every Christmas” is the first holiday single from the new edition of Good NEWZ Girls’ debut EP, Winter Getaway. After listening to the Christmas song, it’s pretty good - if you like auto-tune and pop music. It’s fun, it’s catchy, and kids will love it.

Read more Christmas.

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

Silversun Pickups at Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS (2022-08-16) concert review

Read More Silversun Pickups Recently, Silversun Pickups announced their 15-date November tour, with special guest Zella Day. The tour will hit all major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Tulsa, and more. SILVERSUN PICKUPS SETLIST Well Thought Out Twinkles It Doesn't Matter Why Panic Switch Scared Together The Pit The Royal We Freakazoid Kissing Families Don't Know Yet Substitution Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance) Latchkey Kids Dots and Dashes (Enough Already) Nightlight Encore: Alone on a Hill Little Lover's So Polite Lazy Eye SILVERSUN PICKUPS TOUR DATES 18 AUGUST Aspen, CO BELLY UP 19 AUGUST Denver, CO CHANNEL 93.3'S BIG GIG 28 SEPTEMBER San Diego, CA THE OBSERVATORY NORTH PARK 29 SEPTEMBER Anaheim, CA HOUSE OF BLUES 1 OCTOBER Rancho Mirage, CA AGUA CALIENTE CASINO 2 OCTOBER Ventura, CA THE MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER 3 OCTOBER Los Angeles, CA THE ORPHEUM THEATRE 6 OCTOBER Oakland, CA FOX THEATER 7 OCTOBER Monterey, CA GOLDEN STATE THEATRE 8 OCTOBER Stateline, NV HARRAH'S LAKE TAHOE 9 OCTOBER Sacramento, CA ACE OF SPADES 15 OCTOBER Fresno, CA NEW ROCK 104.1'S BREW ROCK 2 NOVEMBER Boston, MA HOUSE OF BLUES 4 NOVEMBER New Haven, CT COLLEGE STREET MUSIC HALL 5 NOVEMBER Montclair, NJ THE WELLMONT THEATER 6 NOVEMBER New York, NY WEBSTER HALL 8 NOVEMBER Baltimore, MD RAMS HEAD LIVE! 9 NOVEMBER Philadelphia, PA THE FILLMORE 11 NOVEMBER Raleigh, NC THE RITZ 12 NOVEMBER Charlotte, NC THE FILLMORE 14 NOVEMBER Orlando, FL HOUSE OF BLUES 15 NOVEMBER St. Petersburg, FL JANNUS LIVE 17 NOVEMBER Atlanta, GA BUCKHEAD THEATRE 18 NOVEMBER Nashville, TN MARATHON MUSIC WORK

“I’ve been waiting, I’ve been waiting for this moment” -- Silversun Pickups, “Lazy Eye”

As it had been a decade-and-a-half since Silversun Pickups had last played Lawrence, Kansas; for their longtime local fans, the anticipation of this show at Liberty Hall was years in the making.

The evening would begin with a forty-minute set courtesy of Kansas City, MO-based Kid Computer (George McMillian; Matt Gore; Dalton Grenier; Andy Wooden), in support of brand-new full-length, Cafe Vertical Garden (on Super Sonic Records).

In addition to celebrating five years together as a band, they also announced the return of drummer Grenier- the band formed in 2017, self-released a series of singles, followed by an EP in 2019 and now an LP in 2022, playing their self-described “super-sonic pudding-pop”.

Anyone in the immediate area can catch them outdoors at Evergy Plaza in downtown Topeka on August 27 as they play the free ForgeFest 2022, promoting young talent and the city and county as a destination for economic development, that leads to successes for all.

===

The ninety-five-minute headlining set from Silversun Pickups, started like a time machine- a spooky ebbing hum and dry ice smoke prefaced the band taking the stage which began with “Well Thought Out Twinkles”, from their 2006 debut album, the song also remembered for being featured on Tony Hawk and Rock Band video games.

The band’s core foursome (Brian Aubert– vocals, guitar; Nikki Monninger– bass; Chris Guanlao– drums; Joe Lester– keyboards) has been basically intact for its two decades and have further honed their signature sound on new album, Physical Thrills (out this Friday on New Machine Recordings), again produced by Butch (Nirvana, Garbage) Vig.

An early-set extra gear of adrenaline was supplied by 2009’s “Panic Switch” with its unmissable Monniger bassline and chaotically beautiful guitar work, which here, was extended, de-constructed, then re-constructed. Aubert tried with difficulty to recall his last time in town (2006 at The Jackpot [r.i.p.] according to their site) but he also mentioned his love of older restored movie theaters as venues, and teased people to stay for a film following.

First single from the new album, “Scared Together” could certainly be looked at as an analogy for the pandemic, as Aubert sang, “We're so much better when we're scared together” then he prepared us all for battle on 2009’s “The Royal We” singing, “How many times do you wanna die? How many ways do you wanna die?” (coincidentally as a fight almost broke out on the floor).

2019’s “Freakazoid” still seems like a new song as the band didn’t have much chance to play it live before things shut down, and Aubert brought up that bassist Monniger may have had a ghost in her hotel room. “Don't Know Yet” found the crowd snapping along in unison, followed by the dizzying “Substitution” (flipped from the setlist order), and Aubert confessed to being “chicken-skinned” while in town, sensing some “strange juju” of sorts, though laughed it off and thanked the crowd for coming. The main set ended on energetic chants of “We want it”” on 2015’s “Nightlight”.

The encore began with the new record’s “Alone on a Hill” and a chance for Monninger to channel her inner Kate Bush as she took over lead vocals for the song, then amped into a wall of sound on 2006’s “Little Lover's So Polite” before things ended with the LA band’s best-known song, “Lazy Eye” and each band member would leave the stage one-by-one to applause, while Aubert’s guitar’s still hummed from some backstage corner, even long after he was off-stage.

The return of in-person live music means Physical Thrills (as opposed to virtual livestreams and teleconferences) and the return of Silversun Pickups to Lawrence after a fifteen-year absence, was just what local fans had waited so long for. (click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

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

We♥KC- August 16-22, 2022 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence / Topeka KS)

Read More Silversun Pickups Recently, Silversun Pickups announced their 15-date November tour, with special guest Zella Day. The tour will hit all major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Tulsa, and more.

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

School’s back in and preseason football has begun, signaling an end to summer, but there’s still a few warm triple-digit days left. Country music is still strong, as evidenced by Guitars & Cadillacs recently opening in Overland Park (with a concert from ex-KC resident Ty Herndon), but so is punk as a DIY club on Stadium Drive called Farewell recently opened as well.

A good mix of shows this week, though we’re not above the last-minute postponement, as evidenced by Incubus postponing their Friday night show at Azura, thought the rumor is singer Brandon Boyd’s back problems, not Covid-related, so check those socials before heading out.

Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City/Lawrence, KS metro August 16th–22nd

(Several artists are still requiring precautions for entry, so check with the venue and/or assume vaccination proof, might still be required)

Tuesday Aug 16

Hooveriii, Replay Lounge- Lawrence, $10

In support of the new A Round of Applause, the six-member psychedelic space rock band started initially almost a decade ago as a solo drum machine project by Bert Hoover (and is pronounced "Hoover Three"). Influenced by 70s Krautrock, the band aims to re-define their version of prog rock in today’s indie scene.

Austin TX’s Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band was supposed to share the stage for this tour but were forced to drop out due to internal strife and mental well-being issues.

Silversun Pickups Liberty Hall, $27.50-$55

Los Angeles indie rockers are due to return with the August 18^th release of new sixth studio album Physical Thrills, produced by Nirvana producer and Garbage drummer Butch Vig, with advance single, “Scared Together” already out to radio. We saw them last back in 2016, co-headlining with Foals. Live, they’ve been working in their recent cover of the late 80’’s Martika hit, “Toy Soldiers”.

For this 21-date tour, they’ve partnered with PLUS1 with $1 from every ticket sold going to the PLUS1 x Noise For Now Reproductive Health Access Fund supporting access to reproductive rights and services for all.

“You never know what can bring two people together,” notes bandmate Brian Aubert of the new single. This song is about becoming close and intimate with someone through hardship. Being thrown into something quite frightening brings out some shared qualities that connect them.”

Polyphia with Unprocessed and Death Tour, Granada. $22

Texas mostly instrumental prog rock band Polyphia hits the road after dropping new single “Playing God” via Rise Records. This is the band’s first new material since 2019 and since their last studio album, 2018’s New Levels New Devils. German prog metal band Unprocessed as support. Alternative hip hop act Death Tour had to drop off the tour on short-notice due to transportation issues.

Wade Bowen, Knuckleheads, $15

Texas Country/Red Dirt singer-songwriter and former member of West 84 has new single, “Everything Has Your Memory” out now, in advance of full-length, Somewhere Between the Secret and The Truth, just released on August 12^th.

Bowen’s debut album “Try Not to Listen” in 2002 made an initial splash on country radio and several albums followed, including live releases, The Blue Light Live and Live at Billy Bob’s Texas. More recently he’s worked alongside fellow Texan Randy Rogers on Hold My Beer, Volumes 1 and 2.

Sister Act at Starlight Theatre August 16-21 $15-$98

When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the lifestyle and Mother Superior. Filled with gospel music, dancing and a moving story, Sister Act is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship.

 Wednesday Aug 17

Petite Amie miniBar, $10

Mexico City-based psych pop group heads out on tour after sharing new single “Otra Vez”, via Devil in the Woods Records, taken from their forthcoming new album. Carlos Medina also doubles as the bassist for Little Jesus, but this project considers The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Big Thief, Magic Potion, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Crumb as main musical influences.

Local dark shoegazers Redder Moon to open in support of full-length “Hell is Other People” and more recent remixes.

Richie Kotzen, Knuckleheads. $24

Following projects with The Winery Dogs and Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith, the lauded guitarist is out on a solo tour. Over his long career, he’s opened for The Rolling Stones in Japan and been a member of both Mr. Big and Poison, though his own work is much more blues rock-oriented.

Thursday Aug 18

The Devil Wears Prada w/ Stray From The Path, Dying Wish, The Truman, $25-$44

Dayton, OH metalcore/Christian metal rockers out in support of the new Color Decay album. They are expected to play both 2010’s Zombie and last year’s sequel ZII EPs back-to-back, as well as new favorites and a selection of older tunes.

Black Stone Cherry, Knuckleheads. $20

Kentucky Southern rock four piece out in support of 2020’s The Human Condition and follow up live release, recorded at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall. The band has been going since 2001, and recently has been working in a Tracy Chapman cover into their live sets.

Doobie, Bottleneck. $20-$25/$100VIP

Not to be confused with the much older Doobie Brothers of course, the Ohio rapper is out on his Bat Shxt Krazy Tour with new album Misery Loves Kompany 2 out now.

Ann Wilson (of Heart), Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, $65

The legendary singer has a new solo album out, Fierce Bliss, which is a mix of covers and originals, and we saw her show which included both and plenty of Heart classics, on a blacktop parking lot back in 2017. Despite the age of 72, her vocals have remained mostly intact, sending familiar songs and covers from Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Rolling Stones, soaring.

Friday Aug 19

Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Bush, $29.89-$125

Part of local station 98.9 The Rock’s Rock the ‘Dotte series, spotlighting rock shows in Wyandotte County. Though AiC singer William DuVall recently put out a solo album, Alice in Chains’ latest is still 2018’s Rainier Fog, though the group hopes to reconvene in the studio following this summer tour.

Breaking Benjamin is due for a new one as well after 2018’s Aurora, though did release a Goo Goo Dolls cover with Diamante in 2020. Gavin Rossdale and Bush, however, do have a new record out, The Art of Survival, and will likely be playing all those familiar ‘90s hits as well.,

Boz Scaggs w The Robert Cray Band, Kauffman Center, $29-$89

After more than five decades, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Boz Scaggs continues to thrill with his signature blend of rock, blues, and R&B. Scaggs has produced 19 albums and dozens of hits, including “Lido Shuffle,” “Look What You’ve Done to Me,” and “Lowdown.” The seven-time Grammy nominee returns to his roots for the Out of the Blues Tour 2022.

The Robert Cray Band joins on for an evening of blues music. The five-time Grammy winner has a 20-album discography including hits like “Right Next Door (Because of Me),” “Smoking Gun,” and “Blues Get Off My Shoulder.” Singer-songwriter Jeff LeBlanc will open the performance.

New Respects, Encore, $20

Nashville rock and soul band known for energetic live performances released their acoustic EP Don’t Panic, but member Lexi recently bowed out of the band, due to full time motherhood. A chance to see them in the intimate confines of this small room.

Paul Rodriguez (comedian), Aug 19-20, Comedy Club of Kansas City, $24-$36

The longtime stand-up comedian and actor (last seen on-screen in last year’s Clifford the Big Red Dog) returns for two nights of masterclass-level comedy.

Saturday Aug 20

Florist w Marc Merz, recordBar, $15

The Brooklyn indie folk band is out in support of their self-titled album from Double Double Whammy that received a solid 8.5 review on Pitchfork, calling it as much an audio documentary as it is a folk album. We saw them on their first appearance in Minneapolis, back in June 2016 and leader Emily Sprague continues to push the boundaries of her role as lyricist, while still releasing ambient work under his own name. Local electro-folkies Mr. Golden Sun listed as support.

Turnpike Troubadours w Gov’t Mule, Azura Amphitheater, $39.50-$60

After a two-year hiatus, Turnpike Troubadours return to live stages. They released their breakout album Diamonds & Gasoline, in 2010, followed by Goodbye Normal Street, and their self-titled 2015 album featured "The Mercury" and "The Bird Hunters." In 2017, the band released the critically acclaimed album A Long Way From Your Heart.

The mighty Gov’t Mule are back as well, after being sidelined with Covid earlier in the year and Warren Haynes and co are in support of blues album, Heavy Load Blues. Morgan Wade and Muscadine Bloodline are also on the bill.

Tony Orlando, Ameristar, CANCELED

Sunday Aug 21

Kendrick Lamar w Baby Keem, T-Mobile Center, $55-$175

We goin’ be all right-- The Big Steppers Tour is the fifth concert tour by rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, in support of fifth studio album, 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Arguably, the greatest MC in the game today, early show reviews point to how visually immersive the stage set is and features a glowing cube.

Las Vegas rapper Baby Keem not only guests on the new Lamar album (both also won a Grammy for “Family Ties” in April) but has recent single, “Honest:” out now.

Opener LA rapper Tanna Leone was signed by Lamar to his imprint and has new full-length, Sleepy Soldier out now.

A Day to Remember, The Ghost Inside, Beartooth, Azura Amphitheater, $34-$65

It’s the humbly named Just Some Shows Tour MMXXII and the Florida hard punk pop hardcore group have a new single, “Miracle” released just a few weeks ago. Last full-length was 2021’s You’re Welcome.

LA metalcore group The Ghost Inside is performing songs from their self-titled 2020 release (but fifth full-length) for the first time, after pandemic delays.

Sean Kingston, The Granada – Lawrence, $26-$125

Out on his Road to Deliverance Tour, the Miami R&B/Hip-hop singer has been away for a while, though announced upcoming album Deliverance, with advance single, “Dark Times” featuring G Herbo and also collab’d at the end of 2021 with Japanese rapper TOMORO on single, “Let Me Hold You”.

Happy Together Tour, Kauffman Center, $29-$89

Featuring some of the greatest hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s, the touring roadshow returns with an evening full of 61 Billboard Top 40 smashes. The show features music legends The Turtles, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Association, The Buckinghams, The Vogues and The Cowsills.

Monday Aug 22

listen to an album

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

We♥KC - November 16-30, 2021 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence / Topeka KS)

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected at the recent Astroworld concert in Houston, TX- we all wanted live music to return, but not with these results.  Thankfully, things are much more calm in these parts, but still remain busy through the rest of the month, particularly at The Truman, which offers up a Thanksgiving cornucopia-sized basket of good shows. 

On the chance that you’re not out on Nov. 20, be sure to tune into the 5^th AnnualThundergong Benefit, a livestream-only event hosted by Jason (Ted Lasso) Sudekis and features Sammy Hagar, Nathaniel Rateliff, Counting Crows,Ben Rector, (Kansas City’s own) Waxahatchee, Wynonna, and many more for Steps of Faith Foundation. 

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the Second half of November

(a few recommended shows are highlighted below):

2021-11-16 Surfaces at Truman   2021-11-19 Silversun Pickups at Truman   2021-11-19 Geoff Tate at Knuckleheads   Read More Silversun Pickups Recently, Silversun Pickups announced their 15-date November tour, with special guest Zella Day. The tour will hit all major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Tulsa, and more. …

Tuesday November 16

Surfaces with Khai Dreams and Public Library Commute, The Truman. $27-$50

Texas-sized chill good vibes from this “no worries” duo that blends indie with calypso, reggae, pop, and hip-hop might be the kind of positive, laid back show we all need right now.  Their fourth full-length, Pacifico (on Caroline Records) came out in June, collaborating more recently with Tal Verdes on non-album single, “Sheesh!”

Zach Bryan, Uptown (7p). $30-$162

Smallpools w/ Morgxn, Uptown (9p), $22.

Citizen, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $19-$23.


Wednesday November 17

Goose, The Truman. $25-$50

Straight No Chaser, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $37.95-$63


Thursday November 18

Caribou with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Granada. $27

The Happy Fits, RecordBar. $15

Stephen Curtis Chapman, Folly. $26-$75

Squirrel Nut Zippers, Knuckleheads. $35

Riley Green w/ Matt Stell, Kameron Marlowe, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, $10.65-$12.


Friday November 19

Silversun Pickups, The Truman $29.50-$60

Anyone remember Martika?  Los Angeles alt rock band Silversun Pickups sure does, covering her 1988 radio hit in their own unique way and the band has also returned to the road, with a 15-date November tour in support of 2019’s Widow Weeds (on New Machine Recordings), all produced by famed producer (and Garbage drummer) Butch Vig.

We’ve covered them since late 2012, having last seen them live in 2016, and the newest album represents a confessional album about rebirth and renewal.  Singer Brian Aubert says of it, “This was the first album where we were open. We were exposed. I see how that can be scary to people, but for us, we really thrived on that.” Zella Day to open.

Geoff Tate, Knuckleheads. $27.50

Queensryche is scheduled to play KC just a week before(Nov 12) and seeing ex-vocalist Tate completes the picture, especially as he is set to perform classic albums Rage for Order and Empire in their entirety… “Can’t you hear it calling?”

Steep Canyon Rangers, Lied Center. $14-$35

Al Franken, Uptown, $47-92.

2021-11-20 Thundergong - 5th Annual Benefit   2021-11-20 Mayer Hawthorne at Truman   Read More Mayer Hawthorne Tuxedo (the Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One collaboration) is playing the Cedar Cultural Center this August 14. ....

Saturday November 20

Thundergong- 5^th Annual Benefit (livestream)
Thundergong! • A Benefit Concert for Steps of Faith Foundation

Mayer Hawthorne, The Truman. $25-$30

The Ann Arbor, MI native is back on the road supporting 8^th studio album, 2020’s Rare Changes (on Big Bucks Records) and deftly weaves his unique blend of soul-based indie pop that looks forward as well as keeps its inspirations from the past.  Hawthorne is also known for collaborations under the names Tuxedo and Jaded Incorporated.

Keith Sweat with Bell Biv DeVoe, Bobby Brown and more, T-Mobile Center. $66-$175

This would be a great show… in 1990.  But, it’s now a chance to re-live those days with a roster that also adds on 90’s acts Dru Hill (w/Sisqo) and Silk, so expect an evening of soul, R&B, and throwback New Jack. 

The Guess Who, Ameristar. $35-$150

Susan Werner, Yardley Hall- Overland Park, $25+

Aaron Watson, Uptown. $20-$40

Bodeans, Knuckleheads. $30

Ice Nine Kills, Granada Lawrence, $30.

Folly Frolic with Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery, Folly. $40-$125

2021-11-21 Lovelytheband and Sir Sly at The Truman  2021-11-21 Richard Thompson at Folly Theater   2021-11-26 Hembree at Truman   Read More lovelytheband lovelytheband is headlining the all-ages show at the Varsity Theater on Sunday, April 28th. Show up early to check out Flora Cash, Jagwar Twin, and OTW . … Hembree Dance trio Hembree (Isaac Flynn, Garrett Childers, Eric Davis) opened the show. Their aggressive dance songs had fans who showed up early dancing to songs like ‘Can’t Run Forever’ and ‘Found’… …

Sunday November 21

Lovelytheband and Sir Sly with Cannons, The Truman. $29.50-$35

This all-Los Angeles bands triple-bill might be the best indie-rock bang-for-your-buck of the season, as all three acts have considerable buzz around them.  We caught headliners lovelytheband at a much smaller venue in 2018 and just knew they were headed to bigger and better things.  The indie pop band returned to record racks with 2020’s Conversations with Myself About You (on Century Media/RED) and also non-album songs, “Games” (w/Tessa Violet) and “Miss You a Little” (w/Bryce Vine).

Co-headliner Sir Sly released third full-length, The Rise & Fall of Loverboy (on Interscope Records) this April, which includes single, “Citizen” with Gary Clark, Jr., and we’re loving everything we’ve heard from Cannons, whose hit single, “Bad Dream”, has been followed by by a digital-only cover album earlier this year. 

Richard Thompson, Folly Theater, $15-$50.

The English folk legend returns, still touring in support of nineteenth solo album, 13 Rivers (on New West Records) and over five decades of musical history, dating back to seminal 60’s band Fairport Convention.

Whitney Peyton, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $12-$15.


Monday November 22

Neck Deep, The Truman. $27.50


Friday November 26

Hembree, The Truman, $15-20.

Kansas City’s hometown indie-rock heroes return for a Black Friday headlining show, that is the perfect palette finisher after a day of shopping for holiday deals.  Latest album is 2019’s House on Fire (on Thirty Tigers Records) but the band also re-convened remotely during the pandemic for newest songs, “Operators” and “Reach Out”.

The quintet last played the area at recordBar in March 2020, so this is a big venue upgrade and looks to be a joyous way to spend the busy holiday weekend.  Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear and Dreamgirl to open.


Saturday November 27

Elton Dan and Friends, Uptown. $20-$25


Sunday November 28

Playboi Carti, Cable Dahmer Arena - Independence $29.95-$74.95

Nita Strauss, Uptown – Encore Room, $23.

The longtime guitarist for Alice Cooper (and before that, tribute band The Iron Maidens) plays a small venue that will allow one to see her formidable guitar skills, very up close.

2021-11-29 Baroness at Bottleneck Read More Baroness Due to popular demands, Baroness recently added a second show at Bar Fly (at the Skway Theatre). So now fans can get a chance to see the band on Friday or Saturday night. The Friday night show is sold out. …

Monday November 29

Baroness, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $60.   

Don’t be put off by the seemingly steep door charge to this show, as each ticket also includes a limited edition signed poster and the performance will feature two sets – the first, completely fan-voted and the second curated by the Georgia heavy metal band themselves.

We covered them last in 2016 and latest album is 2019’s Gold & Grey (on Abraxan Hymns Records), which they were previously set to tour with, but after a pandemic delay, are finally getting the chance to.  The album is produced by one of our favorites, frequent Flaming Lips collaborator, Dave Fridmann. 

Waterparks, The Truman. $28.50-$55 

You’ve got to admire this Houston trio for calling their new album, Greatest Hits (on 300 Entertainment) which came out in May and features newest single, “The Secret Life of Me”.  The hyperpop/rock band is playing to enthusiastic large crowds on their Night Out on Earth Tour with the album being so well received, its title might end up ringing completely true. 

The new record is a follow up to 2019’s FANDOM which hit #2 on Billboard’s Alternative Album Chart and you have to admire any group that releases a single honoring that childhood treat favorite, “Fruit Roll Ups”.  Phem and Zeph scheduled to open.


Tuesday November 30

Noah Kahan, The Truman. $22-$45

Purity Ring, Nov. 30, Granada. POSTPONED TO JUNE 13

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

Minneapolis: November 1 to November 6

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

11/01: Purity Ring at Palace Theatre   11/01: Silversun Pickups at First Ave   Read More Silversun Pickups Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!" …

11/01/2021 MONDAY

PURITY RING
with Dawn Richard
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Excerpt At the Palace: Purity Ring, Billy Strings, and Idles:

“Soshy” is the new single/video from Purity Ring… this is a follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed album Womb. The song is the first thing to be released through the band’s own label The Fellowship.

The band is also touring… they’ll be stopping by St Paul at the Palace Theatre on November 1st. Dawn Richard to open.

11/01/2021 MONDAY

SILVERSUN PICKUPS
with Zella Day
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Recently, Silversun Pickups announced their 15-date November tour, with special guest Zella Day. The tour will hit all major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Tulsa, and more.

We caught the band in May 2016 and wrote, “This alternative rock band from Los Angeles has been around for a while and seem to finally be getting the recognition they deserve.”

Silversun Pickups’ 5th studio album, Widow’s Weeds, is out now via their own New Machine Recordings label.

Silversun Pickups November Tour

11/01 – Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
11/02 – Madison, WI at The Sylvee
11/03 – Chicago, IL at The Vic Theatre
11/05 – Milwaukee, WI at The Rave
11/06 – Newport, KY at Ovation
11/08 – Detroit, MI at Saint Andrew’s Hall
11/10 – Grand Rapids, IM at Intersection
11/11 – Indianapolis, IN at The Vogue
11/12 – Pittsburgh, PA at Stage AE
11/14 – Cleveland, OH at Agora Theatre
11/15 – Columbus, OH at Newport Music Hall
11/18 – St. Louis, MO at The Pageant
11/19 – Kansas City, MO at The Truman
11/20 – Omaha, NE at Slowdown
11/21 – Tulsa, OK at Cain’s Ballroom

11/02: Good Night Gold Dust / Moon Kissed at 7th Street Entry   11/02: Crumb at Fine Line   Read More Crumb The group Crumb from New York was a super rad show to see as the sun started to finally give relief over the campgrounds. I believe they mostly played songs from their album Jinx, the song M.R. seeming to be the biggest hit in the crowd. …

11/02/2021 TUESDAY

GOOD NIGHT GOLD DUST and MOON KISSED
with The Catalina
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

NYC-based synth-pop trio Moon Kissed is touring in support of their sophomore album I’d Like To Tell You Something Important. They’ll be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on November 2nd… co-headlining with local band Good Night Gold Dust.

Moon Kissed tour dates:

10/14 - Terrace Club Princeton, NJ
10/22 - Elsewhere Zone One - Brooklyn, NY
10/23 - Songbyrd - Washington, DC
10/24 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
10/25 - The Basement - Nashville, TN
10/27 - Sundown at Granada - Dallas, TX
10/28 - Levitation Festival - Austin, TX
10/31 - Racoon Motel - Davenport, IA
11/02 - 7th St. Entry - Minneapolis, MN
11/03 - Sleeping Village - Chicago, IL
11/05 - Winchester Music Tavern - Cleveland, OH

11/02/2021 TUESDAY

CRUMB
with duendita
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Following the recent release of their new album Ice Melt, Crumb returns to announce a Fall North American tour. The band will stop by the Fine Line in Minneapolis with duendita.

Tour dates:

10/15 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
10/16 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
10/18 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/20 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
10/21 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/22 - 10/23 - Miami, FL @ III Points
10/24 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
10/27 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/28 - Austin, TX @ TBA
10/29 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
10/30 - Dallas, TX @ TBA
11/1 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
11/2 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
11/3 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/6 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
11/7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
11/12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
11/13 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
3/12 - Berlin, Germany @ Badehaus
3/13 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen
3/14 - Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtspeicher
3/16 - Cologne, Germany @ Bumann & Sohn
3/17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet
3/18 - Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique Rotonde
3/19 - Paris,France @ Point Éphémère
3/22 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk
3/23 - London, UK @ Electric Brixton
3/24 - Bristol, UK @ Fleece
3/26 - Manchester, UK @ YES
3/27 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
3/28 - Glasgow, UK @ St. Luke's
3/30 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Workman's Club

11/02: TWISABP at Turf Club   Read More TWIABP The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, just like their huge name, is a huge group and 8 people may sound ridiculous for an indie/ rock/ weird/ noise band but it was necessary and, even though they were crammed up on that stage, they played flawlessly. …

11/02/2021 TUESDAY

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
& I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE
with Bent Knee and Sunsleeper
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Illusory Walls is the new album from The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid To Die. The record came out recently (Oct 8), but you’ll have to wait until December 3rd for a vinyl edition, via Epitaph Records.

Bent Knee and Sunsleeper will open.

Tour dates:

10/12 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
10/13 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
10/15 Orlando, FL Soundbar
10/16 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
10/17 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
10/19 Austin, TX The Parish Room
10/20 Dallas, TX Club Dada
10/22 Phoenix, AZ The Rebel Lounge
10/23 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
10/24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
10/26 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
10/27 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
10/29 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
10/30 Denver, CO Globe Hall
10/31 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
11/2 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
11/3 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
11/4 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
11/5 Ann Arbor, MI The Blind Pig
11/6 Toronto, ON Lee's Place
11/7 Buffalo, NY Rec Room
11/9 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
11/10 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom
11/11 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
11/12 Philadelphia, PA The Church
11/13 Brooklyn, NY Elsewhere
11/14 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes

11/03: Pokey LaFarge at Fine Line   Read More Pokey LaFarge Pokey Lafarge is playing a two-night residency at the Turf Club in St Paul in support of his new album Manic Revelations (Rounder Records). For some odd reason, the venue is listing …

11/03/2021 WEDNESDAY

POKEY LaFARGE
with Esther Rose
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

American musician, writer, and actor, Pokey LaFarge is touring in support of his new album The Blossom of Their Shade (New West Records).

LaFarge will stop by the Fine Line on November 3rd, with Esther Rose.

Pokey LaFarge On Tour:

10/12 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre *
10/13 - Iowa City, IA - The Englert *
10/15 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note *
10/16 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads *
11/3 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line *
11/4 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall *
11/5 - Grand Rapids, MI - Wealthy Theatre *
11/6 - Indianapolis, IN - HiFi *
11/7 - Charleston WV - Mountain Stage
11/9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird *
11/10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
11/12 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live *
11/13 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall *
11/14 - Fairfield, CT - The Warehouse *
11/15 - Holyoke, MA - Gateway City Arts *
11/17 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Showcase Lounge *
11/18 - Ottawa, ON - Club Saw *
11/19 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern *
11/20 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern *

* with Esther Rose (duo)

11/03: Wood Brothers at First Avenue   11/04: Lone Bellow at Varsity Theater  Read More The Wood Brothers The Wood Brothers w/ Andrea von Kampen, Knuckleheads (moved from The Folly). The Americana trio hits the road again, in support of last year’s Kingdom on My Mind (on Thirty Tigers Records), Blending folk, gospel, jazz and blues, ...what other band covers the …

11/03/2021 WEDNESDAY

WOOD BROTHERS
with Sean McConnell
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Nashville-based three-piece The Wood Brothers announced an extensive fall 2021 tour…. The tour will stop by First Avenue on November 3rd with special guest Sean McConnell.

Tour dates:

10/13 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
10/14 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theatre
10/15 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
10/17 - Crystal Bay, NV - Crystal Bay Club Casino
10/20 - Redding, CA - Cascade Theatre
10/21 - Bend, OR - Midtown Ballroom
10/22 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
10/23 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
11/3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
11/4 - Stoughton, WI - Stoughton Opera House *
11/5 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom *
11/6 - Chicago, IL - Rivera Theatre *
11/7 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly’s *
11/9 - Sioux City, IA - Orpheum Theater *
11/11 - Springfield, MO - Gillioz Theatre *
11/13 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
12/1 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall **
12/2 - Ocala, FL - Reilly Arts Center **
12/3 - Lake Wales, FL - Orange Blossom Revue
12/4 - Key West, FL - Key West Theater **
12/5 - Hollywood, FL - Hollywood ArtsPark **
12/7 - Decatur, AL - Princess Theatre **
12/9 - Birmingham, AL - The Lyric Theatre **
12/11 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse **
12/12 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse **

* w/ Sean McConnell
** w/ The Dead Tongues

11/04/2021 THURSDAY

THE LONE BELLOW
with Early James
at Varsity Theater
varsitytheater.com

Excerpt The Moon and stars:

Nashville by-way-of Brooklyn Americana trio The Lone Bellow has been a favorite since their very beginnings as a band and in May ,released an expanded two-disc edition of their latest album Half Moon Light (on Duotone Records).

The band has returned to the road as well, scheduled to play the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on November 4, and returns to the main stage at Knuckleheads in Kansas City, MO this Tuesday. You may remember we covered their March 2020 show at the same venue, one of the last area shows before the global lockdown.  Expect a joyous return to live music.

11/05 & 11/06: Billy Strings at Palace Theatre   Read More Billy Strings Nashville’s Billy Strings (aka William Apostol) opened up the show. According to Billy Strings’ banters on stage, he “doesn’t make it to Minneapolis all that often”, so it was a real treat for him to be playing on the historic First Avenue’s stage. …

11/04/2021 THURSDAY
11/05/2021 FRIDAY

BILLY STRINGS
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer and musician Billy Strings is touring in support of his new album Renewal (Rounder Records).

He’ll be doing a double night over at the Palace Theatre on November 4 and 5.

Tour Dates:

10/14—Denver, CO—Mission Ballroom
10/15—Denver, CO—Mission Ballroom
10/16—Denver, CO—Mission Ballroom
10/17—Denver, CO—Mission Ballroom
10/29—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena
10/30—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena
10/31—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena
11/3—Milwaukee, WI—The Riverside Theater
11/4—Minneapolis, MN—The Palace Theatre
11/5—Minneapolis, MN—The Palace Theatre
11/6—Chicago, IL—Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
11/10—Philadelphia, PA—The Fillmore
11/11—Philadelphia, PA—The Fillmore
11/12—Richmond, VA—Virginia Credit Union Live
11/13—Washington, DC—The Anthem
11/15—Portland, ME—State Theatre
11/16—Portland, ME—State Theatre
11/17—Boston, MA—Boch Center Wang Theatre
11/19—Wilkes-Barre, PA—Mohegan Sun Arena
11/20—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore
11/21—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore
11/30—New Orleans, LA—The Civic Theater
12/1—New Orleans, LA—The Civic Theater
12/2—Houston, TX—White Oak Music Hall
12/3—Austin, TX—ACL Live at The Moody Theater
12/4—Dallas, TX—The Factory in Deep Ellum
12/9—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern
12/10—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern
12/11—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern
12/12—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern
12/17—Nashville, TN—Marathon Music Works
12/18—Nashville, TN—Marathon Music Works
12/30—Grand Rapids, MI—GLC Live at 20 Monroe
12/31—Grand Rapids, MI—GLC Live at 20 Monroe
01/01—Grand Rapids, MI—GLC Live at 20 Monroe

11/05: Carly Pearce at Varsity Theater   11/05: Brandy Clark at Fine Line   Read More Brandy Clark American country music singer-songwriter Brandy Clark released a new deluxe album called Your Life Is A Record (Deluxe) on Warner Records. The special extended edition features all eleven tracks from her Grammy-nominated album … 11/06: Slow Pulp at 7th Street Entry   Read More Slow Pulp Slow Pulp and Dehd to open. Tour dates: Thu. Sept. 12 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre Fri. Sept. 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom …

11/05/2021 FRIDAY

CARLY PEARCE
at Varsity Theater
varsitytheater.com

American country music singer and songwriter Carly Pearce will stop by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on November 5th. The singer, along with Lee Brice, recently won Single of the Year for “I Hope You’re Happy Now” at the 56th ACM Awards and “Music Event of the Year” at the 2020 Country Music Awards.

Tour dates:

Oct 8 Erie, PA, USA Erie Insurance Arena
Oct 9 Albany, NY, USA Times Union Center
Oct 10 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire
Nov 4 Des Moines, IA, USA
Nov 5 Minneapolis, MN, USA
Nov 6 Chicago, IL, USA
Nov 18 New York, NY, USA
Nov 19 Hopewell, VA, USA
Nov 20 Washington, DC, USA
Dec 2 Nashville, TN, USA
Dec 3 Bloomington, IL, USA

11/05/2021 FRIDAY

BRANDY CLARK
with Kelsey Waldon
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Excerpt Girls Girls Girls: Poppy, Soccer Mommy, Madison Cunningham, Brandy Clark:

American country music singer-songwriter Brandy Clark released a new deluxe album called Your Life Is A Record (Deluxe) on Warner Records. The special extended edition features all eleven tracks from her Grammy-nominated album, Your Life Is A Record, as well as six new songs including “Remember Me Beautiful,” which Clark wrote late last year with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose for NPR’s Morning Edition Song Project.

11/06/2021 SATURDAY

SLOW PULP
with Girl K
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Madison, WI-bred and Chicago-based band Slow Pulp will stop by the 7th Street Entry on November 6th, to play songs from their debut album Moveys in the Fall. Girl K to open.

Tour dates:

11/04/21 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater *
11/05/21 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo *
11/06/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
11/09/21 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall #
11/10/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court #
11/12/21 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
11/13/21 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore #
11/14/21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #
11/16/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill #
11/18/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo #
11/19/21 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar #
11/20/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
11/22/21 – Austin, TX @ The Parish #
11/23/21 – Dallas, TX @ Ruins #
11/30/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi ^
12/01/21 – Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar ^
12/03/21 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt ^
12/04/21 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl ^
12/05/21 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle ^
12/07/21 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd ^
12/08/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's ^
12/10/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere - Zone One ^
12/11/21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ^
12/12/21 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground ^
12/14/21 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison ^
12/15/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall's ^
12/16/21 – Detroit, MI @ El Club ^
12/17/21 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*

* w/ Girl K
# w/ Mamalarky
^ w/ Strange Ranger

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Minneapolis: April 25 to April 28, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from April 25 to April 28, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Silversun Pickups Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!" …

SILVERSUN PICKUPS
At First Avenue
Tuesday 04/25/17, 7pm ($28)
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ Silversun Pickups will be headlining First Avenue tomorrow.

We recently caught Silversun Pickups in May 2016 with Foals, and wrote, “This alternative rock band from Los Angeles has been around for a while and seem to finally be getting the recognition they deserve. They released Better Nature last year and played a lot of songs off of that but did not forget about their three previous releases.”

Kiev to open.

Tour dates:

Apr 25 Minneapolis, MN- First Avenue
Apr 26 Milwaukee, WI- The Rave
Apr 28 Cincinnati, OH- Bogart's
Apr 29 Columbus, OH- Newport Music Hall
May 1 Birmingham, AL- Iron City
May 2 Atlanta, GA- Buckhead Theatre
May 4 Oklahoma City, OK- Diamond Ballroom
May 5 Tulsa, OK- Brady Theater
Jun 09 Miami, FL- Bayfront Park Amphitheatre
Jun 10 Clearwater, FL – Coachman Park
Jun 11 Jacksonville, FL- TBD
Jun 13 New Orleans, LA- Bold Sphere Music
Jun 15 Nashville, TN- Ascend Amphitheater
Jun 16 Charlotte, NC- Charlotte Metro Credit
Jun 17 Raleigh, NC- Red Hat Amphitheater
Jun 18 Baltimore, MD- TBD
Jun 21 Boston, MA- Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Jun 23 Holmdel, NJ- PNC Bank Arts Center
Jun 24 Wantagh, NY- Nikon
Jun 25 Philadelphia, PA- Festival Pier
Jun 28 Toronto, ON- TD Echo Beach
Jun 29 Darien Center, NY- Darien Lake Performing
Jun 30 Syracuse, NY- Lakeview Amphitheater
Jul 01 Saratoga Springs, NY- Saratoga Performing Arts
Jul 02 Wallingford, CT- Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Jul 06 Chicago, IL- Huntington Bank Pavilion
Jul 07 Detroit, MI- DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jul 08 Cleveland, OH- Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Jul 09 Indianapolis, IN-- Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn
Jul 11 St. Louis, MO- Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Jul 12 Rogers, Arkansas- Walmart AMP
Jul 14 Houston, TX- Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Jul 15 Dallas, TX- Starplex Pavilion
Jul 18 Phoenix, AZ- Comerica Theatre
Jul 20 Los Angeles, CA- Greek Theatre
Jul 21 San Diego, CA- Cal Coast Credit Union
Jul 22 Las Vegas, NV- The Joint at Hard Rock
Jul 23 Berkeley, CA- Greek Theatre

Read More Sondre Lerche We already saw Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche in New York, in September. Lerche will be making his way over to Minnesota, at the Turf Club in Saint Paul this October 17th. ....

SONDRE LERCHE
at 7th St Entry
Tuesday 04/25/17, 7pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche (currently based in New York City) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry tomorrow (April 25th), touring in support of his eighth studio album Pleasure (PLZ label). The new record is the followup to Lerche’s “divorce” album from Mona Fastwold.

We previously caught Lerche in New York in 2014 and wrote, “The crowd seemed to be quite enthusiastic, which Lerche most definitely fed off of and gave the audience several opportunities to sing along. Combining both older songs like “Sleep on Needles,” and “Two Way Monologue” with new songs from the just-released album like “Bad Law” and “Legends”, the crowd got to revel in the oldies and enjoy the experiencing the new material live.”

Dedekind Cut to open.

Tour dates:

04/25 Minneapolis MN - 7th Street Entry
04/28 Vancouver BC - Biltmore Cabaret
04/29 Seattle WA - Columbia City Theater
04/30 Portland OR - Star Theater
05/02 San Francisco CA - The Independent
05/04 Los Angeles CA - Troubadour
05/05 Anaheim CA - The Parish
05/06 Phoenix AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
05/10 Austin TX - Antone’s
05/11 Houston TX - White Oak Music Hall
05/12 Dallas TX - Club Dada
05/13 New Orleans LA - One Eyed Jacks
05/19 Gothenburg, SE - Oceanen
05/20 Stockholm, SE - Kagelbanen
05/22 Copenhagen, DK - Vega
05/24 Amsterdam, NL - Sugar Factory
05/30 London, UK - The Borderline
05/31 Paris, FR - La Boule Noir
06/02 Berlin, DE - Maze

Read More xx Undoubtedly one of the hottest bands is London's The xx. With their sophomore album, Coexist, just released last month, the band proved that they're not some sort of one-hit/one-trick pony. … Tycho Tycho is back in Minneapolis this Tuesday, April 8th, in support of Awake, at a much bigger venue, First Avenue. Hopefully it's big enough to accommodate all of Tycho's fans. … Beacon Brooklyn's Beacon was a big buzz last night, having talked to a few fans that came out just to see them last night. This beats duo (Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett) just recently signed to Ghostly International …

Other shows in the area:

04/26/17 Hari Kondabolu and Raghav Mehta will be playing the Cedar Cultural Center. $20.

04/26/17 Rookie Of The Year and City Under Siege will be at Triple Rock Social Club. $12.

04/27/17 The Suburbs’ sold-out show at the Turf Club is this Thursday. $30/Sold Out.

04/27/17 Tycho returns to Minnesota, over at the new Palace Theatre. New York electro duo Beacon will be opening up the show. Both Beacon and Tycho came to town in 2015 and we noted, “Opening up the show was Beacon, a duo (Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett) from Brooklyn, New York, playing some tracks from L1 EP (Ghostly International) to near darkness with a custom film, projected onto the band. We've seen the electronic duo before, last December 2012, and I wrote that they had "big buzz." While at the time, I said they were 'thunderous rap bass', they seem to have taken it down a notch to more minimalistic and atmospheric.... at least based on hearing them perform on Sunday.” $29.50.

04/28/17 Bishop Briggs is headlining Fine Line Music Café. The show is sold out. Sold Out.

04/28/17 Flint Eastwood (not to be confused with Clint Eastwood) is headlining the 7th Street Entry. $10.

04/28/17 The Florists’ EP release show is at Triple Rock Social Club. $5.

04/28/17 The xx has a sold out show at the new Palace Theatre in St Paul. The trio’s third album I See You debut at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US album charts. The last time we saw the xx, it was in 2012 and we said, “The xx show was a little somber, with flashing lights at the appropriate beats. I was expecting more dancing from the audience, but for the most part, they kept very still. Which is cool, as someone pointed out that it was nice to see people actually listening and watching the show on stage.” Sampha to open. $49.50.

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

Minneapolis: August 28 to August 31, 2016

We are closing out the month of August with these shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from August 28 to August 31, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Bayside Out of all the bands I listen to, Bayside is definitely in my top three favorite bands of all time. There's something about them that makes me obsess over them .…

BAYSIDE
at Mill City Nights
Sunday, 08/28/16, 7:30pm ($18/$23)
millcitynights.com

We caught Bayside last September 2015 and wrote that it was “Absolute perfection”.

The American rock band is currently back on tour in support of their seventh studio album Vancancy, available now on Hopeless Records in North America.

Singer/guitar player Anthony Raneri (who recently move to Nashville) tells the story of his his marriage and finding himself alone in Nashville: “The hotel on the album cover reflects the feelings I had while working on Vacancy. Writing this album, I felt as if everything was uncertain, I could move back to New York, buy a house in Nashville… I just didn’t know what was going to come next. I felt very isolated and as if everything in my life was temporary at that moment.”

The Menzingers and Sorority Noise to open.

Tour dates:

08/20 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
08/21 Boston, MA House of Blues
08/23 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
08/24 Cleveland, OH Agora
08/25 Toronto, ON Opera House
08/26 Detroit, MI The Majestic
08/27 Chicago, IL Beer Festival
08/28 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
08/30 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
08/31 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
09/02 Seattle, WA The Showbox
09/03 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
09/04 San Francisco Regency
09/06 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
09/07 Los Angeles, CA Regent Theater
09/08 San Diego, CA The Observatory North Park
09/09 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl
09/10 Phoenix, AZ The Pressroom
09/11 Albuquerque, NM The Sunshine Theater
09/13 San Antonio, TX Alamo City Music Hall
09/14 Houston, TX House of Blues
09/15 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Live
09/16 Lawrence, KS Granada Theater
09/17 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room
09/18 Nashville, TN Exit/In

Read More A Silent Film As soon as Greycoats set ended, A Silent Film's fans raced up front to the stage: clearly, they were the band of the hour. The English alternative band had great energy, with a dedicated singer …

A SILENT FILM
at 7th Street Entry
Monday, 08/29/16, 7:30pm ($15)
first-avenue.com

Oxford’s A Silent Film is back in the USA, touring in support of their new album Sand & Snow.

We previously caught the band on their first visit in 2013 and again last October 2015 and wrote, “Oxford, UK band A Silent Film has pared down to a duo since we last saw them, bringing a fellow Oxford resident on bass and two Americans, on tour to play with them.... As a result, the band is in the midst of a rebirth of sorts themselves, and as evidenced by their newest and self-titled full-length.”

Grayshot to open.

Tour dates:

08/20 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl*
08/21 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort*
08/23 Bend, OR Century Center Events*
08/24 Boise, ID Revolution Center*
08/29 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
08/30 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
08/31 St. Louis, MO Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
09/02 Dallas, TX Club Dada
09/03 Stroud, OK Backwoods Music Festival

* supporting Silversun Pickups

Read More Guided by Voices Current DJ Mark Wheat went on-stage to intro the legendary Guided by Voices, but first gave the crowd a score update to the US game of the World Cup. This led into chants of “USA …

GUIDED BY VOICES
at First Avenue
Wednesday, 08/31/16, 7:30pm ($25/$30)
first-avenue.com

Cult indie rock band Guided by Voices will be headlining First Avenue next Wednesday, August 31st, in support of Please Be Honest.

Broncho will open the show. We’ve previously seen the band early in their career, in 2014 and 2013, and have written that this is a very lucky band to have been on tour with Billy Idol and now with GBV.

Broncho’s Double Vanity album is out now on Dine Alone Records.

Broncho’s tour dates:

8/22 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA*
8/23 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA*
8/26 - Neumos - Seattle, WA*
8/30 - Total Drag - Sioux Falls, SD
8/31 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN*
9/1 - Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI*
9/2 - Northside Tavern - Cincinnati, OH
9/3 - Metro - Chicago, IL*

* w/ Guided By Voices

Read More Minnesota State Fair Despite my protests, we end up going to the Minnesota State Fair every year. This is the "Great Minnesota Get-together", where everyone goes to enjoy eating something on a stick…

MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
at Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
08/25/16 - 09/05/16, 7am ($13)
mnstatefair.org

It’s that time of the year again: The Great Get-Together Minnesota State Fair! As usual, they have booked some great musical lineup this year.

Note: The GrandStand’s concert tickets are extra and does not include the State Fair’s entrance fee.

The GrandStand:

08/25/2016: Don Henley ($50)
08/26/2016: Charlie Wilson ($40)
08/27/2016: Dixie Chicks* ($57)
08/28/2016: Dixie Chicks* ($57)
08/29/2016: Happy Together Tour ($21)
08/30/2016: G-Eazy ($33)
08/31/2016: Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas ($33)
09/01/2016: Alabama ($40)
09/02/2016: Garrison Keillor ($27)
09/03/2016: Weezer ($35)
09/04/2016: Minnesota State Fair (Free)
09/05/2016: Bonnie Raitt ($36)

* Please note that one of W♥M favorite souls/blues band Vintage Trouble, along with roots band Smooth Hound Smith, are listed to open for Dixie Chicks, which is a bit of an odd billing.

Leinie Lodge Bandshell (free):

08/25-08/26: High Valley, Tonic Sol-fa, Martin Family Circus
08/27-08/28: The Bros. Landreth, Ashley Campbell, Dave Barnes
08/29-08/30: We Banjo 3, Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen, Infantry Division "Red Bull" Band
08/31-09/01: Pokey LaFarge The Quebe Sisters, The Sound Exchange
09/02-09/03: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Max Baca & Los TexManiacs, The Railers
09/04-09/05: Tim Cavanagh, The Last Bandoleros, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Peterson Brothers

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

Silversun Pickups & Foals at Myth, Maplewood (05 May 2016)

Silversun Pickups Setlist Cradle (Better Nature) Well Thoughts Out Twinkles The Royal We Nightlight Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance) The Pit Little Lover's So Polite Friendly Fires Latchkey Kids Panic Switch Ragamuffin Lazy Eye -- Encore -- Kissing Families Dots and Dashes (Enough Already) The Wild Kind Foals Setlist Snake Oil Olympic Airways My Number Providence Spanish Sahra Red Socks Pugie Birch Tree Late Night Mountain at My Gates Inhaler What Went Down Joywave Setlist Parade Nice House Bad Dreams Somebody New Tongues Destruction Destruction Read More Silversun Pickups Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!" … Foals "Are you ready? Because you don't sound f****ing ready!," yelled Foals' singer Yannis Philippakis as he worked the crowd. Foals rocked hard at First Avenue in Minneapolis last night to a group of young British rock music fans. … Joywave Special guest Joywave to open the show. Tour dates: 04/30/16 KDGE 102.1 EdgeFest 05/01/16 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q …

The Foals and Silversun Pickups tour just recently stopped by the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota.

Joywave

New York’s Joywave was the first band to play Thursday night. They seemed comfortable with their newly gained, but much deserved, popularity as they played through a quick thirty-minute set.

Daniel Armbuster (the singer) had a personality that shined as he joked around with the crowd. The banner behind the drumkit said something to the extent of "due to circumstances out of our control, Joywave will not be headlining tonight". Not only could you see it written on the banner, Daniel made it a point to inform the crowd that they were not headlining and only had a 30-minute set.

Joywave played a handful of songs off of their debut album How Do You Feel Now? and their new release Swish which is an exclusive and unique digital release that features an unreleased bonus track.

Joywave ended with their hit song "Destruction". After playing through the song once, Armbuster informed the crowd that their contract states they do not have to leave the show until they feel the crowd has been satisfied so they started "Destruction" for a second time and played it again.

Foals

English indie rock band, Foals was the second band to play and their live show was so full of energy that I was blown away. Prior to walking on stage, the room went dark and then the crowd was hit with bright lights and nonstop strobe lights while an ambient track played. When the members of Foals were finally spotted entering the stage, the crowd started cheering. When the first song started, the crowd seemed to go silent as to appreciate the music that was being performed.

Foals' music sounds way different live than it does on recordings. When they play live, the music has this sort of intensity that is lost in the recordings. Singer Yannis Philippakis had an extremely powerful and raw sounding voice throughout the set. It was powerful and perfect even when he decided to jump into the crowd. He was quickly swallowed up by fans as he tried to make his way back up to the stage after wandering around and crowd surfing for a little bit.

Brian Aubert

The headliner of the night was Silversun Pickups, currently featuring Nikki Monninger on vocals/bass, Brian Aubert on guitar and lead vocals, Chris Guanlao on drums, and Joe Lester on keyboards and soundboard.

This alternative rock band from Los Angeles has been around for a while and seem to finally be getting the recognition they deserve. They released Better Nature last year and played a lot of songs off of that but did not forget about their three previous releases.

Each song they played was finished with a warm round of applause from the full house. The crowd was quiet throughout the actual songs as if to show their respect for the true musicianship that this band has. Silversun Pickups sounded like a carbon copy of their recordings when they played live. Each song was played with perfection by each of the four members and it was so tight that it was hard to believe it was just a recording.

Remaining tour dates:

05/08/16 89X Birthday Bash
05/09/16 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
05/10/16 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
05/12/16 Charlotte, NC Fillmore Charlotte
05/13/16 Atlanta, GA Center Stage Theater
05/14/16 Shaky Knees Music
05/16/16 North Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
05/17/16 Greensboro, NC Cone Denim
05/18/16 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
05/28/16 St. Louis, MO Ballpark Village
06/04/16 Live 105 BFD
06/06/16 Seattle, WA The Showbox
06/07/16 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal
06/08/16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
06/17/16 Radio 104.5 Birthday
06/20/16 Chattanooga, TN Track 29
06/21/16 Knoxville, TN The Mill & Mine
06/22/16 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
06/24/16 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
06/25/16 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
06/26/16 DC101 Kerfuffle
07/22/16 Panorama Festival
07/25/16 Portland, ME State Theatre
07/26/16 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
07/28/16 Quebec City, QC Imperial Bell
07/31/16 Lollapalooza
08/27/16 Timpanogos Music Festival

Silversun Pickups at Myth, Maplewood (05 May 2016)

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

Minneapolis: May 4 to May 8, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from May 4 to May 8, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More The Struts Breakout U.K. band The Struts will be stopping by First Avenue this September 17th, in support of their hit Have You Heard EP (Interscope Records), with single "Could Have Been Me". … Made Violent Made Violent ended up missing their Minneapolis appearance. It is really a shame, because, as we've previously mentioned, this is an excellent band. ...

THE STRUTS
at First Avenue
Wednesday, 05/04/16, 7:30pm ($16/$18)
first-avenue.com

We’ve been following acclaimed UK rockers The Struts for a while now, and admitted that they weren’t quite ready to head their show at First Avenue in September 2015, because (at the time) the band only wanted to play a few songs for the US market. This included only seven songs (plus one encore), but they managed to fill out an hour. This is because of extended live version... plus singer Luke Spiller had three costume changes, making for a fun, entertaining show.

This time around, the band finally released their debut Everybody Wants and will be adding additional songs on their set. Recently, the band showcased a cover of The Vaccines’ “I Always Knew” and Drake’s “Hotline Bling”, combined with their single “Kiss This”.

Opening up the show will be our favorite Made Violent. We previously caught the trio (singer/bassist Joseph White, guitarist Rob Romano and drummer Justin Acee) in May 2015 and looked forward to their second appearance in October 2015.... but history would have it that their van broke down. When pressed about why they put up with the struggles of constant grinding and touring, Romano said, “We can’t wait to hop in our sh**y van and drive across the country to play for anyone and everyone. Two things really matter to us – making as much good music as we can, and touring as much as we can. We never want to stop doing this.”

Made Violent also finally released some Eps (Made Violent and Wasted Days) last year via Columbia Records/Startime International.

Tour Dates:

April 30—Frisco, TX—Toyota Stadium May 2—Des Moines, IA—Wooly’s May 3—Milwaukee, WI—The Rave III May 4—Minneapolis, MN—First Avenue May 6—Kansas City, MO—Middle of the Map May 8—Concord, NC—Carolina Rebellion May 9—Johnson City, TN—Capone’s May 10—Pittsburgh, PA—Altar Bar May 12—Norfolk, VA—Norva May 13—Atlanta, GA—Shaky Knees May 15—Jacksonville, FL—Jack Rabbits May 17—Fort Lauderdale, FL— Culture Room May 18—Orlando, FL—The Social May 20—Gulf Shores, AL—Hangout Music Festival May 21—Maryland Heights, MO—KPNT Pointfest May 22—Columbus, OH—Rock on the Range May 28—San Francisco, CA—Opera House May 28—Napa, CA—BottleRock Napa Valley June 5—Mendig, Germany—Rock am Ring June 3—Nurnberg, Germany—Rock im Park June 9— Sweden Rock Festival

June 10— Pinkpop Festival June 11—Download Festival June 12—Nova Rock Festival June 16—Madrid, Spain—Mad Cool Festival June 19—Dover, DE—Firefly Music Festival July 2—Rotselaar, Belgium—Rock Werchter July 3—Arras, France—Main Square Festival July 14—Asbury Park, NJ—The Stone Pony* July 20—Reading, PA—Downtown Alive* July 21—Clifton Park, NY—Upstate Concert Hall* July 22—WayHome Music July 23—Cleveland, OH—R&R HOF* July 25—Detroit, MI—St. Andrew’s Hall* July 26—Cincinnati, OH—Bogart’s* July 29—Chicago, IL—Lollapalooza July 31—Montreal, Canada—Osheaga August 1—Portland, ME—Port City Music Hall* August 2—Boston, MA—Royale Nightclub* August 6—Washington, DC—9:30 Club* *supported by Dorothy

Read More Silversun Pickups Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!" … Foals "Are you ready? Because you don't sound f****ing ready!," yelled Foals' singer Yannis Philippakis as he worked the crowd. Foals rocked hard at First Avenue in Minneapolis last night to a group of young British rock music fans. … Joywave BETTY WHO with Joywave, Great Good Fine OK at Fine Line Music Cafe Friday 10/17/14, 8pm $15: finelinemusic.com …

SILVERSUN PICKUPS / FOALS
at Myth
Thursday, 05/05/16, 6:30pm ($27)
mythlive.com

The co-headlining show of Foals and Silversun Pickups will be arriving to the Myth in Maplewood, Minnesota.

Foals recently scored their first #1 Alternative radio single with “Mountain At My Gates”, from their acclaimed fourth album What Went Down... so expect the crowd to go nuts when they play that song live. Find out why Q Magazine gave the band “Best Act in the World” in 2015.

As for Silversun Pickups, they made it on our annual favorite shows of 2015.

Special guest Joywave to open the show.

Tour dates:

04/30/16 KDGE 102.1 EdgeFest
05/01/16 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q
05/02/16 Houston, TX Revention Music
05/04/16 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank
05/05/16 Saint Paul, MN Myth
05/06/16 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
05/08/16 89X Birthday Bash
05/09/16 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
05/10/16 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
05/12/16 Charlotte, NC Fillmore Charlotte
05/13/16 Atlanta, GA Center Stage Theater
05/14/16 Shaky Knees Music
05/16/16 North Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
05/17/16 Greensboro, NC Cone Denim
05/18/16 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
05/28/16 St. Louis, MO Ballpark Village
06/04/16 Live 105 BFD
06/06/16 Seattle, WA The Showbox
06/07/16 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal
06/08/16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
06/17/16 Radio 104.5 Birthday
06/20/16 Chattanooga, TN Track 29
06/21/16 Knoxville, TN The Mill & Mine
06/22/16 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
06/24/16 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
06/25/16 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
06/26/16 DC101 Kerfuffle
07/22/16 Panorama Festival
07/25/16 Portland, ME State Theatre
07/26/16 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
07/28/16 Quebec City, QC Imperial Bell
07/31/16 Lollapalooza
08/27/16 Timpanogos Music Festival

Read More Wizard World Minneapolis The second annual Wizard World Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center just ended on Sunday. Compared to last year, I felt this year more fans were attending the panels... … Buffy So, today's entry is on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although they've used good music soundtracks, such as Echobelly, Curve, and Angie Hart (Frente), I'm going to . … Grimm Grimm season two is the opposite. I don't like how the main character's sidekick can now also see the supernatural characters. Also: why are there more . … Gotham Gotham is an upcoming Fox TV series (due out Sept 22) about the beginnings of Batman, his villains, a young Jim Gordon and the city that hosts them . …

WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON MINNEAPOLIS
at Minneapolis Convention Center
Thursday, 05/05/16, 6pm (FREE)
Friday, 05/06/16, 3pm ($35/$45)
Saturday, 05/07/16, 10am ($45/$55)
Sunday, 05/08/16, 10am ($40/$50)
minneapolis.org

It is pretty much all-Wizard World all weekend! W♥M will be bringing you extensive coverage of the three-day event - plus the traditional kick-off free event at the Mall of America on Thursday.

The Wizard World Comic Con’s “Kick Off the Con” event will take place at the Rotunda at 6pm and will feature Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk), Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and James Marsters (Spike, from Buffy).

Wizard has also published their Minneapolis Programming and here are some events we will try to attend:

FRIDAY, MAY 6TH

5:00 – 5:45pm Prince: The Comics Connection—“Batdance” And Beyond: With Dean Haspiel, Guy Gilchrist, Zak Sally & Alex Lubet (Room M100e)

6:00 – 6:45pm The Creative Mind: Top Artists On Drawing Comics With The Red Hook’s Dean Haspiel, The Books Of Magic’s Peter Gross, Animal Man’s Chaz Truog & Deadpool’s Mikey Babinski (Room 100e)

SATURDAY, MAY 7TH

11:30 – 12:15pm Guy Gilchrist’s Professional Creative Workshop (M100i)

12:00 – 12:45pm Protecting Star City And Oliver Queen With David Ramsey (Room 101)

1:00 – 1:45pm Adventures In Middle Earth With Billy Boyd (Room 101)

1:00 – 1:45pm Blood On The Bayou With Kristen Bauer (M100e)

1:30 – 2:15pm Inside The World Of Independent Comics With Billy Dogma’s Dean Haspiel, Mcad’s Barbara Schulz, Sammy The Mouse’s Zak Sally & Origins Unknown’s Victor Dandridge (Room M00i)

2:00 – 2:45pm Spider-Man: Menace Or Super-Menace? Hosted By J. Jonah Jameson (M100e)

2:30 – 3:15pm From Thumbs To Prints: Creating Your Own Comic Book With Koolasheck (M100i)

3:00 – 3:45pm Storytime Is Over: David Giuntoli, Bitsie Tulloch And Sasha Roiz (Room 101)

4:00 – 4:45pm Rise Of The Penguin: Robin Lord Taylor (Room 101)

4:30 – 5:15pm Security Gaps In Hogwarts (M100b)

5:00 – 5:45pm Intro To Cosplay With Wizard World Cosplay Guest Hannah Eva (M100e)

5:30 – 6:15pm Creating “The Crow” With James O’barr (M100i)

6:30 – 7:00pm Inside The Ring With Wwe® Superstar Paige™ (M100b)

7:30 – 9:00pm Wizard World Costume Contest Sponsored By Bandai Namco (Room 101)

SUNDAY, MAY 8TH

12:00 – 12:45pm Their Time Is Now: Falk Hentschel And Franz Drameh (M100e)

12:30 – 1:15pm Secrets Of Comics Writing Revealed! With Superman’s Dan Jurgens, The Red Hook’s Dean Haspiel, Albert The Alien’s Trevor Mueller & Spider-Man’s Danny Fingeroth (Room M100b)

1:00 – 1:45pm Out For A Bite With James Marsters (M100e)

1:30 – 2:15pm Batman V Superman: Threat Or Menace? With Superman’s Dan Jurgens & Spider-Man’s Danny Fingeroth (Room M100b)

3:00 – 3:45pm Wizard World Kid’s Costume Contest (M100b)

You can pay per day, but you’ll save money by purchasing all three dates at $75.

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

W♥M's Favorite 15 Shows of 2015

Read More Sleater-Kinney What are you doing on V-Day? If you're a Sleater-Kinney fan, you'll be at this sold out show. According to my bad memories and physical ticket stubs, I've seen Sleater-Kinney at least three times, and have expressed sadness ... The Decemberists Sure, their music is associated with hipsters and it's fair to assume singer Colin Meloy writes lyrics like he's from 1920, but The Decemberists are an unbelievably good band. … 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. ... Sam Smith Sam Smith has sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC and The Forum in Los Angeles in minutes, with a second show in Los Angeles being added on January 29, 2015. The month-long .... Big Star Big Star is releasing some singles on Record Store Day. This is to coincide with the release of the documentary of Big Star called "Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me", which you can check out the … Blur After the release of The Magic Whip (first album since Think Tank was released in 2003), this world tour sees Blur play Australia (including the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay) … Wizard World Minneapolis Wizard World Minneapolis officially began its pop culture weekend takeover last night, with a kickoff event held last night at the rotunda in the Mall of America. In addition to a trivia contest for … Violent Femmes Violent Femmes have announced details of their eagerly awaited new EP, HAPPY NEW YEAR. The four-track EP will be released April 18th, exclusively on 180 gram champagne clear vinyl … Go 96.3 We were really impressed with Go 96.3 FM's first Go Show #1 (featuring New Politics and Banks at Aria on Mar 2015). We were wondering how they can top that debut show … Festival Palomino We covered Trampled By Turtles' first ever Festival Palomino last year. It was such a great learning experience for us, and we had a great time... so much that it made it onto my top ten favorite shows from 2014 (out of … The 1975 Matt Healy, lead singer for Manchester UK band, The 1975, is a marked man. And this past weekend, he returned to the city where it all happened. … The Adicts The version Cristina loves is the Adicts' version. Song of the week is Adicts' "Falling in Love". ... FFS FFS - the unique collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks - have announced their first ever North American live dates. This once-in-a-lifetime tour .… Weezer Weezer's singer Rivers Cuomo brought out his dad, Frank Cuomo, and they play "Back to the Shack". One of the most touching things I have witness in my many years of watching Weezer shows. … Carole King Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a musical on the life of songwriter Carole King, based on the biography written by Douglas McGrath. The musical has a residency at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis until the end of November. …

This year (2015), W♥M covered 346, which is an absolutely amazingly large number considering that we basically don't cover shows from December to February.

With so many shows, it's hard to just pick 15 shows to talk about... and I know there are a few that I feel bad about leaving off the list. I recommend looking over our list below and clicking on the shows you are most interested in reading and checking out for yourself.

With that said, here 15 favorite moments of 2015:

Sleater-Kinney at First Avenue
14 February 2015

This was my fourth time seeing Portland's Sleater-Kinney, and it was possibly my favorite. After "breaking up" in 2006, it was a bit of a surprise when they announced their reunion in October 2014 (with a new album No Cities to Love no less!). Of course, their entire 2015 North American show immediately sold out, but we were lucky enough to be there.... as were all the dedicated fans (who we haven't seen in quite a while).

We wrote, "I also wanted to mention that this wasn't just a SK reunion, but a reunion for all their fans. Personally speaking, I saw old friends I have not seen in nine years and it was all because SK came back to the music scene... so from the bottom of my heart, thank you Sleater-Kinney. "

The Decemberists at Northrop Auditorium
24 March 2015

Similar to Sleater-Kinney, beloved The Decemberists disappeared from the music scene in 2011. We caught singer Colin Meloy solo in 2013, and although he did play some Decemberists songs, it just didn't feel the same. When the opportunity to see them live, after they announced an unexpected new album What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, we jumped on board on the sold out show.

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

Belle & Sebastian at Enmore Theatre and Rock the Garden
29 January 2015/20 June 2015

My all-time favorite post-Britpop is Scottish band Belle & Sebastian. Although the band experienced some difficulties with their label (basically Jeepster Records didn't think they can grow beyond their cult-like status) and losing a few key band members (including sweet songstress Isobel Campbell), the band seemed to be in top form on this 2015 tour. They first hit the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia, and eventually made their way to Minneapolis at Rock the Garden.

Personally speaking, as a diehard fan, I felt it wasn't their strongest performance in Minneapolis. They've been gone for 9 years from the city, and their song choices weren't what I wanted or expected. Still, despite all that, their two song finales were unfortgettable: "The two closing tracks, ‘The Boy With the Arab Strap’ and ‘I Didn't See It Coming’ were absolutely unforgettable. Murdoch walked on the front barrier and asked if anyone wanted to dance and encourage fans to come on stage. About thirty fans jumped to the stage and just had an absolute blast singing and dancing... and, yes, taking plenty of selfies."

Sam Smith at Roy Wilkins Auditorium
24 January 2015

We were lucky enough to have caught Sam Smith right before his road to stardom: winning six Grammy Awards (in Feb 2015) - including Record of the Year and Song of the Year - and Brit Award winner for British Breakthrough Act and Global Success.

We wrote, "With his career just starting (though he mentioned he’s had a manager since age 12) and a strong chance that he walks away with several Grammys next weekend, Sam Smith’s local debut was worth the wait, with likely several more appearances in the years ahead, to come."

Wizard World Minneapolis
01-03 May 2015

The second annual Wizard World Minneapolis was a whole lot of fun. Unlike 2014's show, this year they had a few musical acts in conjunction to the comic book/geek fandom show: Critical Hit and our favorite Japanese Superhero band Peelander-Z. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, the Peelander-Z show was cut short.

As we reported, "After just 25 minutes, the venue cut off the band's instruments!! Everyone in the audience and the band looked incredibly puzzled by the shutdown. The fans were screaming "One more song! One more song!" and Pink replied, "If only we could, but they won't let us play!"

Barenaked Ladies and Violent Femmes at Treasure Island
12 June 2015

After Brian Ritchie sued singer Gordon Gano in 2007, The Violent Femmes broke up. It was only recently (2015) that they reformed, so we were more than happy to make that long drive to Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing, Minnesota, to see them. Embarrassingly enough, I thought this was my first time seeing VF, until I was reminded by a friend of mine that we had seen them in early 2000 at First Avenue. Suddenly, the memories flooded back! I will confess that I have a terrible memory.

Anyway, seeing VF was such fun! Everyone in the audience were singing to every word (expect for the two new songs), but I will also mention that I LOVE Colin Hay (from Men At Work) and he was definitely the highlight of the Barenaked Ladies' set. BNL aren't bad either, they were surprisingly a very entertaining band.

We wrote, "Say what you will about Canada's Barenaked Ladies, but they are a great live band. All those years touring, singer Ed Robertson has developed an amazing ability to randomly improvise some raps and songs. My personal favorite was the "Ring Ding Ding for Red Wing" rap, it's clear to me that they just actually thought of it while randomly shouting out rhymes."

Go 96.3 Shows
13 March 2015/07 August 2015/03-04 December 2015

We were quite impressed with Go 96.3's very first show at Aria in early March 2015 (featuring New Politics and Banks). They spared no expenses, and it showed! They would later go on to book Go Fest 2015 (featuring Cold War Kids and Matt & Kim on 07 August 2015) and Go Snow Show (featuring Metric and Silversun Pickups on 03-04 December 2015). In fact, all the Go Shows are nothing less than spectacular. We speculate that they are possibly just losing money (thanks to their affordable pricing of "$9.63" or FREE), but we also think that getting their brand name out is well worth it.

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

Blur in Sydney, Los Angeles, and New York
25 July 2015/20 October 2015/23 October 2015

Legendary Britpopster Blur is finally back in Australia, playing their first gig in 18 years in the country. The whole gang is back (including Graham Coxon), and we love the band so much, we travelled to Los Angeles and New York for Blur's final two US tour. It's hinted heavily that this was the band's final U.S.A. appearance. A sad reminder that for this megastar band in England... that they never really broke America.

We wrote, "I'll just say the show was bittersweet. Albarn plans to spend next year working on the band that did break the States, Gorillaz, and he has enough side projects to distract him from the band he first started out in. This may be their last concert in the country they couldn't break."

FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks) at First Avenue
09 October 2015

FFS is the special project of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. The two bands recorded an album and as expected with these type of one album-only tour, they basically played the entire album. As an added bonus, selective songs from their respective catalog was also played, including the wildly popular FF's song "Take Me Out" (the entire audience was bouncing and singing along to this number).

Of all the places the band could have chosen to play, they surprisingly added Minneapolis to their limited first-ever US tour... and it was well worth it for fans who showed up to catch this unique performance.

As we reported, "Both bands collaborated to produce some of the most interesting pop songs on the FFS album. It's smart, it's catchy, it's fun, and it's uniquely FFS. While I do not think there will be a sequel in the future, this was, by far, the most interesting team-up we've seen in a while."

Big Star's Third at First Avenue
20 September 2015

This is one of our favorite 2015 shows: Big Star's Third. Every show they do is different, mainly because they have different guests. With all these great guests, you would think they can easily screw up, but they were all surprisingly well-rehearsed and seemed to know their material and what they had to work with.

We concluded, "This show was such a massive pleasure to watch. Between a stage loaded with talent and music loaded with emotion, it was hard to walk away from this and not be inspired and heartened. Big Star created some of the most beautiful and timeless music of all time, the soundtrack to our lives. Stamey, Stringfellow and every single person who contributed to Wednesday night’s performance brought that soundtrack to life. "

The 1975 at First Avenue
10 December 2015

This was our third time seeing The 1975, fifth time if you count their two promotional appearance at Cities 97 and the Mall of America... and we called it long ago: This band is going to be massive! Not only have they sold out every appearance in the Twin Cities, but ahead of their sophomore album, they've already announced a date at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. We think it's going to sell out, which very few bands have managed such a feat. We'll wait and see. If you need further proof that the band has made it - after we saw them at First Avenue, there were bootleg T-Shirt vendors!

As reported, "From the show’s early sell out, to the stage production, and the crowd’s intense reaction to every song, it was clear right away that the band has outgrown its club confines and is destined for bigger things (something we predicted when we first saw them too)."

Festival Palomino 2015
September 2015

We felt that the inaugural Festival Palomino last year was nothing short of perfect... however, the organizers (First Avenue and Trampled by Turtles) improved on perfection! We love the new setup and, based on these two successful shows, we're pretty sure they will be hard at work on a great 2016 Festival Palomino.

We praised, "If local festivals were racehorses, Festival Palomino is best in show. Again.

The Trampled by Turtles-curated festival, held again in the inside greens of the horse racetrack at Canterbury Park in the southwest suburb of Shakopee, triumphed once more in its sophomore year, as a prime example of a highly enjoyable, expertly-run day of music. "

Rev Horton Heat & The Adicts at First Avenue
24 September 2015

This was an odd-pairing, but we were really excited about UK's The Adicts' very first Minneapolis show. They were just super-duper entertaining. The band clearly has their live show down to a T, incorporating various fun stage props, various costume changes, and choreographic dance routines. The only down side to these shows is that they are practically the same routine every night, so if this is your second or third time seeing them, it'll get old fast... but personally speaking, since it was their first Minneapolis show: we loved it.

Worth the price of admission: "If anything, The Adicts is one of the most entertaining bands touring right now. I've never seen so many stage prop used on stage, from pounds of confetti (used in streamers, umbrellas, hats, etc.) to Chinese take-out cartons (used for "Chinese Takeaway"), playing cards (used for "Joker in the Pack") to light-up plastic glass (used during "Who Spilt My Beer?") to various costume changes (hats, gloves, shirts) to beach balls, to stuffed monkeys (thrown into the audience). Although this may seem gimmicky, you can't ignore that this was a first-rate production and worth the price of admission. "

Weezer at Burgerama IV and Basilica Block Party
29 March 2015/10 July 2015

We're big fans of Weezer since 1994. Admittedly, the band's outgrown us, but we still have a soft spot for the nerdy band. Seeing them at Burgerama IV in Santa Ana was a treat, but because Rivers' dad came on stage to sing "Back to the Shack" with the band. We caught them again locally at Basilica Block Party, and it's probably our favorite Basilica show in recent memory.

The fans loved it, "As soon as the first few chords of ‘Hash Pipe’ were played, the audience immediately recognized it and started screaming and singing. Other big hits blocks included ‘Surf Wax America’, followed by ‘Island in the Sun’ with personalized "Minneapolis" lyrics, and ‘Beverly Hills’ (which did gangbuster in California, but surprisingly did really well in Minnesota as well)."

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
25 November 2015

This one is still fresh in my mind, so it's one of my favorite music event I've attended. I can probably count on my hand the few plays and musicals I've attended (The King and I, Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, etc.), but watching Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was simply just magical. The seamless set changes, the constant costume changes (and one great "quick change" costumes), the great singing and music playing... they were just flawless! It probably helped that they act the same scene night after night for the last 200+ shows, but it was still pretty amazing to witness live. I have told people that it is like watching a movie, only it's completely live.

We concluded, "If you're a fan of live musical, you definitely will want to attend a show. It is a lot of fun, and the musical numbers will bring back a lot of wonderful memories."

Below are links to all 346 shows we covered in 2015: