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Alice Glass at Amsterdam Bar & Hall, St Paul (17 Sep 2022)

09/17 Alice Glass ( of Crystal Castles ) with Uffie at Amsterdam Bar & Hall Read More Alice Glass The Zola Jesus and Alice Glass co-headlining tour will be stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul. What’s important to note is that this is Glass’s first-ever solo North American tour. You may recall that we wrote about Glass’ former band Crystal Castles ..... Uffie Uffie to open. Tour dates: Sep 7 San Francisco, CA, US The Independent Sep 9 Portland, OR, US Star Theater Sep 10 Vancouver, BC, Canada Hollywood Theatre Sep 11 Seattle, WA, US Chop Suey .....

Canada’s Alice Glass, formerly of Crystal Castles, is currently on tour for her debut album PREY//IV (Eating Glass Records). The tour stopped in at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, in St Paul, on Saturday, September 17th.

We haven’t been to the Amsterdam since 2019, so they’ve made some changes to the venue. There used to be a wall, separating the venue from the bar and food-serving area. Now, the venue looks much larger, with the removal of the wall… but it does have a weird contrast, as the bar/food-serving area is well-lit, compared to the darkness of the music dancefloor.

Los Angeles’s artist and fashion icon, Uffie (Anna-Catherine Hartley) opened the show. Uffie is a one-woman show, who sings over pre-recorded backing track. Her biggest fan, as seen at stage right, was Alice Glass, who often waves her arms in the air and mouthing Uffie’s lyrics, such as the viral hit song, “Pop the Glock”. It appears that Glass was also helping with programming the music on her laptop.

Uffie’s latest album, Sunshine Factory, came out in May 2022, via Company Records, and featured “Cool”, which she played near the end of her set.

To understand Alice Glass, you also need to understand the fanbase… which is just as important as Glass’ music. Glass’ visuals and songs about social alienation and depression resonate to her emo or goth fans. It’s not just music, but it’s a lifestyle.

Songs on the setlist includes plenty from her debut album, PREY//IV, but she threw in a couple of Crystal Castles songs, including her favorite, “Alice Practice”.

Remaining tour dates:

Sep 20 Toronto, ON, Canada Lee's Palace
Sep 21 Montreal, QC, Canada Le Belmont
Sep 23 Cambridge, MA, US Middle East - Upstairs
Sep 24 Baltimore, MD, US Ottobar
Sep 25 Brooklyn, NY, US Warsaw
Oct 29 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Fonda Theatre
Oct 30 San Diego, CA, US Music Box
Oct 31 Pomona, CA, US Glass House

Uffie

Uffie

Alice Glass

Alice Glass

Alice Glass at Amsterdam Bar & Hall, St Paul (17 Sep 2022)

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

The Joy Formidable at recordBar and Turf Club (Sep 2022)

The Joy Formidable Into the Blue Tour 2022 The Joy Formidable Setlist The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade Cradle Y Bluen Eira Ostrich Come See the Show Into the Blue Austere Sevier Silent Treatment Gotta Feed My Dog -- Encore -- Endtapes Whirring Tres Leches Setlist Bad Kid Strangest of Friends What Are You Doing Fireworks Two Fifty Nieve Leaving My Light On Nueva York Read More The Joy Formidable It’s been a while… but I’m happy to say that the group is back with a new album Into the Blue, out August 20th, via Enci Records (US) / Full Time Hobby (Europe) / Soundly Distro in the rest of the world. We’re hoping there’ll be a promo tour for the new album … Tres Leches The Joy Formidable with Tres Leches at Turf Club You all know our love for The Joy Formidable since we wrote about them in July 2008: “Here's a band that I see a lot of potential in, The Joy …

Welsh alternative rock band The Joy Formidable is currently on their Into the Blue tour. We caught the trio (Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan, Rhydian Dafydd and Matthew James Thomas) at their appearance at the recordBar in Kansas City, on September 6, and at the Turf Club in St Paul, on September 7th.

Tres Leches 2022 Tour Tres Leches Setlist

Open the show was Seattle’s Tres Leches (which translate to “Three Milk”), in their third and fourth show with Joy Formidable. They seem full of energy and excitement that only a band in their youth can bring to the stage. According to their biography, it started with Alaia D’Alessandro and Ulises Mariscal bonding over music at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival. By 2016, they recorded and released their debut EP, and hanging out with The Coathangers and Tacocat, etc.

It’s interesting to note that after “Two Fifty”, Alaia switched to guitars, as lead vocals were handled by the drummer.

We’ve been writing about The Joy Formidable since July 2008 (nearly 15 years ago) since the release of their debut single, “Austere”. In that article we wrote that so many bands are here today, gone tomorrow, but we didn’t think that was the case with Joy Formidable. In fact, we ended the article with, “They look and sound fantastic, so hopefully that is the case live in concert.”

Fast-forward to Oct 2015 and we finally got a chance to see the band at the Turf Club: “Speaking of coming out of the studio, The Joy Formidable has just put the finishing touches on their new self-produced album, Hitch, due out early next year, and previewed some of the new music to the sold-out crowd during their 84 min. headlining set.”

Joy Formidable at Turf Club poster (07 Sep 2022) Joy Formidable Setlist (06 Sep 2022)

With the delayed 2022 tour (no thanks to the COVID pandemic), the band is finally back on tour for their fifth album Into the Blue, with the Kansas City and St Paul, being their fifth and sixth show in three years.

Lighting conditions were especially dark and with a blue and splash of purple (see photos), perhaps in theme of Into the Blue.

We’ve since seen the band multiple times, and since it’s been so long since they last tour, Ritzy seems more open and extra chatty. The band was also happy to reconnecting with many of their returning fans from previous shows. Compared to their “loose” set in Nov 2018, the band was seemed focused playing the new songs, including the title track “Into The Blue” and “Sevier”.

Remaining tour dates:

09.09 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club +
09.11 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom +
09.12 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage +
09.14 - Wantagh, NY @ Mulcahy's *
09.15 - Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater *
09.16 - Columbus, OH @ Kemba Live *
09.17 - Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
09.18 - Grand Rapids, RI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe *
09.20 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere's *
09.21 - Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal *
09.22 - Little Rock, AR @ The Hall *
09.25 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
09.26 - Denver, CO @ Summit *
09.27 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Even Center *
09.28 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory *
09.30 - Spokane, WA @Knitting Factory *
10.01 - Tacoma, WA @ Temple Theater *
10.03 - Reno, NV @ Cargo *
10.04 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst *
10.05 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery *
10.06 - Venice, CA @ The Venice West
10.07 - Riverside, CA @ Riverside Music Hall *
10.09 - Ventura, CA @ Majestic Theater*
10.11 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater *
10.12 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater *
10.17 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
10.18 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City #
10.21 - Albany, NY @ The Hollow #
10.22 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge #
10.25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall #
10.27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts #
10.28 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair #
10.29 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom #
10.31 - Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI #
11.01 - Univeristy City, MO @ Duck Room #
11.02 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room #
11.06 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile #
11.07 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studio #
11.09 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #
11.11 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriets #
11.12 - San Diego, CA @ SODA Bar #
11.15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre #

* with The Front Bottoms
# with Cuffed Up
+ with Tres Leches

Tres Leches at recordBar

Tres Leches at recordBar

Tres Leches at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar, Kansas City (06 Sep 2022)

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

The Joy Formidable at recordBar

Tres Leches at Turf Club, St Paul (07 Sep 2022)

Tres Leches at Turf Club

The Joy Formidable at Turf Club

The Joy Formidable at Turf Club

The Joy Formidable at Turf Club, St Paul (07 Sep 2022)

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

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

The Wrong Party Tour, feat. Fitz and the Tantrums and Andy Grammer, at Palace Theatre, St Paul (13 Aug 2022)

Fitz and the Tantrums Setlist OCD Complicated Don't Gotta Work It Out Out of My League 123456 Sway Fool MoneyMaker I Need Help! Livin' for the Weekend 6 AM MoneyGrabber I Just Wanna Shine Hands Up -- Encore -- HandClap All the Feels The Walker Andy Grammer Setlist Damn It Feels Good to Be Me Back Home 85 Saved My Life Love Myself Honey, I'm Good/September Fresh Eyes Some Girl New Money I Found You Pennies From Heaven / Stay / Fine by Me Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah) Lease on Life The Wrong Party with Michael Fitzpatrick Joy Keep Your Head Up Don't Give Up on Me Maggie Rose Setlist Hey Blondie Do It What Makes You Tick Saint Smooth It's You What Are We Fighting For Read More Fitz and the Tantrums We can confidently say we’ve seen Fitz and The Tantrums in all kinds of weather and over a hundred-degree temperature range. We first caught the LA soul/dance-pop band in early Feb 2011 in a small Minneapolis club . … Andy Grammer Andy Grammer will be co-headlining the show. He is known for his chart-topping hits, like “Honey I’m Good” and “Keep Your Head Up.” ... Maggie Rose Nashville roots-rock soul powerhouse Maggie Rose released her third studio album Have a Seat. The album recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, and was produced by Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes). …

Saturday night, an energetic night, as souped-up sports cars swarmed the streets of St. Paul while a state police helicopter circled overhead, tracking their movements in an elaborate game of cat and mouse.

Inside the Palace Theatre even more energy as co-headliners Fitz and the Tantrums and Andy Grammer took the stage. But instead of nitrous-oxide fueling their shows, there were clouds and clouds of confetti.

Maggie Rose opened the evening with her band in an all-too brief set. Based out of Nashville, the songs tended to have a Southern Soul vibe with a little bit of Country. She has quite the dynamic voice with a range that harkens Aretha Franklin more than Patsy Cline. She had no problem filling the Palace Theater with ballads like “Saint” and “It’s You”, finishing with the anthem-like “What Are We Fighting For?” from her latest album Have a Seat.

Andy Grammer wasted no time, kicking off with a poetry slam about who he was and more importantly what he wasn’t, delivering great lines like: “Premarital sex and alcohol are not my jam. And I try not to look mysterious with a Diet Coke in my hand.”

Grammer’s music of positive vibes appeals to a wide range of people and it showed in the crowd. It is not every day you see a teenage daughter and her father mouthing the lyrics to the same song during a concert. But Grammer has this effect on old and young with everyone dancing to “Damn It Feels Good to Be Me” and “Good to Be Alive”.

Grammer mentioned he did not fare well during the Covid lockdown. You could tell that there was a part of him that received as well as gave in the symbiotic relationship between him and his fans as the set never slowed down, only to crescendo with confetti raining down on “Joy”.

For the song “The Wrong Party”, which the entire tour is named after, Michael Fitzpatrick, aka Fitz, appeared on stage. The two sang back and forth and backup for the anthemic tune: “You’re not late to the party, you’re not late to the party, you just made it to the wrong party.”

The song, like many of Grammer’s songs, was written from his personal experience. When Grammer first arrived in Los Angeles, he was always trying to fit in and “failing hilariously”. Over time, he realized that the whole time, he was just “at the wrong party” the whole time.

The band ended their set with “Don't Give Up on Me”, ending on a very high note… The Andy Grammer’s set had highs and lows and everything in between. There are not many bands that can follow this high energy set… except for…

Fitz and the Tantrums then took the stage with a solid groove of danceable neo-soul, kicking off the set with “OCD” and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out.”

Although based out of Los Angeles, this is a band influenced by the sounds of Motown demonstrated in the sensual interplay between co-lead singers, Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs and the humming engine of Joseph Karnes on bass, John Wicks on drums and Jeremy Ruzumna on keyboards. No lead guitar? Fitzpatrick didn’t want one. He found a better avenue with James King on saxophone who at one point went on a free-form jazz solo during “Complicated”.

Fitzpatrick mentioned that band had been on the road for fourteen years now and that they were more than grateful to still be playing for their fans as they kept the evening going with “MoneyMaker” and “MoneyGrabber” and “Hands Up” and “HandClap”.

It wasn’t until the very end and after the encore that cannons were again deployed sending pink confetti into the crowd, briefly obscuring the band from taking their bows in front of the roaring crowd.

The Wrong Party tour,featuring co-headliners Andy Grammer and Fitz and The Tantrums, continues through August.

Andy Grammer’s latest EP The Art of Joy is out now on UMG Recordings. Look for a future album from Grammer to be published on Mushroom Publishing.

Fitz and The Tantrums’ last album All the Feels is out now on Elektra Records. The new single, “Sway”, which was performed on their set, is a preview of a forthcoming album.

Remaining tour dates:

08/14/2022 - St. Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park
08/17/2022 - Vail, CO - Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
08/18/2022 - Sandy, UT - Sandy Amphitheater
08/20/2022 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center - Amphitheater
08/21/2022 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle
08/22/2022 - Bonner, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater
08/23/2022 - Forest Grove, OR - Grand Lodge
08/25/2022 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
08/26/2022 - Rohnert Park, CA - Green Music Center
08/27/2022 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre

Maggie Rose

Maggie Rose

Maggie Rose

Maggie Rose

Andy Grammer

Palace Theatre Marquee

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer with Michael Fitzpatrick

Andy Grammer with Michael Fitzpatrick

Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums at Palace Theatre, St Paul (13 Aug 2022)

dave + vu at the wrong party ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Psychedelic Furs at Palace Theatre, St Paul (30 July 2022)

Psychedelic Furs Setlist I Wanna Sleep With You Mr. Jones You'll Be Mine Dumb Waiters The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll Wrong Train Imitation of Christ The Ghost In You President Gas Pretty in Pink This'll Never Be Like Love No‐One Ash Wednesday Love My Way Heaven -- Encore -- Heartbreak Beat India X Setlist     Intro: Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn Theme" Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not Free We're Desperate The Hungry Wolf ALPHABETLAND Blue Spark White Girl True Love Dancing With Tears in My Eyes (Regent Club Orchestra cover) Come Back to Me I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts Adult Books Water & Wine Goodbye Year, Goodbye Los Angeles Nausea Devil Doll Motel Room in My Bed Soul Kitchen (The Doors cover) Read More The Psychedelic Furs English rock group The Psychedelic Furs headlined First Avenue’s mainroom last Thursday, April 6th. The terrific turnout consisted of mostly an older audience, who may remember the band from John Hughes’ film Pretty in Pink …

English post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs headlined the Palace Theatre on July 30th.

Opening the show was Los Angeles’ X, a band that’s been together since 1977, with all the original members: vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. It’s really a rarity that a band can stay together for 45 years, and X is quite proud of that fact.

As we previously mentioned, their original guitarist Billy Zoom suffered bladder cancer and had to bail out on going on tour with the band, as they stopped in at the Mill City Nights in August 2015. Since then, Zoom is back with the band, often playing seated on a stool.

Beyond playing the guitars, Zoom would handle all their saxophone needs, sometime storing his guitar pick on his sweaty forehead.

As for X’s fanbase, I have to admit they are all really diehard fans. Many of them have seen X multiple times, despite the band having one of those impossible to find band.

While X doesn’t have a new album (their last album Alphabetland came out during the pandemic), it would seem that their singer/bassist John Doe recently released Fables in a Foreign Land on Fat Possum records. Although the band are all in their late 60s (Billy Zoom in his mid-70s), they were still rocking out on stage… It was fun watching Exene dance and just having a good time.

Midway into their set, before “Water & Wine”, the band announced that they were going to play their first single, “Adult Books”… the song was released in 1978 and would set the tone for X’s songs.

It’s always good to have the Butler brothers back in town. The last time The Psychedelic Furs played at First Avenue in April 2017 we said, “The Furs’ second half of the set picked up with some of their biggest hits, including ‘Love My Way’ and set closer ‘Pretty in Pink’. Half the audience were singing along to the latter song.”

This time around, they played their signature song, “Pretty in Pink” (everyone helped sing this song) in the middle of the set, and their second hit, “Love My Way” as the penultimate set closer.

Since Minneapolis/St Paul never got a Made of Rain tour (the record came out in 2020), they group made up for lost time by including some new songs on their set, including “The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll” and “Wrong Train”.

Their eighth album, and their first studio album in almost 30 years, were well-received… and became the band’s second-highest charting UK Album ever and featured at the end-of-year Best Albums roundup in Mojo, Uncut, Classic Pop, ABC’s Good Morning America, and Vive Le Rock among others. Critics were welcoming, “a return to the Furs’ classic blend of aggression, tender melody and brooding ambience.”

Interestingly enough, the band did not play “Evergreen”, which was released after Made of Rain. The single was recorded during the Made of Rain session, but did not make the cut… and I guess the song did not make the cut for their live setlist either.

Remaining tour dates:

Aug 2 Denver, CO, US Mission Ballroom
Aug 6 Vancouver, BC, Canada Commodore Ballroom
Aug 7 Seattle, WA, US Woodland Park Zoo
Aug 8 Forest Grove, OR, US McMenamin's Grand Lodge
Aug 11 San Francisco, CA, US The Masonic
Aug 12 St. Helena, CA, US Blue Note Napa
Aug 14 Outdoor Costa Mesa, CA, US Pacific Amphitheatre
Aug 17 Pioneertown, CA, US Pappy + Harriet's
Aug 18 Inglewood, CA, US YouTube Theater
Aug 26 St Louis, MO, US The Pageant
Oct 31 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, US Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

X

X

X

X: Billy Zoom

Psychedelic Furs

Psychedelic Furs

Psychedelic Furs

Psychedelic Furs at Palace Theatre, St Paul (30 July 2022)

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

Machine Gun Kelly at the Xcel Center (7/28/2022)

Machine Gun Kelly Setlist born with horns god save me maybe mainstream sellout drunk face ay! Bois Lie (Avril Lavigne cover) with Avril Lavigne more than life die in california Floor 13 papercuts title track bloody valentine roll the windows up El Diablo WWIII WW4 emo girl forget me too lonely I Think I'm OKAY make up sex my ex's best friend twin flame Avril Lavigne Setlist Girlfriend Bite Me What the Hell Complicated My Happy Ending Sk8er Boi Love It When You Hate Me Tour Dates Sun Jul 31 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Tue Aug 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena”# Thu Aug 4 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center”# Sat Aug 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre”# Sun Aug 7 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena”# Tue Aug 9 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena”# Wed Aug 10 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center”# Thu Aug 11 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center”# Sat Aug 13 – Cleveland, OH – FirstEnergy Stadium*”$#’ *With support from Avril Lavigne ”With support from Travis Barker $With support from Trippie Redd #With support from WILLOW ’With support from 44phantom Read More Machine Gun Kelly Opening act Machine Gun Kelly surprised the audience by bringing up hot hip-hop trio Migos mid-set, playing an hour-long set alternating between slicing verse and shredding guitar. … Avril Lavigne “Complicated” skate-punk Canadian singer Avril Lavigne will be on a rare tour to promote her new album Head Above Water. ... WILLOW WILLOW will warm up the show. WILLOW’s new single “ it’s my fault” is taken from her forthcoming album. Already she’s released a series of collaboration singles, including Yungblud with “Memories” and Siiickbrain with “Purge.” ...

Machine Gun Kelly and his Mainstream Sellout tour pulled into St. Paul Thursday night with opening acts, Willow Smith and Avril Lavigne.  But first, some grilling, which seemed a perfect activity for a summer evening.  At least that’s what it looked like when I sloped up the hill to the music venue and saw fans peering from across the street to catch glimpses of any band member standing around the Webber grill placed in front of the doors of Xcel Center’s underground parking.

It was a full crowd of 14,000 and they greeted Willow Smith with a welcoming roar.   She kicked off her brief, but lively set with the muscular “Transparentsoul”, wearing a multi-colored ski cap aka toque, as if she was ready if an early winter to set in. 

Willow’s musical arc, which sprang to life with the platinum pop single “Whip My Hair” at age ten, seems pointed towards a more punkish vibe as she enters her twenties. 

Promoting her latest album Lately I Feel Everything, Willow highlighted “Gaslight” and “Don’t Save Me.”  A blues undertow could be felt when she wailed through “Come Home.”  She can also shred the axe, which would be nice to see as she expands her musical palate.

Avril Lavigne was up next, promoting her latest album, Love Sux.  Twenty years has passed since she released her debut album Let Go, letting punk scene know there was now a queen.   Twenty years may have gone by, but the spirit of that seventeen year-old is still there.

Lavigne started the set with “Girlfriend” as black and white confetti shot into the crowd.  She had an enthusiastic base in attendance, many who took the opportunity to be her backup singers on songs like “Sk8er Boi” and “Complicated.” 

It wasn’t difficult to parse Lavigne’s views on love with songs like “Bite Me” and “F.U.”  Even the set had the feel of a doomed prom with black balloons and a deep orange back drop with her name encircled with a black heart.  Still, she ended on a hopeful note with her last song “I’m With You” as everyone took their phones to light up the arena like fireflies.

Machine Gun Kelly’s helicopter

Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) made a dramatic entrance to “Born with Horns”, maybe the only concert musician to be airlifted to the stage by helicopter.  It was a cinematic entrance as he landed with fog rolling down the sloped stage and into the crowd. 

The spectacle did not end there.  There were fireworks, flamethrowers and multiple monitors placed throughout the stage.  Also, a mic stand in the shape of two elegantly long arms stretching to hands to hold MGK’s mic and an ashtray as he smoked more than Frank Sinatra at the Sand’s.  

Three guitarists lead the highly charged music most of the evening:  MGK in the middle, Justin Lyons to his left and Sophie Lloyd on the right, all of them taking turns to fill the arena with a howling guitar solos.  

MGK may have gotten his start and nickname with his blistering hip-hop lyrics, but the evening was mostly filled with full-tilt rock songs like “Jawbreaker”, “Die in California”, Bloody Valentine” and “Drunk Face”.  It was a fast-paced show except when MGK ripped his pants and had to do an impromptu costume change. 

MGK also brought his opening acts back on stage with Lavigne singing “Bois Lie” and Willow “Emo Girl.”

For being so young, MGK seemed quite wistful saying the St. Paul crowd was by far the largest on tour and how far he had traveled since his first show in the Twin Cities in 2011.  It was a great night, he said, for his mom was in attendance and they got to barbecue before the show.  And as the evening ended just before the electric company pulled the plug, he thanked the crowd and lingered as the rest of the band filtered off stage.  And as he lingered, he scanned the crowd until he found who he was looking for.  He smiled, waved and pointed for two women to move past security and head backstage. 

They were two silver-haired foxes, probably one of them he calls mom.

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Cult at Palace Theatre, St Paul (08 July 2022)

The Cult Setlist Rise Sun King Automatic Blues Sweet Soul Sister Soul Asylum Edie (Ciao Baby) Give Me Mercy Wild Flower Fire Woman Revolution Rain She Sells Sanctuary -- Encore -- Love Removal Machine Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Setlist Red Eyes and Tears King of Bones Berlin Hate the Taste In Like the Rose Beat the Devil's Tattoo Conscience Killer Awake Six Barrel Shotgun Spread Your Love Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (Punk Song) Zola Jesus Setlist Lost Fall Back Soak Witness Night Exhumed Sewn Tour Dates 7/10/2022 - Chesterfield, MO - The Factory 7/12/2022 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre 7/14/2022 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavillion 7/15/2022 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center at The Heights 7/16/2022 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE 7/19/2022 - Washington DC - The Anthem 7/20/2022 - New York, NY - Pier 17 7/22/2022 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia 7/23/2022 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion 7/24/2022 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall 7/26/2022 - Syracuse, NY - Cooper Crouse-Hinds 7/27/2022 - Rochester Mills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre (all dates with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club & Zola Jesus) Read More The Cult As expected, The Cult played their Electric album in its entirety… starting off with the sing-along chorus of "Wild Flower". The great energy between the two original two original band members, singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy is great … Black Rebel Motorcycle Club BRMC is in the middle of their US tour promoting their new album Specter At The Feast. As I will be missing them when they are in LA next month, it was imperative I catch them at the House of Blues in San Diego on Tuesday. … Zola Jesus Russian/American Nika Roza Danilova, or otherwise known as Zola Jesus, stopped by the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, as part of her Taiga tour. …

A stacked line-up of The Cult, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Zola Jesus hit the Palace Theatre Friday night to a very eager older-aged crowd.

Kicking off the night was Zola Jesus, stage name for Nika Roza Danilova. She made a dramatic entrance to the stage, slowly walking to the mic with her long, dark hair hanging down in front of her face. While the crowd may have been there to see the headliners, after the first song I overheard a woman next to me proclaim to her partner, “Oh, wow, she does not suck!” No, she absolutely does not. Danilova commanded the stage from start to finish with her powerful vocals and endless charisma.

A couple of songs in, a man next to me exclaimed, “She’s a witch!” And I couldn't agree more. Danilova has a dark and magical presence on stage. At times she is singing clearly, swaying and moving her arms around in a serpentine manner and moments later she is stomping around in her platform boots growling and howling and emitting guttural wails as if conjuring a spell. It was certainly a sight to behold and held the crowd’s attention for her 30 minute set, which contained songs such as the beautiful “Witness” (that Danilova was told not to open the set with and remarked that was good advice) and one of my favorites “Night” that was introduced as a song she wrote 11 or 12 years ago and it definitely still holds up.

If you have tickets to upcoming dates on this tour, I highly recommend showing up early to catch Zola Jesus’ rapturous opening set.

BRMC at Let it Be Records (05/04/2001)

We have a real history with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (abbreviated to BRMC), having seen them twice in 2001 (at 7th Street Entry in May 2001 and First Avenue in August 2001), when they were first out on tour for their debut album B.R.M.C.. I described the tour as, “… the band had a smoke machine, but it was fairly dark throughout the show.”

Let me tell you, not much has changed, they still have a fog machine, playing in complete darkness and a backlight/light show. It’s all by design, to hide the band in darkness, but still creating an atmosphere to fit their music.

I was also surprised to see the massive BRMC art backdrop, but it seemed wasted in the darkness. They also had a personal wall of speakers and amps behind them, which I suppose help them get their music to hit a certain volume.

Based on getting feedback from some of the audience, this was a good billing, and some would even consider this a co-headlining tour. And fans who’ve never heard of BRMC, we can tell you that they were won over by the end of their set.

BRMC ended their set with our favorite song, “Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (Punk Song)”, abbreviated to just “Punk” on their printed setlist.

It was a mini-The Cult fans reunion, judging from all the The Cult T-Shirts in the audience. The last time we mentioned the band was in town was in March 2016 at the now-defunct Mill City Nights venue.

We did saw the band at their sold-out show at the Varsity Theater in August 2013 and wrote, “As expected, The Cult played their Electric album in its entirety… starting off with the sing-along chorus of "Wild Flower". The great energy between the two original two original band members, singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy is great to watch…”

As usual, Ian’s vocals were simply amazing, and was consistently good throughout the entire night. It’s the first night of the North American tour, so everyone (including all the opening acts) were eager and giving their all in their performance.

Clearly Ian didn’t like all the extra security personnel sitting in the pit with their arms crossed, as he shouted, “This isn’t a library, it’s a Cult show!” We think he meant to have the security loosen up a little, but as the show went on, Ian is very political and is aware of all the injustices in the world. The band visited the George Floyd Square (at 38th and Chicago) and Ian urged fans to go out to vote and that the reproductive rights were human rights… even raising his fist during the song “Revolution.” We need a change in the country.

Of course, we have to mention that the Cult recorded a new album called Under the Midnight Sun, their first album in six years. The record doesn’t come out until October 7th, 2022, but we got a taste of it with a new song called “Give Me Mercy”, which was played in the middle of their set. It’s the first time they’ve played it live, and made the show special for all the Cult fans in the audience.

Although the Cult’s biggest hit song, “She Sells Sanctuary” (which closed out their set), surprisingly most of the impressive audience singalong were for “Fire Woman” and the encore song “Love Removal Machine.”

The tour continues to Chesterfield, Missouri, tomorrow night. For fans coming out, show up early to check out all the bands. This is a great triple-rock billing.

Zola Jesus

Zola Jesus

Zola Jesus

Zola Jesus

BRMC

BRMC

BRMC

BRMC

The Cult

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Setlists

The Cult

The Cult at Palace Theatre, St Paul (08 July 2022)

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

La Femme at Turf Club, St Paul (15 June 2022)

Setlist Nouvelle-Orléans Cool Colorado Le sang de mon prochain Où va le monde Mycose Nous étions deux Télégraphe Foutre le bordel Paris 2012 Antitaxi Me suive Elle ne t'aime pas Sur la planche 2013 It's Time to Wake Up (2023) -- Encore -- Packshot Tu t'en lasses Tatiana with Trance Farmers Read More La Femme I was really looking forward to La Femme, the psych-pop indie band from Paris. Their music is fun and cinematic, comparable to a Claude Chabrol Or Godard New Wave film filled with attitude and lust and all things Parisian ....

Acclaimed French psych-rock band La Femme sold out the Turf Club in St Paul on June 15. Simply amazing, as it is one of the bands that we’ve highlighted out of Desert Daze in Oct 2017. We have described them as “fun and cinematic, comparable to a Claude Chabrol Or Godard New Wave film filled with attitude and lust and all things Parisian.”

Trance Farmers (the name is something you might hear someone from the south pronounce “Transformers”) opened the show. The Los Angeles band played a 40-min set.

We knew La Femme was great, but, again was blown away that they’ve sold out the Turf Club. You have to understand that this is a work week and the show starts late. On top of that, it is listed as a 21+ show, which limits how many fans can attend… still we were impressed that they’ve managed to attract such a large audience.

Setlist

Songs on their set (see photo) included a few songs from their third album, Paradigmes (Disque Pointu/IDOL), as well older songs, such as “Sur la planche” and “It's Time To Wake Up (2023)” from their self-titled debut album.

As you can see from the photos, a few songs into their set, Marlon Magnée and Jane Peynot just took off their “tuxedos”. The rest of the band, including Clara Luciani, also discarded their uniforms, as they continue to play into the night.

The band is fun, often interacting with the fans, and would invite guests to come on stage. In fact, opening band Trance Farmers, was invited back on stage to help them close out their finale song, “Tatiana”.

The French band don’t often play in America, so if you want to see beautiful French people making beautiful French music, check out their show.

La Femme’s latest album, Paradigmes, out now via Disque Pointu/IDOL.

Remaining Tour Dates:

Jun 18 Seattle, WA, US The Crocodile
Jun 19 Vancouver, BC, Canada Rickshaw Theatre
Jun 20 Portland, OR, US Wonder Ballroom
Jun 22 San Francisco, CA, US The Regency Ballroom
Jun 24 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US The Belasco
Jun 25 Palm Springs, CA, US The Alibi
Jul 1 Saint-Denis-de-Gastines, France Au Foin De La Rue
Jul 29 FESTIVAL LES ESCALES
Aug 4 Place Des Arcades Sauveterre De Rou
Aug 25 Paris, France Rock en Seine
Sep 9 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France Parc Des Lilattes
Sep 10 Bourgoin-Jallieu, France Parc Des Lilattes
Sep 17 Fontainebleau, France FBLO FESTIVAL
Sep 19 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
Sep 30 Berlin, Germany Astra Kulturhau

La Femme at Turf Club, St Paul (15 June 2022)

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

4Mix at Minnesota Songkran Festival, St Paul (29 May 2022)

Read More 4Mix Thai boy group, 4Mix (stylized as 4MIX) is making their American debut appearance at the Minnesota Songkran Festival at the State Capital in St Paul, Minnesota. ...

Making their American debut appearance, Thai pop group 4Mix was one of the main attractions at the Minnesota Songkran Festival, at the State Capital in St Paul, over the weekend (May 28-29).

The Songkran Festival, which means “water festival”, celebrate Thai New Year. The free event, by the Thai Cultural Council of Minnesota, was originally scheduled in April, but due to bad weather, the event was postponed to the last week of May. According to the news, the event attracted over 20,000 attendees.

In addition to the various entertainment, from parades to eating contest to dance to music, there were also street food vendors, as well as souvenir vendors.

We caught the Papaya Salad Eating Contest, which featured contestants of Vietnamese (from Wisconsin) to Hmong to India. India won the 1st place of $500 cash.

Next were various dance troops (K-Moves, Sweet and Spicy, Daybreak, Finesse, Spam) represented by Minneapolis-based group Asian Media Access.

We also saw popular Thai songs, sung by Bang with the Miss Grand Drag Queen as dancers.

The MC from Philadelphia had to vamp for time, when a last-minute change in the main schedule, moved 4Mix from 3:30pm to 4pm… and their performance would simply close out the event.

After a few songs, 4Mix, featuring Ninja, Mcka, Folksong, and George, mentioned that they also perform with Yean Papitchaya, who showed up to sing a three-song set, in between 4Mix’s set. Then she would later join the group to help conclude their set.

The weird thing about this Thai music show is that the audience would often run to the stage and hand money to the performers. This must be a cultural thing, this kind of thing doesn’t happen in normal American concerts.

4Mix played their debut single, “Y U Comeback”, as well as their new single, “Roller Coaster”. They mentioned that they had a new single coming out, which they played for us, and it’s called “Fang Fang”.

By the time the LGBTQ-friendly group record and release their debut album, you can expect a promotional tour for the record. Hopefully, we’ll hear from them again. As far as this being their American debut, things are looking positive for the band.

Minnesota Songkran Festival

Crowd

Giant Inflatable Tiger

Siam Niramit Thai Parade

Papaya Salad Eating Contest

Winner of Papaya Salad Eating Contest

Asian Media Access

Asian Media Access

Asian Media Access

Asian Media Access

Asian Media Access: Daybreak

Bang

Yean Papitchaya

Yean Papitchaya

4Mix with Yean Papitchaya

4Mix

4Mix at Minnesota Songkran Festival, St Paul (29 May 2022)

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

Belle & Sebastian at Palace Theatre, St Paul (27 May 2022)

Setlist Dog on Wheels Another Sunny Day Unnecessary Drama If They’re Shooting at You A Summer Wasting Seymour Stein I Want the World to Stop Jumpin' Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones cover) with Johny Lang Piazza, New York Catcher Chick Factor String Bean Jean Working Boy in New York City Seeing Other People Stay Loose The Boy With the Arab Strap The Wrong Girl Like Dylan in the Movies -- Encore -- Stop, Look and Listen Judy and the Dream of Horses Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying Tour Dates May 28 Omaha, NE, US The Admiral May 31 Seattle, WA, US Paramount Theatre Jun 1 Portland, OR, US Roseland Theater Jun 3 Outdoor Berkeley, CA, US Greek Theatre Jun 4 Outdoor Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre Jun 5 Pioneertown, CA, US Pappy & Harriet's Jun 7 Phoenix, AZ, US The Van Buren Jun 8 Madrid, Spain Noches del Botánico Jun 10 Oklahoma City, OK, US Criterion Theater Jun 11 Austin, TX, US Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater Jun 13 Nashville, TN, US Ryman Auditorium Jun 15 Outdoor Vienna, VA, US Filene Center Jun 16 New York, NY Capital One City Parks Jun 17 Philadelphia, PA, US Franklin Music Hall Jun 18 Boston, MA, US Roadrunner Jun 30 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain Vida Festival Jul 2 Outdoor Madrid, Spain Noches del Botánico Jul 13 Bristol, UK The Amphitheatre Jul 14 Stirling, UK Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival Jul 15 Outdoor Bristol, UK Lloyds Amphitheatre Nov 13 Cardiff, UK Great Hall Nov 14 London, UK The Roundhouse Nov 15 London, UK The Roundhouse Nov 17 Sheffield, UK O2 Academy Sheffield Nov 18 Liverpool, UK Olympia Nov 19 Hull, UK Asylum, Hull University Union Nov 21 Aberdeen, UK Beach Ballroom Nov 23 Edinburgh, UK Usher Hall Nov 24 Newcastle Upon Tyne, O2 City Hall Nov 25 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy Nov 27 Cambridge, UK Cambridge Corn Exchange Nov 28 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy Birmingham Nov 29 Southampton, UK O2 Guildhall Southampton Nov 30 Brighton, UK Brighton Dome Read More Belle & Sebastian You know we love Belle and Sebastian. The band writes amazing songs, and their live shows are equally amazing. The last time they played here, it was at the Zoo in July 2019 ... Miloe Minneapolis-based Miloe (a.k.a. 20 year old Democratic Republic of Congo-born Bob Kabeya) will be headlining the 7th Street Entry in support of his Greenhouse EP. Papa Mbye and bugsy to open. …

Glasgow’s pop band Belle and Sebastian headlined the Palace Theatre in St Paul last night, May 27th, in support of their 11th album A Bit of Previous (Matador Records).

Open the show was local musician Miloe, who replaced original support act Divino Niño at the 11th hour. Milo is joined on stage with Jacob on guitars, Megan on bass, and Theo on drums. They played a lot of tracks from their Greenhouse EP, including “Winona”, “Floating”, and the title track, “Greenhouse”.

The band ended their set with “Space and Time.”

Belle and Sebastian returned to the Palace Theatre. The last time the group was at this venue, in August 2017, it almost didn’t happen because the tour bus left drummer Richard Colburn at a Walmart somewhere in the Midwest.

The return to the Palace on May 27th also marked another special occasion, as they celebrated one of their crewman, Johnny Lang’s 50th birthday. They actually even planned on having him sing The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (after a few shots of whiskey, of course). It was quite an eventful night.

Also, it’s worth noting that Sarah Martin was absent in the band, due to contracting COVID. She’s replaced by violinist/backup vocalist Kristen, at least that’s what I heard singer Stuart Murdoch say on stage.

Although many longtime fans have mentioned that the new record, A Bit of Previous, was a return to form, the band actually played very few tracks from the new album: “Unnecessary Drama”, “If They’re Shooting at You” (a song that’s taken on a different meaning after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), and “Working Boy in New York City”.

Instead, the band focused on their older music catalog, which is what the fans came for. I know that many diehard fans missed B&S’s appearance at the Minnesota Zoo, which I have previously mentioned was my favorite show, based on their setlist. That’s because the band didn’t have a new album to promote, so they just took fan suggestions and made somewhat of a “greatest non hits” tour. I felt with this new tour, the band continued what they did for the last tour, and played to what the fans wanted to hear.

They had taken in some requests and decided to (their words, not mine!) finally learn how to play “String Bean Jean” and, later “Seeing Other People”, which are both older songs. I’ve always loved “String Bean Jean”, and never really expect to hear it live, but it was awesome to hear it played out. Stuart did mess up on his lines, he repeated “I had to go to work” twice, but it should have been “I had to catch a bus” as the second line. To be fair, the song was written in 1995 (pre-Tigermilk), I didn’t expect anyone, outside of the diehard fans to noticed the Stuart mistake.

On the opposite end of the start of the relationship in “String Bean Jean”, is “Seeing Other People” (from 1996), which is about the same girl, only by this time, their relationship had ended. Stuart joked how he’s still singing about his ex-girlfriend.

The encore included more fan services. After the band returned to the stage, with Stuart goofing off on an electric scooter, the band told the audience they were taking requests. Someone shouted out “Me and the Major”, someone else shouted out “Put the Book Back on the Shelf”. They heard “Stop, Look and Listen”, and Stuart, confessed that while the band remembered how to play it, he honestly don’t remember the lyrics. It was then that Stevie started humming, “Simone said she would think about not seeing you.” And slowly Stuart started to sing out of reflex, “But being deaf and being blind just seems to be the way you spend your time”. They may have missed a few verses, but who cares, this was probably the only time you’ll hear it play live. What a treat.

Then they played “Judy and the Dream of Horses”, per request from the front, and finally ended with “Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying”. I have to admit, this is one of Belle & Sebastian’s best setlist. And talking to fans, they would all agree.

You have to understand that Belle & Sebastian has a very large touring crew (8 musicians, 5 stage crew, 2 sound tech, 1 video tech, 1 bus driver, 1 tour manager), the band sometime can’t get everyone involved to go on tour. For example, Stuart had his God Help the Girl side project, while Stevie Jackson might be busy with a solo recording… so if the band is coming to your town, and you remotely like the band, I think you should go see them. Who knows when they’ll come around your area.

Belle and Sebastian’s new album is called A Bit of Previous, is available on Matador Records.

Miloe

Miloe

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B&S Setlist

Johnny Lang’s 50th Birthday Cake

Belle & Sebastian

Johnny Lang

B&S

B&S

B&S

Belle & Sebastian at Palace Theatre, St Paul (27 May 2022)

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