W♥M

Minneapolis: September 18 to September 19

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

09/18 The Walkmen with Yeah Baby at First Avenue Read More The Walkmen Opening up the show was Nashville's Bully, lead by singer Alicia Bognanno .... who revealed to us that she's actually from Minnesota. Although the band has been in Minneapolis a few times ....

09/18/2023 Monday

The Walkmen
with Yeah Baby
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Did you hear? The Walkmen have reformed, and on their first national tour in over a decade. They’ve sold out many of their dates, so they’re decided to extend their tour to the Fall: “Ok so, we are doing more shows in the fall. We truly can’t get enough. Our spring tour was such a thrill and so much better than we could have ever imagined, so we’re stretching our fall tour out a bit more. This fall we’re doing our first west coast headline shows in 10 years and also some fun ones in the midwest, including a new date in Dallas, Texas. And then back east for new shows in Boston and NJ… Thanks to everyone who’s come out so far and we’re looking forward to seeing more of you in the fall!”

Hamilton Leithauser (28 Jun 2014)

We saw the Walkmen’s singer, Hamilton Leithauser in Jun 2014 and said, “With NYC-indie rock band The Walkmen on “extreme hiatus”, the members have gone to pursue various solo projects, including singer Hamilton Leithauser, who played a somewhat subdued but still impactful 40 min. set, showcasing his solo debut, Black Hours (on Ribbon Music). ”

Yeah Baby to open.

Tour dates:

09/15 - Cincinnati, OH - The National Festival
09/16 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
09/18 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
09/21 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
09/22 - Garden City, ID - Flipside Fest
09/24 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
09/26 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
09/27 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
09/29 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
10/02 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
10/03 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
10/04 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
10/06-8 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
10/06 - Dallas, TX - Longhorn Ballroom
10/11 - Toronto, ON - HISTORY
10/14 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner w/ Rostam
10/15 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
10/17 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre w/ Rostam
10/17 - Mexico City, MX - Corona Capital
04/04-04/08/23 - Puerto Aventuras, MX - One Big Holiday

09/19 Peelander–Z with Dog Party at Turf Club Read More Peelander-Z Superhero Japanese punk band Peelander-Z is currently on tour in support of their latest album, Metalander-Z, stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul last night, September 19th. … Dog Party Dog Party are two teenage sisters called Gwendolyn (guitars, vocals - 17 years old) and Lucy (drums, vocals - 14 years old). Their record, Lost Control, is coming out August 13th on Asian Man Records. …

09/19/2023 Tuesday

Peelander–Z
with Dog Party
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Our favorite Japanese superhero band Peelander-Z is back in town to celebrate their 25th Anniversary of the band. They’re calling it “P-Party! Z-Party!”.

If you’ve never seen a Peelander-Z show, do yourself a favor and check them out. They are one of the most interesting looking and creative bands you’ll ever see. And when you’re at the show, I can guarantee you that you’ll be singing (and possibly playing pots or drums) with the band.

Peelander-Z (02 May 2015)

The last time we saw them in May 2015, the venue, for whatever reasons, cut their instruments off after only 25 minutes, so we never really fully experience Peelander-Z: “What the heck happened to the Peelander-Z's Official Wizard World Minneapolis After Party show at the Pourhouse last night??!!!??? 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!"”

Dog Party to open.

Tour Dates:

09/13 Fort Worth, TX Tulips FTW
09/14 OKC, OK 89th Street - OKC
09/15 Wichita, KS John Barleycorn's
09/16 Lincoln, NE 1867
09/17 Kansas City, MO recordBar
09/19 St.Paul, MN Turf Club
09/20 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
09/21 St. Louis, MO Red Flag
09/22 Indianapolis, IN Melody Inn
09/23 Chicago, IL Reggies Rock Club
09/24 NewPort, KY The Southgate House Revival
09/25 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
09/26 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
09/28 Newmarket, NH The Stone Church Music Club
09/29 Providence, RI Askew Prov
09/30 Teaneck, NJ Debonair Music Hall
10/01 Brooklyn, NY The Meadows
10/03 Baltimore, MD Metro Baltimore
10/04 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
10/05 Richmond, VA Richmond Music Hall
10/06 Wilmington, NC Reggies 42nd Street Tavern
10/07 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor
10/09 Tampa, FL The Orpheum
10/10 Sanford, FL Tuffy's Music Box & Lounge
10/12 New Orleans, LA Gasa Gasa
10/13 Houston, TX Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
10/15 Austin, TX The Far Out Lounge and Stage

09/19 The Tallest Man On Earth with Andrea von Kampen at Palace Theatre Read More Tallest Man On Earth Thankfully, The Tallest Man on Earth did not live up to his name— Despite his slightly oddly named stage moniker, Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson stands only at 5’ 7” (coincidentally same height as Bob Dylan) ... Andrea von Kampen Nebraska-based singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen to open. Her latest album That Spell is out now on Fantasy Records. …

09/19/2023 Tuesday

The Tallest Man On Earth
with Andrea von Kampen
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Sweden’s The Tallest Man On Earth, or rather Average Height Man on Earth, is returning to the area to headline the Palace Theatre in St Paul on September 19, 2023.

Tallest Man on Earth (29 Aug 2015)

We caught Tallest Man on Earth in Aug 2015 and said, “ Despite his slightly oddly named stage moniker, Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson stands only at 5’ 7” (coincidentally same height as Bob Dylan) and he and his band became the first touring act to reopen First Avenue since the ceiling collapse, playing a 90 min. headlining set to a near-capacity packed crowd. ”

Andrea von Kampen to open.

Tour dates:

9/5 - Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre
9/7 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
9/8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
9/9 - Boston, MA @ Royale
9/10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
9/13 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Corona
9/14 - Ottawa, ON @ City Folk Festival 2023
9/15 - Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
9/16 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
9/17 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
9/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
9/21 - Bozeman, MT @ The Elm
9/22 - Spokane, WA @ The Fox Theatre
9/23 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
9/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
9/26 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
9/28 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theater
9/29 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
9/30 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
10/1 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
10/4 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
10/5 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
10/7 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/8 - Carmel, IN @ The Palladium
10/11 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
10/12 - Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
10/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/14 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
12/3 - Auckland, New Zealand @ The Hollywood Avondale
12/4 - Wellington, New Zealand @ San Fran
12/6 - Sydney, Australia @ Metro Theatre
12/7 - Woolloongabba, Australia @ The Princess Theatre
12/8 - Northcote, Australia @ Northcote Theatre
1/6/24 - Groningen, Netherlands @ De Oosterpoort
1/7/24 - Arnhem, Netherlands @ Musis Arnhem
1/8/24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ The Concertgebouw
1/10/24 @ Zwolle, Netherlands @ Theater De Spiegel
1/11/24 - Heerlen, Netherlands @ Parkstad Limburg Theaters
1/13/24 - Haarlem, Netherlands @ Philharmonie Haarlem
1/14/24 - Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Muziekgebouw Eindhoven
1/16/24 - Tilburg, Netherlands @ Schouwburg Concertzaal Tilburg
1/17/24 - Leiden, Netherlands @ Stadsgehoorzaal
1/19/24 - Enschede, Netherlands @ Muziekcentrum Enschede
1/20/24 - Rotterdam, Netherlands @ De Doelen
1/22/24 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli Vredenburg

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 ♥ twitter.com

The Tallest Man on Earth at First Avenue, Minneapolis (29 Aug 2015)

poster The Tallest Man on Earth Setlist Fields of Our Home Slow Dance 1904 Singers Darkness of the Dream Timothy solo Love Is All The Gardener Thousand Ways Sagres The Wild Hunt Revelation Blues solo/duo Criminals Little Nowhere Towns Where Do My Bluebird Fly King of Spain Dark Bird is Home -- Encore -- The Dreamer Like the Wheel Tour Dates 09/02/15 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall 09/03/15 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues 09/04/15 Toronto, ON Massey Hall 09/05/15 Holland, MI Knickerbocker Theater 09/05/15 Holland, MI Hope College 09/07/15 Columbia, MO The Blue Note 09/08/15 Wichita, KS Orpheum Theatre 09/09/15 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom 09/10/15 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom 09/11/15 Dallas, TX House Of Blues 09/12/15 Houston, TX House Of Blues 09/13/15 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Live 10/03/15 Oslo, Norway Oslo Opera House 10/04/15 Goteborg, Sweden Konserthuset 10/05/15 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus 10/06/15 Umea, Sweden Idunteatern 10/08/15 Linkoping, Sweden Konsert & Kongress 10/09/15 Falun, Sweden Magasinet 10/10/15 Aarhus, Denmark Fonden VoxHall 10/12/15 Cologne, Germany E-Werk 10/13/15 Berlin, Germany Huxleys Neue Welt 10/14/15 Vienna, Austria Arena Vienna 10/15/15 Milan, Italy Alcatraz 10/16/15 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus 10/17/15 Paris, France Le Bataclan 10/19/15 London Roundhouse 10/20/15 Glasgow ABC1 10/21/15 Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street 10/23/15 Manchester Albert Hall 10/24/15 East Sussex De La Warr Pavilion 10/25/15 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique 10/27/15 Copenhagen, Denmark VEGA Read More Tallest Man On Earth After playing sold out shows at both Music Hall of Williamsburg and The Beacon Theater in New York, The Tallest Man On Earth (aka Sweden’s Kristian Matsson) recorded an intimate set ... Lady Lamb the Beekeeper Opening for Typhoon were the new-wave sounding Wild Ones and, to my delight, the also-quite-amazing Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (the musical alias of Aly Spaltro). Looking a bit like the Olsen ...

Thankfully, The Tallest Man on Earth did not live up to his name—

Just seventeen days prior, a 30 x 30’ piece of the 1930’s-era ceiling on the venerable First Avenue club fell down, injuring five and forcing them to close to tear out the remainder and safely refurbish the venue.  The ceiling itself is now more exposed, with more pipes and beams showing, all painted black, with sounds carrying and bouncing around a touch more, though all still clear and well-mixed.

Despite his slightly oddly named stage moniker, Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson stands only at 5’ 7” (coincidentally same height as Bob Dylan) and he and his band became the first touring act to reopen First Avenue since the ceiling collapse, playing a 90 min. headlining set to a near-capacity packed crowd.

Lady Lamb

Someone with another strange stage name, Lady Lamb, opened the evening with a focused 40 min. solo acoustic set featuring songs from her latest, After (on Mom + Pop Music).  AKA Aly Spaltro, the singer/guitarist/banjo player from Maine mesmerized many in the folk-ready crowd, opening with ‘Crane Your Neck’, and played songs with peculiar titles like ‘Bird Balloons’ and ‘Spat Out Spit’.

Kristian Matsson

Taking the stage to the taped intro of Håkan Hellström’s ‘För sent för Edelweiss’, Matsson and his four-piece band emerged (keys; viola/guitar; sax/bass; and drums) with the new album’s (Dark Bird is Home on Dead Oceans Music) opening track, ‘Fields of Our Home’.

Matsson’s sound and musical vision has expanded courtesy of this new and most personal work, chronicling his recent divorce and death of a close family member; but he gratefully doesn’t take it to “Iron and Wine” heights, whose touring members numbered more than Pink Floyd’s live show, the last time they were here.

‘1904’ written “about and in Minneapolis” from Matsson’s previous album, got warm applause, though it’s never been revealed if it’s about the tornado that year or something else, but Matsson himself proved to be a fierce tornado; usually singing a verse then darting away to stumble to one side of the stage or the other, strumming wildly.  While many hip-hop MCs end with “dropping a mic”, Matsson has a habit of spiking his guitar pick in celebration, putting the exclamation point on each of his songs, and making the need to have a stack of picks on a side amplifier.

Matsson’s on stage fragility was evident when he responded with doubt to cries of “I love you”, mistook a “woo” for a “boo”, and warned the crowd he would only play soft and low if they continued to talk, which thankfully resulted in polite shushing by people for the rest of the set.

‘Singers’ was a song about Matsson’s grandfather, ‘Darkness of the Dream’ uses the same brooding synth  sound from Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up the Hill’, and Matsson hasn’t forgotten his own solo roots,  letting the band go (which includes Bon Iver/P.O.S. collaborator and falsetto background vocalist Mike Noyce) for a mid-set string of three solo songs.

“Sad songs only…on the ticket, I know”, Mattson mused, as each rustic folk number seemed to be pinned with an undercurrent of sadness, even the more uptempo ones like ‘Timothy’ about his “best friend ever”, who was with Matsson last time here, though was not this time.

‘Sagres’ has a very Dylan/Bon Iver feel, perhaps the result of finishing the new album’s songs in Wisconsin, and is one that local station The Current, has embraced for airplay. Noyce joined Matsson on stage for a pair of duo songs-  ‘Little Nowhere Towns’ which had Matsson move to keyboard and featured Noyce’s high harmonies, and the contemplative ‘Where Do My Bluebird Fly’.

The Tallest Man on Earth takes a bow

2010’s ‘The Dreamer’  and ‘Like the Wheel’ ended the evening as a two-song encore, with the appropriate final lines sung, “Like the branch that keeps hangman hanging on,  like the branch that will take me home”;  the latter featuring the band huddled acapella, around a pair of microphones.  And with that, The Tallest Man on Earth stood tall to a standing ovation, though happily not tall enough to scrape the new ceiling.

The Tallest Man on Earth at First Avenue, Minneapolis (29 August 2015)

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