W♥M

Minneapolis: November 16 to November 17

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

11/16 Atarashii Gakko! at Amsterdam Bar & Hall

11/16/2023 Thursday

Atarashii Gakko!
at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
amsterdambarandhall.com

Japanese all-girl group Atarashii Gakko!, the known as the full Japanese name as Atarashii Gakkou no Leaders (新しい学校のリーダーズ), translated to mean “The New School Leaders”.

The group formed in June 2017 under Victor Entertainment with the single “Dokubana”. Currently, they are signed under 88rising since 2021. Their new EP is called Maningen (マ人間) which came out August 16, 2023.

All four girls, Mizyu, Suzuka, Kanon, and Rin, will be heading to St Paul at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, as part of their first headlining tour: “We're very excited to announce THE SEISHUN TOUR, our first ever headline tour. We are excited to see you.”

If you’re into J-Pop, with a mix of Jazz and punk energy, this looks like a very fun show.

Tour dates:

Nov 7 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Fonda Theatre
Nov 8 San Francisco, CA, US The Regency Ballroom
Nov 10 Brooklyn, NY, US Music Hall
Nov 13 Toronto, ON, Canada Axis Club
Nov 16 St. Paul, MN, US Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Nov 17 Mexico City, Mexico Festival Corona Capital

11/16 The Tenors at The Fitzgerald Theater Read More The Tenors International vocal group The Tenors, but wanted to first showcase the red carpet arrivals and the numerous celebrity attendees that showed their support. …

11/16/2023 Thursday

The Tenors
at The Fitzgerald Theater
first-avenue.com

Internationally renowned award winning vocal group The Tenors is on tour in support of their new holiday album Christmas with The Tenors.

The Tenors (15 July 2018)

We saw The Tenors in 15 July 2018 and noted, “Canadian trio The Tenors made a return appearance to the gala, themselves just recently back from one of Starkey’s transformative missions in Zambia, to open the evening with their hit, ‘The Prayer’.”

Tour dates:

11/03/23 Westbury, NY NYCB Theater at Westbury
11/05/23 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
11/06/23 Portsmouth, NH Music Hall
11/08/23 Glenside, PA Keswick Theater
11/09/23 Boston, MA The Wilbur
11/10/23 Newton, NJ The Newton Theater
11/12/23 Warren, OH Robins Theater
11/15/23 Chicago, IL Athenaeum Theater
11/16/23 St. Paul, MN The Fitzgerald Theater
11/18/23 Fort Hall, ID Shoshone Bannock Hotel
11/19/23 Airway Heights, WA Northern Quest Resort
11/23/23 Victoria, BC Royal Theatre
11/24/23 Courtenay, BC Sid Williams Theatre
11/26/23 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
11/27/23 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11/28/23 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11/30/23 Regina, SK Casino Regina
12/01/23 Winnipeg, MB Club Regent Event Centre
12/14/23 Windsor, ON Caesars Windsor
12/16/23 Ottawa, ON Southam Hall
12/17/23 Peterborough, ON Peterborough Memorial Centre
12/18/23 Toronto, ON Roy Thompson Hall
12/20/23 Kitchener, ON Centre in the Square
12/23/23 Montreal, QC Théâtre Outremont

11/17 Kota the Friend at The Lyric

11/17/2023 Friday

Kota the Friend
at The Lyric
skywaytheatre.com

American rapper, singer, and record producer Kota the Friend is on tour, stopping by the Lyric (inside the Skyway Theatre), in Minneapolis, on Friday, 11/ 17th. The tour, titled “Kota the Friend Presents: Flowers For My Friends Tour” is in support of his album Protea.

Recently, the acclaimed Brooklynite appeared on PBS’s NewsHour television program, where he was interviewed by special correspondent Christopher Booker for a documentary on Jay-Z’s ‘Book of Hov’ NYC exhibit.

The exclusive interview is part of PBS’s arts and culture series, Canvas, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Tour dates:

Fri Oct 20 — Pittsburgh, PA — Roxian Theatre
Sat Oct 21 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer*
Sun Oct 22 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore Silver Spring
Wed Oct 25 — Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre
Thu Oct 26 — Tampa, FL — The Ritz Ybor*
Sat Oct 28 — Dallas, TX — South Side Music Hall*
Mon Oct 30 — Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren
Tue Oct 31 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory North Park
Wed Nov 01 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco Theatre
Sun Nov 05 — San Francisco, CA — The Fillmore
Tue Nov 07 — Seattle, WA — Neumos
Fri Nov 10 — Portland, OR — Crystal Ballroom*
Sat Nov 11 — Vancouver, BC — Hollywood Theatre
Wed Nov 15 — Denver, CO — Summit
Fri Nov 17 — Minneapolis, MN — The Lyric at Skyway Theatre*
Sat Nov 18 — Chicago, IL — Patio Theatre*
Sun Nov 19 — Detroit, MI — St. Andrew’s Hall
Mon Nov 20 — Toronto, ON — The Danforth Music Hall
Wed Nov 22 — Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club
Sat Nov 25 — New York, NY — Irving Plaza

*Not a Live Nation Date

11/17 Liz Phair with Blondshell at Palace Theatre Read More Liz Phair Iconic American singer and songwriter Liz Phair returned to the sold-out Turf Club show in St Paul, on Monday, to bring us her “Girly Sound to Guyville” show. .… Blondshell Starting January 18th, Los Angeles’ Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum), will take over as support. Blondshell is still very new, having only released four singles, her debut “Olympus,” “Cartoon Earthquake” ....

11/17/2023 Friday

Liz Phair
with Blondshell
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

90s icon Liz Phair is son tour in celebration of 30 years of Exile In Guyville.

Liz Phair (04 Jun 2018)

We saw Phair in 04 Jun 2018 and said, “Nineties feminist iconic (and potty-mouthed) singer Liz Phair came on stage with guitarist Connor Sullivan. Off stage was her guitarist tech Wyatt, who did a great job pre-tuning and getting Phair’s various guitars ready from song to song. The “Girly Sound to Guyville” show was a little stripped down for my liking, but Phair promised a full band setup on the upcoming tour (incidentally her forthcoming September show at First Avenue is sold out as well).”

Blondshell to open.

Tour dates:

11/07 - The Magnolia - San Diego, CA
11/08 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
11/10 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
11/11 - Masonic Auditorium - San Francisco, CA
11/13 - Revolution Hall - Portland, OR
11/14 - Moore Theater - Seattle, WA
11/17 - Palace Theater - Minneapolis, MN
11/18 - Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL
11/19 - The Masonic Temple - Detroit, MI
11/21 - Roadrunner - Boston, MA
11/22 - Franklin Music Hall - Philadelphia, PA
11/24 - Kings Theater - Brooklyn, NY
11/25 - Anthem - Washington, DC
11/27 - The Ryman - Nashville, TN
11/28 - Woodruff Arts Center - Atlanta, GA
11/30 - Orpheum Theater - New Orleans, LA
12/01 - Moody Theater - Austin, TX
12/03 - Majestic Theater - Dallas, TX

11/17 Liz Phair with Blondshell at Palace Theatre Read More Don McLean When news of his death came out, music icon Don McLean (famous for “American Pie”), shared his story about Alex Trebek. It was Trebek’s longtime dream to have McLean perform at his Christmas party ...

11/17/2023 Friday

Don McLean
at Dakota Jazz Club
dakotacooks.com

Legendary songwriter Hall of Famer, Don McLean is on his American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour… and he’s stopping by the intimate Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on November 17th.

It’s hard to explain just how important the song “American Pie” is. The iconic song can be heard in so many films, such as the Black Widow 2021 film, or was even the subject of the documentary The Day the Music Died/American Pie in 2022.

What is even incredible is that it’s not a typical pop rock song, the song clocks in over eight minutes long… yet radio station will make an exception and play this hit song.

If you love this song, you need to see Don McLean on this special tour.

Tour dates:

Oct 13 - Rutland, VT - Paramount Theatre
Oct 14 - Concord, NH - Chubb Theatre
Oct 19 - Florence, SC - Francis Marion University PAC
Oct 27 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct 28 - Union, NJ - Kean University – Wilkins Theatre
Nov 04 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum
Nov 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum
Nov 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Nov 11 - Warren, PA - Struthers Library Theatre
Nov 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
Dec 02 & 03 - Honolulu, HI - Blue Note Hawaii

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

Starkey Hearing Foundation 18th Annual Awards Gala at Rivercentre, St. Paul (15 July 2018)

W♥M275: Starkey Hearing Foundation (12 mins) W♥M274: Starkey Red Carpet (8 mins) Music/Entertainment Setlist The Tenors The Prayer Darci Lynne Farmer Who’s Loving You (Jackson 5 cover) The Way You Look Tonight (Frank Sinatra cover) / Hit the Road Jack (Ray Charles cover) O Mio Babbino Caro w/ Petunia Paul Williams The Rainbow Connection The Tenors Forever Young (Bob Dylan cover) Gloria Gaynor Never Can Say Goodbye I Will Survive Sinbad Sinbad - stand-up set Don Felder Hotel California Alice Cooper/Don Felder/Robbie Krieger No More Mr. Nice Guy I’m Eighteen Five to One / Break on Through (The Doors covers) Brown Sugar (The Rolling Stones cover) School’s Out /Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2 (Pink Floyd cover) Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Once again, on a Sunday July afternoon, St. Paul became Tinseltown if only for an evening as the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s So The World May Hear 18th Annual Gala, in support ... Alice Cooper Rock icon Alice Cooper is bringing his incredibly live show to Mankato’s Vetter Stone Amphitheater this Friday, June 9th. We caught Cooper & Co earlier in December 2015 and said, “Alice Cooper shows … Gloria Gaynor Grammy-awarding winning singer and disco queen Gloria Gaynor; winner of Season 12 of America’s Got Talent Darci Lynne Farmer … The Tenors International vocal group The Tenors, but wanted to first showcase the red carpet arrivals and the numerous celebrity attendees that showed their support. … Paul Williams The music is written by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams. Ascher was best known for his keyboard and arrangements on John Lennon's album Walls and Bridges and Yoko Ono's A Story. …

The gift of hearing--

It’s one of the five senses many of us take for granted, but to those that are without it, the chance to gain (or re-gain in some cases) that vital gift, brings a feeling of utter joy that becomes difficult to fully express.  Starkey Foundation’s 18th Annual So the World May Hear Awards Gala held at the Rivercentre ballroom in St. Paul, celebrated that precious gift and honored several dignitaries for their own similar humanitarian works.

The annual benefit, which supports the Foundation’s community-based hearing healthcare programs and other global strategic initiatives, filled the upstairs main ballroom with 1,500 supporters and donors for a memorable evening that informed, entertained, enlightened, and thrilled. 

The annual formal gala is the centerpiece of Starkey’s year-long campaign to grow the Foundation’s international life-changing missions and domestically, its Hear Now program continues to provide hearing devices to those in need as well.

We previously showed you the star-studded red carpet arrivals; now, we want to focus on the gala itself and its many memorable music performances.

A silent auction of all types of memorabilia and items greeted supporters in the upstairs lobby and the doors soon opened to a full orchestra playing with dinner being served at the numerous ten-person tables. The evening got off to a slightly rocky start, beginning late with the traditional opening of an American bald eagle, set to fly above the crowd to land on his trainer’s arm on a platform on the other side of the room, not quite happening as expected. 

That proved to be comic gold for returning host and emcee Sinbad, who made light of things and reassured everyone that all was ok, promising a fun and entertaining evening.  Canadian trio The Tenors made a return appearance to the gala, themselves just recently back from one of Starkey’s transformative missions in Zambia, to open the evening with their hit, ‘The Prayer’. 

Bayat Foundation co-founders Dr. Ehsan Bayat and Mrs. Fatima Laya Bayat were honored for their work on behalf of in-need Afghans, before the next performer to the stage was ventriloquist and entertainer Darci Lynne Farmer. The thirteen year-old won season12 of America’s Got Talent and brought with her, puppet Oscar, a Motown-loving mouse to sing a Jackson 5 cover, pulled a couple from the audience to have them croon on cue as human puppets, and thoroughly impressed as she and her rabbit puppet Petunia, sang a classic Italian opera.

Elton John sent a long a short film before songwriter/actor Paul Williams was honored, the grateful philanthropist even sang his trademark Muppet hit, The Rainbow Connection’.  Actor Forest Whitaker then spoke about his own foundation’s peacebuilding initiatives and after a short film set in Dubai, former President Bill Clinton electrified the room with a stirring and inspirational mostly-improvised speech. 

The Tenors then returned to the stage for a soaring version of a classic from Minnesota native Bob Dylan before Starkey Foundation’s Bill Austin gave a humble and emotional address about being the best you are, and giving back. 

The auction then got underway, with tablets on each table to enabling a click-to-donate feature, as well as the chance to accompany the Starkey team on mission experiences to far-flung lands as a life-changing opportunity to provide the gift of hearing to those in need. Comedian Billy Crystal assisted in the proceedings with honoree Paul Williams even donated the opportunity to have him compose a unique song of your own choosing. 

The second half of the evening began with a dancing start as Grammy-winning singer Gloria Gaynor emerged for a too short two-song set, including of course, her disco-era anthem, ‘I Will Survive’, “We’re all speaking the language of love tonight” Gaynor said, introducing the classic song. Lin-Manuel Miranda sent along a video, apologizing that commitments left him unable to attend, also praising Starkey’s efforts with his own foundation, to aid in still weather-stricken Puerto Rico. 

Alice Cooper came out early to help honor his longtime manager, chef, and humanitarian Shep Gordon and then Sinbad returned for a longer, often hilarious stand-up set, riffing on everything from a possible downside of restoring hearing, going through airports, compression socks, and even taking a few questions from the audience. 

Billy Crystal spoke to honor his friend and Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver and then amps were turned up and all eyes turned to the left side of the main stage for the evening’s closing musical performance.

“Anybody recognize this guitar?” four-time Grammy Award winning ex-guitarist for The Eagles, Don Felder asked, holding up his signature double neck before strumming the recognizable first chords of ‘Hotel California’’.  Felder then introduced Cooper, and he and the band dove straight into ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, accompanied by the legendary guitarist from The Doors, Robbie Krieger.

‘I’m Eighteen’ was the result of Cooper’s manager, Gordon saying they needed a song that would make every parent hate him (which worked) then Cooper and Krieger briefly recalled their wilder drinking days together, before a sizzling Doors medley of ‘Five to One/Break on Through’, punctuated by a signature Krieger solo.

“You can dance a little bit on this song” Cooper said, jokingly remarking Paul Williams wrote it, as the band roared into the Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar’-  “there’s a little Mick Jagger in all of us”, Cooper exclaimed. Aware of their audience, the band invited a few of the evening’s highest donors (dubbed The Cooper-ettes by Alice) to come up on stage to help sing ‘School’s Out’, which melded the anthemic chorus of a Pink Floyd classic, to make for a thrilling finish. 

But, contrary to what Cooper sang in those time-honored space rock lyrics, while we can do without the thought control, we still do need the education- the education on this night coming in the form of inspiring stories of giving; restoring a person’s hearing and in turn, their dignity; and the priceless feeling of giving back.  Starkey Foundation’s 18th Annual Awards Gala reaffirmed those and more, in a celebration of their simple but very effective mission – So The World May Hear.

Tim Shriver

Tim Shriver

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

Bayat Foundation

Bayat Foundation

Bayat Foundation

Brady Forseth

Shep Gordon

Shep Gordon

Darci Lynne

Darci Lynne

Darci Lynne

Sinbad

Bill Austin

Bill Austin

Auction: Billy Crystal, Brady Forseth

Tenors

Tenors

Tenors

Tenors

Billy Crystal

Paul Williams

Paul Williams

Forest Whittaker

Forest Whittaker

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor

Don Felder

Don Felder

Don Felder

Don Felder

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper with Robbie Krieger

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper at Starkey Hearing Foundation 18th Annual Awards Gala at Rivercentre, St. Paul (15 July 2018)

john + vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Starkey Hearing Foundation18th Annual Awards Gala - Red Carpet at Rivercentre, St. Paul (15 July 2018)

W♥M275: Starkey Hearing Foundation (12 mins) Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Celebrities, sports figures, and dignitaries all descended on St Paul over the weekend to attend The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a...

Once again, on a Sunday July afternoon, St. Paul became Tinseltown if only for an evening as the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s So The World May Hear 18th Annual Gala, in support of accelerating the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions, and locally helping to support grants for area nonprofits, took place at the Rivercentre.

This year’s honorees included Shep Gordon- Award-winning producer & philanthropist, longtime entertainment manager, chef, and subject of the Mike Myers documentary, Supermensch; Dr. Timothy P. Shriver- Chairman of Special Olympics and author; Ehsan & Fatema Laya Bayat of The Bayat Foundation which lends assistance to in-need Afghans; and Paul Williams- longtime Starkey supporter, composer, singer, songwriter & philanthropist. Playwright and musical composer Lin-Manuel Miranda was also honored, though unable to attend. 

We’ll have full coverage for the gala itself shortly, which was hosted once again by comedian Sinbad and included musical performances from legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper and his band which included guest appearances from ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder and Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger; Grammy-awarding winning singer and disco queen Gloria Gaynor; winner of Season 12 of America’s Got Talent Darci Lynne Farmer; and international vocal group The Tenors, but wanted to first showcase the red carpet arrivals and the numerous celebrity attendees that showed their support.

Among the additional guests were:

42^nd President of the United States Bill Clinton; comedian and author Billy Crystal; Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker; Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side); singer Portia Clark, Davina Bennett; TV personality Diane McInerney; announcer Alan Kalter; actors Frankie Muniz, (Malcolm in the Middle) and Kyle Massey; and musicians Huey Lewis, Arthur Brown, vocal group ARIA, and Rohan Marley.

Boxers Evander Holyfield and Andre Berto; NBA’s Cole Aldrich, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Ron Harper, Ralph Sampson; NFL’s Kyle Rudolph, Andrew Sendajo, Ray Lewis, Ahmad Rashad, Greg Jennings, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, , Derrick Coleman, Robert Smith; NHL’s David Backes; MLB’s Justin Morneau; ESPN’s John Brenkus and Paralympian Mallory Weggemann.

Dr Timothy Shriver

Billy Crystal

Kyle Massey and Hana Giraldo

Huey Lewis

Portia Clark

Paul Williams

Quinton Aaron

Billy Crystal

John Brenkus

Ray Lewis

Justin Morneau

Darci Lynne

David Backes

Davina Bennett

Derrick Coleman Jr

Ed “Too Tall” Jones

Don Felder and Diane McInerney

Shep Gordon

Ahmad Rashad and Huey Lewis

Sinbad

Robert Smith

Ralph Sampson

Cole Aldrich

Arthur Brown

Andrew Sendeja

ARIA

Ahmad Rashad and Huey Lewis

Alan Kalter

Tani Austin

The Tenors

Evander Holyfield

Alice Cooper at Starkey Foundation 18th Annual Awards Gala, St. Paul (15 July 2018)

john + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Hollywood Vampires, John Mellencamp and more at Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala, St Paul (17 July 2016)

John Mellencamp Setlist Pink Houses Stones in My Passway (Robert Johnson cover) Save Some Time to Dream Jack and Diane Hollywood Vampires Setlist Intro/ Raise the Dead Pinball Wizard (The Who cover) My Generation (The Who cover) Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith cover) School's Out / Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd cover) The Tenors Setlist Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover) Funiculì, Funiculà Elvis Medley: Suspicious Minds / Always on my Mind/ O Sole Mio / It's Now or Never/ Can't Help Falling in Love with You Nessun Dorma Trent Harmon Setlist Stand By Me (Ben E. King cover) Tennessee Whiskey Maddie and Tae Setlist Fly John Mellencamp Tour Dates 09/17/16 Bristow, VA "Farm Aid" 10/11/16 Worcester, MA Hanover Theatre 10/12/16 Utica, NY Stanley Center 10/14/16 Wilkes-Barre, PA F.M. Kirby Center 10/15/16 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino 10/18/16 Hershey, PA Hershey Theatre 10/19/16 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre 10/21/16 Toledo, OH Stranahan Theater 10/22/16 Niagara Falls, NY Seneca Niagara Resort 10/25/16 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 10/26/16 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts 10/28/16 Columbia, MO Jesse Auditorium 10/30/16 Ames, IA Stephens Auditorium 11/01/16 Lincoln, NE Lied Center 11/02/16 Sioux Falls, SD Washington Pavilion 11/04/16 Grand Forks, ND Chester Fritz Auditorium Hollywood Vampires Tour Dates 07/22/16 Rohnert Park, CA Weill Hall 07/23/16 Jacksonville, OR "Britt Festivals" 07/24/16 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery 07/25/16 Paso Robles, CA California Mid-State Fair The Tenors Tour Dates 07/29/16 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre 07/30/16 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery 12/11/16 Newark, NJ Prudential Hall Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Not in the sky, but actually were on hand for The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace ....

In terms of the senses, hearing is likely the most critical for any musician,

And so, it makes sense that so many musicians, as well as celebrities, sports figures, and dignitaries all descended on St Paul over the weekend to attend The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions and locally help to support grants for area nonprofits.

Previously, we covered the red carpet and arrivals; now, we want to focus on the gala itself and its many memorable music performances.

With a full orchestra on hand, the program began promptly at 5:30 in a large upstairs ballroom with the attendees enjoying their dinner and drinks at ten-person tables.  An introductory video was shown (with numerous celebrity cameos) to get the festivities started and then Canadian group The Tenors sang their version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, complete with an eagle flying over the onlooking crowd.

Usually a quartet, the operatic group has for now slimmed down to a trio, the result of fallout from an unexpected verse (by a now former member) during the Canadian national anthem earlier in the week at the MLB All-Star Game, which resulted in his expulsion.

Comedian Jay Leno got things going with a few jokes, and several videos of Starkey mission trips were shown, where people young and old, were seen receiving the benefits of this ever-constant humanitarian program. Executive director and co-founder of PACER, Paula F. Goldberg was then honored and included an impassionate plea against bullying, in her acceptance speech.

Hollywood Vampires members Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp took to the podium to describe their mission experience with the Foundation, while the band was on tour playing Rock in Rio in Brazil as well as Lisbon.  Depp joked about the road life, saying “I went to sleep in Detroit and woke up next to a Charlie Brown statue in St. Paul” and Cooper mentioned that seeing children, parents and grandparents hear for the first time, was truly the highpoint of their touring.

Jay Leno then returned for a full comedy routine, covering politics, everyday life, his older technology, and getting older during his twenty-five minute routine, which closed with a “Minnesota hunting joke”.  The most recent American Idol winner Trent Harmon was next, playing a soulful version of ‘Stand By Me’, followed by his own original, ‘Tennessee Whiskey”.

Country duo Maddie and Tae prefaced their lone (but appropriate) song, ‘Fly’, from last year’s Start Here (on Republic Records) with a story of sponsoring a recent video contest to promote hearing awareness among the nation’s high schools.

Starkey founder Bill Austin centered his Founder’s speech on a Civil War officer saving his descendent, making the point of the difference that a single person can make, followed by a forty-minute auction segment (which raised the majority of funds for the evening), including even a mission to Jamaica, taking place at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studios.

All-star band Hollywood Vampires roared out of the gate next, for a loud and energetic half-hour that no doubt vibrated the wine glasses of every table near the front, making many reach for the complimentary ear plugs on each table.

In addition to Cooper and Depp, the band was ably rounded out by STP bassist Robert DeLeo, G’nR/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, Bruce Witkin, and from Cooper’s band, Tommy Henriksen, with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry still missing since an on-stage collapse the previous weekend at Coney Island.

After playing a pair of Who covers, Depp had to fill in on the talkbox for Perry on ‘Sweet Emotion’ and the group ended with Cooper’s own, ‘School’s Out’. “If you don’t know this song, you were never a teenager”, Depp quipped to the tuxedo and ball gown crowd.

Immediately following, Depp’s guitar was auctioned for $60,000 to a lucky bidder, with a competing bidder also winning a signed guitar for the same donation amount.

Right Honourable Tony Blair (UK Prime Minister 1997-07) was honored following, breaking the ice by admitting he always wanted to be Alice Cooper and expanded on his work with the Africa Governance Initiative, in furthering development on the continent.

The Tenors returned with more gusto, weaving through the crowd for ‘Funiculì, Funiculà’ before returning to the stage for a swinging Elvis medley that included ‘Suspicious Minds’ and ‘It’s Now or Never’ and ended with a larynx-stretching version of the operatic classic, ‘Nessun Dorma’.

Jennifer Garner seemed genuinely humbled and awestruck for being honored as an advocate for early childhood education and trustee for Save the Children, and singer John Mellencamp (who arrived late enough to miss any red carpet) closed out the evening with a four-song, twenty minute set starting with classic, ‘Pink Houses’.

Playing with longtime guitarist Mike Wanchic, Violinist Miriam Sturm, and two background singers, the intimate set continued with bluesman Robert Johnson’s ‘Stones in My Passway’, rich with Wanchic’s slide guitar work. Mellencamp then stepped back to let his singers take the vocals for ‘Save Some Time to Dream’ because “their voices deliver a lot better than my old raspy voice”, he said. 

The all-American ‘Jack and Diane’ ended the set (and evening) with many up out of their chairs waving hands above heads and singing along to the stripped down, slower version.

“If you want a better world, it starts with you”, Mellencamp said, leaving the stage, managing to casually encompass the message of the night in one short sentence.  Using hearing as a vehicle to change lives around the world, the Starkey Foundation embodies Mellencamp’s statement, providing a gift to so many, “So the World May Hear”.

Photo Gallery:

The Tenors

The Tenors

Paula F Goldberg

Jay Leno

Bill Austin

The Tenors at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires

Hollywood Vampires at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Tony Blair

Jennifer Garner

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

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

Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala (Red Carpet) at Rivercentre, St. Paul (17 July 2016)

Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Saint Paul’s Rivercentre  rolls out the red carpet this coming Sunday for one of the most anticipated events of the year, The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala. ....

With a nearly full moon in the sky (94% full, to be exact and called waxing gibbous for all you science-types), the stars were out at the Rivercentre in St. Paul –

Not in the sky, but actually were on hand for The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala, which generated a record $9.5 million dollars to accelerate the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions and locally help to support grants for area nonprofits.

This year’s Award honorees included actress Jennifer Garner, advocate for early childhood education and trustee for Save the Children, Paula F. Goldberg, executive director and co-founder of PACER for making a lifeline for parents of children and young adults with all disabilities, and Right Honourable Tony Blair for his relentless belief in the future of Africa.

We’ll have full coverage for the gala itself shortly, which included brief musical performances from Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp); singer-songwriter John Mellencamp; country duo Maddie & Tae; The Tenors; and American Idol winner Trent Harmon, but wanted to first showcase the red carpet arrivals and the numerous celebrity attendees that showed their support.

Among the additional guests were:

Former astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Charles Duke; the first deaf winner of America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with The Stars winner Nyle DiMarco; Miss World America 2016 Audra Mari; actors Cedric The Entertainer, Michael Madsen, Verne Troyer, Barry Bostwick, Frankie Muniz and Kyle and Christopher Massey; The Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron, Austin & Ally actress Laura Marano, Gilmore Girls actress Vanessa Marano; Ray Donovan actor Steven Bauer; entrepreneur Rohan Marley; Minnesota Vikings player Kyle Rudolph, and legend Carl Eller; Boxing legend Evander Holyfield; boxer Andre Berto; Paralympian Mallory Weggeman; Arizona Cardinals players Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd; MLB Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Rollie Fingers; pitcher Barry Zito; Minnesota Timberwolves’ Cole Aldrich; NBA champion Ron Harper and Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson.

Photo Gallery:

Carl Eller

Ralph Sampson

Charles Duke

Buzz Aldrin

Barry Bostwick

Tony Blair at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Barry Zito

Rollie Fingers

Steven Bauer

Paula F Goldberg with Bill and Tani Austin

Frankie Muniz

Jay Leno at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Massey Brothers with the Austins

Mallory Weggemann

Evander Holyfield

Murano Sisters

Michael Madsen with Bill Austin

Cedric the Entertainer at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Dave Winfield

Rohan Marley w sports stars

Cole Aldrich

Maddie and Tae

Verne Troyer

Jennifer Garner at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

Quinton Aaron

Nyle DiMarco

The Tenors

Kyle Rudolph

Audra Mari

Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp at The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16th Annual Awards Gala (17 July 2016)

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

Minneapolis: July 17, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on July 17, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More John Mellencamp I know he's dropped the 'Cougar' part of his name, but John Mellencamp will forever be known to me as John Cougar Mellencamp. I guess I read that he never liked the 'cougar' .... Alice Cooper A classic Vincent Price introduction led to the curtain fall and a canvas backdrop of a close-up of Alice Cooper’s eyes as the shock rocker and band launched into the opening ‘Black Widow’ of its too-short 50 minute set. …

THE STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION
at Rivercentre
Sunday, 07/17/16, 3pm ($$)
rivercentre.org

So The World May Hear—

Saint Paul’s Rivercentre  rolls out the red carpet this coming Sunday for one of the most anticipated events of the year, The Starkey Hearing Foundation 16^th Annual Awards Gala.

This year’s Award honorees include Jennifer Garner (Alias, Elektra), award-winning actress and advocate for early childhood education. As trustee for Save the Children, Garner has traveled the country to learn firsthand how these programs impact children and families in need and has advocated to officials at every level.

Local humanitarian, Paula F. Goldberg, executive director and co-founder of PACER, will also be celebrated for making PACER a lifeline for parents of children and young adults with all disabilities.

Music and entertainment is always a key feature of the event, bringing the world’s best entertainers to the Starkey stage and this year is no exception- comedian and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno will feature his comedy while Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp); singer-songwriter John Mellencamp; country duo Maddie & Tae; The Tenors; and American Idol winner Trent Harmon will provide the music.

Due to Vampires’ guitarist Joe Perry’s health scare over the weekend at a show on Coney Island, it’s yet unknown if he can attend, though his speedy recovery has been predicted, and the band is carrying on.

The gala itself is anticipated to generate more than $9 million, which will accelerate the pace and scope of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions and locally, the proceeds support grants for area nonprofits.

Numerous other local and international celebrities are expected to appear, with ticket and participation opportunities available here: starkeyhearingfoundation.org

Read More Bastille Day Minneapolis' Bastille Day is happening today, Sunday, July 14th, 2013, from 3pm to 10pm. The annual block party sponsored by Barbette Café is open and free to the public. ....…

BASTILLE DAY BLOCK PARTY
at Barbette
Sunday, 07/17/16, 3pm (FREE)
bastilledayblockparty.com

We’ve been covering the annual Bastille Day Block Party for a while now, and this year’s lineup is absolutely unbelievable!

To start, this day party is free and open to the public. Local favorites Babes in Toyland and Bad Bad Hats are both on the bill.

The last time we saw the Babes, it was a rare headlining gig at First Avenue in January 2016. Prior to that, their very first appearance since reunited at Rock the Garden 2015.

Since the event starts at 3pm and has to end before curfew at 10pm, I typically bicycle into the city for a relaxing lazy Sunday bike ride.

Details below (more artists may be announced later):

MC Foxy Tann

Brass Messengers

Infiammati Fire Circus

North Star Rollergirls

Kate Lynch & Her Most Excellent Fellows

Bad Bad Hats

Nadine Dubois & Les Folies Risque

Babes in Toyland

Read More SHEL SHEL is the acronym of four classically trained sisters: Sarah on violin, Hannah on keyboards, Eva on mandolin, and Liza on drums, djembe and beatboxing. .…

SHEL
at 7th Street Entry
Sunday, 07/17/16, 7pm ($8/$10)
first-avenue.com

We wrote about sister act SHEL in 2014 when we told you that it’s an acronym for their names: Sarah, Hannah, Eva, and Liza.

The sisters will be in town promoting their new Dave Stewart-produced album Just Crazy Enough, released earlier in May 2016, with their motto “four sisters, traveling the world, tellin' tales, and sharing a dream”.

To coincide with their current national tour, the band has also released a video announcing the “Just Crazy Enough Challenge,” which invites fans to consider the ethical implications of their fashion choices while highlighting their favorite ethically-sourced apparel. Lead vocalist Eva Holbrook explains, “The idea is you make a ‘capsule’ wardrobe, using only eight items and ten accessories. But you can only use items that you already own or your purchase from a thrift store or ethically-sourced company.” Watch the video here: youtube.com

Two local guests Dan Rodriguez and Savannah Smith will open the show.

Tour Dates:

7/13/16 - St. Louis, MO - Old Rock House
7/14/16 - Davenport, IA - Red Stone Room
7/15/16 - Marshfield, WI - Vox Concert Series
7/16/16 - Grand Rapids, MN - KAXE Radio Amph
7/17/16 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
7/28/16 - West Whately, MA - Watermelon
7/29/16 - Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
7/30/16 - Hiram, ME - Ossipee Music Fest
8/05/16 - Loveland, CO - Arise Music Festival

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