W♥M

Prince - Honorary Degree Ceremony at Ted Mann Hall, University of Minnesota (26 Sept 2018)

Honoring Prince Honoring Prince Program Of Events Performance Medley: 1999 / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Controversy / Let’s Work Welcome Remarks: Michael Kim, Director of The School of Music Remarks: Elliott Powell- Asst Professor, Dept of American Studies Performance Medley: Little Red Corvette / Nothing Compares 2 U Remarks: John J Coleman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Presentation of The Candidate: Eric W Kaler, President of The University of Minnesota Conferral of Degree: Darrin Rosha, University of Minnesota Regent Acceptance Speech: Tyka Nelson Performance Medley: I Would Die 4 U / Baby I’m a Star Closing Remarks: John J Coleman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Performance: Purple Rain (Tyka Nelson on vocals) Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center. … New Power Generation Shelby J, Liv Warfield, and Elisa (Fiorello) Dease doing a short set each, backed by all-female band 3rd Eye Girl and the well-dressed 11pc. New Power Generation horns. ..…

There’s a new doctor in the house – and he’s purple and funky…!

Prior to Prince’s untimely death in 2016, the University of Minnesota had been preparing to present him with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, the University’s highest honor. This was an idea presented to him while he was still alive, and his purported response was one word back, “Cool”.

The honorary degree was presented recently at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the university campus, recognizing distinctive achievement that has materially added to knowledge, and is in recognition of Prince’s remarkable talent, enduring influence in music, and his role in shaping the city of Minneapolis.

The Chamber Strings from the University Symphony Orchestra and their own Jazz Ensemble I (both under the direction of Dean Sorenson) were joined on stage The Minneapolis Funk All Stars led by Family/F-Deluxe singer/bassist St. Paul Peterson. Joining him was guitarist Jellybean Johnson (Family/The Time); keyboardist Tommy Barbarella (NPG), drummer Kirk Johnson (NPG) and vocalist Cameron Kinghorn.

The evening began with a four-song Prince medley with songs culled from the early 80’s, inducing an immediate celebratory spirit which brought the crowd up on their feet, clapping and singing along. Nelson family members were in attendance including Omar and half-sister Sharon, along with university dignitaries, and the lucky fans that managed to RSVP before the public access quickly closed after reaching capacity.

Director of the School of Music Michael Kim next welcomed everyone to the evening, and made introductory remarks, including his own personal connection to the night’s subject. Asst. Professor Elliott Powell then made the case for Prince and his music being an instrument of social change, reflecting timely issues in songs like ‘Baltimore’, ‘Controversy’, and ’The United States of Division’.

The band fired up again for a faithful ‘Little Red Corvette’ and St. Paul took center stage for one of his favorites to sing- ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, a song made most famous by Sinead O’Connor, but one first given by Prince to The Family to record.

Dean of The College of Liberal Arts John Coleman made his remarks, followed by The University of Minnesota’s President, Eric W. Kaler, who presided over the presentation of the candidate (with sister Tyka Nelson accepting on Prince’s behalf) and the conferral of the degree ceremony, along with University Regent Darrin Rosha.

The band then resumed for a Purple Rain-era two-fer of ‘I Would Die 4 U / Baby I’m a Star’ as video images and captioned song lyrics filled the video screen behind the musicians. Coleman returned briefly with closing remarks, then (somewhat surprisingly) Tyka Nelson retook to the stage, full of emotion from the evening, to sing the closing number, ‘Purple Rain’, pointing to the sky as Johnson cut loose with the song’s signature guitar solo.

Though Prince never did attend college, he did play at the University (at Northrop Auditorium in 2000 for the first Celebration event) and from the night’s comments, seemed open to receiving this highly prestigious honor from the university- they apparently first offered up the idea in the early ‘90’s, only to have him change his name to that unpronounceable symbol shortly after, which in part, tabled the idea until it was resurrected just a few years ago.

While there was some air of somberness that he would not be present, the evening was overall more celebratory and joyful in spirit and everyone in attendance, was undoubtedly happy to have been present to witness Prince receiving his Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Minneapolis Funk All Stars

Tyka Degree

John Coleman

Michael Kim

Elliott Powell

Cameron Kinghorn

Jellybean with Jazz Ensemble

Tommy Barbarella

Jellybean Johnson

Kirk Johnson

Honoring Prince

Tyka with St. Paul Peterson

Honoring Prince at Mann Hall, University of Minnesota (26 Sep 2018)

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

Haley Bonar at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (29 Aug 2014)

Haley Bonar Setlist Too Much Nothing Candy Machine Gun Silver Zephyrs A Piano No Sensitive Man Heaven's Made For Two Last War From A Cage Arms of Harm Leo Ransom Better Than Me Blue Diamonds Fall Stupid Face Bad For You Can't Believe Our Luck Woke Up In My Future Bad Reputation Kill The Fun -- Encore -- Daddy Eat For Free John Mark Nelson Setlist Home Boy The Moon & the Stars Truly, You Are Dream Last Night Shorebird Reminisce Rain Comes Down Haley Bonar Tour Dates 23.10 Cologne, DE - Blue Shell 24.10 Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet Amsterdam 27.10 Brighton, UK - Green Door Store 28.10 Bristol, UK - Start The Bus 29.10 London, UK - The Lexington 30.10 Manchester, UK - Gullivers NQ 31.10 Glasgow, UK - Nice N Sleazy 01.11 Liverpool, UK - Liverpool Music Week 04.11 Paris, FR - La Flèche d'Or Read More Haley Bonar I previously mentioned that the Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson show was $10, I have been corrected, the show is free to everyone. If you've got nothing going on this Friday evening, why not check out the show … John Mark Nelson You knew this John Mark Nelson show was special and was meticulously planned from the beginning.…

It has got to be good to be a student at the University of Minnesota, as there were about a hundred free events taking place throughout the campus. One of the free event was the Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert, featuring Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson, at the Northrop Auditorium, courtesy of the Council of Graduate Students.

The Northrop is an impressive venue, able to seat and accommodate for nearly five thousand people. It has an old fashion theater-style setting (after all, it was built in 1929), but with the renovation completed earlier this year, the Northrop is fresh, polished, new, and modernized.

John Mark Nelson

We last saw John Mark Nelson at his CD release show, and that was a lot of fun. Although it lacked the guest singers, congo line of brass, and confetti, it was still no less just as exciting.

Right before playing his new song "Dream Last Night", Nelson talked about his album Sings the Moon... and ultimately gave two albums to people sitting in the first row. During the rest of his set, he still took a little time to thank the audience for coming out and that he never took playing in front of people for granted. It's a message that I'm sure we'll see from Nelson again.

During his set finale, "Rain Comes Down", he suggested that people should stand up and dance... and they did. Many of the younger fans rushed to the front of the stage and danced off to the last song.

Setlist

Since 2003 The Size of Planets, Haley Bonar has been the staple Minneapolis singer/songwriter for years, even when she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2009! Bonar's latest album Last War (Graveface Records) came out this year, and, as you can see on her setlist, all those songs made it on her setlist.

The students who showed up early to the show was given glow sticks and various "Back to School" product advertisements, so Bonar had to comment on how this was "the quietest ravers" she's ever seen.

Bonar switched guitars to acoustics (and had technical difficulties switching plugs before "Last War"), however for a block of songs "From A Cage" to "Ransom", Bonar played on the keyboard.

Jeremy, Kate, and Jacob

The Haley Bonar band, as introduced by Bonar, were Jacob on guitar, Kate on keys, Rob on bass, and Jeremy on drums. She mentioned that because Jacob just had a newborn baby, that he couldn't go on tour with the band in the UK next month. Bonar would later dedicate "Daddy" on the solo encore to her guitarist. For the second song on the encore, Jeremy, Kate, and Jacob gathered around a mic to help harmony for "Eat For Free".

Haley Bonar's latest album Last War is out now on Graveface Records. Look for her on her UK tour next month.

Haley Bonar at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis (29 Aug 2014)

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

Northrop Auditorium - University of MN 2.0: a venue re-born

Northrop Auditorium logo Read More University of Minnesota Mat Kearney’s latest effort is called ‘Young Love’ and that was what the several hundreds of University of Minnesota students showed Kearney on his 70 min. outdoor appearance near Coffman Union …

After 85 years, a facelift was most in order.

Northrop Auditorium exterior courtesy Star Tribune

The centerpiece of the University of Minnesota, Northrop Auditorium, just completed a five-year long major renovation, and is due to re-open as a vital performance space in the Twin Cities area.

The grand (re-)opening happens next Friday, with a celebration and performance by the American Ballet Theatre, but W♥M was lucky enough to get an early look, and tour inside the new building. Built in 1929, the “grand old dame” of the University of Minnesota was the home for the Minnesota Symphony and Weisman Art Museum for half a century, and has hosted numerous dignitaries, concerts, and special events over the years, but had fallen in stature due to its age and disrepair.

Northrop Auditorium Renovation courtesy U of MN

Though its outer façade remains mostly the same (with the exception of a back addition), the interior was completely gutted (or “surgically deconstructed” as they prefer to call it) and remade, to fits the changing needs of today’s culture. Five years and $88 million dollars later, the end result is impressive.

Another 70,000 concrete blocks, 50,000 bricks, and 152 miles of wire, were among the additions to upgrade the facility, while its seating area dramatically shrank from 4,847 to 2,700, resulting in a more intimate sensory experience (more than double the previous seats are less than 100ft from the stage than before) and noticeably improved sight lines and acoustics. While the old Northrop concerts sounded like listening through a soup can/string kid’s telephone, the new Northrop carries sounds as delicate as a sneeze and sheet music page-turning, throughout all levels.

The view onto the stage remains similar- its proscenium arch remains, embedded with medallions representing colleges and divisions, but more light shines through and the backstage area is greatly improved.

Northrop Auditorium new balconies

The biggest change to the theater area is the balcony—once, a central jutting level resulting in an echoing ceiling above the back half of the lower level, it is now a rounded and separated three-level design, that is also seen in more venerable modern concert halls and opera houses.

Triple the amount of previous box office windows, almost double the amount of restrooms, and additions of collaborative spaces and a (soon-to-come) café add to the finishing touches inside. Unfortunately, no mention of LEED certification or other sustainable/environmentally-friendly attributes, but that is probably more challenging to accomplish when refurbishing an older building, than beginning it in a new one.

While no rock shows are currently scheduled at Northrop Auditorium, with the building finished and ready to be seen, a few bookings can’t be that far behind.

Northrop Auditorium stage

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ northrop.umn.edu

Mat Kearney - University of Minnesota Spring Jam (4/27/13) live review

Setlist

Mat Kearney’s latest effort is called ‘Young Love’ and that was what the several hundreds of University of Minnesota students showed Kearney on his 70 min. outdoor appearance near Coffman Union Saturday night, winding up an activity-filled, week long Spring Jam celebration. 

Despite many pre-show reservations by students wanting a more party-oriented act to headline, Kearney ended up winning over the attending crowd, many over-caffeinated with pent-up hormonal energy, in an event that had students climbing up light poles and fences to see, and even a crowd-surfing student dressed in full garb as Gandalf the Wizard.  It also proved that who happened to be on-stage was secondary to the event itself, the general party vibe being the most primary in most people’s minds, to just unwind and have a good time (coincidence he opened with ‘Young, Dumb, and in Love’?). 

   The Nashville-based Kearney kept it generally laid back, playing guitar most for of the set, switching briefly to piano for a few songs. Playing mostly songs from his 4^th album (and 1^st for Universal Republic), Kearney showed he thoroughly enjoys playing here and knows his audience, mentioning Minneapolis/St. Paul numerous times and riffing in a mid-song rap about the Twins, Vikings, Maroon and Gold, and weather; for what he called his “best show in Minnesota”.  The crowd response was particularly high during his early hit ‘Nothing Left to Lose’ and when he worked the verse and refrain from Macklemore and Lewis’ ‘Thrift Shop’ into one of his own songs. 

crowd-surfing student dressed in full garb as Gandalf the Wizard

   Kearney also sang from inside the crowd and jumped on the drum riser, bringing additional energy to songs that sound more complacent as studio versions, and ended the main set with a full cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’, a song written before most of the audience was born.  The encore brought the night’s biggest sustained response, with back-to-back current hits, ‘Ships in the Night’ and ‘Hey Mama’, which intensified the crowd surfing, hand raising, and chorus-chanting crowd, before Kearney exited to applause, 'Gandalf still crowd-surfing'. 

   In terms of sound, the mix skewed a little shrill and the PA would cut out for a second several times during the set, with the windy outdoors also further complicating a perfect listening experience.  In the end, most attending were more than satisfied, but were still in the mood to continue celebrating, as the piped-in exit music (MIA’s ‘Paper Planes’) got as large or larger a crowd response, than anything played on stage earlier.

Mat Kearney at Coffman Union UMN, Minneapolis (04/27/13)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ matkearney.com