W♥M (Archive)

A Silent Film at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (29 August 2016)

Setlist Harbour Lights Paralysed Unturned Soil Something To Believe In Lightning Strike Vermillion Dream Firefly In My Window You Will Leave a Mark Danny, Dakota & The Wishing Well Tour Dates 08/31 St. Louis, MO Duck Room 09/02 Dallas, TX Club Dada 09/03 Stroud, OK Backwoods Music Festival Read More A Silent Film Oxford’s A Silent Film is back in the USA, touring in support of their new album Sand & Snow. We previously caught the band on their first visit in 2013 and again last October 2015 and wrote, “Oxford, UK …

English rock band A Silent Film recently got done touring with Silversun Pickups and made a stop at the 7th Street Entry on Monday night to play a headlining show.

Grayshot

Monday's show was opened up by local act Grayshot. Typically, these guys are a trio but they recently added a keyboardist which seemed to add a lot of depth to their calming lo-fi pop sound. Grayshot released "Borders" back on April 1st and it is available online.

A Silent Film formed in 2008 and have released three albums since then. Their first two albums, A City That Sleeps (2008) and Sand & Snow (2012), left fans pleading for more so in October of last year, the band released A Silent Film which was recorded in their hometown of Oxford, UK.

Singer Robert Stevenson and drummer Spencer Walker are the two members of this band although they have touring member to help fill out the line-up including a bassist and guitarist. It was hard to notice that this band is not typically a four piece and technically only a duo due to the cohesiveness of the group.

The music of A Silent Film is along the lines of Fitz & The Tantrums and The Killers. The music is extremely upbeat with a hint of a dance element to it but it's paired with depressing, heartbreaking lyrics. Even the though the darkness of the lyrics clash with the softness of the music, together they make something unique and truly beautiful.

Throughout the nine song set, the crowd was engaged and begging for more from Stevenson as he switched from vocals to the keyboard that was setup further back on the stage. The front of the stage was crowded with two giant drums on either side of the stage. These were pounded on during a couple of songs by Stevenson, the guitarist, and the bassist. The drums seemed to light up with every hit and added a very theatrical element.

Lighting seemed to be a strong suit for A Silent Film. At the back of the stage was a giant light up sign with the band name. It looked like something off of a marquee and would darken and lighten with beats during the music. This sign was joined by four clusters of lights that were bright enough to almost blind you. I'm sure this looks amazing at a bigger venue that they would play with Silversun Pickups at but at a small venue like 7th Street Entry, it was a bit much.

The set started and ended with songs off of Sand & Snow but the band played a little bit of everything during their set. It was a perfect mix of upbeat songs and slower songs. Regardless of what they were playing, each song was played with conviction and the feeling in the room was electric.

A Silent Film at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (29 August 2016)

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

Bayside at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (28 August 2016)

Bayside Setlist Sick, Sick, Sick I've Been Dead All Day Montauk Pigsty Blame It on Bad Luck The Walking Wounded Just Enough to Love You Sinking and Swimming on Long Island Two Letters Choice Hops and Bottled Self Esteem What and What Not Masterpiece Carry On Killing Time Duality Mary Mr. Brightside (The Killers cover) Landing Feet First -- Encore -- Don't Call Me Peanut Pretty Vacant Devotion and Desire Menzingers Setlist  The Obituaries I Was Born I Don't Wanna Be An A**hole Anymore Nice Things Lookers Good Things Burn After Writing Sun Hotel Thick as Thieves Casey My Friend Kyle Rodent In Remission Sorority Noise Setlist Corrigan Rory Shield Nolsey Dirty Ickes Art School Wannabe Mononokay Using Tour Dates 08/30 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre 08/31 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex 09/02 Seattle, WA The Showbox 09/03 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre 09/04 San Francisco Regency 09/06 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory 09/07 Los Angeles, CA Regent Theater 09/08 San Diego, CA The Observatory North Park 09/09 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl 09/10 Phoenix, AZ The Pressroom 09/11 Albuquerque, NM The Sunshine Theater 09/13 San Antonio, TX Alamo City Music Hall 09/14 Houston, TX House of Blues 09/15 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Live 09/16 Lawrence, KS Granada Theater 09/17 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room 09/18 Nashville, TN Exit/In Read More Bayside We caught Bayside last September 2015 and wrote that it was “Absolute perfection”. The American rock band is currently back on tour in support of their seventh studio album Vacancy .…

New York City pop-punk favorites, Bayside, made a stop in Minneapolis on Sunday night in support of their newest release Vacancy (Hopeless Records).

Sorority Noise

Emo band Sorority Noise, from Hartford, Connecticut, was the first band to take the stage on Sunday night. These guys are fairly new to the scene but are quickly becoming a favorite throughout the scene. Their music is raw, just like people like their emo music, but it has a lot more energy that what is typically classified as emo. Singer Cam Boucher seemed a bit nervous as he addressed the crowd only to announce the band name and explain the meaning in the last two songs (the second to last song was about his bout with depression whereas the last song was about being happy with your life). However, Boucher did not seem nervous as he powered through the quick twenty-five-minute set with his raw emotions being laid out on the table.

Sorority Noise has released an EP and a few singles in the past couple of months but their newest full length Joy Departed came out in June of last year on Topshelf Records. All of their music is currently available on Bandcamp for download.

The Menzingers

The Menzingers was next, showing up on stage after the inspirational speech from Independence Day. This pop-punk (although leaning more towards the punk side) band from Philadelphia seems to be gaining speed and fans with each day that passes.

This band is not new to the scene as their first album A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology (they didn't play any songs off of this album) came out back in 2007 but they didn't seem to get the recognition they deserved until On the Impossible Past came out in 2012. Since then, these guys have been thrilling audiences with their great live shows which are full of energy and talent.

Tom May and Greg Barnett take turns at doing vocals for the band. It is easy to tell which singer is singing at any given time due to the drastic difference in their sounds but when they sing together it is truly a magical thing to hear.

The Menzingers played two new songs, "Lookers" and "Thick as Thieves" which will be on their upcoming release After the Party which is due out yet this year. The rest of the set was a good mix of songs from On The Impossible Past and Rented World (which came out in 2014). The set also included "I Was Born" from Chamberlain Waits.

Vacancy is Bayside's seventh full length since the band's conception in 2000. Their first album, Sirens and Condolences, was released in 2004 and since then, they have been consistently putting new music out there for their cult-like following.

Anthony Raneri

Singer Anthony Raneri told fans that the new album is not a break-up album, more an album that deals with the aftermath of a break-up. Raneri knows the feeling well as his wife left him shortly after her family moved from New York to Tennessee. As sad and tragic as this must have been for Raneri, it truly made this latest Bayside release a masterpiece due to the raw emotion that is found in, not only the lyrics, but the way the music is presented.

Bayside played through their entire lifetime of music including at least one song from each of their releases including "Masterpiece" from Sirens and Condolences. The crowd really seemed to respond more to the older songs but were not quick to dismiss the songs played from Vacancy. Bayside performed the sole cover of the night, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. The cover was beautifully executed and sounded very close to the original only with a little Raneri charm.

The crowd pushed and shoved as Bayside play through their 21-song set. Nobody in the crowd seemed disappointed, including myself. The energy in the room was intense and the emotions coming off of the stage were true. Bayside has been a staple in the pop-punk scene for years and with this new release and a new found emotion with Raneri, Bayside proved that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

The tour is about half way done so if you have a chance, I highly suggest checking out one of the upcoming dates if it's coming to your area. The music is great and the atmosphere awesome. All in all, this tour is a great tour for the pop-punk kids out there that refuse to grow up!

Bayside at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (28 August 2016)

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Dread Crew of Oddwood at Nether Bar, Minneapolis (25 Aug 2016)

Tour Dates 08/27/16 - 08/28/16 Bristol Renaissance Faire 09/02/16 Chicago, IL Livewire Lounge 09/03/16 - 09/05/16 Bristol Renaissance Faire 09/06/16 Pittsburgh, PA The Smiling Moose 09/07/16 Baltimore, MD The Sidebar 09/08/16 Somerville, MA PA’s Lounge 09/10/16 - 09/11/16 New York Renaissance Faire 09/12/16 Quebec, QC L’anti Bar & Spectacles 09/13/16 Montréal, QC Katacombes 09/14/16 Toronto, ON Coalition 09/15/16 Ottawa, ON House of Targ 09/16/16 Brooklyn, NY Black Bear Bar 09/17/16 - 09/18/16 Renaissance Faire 09/19/16 Raleigh, NC The Maywood 09/20/16 Winter Park, FL The Haven 09/21/16 Ybor City, FL Orpheum 09/23/16 Dallas, TX Trees 09/24/16 Austin, TX Dirty Dog 09/27/16 Tempe, AZ Yucca Taproom 09/30/16 San Diego, CA The Merrow Read More Dread Crew of Oddwood Heavy Mahogany Dread Crew of Oddwood Not Disney pirates... Bawdy, rude, violent and funny; it is the essence of pirates. I can't help but smile listening to some songs. …

The Dread Crew of Oddwood brought their "heavy mahogany" brand of pirate metal to the Nether Bar in Minneapolis on Thursday night.

Don't laugh, pirate metal is a serious thing and The Dread Crew of Oddwood are the best in the business (if you ask me!).

The phrase "heavy mahogany" was coined by the band to be the style of music they play. As the singer explained to the crowd, it's like heavy metal, only wood, because pirates. Regardless of what you want to call the music of The Dread Crew of Oddwood, it's fun and different and more than worth your time to check out.

Pirate metal looks and sounds exactly like what you're picturing in your head right now. It's a bunch of grown-ass men dressed up as pirates, drinking out of wooden mugs, and singing jigs while swaying back and forth. The crowd is also exactly what you're thinking, a bunch of grown-ass people dressed up as pirates, drinking far too much, and dancing their butts off. It may sound juvenile and straight up stupid, but when you're at a show like the one I went to last night, you can't help but get wrapped up in the whole thing.

There are actually a bunch of pirate metal bands out there... enough to make a whole tour out of them last year which was called "Piratefest". That's how I got thrown into this fantasy world. I had no clue what pirate metal meant but I went to that tour featuring Alestorm, The Dread Crew of Oddwood, Swashbuckle, and a few other bands and completely fell in love with the scene.

The thing that sets The Dread Crew of Oddwood apart from majority of the other pirate metal bands I've seen is the fact that they only use traditional instruments instead of modern day electric guitars and basses. Many of the bands in this genre use keyboards to emulate the traditional sound but these guys are the real deal... accordion and all.

The crowd smiled as they watched Captain Wolfbeard O'Brady (yes, that is his name) headbang whilst playing the accordion. It was wacky, it was insane, and it was perfect. Boatswain Deckard Cordwain, who was on mandolin, had a hard time staying on the stage and often found himself dancing in the moshpit turned jig-dancing-pit. Bassist Smithy Crow seemed to have ants in his pants and couldn't stand still to save his life. He swayed back and forth and at times, held his upright bass like it was an electric guitar.

The Dread Crew Of Oddwood is not a new band. They have four studio albums out and a couple hilarious music videos. They self-released Lawful Evil (a reference to Dungeons & Dragons game rules) earlier this year and seemed to play many songs off of the new album but they did not neglect their other releases along with a handful of covers (none of which they played all the way through). They ended their all to short set with a beautiful rendition of a portion of George Michael's Careless Whisper. Just take a second to imagine what that would sound like when played on mandolin, accordion, and everything else.

The show only lasted an hour due to The Dread Crew of Oddwood being the sole band on the bill but the crowd seemed more than okay with that and lingered after the show for a couple more rounds and a bit of socializing with the pirates.

There was no hint to any future tour dates or upcoming releases but I highly suggest checking out the Dead Crew of Oddwood if you are a fan of things such as the movies Hook & The Pirate of the Carribean, eye patches, and peglegs!

The Dread Crew of Oddwood at Nether Bar, Minneapolis (25 August 2016)

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

"Conjuring the Dead" Tour at Triple Rock, Minneapolis (24 Aug 2016)

Tour Dates 8/25/2016 The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 8/26/2016 Full Metal Assault - Cave-in-Rock, IL 8/27/2016 Oddbody's - Dayton, OH 8/28/2016 Reggie's - Chicago, IL 8/29/2016 The Outpost- Kent, OH 8/30/2016 Salle Multi - Quebec City, QC 8/31/2016 Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY 9/01/2016 Ottobar - Baltimore, MD 9/02/2016 Exit/Inn - Nashville, TN 9/03/2016 Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA 9/04/2016 Culture Room - Ft Lauderdale, FL 9/06/2016 TBA 9/07/2016 Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN 9/08/2016 Lookout Lounge - Omaha, NE 9/09/2016 Roxy Theater - Denver, CO 9/10/2016 Metro Bar - Salt Lake City, UT Read More Belphegor Austria’s black death metal band Belphegor (originally Betrayer) will be headlining the Triple Rock Social Club next Wednesday, August 24th. …

Austria’s Belphegor made a stop in Minneapolis on Wednesday night as part of the “Conjuring the Dead” tour.

Abigail Williams

Abigail Williams is a black metal band originally from Phoenix, Arizona but currently based out of Olympia Washington. The band has been around since 2004 but have gone through constant line-up changes ever since their inception. The only original member left is singer/ guitarist Ken "Sorceron" Bergeron but if you aren't a diehard fan of the band, it's hard to tell because everything seems so together and perfect.

When Abigail Williams hit the scene, they had a very symphonic black metal sound to them but through the years they have started to lean more towards a purist black metal sound. It seems like they found their true sound on their third full length Becoming, which was released in 2012.

Their set on Wednesday night was full of the purist black metal sound that they have come to be known for. It was your typical black metal set with the distorted guitars and fast drum beats. The thing that set this band apart was Bergeron's distinct voice. When sound checking, he asked the tech to turn the reverb up as far as they could. This added an element of doom to their set and really made them stand out among a line-up of other legendary black metal bands.

One notable thing about their set is that there was no bass player. The bass parts were tracked through the speakers. Bergeron seemed to mention the absence by saying that the bass player sucked so they kicked him off of the tour but it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

Although their set was short (only about 35 minutes long) they filled it with heavy hitting songs that got the crowd moving. although they didn't announce any song titles, it was easy to tell that they were sticking with newer releases as the music had that pure black metal sound.

Origin

Kansas death metal band Origin seemed to be a favorite of the night throughout the crowd. This band is known for combining the harshness of death/black metal with unprecedented technicality.

It was hard to turn away from Mike Flores on the bass. The way his fingers rushed up and down the fretboard with the other hand plucking away at the strings was enough to make you jaw hit the floor. If you can get beyond that, you will notice just how fast drummer John Longstreth is playing his blast beats. Singer Jason Keyser growled his way through the set that was over all too quick (only 45 minutes).

Origin's latest release, Omnipresent, was released in 2014.

The “Conjuring the Dead” tour was headlined by Austrian death-metal band Belphegor in support of their newest release Conjuring the Dead, which came out in August of 2014 on Nuclear Blast.

Belphegor at the Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (24 August 2016)

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

Minneapolis: September 6, 2016

Read More The Dirty Nil Ontario punk trio The Dirty Nil will open the show. The Dirty Nil’s debut album Higher Power is out now on Dine Alone Records. The band will likely play “Wrestle Yü to Hüsker Dü” .…

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on September 6, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

BILLY TALENT
at Varsity Theater
Tuesday, 09/06/16, 7pm ($18/$20)
varsitytheater.org

Canada’s Billy Talent (named after a character from Michael Turner’s novel Hard Core Logo) will be headlining the Varsity Theater on September 6th as part of their new album Afraid of Heights. With over 3 million albums sold internationally, expect a good singalong crowd at this upcoming show.

Bad Flower and The Dirty Nil to open. The latter is an Ontario three-piece with a debut record Higher Power on Dine Alone Records.

The Dirty Nil’s Tour Dates

9/5 - Kansas City, MO at The Riot Room*
9/6 - Minneapolis, MN at Varsity Theater*
9/7 - Milwaukee, WI at The Rave Bar*
9/10 - New York, NY at Gramercy Theatre*
9/11 - Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair*
9/13 - Philadelphia, PA at The Foundry*
9/14 - Washington DC at Rock & Roll Hotel*
9/16 - Grand Rapids, MI at The Pyramid Scheme*
9/17 - Kalamazoo, MI at District Square*
9/18 – Chicago, IL at Riot Fest

* w/ Billy Talent

Read More Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley (rilokiley.com) announces North American tour. Check out the dates: Minneapolis! So maybe you may see me at First Ave... Dates In Full: …

JENNY LEWIS
at State Theatre
Tuesday, 09/06/16, 7:30pm ($35)
hennepintheatretrust.org

After the departure as singer and songwriter of Rilo Kiley, actress / musician Jenny Lewis struck it on her own with her solo record Rabbit Fur Coat with The Watson Twins (Chandra and Leigh Watson) in 2006. Lewis and the Watson Twins will doing a very special tour in celebration of the 10 Year Anniversary of the record at the State Theatre this upcoming September 6th.

With these record anniversary shows, they typically will play the entire album live, from start to finish. The encores are usually reserve for fan favorite songs or classic hits.

As usual: these theater shows will start on time, so show up early and get comfortable in your seat.

Tour dates:

09/06/16 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
09/07/16 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
09/08/16 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
09/10/16 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
09/12/16 Burlington, VT Flynn Center
09/13/16 Boston, MA Citi Perf Arts Center
09/14/16 Port Chester, NY Capitol Theatre
09/16/16 Wilmington, DE Copeland Hall
09/17/16 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre
09/18/16 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre
09/22/16 San Francisco, CA SF Masonic

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

Metallica at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (20 Aug 2016) (Updated)

Metallica Setlist     intro music: The Ecstasy of Gold (by Ennio Morricone) Creeping Death For Whom the Bell Tolls Fuel King Nothing The Memory Remains The Unforgiven Leper Messiah > Kirk Hammett guitar solo Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Sad But True > Rob Trujillo bass solo Wherever I May Roam One Master of Puppets Battery > Kirk Hammett guitar solo Fade to Black Seek & Destroy -- Encore -- Hardwired (first time played live) Whiskey in the Jar (traditional cover) Nothing Else Matters Enter Sandman > The Frayed Ends of Sanity jam outro Avenged Sevenfold Setlist  Nightmare Critical Acclaim Beast and the Harlot Hail to the King Buried Alive Almost Easy Afterlife God Hates Us Bat Country Unholy Confessions Volbeat Setlist The Devil's Bleeding Crown The Mirror and the Ripper Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash cover) > Sad Man's Tongue Hallelujah Goat Dead But Rising The Gates of Babylon Doc Holliday Seal the Deal Radio Girl Still Counting Read More Metallica Legendary rock band Metallica is teaming up with Vans to produce four unique shoes, designed by each band members. The shoes hits store this month (February). You can buy direct at vans.com. .… Avenged Sevenfold As a special thank you to their fans, Avenged Sevenfold will be playing a free show for their fans at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26th. It's also in celebration .…

So, what kind of concert venue does $1.1 billion dollars buy? –

Turns out one with very mixed results, though the jury is still out and to be fair, it’s a football stadium first and foremost.  But we did learn one thing- louder is definitely better.

Metallica headlined the very first rock show at the new US Bank Stadium, in front of over 50,000 (most in black t-shirts)  and brought along openers Volbeat and Avenged Sevenfold.  

 

Sonically, the stadium is boomy and echoes, like all large stadiums, but is a vast improvement over the Metrodome, especially closest to the floor and on the non-glass side of the ceiling, which has acoustic dampeners along the top trestles.

The sound mix of all three bands didn’t have a lot of subtlety, so all seemed to just turn things up and let it fly, to better results than the previous night’s Luke Bryan concert.  Metallica, especially was loud and up front with their mix, leading residents over a mile away to post on social media that they could hear the show in their homes, over a mile away.

Danish hard rockers Volbeat got things started two hours after doors opening, with a 45min set of their unique mix of rock, metal and rockabilly, in support of sixth studio album, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie (on Republic/Universal), sealing the deal in the process, to be the first rock band to play in the mammoth structure.

While the swelling crowd on the floor had no problem seeing the band, the combination of early evening sunbeams shining in, and pumped-in dry ice fog, made the band hard to see from elsewhere in the stadium, for the majority of their set.

“Thank you for showing up early”, singer Michael Poulsen said before playing a verse from Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’, which quickly morphed into the similar sounding ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’. “It’s been a honor- please, please stay, there’s gonna be two other bands”, Poulsen joked before their finale of “Still Counting’, a 2012 song that topped Billboard’s Rock Chart when released.

Avenged Sevenfold was already familiar to the 1,500 or so that managed to get into their free show at First Avenue two nights prior, properly warming up ex-Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, for the stadium-sized madness to come. 

 

All the pyro they couldn’t use at that club gig, was on display for their hour-long set, with the landscape behind Wackerman ablaze and fireballs launching into the air, for much of their show.

The California band seemed returned to form, with singer M. Shadows stalking the stage from end to end, twin guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates (probably not their real names) playing effectively off each other, and Wackerman and bassist Johnny Christ holding down the bottom end. 

 

Shadows wanted to re-title ‘Hail to the King’ to ‘Hail to the Vikings’ for the night, but didn’t realize there were probably more out-of-towners than locals in the crowd, who booed the notion down.

‘God Hates Us’ was played for the first time in four years, ‘Bat Country’ got even the most casual fan interested, and the set-closing ‘Unholy Confessions’ was preluded by Shadows screaming, “we got a little bit left for you!”.

In the most timelessly cool fashion, Metallica took to the stage after the intro music of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ (which the Vikings use constantly) and clip from The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, scored by the great Ennio Morricone.

Opening with the 1984 classic ‘Creeping Death’, the foursome went immediately for the throat, with the towering backdrop becoming a large multi-panel digital screen, often showing each of the four members, teeth grit, scowling, and hard at work.

With such a large stage, singer James Hetfield had multiple vocal mics positioned in the middle, on each side, and a few more in front of the extended catwalk area that went partially into the crowd (or Snakepit as they call it).

The 140 min. set was mostly hit-filled, which was more than all right with the now-rabid audience and ideal for a one-off show such as this one.  ‘For Whom the Bells Toll’ kept momentum at breakneck, then ‘Fuel’ threw the throttle even higher.  “We are here to break this place in properly, with some volume not only up here, but out there", Hetfield said—truer words were never spoken.

‘Leper Messiah’, a fan-selected song for the setlist sounded fresh, despite being thirty years old, and led into the first of two short solos (amusingly called “doodles” on the setlist) from guitarist Kirk Hammett.  Hetfield would forget some of the song’s lyrics, but eventually catch himself seven songs later (“it’s never too late”), and sang the missing words to make up for it.

‘One’ remains an eight-minute epic, taken to a different level when stadium-sized, with lasers firing in all directions amid an animated wartime intro for the song.  After asking how many in attendance had seen them at First Avenue in 1985, a blistering ‘Seek and Destroy’ closed the main set, with Hetfield ad-libbing the opening line as “We're scanning the scene in Minneapolis tonight”.

The faithful were rewarded with a four-song encore that began with the first live performance of new thrashy single, ‘Hardwired’, from their tenth studio album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, due out Nov. 18 on the band’s own Blackened Recordings, as screens flashed macabre facial expressions overlaid on each of the band members.

‘Whiskey in the Jar’ reminded Hetfield of late bassist Cliff Burton, saying “I know he’d be bouncing out there, if he was with you” and finale ‘Enter Sandman’ brought hundreds of black, logo-emblazoned beach balls raining down on the crowd, followed by an impressive array of indoor fireworks to end the show.

A fitting end to a very loud evening, but loud is what Metallica does best, being perhaps the best there is at it.

Volbeat	Volbeat	Avenged Sevenfold	Avenged Sevenfold	Avenged Sevenfold
Setlist	Metallica	Metallica: James Hetfield	Metallica: Kirk Hammett	Metallica: Robert Trujillo and James Hetfield
Metallica: Kirk Hammett	Metallica: James Hetfield	Metallica: James Hetfield	Metallica: James Hetfield	Metallica: Robert Trujillo w/ James Hetfield

Metallica at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (20 Aug 2016)

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Baroness at the Cabooze, Minneapolis (23 August 2016)

Baroness Setlist Kerosene March to the Sea Morningstar Shock Me Ogeechee Hymnal A Horse Called Golgotha Green Theme Little Things The Iron Bell If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?) Fugue Chlorine & Wine Try to Disappear Desperation Burns Foolsong The Gnashing -- Encore -- Isak Take My Bones Away Tour Dates 08/24/16 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre 08/26/16 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater 08/27/16 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom 08/28/16 Psycho Las Vegas 08/30/16 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park 08/31/16 Tucson, AZ The Rock 09/02/16 Dallas, TX Granada Theater 09/03/16 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre 09/04/16 Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre 09/06/16 Orlando, FL The Beacham 09/07/16 Saint Petersburg, FL State Theatre 09/09/16 Charleston, SC Music Farm Charleston 09/10/16 Hopscotch Music Festival 09/17/16 Rock Allegiance Festival 09/23/16 Corpus Christi, TX The Pavilion 09/24/16 San Antonio, TX The Paper Tiger 09/25/16 Houston Open Air 10/22/16 Monster Energy Aftershock Festival 11/06/16 Sound On Sound Festival Read More Baroness Fans had been excited for Baroness’ new album Purple when it came out in December of last year. Finally, those fans will get a chance to see the band perform the tracks …

Baroness was catapulted into the headlines in 2012 after they were in a notorious bus accident in England. There were no casualties but there were serious injuries which left the future of the band in question. Thankfully, Baroness got back on their feet and started playing again. Back in December they released their much anticipated album, Purple. They made a stop in Minneapolis Tuesday night and played to a full house who had been eagerly awaiting their return with the new music.

Pallbearer

Pallbearer was the sole opener of the show. The vocals seemed to be a bit sparser than Baroness but when there were vocals, they were beautiful. At one point, there were three vocals going on at once and it gave me the chills. Brett, the lead singer, had one of the most beautiful voices I had heard in a while. He has the subtlest, but best, vibrato I think any doom metal band could have and it made them stand out in a genre that is typically dark and full of growled lyrics.

Pallbearer announced that they have just finished recording a new full-length exactly two weeks ago and will be releasing it in the near future so stay tuned. They treated the audience to a little sneak peak of a song off the upcoming release and if you like what Pallbearer has put out there in the past, you are sure to love what is coming up!

Baroness captivated the audience through their fourteen song set and then finished with a much deserved two song encore. They played through songs that spanned their nearly ten-year career but, much to the crowd's delight, they seemed to focus on their newest release.

In between songs the band would play instrumental interludes that left the crowd guessing what song would come next. As soon as the crowd would catch onto what song was coming up, they would erupt with excitement.

The music was a bit on the sludgy / doom side but John Baizley’s voice has this sort of beauty to it that you don’t typically get with metal bands like this. His voice is unique in a way that as soon as you hear it, you know who it belongs to but it’s not in an obnoxious way. It doesn’t sound like he is forcing his voice to sound different than everyone else’s, it sounded natural and perfect.

When you take Baizley’s voice and match it with the intricate guitar work and the driving drum rhythms, you get something amazing. The music seems to match the artwork that I fell in love with. It was intricate and complicated. It made you think and analyze but at the same time, it was nothing short of beautiful.

Baizley is more than just the frontman of this amazing band. He is also an extremely talented artist who does all of Baroness' album art along with the artwork for many other bands. The first time I heard of Baroness was not because of the music but because of Baizley's artwork. The music seemed to match the artwork with the intricate designs and whimsical feeling behind it.

Baroness at the Cabooze, Minneapolis (23 August 2016)

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Periphery at Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (22 August 2016)

Periphery Setlist Scarlet Luck as a Constant The Way the News Goes... Marigold Remain Indoors The Bad Thing Flatline Memento (Haunted Shores cover) Make Total Destroy The Price Is Wrong -- Encore -- Four Lights Stranger Things Lune Tour Dates 08/24 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom 08/25 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection 08/26 Detroit, MI St. Andrew’s Hall 08/27 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small’s Theatre 08/28 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts 08/30 Boston, MA Paradise 08/31 New York, NY Irving Plaza 09/01 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Sound Stage Read More Periphery American progressive metal band Periphery are back with a new record called Juggernaut... the record is so big that it was split into two albums, Juggernaut: Alpha … Chon Instrumental band Chon was jaw dropping and astonishing last Sunday night. I was stopped in my tracks, I was stunned... I saw these guys last March with Animals as Leaders and I remember …

Periphery is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the progressive metal / djent scene. They have been putting out music since 2010 and recently released their newest album, Periphery III: Select Difficulty in July of this year (Sumerian, Century Media). They made a stop in Minneapolis at the Varsity Theater on Monday night to promote this new release and prove why they have as much hype around them as they do.

Toothgrinder

New Jersey metal band Toothgrinder opened up the show. They are currently supporting their debut album Nocturnal Masquerade which came out in January of this year.

Chon

Chon, a young instrumental group from San Diego, CA was the second group to play last night. They captivated the crowd with their sweeping guitar solos and complicated drum rhythms. They are currently touring off their only album Grow which came out in 2015 but with the momentum they have right now, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new album in their near future.

We caught Chon in September 2015 and previously was impressed with the group: “Chon was jaw dropping and astonishing...”

SikTh

SikTh, one of the three openers, seemed to be the crowd favorite of the night. This tour is SikTh's first time in the United States and it showed within the first note that the crowd had been craving a chance to see these guys live. Sikth's style was much more avant-garde than the rest of the line-up. With difficult time signatures and intricate guitar work, these guys wowed the crowd as they played through their near hour long set. SikTh features two vocalists which was a tad different for a metal band but it added some variety in the vocal stylings of the music.

Periphery took the stage to hundreds of screaming fans and proceeded to play through ten songs and then a three song encore: ‘Four Lights’, ‘Stranger Things’, and ‘Lune’.

The technicality of the guitar riffs was not lost in the live setting and it was jaw dropping to watch these musicians play through the set.

The fans pushed and shoved as Periphery played mostly from their latest Periphery III: Select Difficulty, including ‘The Price Is Wrong’, ‘Marigold’, ‘The Way the News Goes...’, ‘Remain Indoors’, and ‘Flatline’ with sprinkles of 2015’s Juggernaut: Omega and a cover of Haunted Shores’ ‘Memento’. Haunted Shores is one of Periphery’s guitarist Misha “Bulb” Mansoor’s many musical projects.

Periphery at Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (22 August 2016)

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

Minneapolis: September 3 to September 4, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 3 to September 4, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Sleigh Bells News: Sleigh Bells to premiere new songs on Saturday Night Live I don’t know when, but a few years ago, this boy-girl duo made it big time - maybe it was a famous artist covered one of their songs .…

SLEIGH BELLS
at Fine Line Music Café
Saturday, 09/03/16, 8pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells will be headlining the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis next Saturday, September 3rd.

The duo (singer Alexis Krauss and guitarist / producer Derek Miller) hasn’t been in the city since November 2012, when they were touring in promotion of their sophomore album Reign of Terror. Now the band is back with their fourth album Jessica Rabbit (Mom + Pop Music). Their latest single ‘Hyper Dark’ (taken from their forthcoming album) is out now.

Local band tiny deaths to open.

Tour dates:

8/31/16 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
9/1/16 Detroit, MI @ El Club
9/2/16 North Coast Music Festival
9/3/16 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
9/4/16 Denver, CO @ Riot Fest
9/7/16 Washington, DC @ U Street
9/8/16 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
9/10/16 Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents
9/12/16 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
9/13/16 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
11/11/16 San Diego, CA @ North Park
11/15/16 San Francisco, CA @ Independent
11/18/16 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
11/19/16 Seattle, WA @ Neumos

Read More Heaters Grand Rapids' Heaters is a trio (Andrew Tamlyn, Nolan Krebs and Joshua Korf), and it was their first time in Minneapolis. I quite like their music, which is a lot of psych .…

REAL NUMBERS / HEATERS
at Turf Club
Saturday, 09/03/16, 8pm ($7)
turfclub.net

Psycho/surf band Heaters will be back in Minneapolis next Saturday, September 3rd. We caught the trio (Andrew Tamlyn, Nolan Krebs and Joshua Korf) on their very first show in Minneapolis in April 2015.

Heaters’ new album Baptistina is out now on Beyond Beyond is Beyond.

Locals Real Numbers to close out the show, while France Camp and The Cult of Lip to open.

Upcoming Heaters shows:

09/01 – Chicago, IL – Gingerman
09/02 – Milwaukee, WI – Quarters
09/03 – Minneapolis- Turf Club
09/05 – Sioux Falls, SD – Total Drag Records
09/06 – Denver, CO – The Squire
09/08 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
09/09 – Seattle, WA – LOFI Gallery
09/10 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar
09/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Knockout
09/14 – Los Angeles, CA – Resident
09/15 – Tucson, AZ – La Cocina
09/17 – San Antonio, TX – Limelight
09/18 – Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
09/19 – Dallas, TX – Three Links
09/21 – Columbia, MO – Cafe Berlin
09/22- Kansas City, MO- Mini Bar

Read More Monolord Vaenir Monolord Absolutely crushing doom album! One of the best to come out so far this year. The band has definitely grown since their first EP. Still heavy .…

MONOLORD
at the Cabooze
Sunday, 09/04/16, 5pm ($10/$12)
cabooze.com

Sweden’s Monolord will be headlining the Cabooze in Minneapolis next Sunday, September 4th. The trio is touring in support of their forthcoming 10” EP (featuring songs ‘Lord of Suffering’ and ‘Die in Haze’).

Please note that the start time for the Cabooze show is 5:30pm and will end at 10pm.

Beastmaker and Sweat Lodge to open.

Monolord Live:

08/24 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry *
08/26 Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space *
08/27 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus *
08/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage *
08/30 Boston, MA @ Great Scott *
08/31 Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haus *
09/01 Toronto, ON @ Coalition *
09/02 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
09/03 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Festival *
09/04 Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze *
09/05 Omaha, NE @ Lookout Lounge *
09/06 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake *
09/07 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar *
09/08 Sacramento, CA @ Starlite Lounge *
09/09 Portland, OR @ Ash St. Saloon
09/10 Vancouver, BC @ Astoria

* w/ Beastmaker, Sweat Lodge

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

Doomtree at CHS Field, St. Paul (19 August 2016)

Setlist No Way Uh Huh (Sims song) Grime (Cecil Otter song) Slow Burn (Sims/Mike Mictlan song) Punch-Out Black Rose (Cecil Otter song) Prizefight (Mike Mictlan w/ Lazerbeak song) Bangarang Doomtree Tour Dates 09/09/16 Dubh Linn Irish Pub Duluth, MN 09/10/16 Sanctuary Events Center Fargo, ND 09/17/16 Middle Waves 2016 Fort Wayne, IN P.O.S. Tour Dates 08/24/16 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN 09/24/16 Downtown Long Beach Long Beach, CA 09/24/16 Music Tastes Good Festival! Dessa Tour Dates 08/25/16 Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ 09/03/16 Red Herring Lounge Duluth, MN 09/09/16 O'Shaughnessy, St. Paul, MN 04/15/17 Orchestra Hall Minneapolis, MN Read More Doomtree Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records. ....

Half a band, half a set, and drenching rain… but it didn’t matter- Doomtree was in the building.

The event was part of the celebration of the formal announcement so many local sports fans had waited for as the Minnesota United FC soccer team, was moving from the North American Soccer League (NASL) to the much larger Major League Soccer.

A $200+ million-dollar soccer-specific stadium that seats 21,500 in St Paul is due to break ground to be ready in 2018, with the team playing at TCF Bank Stadium until their building is ready.  After speeches by team owner Bill McGuire, Mayor Chris Coleman, and others, the music was set to begin.

DJ Shannon Blowtorch spun the tunes in-between, playfully crafting a mash-up of Milli Vanelli’s ‘Blame it on the Rain’ and Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes the Rain Again’ as the rain continued to come down and Doomtree members Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, and Lazerbeak took to the stage.

The collective was missing a few members due to other commitments, but the faithful were still there to support as the quartet broke into opener ‘No Way’ and beginning lyric, “We got cracks in our armor, got cracks in the ceiling” as the rain worsened, saying  “It’s always raining when we’re playing outside”.

“I’m gonna do one song in the rain” Sims declared after getting security to remove all the stage barriers, jumping into the middle of the soaked crowd for the rapid-fire lyrical spitting of his ‘Uh Huh’.  Cecil Otter took the spotlight next with ‘Grime’ and its dark but memorable lyric, “We’re lying in a minefield of dreams.  We count those sheep as they scream”.

Sims returned with ‘Slow Burn’ as he and Mike Mictlan stalked the stage as the rain continued and had now somewhat dangerously collected on the roof of the stage, causing the tented ceiling in two areas, to severely buckle.

Stage crew noticed this and frantically used the bottom end of music stands and anything else they could find, to literally try and raise the roof to push the water off, all as the band continued.  “Have you ever seen a breach birth before? – it’s about to happen”, they said, looking at the swelling ceiling.

After a searing ‘Prizefight’, the set ended and their promise of “we’ll see you again- hopefully” came true sooner than later, as the scheduled second set was cancelled (as was Astronautalis’ performance) but the collective quickly returned to the stage for a single-song encore of ‘Bangarang’, as people shook off the drenching rain by head bobbing or moving and dancing to the song.

Though rain in some superstitions is considered a sign of good luck to come- a symbol of new starts, unity and renewal, which fans hope it translates to a successful soccer team and season;  luck wasn’t on the side of music fans on this day, just hoping for a longer and additional set from Doomtree.

Shannon Blowtorch

Lazerbeak

Cecil Otter

Mike Mictlan

Sims

Doomtree at CHS Field, St. Paul (19 August 2016)

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