W♥M (Archive)

Pentatonix at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (26 Oct 2016)

Pentatonix Setlist Cracked Na Na Na Cheerleader (OMI cover) Can't Sleep Love Evolution of Michael Jackson Love Yourself/Where Are U Now (Justin Bieber covers) Jolene (Dolly Parton cover) with Us the Duo Prelude No. 1 by Bach / Kevin's Celloboxing Solo Medley Radioactive (Imagine Dragons cover)/Say Something (A Great Big World cover)/Papaoutai (Stromae cover) Ride (Twenty One Pilots cover) NO (Meghan Trainor cover) Gold Misbehavin' Water Christus Factus Est Aha! (Imogen Heap cover) Daft Punk Rose Gold New Year's Day -- Encore -- Light in the Hallway (without mics) Sing Us the Duo Setlist Goodbye Forever Telephone Safe Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell cover) 'Til the Morning Comes No Matter Where You Are (Stop) Just Love Medley Hello (Adele) Cheerleader (OMI), Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon), Uma Thurman (Fall Out Boy), See You Again (Charlie Puth), Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran), Take Me to Church (Hozier) Watch Me (Silento), Drag Me Down (OneDirection), Bad Blood (Taylor Swift), I Can’t Feel My Face (The Weeknd), Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars), Jealous (Nick Jonas), Worth It (Fifth Harmony), Hotline Bling (Drake) ABI Setlist Falling 1000 Feelings Confetti Put a Bow on It Truck Candy Don’t Let Me Down (Chainsmokers feat Daya cover) Matches Read More Pentatonix I have been listening to the Pentatonix's second holiday album That's Christmas To Me, which came out earlier in October 2014 via RCA Records. The album is #1 spot on the Holiday Album .… Us the Duo Another act currently catching good buzz, the husband-and-wife Us the Duo opened the evening first, with a brief, but fun 28min. set. Like Tori Kelly, Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado have taken …

Try turning on the radio and scanning through all the pop and Top 40 stations to hear all the contemporary hits… now imagine those songs without any instruments sung in five-part harmony.

That freshness to the familiar and the original, was the feeling as Texas quintet Pentatonix brought their now arena-sized acapella to a devout 10,000 fans at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The eclectic evening opened with a short set from Texas native/Nashville-based ABI (aka Abigail Dawn Ann Hoffman), who leans more country and first made an impression with her cover of Taylor Swift's 'Better Than Revenge' and her own 'Future Ex-Boyfriend' from last year's 17 EP (on N Sound Entertainment).

She was last seen in the area at this summer's Country Fest in Cadott, WI and has previously opened for Eli Young Band, Jesse McCartney, and Kelly Clarkson among others.  Not too soon for the holidays, her new single ‘Put a Bow on It’ put things in a Christmas mood, while her playful ‘Truck Candy’ and Chainsmokers cover entertained the all-ages crowd.

Los Angeles folk-pop pair/couple Us the Duo (Carissa and Michael Alvarado) was next, in support of this summer’s Just Love (on their own Alvarado Records) full-length. The pair first gained notice with their quick online Vine clips, which launched them into a full-fledged career. 

In  just a thirty-minute set, the pair managed to play originals including their Johnny/June Cash tribute ‘Til the Morning Comes’, a Marvin Gaye cover, and returned to their online roots with a final medley that covered over fifteen songs, in just a couple minutes.

Pop acapella group Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) from Arlington, Texas (vocalists Avi Kaplan, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, and Mitch Grassi) is now in their fifth year, ever growing more successful since their win on NBC’s The Sing Off during its third season. 

The group is out in support of their self-titled album released this time last year, and second Christmas full-length, A Pentatonix Christmas (both on RCA Records) out just last Friday (though they didn’t do any Xmas numbers).

With a three panel screen above them, right and left screens and stage boxes that doubled as mini-screens and platforms, the quintet emerged amidst a cloud of smoke, rising from behind the stage boxes, and all dressed in variations of black and white. 

The mostly younger crowd (no doubt, some of the band’s eleven million+ YouTube subscribers) shrieked to the opening notes of ‘Cracked’ that started their ninety-minute set, followed by ‘Na Na Na’, the opening track from their 2015 album.  An OMI cover was next with the group saying how grateful they were to their fans, followed by their first original, ‘Can’t Sleep Love’. 

Ever humble and thankful, the five showed off their vocal chops in a series of covers, from Justin Bieber to Johnny Cash (w/Us the Duo guesting), to a Michael Jackson medley; full in sound, though without a single musical instrument played.    

Vocalist Kevin Olusola broke that, bringing out his cello for a Bach solo with a unique twist—beatboxing over it with Hoying then joining him for a medley beginning with Imagine Dragons’ ‘Radioactive’. Devoted to their fans, for ‘Misbehavin’, members hand selected crowd members to come and sit with them on bean bag chairs at center stage, to help sing the song. 

Baritone Avi Kaplan (on Twitter as “Bass Cannon”) shone on ‘Water’ alongside Maldonado and on the encore song ‘Lights in the Hallway’, sang as cellphone lights swayed in the air and dim lighting showed the group huddled around a central mic.

‘New Year’s Day’ was introduced as “by Pentatonix and Pentaholics” as fans from all over the world sent in harmony clips and the group integrated them into the song, with the faces of contributors flashing on the video boards. 

The night ended with a joyous ‘Sing’ and original from their 2015 album, the audience clapping along as pastel confetti showered the crowd toward the end.  With a mix of covers and originals, Pentatonix has successfully brought acapella into the arenas, with a loyal and screaming fan base to support them, and the freshness of hearing both their innovative originals and smartly re-interpreted cover songs.

Remaining Tour Dates

Oct. 30 - Columbus, Ohio @ Schottenstein Center
Nov. 03 - Memphis, Tenn. @ FedExForum
Nov. 06 - Auburn Hills, Mich. @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 07 - Toronto, Canada @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 09 - Boston, Mass. @ TD Garden
Nov. 10 - Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
Nov. 12 - Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 13 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Liacouras Center
Nov. 15 - Greenville S.C. @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Nov. 16 - Duluth, Ga. @ Infinite Energy Center
Nov. 17 - New Orleans, La. @ UNO Lakefront Arena
Nov. 19 - Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
Nov. 20 - Dallas, Texas @ American Airlines Center
Nov. 22 - Houston, Texas @ Toyota Center

ABI

Us the Duo

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Pentatonix Setlist

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Pentatonix at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (26 Oct 2016)

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

The Strumbellas at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (24 Oct 2016)

Strumbellas Setlist Wars Young & Wild End of an Era We Don't Know Rhinestone The Fire The Sheriff Shovels & Dirt The Hired Band The Night Will Save Us Sharks Spirits -- Encore -- Wild Sun Home Sweet Home Read More The Strumbellas It’s official, the 2016 breakout band is The Strumbellas. The new single ‘We Don’t Know’ tied for #1 most added at AAA Radio and #2 at Alternative Radio, which followed the #1 hit single ‘Spirits’ …

The Strumbellas recently headlined the Fine Line Music Café show in Minneapolis.

Foreign Air

Special guests Foreign Air opened up the show. The band is normally a duo (Jacob Michael and Jesse Clasen) but for the live shows, they’re joined on stage by a bassist/guitarist.

Since their debut single ‘Free Animal’ (the song which ended their brief 35-min set), the alt-pop duo has enjoyed streaming success - cracking Spotify's Viral Top 20 Chart and earning spins from Beats 1’s Zane Lowe, KCRW, etc.

After these Strumbellas shows, Foreign Air will join up with Aurora in November and December.

Toronto’s The Strumbellas is currently one of the hottest band in America, thanks to very catchy singles ‘We Don’t Know’ and ‘Spirits’. The turnout to the Strumbellas’ Fine Line Music Café show in Minneapolis was terrific, and judging from all the dancing in the audience, they create some of the best folk, bluegrass, Americana, and “popgrass” music you’ve ever heard.

The large band, featuring songwriter Simon Ward on vocals and guitar, David Ritter on vocals and keys, Jon Hembrey on lead guitar, Isabel Ritchie on violin, Darryl James on bass guitar, and Jeremy Drury on drums.

Kicking off their set with two terrific story-in-song ‘Wars’, followed by ‘Young & Wild’, the band played quite a few from their latest Hope, which has enjoyed success in the recent charts.

Of course, the band saved their biggest hit song ‘Spirits’ for the set closer. This is followed by the two encore songs ‘Wild Sun’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’, both moving, heartfelt songs.

Remaining tour dates:

10/30/16 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
11/14/16 Paris, France La Maroquinerie
11/15/16 London Heaven
11/16/16 Berlin, Germany Astra Kulturhaus
11/20/16 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
12/01/16 93.9 The River's Icebreaker
12/02/16 93.3 KTCL Not So Silent Night
12/09/16 LIVE 105's Not So Silent Night
12/16/16 Night The Buzz Stole Christmas
12/17/16 KPNT 105.7 The Point's Ho Ho Show
12/18/16 93.9 The River's Icebreaker Encore Show
12/22/16 Toronto, ON The Danforth Music Hall
12/23/16 Toronto, ON The Danforth Music Hall
01/21/17 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
04/13/17 Bluesfest
04/14/17 Bluesfest
04/16/17 Northcote, Australia Northcote Social Club
04/17/17 Darlinghurst, Australia Oxford Art Factory

The Strumbellas at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (24 October 2016)

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Ben Rector at State Theatre, Minneapolis (23 October 2016)

Ben Rector Setlist Fear Let The Good Times Roll Loving You Is Easy ABC (The Jackson 5 cover) When a Heart Breaks Crazy 30,000 Feet Sailboat I Like You When I'm With You Forever Like That I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Whitney Houston cover) The Beat Cha Cha Slide (DJ Casper cover) White Dress -- Encore -- Brand New The Men That Drive Me Places Jacob Whiteside Setlist Billboard (If I'm Honest) Bury Our Love Why Open Book Hold On Honey You Told Me So Let's Be Birds Hey There Delilah Lovesick Read More Ben Rector Nashville's Ben Rector is back with a brand new sixth studio album called Brand New (Aptly Named Recordings, LLC). He'll be stopping by the Northrop Auditorium at the U of M this Thursday ...

Ben Rector’s “The Biggest Tour I Have Ever Done” tour ended at the State Theatre last week, October 23rd.

Young and rising singer, songwriter Jacob Whiteside opened up the show. Since the band has been opening up for all of Rector’s shows since September 2016, you can tell his band is incredibly tight, playing songs after songs effortlessly.

We caught Whiteside earlier in June 2016 and noted that his fanbase was mostly teenage, recording every moment of Whiteside on their cellphone. Although only a few hardcore Whiteside fans can be spotted in the audience (and who can blame the others for not showing up as the venue’s website did not advertise Whiteside was playing), they were certainly standing up and being enthusiastic for their idol.

Since the band only had a 35-minute set, their set was shortened to about nine songs... meaning no covers like The Weeknd’s ‘I Can't Feel My Face’, but instead they focused on newer songs like ‘Open Book’.

Whiteside ended his set with ‘Lovesick’, a song that’s gotten some attention after the band appeared on ABC's Live with Kelly earlier in September. The song is the lead single off his debut album Why?, which debuted #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts, and is available now on Double U Records.

Nashville singer, songwriter Ben Rector’s biggest hit album Brand New came out last year on Aptly Named Recordings / Caroline. The record debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart and marked his first Top 10 album.

We caught Rector earlier in July 2016 and we predicted, “Ben Rector returns to town at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on October 23rd, for a full and proper show at his biggest local venue to date, which will no doubt be filled with the fans that know him so well, and maybe some newcomers too, that consider him brand new to their listening habits.”

With the last show of the tour, ending a nearly two-year endless touring, the band is well-rehearsed and seemingly eager to finally take a long vacation and break after that night - particularly for guitarist Cory Wong, who is actually from the Twin Cities. Wong, according to The Current in 2014 wrote that Cory Wong is “the most famous Minnesota musician you’ve probably never heard of”.

Looking over their set, Rector decided to save his biggest hit song ‘Brand New’ for the encore, but casual and dedicated fans knew this and stuck it out to the end.

Some great, well-placed covers like The Jackson 5’s ‘ABC’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ had great singalong chorus from the audience. In fact, Rector would occasionally just let the audience sing while he waves the microphone at the audience.

Ben Rector’s Brand New is out now. With over 390,000 albums and nearly four million digital tracks sold in the course of his career, it’s easy to see that this was the Biggest Ever tour (so far).

When Rector returns, expect him to go on an even bigger tour, with a bigger album, of course.

Jacob Whiteside

Jacob Whiteside

Ben Rector’s drummer Jake Goff

Ben Rector

Ben Rector at State Theatre, Minneapolis (23 October 2016)

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Brand New at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St Paul (23 Oct 2016)

Brand New Setlist I Am a Nightmare The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light Okay I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't Play Crack the Sky The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me Sowing Season Millstone Jesus Degausser Limousine (MS Rebridge) You Won't Know Welcome to Bangkok Not the Sun Luca The Archers Bows Have Broken Handcuffs Untitled (Extended Version) Front Bottoms Setlist The Plan (F** Jobs) Skeleton Funny You Should Ask Maps Au Revoir (Adios) The Beers Cough It Out Swimming Pool West Virginia Backflip Tattooed Tears Twin Size Mattress Modern Baseball Setlist Holy Ghost Wedding Singer Note to Self Mass The Weekend Apartment Your Graduation Apple Cider, I Don't Mind Note to Self Everyday Just Another Face Read More Brand New Speaking of “Brand New”, Brand New’s last-ever Minnesota show will be taking place at the The Roy Wilkins Auditorium on this October 23rd. The band confirmed that they are breaking up in 2018 .... The Front Bottoms The last time I saw The Front Bottoms was about a year ago. They were opening for Say Anything but ended up stealing that show. Last Sunday night, they finally got …

Emo kings Brand New is in the middle of a month-long headlining tour, stopping at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, MN on Sunday night, October 23rd.

The show started with a quick, eleven song set from Modern Baseball. The crowd seemed to ignore this up and coming indie-rock group but they didn't let it affect their high energy performance.

The Front Bottoms was next, they seem to have taken the scene by storm with their real-life lyrics and their honest live shows. These guys don't try to be anything other than what they are and that makes their set feel real and full of conviction.

The stage was set up to look more like a living room with floor lamps placed across the stage, a TV, and even a couch that was occupied by two random guys that sat there making drinks and nodding to the music throughout the set. The New Jersey group played through a ten and half song set (they stopped one song mid lyric due to someone getting injured and they ended up just scrapping the song altogether) and captivated the crowd the whole way through.

After months of promising fans a brand new full length, Brand New announced that the release of said album will be delayed and, in order to apologize in a way, they would play their 2006 release, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, in its entirety during this headlining tour. The crowd was more than into the idea of playing this album front to back as it is frequently considered their best by fans and critics alike.

The album has a little bit of everything. There are high energy songs that were performed with more than enough energy to fill the entire auditorium, and slower, more emotionally intense songs that, in the live setting, seemed to be much more high energy. The crowd seemed to go silent as singer Jesse Lacey sang through "Jesus" which is one of the most mellow and haunting songs on the album. You could hear sniffles in the crowd and see tears flowing down the faces of some audience members. This was in complete contrast to the giant moshpit that had opened up during the first song of the album, "Sowing Season".

Before playing The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, this legendary group treated the crowd to a couple older songs and one new one.

The band came out on stage and opened their set with their powerful new single "I Am A Nightmare" but then quickly reverted to older songs off, my personal favorite albums of theirs, Deja Entendu which have a much more depressive feel to them but again, in the live setting they were still full of energy.

Brand New is slated to break-up in 2018. They have a line in their song "Soco Amaretto Line" that says "stay 18 forever" and that's exactly what they plan to do so make sure to catch them live before it's too late!

Remaining tour dates:

10/31/16 San Jose, CA Event Ctr
11/01/16 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea
11/03/16 El Paso, TX El Paso County Coliseum
11/05/16 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amph
11/07/16 Birmingham, AL Alabama Theatre
11/08/16 Greenville, SC Bon Secours
11/10/16 Fairfax, VA EagleBank Arena
11/11/16 Allentown, PA PPL Center
11/12/16 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan
11/29/16 Glasgow SSE Hydro
11/30/16 Aberdeen GE Oil & Gas Arena
12/02/16 Newcastle upon Tyne Metro Radio Arena
12/03/16 Manchester Manchester Arena
12/04/16 Leeds First Direct Arena
12/06/16 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
12/07/16 Birmingham Barclaycard Arena
12/08/16 London The O2 - London

Brand New at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St Paul (23 Oct 2016)

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

Minneapolis: November 4 to November 6, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from November 4 to November 6, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Other shows in the area:

11/04 The Rural Alberta Advantage, with Tiny Deaths, at Turf Club ($20 / Sold Out)

11/04 Culture Club at Treasure Island Resort & Casino ($39)

11/05 Paper Route, with Halfnoise, at Skyway Theatre (Studio B) ($15)

11/05 Blackberry Smoke, with Luke Combs, at First Avenue ($40)

11/05 Hiss Golden Messenger, with Tift Merritt, at Turf Club ($15)

11/06 Trails and Ways, with Kazyak and Astral Samara, at 7th Street Entry ($10)

Read More Dylan LeBlanc Joining Lynn for this show will be Dylan LeBlanc. Tour dates: 11/13/15 Ithaca, NY The Dock 11/14/15 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern 11/16/15 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark …

THE WOOD BROTHERS
at Varsity Theater
Friday, 11/04/16, 7pm ($22.50)
varsitytheater.org

The Wood Brothers is back in town, this time headlining the Varsity Theater in Dinky Town (Minneapolis). The band’s latest Paradise is out now, but they are currently working on a new studio album, along with a new live album, set for release in 2017.

Special guest Dylan LeBlanc to open.

Tour dates:

11/02/16 Bloomington, IL The Castle Theatre
11/03/16 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
11/04/16 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
11/05/16 Stoughton, WI Stoughton Opera House
11/06/16 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
11/09/16 Millvale, PA Mr. Small's Theatre
11/10/16 York, PA Strand-Capitol Perf. Arts Center
11/11/16 Buffalo, NY The Town Ballroom
11/12/16 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
12/01/16 Austin, TX Emo's
12/02/16 New Braunfels, TX Gruene Hall
12/03/16 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall
12/04/16 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
12/05/16 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
12/06/16 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads
12/09/16 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
12/10/16 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
12/11/16 Telluride, CO Sheridan Opera House
12/12/16 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
12/13/16 Jackson, WY Center For The Arts
02/02/17 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
02/03/17 Albany, NY Massry Center For The Arts
02/04/17 Portland, ME State Theatre
02/06/17 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground - Ballroom
02/08/17 Somerville, MA Somerville Theatre
02/09/17 Somerville, MA Somerville Theatre
02/10/17 New York, NY Webster Hall
02/11/17 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
02/12/17 Rocky Mount, VA Harvester Performance Center
03/02/17 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
03/03/17 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour
03/05/17 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theatre
03/07/17 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
03/08/17 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
03/09/17 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
03/10/17 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
03/11/17 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
03/12/17 Vancouver, BC Imperial

Read More LANY Lany was the opening act. They are a three piece synth-pop band from Los Angeles with catchy, yet dreamy, pop songs. There were songs where I almost .... Transviolet Opening up the show was Los Angeles' Transviolet, a four-piece pop band featuring singer Sarah McTaggart, guitarist Judah McCarthy, bass player Mike Panek and drummer Jon Garcia. …

LANY
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Saturday, 11/05/16, 6pm ($18 / Sold Out)
finelinemusic.com

LANY (pronounced Lay-Nee, as in L.A. and N.Y.) is back in Minneapolis this Saturday, November 5th. We’ve been seeing this band multiple times and every time we see them, their fanbase double! It’s amazing how popular they are in Minneapolis, and if you look around in the audience, you’ll see so many signs that reads “ILYSB”.

The band’s new EP Kinda is out now.

Transviolet to open. We caught the pop band in October 2015 and produced one of our favorite photos of that month.

Transviolet’s latest song ‘LA Love’ can be heard on thefader.com... taken from their debut EP last fall. Look for an LP coming soon.

Note start time: this is an early show.

Tour dates:

Oct 30 Toronto, Ontario @ Mod Club
Nov 1 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
Nov 3 Chicago, IL @ The Metro
Nov 5 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
Nov 7 Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
Nov 9 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Nov 11 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Nov 12 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Nov 13 Austin, TX @ Antone’s
Nov 15 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Nov 16 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Nov 19 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda

Read More Jai Wolf Other DJs on the bill: Jai Wolf and Brasstracks Tour Dates 03/03/16 Urbana, IL Canopy Club 03/04/16 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom 03/05/16 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theatre …

JAI WOLF
at First Avenue
Sunday, 11/06/16, 7:30pm ($16)
first-avenue.com

Jai Wolf’s Mom+Pop debut EP Kindred Spirits is due out on November 18th. To help celebrate the signing and release, Jai Wolf will be touring this November.... stopping by First Avenue this Sunday, November 6th.

Norway-bred 19-year-old DJ/producer Jerry Folk and singer/songwriter and producer Khai to open.

Tour dates:

Nov. 2 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
Nov. 3 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Nov. 4 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Nov. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Nov. 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Nov. 10 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Nov. 11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Nov. 12 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Nov. 16 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue
Nov. 18 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Nov. 19 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Nov. 23 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Nov. 25 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Nov. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
Nov. 27 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North
Nov. 30 – Austin, TX @ Vulcan Gas Company
Dec. 1 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
Dec. 2 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Dec. 3 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic New Orleans
Dec. 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Dec. 7 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
Dec. 8 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Dec. 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Dec. 10 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5

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Teenage Fanclub at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (22 Oct 2016)

Teenage Fanclub Setlist Start Again Sometimes I Don't Need to Believe in Anything Verisimilitude I Don't Want Control of You Don't Look Back Hold On It's All in My Mind Thin Air About You The Darkest Part of the Night I Need Direction Your Love Is the Place Where I Come From Ain't That Enough I'm In Love Sparky's Dream The Concept -- Encore -- Star Sign Can't Feel My Soul Everything Flows Read More Teenage Fanclub Can you believe that it’s been more than six years since Teenage Fanclub last toured? Don’t miss their upcoming rare Minneapolis appearance this Saturday, October 22nd. The last time they were in Minneapolis …

Nineties band Teenage Fanclub (singer / guitarist Norman Blake, singer / guitarist Raymond McGinley, singer / bassist Gerard Love, drummer Francis MacDonald, and keys Dave McGowan) made a semi-rare appearance at Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis last week, October 22nd.

Sam Evian

Opening up the show was Sam Evian, according to Evian, their first Minneapolis appearance. Although based in New York, Evian is actually signed to Omaha’s Saddle Creek (famous for signing Bright Eyes). The label love Evian so much that they made the great drive from Nebraska to Minneapolis to see Evian play.

Evian, along with Austin Vaughn on drums (from Here We Go Magic), Michael Coleman on keys/guitarist, and Brian Betancourt on bass, played almost everything from their debut Premium album, including ‘Sleep Easy’.

Teenage Fanclub

The thing to know about Scottish band Teenage Fanclub is that they actually have three main singers and songwriters: Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, and Gerard Love. That’s quite evident by the first three songs (‘Start Again’, ‘Sometimes I Don't Need to Believe in Anything’, and ‘Verisimilitude’), which saw three different lead vocalist.

Since the new world tour is for Teenage Fanclub’s 11th album Here, they were obligated to play a few songs (‘Hold On’, ‘Thin Air’, ‘The Darkest Part of the Night’, and ‘I'm in Love’), but as you can see from their setlist, they played a lot of fan-favorites - including their biggest hit of the night ‘Sparky’s Dream’ from Grand Prix (1995) and set closer ‘The Concept’ from Bandwagonesque (1991).

It’s been a long time since Teenage Fanclub was last in town... so let’s hope to see them back in the city sooner than later.

Teenage Fanclub’s Here is out now on Merge Records.

Remaining tour dates:

Nov 15 Inverness, UK – Ironworks
Nov 16 Whitley Bay, UK – Playhouse
Nov 17 Sheffield, UK – Leadmill
Nov 18 Manchester, UK – Academy 2
Nov 20 Leeds, UK – University
Nov 21 Norwich, UK – Waterfront
Nov 22 London, UK – Electric Ballroom
Nov 23 Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms
Nov 24 Brighton, UK – Concorde 2
Nov 26 Birmingham, UK – Institute
Nov 27 Cardiff, UK – Glee Club
Nov 28 Nottingham, UK – Rock City
Nov 29 Bristol, UK – Anson Rooms
Nov 30 Cambridge, UK – Junction
Dec 02 Dublin, IR – Academy
Dec 03 Glasgow, UK – Barrowland
Dec 04 Glasgow, UK – ABC

Teenage Fanclub at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (22 October 2016)

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

Temples at Turf Club, St Paul (21 October 2016)

Temples Setlist Colours to Life A Question Isn't Answered I Wanna Be Your Mirror Sun Structures Roman God Like Man Keep in the Dark Move With the Season Certainty Ankh Strange Or Be Forgotten Mesmerise -- Encore -- Shelter Song Sand Dance Read More Temples Along their way to Minneapolis, Temples have been building huge buzz appearing at Great Escape 2013 and (recently) SXSW 2014. With all that excitement for the band, they sold out the Turf Club presale …

Kettering’s Temples (singer / guitarist James Edward Bagshaw, keys / rhythm guitarist Adam Thomas Smith, bassist Thomas Edward James Warmsley, and drummer Samuel Toms) sold out their Turf Club show in St Paul last week, October 21st.

Vinyl Williams

Opening up the show was Los Angeles’ Vinyl Williams (real name: Lionel Williams). Williams and his band performed mostly from his new Brunei album, playing “space age” songs under a custom film projection (which created this psychedelic look).

We’ve been writing about Temples since their 2013 appearance at Great Escape... and noted that they had great buzz at SXSW 2014, describing them as “T-Rex meets Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd. Get a groove and keep it going.... Lots of buzz on these guys and deservedly so.”

Setlist

For Temples’ first Minnesota show, it was originally listed at the Turf Club - but as the venue quickly sold out - they upgraded their first MN show appearance to the much bigger stage at First Avenue in April 2014. So it’s good to have Temples back at the original Turf Club last week (October 21st), even though the smaller venue could not accommodate for all their fans. The show sold out, but this time, they could not upgrade to First Avenue (as it was booked for Clutch).

Still touring for their debut Sun Structures (a Top 10 UK debut named Rough Trade’s “Album of the Year” for 2014), the band is inbetween records and previewed some new tracks from their pending upcoming 2017 album on Fat Possum Records.

The new songs (‘I Wanna Be Your Mirror’, ‘Roman God Like Man’, ‘Certainty’, ‘Ankh’, ‘Strange Or Be Forgotten’) fit in with their psych sound, and, if it’s any indication, their forthcoming album will do well.

After this US tour (ending tonight), the band will be taking a much-needed break to put the final touches on their upcoming record.

Temples’ last US date will take place tonight (10/29) at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts

Temples at Turf Club, St Paul (21 October 2016)

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Clutch at First Avenue, Minneapolis (21 October 2016)

Clutch Setlist Immortal Firebirds! The House That Peterbilt A Shogun Named Marcus Sucker for the Witch Escape From the Prison Planet Decapitation Blues Burning Beard with Eddie from Kyng Our Lady of Electric Light You Can't Stop Progress (Notes from the Trial Of) La Curandera Spacegrass X-Ray Visions The Face A Quick Death in Texas Electric Worry -- Encore -- Passive Restraints D.C. Sound Attack! Zakk Sabbath Setlist Children of the Grave Snowblind Supernaut War Pigs Into the Void Fairies Wear Boots Tour Dates 10/24/16 Columbia, MO The Blue Note 10/25/16 Chicago, IL House Of Blues 10/27/16 Madison, WI Orpheum Theater 10/28/16 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit 10/29/16 Clifton Park, NY Upstate Concert Hall 10/30/16 Worcester, MA Palladium 11/30/16 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg 12/02/16 Muenster, Germany Skaters Palace 12/03/16 Munich, Germany Theaterfabrik 12/04/16 Stuttgart, Germany LKA Longhorn 12/06/16 Pratteln, Switzerland Z7 12/07/16 Clermont-Ferrand, La Cooperative 12/08/16 Pamplona, Spain Zentral Kafe 12/09/16 Barcelona, Spain Sala Apolo 12/10/16 Madrid, Spain La Riviera 12/13/16 Paris, France Trianon 12/14/16 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique 12/15/16 London, United Kingdom Roundhouse 12/16/16 Birmingham O2 Institute Birmingham 12/17/16 Cardiff Great Hall 12/18/16 Manchester, Manchester Academy 12/27/16 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Read More Clutch Maybe it's less than momentous to debut as a guest blogger with a group as well known as Clutch, but having been a longtime reader, it seemed to me that we were lacking in the angry metal department. … Zakk Sabbath Also, if you can’t get enough of Wylde, he will be back as Zakk Sabbath, supporting Clutch this October 21st at First Avenue. As Zakk Sabbath, this is Zakk’s take on Black Sabbath songs. …

Can it already have been a quarter-century?

Maryland rock band Clutch just celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary over the summer and brought their Psychic Warfare Tour to a raucous First Avenue in Minneapolis.  The newest album, Psychic Warfare (on the band’s own Weathermaker Music), was released last October to debut at number one on Billboard’s rock album chart, and as well as their incendiary live shows, is proof positive that is the band is producing some of the best work of their career. 

Los Angeles-based metal band Kyng (Eddie Veliz –vocals/guitar, Tony Castaneda- bass, and Pepe Clarke –drums opened the loud triple-bill with songs from their three full-lengths, including the just-released Breathe in the Water (Razor & Tie Records). 

Opening with the title track from previous album, Burn the Serum, Veliz’ vocals have been compared to a Soundgarden/Shinedown-style, but it’s the heaviness of the band’s crushing riffs that really are its signature.  The band is not without a social statement either, as the new album’s title track is inspired by the recent exodus of Syrian refugees, put to a heavy metal theme. 

Next up was a simple cover band… that very nearly blew the roof off the venue. Zakk Sabbath is an offshoot project spearheaded by former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and current Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde, alongside bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson (Ozzy, Rob Zombie) and drummer Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age, Danzig).

Though Wylde has flirted with cover versions previously with BLS, this is his first full foray in, which fully honors the legacy of what is considered the first heavy metal band, fronted of course, by his mentor Osbourne. 

Eschewing much conversation and many of the more obvious Sabbath songs, the trio ripped into their fifty-minute set starting with a thundering 1971’s ‘Children of the Grave’, Wylde often jumping onto his monitor amp to shred his signature wails with hair whipping back and forth.

People were gasping for breath after Wylde’s solo on second song ‘Snowblind’, only to be hit the face with a shaking ‘Supernaut’. Air raid sirens introduced ‘War Pigs’, with everyone singing along, Wylde jumped into the crowd to play a behind the back solo in the middle of the floor, then took a brief break before final song ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ to introduce his bandmates and thank the “Minnesota chapter” for coming out to support his “Tupperware tap dancing extravaganza” before resuming with a crushing finish.

With a large backdrop of their newest and eleventh studio album’s cover, Clutch then took to the stage for their eighty-five minute set as the intro music of Chuck Brown’s 1987’s go-go funk hit, ‘We Need Money’ fired up the crowd. 2001’s ‘Immortal’ (actually a rearranged Mountain song) got things started with bearded singer Neil Fallon stalking the stage and chugging water between songs, as his bandmates mostly stood and rocked in place. 

The new ‘Firebirds!’ was next, proving with its sonic energy, that the song title earned its exclamation point.  “Here’s a good song for Halloween”, Fallon mentioned before the band launched into a rapid-fire ‘Sucker for the Witch’ while the also appropriate ‘Decapitation Blues’ was inspired by Fallon having several neck vertebrae needing to be fused together (due to too much headbanging?).

Diehards chanted the lyrics to 1995’s sludgy ‘Spacegrass’ and its “whenever it feels right” chorus while ‘X-Ray Visions’ served as a sort-of title track to the album, encompassing the album’s theme and vision in a single song.

‘A Quick Death in Texas’ also from the new record, sounded opposite, with its ZZ Top-like riff and clearly inspired by the state they recorded it in. The main set closing ‘Electric Worry’ was a updated delta John Lee Hooker/Robert Johnson stomp with the crowd barking its “Bang bang bang bang, vamanos, vamanos!’ chorus. 

The two-song encore began as they dialed it all the way back to 1992 with ‘Passive Restraints’ (in lieu of ‘The Regulator’ noted on the setlist), “Here’s one of the first songs we ever wrote together,” Fallon mentioned beforehand.  “Let’s break out the agricultural implements” Fallon said prior to the also-bluesy ‘D.C. Sound Attack!’, complete with blues harp and everyone’s favorite percussion instrument, the cowbell.

Twenty-five years into their career, Clutch is currently flourishing at a apex of creativity with its last two albums, and shows no sign of slowing down (“we’ll see you all next year”, Fallon mentioned), still putting on a pounding live show—here’s to their next quarter-century.

Kyng

Kyng

Zakk Sabbath

Zakk Sabbath

Zakk Sabbath

Clutch Setlist

Clutch

Clutch

Clutch

Clutch

Clutch at First Avenue, Minneapolis (21 Oct 2016)

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Deerhunter at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 October 2016)

Deerhunter Setlist Fluorescent Grey Revival Breaker Rainwater Cassette Exchange Helicopter T.H.M. Dream Captain Take Care Living My Life Desire Lines Snakeskin Strange Lights -- Encore -- Agoraphobia Nothing Ever Happened Aldous Harding Setlist Swell Does the Skull Beast Hunter Party Weight of the Planets (new song) What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush cover) Horizon Read More Deerhunter Skinnyman Bradford Cox and his band Deerhunter will once again take over First Avenue’s mainroom this October 20th. Be sure to show up early to …

Deerhunter (singer / guitarist Bradford Cox, drummer Moses Archuleta, guitarist Lockett Pundt, bassist Josh McKay, sax / keys Javier Morales and additional percussion Rhasaan Manning) headlined First Avenue last week, October 20th.

Atlanta, by the way of Athens, Jock Gang (Kimberly Collins, Jared Collins, Jonathan Merenivitch, Adrian Switon, and Garrett Burke) opened up the show. Jock Gang originally started band life as k i d s (Jared Collins and Kimberly Collins), and evolved into Jock Gang. The band came to the attention of Danger Mouse, who used the band’s track ‘Tell Me About It’ on his EP, released on 30th Century Records Compilation Volume 1.

The noise, art band played most of their 2016 EP, including ‘Amen Love’, which was played midset.

New Zealand’s Aldous Harding was up next, playing sensitive acoustic songs from her self-titled album (Flying Nun Records). She’s joined by a keyboard player after Harding solo song ‘Swell Does the Skull’.

As the first notes were played, I immediate wrote in my notes, “Kate Bush”... and this was later confirmed when she covered Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’. Harding’s version is incredibly faithful, complete with dance moves.

Highlight of her show is a brand new song, which she said was called ‘White Weight of the Planets’ ... which may be incorrect as she does have a heavy accent and I could have misheard her. (Update: Confirmed, I did misheard her). For example, when she said the title of her finale song ‘Horizon’, I have in my notes, “he rising”. Anyway, the ‘Planet’ song was never played before, and she’s actually kind of worried that her manager may find out that she’s playing it on this night. Harding said, “No one film this sh**, okay?”

For ‘What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming’, Harding’s eyes popped out, and she’s overly animated ... using her jacket as flapping wings. It’s fun to watch, and I can tell this is her favorite song to perform.

As for Atlanta’s Deerhunter, watching singer Bradford Cox is always fun and controversial. The punk / experimental / art rockers don’t have a new album, so their set featured tracks from across all their albums, with emphasis on their 2015 record Fading Frontier (‘Living My Life’, ‘Take Care’, ‘Breaker’, and ‘Snakeskin’).

The record was a result of singer Cox involved in a 2014 car accident that left him seriously injured. The record also did not feature Frankie Broyles, who left the band in 2015 to focus on his solo career.

Remaining Tour Dates

10/29 Philadelphia, PA MilkBoy
10/31 New York, NY Knitting Factory
11/01 Albany, NY Low Beat
11/03 Pittsburgh, PA Cattivo
11/04 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
11/05 Ithaca, NY The Haunt
11/06 Rochester, NY Bug Jar
11/09 Boston, MA Middle East
11/10 Long Branch, NJ Brighton Bar

Jock Gang

Jock Gang

Aldous Harding

Aldous Harding

Setlist

Deerhunter at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 October 2016)

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Minneapolis: October 31, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 31, 2016.

NOTE: October 31st is Halloween. It’s always fun to watch both the audience and the performers, as many of them will be in costumes.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Yellowcard Jacksonville, FL pop-punk band Yellowcard is still going strong, even after over 15 years in the business. Their latest tour and release, Ocean Avenue Acoustic …

YELLOWCARD
at Mill City Nights
Monday, 10/31/16, 8:30pm ($30)
millcitynights.com

This will be the last time you will ever see Yellowcard (Ryan Key, Sean Mackin, Ryan Mendez, and Josh Portman). The band is on their farewell tour, in support of their latest self-titled album via Hopeless Records. If you have loved the band in the past, go show your support on this final show... and dress up because it’s Halloween!

Like Torches and Dry Jacket to open.

US Final World Tour Dates

Tour dates:

Oct. 29 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
Oct. 31 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
Nov. 2 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
Nov. 3 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Nov. 4 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Nov. 5 Detroit, MI Fillmore Detroit
Nov. 7 Boston, MA House of Blues
Nov. 9 New York, NY PlayStation Theater
Nov. 11 Huntington, NY The Paramount
Nov. 12 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Nov. 13 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Nov. 15 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
Nov. 17 Charlotte, NC Fillmore Charlotte
Nov. 18 Jacksonville, FL Mavericks
Nov. 19 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Nov. 20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution Live
Nov. 22 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Nov. 23 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues

Read More Russ Brain Dead Russ (Artist) Track Listings Disc: 1 1. There Is No God but You 2. Abra 3. Murder Me 4. Lucy 5. The Mirror (Pt. 1) 6. Tell Me …

RUSS
at Fine Line Music Café
Monday, 10/31/16, 7pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

Atlanta-based DIY rapper Russ is on his “Yung God Tour”, he will be headlining the Fine Line Music Café this Halloween.

Russ does everything himself, writing, performing, producing, mixing, mastering all of his songs. As a result, he built up a massive fanbase who streamed over 200 million plays across his catalog.

No opening band, but the show is hosted by Mr Peter Parker.

Tour dates:

Oct 29 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
Oct 30 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge
Oct 31 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
Nov 2 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Nov 3 Louisville, KY Mercury
Nov 4 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
Nov 5 Detroit, MI St. Andrew’s Hall
Nov 7 Toronto, ON Danforth
Nov 8 Montreal, QC Club Soda
Nov 9 New York, NY Webster Hall
Nov 10 New Haven, CT Todd’s Place
Nov 11 Worcester, MA Centrum
Nov 13 Washington, DC Fillmore
Nov 14 Philadelphia, PA TLA
Nov 15 Greensboro, NC Cone Denim
Nov 16 Charlotte, NC Underground
Nov 18 Austin, TX Emo’s
Nov 19 Dallas, TX Southside Music Gall
Nov 20 Houston, TX House of Blues
Nov 22 Atlanta, GA Centerstage
Nov 23 Orlando, FL Plaza Live
Nov 25 Ft Lauderdale, FL Culture Room

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