W♥M (Archive)

Minneapolis: October 30, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 30, 2016.

NOTE: Tommy Stinson’s hometown Halloween show is this Sunday, October 30th! Based on seeing them wear matching pizza outfits last September 2015, expect similar shenanigans....

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Peter Hook New Order fans rejoice, Peter Hook & The Light will be performing New Order's third and fourth albums, Low-Life and Brotherhood for the first time in the United States and Canada across the first three weeks of November 2014. … DJ Jake Rudh This is billed as a Transmission (aka DJ Jake Rudh) / BNLX release show, but music fans may want to take note that at nearly midnight, The Ocean Blue is scheduled to appear. …

PETER HOOK
at 7th Street Entry
Sunday, 10/30/16, 7pm ($25)
first-avenue.com

Peter Hook’s last Minneapolis show at the Fine Line Music Café in November 2014 remained one of my favorite shows of that year. He played THREE sets (well technical two full sets and an extra-long “encore”), clocking in nearly a three hour set and giving diehard Joy Division and New Order fans everything they were hoping to hear.

If you are a fan of early New Order songs or classic Joy Division songs, this is the show you will want to be at.

DJ Jake Rudh of Transmission will be playing music videos before Hook’s show.

Tour dates:

10/28/16 Metro, Chicago, IL
10/29/16 Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
10/30/16 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
11/01/16 Venue, Vancouver, BC
11/03/16 Showbox, Seattle, WA
11/04/16 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
11/05/16 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
11/07/16 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
11/08/16 House Of Blues, San Diego, CA
11/11/16 Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
11/12/16 The Mohawk, Austin, TX
11/14/16 Republic, New Orleans, LA
11/15/16 Terminal West, Atlanta, GA
11/17/16 Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
11/18/16 Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL
11/19/16 The Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL
11/21/16 The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
11/22/16 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
11/23/16 Howard Theatre, Washington, DC
11/25/16 Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
11/26/16 Sinclair, Boston, MA
11/27/16 Theatre Fairmount, Montreal, QC
11/29/16 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON

Read More Honeyblood Even though Honeyblood won't be back in Minneapolis until March 2015, I'm still very excited to announce that they will be touring with fellow Scotts Belle & Sebastian and London sisters ... Jay Som The show was opened up by Jay Som from San Francisco, California. Her sweet and quiet demeanor was met with cute songs about real life events such as riding a bus. ...

HONEYBLOOD
at 7th Street Entry
Sunday, 10/30/16, 7:30pm ($10)
first-avenue.com

The Scottish duo Honeyblood is back in town. Although original drummer Shona McVicar is no longer in the band, I can attest that new drummer Cat Myers is just as good. They were last in town last March 2015 and apparently it was so cold that the girls wore double pants and double socks!

Honeyblood’s new album Babes Never Die is out now on Fat Cat Records.

San Francisco’s Jay Som will be joining Honeyblood on tour. We previously caught her with Mitski in July 2016 and wrote, “The show was opened up by Jay Som from San Francisco, California. Her sweet and quiet demeanor was met with cute songs about real life events such as riding a bus. Som seemed young and her voice sounded young but it was a perfect start to the evening and the sold out crowd appreciated her quick, twenty-minute set.”

Local Monica LaPlante will open the show. She is currently the “Track of the Day” on the Current for 10/28/2016. You can grab the free song ‘Hope You’re Alone’ at thecurrent.org.

Tour dates:

10.28.16 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL 10.30.16 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
11.3.16 - Barboza - Seattle, WA
11.4.16 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR
11.6.16 - The Chapel - San Francisco, CA
11.7.16 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
11.16.16 - Cluny - Newcastle, UK
11.17.16 - Wardrobe - Leeds, UK
11.18.16 - Academy 2 - Liverpool, UK
11.19.16 - Rainbow - Birmingham, UK
11.21.16 - Stoke - Sugarmill, UK
11.22.16 - Bodega - Nottingham, UK
11.23.16 - Fleece - Bristol, UK
11.25.16 - Joiners - Southampton, UK
11.26.16 - Bullingdon - Oxford, UK
11.28.16 - Junction 2 - Cambridge, UK
11.29.16 - Arts Centre - Norwich, UK
12.1.16 - Scala - London
12.2.16 - Deaf Institute - Manchester, UK
12.8.16 - St. Lukes - Glasgow, UK

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

Warrant at Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, MN (15 Oct 2016)

Setlist Big Talk Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Down Boys Sure Feels Good to Me Sometimes She Cries Song and Dance Man All my Bridges are Burning Heaven So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against the Law) Sex Ain't Love Mr. Rainmaker I Saw Red 32 Pennies Blind Faith Uncle Tom's Cabin Cherry Pie Tour Dates 11/05/16 PBR World Finals 11/19/16 Cherokee, NC Harrah's Cherokee 12/02/16 Nampa, ID Ford Idaho Center Arena 12/03/16 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena 12/09/16 Kent, WA ShoWare Center Read More Warrant Okay, so the title track was a little overplayed in its day, but the rest of this album should have put Warrant on top of the world. These songs are well-written, well-produced, and loud as hell. …

Still going after over thirty years, the down boys are still serving up their musical cherry pie- but is that pie still fresh, or now completely stale…?

Los Angeles glam metal band Warrant has been around since 1984, with its biggest success happening in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, and amazingly, all of the living members of the best-known lineup, are still in the band today.

Singer Jani Lane left a few times in the 2000s and passed away in 2011, with ex-Lynch Mob singer Robert Mason taking over the lead helm, since 2008.  Headlining Mystic Lake Casino’s Rock, Brats and Beer Festival, the band still proved to be a live crowd-pleaser.

Though I’d seen the band numerous times in their heyday (including being at the Kansas City show where their ‘Heaven’ video was filmed), I had yet to see them since their reforming and with Mason on vocals.  Drummer Steven Sweet was notably absent, still recovering from a surprise burst appendix the week before, though the band was still firing on all cylinders.

The five-piece opened their eighty minute set with ‘Big Talk’, from their 1989 Columbia Records debut, going next into the title track, with guitarists Joey Allen, Erik Turner, and Jerry Dixon still occasionally posing and moving in sync, like they did some three decades ago.

The band’s breakout debut single, ‘Down Boys’ was next, with the blonde Mason shaking his hair to and fro and more than ably taking on the vocals, authentic to the version people associate from hearing on the radio.

Mason’s voice has more range than Lane’s did, though is more of a pure screamer, versus Lane’s more nuanced vocals, especially on the ballads, but Mason is no less an entertaining showman and he obviously controls his any vices, much more than Lane ever could.

Mason needed no reminder as to where he was either, as the band’s outdoor stage faced the casino hotel, with its logo in fire red blazoning the night.  While most bands still frown on use of cell phones and filming, Mason encouraged everyone to take out their phones and film during ‘Heaven’, hoping they’d post the clips on social media and sing along to the song in the process.

Though the band hasn’t released an album since 2011’s Rockaholic, they are putting the finishing touches on a new studio release due in 2017, and played the opening ‘Sex Ain’t Love’ from the most recent album, which was well received by the mostly middle-aged, beer-drinking crowd and featured an extended guitar solo.

With so many radio hits played earlier in the set, the last third dragged a bit, with ballads ‘I Saw Red’ and ‘Blind Faith’ (the latter dedicated to ailing drummer Sweet) sandwiching ’32 Pennies’, the first song on the first Warrant album.  “Would you like to take a trip? …someplace hot and swampy”, Mason asked before the backwoods guitar intro of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ started up.

After teasing guitar licks of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Mason asked everyone to sing along to the evening closer, ‘Cherry Pie’, which most in the crowd were happy to oblige, easily recalling the chorus and unforgettable (for better or worse) music video.

Warrant had more than done their job on this crisp fall evening- rocking out with a beer-drinking, bratwurst-eating crowd in a casino parking lot, taking many back down to memory lane with the songs you could not escape on radio twenty-five years ago, and reminded everyone that there was even more new music to come.

Though musical tastes have come and gone, the band is still entertaining, and unlike some contemporaries of their era, still retains a key lineup and certain freshness which makes catching them live, worthwhile.

Setlist

Warrant

Warrant

Warrant

Warrant at Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, MN (15 Oct 2016)

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

Minneapolis: October 29, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 29, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More The Band Perry I was at Target today and saw The Band Perry's sophomore album Pioneer on the shelves. The thing that stuck out was there were limited autographed editions! I am assuming the band sat down ..…

THE BAND PERRY
at Mystic Lake Casino
Saturday, 10/29/16, 8pm ($69)
mysticlake.com

Hot off the new single ‘Comeback Kid’, the Grammy Award-winning trio The Band Perry (Kimberly Perry, Neil Perry and Reid Perry) will be playing at the Mystic Lake Casino this Saturday, October 29th. It’s a bit of a drive, but may be worth the trouble to see them at this nice venue.

The sibling also recently announced they will be the entertainment at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016.

Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer is a big fan: “We are thrilled to have The Band Perry performing in what will be an exciting day at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which will be capped off with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race on Sunday. The Band Perry has become a household name in country music, and having them kick off the Sprint Cup Series championship race with a pre-race concert will be an electrifying experience for NASCAR and all of our fans. We can't wait to see the show they put on in November.”

Catch them on tour:

10/29/16 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino
11/12/16 Atlantic City, NJ Tropicana Atlantic
11/14/16 WKML Stars & Guitars
11/20/16 Homestead, FL Homestead-Miami
12/04/16 Portland, OR Moda Center
12/09/16 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre
12/10/16 Dayton, OH Wright State University

Read More Lucero I was lucky enough to have caught Lucero at their sold out show at the Varsity in 2009, and I mentioned it in my review that basically I was blown away at all their dedicated fans ...

LUCERO
at First Avenue
Saturday, 10/29/16, 8pm ($22)
first-avenue.com

Memphis’ Lucero is back at First Avenue this Saturday, October 29th.

The last time the band was at First Avenue in October 2015, we wrote, “When I tell people that Lucero is one of my favorite bands of all time, it takes them a second. I like loud, heavy music. The more yelling and screaming, the better. Lucero is anything but heavy. Ben Nichols, the lead singer, does anything but scream and yell. Nope, there was no angry music last night. It was more full of love ballads and upbeat country songs about whiskey. It was perfect.”

This North Mississippi-born Cory Branan will open. Rolling Stone Country loves this guy, calling his live shows, “a must see.” We previously mentioned that Branan was described as “too punk for country, too country for punk”.

Branan’s new album The No-Hit Wonder is described as both a celebratory anthem of the world-weary, undefeated underdogs of the world, and a coming to terms with the cards life has dealt you.

Tour dates:

10/27/16 Bloomington, IN Bluebird Nightclub
10/28/16 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
10/29/16 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
10/30/16 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
12/17/16 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall

Read More Neon Indian Neon Indian is the brain child of Alan Palomo. A young man from Mexico who has lived as a Texan for most of his life. He came into the scene with the album Psychic Chasms. It hit the blogsphere ...

NEON INDIAN
at Fine Line
Saturday, 10/29/16, 8pm ($25)
finelinemusic.com

Neon Indian is back in Minneapolis, this time at Fine Line Music Café in downtown Minneapolis (the show is presented by First Avenue).

We saw the band in October 2015 and wrote, “After the show people stuck around and Alan was enthusiastic to meet his fans, and take all the photographs that were requested, and sign all the merchandise. We spoke to him in Spanish and found out he’s originally from Monterrey, Mexico. If the “Night School” is heading your way, I highly recommend you check it out. It seems like Alan’s new mission is to get you to groove. Embrace the funk.”

Classixx to open.

Tour dates:

10/19/16 - Austin TX / The Mohawk
10/21/16 - San Antonio TX / Paper Tiger
10/24/16 - Nashville TX / Exit/In
10/25/16 - Bloomington IN / The Bluebird *
10/26/16 - Milwaukee WI / Turner Hall Ballroom *
10/27/16 - Chicago IL / Concord Music Hall *
10/29/16 - Minneapolis MN / Fine Line Music*

* = w/ Classixx

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

Bon Iver / Patti Smith at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles (23 Oct 2016)

Setlist 22 (OVER S∞∞N) 10 d E A T h b R E a s T 715 - CR∑∑KS 33 “GOD” 29 #Strafford APTS 666 ʇ 21 M♢♢N WATER 8 (circle) ____45_____ 00000 Million -- Encore -- Minnesota, WI Towers Michicant Skinny Love Calgary Creature Fear -- Encore II -- Beth/Rest Read More Bon Iver Bon Iver is a Grammy award-winning American indie folk band founded in 2007 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. The band also includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, Colin Stetson and Matthew McCaughan amongst others. .… Patti Smith Patti Smith and Kevin Shields have released The Coral Sea officially on July 7th worldwide. I won't go into details about Smith & Shields, as you guys are probably familiar with their.…

If I told you that I was going to to see the illustrious and the ever-more-present “Godmother of Punk”, Patti Smith, some may bat your eyes and say “Wow. Good for you. Bringing it back to the good ol’ days.” In the same mention, if I would have said that she was opening for the once-indie folk band (now turned indietronica, more on that later), Bon Iver, along with openers Hiss Golden Messenger, you would have replied “Come again?” Annnnnd, if I told you that I was going to see them both at the famed Hollywood Bowl on a dark, rainy night a week before Halloween, you would have ecstatically declared, “Holy S***.”

Patti Smith

Swearing is in order here because I for one found it difficult to handle such euphoria... and a rainy fall night in Los Angeles? It’s all just too good. Patti graced the stage complete with grey pigtail braids and a purple blazer... hopping around looking like Robert Plant or some other rock god who’s not too gender-specific. She starts to scream, “Can you feel it in your blood? Raise your hands! Use your voice! VOTE! You are f***ing free!” She belted out in ‘People Have The Power’ with such a force I had to stand there in awe of her, not only her trail of enlightenment she has left but now, how relevant these lyrics are to our times. She laughs at a long pause and says to the crowd, “I’m just getting ready, honey, I can take my time longer than you can comprehend! Maybe I’ll waste about 13 seconds...”

The crowd goes nuts as she goes right into ‘Land’. What a powerhouse this lady is, and humble as hell, telling us, “You know, I’ve heard of this place, but we never been here before.” And as the rain started coming down on us, Patti calls out for more and more water and it was as if she had been doing her own little rain dance up there all along (the Watusi, perhaps??). Her spirit and performance are unparalleled.

Bon Iver and his band opened with a myriad of hieroglyphics and light fixtures so psychedelic it was like Willy Wonka decided to go into the scary cave to meet a bunch of Egyptians. Seriously though, I’m pretty sure some people who expected a night of mellow acoustics forgot to check out Justin Vernon’s newest album, 22, A Million, his 3rd full-length record. A stark contrast from his chilling falsettos in For Emma, Forever Ago and my favorite Bon Iver, his voice became increasingly overshadowed by the band’s pressing indulgence into the stratosphere of autotuneness. Though the lyrics equally as heartfelt and beautiful, it’s a vastly different feel however I commend him for the drastic change...it shows how much he’s been through in the past 5 years. The first couple songs he played had a funky, jungle-like feel that was both cryptic and wildly experimental while being heavy on the sax. Indigenous and at the same time industrial, it became clear that we were in for an unexpected yet delightful treat. His absorbent melodies and crazy crescendos had us wowing for half of the show.

With neon trees and lightening blasting in the background, the song ’21 Moon Water’ off his new album put us Angelinos in a trance, the light drizzle of rain getting softer and softer as the music got louder and louder. The instrumentals are completely off course on this track in the best way, sending you into a kind of whirlwind that you’re frightened to come down from for fear of falling too far, off the edge of the proverbial cliff you’re flying above. But Justin lets you down softly, with his magical vocals giving you that extra push you need to keep going. His music has the romance of a late-night drive up the canyon along with the meaningfulness of the destined lives we all dream to fulfill. He laughs while admitting:

“You know, we’ve played a lot of shows. I never know what to say up here. It’s important, you know. I’m so humbled to share the stage with who I’ve shared it with tonight...that goes without saying. What Patti was saying, you are free, it keeps coming back to me. You gotta know that you’re free. Spread love, and be there for people. You are free. I’m not gonna forget that.”

Justin then striped down to what we’ve all been waiting for, no band, no fluff, just him and his guitar. ‘Skinny Love’ was a crowd pleaser and his most popular hit, even though I was a bit disappointed he left out ‘Holocene’. He did play the lovely ‘Michicant’, and then ‘Minnesota’, which he dedicated to Wisconsin. He waved and said a genuine “Love ya’ll” to the crowd after his encore, leaving us all to wonder how a guy so versatile and brilliant can also be just a dorky Midwestern guy donning a Cubs hat.

Bon Iver with Patti Smith at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles (23 October 2016)

jess ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: October 28, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 28, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Beach Slang Beach Slang is currently on tour in support of their upcoming debut album Find People Who Feel Like Us (out October 30 on Polyvinyl Records). Like most of the Midwest tour … Bleached Not to be confused with the two brothers from Bleach, Bleached are basically two sisters, Jennifer and Jessie, who has a thing for 70s porn. I saw Bleached last year and I went on record to say that I really like their music. ... Hunny Also on the bill is Hunny (not to be confused with Christian band Honey or the stuff that Winnie-the-Pooh likes to eat). This southern California six-piece (front man/lead guitarist Jason Yarger, ...

BEACH SLANG / BLEACHED
at Triple Rock Social Club
Friday, 10/28/16, 8pm ($16)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Philadelphia’s Beach Slang is touring in support of their new album A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings (Polyvinyl Records). We’ve seen the band a few times, the last being April 2016 and wrote, “The members of Beach Slang seemed just as shocked as I was at the sheer amount of people that came out to see them on a Monday night. It wasn't a sold out show but it sure was packed for this new band. Once they started playing, it all made sense. I understood why so many people decided to venture out on a Monday night to see them.”

Co-headlining with the band will be Los Angeles’ Bleached. We caught the Bleached sisters in 2012 and noted, “I like Bleached. But then again, I do have a thing for grrrl rock. Their music and attitude is that of 90s garage rock, a bit of punk as well.”

Hunny to open. We also have seen this band before, they were in town in October 2015 and we said, “Normally it is tough to be the first band on the bill, but not for California's six-piece band Hunny. By the time the band took the stage at 6:15pm, the dancefloor was surprisingly packed.”

Bleached Tour Dates:

10/25 Bloomington, IN The Bishop*
10/26 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House*
10/28 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock*
10/29 Maquoketa, IA Codfish Hollow*
10/30 Omaha, NE Reverb Lounge*
10/31 Kansas City, MO The Tank Room*
11/01 Fayetteville, AR George's Majestic Lounge*
11/02 Oklahoma City, OK 89th Street Collective*
11/4 Austin, TX Sound on Sound Festival
11/5 Mcdade, TX Sherwood Forest Faire
11/7 Glasgow, UK Mono
11/8 London, UK Scala
11/9 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club
11/10 Brighton, UK The Haunt
11/12 Brussels, Belgium Witloof Room
11/13 Hamburg, Germany Knust
11/14 Hanover, Germany LUX
11/15 Berlin, Germany Lido
11/17 Leipzig, Germany Conne Island
11/18 Bezirk Ottakring, Austria Chelsea
11/19 Winterthur, Switzerland -- Albani
11/20 Munich, Germany -- Ampere
11/21 Muenster, Germany -- Sputnikhalle
11/22 Cologne, Germany -- Gebaude 9
11/23 -- Paris, France -- La Maroquinerie
11/25 -- Barcelona, Spain -- La 2 d'Apollo
11/26 -- Madrid, Spain -- Moby Dick

* w/ Bleached

Read More Hey Anna New York's Hey Anna is a sister-act of Anna and Erin on keyboards/rhythm guitar and Katie on bass (the rest of the band consists of Andrew Smolin and Matthew Langner). ...

THE BOXER REBELLION
at Turf Club
Friday, 10/28/16, 8pm ($18)
turfclub.net

London quartet The Boxer Rebellion will be headlining the Turf Club in St Paul this Friday, October 28th. The band’s fifth album Ocean By Ocean is out now via Absentee Recordings/Kobalt (available on iTunes).

The band took their name from the anti-Christian uprising in China in the early 1900s. Check out Chang Cheh's 1976 Boxer Rebellion film. Shaw Brothers film fans should know that Cheh is famously known for his entertaining Venoms films.

New York’s sister-act Hey Anna (Anna and Erin on keyboards/rhythm guitar and Katie on bass) will be on the bill. This band came to our attention along with Hey Ocean! and Hey Marseilles in 2013. Now, go sing ABBA’s ‘Hey, Hey Helen’.

Nashville’s Ry Cox to open.

Tour Dates:

10/26 – Denver, CO – Bluebird
10/28 – Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club
10/29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
10/31 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club
11/01 – Montreal, QC – The Ritz
11/02 – Boston, MA – Sinclair
11/03 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/05 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
11/06 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
11/09 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
11/10 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
11/11 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
11/12 – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
11/14 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
11/15 – Austin, TX – The Parish
11/18 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
11/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom

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

Minneapolis: October 27, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 27, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Needtobreathe Sometimes good music just naturally transcends genres and categories. That seems to be the case with South Carolina band, Needtobreathe ... Parachute What is exciting about this "Just Kids Tour" is that he is bringing along Virginia's Parachute and Tennessee's Judah & the Lion (who you may recall impressed us when they came to Minneapolis November 2014). …

NEEDTOBREATHE
at Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Thursday, 10/27/16, 6pm ($33)
theroy.org

Needtobreathe is back in Minnesota... this time playing at the much-bigger The Roy Wilkins Auditorium this Thursday, October 27th.

The last time the band was in town in 2015, we wrote, “South Carolina’s Needtobreathe continues to evolve as performers and grow its fan base, even since we recently last saw them live. The band, led by brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart and bassist Seth Bolt is still in support of their latest; Rivers in the Wasteland (Atlantic/Curb/Word Records) and headlined this Tour de Compadres (“Tour of Friends”) with a 79 min. closing set, shortened from their usual time which resulted in a few abridged versions of songs and a compressed playlist.”

Parachute to open. The trio is touring in support of Wide Awake, which debuted #1 on the iTunes Pop Albums and #40 on the Billboard Top 200!

The band previously sold out their April 2016 headlining gig at the Varsity Theater.

Tour dates:

10.20 Lubbock, TX
10.21 Abilene, TX
10.22 Grand Prairie, TX
10.23 Austin, TX
10.25 Oklahoma City, OK
10.27 Saint Paul, MN
10.28 Madison, WI
10.29 Saint Louis, MO
10.30 Chicago, IL
11.2 New York, NY
11.4 Boston, MA
11.5 Philadelphia, PA
11.6 Huntington, WV
11.7 Grand Rapids, MI
11.9 Lexington, KY
11.10 Chattanooga, TN
11.11 Greenville, SC
11.12 Lynchburg, VA

Read More Wet The trio was previously in Minneapolis at the 7th Street Entry in 2014, after supporting Sohn, but the 2016 tour is officially their first headlining tour. Look for their debut album Don’t You …

WET
at Triple Rock Social Club
Thursday, 10/27/16, 7:30pm ($12)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Wet is back in town at the Triple Rock Social Club this Thursday, October 27th. The last time they were in town in February 2016, we wrote, “Based on crowd reactions to their 55min headlining performance, we won’t be forgetting Wet anytime soon.”

Show up early to check out Demo Taped. The 18 year old Atlanta based artist is described as a cross between Frank Ocean and Chet Faker - if it were recorded or produced by Dev Hynes.

Demo Taped’s demo track ‘Game On’ was recently on the hot HypeMachine charts.

Tour dates:

10/26/16 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
10/27/16 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
10/31/16 Seattle, WA Neumos
11/01/16 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
11/02/16 Vancouver, BC Imperial
11/04/16 San Francisco, CA Mezzanine
11/05/16 Los Angeles, CA Fonda Theatre
11/07/16 San Diego, CA The Irenic
11/10/16 Dallas, TX Dada Dallas
11/11/16 Austin, TX Antone's
11/13/16 Nashville, TN Exit / In
11/14/16 Atlanta, GA The EARL
11/15/16 Athens, GA Caledonia Lounge
11/17/16 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11/19/16 New York, NY Webster Hall

Read More Bad Suns Another Southern California band, Bad Suns, played next, in support of their Vagrant Records EP, Transpose, with full-length, Language & Perspective, due out in late June. ...

BAD SUNS
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Thursday, 10/27/16, 7pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

Los Angeles’ Bad Suns is back in town, playing the Fine Line Music Café this October 27th. The band is promoting their sophomore album Disappear Here (Vagrant Records/BMG US).

The last time the band was in town, they opened up for The Neighbourhood in October 2015. We noted, “The quartet’s anthemic sound on songs like ‘Cardiac Arrest’ and EP closer, ’20 Years’ seemed to connect with the younger audience.”

Coin is listed to open.

Tour dates:

October 24th | Neumo’s | Seattle, WA
October 27th | Fine Line | Minneapolis, MN
October 28th | Double Door | Chicago, IL
October 29th | Shelter | Detroit, MI
October 31st | Union Transfer | Philadelphia, PA
November 1st | Le Poisson Rouge | New York, NY
November 3rd | Brighton Music Hall | Boston, MA
November 5th | Rock N Roll Hotel | Washington, DC
November 7th | Exit/In | Nashville, TN
November 9th | The Social | Orlando, FL
November 12th | White Oak | Houston, TX
November 13th | Granada | Dallas, TX
November 15th | Bluebird Theater | Denver, CO
November 17th | Crescent Ballroom |Phoenix, AZ
November 18th | Teragram Ballroom | Los Angeles, CA

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

Shonen Knife at Turf Club, St Paul (19 October 2016)

Shonen Knife Setlist Pop Tune Twist Barbie Bear Up Bison Jump into the New World Rock'n'roll T-Shirt Green Tangerine Wasabi Capybara Whatever Ghost Train Loop Di Loop Barbeque Party Bad Luck Song Concrete Animals Riding on the Rocket Buttercup (I'm A Super Girl) -- Encore -- Banana Chips E.S.P. Catbath Setlist Ta-Da Vacuum Colorado Casio Law of Average Jellyfish Black Sand Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover) Bop, Ooo Toxenes Setlist One Time Thing Crimson Tide Last Drag Dirty Fingers Fortune Teller Batteries He's Something Else Caveman Bad Girls Gold Five Ton Bricks Electric Shock! Read More Shonen Knife Mmaterial from the band’s earliest releases to the edgier sound of today's Shonen Knife. Shonen Knife’s latest album Adventure is available now on Good Charamel Records. ... …

Osaka’s Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ) came back to the Turf Club in St Paul, playing their 1,156th show (according to their count) last Wednesday, October 19th. The number for the Turf Club is important because it was about two years ago that Shonen Knife played their 1,000th show at the very same venue.

Local trio The Toxenes (bassist / singer Ariel Dornbush, guitarist Monet Wong, drummer Madalyn) opened up the show. If the band looked familiar, that’s because two of the band members are from the ashes of L’Assassins (the band that previously opened up for Shonen Knife last year).

Although their setlist shows 12 songs, it really didn’t felt like they played that many. The songs are also short, punk-ish/rockabilly in nature.

Next up was Catbath, evolving to a four piece (Travis Franklin, Crystal Stockert, Kristin Kosieracki, and Matthew Grave) from their original duo-turned-trio. They’ve only recently added a second guitarist (“Gravey”) to their roster in 2016.

For their preultimate song, Catbath decided to cover a Black Sabbath song ‘Snowblind’ as a request from Shonen Knife (who are, in fact, big metal fans).

In their 35 years as a band, we’ve never seen Shonen Knife with the two original Yamano sisters. That’s because Atsuko Yamano retired from the band shortly after their drummer Mana Nishiura died in a car accident in 1999.

Although Atsuko would occasional join the band whenever they played in Los Angeles (where she’s currently residing), she did not regularly partake as a full band member.

What made last week’s Turf Club show so special is that Atsuko is currently Shone Knife’s touring bassist.... and apparently the trio’s current costume designer (that was her original role in the band when they started in 1981). I believe Atsuko’s role in Shonen Knife may be temporary, as SK’s current bassist, Ritsuko Taneda is on hiatus to raise her family.

As you can see from their setlist, it’s written in Japanese. We’ve managed to translate the titles for you. Not listed on their setlist were the two encore songs, ‘Banana Chips’ and ‘E.S.P.’

Many of the songs on their set are from older album, with the exception of a three-song Adventure block: starting with ‘Jump into the New World’, followed by ‘Rock'n'roll T-Shirt’ and ending with ‘Green Tangerine’.

If there was one Shonen Knife tour you have to see, it’s really this one. The group essentially is playing the band’s entire career, from their earliest written songs to the new Adventure material. Plus, the fact that the two Yamano sisters are back together - that’s certainly something to celebrate.

Adventure is out now on Good Charamel Records.

Remaining Tour Dates

10/25 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor
10/26 Durham, NC The Pinhook
10/27 Richmond, VA Strange Matter
10/28 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
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

Toxenes Setlist

Catbath Setlist

Shonen Knife Setlist

Toxenes

Catbath

Shonen Knife at Turf Club, St Paul (19 October 2016)

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Jóhann Jóhannsson at the Cedar, Minneapolis (18 October 2016)

Jóhann Jóhannsson Setlist A Song for Europa De Luce et Umbra A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder Sálfræðingur Jói & Karen The Drowned World The Miners' Hymns A Deal With Chaos Prisoners The Rocket Builder Flight from the City IBM 1401 Processing Unit Odi et Amo Tour Dates 10/23/16 New York, NY - Cathedral of St. Joseph* 12/01/16 Berlin - Funkhaus Berlin 12/02/16 Nijmegen - Doornroosje 12/03/16 Copenhagen - Bremen Teater 12/04/16 Amsterdam - Paradiso 12/05-16 Leuven - 30CC 12/06-16 Paris - L’alhambra 12/07-16 Hasselt - CCHA 12/09/16 London - Barbican 02/10/17 Hamburg - Elbphilharmonie 03/25/17 Durham, NC - Duke University* 04/17/17 Los Angeles, CA - Disney Concert Hall* 04/18/17 San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom* 04/20/17 Seattle, CA - Nordstrom Recital Hall* *w/ American Contemporary Music Ensemble Read More Jóhann Jóhannsson Golden Globe-winning, Oscar, BAFTA and Grammy-nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson will be headlining the Cedar Cultural Center in support of his first album .…

Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson stopped by the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis last week, October 18th.

American Contemporary Music Ensemble

New York’s American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) opened the show. ACME is normally a seven-piece ensemble, but for logistics and cost reasons, only pianist Jacob Pavek appeared. He played four songs (that’s probably too generous), each epic song had a nice flow that filled out his brief 30-min set.

Setting up the mood for the Jóhann Jóhannsson’s set, they powered up the mist machine. The fake smoke caused the fire alarm to go off twice. In these type of shows, the composer need absolute control over the visual and the audio. One story that I will relate to you was when Olafur Arnalds requested the Cedar to turn off the air conditioner as it was interfering with his music. We suffered for his art, on one of the hottest day of the year.

It would look like Jóhannsson compromised and may have turned down (or turn off) the smoke machine. Personally speaking, it may have looked creepier and moodier with the smoke... but did not affect the music. Unfortunately, the venue did not carpet the stage, so whenever anyone in the band stood up to walk to their stations, it caused annoying creaking noises.

Setlist

As you can see from the setlist, the majority of the songs were between his debut Englabörn (later re-issued in 2007 by 4AD) and his recent solo work Orphée (Deutsche Grammophon). Rounding out the rest of his set were songs from here and there, including songs from The Miners' Hymns and the title track from Prisoners.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Jóhannsson did not include his Academy Award-nominated Sicario or Golden Globe winner The Theory of Everything, only because these songs probably would not fit in correctly (as a cohesive music set) with the live show.

The string quintet (erroneously called quartet) handled the major lifting of Jóhannsson’s composition, with Jóhannsson handling the piano or adding audio sound via a reel-to-reel audio tape player! We’ve rarely seen these old-style equipment (most modern composers or audio engineers we’ve seen would choose digital convenience), so it was a treat to see Jóhannsson masterfully handling the tape reels.

Although they did list a two-song encore (‘Englabörn’ and ‘The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black’), they did not play those songs.

With the upcoming release of Paramount Pictures’ Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on 11 November 2016 and the forthcoming, highly-anticipated Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack in 2017, Jóhannsson will be very busy next year... so we are very lucky to have caught Jóhann Jóhannsson on this truly unique tour.

Jóhann Jóhannsson at the Cedar, Minneapolis (18 October 2016)

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Billy Bragg & Joe Henry at the Cedar, Minneapolis (17 October 2016)

Setlist Railroad Bill (Bali Traditional Musicians cover) The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore (Jean Ritchie cover) John Henry (traditional) In the Pines (traditional) Waitin' for a Train (Jimmie Rodgers cover) Early Morning Rain (Gordon Lightfoot cover) Joe Henry Solo Trampoline After The War Shook up the World Our Song Freedom for the Stallion (Allen Toussaint cover) -- Intermission -- Billy Bragg Solo No One Knows Nothing Anymore King James Version Accident Waiting to Happen Why We Build the Wall (Anaïs Mitchell cover) There Is Power in a Union Railroading on the Great Divide (The Carter Family cover) Lonesome Whistle (Hank Williams cover) Rock Island Line (Lead Belly cover) Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves cover) Midnight Special (traditional) -- Encore -- Gentle on My Mind (John Hartford cover) Ramblin' Round (Woody Guthrie cover) Read More Billy Bragg Modern day troubadour and activist Billy Bragg is well known in the music world for his passionate topical songwriting. In the vein of late heroes and colleagues like … .… Joe Henry After delivering two albums in the classic singer/songwriter mode, this 1993 release found Midwesterner Joe Henry headed for points deeper South, at least … .…

The Billy Bragg and Joe Henry’s “Shine a Light” tour made a stop at the Cedar Cultural Center station in Minneapolis last week.

To give you a backstory on these two legendary storytellers, they’ve teamed up to record Shine A Light: Field Recordings from The Great American Railroad (Cooking Vinyl). The songs were recorded railroad-themed songs at various points in their 2,728 miles journey across America, starting at the Chicago’s Union Station.

The two shared a love for the history of America and noted that the railroads really unified the country by connecting cities. To hear a railroad song was to actually hear history.

Every song on this album and what they played on their set had a special story and meaning to the two musicians. Hearing the two talk about their song choices, it was like hearing two very old and close friends get very excited about their mutual passion of history and music.

For American Joe Henry (who’s name is similar to John Henry the “Steel Driving Man”), we can see why he would love recording these railroad songs, but for Englishman Billy Bragg, we’re somewhat a little confused. Bragg explained, “Growing up in the UK, I’d always been aware of this tradition but when I traveled to the US, I was surprised to find how few people look to the railroad as a means of transport. With this project, we wanted to explore the transformative power that the coming of the railroad had on the lives of ordinary people by taking these songs back to the places that inspired their creation. Traveling on the train and recording the songs as we went allowed us to both visit places that were important 125 years ago when the lines were laid, but to also explore the viability of the railroad as a means of transport in the 21st century.”

Setlist

Billy & Joe decided to delay their show later than scheduled, because due to the over sold out status, people were still lining up to get in the venue. Before and after every song they played, they had great stories about them. After the Jimmie Rodgers cover ‘Waiting for a Train’, Bragg jokingly said that he was “the first Englishman to yodel since Morrissey.” (Referring to The Smiths’ ‘The Boy With the Thorn in His Side’). The respectful audience was extremely quiet, except during these humorous stories.

The show was divided in four parts: The first section featured both Billy & Joe playing “Shine a Light” songs. The second part is a five-song solo set by Joe Henry. He would play a few of his songs, as you can see from the setlist, starting with ‘Trampoline’.

Joe Henry

‘Shook up the World’ was dedicated to the late Muhammad Ali. The rather long song, was played on the house piano.

After the brief intermission, we’re treated to a Billy Bragg solo set. Bragg is known for his trademark protest songs, and demonstrated why he is simply one of the greatest songwriters in the world.

The last part of their show featured both Billy & Joe playing more “Shine a Light” songs.... saving John Hartford’s ‘Gentle on My Mind’ and Woody Guthrie’s ‘Ramblin’ Round’ for the double-song encore.

Billy Bragg and Joe Henry’s “Shine a Light” USA tour continues to San Francisco tomorrow and will end in Los Angeles on October 25th. The two will continue the tour in London in early November.

Remaining Tour Dates

10/24/16 San Francisco, CA Great American
10/25/16 Los Angeles, CA Downtown Palace
11/07/16 London, Union Chapel
11/08/16 London, Union Chapel
11/09/16 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
11/10/16 Brighton St.George's Church
11/12/16 Portsmouth New Theatre Royal
11/13/16 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre
11/14/16 Guildford G Live
11/15/16 Bury St Edmunds The Apex
11/17/16 Nottingham Playhouse
11/18/16 Manchester, Royal Northern
11/19/16 Lincoln The Engine Shed

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (17 October 2016)

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Moon Hooch at Triple Rock, Minneapolis (16 October 2016)

Tour Dates 10/22 - Columbia, MO - Rose Music Hall 10/23 - Springfield, MO - Outland Ballroom 10/25 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown 10/26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater 10/28 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater 10/29 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre 10/31 - Jackson Hole, WY - Pink Garter 11/3 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo 11/4 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge 11/5 - Portland, OR - Dante's 11/6 - Eugene, OR - HiFi Music Hall 11/7 - Bend, OR - Capitol 11/9 - Arcata, CA - Humbrew's 11/11 - San Francisco, CA - Great American 11/12 - Chico, CA - Lost on Main 11/13 - Reno, NV - The Saint 11/14 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Nightclub 11/16 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones 11/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex 11/19 - San Diego, CA - Music Box Theater Read More Moon Hooch We caught New York’s Moon Hooch on their very first Minneapolis appearance in 2013, when they were “discovered” by They Might Be Giants. TMBG loved their explosive horns-and-percussion …

New York’s Moon Hooch headlined the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis last Sunday, October 16th, to an incredibly packed danced floor.

Honeycomb & Sean Byrne

Opening up the show was Massachusetts’ Honeycomb... his first time in Minneapolis. Honeycomb was a beatboxer who mainly improvised music using only his vocal chords. He’s developed this great style of sounding like there are multiple “instrumentals”, often in the drums and bass genre. After 20 minutes, he’s joined on stage by his fellow friend, rapper, and collaborator Sean Byrne.

The two freestyle raps and beats, and near the end of their set, they’re joined on stage by Moon Hooch’s drummer James Muschler.

You already know the secret origin of Moon Hooch. The band was busking in the street of New York City Subway stations and caught the attention of They Might Be Giants, who asked them to go on national tour with them.

Wenzl McGowen

Since their appearance at First Avenue in 2013, the trio (saxophonists Mike Wilbur + Wenzl McGowen and a shirtless drummer James Muschler) has upgraded their music and show. In fact, it’s not all instrumental, sometime Mike Wilbur would sing - particularly on ‘Shot’, the second song on their set. Also, Wenzl McGowen would do a funky dance when he’s not required to switch between his two saxophones.

Now with two albums (a self-titled debut album and This Is Cave Music), the band mostly stuck to newer songs like ‘Something Else’, which kicked off their set.

As previously mentioned, the dance floor was packed, especially for a Sunday night. The fans in front absolutely loved the funk and danced and raved throughout the night.

As the show was about to end, Honeycomb came on stage to help the trio close out their set with a totally improvised song. I don’t think they have a title for it, but I’m sure the song will likely make it on a future album.

Moon Hooch at Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (16 October 2016)

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