W♥M (Archive)

R.I.P. Sonny Knight

Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014.John described the show as a dancing and religious experience…

Minneapolis-based soul singer, Sonny Knight, has died. He was 69.

We love the retro-soul sound of Knight and is deeply sad to hear about his passing. We’ve been writing about Knight since 2014, but the truth is, he’s been around for over 50 years: “The story goes, if you need a refresher ... Knight recorded his first single with band The Cymbals, in 1965 on New Teenage Records when he was just 17. A stint in the Army, some time spent in the Bay Area, a brief outing with local funk band Haze, and miscellaneous jobs followed, before local group The Valdons were resurrected in 2012 for the initial Secret Stash compilation album, then followed by The Lakers – an overnight success that only took 50 years.”

Earlier on 20 April 2017, we got a press release from their record label, Secret Stash Records, telling us that Sonny Knight was forced to cancel his May 2017 tour because cancer treatment (located in his lung, ribs, and spine). We’d heard a similar story before, when Sharon Jones postponed her tour due to cancer treatment. She was doing well for a while, even think she’s beat it... but ultimately, untimely, she died in November 2016.

Good night, Sonny Knight.

Below are more deaths for the month of June - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2017.

June (14)

[17 Jun 2017] Sonny Knight (American soul singer, singer of Sonny Knight & The Lakers), 69, cancer

[14 Jun 2017] Luis Abanto Morales (Peruvian singer and composer), 93

[13 Jun 2017] Anita Pallenberg (Italian actress, muse for The Rolling Stones), 73, theguardian.com

[13 Jun 2017] Philip Gossett (American musicologist), 75

[11 Jun 2017] Rosalie Sorrels (American folk singer), 83

[11 Jun 2017] Corneliu Stroe (Romanian drummer and percussionist), 67, heart attack

[07 Jun 2017] Norro Wilson (American country music songwriter and record producer), 79, heart failure

[07 Jun 2017] Jan Høiland (Norwegian singer), 78

[06 Jun 2017] Vin Garbutt (British folk singer), 69, complications from heart surgery

[06 Jun 2017] Sandra Reemer (Dutch singer), 66, breast cancer

[05 Jun 2017] Skipp Pearson (American jazz musician), 79, complications from bone cancer and organ failure

[03 Jun 2017] Educated Rapper (American rapper for UTFO), 54, cancer

[02 Jun 2017] Sir Jeffrey Tate (British conductor, heart attack), 74

[02 Jun 2017] Aamir Zaki (Pakistani guitarist), 49, heart failure

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

Minneapolis: April 1 to April 2, 2017

Read More Overcoats Overcoats to open. We saw the duo last May 2016 and noted that the two only found out days before the show that they were actually going out on tour with Matt Corby. …

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on April 1 to April 2, 2017. No foolin’!

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

MAGGIE ROGERS
at Triple Rock Social Club
Saturday 04/01/17, 7pm ($15/Sold Out)
triplerocksocialclub.com

With Maggie Rogers’ ‘Alaska’ song hitting Spotify’s Viral 50 in 40 countries and hit #1 in 23 countries (including the U.S.), it’s not hard to see why this 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist sold out her appearance at the upcoming Triple Rock Social Club show. In fact, she’s sold out her entire tour in the UK!

Rogers’ debut EP Now That The Light Is Fading is out now on Capitol Records.

Show up early to check out Overcoats. We’ve seen the duo twice now, and both times were completely different shows.

Tour Dates:

03/30/17 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
04/01/17 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
04/02/17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
04/04/17 Toronto, ON Mod Club
04/05/17 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
04/07/17 Philadelphia, PA The Foundry
04/08/17 Washington, DC U Street
04/10/17 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
04/11/17 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
04/12/17 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall
06/15/17 Firefly Music Festival
06/30/17 Rock Werchter Festival
07/16/17 Citadel
08/06/17 Lollapalooza

Read More Green Day Green Day's ¡Uno!, the first in the trilogy of albums, hits stores today (September 25th) via Reprise Records. Be on the lookout* for ¡Dos! on November 13, 2012, and ¡Tré! … Rachael Kilgour Minnesota folk singer/songwriter Rachael Kilgour recently won the grand prize of “NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition” and the 2015 Telluride Troubadour … Foxygen Duo Jonathan and Sam, otherwise known as Foxygen is heading out on tour in support of their latest album ... And Star Power, which just came out today via Jagjaguwar. .... Whitney Newcomers Whitney (not to be confused with the late Whitney Houston) to open. Whitney is led by drummer/vocalist Julien Ehrlich, previously from Unknown Mortal Orchestra. ..…

Other shows in the area:

04/01/17 French multi-instrumental minimalist FKJ will be headlining the Cabooze in Minneapolis in support of his debut full-length, French Kiwi Juice. Dabeull and Cezaire to open.

04/01/17 Singer and actress Bridgit Mendler will be playing the 7th Street Entry with Powers. Mendler has been recently cast in the lead role in “Thin Ice”, a new Fox comedy pilot from “New Girl” creator Liz Meriwether.

04/01/17 Punk rockers Green Day to play Xcel Energy Center with Against Me! .

04/01/17 Comedian Iliza Shlesinger will make you laugh at the Skyway Theatre.

04/01/17 Local singer/songwriter Rachael Kilgour will headlining Cedar Cultural Center. Lucy Kaplansky to open.

04/01/17 Mothership and Black Pussy to play Turf Club in St Paul.

04/01/17 Soul revival band Sonny Knight & The Lakers to play Icehouse.

04/02/17 Foxygen to headline First Avenue. Gabriella Cohen will open.

04/02/17 London’s artist, poet, playwright, novelist, and rapper, Kate Tempest will headline the 7th Street Entry. We saw her in June 2015 and noted, “Beats were somewhat primitive and a hybrid of dancehall, grime, dub, and electro, but served only as the place-setting to Tempest’s machine gun narrative lyrics of truth-telling, anti-consumerism and conformity, desperate street people, and good intentions gone bad.” Tempest’ Let Them Eat Chaos is out now on Lex Records.

04/02/17 Whitney will headlining the Triple Rock Social Club.

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

Minneapolis: December 14 to December 16, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from December 14 to December 16, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Helmet If country is not your thing, Helmet will be playing Mill City Nights on March 11th. If you grew up in the 90s, you will recall their ever creepy music videos on MTV. For the 21st Anniversary of Betty, the band will be playing the entire album on this tour.... Local H On the heels of releasing Local H’s As Good As Dead as a 180g for the record’s 20th anniversary... the old-school punk band will go on tour to remind us why the record was a breakthrough album for them. ....

HELMET
at Fine Line
Wednesday, 12/14/16, 7pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

Helmet is back in Minneapolis, touring on their “Dead to the World” tour. The venue of choice this year is at the Fine Line, which doesn’t offer the best viewing experience (unless you pay extra for the balcony).

According to the press release, the new Dead to the World album is Helmet’s first record in six years, and it is available earlier in October via earMusic and Sony Music Entertainment Australia (for Australia).

Front man Page Hamilton’s comment about Dead to the World: “Catch phrases, punchlines, guns, bluster, ammo, incivility, impatience, murder. You, me, us, them, life, liberty and the pursuit of property... We disagree, we disrespect, discourse disappears in the age of access. When in doubt GET LOUD! It's my way or the highway, thank you Lawrence Tierney! Religious tchotchkes nailed to the walls of homes above razor-scarred mirrors. Do you meditate, levitate, pray? Live in LA! I'm a huge fan, got a perfume line, smell nice, plan my next move. Threats loom, the bad news network blooms, fear sells. Just get ‘em out, the spying neighbors, suspects, terrorists our forefathers intent. ‘If you don't like it, leave’ and call it democracy.”

Local H to open. The band recently celebrated their 20th anniversary of As Good As Dead, and was last seen in Minneapolis in June 2016.

US Tour dates:

12/09/16 Billings, MT The Pub Station
12/10/16 Denver, CO Marquis Theater
12/11/16 Omaha, NE Slowdown
12/13/16 Kansas City, MO recordBar
12/14/16 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
12/15/16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
12/16/16 Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
12/17/16 St. Louis, MO Delmar Hall

Read More Go 96.3 We were really impressed with Go 96.3 FM's first Go Show #1 (featuring New Politics and Banks at Aria on Mar 2015). We were wondering how they can top that debut show … Bastille Bastille's debut album, Bad Blood, is coming out in the U.S. on September 3rd from Virgin Records. Bastille also be promoting the U.S. release with a tour - making his television debut on "Conan" last week (July 24th). … BANKS Immediately after New Politics left the stage, the legion of late teenagers left the front of the stage... to make way for BANKS fans to slowly inch their way to the front. We've seen Banks before at First Avenue last year …

96.3’S SNOW SHOW
at Myth
Thursday, 12/15/16, 6pm ($37.63)
mythlive.com

We’ve always been impressed with the Go 96.3’s shows, starting with their first in March 2015. Since then, the radio station created their first music festival called Go Fest, and starting last year, a new tradition of their Go 96.3’s Snow Show.

The 2016 Snow Show is back for the second year, this time at the Myth (originally scheduled at the Target Center).

This year’s headliner will be Bastille, who is currently on tour for his new album Wild World (Virgin / Universal).

Other guests on the bill: Banks (she was also on the first Go Show), Judah & The Lion, Coin and Miles The DJ.... PLUS one local band (to be determined by the Battle of the Band contest at the Fine Line tonight, December 9th).

We've been impressed with Judah & the Lion since we caught them in November 2014, writing “Many of their songs got their most dedicated fans to help sing along, especially on "Back's Against the Wall", where Akers stopped a second to hear his fans finish the lyrics... with the biggest grin on his face.”

Bastille’s 2016 tour dates:

12/10 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
12/11 Los Angeles, CA Forum
12/12 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal
12/14 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
12/15 Maplewood, MN Myth Nightclub
12/16 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House

Read More Soul Asylum Yeah we knew the tiny 7th Street Entry could not contain all the fans for Soul Asylum, or as we kid that it's just the Dave Pirner band.... Both dates at 7th Street Entry (12/17 and 12/18) are sold out …

SOUL ASYLUM
at First Avenue
Friday, 12/16/16, 8pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

Popular local fan-favorites Soul Asylum will be headlining First Avenue.

We caught the band when they were promoting their new album Change of Fortune (Entertainment One) and wrote, “The band has found a second life of sorts, with former Prince drummer Michael Bland joining in 2005 and bassist Winston Roye replacing Tommy Stinson and Justin Sharbono stepping in for longtime guitarist Dan Murphy, both in 2012. The band’s sound remains familiar under singer-guitarist Dave Pirner, a mix of 90’s-era alternative rock, power-pop, and indie post-punk.”

McNasty Brass Band will open.

Other shows in the area:

12/14/16 Country rock stars Supersuckers, with Jesse Dayton and Gallows Bound, to play the new Uptown VFW Post.

12/15/16 The Sunny Era, along with Tabah and The Sudden Lovelys, will be over at the 7th Street Entry.

12/16-12/17 Local soul Sonny Knight & The Lakers (whom we just name-dropped with Sharon Jones on our recent podcast) will be playing a double night at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant.

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

Minneapolis: June 29 to June 30, 2016

Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014.John described the show as a dancing and religious experience…

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from June 29 to June 30, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

SONNY KNIGHT & THE LAKERS
at Lions Park
Wednesday, 06/29/16, 6:30pm (FREE)
cityoflindstrom.us

Every Wednesday, the city of Lindström in Minnesota (it’s about 45 miles north of Minneapolis), organized these “Harmony in the Park” events in Lions Park. The event is free and open to the public, with emphasis on family and fun.

Next Wednesday, our favorite local soul revival band Sonny Knight & the Lakers will be playing the “Health Fair” show.

Harmony in the Park Schedule

06/29 Health Fair: Sonny Knight & the Lakers
07/06 Water Festival: Bob & the Beachcombers
07/13 River City Cloggers: Rising Joy
07/20 Non-Profit Night: Link Union
07/27 Photo of the Lakes: Monroe Crossing
08/03 National Night Out: Rockin’ Hollywoods
08/10 Faith Community Night: Boiling Point

Read More Morris Day From the current incarnation of Morris Day and the Time as well as rising songstress and Grammy winner Judith Hill, who had her debut album, last year’s Back in Time …

MORRIS DAY & THE TIME
at Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater
Thursday, 06/30/16, 6:30pm ($50)
suemclean.com

The successful “Music in the Zoo” Summer series by Sue McLean & Associates continues next Thursday with legendary singer, musician, actor Morris Day and his band The Time.

With the Purple One’s recent passing, the funk is still fresh in our minds, so this upcoming show might be a nice tribute to Prince.

Mina Moore to open.

Morris Day & the Time’s tour dates:

06/29/16 Milwaukee, WI Henry Maier Festival Park
06/30/16 Apple Valley, MN Minnesota Zoo Amph
07/14/16 Vogue Theatre Indianapolis, IN
07/22/16 Keepin' The Funk Alive
07/23/16 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union
08/05/16 Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hill Amph
08/06/16 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
08/11/16 Napa Town & Country Fair
08/12/16 Keepin' The Funk Alive
08/13/16 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
08/25/16 Philadelphia, PA Dell Music Center
08/27/16 Keepin' The Funk Alive
08/28/16 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
09/16/16 San Diego Bayfest
10/22/16 Sacramento, CA Crest Theatre

Read More Murder Shoes Local guest Murder Shoes (featuring Tess Weinberg, Christopher White, Derek Van Gieson, Elliot Manthey, and Tim Heinlein) opened the show. We previously caught the band …

MURDER SHOES
at Triple Rock Social Club
Thursday, 06/30/16, 8pm ($5)
triplerocksocialclub.com

If you’ve have nothing going on next Thursday, check out these local bands for the price of an import beer (details below).

We’ve seen Murder Shoes a few times, with their last appearance with Eliot Sumner earlier this month, the local band played a ton of new songs. Expect a similar set.

Details:

A true Mélange of local bands coming to you live and Direct from the Triple Rock, Sponsored by Radio K!!!!

Murder Shoes, that band you've maybe heard before but maybe not? Maybe you Can? ;) ;)

Andrew Jansen (Loud Sun), so much vibez dripping from the speaker when these sweet humans play

Devata Daun, if you haven't gotten this song ‘Animal Instinct’, stuck in your head yet, here you go.

The Controversial New Skinny Pill, The first band You turn to for the soundtrack to a UFO sex-cult party

Kai will be spinning all your favorite songs you didn't know you loved, before, after and in between bands

This Party costs $5 and its 18+

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

Sonny Knight & The Lakers at Lowertown Line, St Paul (14 Apr 2016)

Setlist Cave Man It Had To Change* Oh Mary* How Long Until Someday* I Could Never Get Tired* Through With You Sonny's Boogaloo It's Over* Help Me* Stronger In The End* Hey Girl Sooner Or Later* Songs marked with * are new songs that will be on Sonny Knight & the Lakers' next album Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014.John described the show as a dancing and religious experience…

Minneapolis’ soul/funk revival band Sonny Knight and the Lakers recently played at the critically acclaimed music series The Lowertown Line for Twin Cities PBS. For the first time, the taping was broadcast live online and TPT 2 (Channel 2).

The newly built stage in downtown St. Paul was impressive... particularly the beautiful, bright, colorful lights.

In typical live broadcast for television or radio, the sold-out concert started promptly at exactly 8pm, and timed exactly to fit right under an hour, down to the show’s last note.

We’ve seen Sonny Knight & the Lakers a few times, and knew to expect a consistently high-energy soul and funk sound. Knight, dressed in a purple suit, danced and sweat and sang at the top of his lungs. The audience couldn’t help but move and participate with the songs.

The band is joined by two girl dancers, giving off a similar vibe to their The Secret Stash Records Revue from last year.

The Secret Stash house band The Lakers (Guitar: Blair Krivanek; Bass: Nick Salisbury; Drums: Eric Foss; Organ: Sam Harvey-Carson; Tenor Sax: Cole Pulice; Trumpet: Riley Helgeson; Trombone: Tony Beaderstadt) was incredible, remembering that they are there to make Sonny Knight look good... although sometime the brass section can’t help but take the spotlight.

The recorded show will likely re-air on TPT sometime in the future, but expect to see some Sonny Knight & the Lakers clips online soon.

Lowertown Line’s next show is on May 12th and will feature Davina and The Vagabonds. The free show is sold out.

Sonny Knight and the Lakers at Lowertown Line, St Paul (14 April 2016)

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

Minneapolis: January 2 to January 5, 2016

Read More The Jayhawks The show was advertised as Gary Louris and Friends. For those that don't know Gary, he is one of the founding members of the Jayhawks. They have a new CD coming in September, which involves the reunion with Mark Olson. … Red Daughters Opening up was Minneapolis' Red Daughters. The thing about this five-piece band is that the drummer does most of the singing. Didn't really know their songs …

Can you believe 2015 is almost over? With January 1st as a holiday, here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from January 2 to January 5, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

THE JAYHAWKS
with Red Daughters
at First Avenue
Saturday, 01/02/16, 7:30pm ($30)
Presented by: 89.3 The Current
first-avenue.com

We got an unexpected preview of The Jayhawks' new album when we caught Gary Louris at Loring Park last year.

Louris explained, “The real reason we’re playing here is that we’re trying out a lot of new songs.”

The album is not exactly out just yet, but it's very close. Should you pre-order the yet-to-be-titled album at pledgemusic.com, you are allowed access to hearing some demos and studio recording.

Can't wait to hear the new songs? We're almost sure that The Jayhawks will be playing the new songs on this 2016 show.

Opening will be Red Daughters.

Looking for more Jayhawks news? Gary Louris recently teamed up with Django Haskins (of the Old Ceremony) to form Au Pair. Their debut album One-Armed Candy Bear is out now via Sham/Thirty Tigers.

Au Pair will be touring to promote the album:

01/05 - Decatur, GA @ Eddie's Attic
01/09 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle Back Room
01/29 - New York, NY @ Joe's Pub
01/30 - Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java
02/05 - Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music
02/06 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club

Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014. John described the show as a dancing and religious experience .…

TRIBUTE TO JAMES BROWN
featuring Sonny Knight and the Lakers
with Fred Wesley and Jabo Starks
at Dakota Jazz Club
Sunday, 01/03/16, 7/9pm ($25-$35)
Monday, 01/04/16, 7/9pm ($25-$35)
dakotacooks.com

Start the year off funky! If you love the late Godfather of Soul and "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", James Brown, then you owe it to yourself to see this upcoming show featuring Sonny Knight and the Lakers and Fred Wesley and Jabo Starks.

If you're new to the great Sonny Knight, here's our written story about him:

The story goes, if you need a refresher, is that the 66 yr. old Knight recorded his first single with band The Cymbals, in 1965 on New Teenage Records when he was just 17. A stint in the Army, some time spent in the Bay Area, a brief outing with local funk band Haze, and miscellaneous jobs followed, before local group The Valdons were resurrected in 2012 for the initial Secret Stash compilation album, then followed by The Lakers – an overnight success that only took 50 years.

As for Fred Wesley, the American jazz and funk trombonist, is probably best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s. His album Let It Flow in 2010 was a tribute to funk master.

Jabo Starks is the drummer in The J.B.'s, who played with Brown and Wesley.

Read More Dubstep Last night was an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything. I would like to think I'm pretty open minded about music. Although I typically listen to metal and pop-punk, there was something .…

MEINONG'S JUNGLE
with Mumukshu, Pysdell, Easyjack
at 7th Street Entry
Tuesday, 01/05/16, 8pm ($5/$7)
first-avenue.com

This is local Meinong's Jungle album release show, for their debut LP Archetype. The recording is 10 improvised songs... expect similar treatment to their live set, which is totally improvised.

Here's how they describe the upcoming show:

Meinong's Jungle is proud to bring you their first full length release, "Archetype." A collection of 10 improvised tracks recorded at Hideaway Studio in NE Minneapolis. You can expect our set to be similar to the style of the album, but a completely different musical venture.

We are lucky to have support from:

Mumukshu - Psybeat head

Psydell - a young producer out of the Midwest, who is blurring the lines between psychedelic soundscapes and heavy hitting bass music. With so much time and consideration being put into the carefully sculpted sound, it brings an essence of intelligence while still delivering the highest energy. Over the past few years he has shared the stage with artists such as Tipper, Opiuo, Desert Dwellers, Mr. Bill, Papadosio, Haywyre, Spankalicious and many more. With the release of his first EP, Overview in Jan. of 2015, as well as numerous singles and remixes (one of which took first place in the Wildlight (Polish Ambassador) remix contest), this artist is pushing through the limitations of a single genre and propelling the weird bass scene forward, one drippy drop at a time.

Easyjack - a Producer/Bass Scientist/Multi-instrumentalist/Funktion One Tech from Chicago, IL

Doors at 8. Music starts at 9.

Set Times:
Easyjack 9:00pm
Psydell 10:00pm
Mumukshu 11:00pm
Meinong's Jungle 12:00am

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

The Secret Stash Records Revue, feat. Sonny Knight & The Lakers at First Avenue, Minneapolis (31 July 2015)

Photo Gallery PaviElle French Maurice Jacox Cameron Kinghorn Sonny Knight Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers James Brown said, “Santa’s got a brand new bag…” …and Minneapolis was left an early, funky Christmas present in the form of Sonny Knight and The Lakers .…

The Secret Stash Records Revue just took place last Friday at First Avenue.

Black Market Brass

Although opening 12-piece Black Market Brass (mostly mostly an instrumental afrobeat band, but midway in their set, they had a guest singer O Tiyo Siyolo who came on to sing "Freedom") started their set twenty minutes later than advertised .... once the music started, it kept going with absolutely no break in music. This is incredible, as soon as BMB ended, the Secret Stash's house band, The Lakers stepped in to continue as the newly dubbed The Secret Stash Soul Orchestra (a combination of The Lakers and Black Market Brass).

With about twenty band members on stage, including a brass section and two dedicated go-go dancers, all playing and dancing on the same level - you can tell this whole thing was incredibly well-rehearsed and well-organized.

Wanda Davis

Everyone performing was having a great time, first with Sonny Knight singing "Caveman", then introduced Wanda Davis (who needed assistance coming on and off the stage) for "Take Care"... Davis then introduced PaviElle French, etc. By the time Maurice Jacox, and later, Cameron Kinghorn, this suddenly became a great variety soul music showcase. Everyone had their deserving moment in the spotlight.

The show started with Sonny Knight, who was clearly the crowd's favorite, and ended with Knight doing a medley of his hit songs, including "Juicy Lucy".

Sonny Knight and the Lakers upcoming tour dates:

06 Aug 2015 Jazz on the Green - Omaha, NE
07 Aug 2015 Live on King Street - Madison, WI
08 Aug 2015 Square Lake Film & Music Festival - Stillwater, MN
09 Aug 2015 Down By the Riverside - Rochester, MN
28 Aug 2015 City Winery - Chicago, IL
31 Aug 2015 Minnesota State Fair - St. Paul, MN
01 Sep 2015 Minnesota State Fair - St. Paul, MN
16 Sep 2015 Musical Instrument Museum - Phoenix, AZ
17 Sep 2015 The Mint - Los Angeles, CA
19 Sep 2015 Monterey Jazz Festival - Monterey, CA
20 Sep 2015 The Independent - San Francisco, CA
29 Sep 2015 Dimitriou's Jazz Alley - Seattle, WA
30 Sep 2015 Dimitriou's Jazz Alley - Seattle, WA

The Secret Stash Records Revue at First Avenue, Minneapolis (31 July 2015)

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

Minneapolis: July 31, 2015

Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers James Brown said, “Santa’s got a brand new bag…” …and Minneapolis was left an early, funky Christmas present in the form of Sonny Knight and The Lakers .…

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on July 31, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

SECRET STASH RECORDS REVUE
at First Avenue
Friday, 07/31/2015, 8pm ($17)
first-avenue.com

It's no secret, that we're big fans of Secret Stash Records. Their "Secret Stash Records Revue" show is coming up next Friday, July 31st. This will be a great way for us to close out the month of July with this incredible lineup.

Of course, all eyes will be on Sonny Knight and the Lakers as the main attraction and headliner. John thinks they are an unbelievably good live band... which would make sense that they recorded a live album called Do It Live (released last month on Secret Stash). The album was recorded the two night residency at the Dakota Jazz Club last December 2014.

Secret Stash Records Revue lineup:

Sonny Knight & The Lakers

Wanda Davis

Pavielle French

Maurice Jacox

Black Market Brass

Cameron Kinghorn (of Nooky Jones)

Read More Reina del Cid Listed as opener, and previously mentioned in the brief talk, are Reina del Cid. I believe the band (Reina del Cid on vocals/guitars, Toni Lindgren on lead guitar, Chris Wiberg .…

CIVIL TWILIGHT
at Turf Club
Friday, 07/31/2015, 7:30pm ($12)
turfclub.net

Can you believe Civil Twilight's album Story of an Immigrant (Wind-up Records) landed #1 on Billboard’s Heatseeker and New Alternative album charts? All that time spent playing with The Gaslight Anthem, Cold War Kids and Lord Huron, and extra hard work is really paying off.

The band will be doing Summer tour, stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul next Friday in support of the new album.

Reina Del Cid to open the show.

Tour dates:

07/25 Buffalo, NY Canalside Buffalo
07/27 Toronto, ON Rivoli
07/28 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
07/29 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio
07/31 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
08/01 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
08/03 Omaha, NE Slowdown
08/06 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
08/07 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
08/09 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
09/10 Nashville, TN Live on the Green
09/12 Oceanside, CA City of Oceanside
09/13 Sterling Heights, MI 89X Chill
09/23 Austin, TX The Parish
09/24 San Antonio, TX Sam’s Burger Joint
09/25 Dallas, TX Dada
09/26 Tulsa, OK Vanguard
09/30 Roswell, NM Pecos Flavors
10/03 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room
10/06 West Hollywood, CA Roxy Theatre
10/08 Reno, NV Cargo: Whitney Peak
10/09 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s
10/10 San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar
10/12 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
10/13 Seattle, WA Crocodile
10/14 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
10/15 Spokane, WA Bartlett
10/20 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall

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

Sonny Knight and the Lakers at Dakota Jazz Club (18 Dec 2014)

Setlist Juicy Lucy Get Up and Dance Through With You Sonny's Boogaloo In the Pines Day Tripper Baby, Baby, Baby It’s You For Me Sock It to Me When You're Gone G Thing Cave Man -- Encore -- Instrumental I’m Still Here Hey Girl Tour Dates 01/03/15 Madison, WI Majestic Theater 06/24/15 Rochester International Jazz Festival 06/25/15 Rochester International Jazz Festival 06/28/15 Saratoga Performing Arts Center 08/31/15 Saint Paul, MN MN State Fairgrounds 09/01/15 Saint Paul, MN MN State Fairgrounds Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014. John described the show as a dancing and religious experience .…

James Brown said, “Santa’s got a brand new bag…”

Sonny Knight at Dakota Jazz Club (Sign)

…and Minneapolis was left an early, funky Christmas present in the form of Sonny Knight and The Lakers playing four shows over two nights at the Dakota Jazz Club, to record an upcoming live album.

The band was back in town after touring almost non-stop since the April debut of I’m Still Here (Secret Stash Records) and made plans to mix and record the shows live to tape, to capture the “lighting in a bottle” that has come to be quickly associated with Knight and The Lakers’ in-concert performances.

The story goes, if you need a refresher, is that the 66 yr. old Knight recorded his first single with band The Cymbals, in 1965 on New Teenage Records when he was just 17.  A stint in the Army, some time spent in the Bay Area, a brief outing with local funk band Haze, and miscellaneous jobs followed, before local group The Valdons were resurrected in 2012 for the initial Secret Stash compilation album, then followed by The Lakers – an overnight success that only took 50 years.

The Lakers

Knight’s seven piece backing band are no musical slouches either, as The Lakers (Guitar: Blair Krivanek; Bass: Casey O'Brien; Drums: Eric Foss; Organ: Sam Harvey-Carson; Tenor Sax: Cole Pulice; Trumpet: Bryan Highhill; Trombone: Tony Beaderstadt) keep a tight but loose lid on the funk and soul as Knight does his thing on stage.

Drummer Foss is the backbone of the band, as well as a co-founder of the label, and from what we saw at the first night’s late show, guitarist Krivanek was the unassuming secret weapon; standing almost stationery in the near shadows, but moving deftly from funky rhythm guitar to wailing blues riffs.

The group’s 75 min. late show set was well received by a mostly older crowd, that was most receptive to the band’s Dap Kings-like tip of the hat to the classic Stax and Atlantic Soul records of the 60’s and 70’s.

As has become tradition with soul revues, The Lakers began the evening with an introductory instrumental to get the party started, followed by Knight’s entrance for local hit, ‘Juicy Lucy’ followed by ‘Get Up and Dance’  with Knight announcing, “I need a lot of noise!”

Sonny Knight & the Lakers

The three piece horn section was clearly having a good time up front, with trumpeter Highhill often engaging Knight in call-and-response and the brass instruments moving up-and-down and side-to-side in unison.  Tempo only slowed momentarily with the bluesy ‘In the Pines’, before being recharged with a driving and sped up organ-anchored cover of The Beatles’ ‘Day Tripper’.

“This is my ‘have-some-fun’ song”, Knight announced, getting loose again as guitarist Krivanek laid down a speedily strummed rhythm, accented by Harvey-Carson’s nimble organ playing.  Not only socking it to the audience, Knight directing The Lakers had them “hit it” as many as 20 times, making people jump out of their seats in time to the beat as the Dakota was slowly transformed by the funk emanating into a backwoods juke joint.

Setlist

After the upbeat boogaloo of ‘Caveman’, complete with Knight grunting and shambling in character, the band left briefly before re-emerging for an instrumental number which then segued into Knight’s anthem of resilience and album’s title track, ‘I’m Still Here’ (instead of ‘Sugar Man’ as on the setlist).

‘Hey Girl’ ended the night triumphantly, with Knight pointing to females all over the club during the chorus and sax player Pulice getting a funky solo mid-song.

“Thank you for coming out—you made a big difference in our lives”, Knight said just before leaving the stage.  As a funky early Christmas wish being granted, most in the club thought the feeling was mutual.

Sonny Knight and The Lakers at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (18 Dec 2014 late show)

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

Minneapolis: December 16 - December 18, 2014

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from December 16 to December 18, 2014.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Inanimate existence California technical death metal behemoths, INANIMATE EXISTENCE, will kick off a three-week bought of US live assaults next week supporting Richmond bongblasters, Cannabis Corpse. …

CANNABIS CORPES
at Triple Rock Social Club
Tuesday 12/16/14, 8pm ($12)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Richmond's Cannabis Corpse, along with Mammoth Grinder and Inanimate Existence will be stopping by Minneapolis' Triple Rock Social Club.

Originally Minneapolis wasn't on their initial schedule, but they added just in time...

Tour dates:

11/28/2014 Ziggy's - Wilmington, NC
11/29/2014 Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA
11/30/2014 Siberia - New Orleans, LA
12/02/2014 Club Dada - Dallas, TX
12/03/2014 Red 7 - Austin, TX
12/04/2014 Limelight - San Antonio, TX
12/06/2014 Club Red - Phoenix, AZ
12/07/2014 Soda Bar - San Diego, CA
12/08/2014 Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA
12/09/2014 Strummers - Fresno, CA
12/10/2014 The Metro - Oakland, CA
12/11/2014 The Garage - Ventura, CA
12/12/2014 Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
12/13/2014 The Core - Salt Lake City, UT
12/14/2014 Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
12/16/2014 Triple Rock, Minneapolis, MN
12/17/2014 Cobra Lounge - Chicago, IL
12/18/2014 Ace Of Cups - Columbus, OH
12/19/2014 Saint Vitus - Brooklyn, NY
12/20/2014 The Broadberry - Richmond, VA

Read More Soul Asylum Soul Asylum has a new album called Delayed Reaction, coming out July 17th, 2012, via 429 Records. They are doing some random shows this year …

SOUL ASYLUM
at 7th Street Entry
Wednesday 12/17/14, 7:30pm ($20) - Sold Out
first-avenue.com

We've already discuss this at the latest podcast, and, yeah we knew the tiny 7th Street Entry could not contain all the fans for Soul Asylum, or as we kid that it's just the Dave Pirner band....

Both dates at 7th Street Entry (12/17 and 12/18) are sold out, and if you really wanted to see them - you may have to drive to St Cloud at the Red Carpet Nightclub (assuming that the upcoming show is also not sold out).

It's not listed on their website, yet, but some ticketing information are on ticketfly.com. The St Cloud show is a late show - doors at 9pm and opener The Odd Fathers starts at 10:30pm. 21+ and over and $20 will get you in the door.

Tour dates:

12/17 7th Street Entry Minneapolis 7:30 PM
12/18 7th Street Entry Minneapolis 7:30 PM
12/19 Red Carpet Nightclub, St Cloud 9pm

Read More Sonny Knight & The Lakers And, “Knight Time” proved to be the right time, as local retro-soul band Sonny Knight and the Lakers closed out the annual In Cahoots- Red Stag Block Party in Northeast Minneapolis yesterday. …

SONNY KNIGHT & THE LAKERS
at Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Thursday 12/18/14, 7pm ($20)
dakotacooks.com

You may recall that we covered Sonny Knight & The Lakers at the Red Stag Block Party earlier in August 2014.

John described the show as a dancing and religious experience, "The pace slowed a bit for ballad ‘When you’re Gone’ then quickly picked up again with ‘Caveman’, the imbibed crowd trying to keep up with Knight’s instructions on the dance, then the band returned for an earthy version of Sixto Rodriguez’ ‘Sugarman’ and lead single, from the album, ‘Hey Girl’, which had MC Tann and others dancing on stage, after which she declared, “that was a religious experience as far as I’m concerned!”."

Sonny Knight will be play at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant this December 18th through December 19th.

Detail of the residency below:

Dec 18 - 7pm Dakota Jazz Club
Dec 18 - 9pm Dakota Jazz Club
Dec 19 - 7pm Dakota Jazz Club
Dec 19 - 9pm Dakota Jazz Club

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