W♥M

Minneapolis: November 10

11/10 Full of Hell with END, INTER ARMA and WAKE at Amsterdam Bar & Hall Read More Full of Hell Hardcore, grind, death metal band Full of Hell will be touring with Wolves in the Throne Room and UADA this Winter 2022. The band’s latest release, Garden of Burning Apparitions, is available now on Relapse Records. ...

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

11/10/2023 Friday

Full of Hell
with END, INTER ARMA and WAKE
at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
first-avenue.com

Full Of Hell continues their North American headlining tour this Fall. This new run starts on October 26th through November 18th and hits most major markets on the east coast, midwest and west coast with support from END, Inter Arma, and Wake. The tour will stop in at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul on November 10th.

End, Inter Arma, and Wake to open.

Tour dates:

10/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts *
10/27 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage *
10/28 - Cincinnati, OH @ Legends Bar & Venue *
10/30 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street *
10/31 - Austin, TX @ Elysium *
11/02 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater *
11/03 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick *
11/04 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room *
11/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
11/07 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
11/08 - Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater *
11/10 - St Paul, MN @ The Amsterdam *
11/11 - Chicago, IL @ Avondale Music Hall *
11/12 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary *
11/13 - Cleveland, OH @ No Class *
11/14 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace *
11/15 - Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques *
11/16 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East / Downstairs *
11/17 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom *
11/18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Monarch *

% w/ Primitive Man
^ Full Of Hell only
* Full Of Hell headline tour w/ END, Inter Arma, Wake

11/10 José González at The Fitzgerald Theater Read More José González It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans …

11/10/2023 Friday

José González
at The Fitzgerald Theater
first-avenue.com

Visionary singer-songwriter and guitarist José González is coming to the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul in support of his recently-announced 20th Anniversary Deluxe version Veneer.

José González (20 Sept 2021)

We saw José González in Mar 2023 and said, “González began his hour-long set with 2015’s “With the Ink of a Ghost”, his lilting delicate vocals dancing amongst the clouds like a firefly in the woods, nicely setting the mood for what was to come. Following with “Lovestain” from his 2003 debut, it was clear that the setlist was selected very deliberately, not only to showcase the new record, but to also take listeners both new and old, through an almost twenty-year journey of his work.”

Tour dates:

11/6/2023 - Los Angeles, CA - The Ace Hotel Downtown LA
11/7/2023 - San Francisco, CA - The Castro Theatre
11/8/2023 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre
11/10/2023 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theater
11/11/2023 - Skokie, IL - North Shore Center
11/13/2023 - Washington DC - The Lincoln
11/14/2023 - New York, NY - Town Hall
11/15/2023 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
12/5/2023 – Stockholm, Sweden – Göta Lejon
12/6/2023 – Gothenburg, Sweden, Draken
1/22/2024 - Madrid, ES - Teatro Gran Via
1/23/2024 – Utrecht, NL – Tivoli Redenburg

11/10 Puma Blue at Turf Club Read More Puma Blue South London’s Puma Blue released A Late Night Special Live EP on Blue Flowers. The six-track EP came from their concert film “A Late Night Special”. The live EP should give you an idea of what it is like to see Puma ...

11/10/2023 Friday

Puma Blue
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

South-London born, Atlanta-based multi-hyphenate Puma Blue (Jacob Allen) is on tour in support of his second album, Holy Waters (Blue Flowers).

Talking to Paste Magazine, Jacob talked about his song “Falling Down”, from the new album: “We were watching [90’s Japanese anime series] Cowboy Bebop in the studio and this dusty sound we made really came from those visuals. I wrote the lyrics during a challenging moment, feeling like my stomach was plummeting and struggling to get myself out of the depressing hole I’d fallen into. The song isn’t so much about picking yourself back up as it is about how it feels to fall in the first place.”

Tour dates:

Nov 2 – San Diego CA, Music Box
Nov 3 – Los Angeles CA, Echoplex
Nov 4 – San Francisco CA, Bimbo's
Nov 6 – Portland OR, Holocene
Nov 7 – Seattle WA, Madame Lous
Nov 10 – St Paul MN, Turf Club
Nov 11 – Chicago IL, Empty Bottle
Nov 12 – Detroit MI, The Magic Bag
Nov 14 – Toronto ON, Great Hall
Nov 15 – Montreal QC, Bar Le Ritz PDB
Nov 17 – Boston MA, Sinclair
Nov 18 – New York NY, (Le) Poisson Rouge
Nov 19 – Philadelphia PA, Underground Arts
Nov 22 – Atlanta GA, Terminal West

11/10 Half Moon Run with Billie Marten at Varsity Read More Half Moon Run Opening up for them were fellow Canadians, Half Moon Run. As with these "theater-style" shows, the band started on time! Late comers, which accounted for a lot of the empty seats .... Billie Marten Yorkshire’s Billie Marten is touring in support of her new album Drop Cherries (IMPERIAL Music). The album was recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales late last summer, and it marks the very first time ....

11/10/2023 Friday

Half Moon Run
with Billie Marten at Varsity
livenation.com

Montreal’s Half Moon Run is touring in support of their new album Salt. The tour will stop in at the Varsity Theater on November 10th.

We last saw Half Moon Run with Metric in September 2012 and said, “Opening up for them were fellow Canadians, Half Moon Run. As with these "theater-style" shows, the band started on time! Late comers, which accounted for a lot of the empty seats, missed out on this Fleet Fox-y/Radiohead-y sounding band. As I recall, they did a lot of songs from their album Dark Eyes, including "Full Circle" and "She Wants to Know" (which was the song that ended their very brief set.)”

UK-based singer songwriter Billie Marten to open.

Billie Marten (16 June 2023)

We caught Billie Marten in June 2023 and said, “Billie Marten is a woman in love, she asks “Anyone in love?” Every note, every words, there is a hint of longing. From what I’ve gathered, listening to her talk, her love (Will Taylor of Flyte) was very far away. Of course, the longing and sadness could have something to do with her severe seasonal affective disorder (SAD).”

Tour dates:

October 24, 2023 @ El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
October 25, 2023 @ August Hall, San Francisco, CA
October 27, 2023 @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
October 28, 2023 @ The Crocodile, Seattle, OR
October 29, 2023 @ Spanish Ballroom Tacoma, WA
November 1, 2023 @ Royal Theatre, Victoria, BC
November2, 2023 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
November 3, 2023 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
November 5, 2023 @ MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB
November 7, 2023 @ Coors Event Centre, Saskatoon, SK
November 8, 2023 @ Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
November 10, 2023 @ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
November 11, 2023 @ Metro, Chicago, IL
November 12, 2023 @ Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI
November 14, 2023 @ The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA
November 16, 2023 @ Union Stage, Washington, VA
November 17, 2023 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
November 18, 2023 @ Royale, Boston, MA
November 21, 2023 @ London Music Hall, London, ON
November 23, 2023 @ History, Toronto, ON
November 24, 2023 @ Kingston Grand Theatre, Kingston, ON
November 25, 2023 @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, Ottawa, ON
November 26, 2023 @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, Ottawa, ON
December 13, 2023 @ MTelus, Montreal, QC
December 14, 2023 @ MTelus, Montreal, QC
December 15, 2023 @ Salle Maurice-O’Bready, Sherbrooke, QC
December 17, 2023 @ Théâtre du Palais Municipal, Saguenay, QC
December 18, 2023 @ Grand Théâtre@ Quebec City, QC

11/10 Ben Kweller at Fine Line Read More Ben Kweller New original songs includes Rufus Wainwright's "Christmas is for Kids" and Ben Kweller's "Try to Love (Joy to the World)". Track listing: It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year ...

11/10/2023 Friday

Ben Kweller
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

It’s been 20 years since Ben Kweller’s cult-classic album, Sha Sha, took the indie world by storm. Well, Kweller is celebrating with a tour and a re-release of the album as a new anniversary edition entitled, Sha Sha Deluxe. The Sha Sha tour will stop by Minneapolis at the Fine Line on November 10th.

The Sha Sha Deluxe album has been remastered, with demos, B-sides, live recordings, and other rarities. Some of these tracks have never before released to the public. One of those unearthed rarities is “I Have the Power,” which is streaming now at all DSPs. The song was recorded by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads) back in 2001 when Kweller was coming up in NYC with The Strokes and Moldy Peaches.

Sha Sha Deluxe is available on Triple-LP, Triple-CD, and USB Toothbrush. Yes, a red toothbrush USB stick.

Tour dates:

Nov 4 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Teragram Ballroom
Nov 10 Minneapolis, MN, US Fine Line
Nov 11 Chicago, IL, US Lincoln Hall
Nov 18 New York, NY, US Racket NYC
Nov 19 New York (NYC), NY, US Racket NYC

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Rufus Wainwright / José González at Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO (2021-09-20)

Rufus Wainwright Setlist Trouble in Paradise Damsel in Distress Unfollow the Rules You Ain’t Big Secret Sister Romantical Man Peaceful Afternoon Only the People That Love This One’s for the Ladies (that lunge!) Poses Argentina Harvest (Neil Young cover) So Long, Marianne (Leonard Cohen cover) My Little You Early Morning Madness Hatred -- Encore -- Alone Time Going to a Town José González Setlist With the Ink of a Ghost Lovestain Down the Line El Invento Cycling Trivialities Visions Void Horizons Head On Open Book Line of Fire (Junip song) Leaf Off / The Cave Blackbird (The Beatles cover) Crosses Heartbeats (The Knife cover) Rufus Wainwright / José González Tour Dates 09/23 – Minneapolis, MN – Northrop 09/24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre 09/25 – Carmel, IN - The Palladium 09/26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre 09/28 – Washington, DC – The Anthem 09/29 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theatre 09/30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 10/01 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre Rufus Wainwright Tour Dates 10/03 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount 10/06 – Southampton, England – O2 Guildhall 10/08 – Gateshead, England – The Sage 10/09 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall 10/10 – Manchester, England – Bridgewater Hall 10/12 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England – City Hall 10/13 – York, England – Barbican 10/15 – Cambridge, England – Corn Exchange 10/16 – Liverpool, England – Olympia 10/18 – London, England – The London Palladium 10/19 – London, England –The London Palladium 10/20 – Brighton, England – Brighton Dome 10/22 – Southend-on-Sea, England – Leas Cliffs Pavilion 10/23 – Exeter, England – The Great Hall 10/25 – Birmingham, England – Symphony Hall 10/26 – Oxford, England –New Theatre Oxford 10/27 – Cardiff, Wales – St. David's Hall Read More Rufus Wainwright Rufus Wainwright is currently on tour in support of Unfollow The Rules – The Paramour Sessions, a live recording of his 2020 album Unfollow the Rules (plus other classic songs from his discography). … José González It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans …

Forget the season premiere of The Voice Monday night on television-

The place to be was in Kansas City at the Uptown Theater to hear the real thing- one voice that soared like a bird, and another floated like a cloud.

2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and visionary singer-songwriter-guitarist José González combined forces to launch the first stop of their Unfollow The Rules in The Local Valley Tour before a loyal and eager audience. 

Wainwright is out in support of not only last year’s successful Unfollow the Rules (on BMG Records) but also a live companion piece just out, Unfollow the Rules- The Paramour Sessions recorded during the pandemic at a stately LA mansion, while González released his anticipated fourth solo album, Local Valley (on Mute Records) just last week.

With a city mask mandate still in place, and required vaccination proof per the venue, entry on a slightly rainy evening was very brisk and easy.  Once inside, the crowd was generally very respectable and quiet to the two performers that really require this during their performances, in order to fully appreciate each of them. 

José González began the evening first, alone atop a center stage pedestal with a simple backdrop that resembled the reflection of a wilderness pond behind him.  His dedicated fans were so happy to see him, yelps and whoops came from the crowd just from tuning of his guitar. 

González began his hour-long set with 2015’s “With the Ink of a Ghost”, his lilting delicate vocals dancing amongst the clouds like a firefly in the woods, nicely setting the mood for what was to come.  Following with “Lovestain” from his 2003 debut, it was clear that the setlist was selected very deliberately, not only to showcase the new record, but to also take listeners both new and old, through an almost twenty-year journey of his work.

“El Invento” was the first of the new songs, sung completely in Spanish, showing his range as a lyricist, and that was soon followed by a set centerpiece of four additional new songs. “Line of Fire” is not only on the new record, but also a cover of his own, from his on-again/off-again band Junip, formed in 1998 with friend Tobias Winterkorn, and The Beatles’ “Blackbird” was one of the very first songs he learned to play, and proved a sweet and authentic cover. 

The encore-less set would end with another cover, “Heartbeats”, a 2002 hit for Swedish electronica duo The Knife, which made perfect sense as González is not only a longtime resident of Gothenburg where that band originated, but its lyric, “One night of magic rush, the start, a simple touch” seeming very apropos, to describe the set. 

After a brief set change, the mood switched from the opening notes of Rufus Wainwright’s ninety-minute set to more of an intimate cabaret, with Wainwright joined by only three additional and very adept musicians– guitarist/musical director Brian Green, Jacob Mann on keyboards/piano, and Alan Hampton on bass guitar/upright bass, all dressed in dapper patchwork-pattered suits. 

Wainwright enhanced his own outfit, with sequined ruby slipper loafers (very appropriate for Oz-famous Kansas) and the back of his jacket emblazoned with a large crown and letter “R” above it.

Though a running theme of songs of dread punctuated the set, most were done uptempo and/or heartily enough with Wainwright’s room-filling stage vocals, to set aside any feelings of anxiety to just enjoy the act of going to see live music again, starting with four songs from the latest record. The album’s title track, was conceived with help from his now ten year-old daughter, Viva (also Leonard Cohen’s granddaughter) and Wainwright admitted particular nervousness in performing the swaying “You Ain’t Big”, which name-checks local nearby towns of Topeka, Wichita, and Lawrence, KS.

“Secret Sister” was culled from a recent soundtrack of a film about activist nuns and the new “Romantical Man” was inspired by walks in London and seeing a statue of 18^th Century Welsh actress Sarah Siddons.  Wainwright joked that he usually dedicates the new “Only the People That Love” to everyone in the world… except for one person, but with the current un-vaccinated situation, maybe broadens that out to just some 75%.

“Poses” from 2001, remains Wainwright’s favorite song to sing, and he again proved why, performing it solo on piano, his voice reaching to rafters as he crooned, “you said watch my head about it”. A couple of Canadian-centric covers would follow, re-interpreted of course with Wainwright’s climbing vocals reaching into territory each of the originals, could never venture, and both are featured on Northern Stars, a limited release he sells only at shows. 

“My Little You” was again inspired by his daughter, and the chaotic cacophony of “Early Morning Madness” both captured the seesaw emotion of its title and was a show highlight that musically personified the bleakness of addiction.  Wainwright confessed the set was ending in an “uptempo darkness” with “Devils & Angels (Hatred)”, inspired in part by an 18^th century opera he has seen with his late mother twenty years ago. 

The two-song encore began with the closing track from Unfollow the Rules, and Wainwright solo on piano for “Alone Time”, somber but hopeful in promising to be back in the lyrics. The band rejoined onstage for the night’s closer, 2007’s “Going to a Town”, a world-weary protest song that took on additional and completely new meanings in these current times. 

With very little noticeable rust to shake off on this opening night of the tour, Rufus Wainwright and José González shined not only in their songwriting and performance, but the night was also a masterclass in the voice, far more accomplished and authentic than anything that might have been on TV the same night. 

(click on any image to see it in full and enlarged)

 

Jose Gonzalez

Jose Gonzalez

Jose Gonzalez

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright at at Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO (2021-09-20)

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

We♥KC - September 16-30 2021 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

2021-09-18 Torres recordBar  2021-09-19 Alanis Morissette / Garbage  2021-09-20 Rufus Wainwright and José González at Uptown   2021-09-21 Shinedown and Struts Azura   2021-09-22 Glass Animals at Azura   2021-09-23 Wood Bros at Knuckleheads   2021-09-24 Faith No More at Grinders   2021-09-28 cleopatrick at recordBar   2021-09-29 Kevin Gates at Uptown   2021-09-29 Mt Joy at Grinders   2021-09-29 Future Islands at Liberty Hall   2021-09-30 311 at Grinders   Read More Glass Animals The latest UK buzz band, Glass Animals, recently just sold out their show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, last night, September 9th...

Fall is typically one of the busiest times to see live shows, Even with health protocols, the season is getting busier, leading into Rocktober, Vu from W♥M’s favorite month!

In the Kansas City / Lawrence, KS area, several postponements and a cancellation or two (see below) and Simple Plan recently dropped out of the New Found Glory show, replaced by Less Than Jake.

 

Similarly, Liz Phair dropped off the Alanis Morissette/Garbage bill, but has been replaced with Cat Power (who can be brilliant or puzzling, depending on the night). Please check with the venue and artist beforehand, for any health restrictions or last-minute changes.

Last month in the KC area was filled with live highlights – Foo Fighters serenading protesters on a flatbed truck, Wilco were not able to play outdoors due to weather so turned on a live webstream to give everyone a free backstage concert, and KC’s own Waxahatchee began her tour to end last month with a sold-out show, and help from partner Kevin Morby. 

Not sure how Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real and The Allman Betts Band shows got scheduled the same night (there is definite audience crossover), classic stalwarts Kansas will play a nearby homecoming show, and country fans will get to see Little Big Town up close, opting for two theater shows instead of one big arena gig.  

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the last half of September

(a few recommended shows are highlighted below):

Thursday September 16

Dance Gavin Dance with Animals As Leaders and more, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $27.50-$35

Kane Brown w Restless Road, Chris Lane, Russell Dickerson, T-Mobile Center. $35-$75

Wild Feathers, Bottleneck Lawrence, $20.

Sub Urban and Bella Poarch, RecordBar. CANCELED

Lucinda Williams, Knuckleheads. (postponed to Jan 15)

Friday September 17

John Pizzarelli Trio, Folly. $20-$55

Sara Evans, Ameristar. $55-$209

Here Comes the Mummies, Knuckleheads. $35.

Saturday September 18

Torres w/ Ariana and the Rose, recordBar. $12-$50
Vu previewed her new album Thirstier (on Merge Records)which came out in July and upcoming tour here. “I’ve been conjuring this deep, deep joy that I honestly didn’t feel for most of my life,” she says of the new release. “I feel like a rock within myself. And I’ve started to feel that I have what it takes to help other people conjure their joy, too.”

Albert Cummings, Knuckleheads. $18.50

Grand Funk Railroad, Ameristar. $40-$175

The Mountain Goats (solo) w/ Sophia Boro, Granada Lawrence. $24

Randy Rainbow, Uptown (Postponed to Jan 15, 2022)

Sunday September 19

Alanis Morissette w Garbage, Cat Power T-Mobile Center, $46.50-$146.50

Monday September 20

Rufus Wainwright and José González, Uptown. $35-$79
On the heels of last year’s Unfollow The Rules, Wainwright just released The Paramour Sessions, recorded live at a famous Los Angeles mansion.  We’re very much looking forward to hearing ‘You Ain’t Big’, played early in the set which name-checks “Topeka” and “Lawrence, KS” and he’s also been playing a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest”. (Vu previewed the Minneapolis show here). 

Swedish singer-songwriter González(who we've seen solo and w/ Junip) has a new single "Swing" out now, and like Wainwright deserves your attention live, so hope for no audience chatter. 

Avatar w/ Magic Sword, Tallah, The Truman. $28.50-$55

Dead Sara, recordBar. $12

Tuesday September 21

Shinedown with The Struts and Zero 9:36, Azura Amphitheater. $35-$124.50

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Uptown. $35-$49.50
One of Willie Nelson’s sons and his band has very much come into his own, after backing Neil Young and others for so long, while cultivating their own career and recordings.  The latest is A Few Stars Apart (on Fantasy Records) released in June, but fans know the live element is where the band really shines. Vu previewed their upcoming Minneapolis show here

Allman Betts Band w/ Marc Ford, Knuckleheads. $28.50-$48.50

Son Little, Bottleneck Lawrence, $18.

Dinosaur Jr., The Truman (Postponed to TBA)

Wednesday September 22

Glass Animals w/ binki,  Azura Amphitheater. $25-$39.50
Their highly successful tour continues, in support of last year’s Dreamland (on Universal Music) and held over from its beginning instantly sold-out gigs in small clubs (their March 2020 show at recordBar in KC was one of our last shows before pandemic lockdown), and are now playing to much larger, proper-size audiences. “Heat Waves” remains on heavy airplay and the song we couldn’t get out of our head for over a year now. 

Be sure to show up early for opener binki, a NYC-based genre-blending musician born to Kenyan immigrants, whose debut EP, Motor Function (on FADER label) with single “Invisible Fence” just dropped last month. 

Bianca Del Rio, Folly, $39.50-$212.

New Found Glory w/ Less Than Jake, Uptown. Ticket prices TBA.

Grouplove, Liberty Hall. $30

New Found Glory and Simple Plan, Uptown. $31-$40

The Wailers, Grinders Crossroads, Free.

Thursday September 23

The Wood Brothers w/ Andrea von Kampen, Knuckleheads (moved from The Folly). $26-$39.50
The Americana trio hits the road again, in support of last year’s Kingdom on My Mind (on Thirty Tigers Records), Blending folk, gospel, jazz and blues, ...what other band covers the obscure group, Little Bob & The Lollipops?

Be sure to arrive early for opener von Kampen, whose new album That Spell, was just released on Fantasy Records.  She often collaborates with her brother David, who does string arrangements, and is Lincoln, NE based, so might bring some of her fanbase to town and just played this same venue in June, opening for Punch Brothers. 

Kansas, Prairie Band Casino Mayetta, $65

Bad Bad Hats w/Alyssa Murray, recordBar. $15

Shakey Graves, The Truman. $27-54.

Andy Mineo, Uptown (Postponed to Fall 2022, TBA).

Friday September 24

Little Big Town with Nightfall, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $35-$115

Oak Ridge Boys, Ameristar. $30-$110

Pecos & The Rooftops, Granada. $13

Faith No More, Grinders. $47-$100

Jameson Rodgers, The Truman. $15-$30

Saturday September 25

Little Big Town with Nightfall Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $35-$115

America, Lied Center. $21-$55

Don Felder, Ameristar. $45-$170

Tacos & Tequila Festival with Ludacris, Twista, Mario and more, Legends Field. $39-$99

Sunday September 26

Boney James, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $34.50-$49.50

Lauren Daigle w/ Ellie Holcomb, T-Mobile Center. $26.50-$122

Samia with Savannah Conley, recordBar. $15

Monday September 27

The Brook & The Bluff,  recordBar. $15-$18

Yung Bleu with Ann Marie, Seddy Hendrix and Noby, The Truman. $27.50-$55

Tuesday September 28

cleopatrick at recordBar, $12.50
The buzzing Canadian DIY duo released their debut album Bummer, in June (on Thirty Tigers) a title we can all relate to after the last eighteen months(!), with lead track “Victoria Park” of which vocalist Luke Gruntz says, “It's our thesis, our first impression. The proverbial icebreaker. It's named after a real Victoria Park here in Cobourg, Ontario”.  Having already played Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Reading/Leeds Festivals, this is a chance to see them up close. 

Wednesday September 29

Kevin Gates, Uptown Theater, $45
A major playa in the hip-hop game, Baton Rouge native Gates has almost twenty mixtapes to his name and two previous albums, both of which went Top Five.  The KHAZA Tour also features openers DDG and Gang51e June and expect a mix of previous bangers, alongside a taste of the new album to come. 

Mt. Joy and Trampled By Turtles, Grinders. $34.50-$134
We’ve covered Mt. Joy previously (here), most memorably when the band joined The Lone Bellow on stage to cover Tom Petty and released their second full-length, Rearrange Us, last June during the pandemic. 

Of course, we love Trampled by Turtles as well, the Northern Minnesota band’s short-lived Palomino Festival(here) was one of our annual favorites to cover.

Future Islands, Liberty Hall Lawrence. $26-$30
The Baltimore band with a known reputation for their live shows is returning, in support of last October’s As Long As You Are (on 4AD), their sixth release.  Vocalist Samuel Herring is mesmerizing to watch and the Calling Out in Space Tour maybe references all the billionaires in rockets or maybe the 59-dates the band is playing, some with Modest Mouse and Hinds in Europe and the UK, following the North American dates. 

Jukebox the Ghost, The Truman. $20-$25

Colony House, Granada Theater Lawrence $18-$20.

Thursday September 30

311 w/ Iration,Iya Terra, Grinders. $45-$99

Amir El Saffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble, Lied Center Lawrence. $14-$25

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Knuckleheads. $20

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

Upcoming Twin Cities Shows: September 2021 (Week 4)

Here are some shows to the Twin Cities in the fourth week of September 2021.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

09/18/2021: The Struts at Palace   Read More The Struts Breakout U.K. band The Struts will be stopping by First Avenue this September 17th, in support of their hit Have You Heard EP (Interscope Records), with single "Could Have Been Me". …

09/18/2021 SATURDAY

THE STRUTS
with Nick Perri
at Palace Theatre
armorymn.com

Derby’s The Struts are quickly adding additional dates for their “Strange Days Are Over Tour”… which includes this upcoming appearance at the Palace Theatre on September 18th.

Nick Perri to open.

We last saw the band live in May 2016 and wrote, “When the band had last played the Mainroom in Sept 2015, singer Luke Spiller was under the weather, resulting only in an eight-song/forty-five min. set, with the pledge that they would return and make things right. The resulting 95 min. arena-worthy, hedonistic throwdown was a night-to-day difference, electric in its energy, and put their previous appearance far back in the rearview mirror. Spiller and the rest of the band (guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott and drummer Gethin Davies) echo the heyday of glam and good time rock with their own sound drawn from a mixture of Queen, Rolling Stones, The Sweet, and Slade, and Spiller obviously had picked up a few more Mick Jagger-esque moves, opening for the Stones in front of 80,000 in Paris and elsewhere.”

Tour dates:

08/31/2021 Jannus Live Saint Petersburg, FL
09/01/2021 Revolution Live Fort Lauderdale, FL
09/03/2021 The Beacham Orlando, FL
09/04/2021 The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
09/05/2021 Bonnaroo
09/07/2021 The National Richmond, VA
09/07/2021 Lincoln Theatre Washington, DC
09/09/2021 Stone Pony Asbury Park, NJ
09/10/2021 Mann Center Philadelphia, PA
09/11/2021 The Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY
09/12/2021 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA
09/14/2021 Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
09/15/2021 Four Winds Field South Bend, IN
09/17/2021 Summerfest (Milwaukee)
09/18/2021 Palace Theatre St. Paul, MN
09/19/2021 Val Air Ballroom West Des Moines, IA
09/21/2021 Azura Amphitheater Bonner Springs, KS
09/22/2021 Pinewood Bowl Theater Lincoln, NE
09/24/2021 Oklahoma City Zoo Oklahoma City, OK
09/25/2021 The Pavilion Irving, TX
09/26/2021 Walmart AMP Rogers, AR
09/28/2021 Smart Financial Centre Sugar Land, TX
09/29/2021 Emo's Austin, TX

09/20/2021: Algiers at 7th St Entry   Read More Depeche Mode Depeche Mode is currently on their Delta Machine tour, stopping by Minnesota State Fair, of all places, last Tuesday, August 27th. …

09/20/2021 MONDAY

ALGIERS
with Zen Mother
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Atlanta-born-and-raised quartet, and not from Algeria, Algiers, will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on September 20th. Their latest album There is No Year is out now on Matador Records. Although the band is from Georgia, technically they originally formed in London with the release of their first single, “Blood” in 2012, via Double Phantom Records.

The band made a name for themselves opening up for Depeche Mode… so if you like DP, you’ll love Algiers.

Two-piece experimental, electronic rock project Zen Mother will open the show.

Tour Dates:

09/10/2021 Tubby's Kingston, NY
09/11/2021 Black Cat Washington, DC
09/12/2021 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
09/14/2021 Saint Vitus Brooklyn, NY
09/15/2021 Saint Vitus Brooklyn, NY
09/17/2021 Rumba Cafe Columbus, OH
09/18/2021 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
09/19/2021 Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI
09/20/2021 7th St Entry Minneapolis, MN
09/23/2021 The Crocodile Seattle, WA
09/24/2021 Polaris Hall Portland, OR
09/25/2021 Treefort Music Fest
09/27/2021 Rickshaw Stop San Francisco, CA
09/29/2021 Pappy And Harriet's Pioneertown, CA
09/30/2021 Zebulon Los Angeles, CA
10/01/2021 The Casbah San Diego, CA
10/01/2021 Zebulon Los Angeles, CA
10/02/2021 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
10/03/2021 Sister Bar Albuquerque, NM
10/05/2021 Empire Control Room Austin, TX
10/06/2021 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX
10/07/2021 Gasa Gasa New Orleans, LA
10/09/2021 The EARL Atlanta, GA

09/23/2021: Rufus Wainwright and José González at Northrup   Read More Rufus Wainwright A Rufus Wainwright cover song. The story behind that is pretty funny, as were all her little stories, but apparently Wainwright dismissed himself from Megan's company by stating, "excuse me, but I have to pee, from my penis." … José González It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans …

09/23/2021 THURSDAY

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT and JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
at Northrop
first-avenue.com

The co-headlining Rufus Wainwright and José González is coming to Minneapolis at the Northrop Auditorium on September 23rd.

Rufus Wainwright is currently on tour in support of Unfollow The Rules – The Paramour Sessions, a live recording of his 2020 album Unfollow the Rules (plus other classic songs from his discography).

We last saw Sweden’s José González (formerly of Junip) in April 2015 and noted, “For the encore, they invited Ólöf Arnalds on stage with the full band and they played "I'll Be Your Mirror", the Velvet Underground (with Nico) cover song. It is a very faithful cover, you can tell right away that they got the notes just right. The rest of the encore were two songs from the new album…”

Rufus Wainwright and José González Tour Dates

09/20 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
09/21 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
09/23 – Minneapolis, MN – Northrop
09/24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
09/25 – Carmel, IN - The Palladium
09/26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre
09/28 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
09/29 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theatre
09/30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
10/01 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

Rufus Wainwright with full band

10/03 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
10/06 – Southampton, England – O2 Guildhall
10/08 – Gateshead, England – The Sage
10/09 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall
10/10 – Manchester, England – Bridgewater Hall
10/12 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England – City Hall
10/13 – York, England – Barbican
10/15 – Cambridge, England – Corn Exchange
10/16 – Liverpool, England – Olympia
10/18 – London, England – The London Palladium
10/19 – London, England –The London Palladium
10/20 – Brighton, England – Brighton Dome
10/22 – Southend-on-Sea, England – Leas Cliffs Pavilion
10/23 – Exeter, England – The Great Hall
10/25 – Birmingham, England – Symphony Hall
10/26 – Oxford, England –New Theatre Oxford
10/27 – Cardiff, Wales – St. David's Hall

09/24/2021: Needtobreathe at Armory   Read More Needtobreathe Sometimes good music just naturally transcends genres and categories. That seems to be the case with South Carolina band, Needtobreathe ... Switchfoot Veteran San Diego band Switchfoot made the very most of their paltry 35 min. set; currently between albums but eager to join this tour, with singer Jon Foreman taking …

09/24/2021 FRIDAY

NEEDTOBREATHE
with Switchfoot, The New Respects
at Armory
armorymn.com

Grammy award-nominated rock band Needtobreathe will be playing the Armory in Minneapolis this September 24th, in support of their new studio album Into the Mystery.

The tour also brings Switchfoot and The New Respects.

Into The Mystery Tour Dates

09/07/21 - St. Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park
09/08/21 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
09/10/21 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amph
09/11/21 - Salt Lake City, UT - Sandy City Amphitheater
09/13/21 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Federal Theatre
09/14/21 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union OAT
09/16/21 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
09/17/21 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
09/18/21 - Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater
09/19/21 - Seattle, WA - Marymoor Amphitheater
09/21/21 - Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater
09/23/21 - Fargo, ND - Bluestem Center
09/24/21 - Minneapolis, MN - Armory
09/25/21 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee
09/26/21 - Indianapolis, IN - Amphitheater
09/28/21 - Cincinnati, OH - Andrew J Brady
09/30/21 - Chicago, IL - Radius
10/01/21 - Detroit, MI - Michigan Lottery Amph
10/02/21 - Cleveland, OH - Nautica Pavilion
10/03/21 - Pittsburgh, PA - Robert Morris University
10/07/21 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
10/08/21 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion
10/09/21 - New York, NY - The Rooftop at Pier 17
10/10/21 - Washington, DC - The Anthem
10/12/21 - Louisville, KY - The Louisville Palace Theater
10/14/21 - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Metro Credit Union
10/15/21 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater
10/16/21 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
10/17/21 - Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum
10/19/21 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
10/21/21 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater
10/22/21 - Houston, TX - Smart Financial Centre
10/23/21 - Dallas, TX - The Pavilion
10/24/21 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre
10/27/21 - Memphis, TN - Memphis Botanic Garden
10/28/21 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
10/29/21 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
10/30/21 - Atlanta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Africa: Seun Kuti, Mdou Moctar, Hugh Masekela

Read more Africa

Common: A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2   Read More Seun Kuti How fitting on Father’s Day that the heir to the Afrobeat throne, Seun Kuti , led his father Fela’s band, Egypt 80, playing undoubtedly the highest energy hour of the weekend. The Nigerian group was the worldbeat entry …

SEUN KUTI
seunkuti.net

Nigerian Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing “When We Move” with American rappers Common and Black Thought.

The live performance was slightly unusual, because Seun was actually performing live virutually from New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria. Given the COVID-Delta situation and logistics, it made sense that the song had to be performed this way.

“When We Move” merges African jazz, soul, funk, with hip hop and rap. It’s the first single taken from Common’s upcoming album A Beautiful Revolution (Pt. 2) , available September 10th, 2021. Obviously, the track features Seun Kuti (son of Fela and brother to Femi Kuti) as a vocalist and saxophonist. The song also features Black Thought, cofounder of The Tonight Show house band The Roots.

Watch the performance on YouTube.

We caught Seun Kuti in April 2012 and at Rock the Garden 2015 and wrote, “The Nigerian group was the worldbeat entry to the festival and the first African band to grace its stage. Kuti and his fifteen-plus cohorts made their short time worth it with the tribal, jazz, funk, and rhythmic hybrid that his father pioneered.”

Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime   Read More Mdou Moctar Tuareg guitarist and songwriter Mdou Moctar is touring in support of his new album Ilana (The Creator), available now via Sahel Sounds. Mdou Moctar will be joining Tame Impala for shows in May …

MDOU MOCTAR
mdoumoctar.com

Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar (currently based in based in Agadez) is coming back to Minneapolis, at the Cedar Cultural Center on September 18, 2021, to support Afrique Victime (Matador Records). More details on thecedar.org.

The guitarist is often referred to as the Jimi Hendrix of the Sahara, by combining Saharan music with American Rock (inspired by Eddie Van Halen).

Tour Dates

09/03/2021 Bonnaroo
09/03/2021 Saturn Birmingham, AL
09/04/2021 Terminal West Atlanta, GA
09/05/2021 Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC
09/07/2021 Ottobar Toronto, ON
09/08/2021 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
09/09/2021 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
09/10/2021 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
09/11/2021 Gateway City Arts Holyoke, MA
09/12/2021 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA
09/14/2021 Thunderbird Cafe Pittsburgh, PA
09/15/2021 Ace Of Cups Columbus, OH
09/17/2021 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
09/18/2021 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
09/20/2021 Globe Hall Denver, CO
09/21/2021 Globe Hall Denver, CO
09/22/2021 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
09/23/2021 Treefort Music Fest
09/24/2021 The Crocodile Seattle, WA
09/25/2021 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
09/26/2021 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
09/28/2021 The Chapel San Francisco, CA
09/29/2021 Starline Social Club Oakland, CA
10/01/2021 Desert Daze Pre-Party
10/02/2021 Lodge Room Los Angeles, CA

Mzansi Undercover: Stimela   Read More Hugh Masekela [23 Jan 2018] Hugh Masekela (South African jazz trumpeter and composer), 78, prostate cancer [23 Jan 2018] Lari White (American country singer and actress) …

HUGH MASEKELA
hughmasekela.co.za

Record label Warner Music South Africa is putting together an honorary album called Mzansi Undercover. The idea behind the album is to collect timeless, iconic South African songs through a production approach that delivers a wide-screened, chilled-out experience to the listener.

One of the songs we got to listen to was a smoky Carribean-esque version of “Stimela”, originally written and composed by the late Hugh Masekela, who is often described as “the father of South American jazz”. The cover artwork lists Rocksteady Dub, which may be the production group behind this version of the song.

Masekela’s 1971 composition “Stimela (The Coal Train)” was written when he was in exile in the USA and recorded for the first time for his 1974 album, I Am Not Afraid.

Here’s how they described the album and release:

Warner Music SA presents an honorary Album called Mzansi Undercover with a smoky Caribbean flavour of Hugh Masekela’s ‘Stimela.’

‘Stimela’ is a precedence of a weekly release into the Mzansi Undercover album launch.

Mzansi Undercover honours a selection of timeless, iconic South African songs through a production approach that delivers a wide-screened, chilled-out experience to the listener.

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

Minneapolis: March 20, 2016

Read More José González It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans …

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on March 20, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

JOSE GONZALES
with yMusic
at Pantages Theatre
Sunday, 03/20/16, 6pm ($33-$43)
varsitytheater.org

We’ve seen José González and as Junip before, and every time we are impressed by his rather large fanbase. His shows have always sold out and full of passionate local fans. The show is presented by our friend The Cedar Cultural Center.

This upcoming North American appearance will also feature yMusic, a group of six NYC instrumentalists playing both pop and classical music.

Tour dates:

15 March - Escondido, CA - California Center
17 March - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
19 March - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
20 March - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
21 March - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Chapel
23 March - Philadelphia, PA - Kimmel Center
24 March - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
25 March - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Hall
26 March - George Washington University

Read More Rachel Platten Starting at 5:30pm, New York City-based singer/songwriter Rachel Platten (along with drummer Craig Meyer) started off the evening with a very brief 25-min set, including her new single "Fight Song" …

RACHEL PLATTEN
The Wildfire Tour
at Mill City Nights
Sunday, 03/20/16, 6:30pm ($20/$25)
millcitynights.com

Things are going extremely well for Rachel Platten, who sold out her appearance at the Mill City Night in Minneapolis next Sunday, March 20th, on the strength of her recent major label debut album Wildfire. That’s a long way to go from her first Minneapolis appearance as the opener to a four-band showcase at Varsity Theater in March 2015 and a mini-concert at Mall of America in August 2015.

The Wildfire Tour:

3/15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
3/16 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
3/18 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
3/19 – Chicago, IL – Park West
3/20 – Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
3/22 – St. Louis, MO – The Ready Room
3/23 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
3/25 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
3/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
3/28 – Vancouver, BC – The Vogue
3/29 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
3/30 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
4/4 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
4/5 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
4/6 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

Read More SWMRS Recently, Bay Area quartet SWMRS (Swimmers) released their debut single "Miley", which i-D Magazine described as "the most punk tribute to Miley Cyrus ever." Singer Cole Becker explained, "I was trying to explore my relationship …

SWMRS
at Garage (Burnsville)
Sunday, 03/20/16, 5:30pm ($10/$12)
thegaragemn.com

Today Bay Area quartet SWMRS is back in Minnesota... this time touring in support of their debut album Drive North via Uncool Records. You may recall that the band was previously in town with Wavves last September 2015.

Drive North, produced by FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper, is described as “diverse” and singer Cole Becker responded, “I like to think our sound is very modernist, because it was born out of us having every type of music at our fingertips, a luxury that is distinct to our generation. It has all the raw emotional energy of teenage power pop with the subwoofing low end of your favorite hip-hop albums.”

San Diego’s The Frights and The Everyday Characters to open.

Tour dates:

03/15/16 Smiling Moose Pittsburgh, PA
03/16/16 Now That's Class Cleveland, OH
03/17/16 1st Ward at Chop Shop Chicago, IL
03/18/16 Firebird St. Louis, MO
03/19/16 Lefty's Des Moines, IA
03/20/16 The Garage Burnsville, MN
03/21/16 Lookout Lounge Omaha, NE
03/22/16 Los Lake Lounge Denver, CO
03/23/16 Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
03/25/16 The Loading Dock Salt Lake City, UT
03/27/16 Real Art Tacoma, WA
03/28/16 Cobalt Vancouver, Canada
04/01/16 Thee Parkside San Francisco, CA
04/02/16 The Catalyst - Atrium Santa Cruz, CA
04/03/16 Strummer's Fresno, CA
04/05/16 Grange Hall San Luis Obispo, CA
04/06/16 B Ryders Bakersfield, CA
04/07/16 Rock City Studios Camarillo, CA
04/09/16 Chain Reaction Anaheim, CA
05/06/16 Adelaide Hall Toronto, Canada

Read More Charlie Puth If you can make it, arrive super early (at 3pm) for the official KDWB Jingle Ball Pre-Party at Roy Wilkins Auditorium to see Shawn Mendes, Becky G, Charlie Puth, Daya, DNCE, Alessia Cara and R. City for absolutely free .…

CHARLIE PUTH
with Phoebe Ryan
at Varsity Theater
Sunday, 03/20/16, 6pm ($20/$25)
varsitytheater.org

Charlie Puth is on a headlining tour... it might be pretty good practice when he opens up for legendary “Piano Man” Billy Joel on a few select dates.

Opening for Puth will be Los Angeles-based songwriter turned indie-pop artist Phoebe Ryan. Ryan recently premiered her new single “Chronic” during Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on Apple Music.

Nylon dubbed Ryan “a pop singer primed for stardom,” when they heard her debut EP Mine... so keep a close eye on her.

Tour dates:

03/15/16 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
03/20/16 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
03/22/16 Chicago, IL Park West
03/23/16 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
03/25/16 Columbus, OH A & R Music Bar
03/26/16 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
03/28/16 Toronto, ON Mod Club
03/29/16 Detroit, MI Shelter
03/30/16 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
04/01/16 Washington, DC U Street
04/02/16 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
04/04/16 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
04/05/16 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
04/07/16 New York, NY Webster Hall
04/08/16 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre
04/19/16 Austin, TX Emo's
05/01/16 Oslo, Norway Parkteatret AS
05/02/16 Stockholm Fryshuset Arenan
05/17/16 Amsterdam Melkweg
05/25/16 Paris, France Trianon
05/29/16 Rock In Rio - Lisbon
07/09/16 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

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

José González w/ Ólöf Arnalds at the Cedar, Minneapolis (16 Apr 15)

photo credit: @thecedar José González Setlist Afterglow Stories We Build, Stories We Tell Killing for Love Hand on Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover) Every Age Always (Junip song) With the Ink of a Ghost Solo Set Crosses Hints Heartbeats What Will Home (Barbarossa cover) This Is How We Walk on the Moon (Arthur Russell cover) Teardrop (Massive Attack cover) Down the Line Cycling Trivialities -- Encore -- I'll Be Your Mirror (Velvet Underground cover) with Ólöf Arnalds Let It Carry You Leaf Off / The Cave Read More José González It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans … Ólöf Arnalds Sondre Lerche on "Blossom", Channy Leaneagh on "Counting", and Ólöf Arnalds on "The Nest". As pointed out by Arnalds, drummer Greg Saunier, from Deerhoof, was the odd-man out …

Indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist José González is currently on a sold-out US tour, stopping by the Cedar Cultural Center for a two night residency (April 16 and April 17). González has a new album Vestiges & Claws (Mute); his first album in seven years. We caught the Swedish/Spanish singer on Thursday night.

Ólöf Arnalds

Opening up the show was Icelandic singer/songwriter Ólöf Arnalds, who we previously saw in 2013 with Jherek Bischoff. I've also previously mentioned was the singer of múm and cousin to neo-classical composer Ólafur Arnalds.

Ólöf, alone on stage with her acoustic guitar, sang some new songs from her latest Palme (One Little Indian), including "Turtledove" to an extremely quiet and polite Cedar Cultural Center audience. Her one cover in her 30-min set was "Caetano Veloso" by Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia.

Sweden's José González took the stage with a full touring band and backlit stage lighting.

Setlist

José González's set can be broken down in three parts: the first section featuring mostly songs from the latest album Vestiges & Claws ("Afterglow", "Stories We Build, Stories We Tell", "Every Age", "With The Ink Of A Ghost"), but throwing in some older songs and a Kylie Minogue cover ("Hand on Your Heart") and one Junip song (González's band).

In the middle of the set, the band took a break and left González on stage to play a solo set of his solo debut album Veneer: "Crosses", "Hints", and "Heartbeats".

The third and last part of his set was fun. González basically played one new song, three covers (Barbarossa, Arthur Russell, and an odd choice of Massive Attack), and ending with two songs from his previous solo album In Our Nature ("Down the Line" and "Cycling Trivialities").

Ólöf Arnalds with José González

For the encore, they invited Ólöf Arnalds on stage with the full band and they played "I'll Be Your Mirror", the Velvet Underground (with Nico) cover song. It is a very faithful cover, you can tell right away that they got the notes just right. The rest of the encore were two songs from the new album ("Let It Carry You" and "Leaf Off / The Cave")

NOTE: Although "Let It Carry You" was listed as the fourth song in the set, it was not played early... instead, they saved it for the encore.

Gonzalez's remaining sold out US tour dates:

04/20 - Englewood - Gothic Theatre
04/21 – Boulder, CO – E Town
04/22 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
04/24 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
04/25 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial
04/27 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
04/28 - San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club
04/29 - Los Angeles - The Regent
04/30 - Los Angeles – The Regent

José González at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 April 2015)

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

Minneapolis: April 16 - April 18, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from April 16 to April 18, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Mastodon Heavy metal band Mastodon will be playing an all-ages show at First Avenue on Wednesday. The Atlanta-based band are currently on tour in support of their latest album Once More Round the Sun which … 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. … Big Business Seattle’s Big Business, formed in 2004 by Karp bassist Jared Warren and Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis followed with a down-to-business 35 min. set with a deep bottom end. In support of their latest, 2013’s …

MISSING LINK TOUR
at Myth
Thursday 04/16/15, 6pm ($29.50)
mythlive.com

Mastodon and Clutch are co-headlining The Missing Link Tour, with the bands swapping out closing the evening depending on dates and locations.

Neil Fallon (singer of Clutch) responded: "When we first announced the Missing Link itinerary it was received with a lot of excitement. It also received a good deal of consternation regarding the lack of a Detroit date. Myself included. So, we're happy to announce that there is now a Detroit gig on May, 23rd at the Freedom Hill Amphitheater. See ya there."

Supporting bands Big Business, who recently supported Mastodon throughout a sold-out European tour, is listed to open the show in Minnesota. We previously saw Big Business with the Sword in March 2014, which we described as, "Having previously opened for Tool and as the rhythm section of The Melvins Big Band, the trust was earned, and they did not disappoint."

Tour dates:

04/16 *St. Paul, MN Myth
04/17 * Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
04/18 *Saskatoon, SK O'Brian's Events Center
04/19 * Edmonton, AB Expo Centre
04/21 * Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
04/23 * Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
04/24 **Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
04/25 *Portland, OR Roseland
04/26 *Seattle, WA Showbox SODO
04/28 *Oakland, CA Fox Theater
04/29 *Los Angeles, CA Palladium
04/30 *Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
05/01 *Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
05/02 *Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
05/03 *Denver, CO Red Rock's
05/05 *San Antonio, TX Kapone's Ballroom
05/06 *Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
05/08 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
05/09 *Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
05/10 **Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
05/12 *Clive, IA (Des Moines) 7 Flags
05/13 *Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom Club Stage
05/15 **Bethlehem, PA Sands Event Center
05/16 **Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
05/17 *Boston, MA House of Blues
05/19 *New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
05/20 *Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theatre
05/21 *London, ON London Music Hall
05/23 **Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hall
05/24 **Columbus, OH LC Pavilion

*Mastodon Closes The Evening. **Clutch Closes The Evening

Read More Junip Thanks to the Current radio station, last night's Junip show at the Cedar Cultural Center, in Minneapolis, was sold out. This is both good and bad: good because it's great exposure for the band … Ólöf Arnalds Sondre Lerche on "Blossom", Channy Leaneagh on "Counting", and Ólöf Arnalds on "The Nest". As pointed out by Arnalds, drummer Greg Saunier, from Deerhoof, was the odd-man out …

JOSE GONZALES
at Cedar Cultural Center
Friday 04/17/15, 7pm ($20/Sold Out)
thecedar.org

It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans are very eager to see him live again with a full band.

González will be playing tracks from his latest album Vestiges & Claws, his first album in seven years, which Under The Radar called it "a succinct evolution."

We're also excited to see that Olöf Arnalds was tapped as opener. She is the cousin to Ólafur Arnalds and múm singer.

José González 2015 Tour:

04/10 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
04/11 – Boston, MA - Paradise
04/12 – Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
04/13 – Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
04/14 – Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
04/15 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
04/16 – Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
04/17 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
04/18 - Madison - Majestic Theatre
04/20 - Englewood - Gothic Theatre
04/21 – Boulder, CO – E Town
04/22 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
04/24 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
04/25 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial
04/27 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
04/28 - San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club
04/29 - Los Angeles - The Regent
04/30 - Los Angeles – The Regent

* Well one lone date (Salt Lake City) needs to get on the sold out party train....

Read More They Might be Giants Memo to myself, do the dumb things I gotta do... John and John are at it again! They Might be Giants will also be touring in 2015 .… Information Society Our special guest on W♥M Radio is Paul Robb from Information Society! Information Society is back with the original lineup of Paul Robb (synths), Kurt Larson (vocals) and James Cassidy (bass, keyboards). .…

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
at First Avenue
Saturday 04/18/15, 8pm ($25)
first-avenue.com

Who would have thought that two of my favorite bands are playing the same night (Saturday 04/18) in Minneapolis? Information Society will be at the Fine Line Music Café in support of their latest album _Hello World, with openers Thought Thieves, Dance Assault and DJ Jake Rudh of Transmission ...

Since I'm not a fan of the Fine Line (for its aggressive no-camera policies and bad sightlines), I'm probably going to choose old favorites They Might Be Giants at First Avenue. TMBG's 2015 national tour kicks off next week, April 16th, in celebration of their Dial-A-Song service/collection. Admittedly, when I was in their fanclub, back in the days when long distances charges was a common telephone tactic to charge you more for their services... I did pay to call to their answering machine. Those were the days....

Anyway, the last time the duo (John Flansburgh and John Linnell) was in town (in 2013) it was sold out, so expect a strong fan support at this show.

Spring 2015 National Tour Dates:

04/16 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre
04/17 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
04/18 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/19 Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
04/21 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
04/22 Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
04/23 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/24 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
04/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
04/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/01 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
05/02 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
05/03 San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
05/05 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
05/06 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
05/07 Seattle, WA @ Neptune
05/08 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/09 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/10 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/13 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
05/14 Austin, TX @ Stubb's
05/15 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
05/16 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
05/17 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
05/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

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

Junip at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (04/25/11)

Tour Dates 04/28/11 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge 04/29/11 Salt Lake City, UT – State Room 05/01/11 Spokane, WA – The Empyrean 05/02/11 Seattle, WA – Neumos 05/03/11 Vancouver, BC – The Rio Theatre 05/04/11 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom 05/06/11 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre 05/07/11 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar 05/08/11 Tucson, AZ – Plush 05/10/11 Austin, TX – The Mohawk 05/11/11 Houston, TX – Mink 05/12/11 New Orleans, LA – Republic 05/14/11 Louisville, KY – Headliners 05/15/11 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center 05/16/11 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel 05/17/11 Carrboro, NC – Cats Cradle 05/18/11 Philadelphia, PA – World Café 05/19/11 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 05/20/11 Wilmington, DE – World Café Live 05/21/11 Burlington, VT – HG Showcase 05/22/11 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall 06/12/11 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Read More Junip You know I like all Swedish bands, so this band, Junip, came up on my radar. You can preview one of their track, "Näckrosdammen" at Mute Record's Soundcloud.

Junip is a Swedish band, with singer José González. The impression I got from the audience at last night's show at the Cedar Cultural Center, in Minneapolis, was that most people there were already familiar with Gonzalez's work and this was their first time seeing him in the band Junip (also featuring Elias Araya on drums and Tobias Winterkorn on keys). Although, Gonzales said on stage that it was his fourth time playing Minneapolis, but that it was Junip's second Minneapolis show.

ACRYLICS

Opening up for them were New York's Acrylics, a boy (Jason) girl (Molly) vocal pop band. They seem really grateful to stuck in a tour bus with Junip, it's their sixth show with them and their first time in Minneapolis. They sounded really amazed at the Walker Art sculpture garden. Hint: the museum is free on Thursday!

Anyway, my favorite song played on their set is their title track from their new album, "Lives and Treasure" (recently released March 1^st, 2011). The song is really upbeat and Johan Grettve, from Junip, joined them on stage to jam on the bongo drums. Personally, I thought they should've ended their set with that song, but instead they played out to "The Catacombs".

Junip came on stage to a very excited crowd. When they play live, they also include an extra percussionist, Grettve, and extra guitarist, Joel Wästberg. They added a nice stronger sound, especially Grettve who juggle a variety of instruments, including a glass cup, towels over the percussions, tambourine, bongo drums, and recorder. Winterkorn also added a lot to their songs, he's producing some really interesting organic sounds from his Moog machine.

JUNIP

As you can see from the setlist, most of the song were from their album, Fields, including a delightful version of "It's Alright" (my favorite from the live set). They mixed it up with some songs from their previously EP, including "Official" and "Black Refuged". Also, interestingly enough, a b-side, "Wait Rain", from their new EP, In Every Direction, which is available on iTunes.

Since I suspect Junip will come back to Minneapolis, based on the good turnout for a Monday, I would suggest a seated show next time (the Cedar can accommodate for either seated or standing room). The problem with performers who sit down for performances is that it's harder for people, in general, to see what's happening on stage.

vu () ♥ www.junip.net ♥ myspace.com/acrylicsnyc