W♥M

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain exhibits at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

About First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom Your all-access pass to the stars, the shows, and the stories of the legendary club that put Minnesota music on the map. Exterior entrance of First Avenue, 7th Street Entry. Black and white photo by Daniel Corrigan. Since 1970, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been at the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Celebrate the musicians, the employees, and the regulars who called First Avenue their rock 'n' roll home. About Prince: Before the Rain Minnesota photographer Allen Beaulieu helped shape the icon we know today as Prince. As Prince's personal photographer and friend, he had access to Prince that few photographers have had, before or since. Based on Beaulieu's photography book, Prince: Before the Rain, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candids. Read More Prince The two big shows on this date will be the Prince Tribute Concert (featuring Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan) at Xcel Energy Center and Sia at Target Center...

(Note: like most other public buildings, the Minnesota History Center is currently closed, but we invite you to check out the exhibits once this public health crisis subsides)

Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's. That fabled history is documented in a unique exhibit now on display called First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom at the Minnesota History Center.

Filled with decades of memorabilia showcasing renowned national, international and local acts, the exhibit is all-access pass that brings the club into sharp focus as to how and why it has flourished over five decades of presenting live music.

The beginning hallway of the exhibit features an impressive collage of monthly calendar flyers from its heyday, with numerous acts who would later play arenas and stadiums (like U2 who composed part of 'October' during their first soundcheck there), penciled in alongside bands that have been forgotten over time.

A front corner of the exhibit highlights the club's 70's-era days as a danceteria and the tenure when it was known as Uncle Sam's, complete with a lighted disco dance floor with accompanying videos and ephemera from the period.

A battered first cash register, graffiti wall with stickers, numerous photographs, and backroom documents are many of the mini kiosk displays seen along the way. Heralded national bands that began in Minnesota are given their own individual displays, including a speaker and lyric-filled drum kit from Husker Du, sneakers and a Gibson Les Paul from Soul Asylum, and even the actual touring van from hip-hop collective Doomtree.

A small theater features a mini-movie about the club running every twenty minutes, a wall of impressive silkscreen gig posters is located near the back, and interactive displays let you write in your most memorable shows attended, and guests can even customize their own First Avenue star.

Of course, a good amount of the exhibit is dedicated to Prince, who gave First Avenue even more acclaim and awareness, when the club was used as a central location in 1984's Purple Rain. His famous purple suit is there, along with associated memorabilia and even fan-made memorial tributes left after he passed, are on display. Additionally, an unused version of his famous motorcycle in the film, is located in the museum's main lobby downstairs.

As a bonus, a sister exhibit called Prince: Before the Rain is located nearby and features photographic prints from friend and early official photographer Allen Beaulieu, covering the time period from the late 70's to just before Purple Rain.

Based on Beaulieu's photography book of the same name, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candid images that provide an insider's visual insight into the musical legend.

We were on-hand for the official opening of the Before The Rain exhibit last October, celebrated with a group discussion featuring Beaulieu, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson, and DJ Kevin Cole, moderated by Andrea Swensson of The Current. Each of the panel related stories and memories from the time period that provided additional detail into Prince's early days, his association with the club, and meteoric rise into the public eye.

The exhibits were initially due to run only until May 3^rd, but with Paisley Park's annual Celebration delayed into the fall, and the museum currently closed due to virus concerns, expect an extended run for both exhibits, once all is re-opened. Additionally and related, a documentary on First Avenue is premiering on the local Minneapolis public television channel on March 30.

Prince PR motorcycle

Prince exhibit

Prince exhibit

Purple Rain suit

Theater mini movie

DoomTree van

Husker Du drumkit

Soul Asylum display

sticker wall

poster display

Uncle Sams dancefloor

Uncle Sams items

History Center hallway

History Center hallway

Al Beaulieu / Andrea Swensson

Dez Dickerson / Kevin Cole

Al Beaulieu

Dez Dickerson

First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul

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

Eisley at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (12 Mar 2017)

Eisley Setlist Louder Than A Lion Smarter Sad Millstone Memories Drink the Water I Could Be There For You Shelter Song For The Birds Many Funerals You Are Mine Lost at Sea Defeatist I Wasn't Prepared The Night Comes Invasion If You're Wondering Ambulance Tour Dates 03/15-03/18/17 SXSW 03/20/17 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge 03/22/17 Portland, OR Star Theater 03/23/17 Seattle, WA Chop Suey 03/25/17 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill 03/27/17 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour 03/28/17 San Diego, CA House Of Blues 03/29/17 Anaheim, CA The Parish 03/30/17 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar Read More Eisley We wrote about Eisley in 2007 (10 years ago): “...when I first heard a clip of "Sea King", I was hooked. I immediately stopped what I was doing and turned my attention to the tube and ... The Hotelier The Hotelier will be stopping by The Garage in Burnsville next Thursday, in support of their third studio album Goodness ...

Eisley made a stop at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on snowy Sunday, March 12th to promote their latest record I'm Only Dreaming (Equal Vision Records).

Kicking off the show was four-piece Backwards Dancer (Zack Shaw, Ryan Kelleher, Andy Underwood, and Sam Creager), playing songs like ‘I Wish I Could Have’ from their self-titled LP (Equal Vision Records / Rory Records).

After the intro song ‘Airy’, singer Zack Shaw (formerly of The Hotelier) said that they were stuck in traffic (no thanks to the snow) and ended up being late to their show. Shaw jokingly added, “so unprofessional!”, which got a laugh from the audience.

They actually sounded really good, playing loud hard rock/emo songs, despite repeatedly asking the sound guy to put the bass in their monitor.

Next was Nashville’s Civilian (not to be confused with the Japanese or UK band). Normally a duo of singer Ryan Alexander and bassist Dan Diaz, but for their live shows, they’ve added an extra guitarist and live drummer.

From my understanding, the Tooth & Nail band, having only formed in 2011, had never been to Minneapolis. However, singer Ryan Alexander said he had always wanted to come to the city, because about seven or eight years ago, he had first discovered local collective Doomtree (P.O.S and Sims, etc), and that tight-knit hip-hop scene really inspired him. He ended his speech, by jokingly saying he was solely responsible for the success of Doomtree.

Prior to playing their song ‘James Kent’, which is about the years that Alexander lived with seven homeless people, Alexander had a lot to say about how he felt he was a stranger in the city... but the idea that live music brought everyone in the room was celebrating music together. He said that no other event, such as a movie, had the same effect.

Tyler, Texas’ Eisley closed out the night. Currently, the real-life family band featuring the DuPree family: Sherri, Garron, Remington, plus their friend Elle Puckett (from sister duo Poema). The current lineup is a result of original core members Stacy and Chauntelle leaving the band and Weston decided the touring life was just not for him.

The last time we saw the band, it was in November 2015 and they were one of the support bands for Copeland. Since then, the band released I'm Only Dreaming on Equal Vision Records, and as expected, previewed some of those songs live: ‘Louder Than a Lion’, ‘A Song for the Birds’, ‘You Are Mine’, and ‘Defeatist’.

Sherri DuPree-Bemis (the hyphenated name is in reference to her husband Max Bemis frontman of Say Anything), after setting down her Rickenbacker guitar smiled and reflect on the fact that this was her first big purchase after they got signed. Ever since then, she’s had it and had many wonderful memories writing and playing songs on that old reliable guitar.

The band brought with their own lights, which is rarely seen at the small 7th Street Entry. With the setup, the soundboard person was able to set special customized light sequences and colors to their songs, making for a great visual experience. Plus, as a bonus, the bubble machine was used to good effect for their intro song ‘Louder Than A Lion’.

Sherri made sure that she was very thankful that fans showed up for the show, especially because we were hit with a snowstorm throughout that night. She confessed that, if she wasn’t working, that she probably would’ve have just stayed indoors.... telling us that she had her toddlers out in the snow for a minute and immediately made them go inside, where it’s warm. There’s probably a reason why they live in Texas.

Eisley is currently on tour. They are in Austin this week to play some shows at SXSW. I'm Only Dreaming is out now.

Backwards Dancer

Civilian

Eisley Selist

Eisley

Eisley

Eisley at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (12 Mar 2017)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shannon Blowtorch

Lazerbeak

Cecil Otter

Mike Mictlan

Sims

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

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

Cold War Kids at 6Smith, Wayzata, MN (07 July 2016)

Cold War Kids Setlist All This Could Be Yours Hot Coals Miracle Mile Hospital Beds First Tour Dates 07/08/16 Basilica Block Party 07/15/16 Pemberton Music Festival 07/17/16 Feed More Festival 07/22/16 Del Mar, CA Del Mar Racetrack 07/23/16 Divide Music Festival 07/30/16 Peacemaker Festival 08/20/16 Hellow Fest 09/20/16 Oakland, CA Fox Theater 09/23/16 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Palladium 09/24/16 iHeartRadio Music Festival 09/26/16 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum Theater 09/27/16 Tempe, AZ The Marquee 09/30/16 Austin City Limits Music Festival 10/07/16 Austin City Limits Music Festival 10/12/16 Missoula, MT The Wilma 10/14/16 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo 10/15/16 Portland, OR McMenamins Crystal Read More Cold War Kids It's the big 10 year anniversary of local radio station The Current, and they've been selling out all their shows. I believe most, if not all, of their shows will be broadcasting live ....

“We haven’t done this for a long time… this, being with acoustic guitars”

Nathan Willett of Long Beach, CA alt-rock band Cold War Kids vexed briefly as three-fifths of the band played a short promotional acoustic set on a makeshift lakeside dock at restaurant 6Smith in suburban Wayzata.

Dessa

Local favorite rapper / singer / poet / writer / spoken word artist Dessa, (joined as always by Aby Wolf) got the afternoon started right with a brief set as perhaps her own preview of hip-hop collective Doomtree's big concert this Sunday at Sociable Cider Werks.

Cold War Kids' performance was a precursor to their full stage show as part of this weekend’s Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis, and played under gradually more overcast skies, though nothing more than a brief sprinkle of rain ever transpired.

Still in support of 2014’s Hold My Home (on Downtown Records), a slow burning record that has gradually continued momentum, mainly on the back of single ‘First’ which topped Billboard’s Alternative Song chart, and has stayed there long enough to be the second-longest running single in the chart's history.

Continued success has not been without its cost as three members have been replaced in the last three years, but mainstays Willett and bassist Matt Maust anchor the band admirably, and were joined by keyboardist/guitarist Matthew Schwartz for the 25min. happy hour performance.

‘All This Could Be Yours’, the newest album’s opening track aptly began the set, the band under a small tent surrounded by large boats, designer sunglasses and handbags, and flowing fancy craft beers.

After ‘Hot Coals’ (also from Hold My Home), a brief interview revealed the origin of the band’s name, that music comes first to them before lyrics when songwriting, and that large beach balls from Matt and Kim often come over to their end, when both bands are playing concurrently at festival shows.

Skies grayed and sprinkles covered the crowd as the band launched into ‘Miracle Mile’ and its opening lyric “I was supposed to do great things”, Willett howling “I'll be alright, if I could just see you”.

After a mid-tempo ‘Hospital Beds’, the band asked for crowd participation for the set-ending ‘First’ by clapping in time for the duration of the song. “If somebody next to you is not doing it… they’re not your friend…!” Willett said, trying to get full participation amongst all the “meals going on and people checking phones”.

Presumably saving hits ‘Hang Me Up to Dry’, ‘Louder than Ever’, and others for their Friday full electric festival set, the acoustic Cold War Kids performance proved to be a worthy appetizer, for the next night’s main course of a full performance.

Cold War Kids at 6Smith, Wayzata, MN (07 July 2016)

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

Prof at House Of Rock, Eau Claire, WI (12 Feb 2016)

Tour Dates 02/19/16 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis 02/20/16 Chesterfield, Sioux City, IA 04/17/16 U Street Music Hall, Washington, DC 04/20/16 Grog Shop, Cleveland Heights, OH 04/23/16 Firebird, St Louis, MO 04/30/16 Gabe's Oasis, Iowa City, IA Read More Prof Fashawn, in his brief twenty minutes, brought out both Prof and Brother Ali for separate duets and showcased DJ Fresh who twirled the knobs on a mixer embedded in a giant boombox. … Doomtree Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records. ....

Prof is a Minneapolis rapper who has been rapping for years now, but recently really took off. I've seen him a couple of times now and each time he completely kills it with the amount of energy he gives off. I thought this crazy amount of energy was more of a "hometown" thing because the crows here in the Twin Cities absolutely love Prof. I was a bit worried that going to see him in Wisconsin would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Was he going to be as exciting outside of his home base? Would people even show up to the show? Did anyone care? Does Wisconsin even have music?!

Wisconsin definitely came out and they definitely cared. Even this show had sold out and people were pumped to see some of the best hip hop that the Twin Cities has to offer.

The House of Rock is a tiny, tiny venue on the "main street" of Eau Claire. It's a complete dive bar with sticky floors and holes in the wall. I had been here before for a metal show some friends were playing. There were only about ten people in the crowd that time. Last Friday, the venue was at capacity and the whole feeling of the venue had changed. People were polite as they tried to get through the small passage way into the stage area of the venue. It was freezing outside, like negative 10 freezing, and people were struggling to get winter coats off due to lack of personal space. I noticed multiple people holding the drinks of strangers, just so people could take their coats off. These strangers didn't try and put anything in the drink. They didn't try to steal the drink. They were just trying to be helpful. After seeing this, I instantly felt at home. I was no longer afraid to leave my drink on the bar for a hot minute while I shoved my wallet back in my purse. I felt safe even though I was not at one of my usual venues.

Prof played every song I wanted him to. He had a giant grin across his face the whole time and I never once just saw him standing there rapping. He was constantly moving across the stage and jumping up and down. Watching him was just as much fun as watching the crowd and listening to the music. His lyrics tend to be funny and raunchy at times but also relatable. He sings about "popping PBR", hanging out with friends, and just having a damn good time. I tried to sing along as best as I could but eventually I was just slurring my words so I sipped on my PBR.

Mike Mictlan

The show was opened up by a couple local Eau Claire hip-hop artists like Mac Irv and DJ Fundo along with Minneapolis’ Mike Mictlan from Doomtree. Mike was great, as he always is, but didn't seem to catch the crowd as much as Prof did. His style is a bit rawer sounding than Prof's happy go lucky soundtrack. Mac Irv was another opening act for the show but, unfortunately, I missed it due to some terrible drink Ali and her brother made me try at a bar next door. It took me forever to drink it and by the time we made it to the show, the music had already started. I am a bit bummed that I missed it but Mac is from Minneapolis so I'm sure I'll get another chance.

Prof at House Of Rock, Eau Claire, WI (12 Feb 2016)

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

Doomtree Zoo at CHS Field, St Paul (03 October 2015)

Set Times     Main Stage: 3:00pm Aby Wolf 4:00pm Open Mike Eagle 5:00pm Shabazz Palaces 6:05pm Trash Talk 7:10pm Aesop Rock 8:20pm Doomtree     Side Stage: 2:40pm Koo Koo Kanga Roo 3:40pm Serengeti 4:40pm Anonymous Choir 5:45pm Serengeti 6:50pm Anonymous Choir Read More Doomtree Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records. .... Koo Koo Kanga Roo Koo Koo Kanga Roo was, as usual, a riot. I don't think I've ever been to a show with so many children, but it's perfect for the music of Koo Koo Kanga Roo. Helping them dance were two helpers, one dressed ...

"Who's from Minneapolis?" "Who's from Saint Paul?" "What's the difference?"

Trash Talk

Those words from Trash Talk singer, Lee Spielman, really stuck with me. It didn't matter what city you were from. It didn't matter what kind of music you usually listen to. It didn't matter what age you were. If you were at the Doomtree Zoo yesterday, you had a great time no matter what.

Trash Talk was definitely a highlight of yesterday. These guys are a straight up punk/ hardcore band from California that seemed to be the odd guys out on a primarily hip hop lineup. That being said, they definitely didn't let this slow them down or let the crowd stand back and ignore them.

From the second they took the stage these guys commanded the ever-growing crowd. The singer was only on stage for one or two songs and spent the rest of the set in the crowd. It didn't matter that he was using a corded microphone... Eventually, someone gave him a wireless. "Uh-oh.. I've got a wireless mic now. Nobody is safe!" he joked. Spielman was all over the place. He didn't care if you were a hip-hop fan, a rap fan, a punk fan, whatever... you were going to do as he said and he proved that.

At one point, he had everyone get really close and sit on the ground with him. People were hesitant as there was a mosh pit that kept breaking out and some of this crowd seemed a bit un-experienced in the moshing realm. If you weren't sitting on the ground, he would call you out. Nobody was exempt.

Doomtree Zoo was held at CHS Field which is the beautiful new baseball stadium in Saint Paul built for the Saint Paul Saints. Spielman found this to be a perfect chance to get the crowd involved yet again. At one point, he had everyone in the crowd go find a seat in the stands. His goal was to try and fill up a whole section. Although this didn't work as well as everyone sitting on the ground. It was still quite a sight to be seen.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo is a local pop/ hip-hop duo that was doing pop up shows all day long. Doomtree Zoo was advertised as a family friendly event and Koo Koo Kanga Roo really stuck to that idea. We caught one of their pop up shows near the entrance of the stadium. They started with their song "Everybody Poops," which is literally about how everybody poops. The crowd was a mixed bag but mostly families with young children. They would get the kids to dance and sing along but even if you weren't a child, you couldn't help but to smile.

They only played two songs during the pop up show but for the second song they brought Stef (better known as local rapper and Doomtree member P.O.S.) up to sing about orange juice called "Shake It Well." The song was hilarious and ended with bringing out the coveted rainbow parachute. You know the one! That one that they would bring out in P.E. class in Elementary School that you wave in the air and sit under and would be the highlight of your week.

Doomtree

Doomtree was obviously the headliner and they more than earned that right. Their set was great. It was full of group songs and songs from the individual artists of the collective. The crowd never stopped jumping and dancing which helped warm us all up being that it was a freezing October day in the cities. The high only reach the mid 50's but that didn't stop the crowd and just gave them more reason to move around.

The music was on point. The energy was immeasurable. Even if you didn't know the words to any of their songs (although majority of the crowd knew every word) you couldn't help but dance along with a smile on your face. Each member of Doomtree had their time to shine but it was more about the group as a whole which was nice.

The night ended with a beautiful fireworks display behind the stage and everyone stumbled home happy as a clam.

The Doomtree Zoo was a great example of just how diverse the Twin Cities are. There was rap, hip-hop, punk, pop, and even choral music. There were inflatable bouncy houses right next to the Surly beer truck. There were all different kinds of people all gathered for one common love... the love of music, the love of local music.

Doomtree Zoo at CHS Field, St Paul (03 October 2015)

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

Rocktober: October 3, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 3, 2015.

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 …

BATTLES
at First Avenue
Saturday, 10/03/2015, 8pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

Experimental rock group Battles will be at First Avenue this October 3rd. The current lineup feature guitarist/ keyboardist Ian Williams, guitarist/ bassist Dave Konopka (formerly of Lynx), and drummer John Stanier (formerly of Helmet).

Battles' latest release La Di Da Di recently came out on Warp Records.

Tour dates:

09/30 - Paradise, Boston, MA, US
10/01 - Lee's, Toronto, ON, CA
10/02 - Metro, Chicago, IL, US
10/03 - First Ave, Minneapolis, US
10/06 - Imperial, Vancouver, BC, CA
10/07 - Neptune, Seattle, WA, US
10/08 – Hawthorne, Portland, WA, US
10/09 - Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, US
10/11 - Crescent, Phoenix, AZ, US
10/13 - Trees, Dallas, TX, US
10/14 - Mohawk, Austin, TX, US
10/15 - Republic, New Orleans, US
10/16 - Masquerade, Atlanta, US
10/17 - Exit In, Nashville, US
10/18 - Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, US
10/19 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC, US
10/20 - Webster Hall, New York, NY, US

Read More Doomtree Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records. .... Aesop Rock Aesop Rock was, depressingly enough, born the same year as I was, which goes to show you where a bit of talent and dedication can get you. I mean, sure, I could copy and paste a couple lines ....

DOOMTREE ZOO
at CHS Field
Saturday, 10/03/2015, 2pm ($35)
chsfield.com

Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree will be headlining the "Doomtree Zoo" festival at CHS Field. The giant party will also feature Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic, Trash Talk, Shabazz Palaces, Open Mike Eagle, Serengeti, Aby Wolf, Koo Koo Kanga Roo, and Anonymous Choir.

Doomtree tour dates:

9/26 - Boston Calling Festival - Boston, MA
9/27 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington, DC *
10/3 - Doomtree Zoo (CHS Field) - St. Paul, MN
10/14 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA #
10/15 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR #
10/16 - Oakland Metro - Oakland, CA #
10/17 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA #
10/18 - Sayers Club - Las Vegas, NV #
10/31 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
11/6 - Witching Hour Festival - Iowa City, IA
11/8 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX
11/30 - The Stache - Grand Rapids, MI
12/1 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
12/2 - Tattoo Queen West - Toronto, ON
12/3 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
12/4 - Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL
12/5 - Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI

* - w/Speedy Ortiz
# - w/ Astronautalis

Read More El Ten Eleven Los Angeles-based instrumental rock duo El Ten Eleven just kicked off their Fall tour yesterday at Nebraska's Bourbon Theatre. The tour is in support of their remixed Transitions album ....

EL TEN ELEVEN
at Triple Rock Social Club
Saturday, 10/03/2015, 8pm ($14)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Los Angeles post-rock duo El Ten Eleven, known for their fretless bass with electric drumming. Will be in town at the Triple Rock on October 3rd in support of their latest Fast Forward.

Sego to open.

Tour dates:

09/26/15 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
09/30/15 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
10/01/15 Columbus, OH The Basement
10/02/15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
10/03/15 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
10/07/15 Vancouver, BC Fortune Sound Club
10/08/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
10/09/15 Bellingham, WA Wild Buffalo
10/10/15 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
10/11/15 Eugene, OR Hi Fi Music Hall
10/14/15 Santa Cruz, CA The Atrium
10/15/15 San Francisco, CA Great American Music
10/16/15 Los Angeles, CA Teragram Ballroom
10/17/15 San Diego, CA The Casbah
10/18/15 San Diego, CA The Casbah
10/29/15 London The Islington
10/30/15 Manchester Manchester Academy
11/01/15 Exeter Exeter Cavern
11/02/15 Cardiff Dempsey's
11/03/15 Leicester Firebug
11/06/15 Madrid, Spain Wurlitzer Ballroom
11/10/15 Paris, France L'Olympic Café
11/12/15 Liege, Belgium L'Aquilone
11/13/15 Tallinn, Estonia Rock Cafe
11/14/15 Ventspils, Latvia Juras Varti
11/15/15 Vilnius, Lithuania Tamsta Club
11/16/15 Moscow, Russia Smena
12/03/15 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
12/04/15 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
12/05/15 Albuquerque, NM El Rey Theater
12/06/15 El Paso, TX Lowbrow Palace
12/09/15 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
12/10/15 Flagstaff, AZ The Green Room
12/11/15 Santa Barbara, CA Velvet Jones
12/12/15 San Luis Obispo, CA SLO Brew

Read More Kirko Bangz Platinum-certified Houston hip-hop heavyweight and LMG/Unauthorized Entertainment/300 Entertainment recording artist Kirko Bangz is kicking off the “SoMo: The Fallin’ Up Tour” on ....

SOMO
at Myth
Saturday, 10/03/2015, 7pm ($29.46)
mythlive.com

American R&B singer SoMo (real name Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales) will be in town at the Myth on October 3rd.

Special guests Jordan Bratton and Kirko Bangz to open.

Tour dates:

09/26 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
09/29 Hillard, OH Park Street Saloon
09/30 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
10/02 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
10/03 Minneapolis, MN Myth
10/06 Denver, CO Gothic Theatre
10/07 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
10/09 Boise, ID Knitting Factory Concert House
10/10 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House
10/14 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater
10/16 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
10/17 Seattle, WA Showbox Sodo
10/20 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
10/22 San Diego, CA House of Blues San Diego
10/24 Los Angeles, CA Fonda Theatre
10/27 Phoenix, AZ Club Red Theaters
10/28 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
10/30 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Events Center
10/31 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
11/03 Cleveland, OH House of Blues Cleveland
11/05 Boston, MA House of Blues Boston
11/07 New York, NY Irving Plaza
11/10 Silver Spring, MD Fillmore Silver Spring
11/11 Columbia, SC Music Farm Columbia
11/13 Orlando, FL The Beacham
11/14 Atlanta, GA Center Stage Theater
11/17 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
11/19 Austin, TX Emo’s Austin
11/20 Dallas, TX South Side Ballroom
11/21 Houston, TX House of Blues Houston

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

Pizza Luce Block Party 2015

Lineup 12pm Rogue Valley 1pm L'Assassins 2pm Tiny Deaths 3pm Frankie Teardrop 4pm Pink Mink 5pm Dillinger Four 6pm The Blind Shake 7pm Retribution Gospel Choir 8pm Sims & Mike Mictlan 9pm Har Mar Superstar Read More Pizza Luce Also, the 8th Annual Pizza Luce Block Party is this Saturday, August 14th. I've been to a few of these, they only promise a few things: pizza, brats, beer, and music. What more are you asking for ? .... Dillinger Four It's Independence Day, if you're not out observing fireworks, check out this giant punk show of Against Me! and Dillinger Four. .... Doomtree Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records. ....

Har Mar Superstar

I looked up in the sky before we left the Pizza Lucé Block Party. The backdrop was the beautiful skyscrapers of Minneapolis with a giant stage on the ground and thousands of people surrounding me. That's when it hit me. I made the right choice moving to Minneapolis, why would anyone ever leave?

Last Saturday was the Pizza Lucé Block Party. It was a full day of great pizza, cold beer, good friends, and amazing music... everything that makes me fall in love with this city more and more day after day.

You could not beat the line-up. There was everything from Doomtree rappers Sims and Mike Mictlan to, the local punk heroes, Dillinger Four. There was something there for everyone.

I went to McNally Smith College of Music up here in the Twin Cities. It is a small music school that employees some of the most experienced people in the music industry. I looked up on stage right when we got there and playing drums was my booking and promotions teacher. In between bands was my hip hop history teacher curating that whole festival. How awesome is that? I feel like that is something that only happens up here. The teachers I had really are in the industry. I have yesterday to prove that.

The crowd was a mixed bag of old and young. Regardless of age, everyone was a having a great time just enjoying the music and the beautiful Minneapolis summer day. There was a handful of people who seemed to be there for just one of the musical acts but over all, it seemed like people wanted to see it all.

Dillinger Four

I have been wanting to see Dillinger Four for a while now. Every year they play D4th of July at the Triple Rock. D4 is an outdoor festival held over the 4th of July weekend that Dillinger Four puts on and headlines. It seems like every year, I have the best of intentions to go to D4 but it never happens. I always regret not going because they are a staple in the Minneapolis punk scene. Well, yesterday I finally got to see them for free and it was amazing. The crowd seemed a bit tame for a punk show but like I mentioned, people were just there for a good time, not necessarily because they were diehard fans. There was a small pit that broke out during their set. I'm pretty sure that in said pit, people were saying "excuse me" as they lightly pushed other people around. How's that for 'Minnesota nice'?

Sims was the highlight of the day for me. Sims is a member of Doomtree, that rap collective I always talk about. He is by far, one of my favorite members of the group. I love his lyrics and his energy and, come on, he's super cute! Cute enough for me to apparently tweet at him, "Marry me?" Yes, I was a little bit drunk by beer number 7. The fact that he actually replied to my drunk tweet is yet another reason I love him. Here he is, Sims, a world famous rapper who just got back from an European tour. Sims, a Minneapolis native that has gone further than that rapper from your hometown. Sims replied to my tweet saying he is taken but I could be his "safety." Yeah, that all sounds dumb, and I was pretty drunk but the fact that he tweeted me back.. that's what the Minneapolis music scene is all about.... musicians are in the community, they still talk to their fans in their hometown no matter how big and successful they get.

All of the other bands were great. My slice of Athena pizza from Lucé (Minneapolis) tasted absolutely amazing. The cold Summit (Saint Paul) beer kept me cool and drunk throughout the day. Everything about yesterday screamed local and that's what I loved.

Minneapolis is a beautiful city. I wear my Minnesota tattoo proudly because of days like yesterday.

Sims & Mike Mictlan at Pizza Lucé, Minneapolis (08 Aug 2015)

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

SXSW 2015 Preview: Ting Tings, Doomtree, Happyness

Read More The Ting Tings I actually really love The Ting Tings. For those that aren't familiar with them, they are a duo, a boy (drummer) and girl (singer/bassist). They had a big hit song with "That's Not My Name" and even ....

SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17–22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. Keep up with more SXSW coverage at sxsw.weheartmusic.com.

THE TING TINGS
thetingtings.com

We love The Ting Tings, the band is back with third full-length album, Super Critical, which was released in stores this week (1/13) via Finca/[PIAS]. The LP--co-produced by Andy Taylor of Duran Duran--was released in their native U.K. this past October.

The globetrotting pop duo (Katie White and Jules De Martino) will be doing a small select exclusive North American tour dates to support the new album. If you look at the January dates, it's to serve their biggest market (major cities in the West and East coast, including Los Angeles and New York).

The group will also return for SXSW 2015, more the latest touring information, see thetingtings.com.

Tour Dates:

Jan 19 – Toronto – Virgin Mobile Mod Club
Jan 20 – New York – Bowery Ballroom
Jan 23 – San Francisco – Popscene
Jan 24 – Sacramento – Harlow's
Jan 26 – West Holywood – Troubadour
Mar 17/22 – Austin - SXSW

Read More Doomtree Local Doomtree have a show coming up at Triple Rock Social Club on December 9th. If you can't catch them on the 9th, no problem, see them again at the Varsity Theater on December 10th. ....

DOOMTREE
doomtree.net

Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree is on the road to SXSW 2015! The tour is also to promote his upcoming full-lenth album All Hands, due January 27, 2015 on their own Doomtree Records.

As you know, Doomtree recently sold out all their December appearances, so they have very strong support locally.

Doomtree tour dates:

02/04 - Mojo's - Columbia, MO
02/06 - Trees - Dallas, TX
02/08 - Fitzgerald's Downstairs - Houston, TX
02/09 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA
02/11 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
02/12 - Motorco Music Hall - Durham, NC
02/13 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA
02/14 - U Street Music Hall - Washington, DC
02/16 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA
02/17 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
02/19 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI
02/20 - Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL
02/21 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
03/04 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
03/05 - Aggie Theatre - Ft. Collins, CO
03/06 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
03/07 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
03/09 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA
03/10 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
03/12 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
03/13 - The Roxy Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
03/14 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
03/16 - Club Red - Mesa, AZ
03/17 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM

HAPPYNESS
facebook.com/happynessmusic

Count me as one of the many people unhappy with the misspelling of Happyness, who probably stole their name from the 2006 film The Pursuit Of Happyness. Still, that didn't stop the South London trio to becoming one of NME's Best Newcomers, as well as The Sunday Times Best Albums of The Year....

Happyness recently announced that they have signed with Bar None Records for USA and Moshi Moshi Records for UK/RoW (alongside Magniph Records in Japan). With the Bar None announcement, they also noted that their debut album Weird Little Birthday will get an "Enhanced Version 2.0 CD" treatment, as well as a long awaited vinyl release in the USA.

US fans will be glad to see that they will be here for SXSW 2015, with brief tour from the Midwest to the East Coast.

03/15 - Denton, TX - 35 Denton Music Festival 03/17-03/22 - Austin, TX - SXSW 03/24 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive $ 03/26 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Festival 03/29 - Santa Ana, CA - Burgerama 2015 03/30 - San Francisco, CA- Bottom of the Hill # 04/01 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios 04/03 - Seattle, WA - The Sunset Tavern

04/04 - Missoula, MT - Stage 112 04/06 - St, Paul, MN - Turf Club 04/07 - Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis 04/08 - Chicago, IL – Subterranean 04/09 - Cleveland, OH - Happy Dog East 04/10 - Middletown, CT -Wesleyan College 04/11 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right 04/12- Manhattan, NY - Cake Shop

BRIEFLY

BETS facebook.com Bi-coastal (Brooklyn/LA), all-girl, indie pop band Bets is planning to play their first ever at SXSW with Deli Magazine... they'll be playing tracks from their upcoming 2015 LP Days Hours Nights as well as their self-titled EP, which came out earlier last year. Their latest single is "Don't Give A F--".

LAZYEYES lazyeyesnyc.com Three-piece Brooklyn Lazyeyes (not to be confused with Atlanta's Lazyeye or Adelaide's Lazy Eye) have confirmed their appearance at this year's SXSW 2015. The trio recently sold out their record release show at Glasslands in New York, so expect plenty of live version of their sophomore New Year EP at SXSW 2015 this year.

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

Minneapolis: December 7 - December 9, 2014

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from December 7 to December 9, 2014.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Rich Robinson Founding member of The Black Crowes, Rich Robinson, recently released this third solo album The Ceaseless Sight, out now on Circle Sound / The End Records. The record has reached #82 on the Top 100 …

RICH ROBINSON w/ Guthrie Brown
at Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Sunday 12/07/14, 7pm
$35: dakotacooks.com

Black Crowes' Rich Robinson is doing a tiny solo acoustic tour, taking place this December - and the first stop will be at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on December 7th.

We already previously mentioned his latest solo album The Ceaseless Sight, but Robinson was also recently featured as the subject of a live album Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 3, which came out Tuesday, November 18th. If you weren't lucky enough to get one of 200 tickets for this 2-night event, you can experience it with Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 3.

Also running during the acoustic tour, the Movement Gallery of Art (in Atlanta, Georgia) will be exhibiting Rich's abstract paintings. Gallerist Michael Bartolacci and Curator Denise Jackson are pleased to showcase Rich's art opening on Saturday, December 6th and running through January 10th. Rich will join guests for an opening night reception on December 6th.

Talking to Paste Magazine, Robinson stated, "I love to use oils because they take a while to dry. While I'm painting, it changes as the paint combines, which then influences the content of what I’m painting... With painting, it’s the color and textures that influence me. I layer on the paint and as the textures develop, the painting takes shape. The general relationship is different because of the number of senses used...."

Appearances:

12/06/14 – Atlanta, GA – Movement Gallery of Art
12/07/14 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota Jazz Club
12/09/14 – Chicago, IL – City Winery
12/11/14 – Jackson, MS – Duling Hall
12/12/14 – Nashville, TN – City Winery
12/13/14 – Chattanooga, TN – Rhythm & Brews
12/14/14 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic

Read More KDWB Jingle Ball Jingle Ball has become a year-end tradition locally, put on by CHR/Top 40 radio station KDWB, that brings together a handful of the latest pop chart success acts, and this year was no exception. Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke …

KDWB JINGLE BALL
at Xcel Energy Center
Monday 12/08/14, 6:30pm
$20 to $170: xcelenergycenter.com

"Only $20" The Worst Seats in the House no thanks to Ticketmaster

The annual KDWB Jingle Ball show is taking place over at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The cheapest and so-called "The Worst Seats in the House" for KDWB JingleBall is "only $20", but fans have been posting photos that actual cost is closer to $40. You know this tells me that fees and extra charges are simply out of control.

Artists on the bill:

Ariana Grande

Demi Lovato

OneRepublic

Iggy Azalea

Meghan Trainor

Kiesza

Becky G

Nico & Vinz

Rita Ora

Shawn Mendes

Nick Jonas

Jessie J

Read More Doomtree It doesn't matter, what you should know is that he and Doomtree are from Minneapolis. The city's really blowing up with indie hip-hip music, leading the way are Atmosphere and Doomtree. …

DOOMTREE
at Triple Rock Social Club
Tuesday 12/09/14, 6pm
$15 (Sold Out): triplerocksocialclub.com

Local Doomtree have a show coming up at Triple Rock Social Club on December 9th. If you can't catch them on the 9th, no problem, see them again at the Varsity Theater on December 10th.

Doomtree collective (although I don't know if everyone will appear at the live shows):

P.O.S

Dessa

Cecil Otter

Sims

Mike Mictlan

Lazerbeak

Paper Tiger

Tour dates:

12/06/14 Turf Club, Minneapolis
12/07/14 TBA
12/08/14 Icehouse, Minneapolis
12/09/14 Triple Rock, Minneapolis
12/10/14 Varsity Theater, Minneapolis
12/11/14 First Avenue, Minneapolis
12/12/14 First Avenue, Minneapolis
12/13/14 First Avenue, Minneapolis

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