W♥M

Minneapolis: This Week (09/01/2024)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

22 August to 02 Sep 2024 Minnesota State Fair at Minnesota State Fairground Read More Minnesota State Fair The annual Minnesota State Fair is kicking off August 24 and will continue until Labor Day, September 4th. The two week-ish event will feature over 900 Shows with … … Kidz Bop Not to be outdone by rival-Pepsi-owned Taco Bell, McD in association with Kidz Bop, are releasing about eight CDs with their Happy Meals. If you don't have kids, but still want the CD, you can purchase them separately for … …

22 August Thursday to 02 Sep 2024 Labor Day

Minnesota State Fair
at Minnesota State Fairground
first-avenue.com

The big Minnesota State Fair is taking place on Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2024.

Usually, we attend the MN State Fair on Labor Day, as it is the only day that we’re not at work. This Labor Day the music star stopping by the MN State Fair is Kidz Bop, the #1 music brand for kids.

900 Shows, 100+ Acts, 12 Days & Nights

All free with the price of fair admission!

Bands:

Maggie Rose

Marky Ramone Plays The Ramones Classics

Moon Taxi

Phil Vassar

Semisonic

The War & Treaty

The Brothers Allmanac

Corey Medina & Brothers

First Avenue Goes To The Fair

L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE

Mae Simpson

Tina Schlieske & Friends

The 70’s Magic Sunshine Band

The Cedar Cultural Center Presents The Global Get-Together

Grupo Esplendor Norteño

International Reggae All Stars

PopROCKS

Tropical Zone Orchestra

The 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Band

Alexander Craig

30-31 August 2024 First Avenue Goes to the Fair at Minnesota State Fair Read More Minnesota State Fair The annual Minnesota State Fair is kicking off August 24 and will continue until Labor Day, September 4th. The two week-ish event will feature over 900 Shows with … …

30 August 2024 Friday
31 August 2024 Saturday

First Avenue Goes to the Fair
at Minnesota State Fair
first-avenue.com

This Friday and Saturday, First Avenue have organized a full day of music at the Minnesota State Fair.

30 August 2024 Friday at Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater

• Fanaka Nation
• Jake Balistrieri & Sarah Mevissen (Pit Stop)
• Lars Pruitt (Yam Haus)
• student 1
• The Foxgloves
• hosted by Diane

with Al Church and The Congregation

31 August 2024 Saturday at Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater

• Anderson Daniels
• Ashley Ackerson
• Ava Levy
• Pop Wagner
• REIKI
• hosted by Diane

with Al Church and The Congregation

01 Sep 2024 charlieonnafriday with Vwillz at 7th St Entry Read More charlieonnafriday It was a bonding moment between the singer and her fans which surely guaranteed they will be there again when Jessie returns. Note: Original opener on the bill, Charlieonnafriday, did not appear. No reasons were given. ...

01 Sep 2024 Sunday

charlieonnafriday
with Vwillz
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Seattle native charlieonnafriday is headlining the 7th St Entry on September 1, 2024.

We were supposed to see Charlieonnafriday, with Jessie Murph, in Mar 2023, but unfortunately: “Original opener on the bill, Charlieonnafriday, did not appear. No reasons were given.”

Vwillz to open.

Tour dates:

Aug 18 Chicago, IL, US Subterranean

Aug 21 Tuscaloosa, AL, US Druid City Music Hall

Aug 22 Atlanta, GA, US Vinyl at Center Stage

Aug 24 Washington, DC, US DC9 Nightclub

Aug 25 Cambridge, MA, US The Sinclair

Aug 27 Brooklyn, NY, US Baby's All Right - Brooklyn

Aug 28 Toronto, ON, Canada Velvet Underground

Aug 29 Lansing, MI, US Grewal Hall at 224

Sep 1 Minneapolis, MN, US 7th St Entry

Sep 4 Denver, CO, US Cervantes' Other Side

Sep 9 Portland, OR, US Holocene

Sep 10 Seattle, WA, US The Crocodile - Old Location

Sep 13 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US The Echo

Nov 10 Brisbane, QLD, Australia Riverstage Brisbane

Nov 19 Auckland, New Zealand Spark Arena

Nov 21 Wellington, New Zealand TSB Arena

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

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The Old 97's at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09 Aug 2024)

08/09 Old 97's at First Avenue Old 97's Setlist Falling Down Just Like California Doreen The Other Shoe W. TX Teardrops Nineteen Book of Poems Western Stars Valentine Big Brown Eyes Jesus Loves You Stoned Crash on the Barrelhead What We Talk About Designs on You Let's Get Drunk & Get It On Good With God Where the Road Goes Can't Get a Line Longer Than You've Been Alive Four Leaf Clover -- Encore -- Question Barrier Reef Champaign, Illinois Timebomb Read More The Old 97's We caught The Old 97s earlier this year at SXSW, and also last year at the Fine Line Music Café, in Minneapolis, which Emily described singer Rhett Miller's vocals as nothing short of "fantastic and passionate." ...

Alt-country Old 97’s headlined First Avenue on Friday, August 9, 2024.

John Buffalo, who previously worked and toured with The Deathray Davies, was personally asked to be support for Old 97’s on this tour. Buffalo explained on stage that he got open heart surgery for a hereditary condition that left him unable to play guitars or do anything to do with lifting. This led him to started writing music using synthesizers and loops and a drum machine. As a result, he created a whole all-electronic album, with songs like “Accidents,” “Who Gotta Lighter,” and “I Got This Now.”

Basically, it’s just a quirky guy and his microphone, singing over pre-recorded music and video projected on stage. He certainly made it interesting, by “acting” out the music and over exaggerating his movements. It was entertaining.

The highlight of his set was a brand-new original song that he came up, specifically for this tour. The Old 97’s band members helped him play it, I don’t know the song title, but let’s just call it “Whoo-Whoo”, as a man, dressed up as an owl, came on stage to flap his wings and sings the chorus.

He ended his set with “Why Are You Lost”, a song from the Shithouse movie in 2020. If you were wondering, it’s credited as performed by John Dufillho, which is John Buffalo’s real name.

The Old 97’s started off their set with “Falling Down”. Why that song? According to singer and guitarist Rhett Miller, you have to “start with a banger. Then follow that with two more bangers…. Three bangers—it wakes the audience up and it wakes you up.”

He actually has a whole thought process in creating his setlist, including when you should talk, and set closer… you can read all about it at his Substack.

The Old 97s at Fine Line Music Cafe (12 Nov 2013)

I leave it to Emily who wrote in Nov 2013, “Bassist Murry Hammond strode out on stage, followed by drummer Philip Peeples sporting a fantastic ‘stache, singer/guitarist and dreamboat extraordinaire Rhett Miller and lead shredder Ken Bethea and they launched into a breathless two-hour set starting with the sing-along classic “Barrier Reef” from the band’s 1997 offering Too Far to Care. The Old 97s have acquired quite a following in their 20-year career and you couldn’t ask for a better audience; the energy off stage was just as potent as the energy on stage. Grown men and women were giggling like schoolchildren, grins plastered on their faces and all eyes adoringly on one of the greatest live bands ever.”

The Old 97’s new album American Primitive, available on ATO Records.

Remaining tour dates:

8/10 – Davenport, IA – The Raccoon Motel

8/11 – Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theatre

9/10 – Boston, MA – Royale

9/11 – Amherst, MA – The Drake

9/12 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom

9/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

9/14 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

9/15 – King of Prussia, PA – Concerts Under the Stars

9/17 – Lititz, PA – Mickey's Black Box

9/18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Café

9/19 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club

9/20 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry

9/21 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground

9/22 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre

9/24 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm

9/25 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room Greenville

9/26 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre

9/27 – Columbia, SC – The Senate

9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse

9/29 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina's

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The Old 97’s at First Avenue (09 Aug 2024)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Strike at First Avenue, Minneapolis (30 July 2024)

07/30 The Strike with Solid Gold and Alt Bloom at First Avenue The Strike Setlist Overtime Miles Ahead Painkillers Down Human Right Take Me as I Am Looking for Love Soundtrack Just Friends Faint of Heart All the Way Nothing New Ghosts of My Hometown I Fall Hard Just Like Paradise Getaway -- Encore -- Devils In The Canyon Tour Dates August 30 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar August 31 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom September 27 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex September 29 - Denver, CO - Meow Wolf October 10 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s October 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar October 12 - Las Vegas, NV - The Beverly Theater November 1 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Atrium November 2 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill Read More The Strike Los Angeles alt-pop band The Strike had to upgrade their 7th Street Entry show because of high interests. Now they’re playing the much larger First Avenue. .… Solid Gold It's been a few years since I saw Solid Gold, so it was nice to see them again. They seem to have a lot of dedicated fans, who showed up just to see the band perform. …

A couple of twists and turns for the The Strike’s show at First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on July 30, 2024.

First of all, the show was originally booked at the much smaller 7th St Entry (officially lists of 250 capacity) and it sold out. So the band upgraded to the larger mainroom at First Avenue, making for a more comfortable concert attending experience.

Second, previously unannounced, but they added local group Solid Gold to the lineup. What a treat.

Solid Gold at Varsity Theater (19 Nov 2013)

The last time we saw Solid Gold was in 2013, when they were active and promoting Eat Your Young : “Solid Gold's music has gone more instrumental, it would seem. Since I last saw them, I noted that they've been concentrating on playing tracks from Eat Your Young ("Six Days", "The Pendulum", "Laugh It Up", etc), however they did end on an oldie, "Bible Thumper".”

It would seem that Solid Gold have new songs, including the new single, “Don’t React”, which just came out in May 2024.

Singer Zack Coulter had little to say, other than “It’s Tuesday, that’s weird” after they played “Get Over It.”

Alt Bloom opened the show. Despite what the venue lists (8pm), he actually started his set 10 minutes earlier… playing a full 40-min set. He’s joined on stage with the Strike’s guitarist Alex Palazzo, who was doing double duty that night.

It was Alt Bloom’s final show with the Strike, so he felt a little bittersweet about the whole thing, but still wanted to give it his best.

He said he lived in a school bus and that he writes two types of songs: songs about love and songs about the chaos and struggle of his life. Most of his songs that he played was about love…. Like “Jeans and a T-Shirt” (dedicated to some dude in the audience in jeans and T-Shirt).

He ended his set with “Afternoons” and “You Got My Best”.

Los Angeles alt-pop band The Strike said that they started their journey, originally, in Minneapolis, saying that they first came to the city to record their new album, Until the Lights Go Out (set for release on September 27th). A little research, they were indeed in town in the summer of 2023 to record their album with producer John Fields (Jonas Bros, Miley Cyrus, Switchfoot) at his Minneapolis studio.

Guitarist/keys David Maemone said that it was their first “proper studio with a proper producer” and that really elevated their music to the next level.

Singer Chris Crabb was especially excited, often pointing to the crowd, as they danced and clapped to their music. Based on the strong support for the band, they’ll probably come back sooner rather than later.

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The Strike at First Avenue (30 July 2024)

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DIIV at First Avenue, Minneapolis (28 July 2024)

07/28 DIIV with Horse Jumper of Love and Full Body 2 at First Avenue DIIV Setlist In Amber Like Before You Were Born Brown Paper Bag Under the Sun (Druun, Part II) Doused Reflected Somber the Drums Take Your Time Taker Everyone Out Soul-net Frog in Boiling Water Between Tides Blankenship Acheron -- Encore -- Sometime Raining on Your Pillow Horsehead Read More DIIV The first time we saw DIIV, they were called DIVE (this was in 2012). Literally overnight they had changed their name due to dispute with another band using the 'Dive' moniker. .…

Shoegazing band DIIV just headlined the First Avenue on July 28, 2024. This is the band’s biggest venue yet.

feeble little horse at 7th Street (02 Jul 2023) (Cancelled)

Opening the show was Philadelphia’s shoegazing band Full Body 2. The trio (Jack, Cass, and Dylan) was supposed to come to town last year with feeble little horse, but unfortunately the show was cancelled.

Glad to see the band finally made it here now. The band had little to say, and true to their music style, they definitely stared at their shoes.

Next up was Boston’s Horse Jumper of Love, their first time in Minneapolis. Frontman Dimitri Giannopoulos said it was an honor to play the historic First Avenue and “thanks for showing up early and checking us out.”

Giannopoulos is joined on stage with bassist John Margaris and drummer James Doran, and they played tracks from Heartbreak Rules and their forthcoming album Disaster Trick (Run For Cover Records).

Maybe it is the dark lyrics, but I never got a photo of Giannopoulos looking happy… he’s only seen with an angry and determined look. I’m sure he’s a really nice guy.

We’ve always had a fondness for DIIV. We’re really happy to see them doing so well with their latest album Frog in Boiling Water.

Dive (29 Apr 2012)

In fact, we saw the band when they were originally called Dive: “Next up were Brooklyn-based indie charmers, DIIV (pronounced “dive”). The name might not ring a bell as they’ve just recently changed it (like, today) from DIVE in order to not be confused with the Belgian industrial band with the same name. Zachary Cole Smith and co. arrived on stage sporting the latest in street urchin fashion. Despite the questionable attire, they proved almost immediately why they’ve been receiving quite a bit of media buzz despite only having released a pair of 7” singles. They played a tight, energetic set made up of songs from their single releases and a few unreleased tracks from their upcoming debut album, Oshin, to be released on Captured Tracks on June 26th. They also threw in a cover of a Kurt Cobain demo “Bambi Slaughter” for good measure. DIIV are a shoegazey, dream-pop outfit that deliver live, as well as, on record -- I definitely recommend checking out their upcoming debut or getting in on one their live shows!”

Highlight of their set was for “Brown Paper Bag”, who had a huge audience reaction with plenty of clapping and wooting.

Remaining Tour Dates:

7/30 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall 7/31 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre 8/2 - Toronto, ON - The Concert Hall 8/4 - Montreal, QC - Osheaga Music and Arts Festival 8/5 - Boston, MA - Royale 8/7 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount 9/6 - Lima, Peru - Teatro Leguía 9/8 - Santiago, Chile - Club Chocolate 9/10 - Mar Del Plata, Argentina - Club TRI 9/12 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - C Complejo Art Media 9/15 - São Paulo, Brazil - Cine Joia 9/20 - Mexico City, MEX - Foro Indie Rocks! 9/21 - Guadalajara, MEX - C3 Stage 11/16 - Stockholm - Slatkyrkan 11/17 - Copenhagen - Vega 11/18 - Berlin - Astra 11/19 - Munich - Technikum 11/20 - Milan - Circolo Magnolia 11/22 - London, UK - Alexandra Palace

11/23 - London, UK - Alexandra Palace 11/25 - Madrid - Sala But 11/26 - Barcelona - Sala Apollo 11/27 - Zurich - Dynamo Saal 11/28 - Paris - Bataclan 11/29 - Gent - Vooruit 11/30 - Liège - OM 12/2 -Brighton - Chalk 12/5 - Bristol - SWX 12/6 - Birmingham - XOYO 12/7 - Glasgow - SWG3 TV Studio 12/8 - Newcastle - Newcastle University 12/9 - Manchester - The Ritz 12/10 - Southampton - Engine Rooms 12/12 - Rennes - Antipode 12/13 - Esch - Kulturfabrik 12/14 - Köln - Kantine 12/15 - Amsterdam - Paradiso

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DIIV at First Avenue (28 July 2024)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis / Morris Day and the Time at Taste of Minnesota (07 July 2024)

07/07 Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis at Taste of Minnesota 07/07 Morris Day and the Time at Taste of Minnesota Lineup Great Clips Stage 12:30 pm – Sounds Of Blackness 2:30 pm – Johnny Holm Band 5:00 pm – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (with Guests) 6:45 pm – Morris Day & The Time Featuring: DJ Shannon Blowtorch Jazz88 Stage 12:00 pm – MacPhail’s First Ave Ensemble 1:30 pm – Aja Parham 3:00 pm – Purple Funk Metropolis 4:30 pm – International Reggae All-Stars 6:15 pm – Minneapolis String Project Xcel Energy Singer / Songwriter Stage 11:15 – 12:15 Scarlett Woods 12:30 – 1:30 Scott Zosel 1:45 – 2:45 Steven Weeks-Johnson 3:00 – 4:00 Greg Volker & the River 4:15 – 5:30 John Loo & the Breakers 5:45 – 7:00 Joan of Profile 20 Washington Plaza Stage 11:15 – 12:30 Sam Cargill 12:45 – 2:00 Josh Cargill 2:15 – 3:30 Cathie English 3:45 – 5:00 Jamie Parker 5:15 – 6:30 Vicki Dischler Read More Taste of Minnesota Yes, Taste of Minnesota is back in 2024! This is turning out to be one of the biggest events yet, featuring beloved The Wallflowers (for Saturday) and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (for Sunday). … Jimmy Jam Shortly following, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who curated the talent lineup for the series) reunited with their original band Flyte Tyme for a version of Lipps. Inc 1980 classic, ‘Funkytown’ featuring original vocalist Cynthia Johnson. … Morris Day From the current incarnation of Morris Day and the Time as well as rising songstress and Grammy winner Judith Hill, who had her debut album, last year’s Back in Time … Purple Funk Metropolis Local seven-piece instrumental Purple Funk Metropolis will be headlining the 7th Street Entry in Feb 11th. The band released their new album The Golden Goose recently. ....

Day two of Taste of Minnesota on Nicollet Mall, in Minneapolis, took place at 11am on Sunday. Again, it was a nice day with some clouds but no threat of rain. With these outdoors events, the weather can put a damper on things, but it was nice and sunny for both days.

Unlike the first day, we now know the lay of the land and had a strategy of moving from stage to stage… and even stopping by the F1RST Wrestling ring, which we had no idea existed on Saturday. We had set times for all the bands, so we were ready to see as many bands as possible.

As usual, the big draw is the main stage, Great Clips Stage, which started its lineup with a very large cast of singers of Sounds of Blackness. This gospel/R&B, soul group goes back to 1969 by Russell Knighton at Macalester College in St. Paul, originally called the Macalester College Black Voices. When Gary Hines took over the ensemble in 1971, they officially changed their name to Sounds of Blackness.

They are an impressive collection with Cynthia Johnson (of Lipps Inc.) and Ann Nesby as the group’s most prominent alumni. Nesby will later resurface on Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’ set, but more on that later.

Shannon Blowtorch kept the music flowing as she DJ between live sets.

Next up was Johnny Holm Band, a multi-generational band. They played some old songs like Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” to semi-current Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” They were a really fun, energetic band, perfect for these outdoors event.

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis at Super Bowl Live (26 Jan 2018)

Of course, we were mostly there for Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. I was told that this was the first time they are officially appearing as a duo, but we previously saw them together in Jan 2018 when they curated the Super Bowl Live shows: “Shortly following, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who curated the talent lineup for the series) reunited with their original band Flyte Tyme for a version of Lipps. Inc 1980 classic, ‘Funkytown’ featuring original vocalist Cynthia Johnson.”

Still, it’s a rare appearance for this legendary music producer and songwriters. Even if you didn’t know who Jam & Lewis are, you probably have danced and loved their songs, which included S.O.S.’ “Just Be Good to Me” or Cherrelle’ “Saturday Love” & “I Didn't Mean to Turn You On” or the Human League’s “Only Human” or Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done For Me Lately.”

Since Jam & Lewis are the producers, they let others sing: Ruben Studdard, Ann Nesby, Jamecia Bennett, Shanice Wilson (she sang on all the Janet Jackson songs), and Lisa Keith. They played and medley in about 30 songs, and every one of those songs are pure gold hits!

Morris Day and the Time closed out the Taste of Minnesota. I’m not going to lie, it was tough for Day to follow up to the powerhouse set of Jam & Lewis (and it didn’t help that Morris Day was 20 minute fashionably late to his own show). Still, the crowd fondly remember Day and the Time as they do that uniform head turn and dance moves. The dance favorite “The Walk” was a crowd favorite.

Morris Day at State Theatre (22 Jun 2024)

Note, while doing research on Morris Day and the Time, according to Day, the Prince Estate prohibited Day from using “Morris Day and the Time.” I guess things worked out in the end, as Day recently appeared as part of Prince Celebration on June 22: “Along with Farrant, Morris Day played a too-short half-hour set backed by the current lineup of the New Power Generation, with the NPG (led by keyboardist / musical director Morris Hayes; original rapper Tony Mosely, guitarist Mike Scott and vocalist MacKenzie) playing their own headlining set, with guest appearances from Kip Blackshire and Rosie’s daughter, Latoya Gaines.”

At the Jazz88 Stage started with MacPhail’s First Ave Ensemble, followed by Aja Parham (pronounced “A-Ja”) a jazz singer started her set with “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story, although she updated the lyrics to keep up with the time. It’s a different meaning back then when they sang “I feel pretty and gay”. She has a full band, and even her son joined her on stage.

Purple Funk Metropolis at Fine Line (06 Jan 2024)

Next up was Purple Funk Metropolis, who we saw in Jan 2024 as part of Flavor World’s event: “The music event was organized by Flavor World (a Minneapolis based creative brand, making art in many mediums, and dedicated to inspiring and empowering creatives) and local college radio station Radio K. They’ve gathered some local bands for the occasion, including Afrofusion band Ozone Creations, funk/jazz band Purple Funk Metropolis, creeping charlie, and Kwey.”

International Reggae All-Stars plays popular songs in the reggae style. For example, Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and Guns N' Roses’ “Knockin' On Heaven's Door”, but laid back.

Minneapolis String Project at the Icehouse (22 July 2024)

Finally Minneapolis String Project closed out the Jazz88 stage. If you like what you heard, they are playing the Icehouse in Minneapolis on July 22: “We’re pleased to announce our participation in the Monday night monthly series at the Icehouse in Minneapolis! July is being curated by our own David Feily! Come out July 22nd for a great night of music featuring Minneapolis String Project and Society of Chemists!”

On the far south at the Xcel Energy Singer / Songwriter Stage we have Scarlett Woods, followed by Scott Zosel influenced by artists such as Gram Parsons, Joe Henry, Jeff Tweedy, Patty Smith, Ryan Adams, Liz Phair, even John Lennon.

Steven Weeks-Johnson was fun, doing some 90s tunes like Sublime’s “What I Got” and Blind Melon’s “No Rain”. He even played Joe Walsh’s “Life's Been Good”.

Greg Volker & the River plays Alt-Country and roots music, followed by John Loo & the Breakers.

Joan of Profile closed out the stage. I am assuming the singer is named Joan and she’s from the land of Profile… They’re described as indie-pop, and I recognized their cover of The Cranberries’ “Linger.” The band’s latest single is called “Flowers.”

The 20 Washington Plaza Stage offers what seems like solo artists. Starting with Sam Cargill (with a debut album called Authentic Silver) and later joined in with Josh Cargill, which we’re speculating is related to Sam, either as older brother or father. We actually have no idea, they could also be unrelated and their last name is purely coincidental.

Cathie English is a folk singer/songwriter in Central Minnesota and Jamie Parker, aka “J”.

Vicki Dischler played some of her favorite songs. She played Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin' Away” and then she asks, “how about some Rolling Stones?” and proceeded to play “19th Nervous Breakdown.”

The whole Taste of Minnesota event was very fun and although it was free, trust me, we ended up paying for all the food and drinks and enjoying the music. We’ll definitely return next year.

Apologies for the poor phone photos.

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Morris Day and the Time at Taste of Minnesota (07 July 2024)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Church and Afghan Whigs at First Avenue, Minneapolis (30 June 2024)

06/30 The Church and The Afghan Whigs with Ed Harcourt at First Avenue The Church Setlist Myrrh Metropolis The Hypnogogue C'est la vie No Other You An Interlude Flickering Lights Reptile Realm of Minor Angels Grind Under the Milky Way Second Bridge The Afghan Whigs Setlist Pantomima What Jail is Like Catch a Colt Light as a Feather Algiers 66 My Enemy Matamoros Too Tough to Die (Martina Topley‐Bird cover) Oriole Amazing Grace (John Newton cover) It Kills Demon in Profile Going to Town Somethin' Hot Summer's Kiss Into the Floor Read More The Afghan Whigs Surely, you remember the high-drama swagger of the Afghan Whigs, the 90s rock act reuniting after eleven years, who invoked both hard rock and soul into their moody arrangements.… The Church Australia’s The Church is back in the city. The last time we saw them at the Cedar in 2015 we noted, “The show was performed as one long set, versus the two separate sets done …

The co-headlining The Church and The Afghan Whigs show just stopped by Minneapolis on Sunday night, smack in the middle of the Twin Cities Pride celebration.

Both bands are fans of each other, with the Whigs’ Greg Dulli mentioning what an incredible band the Church is when he first discovered them when he was 18. He then bought their album The Unguarded Moment and became a big fan of the group.

The incredible Ed Harcourt opened the show, spending most of the time behind his piano.

Photos courtesy of Amber and Quynh

>>>
06/30/2024 Sunday

The Church and The Afghan Whigs
with Ed Harcourt
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

What an incredible lineup: a double billing of The Church and The Afghan Whigs tour… plus the incredible Ed Harcourt as opener on all dates, except for Brooklyn, where Throwing Muses’ Kristin Hersh to open.

For Church fans, they are offering a limited number of VIP packages for this tour, which includes entry ticket, early venue access, and invitations to the band’s soundtrack, a special meet & greet with the band, exclusive merch items, and watching a portion of the show itself from the side of the stage (where available).

The Church (23 March 2023)

We saw The Church in March 2023 and noted, “When The Church came on stage to an introduction background music, they were greeted with a huge applause. The band proceeded to playing a two plus hour set. This band didn’t need a warm-up band, because they had 18 albums worth of music to choose from. I first heard of the band on Dave Kendall’s 120 Minutes on MTV. He was a Church fan and played “Ripple”, which had become my favorite Church song. By that time, in 1992, the band was already an “old” band.”

Talking about the co-headlining tour, Afghan Whigs’ frontman Greg Dulli talked about how he became a fan of the Church: “I was an 18-year-old college freshman lying in bed listening to WVXU late one night when I heard a song that I described later as sounding like David Bowie fronting The Byrds. Thankfully they back announced The Unguarded Moment by The Church and I was on my way to buying my first import. Soon after I bought two more after learning of The Blurred Crusade and Seance. It was official. I loved The Church. Three years later, the four kids who were about to become The Afghan Whigs played One Day by The Church in John Curley's living room and we were off and running...”

Afghan Whigs (09 Sep 2022)

We saw Afghan Whigs in Sep 2022 and noted, “Before The Afghan Whigs took the stage, their tour manager came on stage to asked us to not use flash photography. He added if you don’t know how to turn off the flash on your phone, you should call your grandchildren to ask for help. He then asked if anyone in the audience need earplugs, because “We’re about to see the f**** Afghan Whigs!” Drumming up excitement from the restless crowd.”

Tour Dates:

JULY 02 Denver, CO at Ogden Theater

JULY 03 Bellvue, CO at Mishawaka Amp

JULY 05 Seattle, WA at Showbox

JULY 06 Portland, OR at Crystal Ballroom

JULY 09 San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore

JULY 11 San Diego, CA at The Observatory

JULY 12 Anaheim, CA at House Of Blues

JULY 13 Los Angeles, CA at Theatre @ Ace Hotel

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The Church at First Avenue (30 Jun 2024)

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They Might Be Giants at First Avenue, Minneapolis (15 Jun 2024)

06/15 They Might Be Giants at First Avenue TMBG 06/15 Setlist  setlist courtesy of reddit     -- Set I -- Subliminal Snail Shell First Avenue Stage Meet James Ensor Unrelated Thing Out of Jail The Mesopotamians Spider The Darlings of Lumberland Dirt Bike A Self Called Nowhere Spy Stillub The End of the Tour -- Set II -- Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love Man, It's So Loud in Here Synopsis for Latecomers Let Me Tell You About My Operation Underwater Woman Birdhouse in Your Soul When Will You Die Working Undercover for the Man Lie Still, Little Bottle Fingertips Cloisonné Where Your Eyes Don't Go Brontosaurus Doctor Worm -- Encore -- Letterbox Can't Keep Johnny Down -- Encore II -- No One Knows My Plan Read More They Might Be Giants The thing about They Might Be Giants is that they understand their fans. They get it; they know people don't automatically rush out to get the latest album, so they didn't bombard us with playing all 25

Day Two of They Might Be Giants three-night stand in the Twin Cities was a crowded affair at First Avenue. I arrived a half hour early and already the crowd was filled to capacity, filled with so many people, my only chance to see the band was in the photo pit for the first three songs. Like the previous night, the show promises an eight-piece band, three horns, a double set with a double encore.

The Twin Cities love TMBG and fans were there in full force, even if the band was highlighting music from their 1994 album John Henry, which they admitted did not fare well. They were proud of their effort, but John Flansburgh said they still had crates of the album collecting dust.

On paper, John Henry was TMBG’s highest charted album (at the time), landing at #61 on the Billboard charts. Their previously best-known album Flood album only peaked at #75, while Apollo 18 barely got in at #99… so technically, John Henry is a hit, even though it’s not loved by casual or diehard fans.

What’s really interesting about the John Henry is that it was a shift for the duo. Previously, all their music was written and meant to be played with just the two Johns, and their drum machine and whatever instruments they had. With John Henry, they had employed a full backing band, including a live drummer, ukulele, bass, and trumpeter.

Saturday’s show started off with the first two songs from John Henry, which goes hand-in-hand with “Subliminal” and “Snail Shell”. The later song was the album’s only single release, which preceded the album’s release to drive sales and awareness for the then-new album.

Of course, the band had to play “First Avenue Stage”, before returning back to John Henry with “Meet James Ensor” (which is probably the best song on the album).

It’s funny to note that they did not play “AKA Driver” off John Henry, and that’s because that song was originally called “NyQuil Driver”. Apparently the NyQuil company sued the band for trademark infringement. Maybe legally, they can’t even play the song.

Flansburgh said there was a lower percentage of beards and glasses in the crowd. He was right. There were those who were there at the beginning (1982) and those who weren’t even born when the band formed. There was even a group of girls standing next to me, maybe fans who grew up on their wildly popular children’s albums.

Flansburgh kept the jokes flowing between songs, letting people know the break between sets will be two hours (union rules) and joking about the role of Art Garfunkel when he set his guitar aside to clasp his hand and sing. “Art got paid as much as Paul Simon?”

TMBG is a fun band to see live and that may be their draw. They are adventurous, bringing out a walking stick, cowbell and euphonium (baby tuba) for songs. They sang about a woman under water and the existential life of a brontosaurus. They sang “End of the Tour” at the beginning of their own. They also sang a song sonically and lyrically in reverse, “Stillub.”

A personal favorite was “Spy,” a song that started off as a late-night jazz riff between Danny Weinkauf on bass and Stan Harrison skulking with his saxophone with a feline prowess. Then the song segued into a free jazz session with John Linell leaving the keys to direct the group. And while Linell’s arms flailed, a sample of ACDC’s “Back in Black” was shoehorned in before Flansburgh took over the conducting responsibilities to guide the group through a section that sounded like a marching band of clowns on Dramamine playing… I have no idea but, man, was it fun.

They Might Be Giant’s third night in Minnesota will take place tonight, at the Fitzgerald Theater, in St Paul.

Remaining tour Dates:

June 16 St Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater

June 18 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater

June 19 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater

June 21 Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst

June 22 Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst

June 23 Madison, WI @ The Barrymore Theatre

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They Might Be Giants at First Avenue (14 Jun 2024)

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They Might Be Giants at First Avenue, Minneapolis (14 Jun 2024)

06/14 They Might Be Giants at First Avenue 06/15 They Might Be Giants at First Avenue 06/16 They Might Be Giants at The Fitzgerald Theater TMBG Setlist     -- Set I -- First Avenue Stage Synopsis for Latecomers Dig My Grave Turn Around Narrow Your Eyes Mammal I Palindrome I Fingertips Number Three Moonbeam Rays Shoehorn With Teeth The Statue Got Me High Spider The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) -- Set II -- Man, It's So Loud in Here Out of Jail Bills, Bills, Bills (Destiny’s Child cover) Where Your Eyes Don't Go Lie Still, Little Bottle Drown the Clown Particle Man with Zombie Zombie’s “Rocket Number 9” ending The Darlings of Lumberland Older 2082 The Glamour of Rock Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (The Four Lads cover) -- Encore -- Damn Good Times Birdhouse in Your Soul -- Encore II -- Doctor Worm Read More They Might Be Giants The thing about They Might Be Giants is that they understand their fans. They get it; they know people don't automatically rush out to get the latest album, so they didn't bombard us with playing all 25

The “Big Show” from the They Might Be Giants “Big Tour”, kicked off their Minnesota residency show last night at First Avenue. The band promised, “8 piece band. 3 horns. 2 sets. 0 openers. Starts early. Gets loud.”

As per tradition, and possibly legally obligated to play “First Avenue Stage” to start off the show.

After the intro song, John Linnell explained that for this first night, the band will be playing songs from Apollo 18… “the songs you don’t like” he adds. This was incredible news, because we didn’t know what we were going to get (for example Saturday’s show will be focused on John Henry).

The Apollo 18 set is just perfect, a wonderful follow-up to the much-delayed “Flood Show” in Oct 2022.

Due to the massive success of “a brand new album for 1990” Flood, Elektra wanted Elvis Costello to produce their next album Apollo 18… but John Linnell and John Flansburgh wanted to produce the record themselves. Who knows how Apollo 18 might have sounded if Costello had taken over the production. Still, Apollo 18 is a good release, containing some fan-favorites like “I Palindrome I”, “The Statue Got Me High”, and “Mammal” (I’ve always had a problem with this song because Koala Bears are marsupial).

Unfortunately, they didn’t play all the songs, like “See the Constellation” (just a guy made of dots and lines!), “She's Actual Size” (but she seems much bigger than me!), and “My Evil Twin” (he’s even got a twin like me!). I would’ve love a more complete Apollo 18 set, but I’ll take what I can get.

The most amazing song on the set is “Fingertips”. A little history about this song, it’s basically excerpts from 21 “Dial a Song” songs and demos. Each “Fingertips” song is no longer than 30 seconds (most hovering around 15 seconds). The concept is that you put shuffle on your CD player and these Fingertips song would be brief intermission songs between regular songs. Unfortunately, due to mastering problems for the UK and Australia, they got these 21 songs as one track… which is exactly how TMBG played the song live. It’s quite funny, because you would think because the song structures and instruments and different keys, that they couldn’t do it live… yet somehow, they managed to pull it off. Everyone was singing along; it was just wonderful and funny at the same time.

They ended their first set with “The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)”, a song that I’ve never been fond of… however, when you hear it live, complete with a full horns section, they really changed it for the better and it was a great closer for the first set.

The second set was a little looser, with Destiny’s Child’s wonderful cover “Bills, Bills, Bills” played early on. The crowd’s favorite was “Particle Man” (ending with a weird “Triangle Man to the planet Venus” lyrics, a reference to Zombie Zombie’s “Rocket Number 9”), and singalong favorites The Four Lads’ “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”.

The double encore featured “Damn Good Times” and their biggest hit song “Birdhouse in Your Soul”, and finally “Doctor Worm.”

Stay tuned for a report of their Saturday show.

Remaining tour Dates:

June 15 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

June 16 St Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater

June 18 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater

June 19 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater

June 21 Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst

June 22 Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst

June 23 Madison, WI @ The Barrymore Theatre

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They Might Be Giants at First Avenue (14 Jun 2024)

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Xavier Rudd at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10 Jun 2024)

06/10 XAVIER RUDD with Bobby Alu at First Avenue Read More Xavier Rudd Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd will be headlining First Avenue on June 10, 2024. His COVID-released album Jan Juc Moon came out in 2022, and peaked at #6 on the Australian charts. ....

A beautiful Monday evening in Minneapolis the crowds rushed in to a near sell out Xavier Rudd show at the historic First Avenue.

Bobby Alu opened and came all the way from Byron Bay, Australia. He brought all the beach vibes and I was calling him the “Jack Johnson Jr.” based on just a few songs in his set. His new release, which came out on May 3rd, is called “Keep It Tropical.” He told an awesome story on how he was born and all the magic that happens in Byron Bay. Just a matter of time before this guy blows up.

Xavier Rudd came out hot, with the resonating fire eagle in the back drop. Of course, he took the stage barefoot for the entire set like he just walked out of the jungle. After seeing him 10 years ago in New Orleans this was quite the reunion with Mr. Rudd and was very exhilarating to be on another journey with him.

He played a lot of his hits towards the end of the set “Follow the Sun” and “Spirit Bird.” He had quite the set up on stage with horns all over his drum set, every looping pedal you can imagine, and played all the strings in the book from ukelele, to banjo, to slide guitar. And he gave plenty of Minnesota love to the crowd throughout the night.

His latest EP release is called Freedom Sessions. Everytime I see Xavier live I'm ready to do yoga for hours and live in an enchanted forest.

Continue inspiring us and continue all the magic Xavier.

Until next time.

Remaining Tour Dates:

Jun 13 Boston, MA, US Royale Boston

Jun 14 Canandaigua, NY, US Lincoln Hill Farms

Jun 15 Toronto, ON, Canada History

Jun 16 Montreal, QC, Canada MTELUS

Jun 17 Montreal, QC, Canada MTELUS

Jun 18 Québec, QC, Canada Théâtre Capitole

Jun 20 South Burlington, VT, US Higher Ground Ballroom

Jun 20 Baltimore, MD, US Reggae Rise Up

Jun 22 Harrisburg, PA, US XL Live

Jul 23 Deurne, Belgium OLT Rivierenhof

Jul 24 Deurne, Belgium OLT Rivierenhof

Jul 25 Deurne, Belgium OLT Rivierenhof

Jul 26 Outdoor Breitenbach, Germany Herzberg Festival

Jul 30 Karlsruhe, Germany Kulturzentrum Tollhaus

Aug 6 Segrate, Italy Circolo Magnolia (Estivo)

Aug 8 Livorno, Italy Fortezza Nuova

Aug 15 Amstelveen, Netherlands Amsterdamse Bostheater

Aug 16 Amstelveen, Netherlands Amsterdamse Bostheater

Aug 17 Amstelveen, Netherlands Amsterdamse Bostheater

Aug 22 Dornbirn, Austria Dornbirn Conrad Sohm

Aug 23 Outdoor Vienna, Austria Arena Wien

Aug 24 Rubigen, Switzerland Mühle Hunziken

Aug 25 Rubigen, Switzerland Mühle Hunziken

Xavier Rudd at First Avenue (10 Jun 2024) Xavier Rudd Xavier Rudd

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Hermanos Gutierrez at First Ave, Minneapolis (11 May 2024)

05/11 Hermanos Gutierrez with DJ Miguel Vargas at First Ave Hermanos Gutierrez Setlist Thunderbird Rain God El Bueno Y El Malo Recuerdos / Hijos del Sol Venganza / El Jardin Desert Medley Agua Roja/Railroad Vista/Western Bronco Esperanza Tres Hermanos Sonido Cósmico Until We Meet Again Low Sun Los Navegantes El Desierto Pueblo Man Nuevo Mundo Read More Hermanos Gutiérrez Zurich-based duo Hermanos Gutiérrez, featuring brothers Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez, are coming to St Paul on November 8 at the Turf Club. Their forthcoming new album, El Bueno Y El Malo, which is set for release on 10/28 via Easy Eye Sound …

When you go to a show you’re hoping to be inspired by instrumental talents, a voice, or just general musical collaborations. At the historic First Avenue, two Swiss brothers called Hermanos Gutiérrez did exactly that too a sold-out crowd. No opening band, just a local DJ, Miguel Vargas.

Alejandro and Estevan Gutierrez are eight years apart but have been mastering guitar since a very young age. A jam session back in 2015 in Zurich made these two poised to transform into musical icons.

In 2022 they had the privilege of working with the legendary Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. During the First Ave show this past weekend they dedicated and played plenty of tracks from that album and gave a big shout out the one and only Clint Eastwood.

I usually don't feel like I’m climbing a mountain or floating on ocean at the same time but Hermanos took me to another side of the world. Most of the tracks during their set had incredible build ups with Alejandro mostly on lap steel slide guitar and Estevan switching off between bongos and electric guitar.

“Low Sun” has to be my favorite track of the new EP release Until We Meet Again out April 11th, 2024. They played that whole EP, and a good amount of tracks from El Bueno Y El Malo (2022) and Eternamente (2021). My calendar is marked for their much anticipated 2024 release on June 14th, titled Sonido Cosmico.

These brothers have a bright future ahead of the and have movie soundtrack written all over them on every release they put out. Wish I could have invited these guys over after the show for a second jam session around a big bonfire. Hermanos Gutierrez deserved every standing ovation they got at First Ave on Saturday night. Let’s hope they come back to Minnesota soon.

Remaining tour dates:

May 13, 2024 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL

May 14, 2024 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, ON

May 16, 2024 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Montreal, QC

May 17, 2024 Royale Boston, MA

May 18, 2024 Brooklyn Steel Brooklyn, NY

May 18, 2024 Baby's All Right Brooklyn, NY

May 19, 2024 Brooklyn Steel Brooklyn, NY

Jun 1, 2024 Unique Moments Festival Zürich

Jun 16, 2024 Black Deer Festival Kent, UK

Jul 26, 2024 - Jul 28, 2024 Newport Folk Festival

Jul 30, 2024 Lensic Performing Santa Fe, NM

Jul 31, 2024 The Van Buren Phoenix, AZ

Aug 2, 2024 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA

Aug 3, 2024 Lodge Room Los Angeles, CA

Aug 6, 2024 McMenamins Grand Lodge Portland, OR

Aug 8, 2024 Orpheum Theatre Vancouver, BC

Aug 9, 2024 Thing Festival Carnation, WA

Aug 23, 2024 New Century Hall Manchester, UK

Aug 24, 2024 Troxy London

Aug 25, 2024 Helsinki Festival Helsinki, Finland

Aug 27, 2024 Cirkus Stockholm, SE

Aug 29, 2024 Mojo Club Hamburg, Germany

Aug 30, 2024 Paradiso Amsterdam

Aug 31, 2024 Paradiso Amsterdam

Sep 1, 2024 DR Koncerthuset Copenhagen

Sep 3, 2024 Silent Green Berlin

Sep 4, 2024 Le Grand Rex Paris

Sep 5, 2024 OLT Rivierenhof Antwerp

Oct 4, 2024 - Oct 6, 2024 Austin City Limits Austin, TX

Oct 11, 2024 - Oct 13, 2024 Austin City Limits Austin, TX

Hermanos Gutiérrez at First Avenue (11 May 2024)

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