W♥M

Flashback: Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (2011-07-08)

Setlist Kick Back Kiss Me Simple Parts Overexposure Bittersweet Giving Up El Paso Blue Not Listening One Night Stand Auto Read More Sick of Sarah Minneapolis punk rock all-girls band Sick of Sarah is currently on a national tour, but will be playing a hometown gig next Thursday, April 30th at the Turf Club in St Paul. The band will likely be playing tracks from their upcoming EP Anthem … Julie Puppets As predicted, Julie Puppets didn't really fit in on the bill, as evident by the crowd having gone away. To their credit, it is a tough act to follow Sick of Sarah. Singer Russ Staiger … Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun. … Fuzzy Machete Our friends Fuzzy Machete are celebrating their album release party for Number One Fan at the Cabooze this February 26th, 2015. ...

Like it or hate it, the 400 Bar was a great place for local bands to play. On this night in July, I ended up bicycling into the city. This night was kind of funny, a police officer on his loudspeaker told me to get lights if I’m biking at night. I actually didn’t expect it to get dark so early, but since then, I always pack a bike light when I head out.

>>>
I underestimated how long it would take to bicycle down to the 400 Bar and ended up really late - Fuzzy Machete had just finished their set and walking off the stage. It was guitarist Tara's birthday and all, so I am personally embarrassed that I couldn't pedal as fast as I used to. I did manage to later squeeze in some insights about their "new" drummer, Chayci. Apparently it's their old drummer. And also settled my differences with Scott Bakula with singer Krissandra.

Fuzzy Machete is playing at AniMinneapolis today (July 9th). They'll love them there, with all the stuff about Star Trek and nerdy songs. You have been warned.

Hunter Valentine

The turn out for this show was pretty amazing, it was mostly women, but there were actually a good portion of men too.

Hunter Valentine started off their set with "Jimmy Dean" with the catchy chorus of "and when you walk away/you walk away with my feelings". I'm not that familiar with their songs, but I'm pretty sure they did "Scarface", and also, I think a cover of The Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

Julie Puppets

As predicted, Julie Puppets didn't really fit in on the bill, as evident by the crowd having gone away. To their credit, it is a tough act to follow Sick of Sarah. Singer Russ Staiger said on stage that they haven't played in over a year, but they seem to have to have it together from their "69 times playing the 400 Bar" (joke) (see comment below). Their set includes a full band for the first three song, then a solo three-song set, and then closing out with the full band.

The majority of the crowd was there to see Sick of Sarah, they've built up quite a fan following. You can see that this isn't their first rodeo, the band is tight and singer Abisha dance moves have been perfected from all their tours.

Sick of Sarah started off their set with their single, "Kick Back", which sounded great, but "Bittersweet" was clearly the crowd's favorite. It was a short set, and fans were demanding an encore. Always leave them wanting more.

Sick of Sarah is about to embark on the Warped Tour 2011, which should be pretty amazing, but I must admit, it's better to see them in a more intimate setting like the 400 Bar.

PS, as noted on their setlist, they also held a "Tattoo" raffle.

Saturday, 09 July 2011 at 12:22 PM
Tara Davis writes:

Hey, Tara from Fuzzy Machete here. Sorry you missed us this time, but I'm sure we'll see you again. I know this city is notorious starting shows later than posted, but with five bands on the bill, we ran a pretty tight ship an every single band started right on the dot of the announced start times.

One quick correction: Russ was actually NOT joking when he announced that it was his band's 69th appearance at the 400 Bar. It was. The Julie Puppets have been on a long hiatus, but used to be really active in the Minneapolis scene a couple years ago. They did a lot of double-bills with Sick of Sarah, and also headlined some pretty exciting shows on their own. This was their "comeback" show with a new drummer but otherwise their same line-up. As you could tell from the sight of me bouncing up and down near the front of the stage, I'm a huge fan.

Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (2011-07-08)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: March 16 to March 18, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from March 16 to March 18, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Freakwater This can only be considered a four-star record if it is thought of in comparison to some of their other releases (see esp. _Springtime_). The brilliance here is five-star on any other scale. Freakwater is like no other existing band, …

FREAKWATER
at Cedar Cultural Center
Wednesday, 03/16/16, 7pm ($15/$18)
thecedar.org

Louisville’s Freakwater will be in town at the Cedar Cultural Center this March 16th, touring in support of their Bloodshot Records debut record, Scheherazade... their first album in ten years!

Hopefully the band will make it to Minneapolis in one piece, as today, they announced that their rental van is broken and was forced to cancel their show in Atlanta.

The thing about Freakwater is that it features two lead harmonizing vocals from Janet Bean (of Eleventh Dream Day) and Catherin Irwin.

Opener Jays Jayle (aka singer/songwriter Evan Patterson of the band Young Widows).

Tour dates:

03/12/16 Decatur, GA Eddie's Attic
03/13/16 Nashville, TN Basement
03/14/16 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway Nightclub
03/15/16 Iowa City, IA The Mill
03/16/16 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural
03/18/16 Chicago, IL The Hideout
03/19/16 Chicago, IL The Hideout

Read More Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun. … Sick of Sarah Minneapolis punk rock all-girls band Sick of Sarah is currently on a national tour, but will be playing a hometown gig next Thursday, April 30th at the Turf Club in St Paul. The band will likely be playing tracks from their upcoming EP Anthem …

HUNTER VALENTINE / SICK OF SARAH
at 7th Street Entry
Wednesday, 03/16/16, 7:30pm ($10/$12)
first-avenue.com

Hunter Valentine has been a force to be reckoned with for over a decade. This all-girl rock band has had four successful releases and a remarkable live show. Unfortunately, they have announced an indefinite hiatus so what better way to treat their fans one last time by embarking on a last hurrah tour.

Along with the tour, Hunter Valentine has announced that they will be releasing new music and videos in the coming weeks. It's sad to see them go but at least they're going out with a bang. This is a tour you will not want to miss.

Local all-girls favorites Sick of Sarah has been scheduled to co-headline the gig.

Special guests The Modern Era and Rebel Queens to open.

Tour dates:

Mar 10 - Seattle, WA - High Dive
Mar 11 - Portland, OR - Analog
Mar 14 - Denver, CO - The Walnut Room
Mar 15 - Kansas City, MO - Davey's Uptown
Mar 16 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
Mar 18 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's Rock Club
Mar 20 - Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe
Mar 21 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
Mar 22 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
Mar 24 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East

Read More 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 ....

ST. PATRICK'S DAY
WITH DILLINGER FOUR
at Turf Club
Thursday, 03/17/16, 7:30pm ($13)
turfclub.net

Spend St Patrick’s Day with local punkster Dillinger Four this Thursday, March 17th. The show is dubbed “Saint Patricks Day Massacre”.

We caught the band at the free Pizza Lucé Block Party in 2015 and wrote, “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'?”

Celebrating with them will be Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band, Bug Fix and Cherry Cola.

Additional details from the band:

SAY?! Do you dig green beer and mardi gras beads?! BOY have you found the right place to leave.

DILLINGER FOUR Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band
Bug Fix
Cherry Cola

Read More The Pines Looking for something to do over the weekend? The Pines are doing a residency of sorts at the Cedar Cultural Center tomorrow and Saturday (November 22nd and 23rd). … Megafaun What is ‘Megafaun’: animal, vegetable or mineral? Why is Megafaun, whose dulcet tones never cease to baffle the critical observer? Who is Megafaun, seen prowling . … Hiss Golden Messenger North Carolina's Hiss Golden Messenger, American folk duo (MC Taylor and Scott Hirsch), recently announced their upcoming tour in support of Lateness of Dancers (Merge Records). Some dates are with Ben Howard. … StoLyette Opening up the show was StoLyette, a local duo (Ben Clark and Irene Ruderman Clark) who previously appeared at the Cedar at the Drone Not Drones 01/30-01/31 event. . …

THE PINES / PHIL COOK
at First Avenue
Friday, 03/18/16, 8pm ($15)
first-avenue.com

Minneapolis-based, by the way of Moonrise, Iowa, The Pines will be headlining First Avenue this Friday, March 18th. The last time we saw the band in 2013, we wrote, “ It was really funny, because the scarecrow they had behind them almost fell down a couple times. I have seen them about three times, and I have to say it was a good performance. They commented on how they love playing at the Cedar.”

Also, Phil Cook (from Megafaun and Hiss Golden Messenger), originally scheduled for the Turf Club, got upgraded to the mainroom. Cook is currently touring in support of his debut solo album Southland Mission.

NPR's David Dye listed the record as one of his 10 favorites of 2015, noting, "The great guitarist and sideman Phil Cook, from Megafaun and Hiss Golden Messenger, unleashes his formidable songwriting on the album he's been working on all his life."

Local StoLyette to open.

Phil Cook’s tour dates:

3/15 - The High Watt - Nashville, TN
3/16 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY
3/17 - Schuba's Tavern - Chicago, IL
3/18 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
3/21 - The Sunset - Seattle, WA
3/22 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
3/23 - Humboldt Brews - Arcata, CA
3/24 - The Chapel - San Francisco, CA
3/25 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
3/26 - Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA
3/31 - The Sidewinder - Austin, TX
4/1 - Rudyard's British Pub - Houston, TX
4/2 - Hogs for the Cause - New Orleans, LA
4/3 - Eddie's Attic - Decatur, GA
4/5 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA
4/6 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
4/8 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington, DC
4/9 - The Haw River Ballroom - Saxapahaw, NC
4/26 - John Dee - Oslo, NO
4/27 - Loppen - Copenhagen, DK
4/28 - Privat Club - Berlin, DE
4/29 - Ekko - Utrecht, NL
4/30 - Blues Night - Groningen, NL
5/1 - Roots and Roses Festival - Lessines, BE
5/3 - 100 Club - London, UK
5/4 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
5/5 - Soup Kitchen - Manchester, UK
5/6 - Whelan's - Dublin, IE
5/15 - SECCA - Winston-Salem, NC

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Cyndi Lauper, with Hunter Valentine, at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (10/30/13)

Setlist Money Changes Everything Girls Just Want to Have Fun When You Were Mine Time After Time She Bop All Through the Night Witness I'll Kiss You He's So Unusual Yeah Yeah -- The Goonies 'R' Good Enough Sex Is In the Heel Shine Water's Edge True Colors Tour Dates 11/01/13 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 11/03/13 Greensburg, PA Palace Theater 11/05/13 Nashville, TN Performing Arts 11/06/13 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre 11/08/13 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall 11/09/13 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock 11/10/13 Lake Buena Vista, FL - HOB 11/12/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater 11/13/13 Washington, DC Warner Theatre 11/15/13 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre 11/16/13 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse All dates with Hunter Valentine Read More Cyndi Lauper Children of the 80s should all know "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", which is actually a cover song. So basically all the money she made off that song and royalties went to one lucky Robert Hazard. … Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun. …

Cyndi Lauper is currently on tour for her 30th Anniversary of She's So Unusual (originally released October 14, 1983, on Portrait Records), stopping by Mill City Nights in Minneapolis last night.

HUNTER VALENTINE

Hunter Valentine opened up the show. This was my fourth time seeing the Toronto-based band, but my first with new bassist Leanne Bowes. I thought I heard that she was from Sick of Sarah (a Minneapolis all-girls band), as described on stage in her introduction.

Anyway, you can tell the all-girls band were big fans of Cyndi Lauper, especially when singer Kiyomi announced that after their set that she would be joining the crowd and "dancing in the moshpit!"

I have to say, that this was, by far, their best show of the ones I've seen; their energy and excitement were kept up throughout their brief 40 minute set, as they play tracks from their 2012 album Collide and Conquer, including their latest single, "The Pulse".

Although this was the "30th Anniversary of She's So Unusual " tour, Cyndi Lauper explained that it was also meant to showcase a brand new album. Things didn't happen as planned, so instead this turned into, basically, a greatest hits tour. Which, I honestly didn't think anyone minded.

As promised, the entire She's So Unusual album were played leaving a few other songs for the encore (including one of her hit song "True Color").

Early into their set, Lauper's guitarist was experiencing some technical difficulties. The stage tech kept running on and off stage, trying to figure it out. After "When You Were Mine", they stopped the show completely. As they were trying to fix the problem, Lauper launched into one of her many, many stories about her incredible life, growing up in the 80s.

After a seemingly long story, you soon discover that it all lead up to a punch line about a loud clock, where the true secret origins of the lines "lying in my bed I hear the clock tick" and "the second hand unwinds" came from in the classic hit song "Time After Time".

Personal highlight of her set for me was "She Bop", which, in my opinion, is her best song. As soon as that first few chords were played, you instantly knew that "sound". It's important to note also that when Lauper started her career, musicians had to discover and invent their unique sound. Lauper vision, as she explained in one of her many stories that she was going after this reggae mixed with ska, but with her unusual vocals.

Anyway, if you want to 'bop' too, check out Cyndi Lauper on this 30th Anniversary tour, with her special guest Hunter Valentine.

Cyndi Lauper at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (10/30/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ huntervalentine.com ♥ cyndilauper.com

Rocktober Round Five

Read More The Head and the Heart Saturday we have The Head And The Heart at First Avenue in Minneapolis. They are so popular that they have been selling out all their shows across the country. In fact, they've even booked…

QUIET LIFE
quietlifeband.com

For the final week of Rocktober (week five!) starts on Sunday (10/27), and we have Quiet Life, who is opening up for the Head And The Heart at the sold-out double shows at First Avenue, in Minneapolis.

The Portland indie/Americana band is currently touring in support of their sophomore LP, Wild Pack. The digital and CD were released last week (October 15th), but look for the vinyl version to make its away in stores on November 19, 2013 on Mama Bird Recording Co.

Feel free to download the lead single, "Devil's Kin", via Soundcloud.

Tour dates:

10.26.13 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue *+
10.27.13 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue *+
10.28.13 Madison, WI Orpheum Theater *+
10.29.13 Royal Oak, MI R Oak Music Theatre*+
10.31.13 Toronto, ON The Danforth Music Hall *+
11.04.13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club *+
11.05.13 New York, NY Terminal 5 *+
11.06.13 New York, NY Webster Hall *+
11.08.13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer *+
11.09.13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer *+
11.10.13 Raleigh, NC Ritz *+
11.12.13 Atlanta, GA The Buckhead *+
11.13.13 New Orleans, LA Tipitina's *+
11.14.13 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Ballroom *+
11.15.13 Dallas, TX Southside Ballroom ^+
11.16.13 Austin, TX Stubb's ^+
11.17.13 Austin, TX Stubb's $+

* = Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
+ = The Head and the Heart

Read More Sleepy Sun I was introduced to Canadian singer/songwriter City and the Colour (aka Dallas Green) at a concert when a girl was swooning over the tour poster. Apparently City and Colour …

SLEEPY SUN
sleepysun.net

On Monday (10/28), we have Sleepy Sun to open up for City and Colour over at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I've previously mentioned that I was introduced to City and Colour by girls swooning over his tour poster - so he's definitely has his fans.

As for Sleepy Sun, I managed to catch the band in 2009, when they were touring in support of Embrace.

The San Francisco band recently released their new 7" on Dine Alone Records called "The Lane" (backed with "11:32"), which you can hear on Soundcloud.

Tour dates:

10/27: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant*
10/28: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue*
10/29: Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre*
10/30: Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre*
10/31: Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
11/01: Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room*
11/02: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's*
11/03: Louisville, KY @ W.L. Lyons Brown Theater*
11/05: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE (indoor stage)*
11/07: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues*
11/08: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore*
11/09: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore*
11/10: Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
11/12: Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
11/13: Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
11/14: Waterloo, ON @ Starlight Club
11/15: London, ON @ Call the Office
11/16: Kingston, ON @ The Grad Club
11/17: Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
11/18: Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
11/19: St Louis, MO @ Firebird
11/20: Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
11/22: Denver, CO @ Moe's
11/23: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

* w/ City and Colour

Read More Mrs. Magician Thrill Me Records wants you to stream their latest Mrs. Magician's B-Sides album right now on Soundcloud. As the title of their record suggests, this is a B-Sides compilation. …

BRONCHO
bronchoband.com

Broncho are playing at 7th Street Entry on Tuesday (10/29).

The band was praised by NPR, who said that the band display "the best elements of 70s punk", among other things.

Check out "Please Try Me" on Soundcloud.



Tour dates:

10/26: St. Louis, MO - Firebird
10/27: Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
10/29: Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
10/30: Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
11/01: Chicago, IL - Schubas
11/02: Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub
11/04: Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
11/05: Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
11/06: Washington, DC - DC9
11/07: Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery
11/08: Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
11/09: Columbus, OH - The Basement

Read More Smallpools Opening up for all the U.S. dates so far is Smallpools, a band based out of Los Angeles (although their guitarist Mike Kamerman said that he's from New Jersey, singer Sean Scanlon is from …

SMALLPOOLS
smallpoolsmusic.com

Next door, on the same name Tuesday (10/29), at the mainroom at First Avenue is Smallpools and Walk the moon and Twenty One Pilots.

Smallpools is an up-and-coming indie pop band, forming in early 2013. Based out of Los Angeles, the group consists of four members: Sean Scanlon (vocals), Mike Kamerman (guitar), Beau Kuther (drums), and Joe Intile (bass). Their first single "Dreaming" was released online in May of 2013, and has already been featured in the FIFA 14 soundtrack, as well as the show The Vampire Diaries. The debut self-entitled EP, under RCA Records, was released on July 16, 2013.

Smallpools recently went semi-viral on the internet when the group decided to "commandeer" a self-playing piano in the lobby of a movie theater. There they played an acoustic version of their hit single "Dreaming" which attracted a small crowd, including security. They were granted permission to finish, and, upon doing so, were peacefully escorted out. A bystander commented that they were "inspired" by the performance.

The band is currently on tour:

10/26 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater $ 10/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue $ 10/30 - Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater $ 10/31 - Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theater $ 11/05 - London, UK @ Madame Jojo's 11/08 - London, UK @ Koko's Club NME 11/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Mellon 11/25 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * 11/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA *

11/27 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues * 11/29 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues * 11/30 - Detroit, MI @ Fillmore (89x show) * 12/01 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE * 12/03 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club * 12/04 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza * 12/05 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza * 12/07 - Richmond, VA @ XL102 $ with Walk The Moon and * with 21 Pilots

Read More Hunter Valentine The last time we saw Hunter Valentine in Minneapolis, the band was riding high as being regular cast members on The Real L Word on the Showtime. The show undoubtedly brought the band to a national …

HUNTER VALENTINE
huntervalentine.com

Can't believe it's only Wednesday (10/30), but we have another double show night, starting with Hunter Valentine and Cyndi Lauper at Mill City Nights.

Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun.

All dates with Cyndi:

10/26/13 Montreal, QC Metropolis
10/27/13 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
10/29/13 Madison, WI Capitol Theater
10/30/13 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
11/01/13 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
11/03/13 Greensburg, PA The Palace Theater
11/05/13 Nashville, TN Performing Arts Center
11/06/13 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
11/08/13 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
11/09/13 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Casino
11/10/13 Lake Buena Vista, FL - HOB
11/12/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater
11/13/13 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
11/15/13 Glenside, PA The Keswick Theatre
11/16/13 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse

Read More Widowspeak The duo will team up with Pure Bathing Culture. The band is touring in support of their sophomore album Almanac. You may remember their Minneapolis saga, having missed their show with 2:54…

WIDOWSPEAK
bandcamp.com

Over at the familiar 7th Street Entry on the same night (10/30) is Widowspeak, who is opening up for Pure Bathing Culture.

Expect the Portland duo to play tracks from their latest album Almanac, but also their latest EP called The Swamps, which is released this week. Listen here:



Tour dates:

10/26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge*
10/27 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge*
10/28 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr*
10/30 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry*
10/31 - Chicago, IL - Schubas*
11/01 - Ferndale, MI - The Loving Touch*
11/02 - Toronto, ON - Silver Dollar Room*
11/03 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore*
11/04 - Winooski, VT - The Monkey House*
11/05 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear’s Place*
11/06 - New Haven, CT - BAR Nightclub*
11/08 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*

* with Pure Bathing Culture

Read More Beats Antique Samurai warrior behind curtains, mermaid crowd surfing, bellydance-off, did I miss anything else?? I'd say Beats Antique is fairly creative. Zoe Jakes is the center for all the wardrobe …

BEATS ANTIQUE
beatsantique.com

HALLOWEEN! October 31st should be amazing. There are a couple of great shows going on this night (including Summer Set/Wallpaper./3OH!3 for the youth), but our money is on Beats Antique at Mill City Nights.

If you have not kept up, this experimental fusion group mixes world/tribal music, performance art, and electronic music!

The trio is on tour in support of A Thousand Faces: Act 1, which was released last week (10/15) on 10 Spot Music.

Tour dates:

10/26/13 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
10/27/13 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
10/31/13 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
11/01/13 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
11/02/13 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
11/03/13 Voodoo Experience
11/06/13 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's
11/07/13 Austin, TX Emo's
11/08/13 Dallas, TX Trees
11/09/13 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
11/13/13 Santa Ana, CA Yost Theater
11/14/13 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
11/15/13 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda
11/16/13 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
11/17/13 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
12/31/13 Snowglobe Music Festival

aaronm + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Girls Girls Girls: Hunter Valentine, Girl in a Coma, and ZZ Ward

Read More Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine came on pretty late to a room full of mostly women couples. It's obvious to me that the newfound audience was from Showtime's "The Real L Word" - and possibly because last night was also "National Coming Out Day." .…

HUNTER VALENTINE
huntervalentine.com

The last time we saw Hunter Valentine in Minneapolis, the band was riding high as being regular cast members on The Real L Word on the Showtime. The show undoubtedly brought the band to a national level, so their show was had a great turnout.

Since 2012, the Canadian band's bassist Veronica Sanchez left the band and is now replaced by Leanne Bowes (who joined the band in early 2013).

The band is currently on the road with Girl in a Coma (a band we like), Krissy Krissy, and 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper!

Tour dates below:

09/28/13 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio
10/05/13 Pittsburgh, PA The Smiling Moose
10/06/13 Philadelphia, PA Milkboy
10/08/13 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
10/ 18/13 Englewood, NJ Bergen *
10/19/13 Boston, MA Wang Theatre *
10/20/13 Queens, NY Kupferberg Arts Center*
10/22/13 Wilkes-barre, PA F M Kirby Center*
10/23/13 New Brunswick, NJ State Theater*
10/25/13 Lebanon, NH The Lebanon Opera House *
10/26/13 Montreal, QC Metropolis*
10/27/13 Toronto, ON Massey Hall*
10/29/13 Madison, WI Capitol Theater *
10/30/13 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights*
11/0/13 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre*
11/03/13 Greensburg, PA The Palace Theater *
11/05/13 Nashville, TN Tennessee Performing Arts Center*
11/06/13 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre*
11/08/13 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall *
11/09/13 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Casino*
11/10/13 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues*
11/12/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater*
11/13/13 Washington, DC Warner Theatre*
11/15/13 Glenside, PA The Keswick Theatre *
11/16/13 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse *

* with Cyndi Lauper

Read More Girl in a Coma These Texan girls know something about heatwaves… Last week the band unveiled their cover of the Martha and the Vadellas classic song, although the name .…

GIRL IN A COMA
girlinacoma.com

Speaking of Girl in a Coma, the last time we heard from these San Antonio girls was their cover of Martha and the Vadellas' "Heatwave" was used in JC Penney's national ad campaign. Since then, the band's been on constantly tour, including opening up for the legendary Iggy Pop and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Did I mention that they were constantly on tour? It's true, the trio is still on tour in support of their album Exits & All The Rest (winning the 2012 Independent Music Award for Best Indie/Alt Album) with Hunter Valentine and Krissy Krissy. I don't know if Hunter Valentine will actually be at the Minneapolis show (09/30), but we'll find out next week.

09/24/13 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court*
09/25/13 Denver, CO - Walnut Room*
09/26/13 Kansas City, MO - Czar Bar*
09/27/13 St. Louis, MO - Old Rock House*
09/28/13 Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio*
09/30/13 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry*
10/02/13 Madison, WI - Frequency*
10/03/13 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot*
10/04/13 Chicago, IL - Double Door*
10/12/13 Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete St Amph
11/02/13 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
11/27/13 San Antonio, TX - Backstage Live

* with Hunter Valentine and Krissy Krissy

Read More ZZ Ward I was looking forward to see ZZ Ward at the sold-out Varsity Theater earlier this year, but unfortunately, due to miscommunication, this never happened. .…

ZZ WARD
zzward.com

It's been a great year for ZZ Ward, having sold-out many of her shows throughout the country. The last time we saw her, it was at The Basilica Block Party, where she played tracks from her soulful debut album Til The Casket Drops, plus a cover of Son House's "Grinnin' In Your Face".

I suspect the set will be similar this time around, as she return to the Twin Cities at Skyway Theater on October 12th as part of her so-called "Down and Dirty Shine Tour":

09/23/13 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
09/24/13 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
09/27/13 - Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre
09/28/13 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
09/30/13 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10/01/13 - Phila, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
10/02/13 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/04/13 - Cleveland, OH @ Cambridge Room
10/05/13 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
10/06/13 - Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
10/08/13 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe
10/11/13 - Kansas City, MO @ The Midland
10/12/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theater
10/14/13 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
10/15/13 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Hunter Valentine at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (10/11/12)

Tour Dates 10/12 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews 10/13 Kansas City, MO @ Czar 10/14 Lincoln, NE @ Lincoln Calling 10/16 Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room 10/17 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki 10/18 Boise, ID @ The Shredder 10/20 Seattle, WA @ The Mix 10/24 San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord 10/25 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place 10/26 Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones 10/27 West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy 10/28 Fresno, CA @ Audie's Olympic 10/29 San Diego, CA @ The Griffin 11/01 Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse 11/02 Tucson, AZ @ The Hut 11/03 Mesa, AZ @ Hollywood Alley 11/06 Houston, TX @ Dan Electro's 11/07 Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ 11/08 San Antonio, TX @ Jack's Bar 11/09 Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory 11/10 Dallas, TX @ Sue Ellen's 11/12 St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird 11/15 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine 11/16 Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint 11/17 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 11/18 North Reading, MA @ Great American Read More Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine is from Toronto, Canada, and having been featured as the regular cast on season three of Showtime's "The Real L Word" series, Hunter Valentine's fame meter has ...

Toronto's Hunter Valentine came back to Minneapolis at the 400 Bar last night, October 11th.

Since there were four bands listed, the show started exactly at 8pm and everyone ran on a tight schedule. Fuzzy Machete opened up, you can read (and hear) more about it, including full setlist, on W♥M152.

DEVIL BLUES BAND

Minneapolis' Devil Blues Band was up next. Despite the 'blues' in their name, this was a punk band. They played loud and hard and required very little soundcheck setup. I got the feeling that they've been playing live regularly, based on their stage presence. The only song I have from them is the intro song, which can be found on a local compilation called The Devil's Basement: Unlocked.

Setlist: "Aurora", "See Me Go", "Requiem", "Kodachrome", "A Maraca", "Will I Survive", "Stilettos", "Find that Hooker", "Devil's Blues", and "Don't Belong."

QUEEN CAVEAT

Queen Caveat is from Los Angeles. Singer Lauren Little was quite a bouncing ball, dancing all over the stage (and off the stage!) I suspect she's a lot of fun to be around, having seen her moon us and proud to have been "jailed three times" with Hunter Valentine. Rebel girl, I want to be your best friend.

Setlist included most of Slap On The Wrist EP and some odds and ends: "Bullet", "Mr California", "Let It Fall", "Oh No", "Mess", "Resilient Me", and "Undressed." I think they replaced one of the middle songs with something else.

Hunter Valentine came on pretty late to a room full of mostly women couples. It's obvious to me that the newfound audience was from Showtime's "The Real L Word" - and possibly because last night was also "National Coming Out Day."

Half their set was from 2010's Lessons From The Late Night ("Treadmills of Love", "Scarface", "The Stalker", and "Revenge") and the other half from the upcoming Collide and Conquer album ("Lonely Crusade", "Priscilla", "Little Curse (Shit Happens)", "This Bull Rides Tonight", "Liar Liar", and "Crying"). Rounding out the rest was the two "explicit" songs from their debut album The Impatient Romantic ("Staten Island Dream Tour" and "Jimmy Dean.")

Hunter Valentine is currently on tour for their upcoming album Collide and Conquer, which is coming out October 22nd. You can catch them live on tour or re-runs on "The Real L Word."

Hunter Valentine (with Tara from Fuzzy Machete) at the 400 Bar, Minneapolis (10/11/12)

vu () ♥ huntervalentine.com ♥ devilbluesband.com ♥ queencaveat.com

W♥M152: Fuzzy Machete

W♥M152 (10 mins)

Fuzzy Machete just played their third gig with Hunter Valentine at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, last night, October 11th. I've previously described Fuzzy Machete's music as "songs about Star Trek, bunnies, zombies, ninjas, pirates, you know, sort of dorky stuff."

This is the first time I've seen the band with a brand new dedicated singer called Chelsea. Her vocals were more upbeat (and happier) than what I was expecting from Fuzzy Machete. This is not a bad thing, it was just different.

Setlist as follows: "Doctor Who", "Enjoy the Ride", "TV is Awesome", "Gamera", "Behind the Counter", "Kiss", "Leaf on the Wind", and "Mad Skills."

Talking between songs were kept to a minimum because there were four bands on the bill and all the band's set times were reduced to about thirty minutes.

After the gig, Vu interviewed all the current members of Fuzzy Machete (Tara, Jacqui, Chelsea, and Krissandra.) We talked about the nerdism/geeky songs and how excited they were to play with Hunter Valentine.

Find out more about Fuzzy Machete's EP The End Result and information about the band on fuzzymachete.com.

Fuzzy Machete at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (10/11/12)

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____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

The xx Word

Read More Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine seems pleased at the turn out last night. They had a great stage presence, and the highlight of the set for me was, what I'm pretty sure was a cover of this old 80s song, "Your Love", members of Vanity Theft joined them on stage. Hand claps and dancing were involved.

The weather here in Minneapolis is getting colder. If this keeps up, I may have to go into winter hibernation mid-November or earlier. In the meantime, October (aka "Rocktober") has been pretty bad for concerts. I'm seeing a lot of shows this month; I guess I have to get as many in before the winter. I will be coming out of hibernation in April 2013.

HUNTER VALENTINE
huntervalentine.com

Just a reminder that Hunter Valentine will be hitting the 400 Bar in Minneapolis this week: October 11th. We covered them a few times when they were in Minneapolis, and we'll be there for them on Thursday.

Hunter Valentine is from Toronto, Canada, and having been featured as the regular cast on season three of Showtime's "The Real L Word" series, Hunter Valentine's fame meter has skyrocketed and their shows have been selling out across the country.

If you want to see the band before they blowup, now would be the perfect time as Hunter Valentine continues to tour throughout North America. While you're out to check out the band live, be sure to look for the band's latest release called Collide & Conquer. The album officially will be coming out October 23rd, 2012, but I'm almost certain that you can pick up a copy at their show.

10/10 - Urbana, IL @ Courtyard Cafe 10/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar 10/12 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews 10/13 - Kansas City, MO @ Czar 10/14 - Lincoln, NE @ Lincoln Calling 10/16 - Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room 10/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki 10/18 - Boise, ID @ The Shredder 10/20 - Seattle, WA @ The Mix 10/24 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord 10/25 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place 10/26 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones 10/27 - West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy 10/28 - Fresno, CA @ Audie's Olympic

10/29 - San Diego, CA @ The Griffin 11/01 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse 11/02 - Tucson, AZ @ The Hut 11/03 - Mesa, AZ @ Hollywood Alley 11/06 - Houston, TX @ Dan Electro's 11/07 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ 11/08 - San Antonio, TX @ Jack's Bar 11/09 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory 11/10 - Dallas, TX @ Sue Ellen's 11/12 - St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird 11/15 - New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine 11/16 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint 11/17 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 11/18 - North Reading, MA @ Great American

THE XX
thexx.info

Undoubtedly one of the hottest bands is London's The xx. With their sophomore album, Coexist, just released last month, the band proved that they're not some sort of one-hit/one-trick pony.

I will be checking them out at their sold-out show in Minneapolis. I'm mostly there because I actually want to see the opening band 2:54. As you recall, we covered the band when they first toured here.

If you didn't know 2:54 consists of real life sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow and the band was named at the time in a Melvin's song where "it gets good."

The xx are currently on tour in North America in support of Coexist. Be sure to get there early to check out 2:54. Dates with (*) indicates appearance with 2:54.

10/10/12 Las Vegas, NV Pool At The Cosmopolitan 10/11/12 San Diego, CA SOMA San Diego 10/12/12 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Palladium* 10/13/12 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Forever* 10/14/12 San Francisco, CA Treasure Island 10/16/12 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex* 10/17/12 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater* 10/19/12 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue* 10/20/12 Chicago, IL Congress Theater*

10/21/12 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater* 10/23/12 Toronto, ON Massey Hall 10/24/12 Quebec City, QC Imperial Du Quebec 10/25/12 Boston, MA House Of Blues Boston 10/26/12 Bronx, NY Paradise Theatre 10/28/12 Bronx, NY Paradise Theatre 10/29/12 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory 10/30/12 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live! 11/13/12 Madrid, Spain La Riviera

BRANDY
4everbrandy.com

Remember Brandy? That R&B pop singer? I haven't actually heard from her in a long time, but I guess she's still around and making music.

Her sixth studio album is called Two Eleven and will be out October 16th. The title has special meaning to Brandy, as it is the date of her birthday and Whitney Houston's death.

You may be hearing more about Brandy this month in support of the new album, including her appearance on "The F Word." The show is available for free at musicchoice.com. The 15-minute show focuses on being famous.

10/15/12 New York, NY Best Buy Theater
10/26/12 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
11/10/12 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
11/11/12 Washington, DC The Howard Theatre

SIMON SPIRE
simonspire.com

Four-Letter Words is the forthcoming album by New Zealand's Simon Spire. The album arrives in the US on October 23rd and features his new single "Uncomfortable" (single was available last month, September 10th.)

You can listen to the song at Soundcloud.

Although I mentioned he is from New Zealand, Spire thinks of himself as a "New Yorklander" because he loves spending time in New York (having lived there for the past three years).

Spire adds, "I'm always interested in where humanity is going, and for that reason I love being in New York—I've often thought of it as being at the forefront of our continuing cultural evolution. In that sense, I want to be part of a new vision, taking part in where we're going next."

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

At the 400 Bar: Sloan, Tilly & the Wall, Hunter Valentine, TEEN, and Longfellow 3

Planning on catching a show at the 400 Bar? Maybe you can check out some of these bands scheduled to appear at the 400 Bar.

Tour Dates 09/14/12 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 09/15/12 Victoria, BC Royal Athletic Park 09/17/12 Medicine Hat, AB The Esplanade 09/18/12 Regina, SK The Pump Roadhouse 09/19/12 Saskatoon, SK Louis' 09/20/12 Winnipeg, MB Pyramid Cabaret 09/21/12 Minneapolis, MN The 400 Bar 09/22/12 Chicago, IL Subterranean 10/10/12 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's 10/11/12 Washington, DC Black Cat 10/12/12 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle 10/15/12 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg 10/16/12 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 10/19/12 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall

SLOAN
www.sloanmusic.com

Back to school bringing you down? Sloan will turn that frown upside down!

Hitting the 400 Bar on September 21st is Canadian power-pop quartet Sloan, a band that has stayed mostly under the radar in the States despite churning out a catalogue of fantastic and catchy songs over the years. Having celebrated 20 years together last year with a tour and a new album (the Double Cross), Sloan are back this year to promote 1994’s excellent and underrated Twice Removed release on vinyl.

Twice Removed was the band’s second full length album and originally put out by Geffen Records. Despite the album’s wild success in Canada, Geffen didn’t do sufficient promotion of the record and, as a result, sales dwindled elsewhere. To make matters worse, the band was soon ousted off the label. Now, there have been plenty of rock and roll injustices over the years, but witnessing a gem like Twice Removed disappear into the ether is simply a crime! I dare you to listen to this record and not dance around the room. (WTF, Geffen?)

Thankfully, after dodging rumors of a breakup, Sloan regrouped and formed Murderecords, an independent label that has not only released every one of their records since but also boasts a roster of other great Canadian indie-rock acts.

Sloan continues to tour and record albums, each member contributing vocals as well as songwriting. Pick up Twice Removed on vinyl at Sloan’s website or do yourself a favor and see this delicious ear candy live.

emily () ♥ www.sloanmusic.com

TILLY & THE WALL
tillyandthewall.com

I really like Tilly & The Wall. Even before I saw them play 80/35 Music Festival, I was in love with their 2008's O album.

It looks like the band will make their way to the 400 Bar on October 6th with Nicky Da B. I am hoping they bring their dedicated tap dancer to the show!

Tilly & The Wall's latest album, Heavy Mood, will be out October 2nd on Team Love. Check out this "remix of a remix" from Cycad for their song "Love Riot"

Also, wondering why it took the band four years to release a new album? The answer is simply: life. Three band members got married (with children?) and two moved to Los Angeles. It should be interesting to see how all this affected their songs? Well one thing's for certain, they still have a lot of energy and fun.

10/05/12 Des Moines, IA Wooly's 10/06/12 Minneapolis, MN The 400 Bar 10/07/12 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall 10/08/12 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop 10/10/12 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church 10/12/12 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 10/13/12 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom 10/14/12 Washington, DC Black Cat 10/16/12 Raleigh, NC King's Barcade 10/17/12 Atlanta, GA Terminal West 10/18/12 Nashville, TN High Watt 10/20/12 Columbia, MO Mojo's 10/21/12 Lawrence, KS Jackpot Music Hall

11/02/12 Denver, CO Hi-Dive 11/03/12 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court 11/05/12 Seattle, WA Neumos 11/06/12 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre 11/08/12 San Francisco, CA Great American 11/09/12 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour 11/10/12 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room 11/12/12 San Diego, CA The Casbah 11/13/12 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom 11/16/12 Austin, TX The Mohawk 11/17/12 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's - Downstairs 11/18/12 Dallas, TX Trees 11/21/12 Omaha, NE Slowdown

HUNTER VALENTINE
www.huntervalentine.com

We've seen Hunter Valentine a few times at the 400 Bar, and, yes, they're coming back to the 400 again.

The new tour is in support of their forthcoming album, Collide & Conquer, which is coming out October 23rd, 2012.

What's exciting is that the band appeared in Showtime's "The Real L Word", which aired in early August. I haven't seen it as I don't have cable, but I'm pretty sure you can probably youtube it.

Hunter Valentine is currently on the road:

09/14 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits 09/15 St Petersburg @ Progress Nrg 09/17 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub 09/19 Birmingham, AL @ Nick 09/20 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In 09/21 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 09/22 Washington, DC @ Phase 1 09/29 Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar 10/03 Columbus, OH @ Kobo 10/04 Dayton, OH @ Canal St Tavern 10/05 Cincinnati, OH @ Mainstay Rock 10/06 Bloomington, IN @ Bear's Place 10/07 Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room 10/09 Chicago, IL @ Stage Bar

10/10 Urbana, IL @ Courtyard Cafe 10/11 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar 10/12 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville 10/13 Kansas City, MO @ Czar 10/14 Lincoln, NE @ Lincoln Calling 10/16 Denver, CO @ Walnut Room 10/17 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki 10/18 Boise, ID @ Shredder 10/20 Seattle, WA @ Mix 10/24 S Fran, CA @ Cafe Du Nord 10/25 S Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place 10/26 S Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones 10/27 West Hollywood, CA @ Roxy 10/28 Fresno, CA @ Audie's Olympic

10/29 San Diego, CA @ Griffin 11/01 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse 11/02 Tucson, AZ @ The Hut 11/03 Mesa, AZ @ Hollywood Alley 11/06 Houston, TX @ Dan Electro's 11/07 Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ 11/08 San Antonio, TX @ Jack's Bar 11/09 Oklahoma City @ Conservatory 11/10 Dallas, TX @ Sue Ellen's 11/12 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird 11/15 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine 11/16 Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint 11/17 New York @ Mercury Lounge 11/18 NReading,MA@Great American

TEEN
teentheband.com

I previously mentioned TEEN before. They're three sisters (plus one close friend), and their debut album, In Limbo, just came out at the end of August via Carpark Records.

You can stream the entire album at Soundcloud.

Here's my theory about sister-bands: they have great harmonies that can only exist because of their closeness and knowing each other really, really well. The only problem I can think of for TEEN is their band name.

Anyway, tour dates below:

09/14 New York, NY @ Webster Hall 09/26 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues+ 09/27 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall+ 09/28 Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival 09/29 Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s Tavern* 09/30 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon* 10/01 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar* 10/02 Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College* 10/03 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr.* 10/05 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive* 10/06 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court* 10/07 Boise, ID @ The Red Room* 10/09 Seattle, WA @ Barboza* 10/10 Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club* 10/11 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir*

10/13 Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place* 10/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo* 10/17 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom* 10/19 San Antonio, TX @ Korova* 10/20 Austin, TX @ Red 7* 10/21 Dallas, TX @ Bryan Street Tavern* 10/23 Nashville, TN @ The High Watt* 10/24 Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club* 10/25 Athens, GA @ Caledonia Club* 10/26 Greenville, SC @ Radio Room* 10/27 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506* 10/28 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter* 10/29 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar* w/ Santigold, *w/ Hospitality

THE LONGFELLOW 3
centerrecords.com

The Longfellow 3, Electro 35, Mathis Grey, and The Karma Kicks (four bands!) are all playing at the 400 Bar today (September 13th). The show is for The Longfellow 3's Linger Longer album release.

The Minneapolis band loves late '80s Minneapolis alternative/garage rock (The Replacements, anyone?), and they hope their new album reflects their love.

As for the other number-band, Electro 35, their singer John Fellman is based out of Indiana, but his band is based out of Minneapolis.

If my Corin Tucker show ends early, I might swing by the 400.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (07/08/11)

Tour Dates 07/12/11 Darien Lakes - Darien Center, NY 07/13/11 Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA 07/14/11 Toyota Pavilion - Scranton, PA 07/15/11 Flats - Mississauga, ON 07/16/11 Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal 07/17/11 Comcast Theatre - Hartford, CT 07/19/11 Marcus Amph - Milwaukee, WI 07/20/11 Blossom Music - Cleveland, OH 07/21/11 Susquehanna - Camden, NJ 07/22/11 1st Niagara Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA 07/23/11 Nassau - Long Island, NY 07/24/11 Monmouth Park - Oceanport, NJ 07/26/11 Merriweather - Columbia, MD 07/27/11 Verizon Wireless - Virginia Beach, VA 07/28/11 Verizon Wireless - Charlotte, NC 08/18/11 Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY 08/19/11 Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ 08/20/11 M Room - Philadelphia, PA

I underestimated how long it would take to bicycle down to the 400 Bar and ended up really late - Fuzzy Machete had just finished their set and walking off the stage. It was guitarist Tara's birthday and all, so I am personally embarrassed that I couldn't pedal as fast as I used to. I did manage to later squeeze in some insights about their "new" drummer, Chayci. Apparently it's their old drummer. And also settled my differences with Scott Bakula with singer Krissandra.

Fuzzy Machete is playing at AniMinneapolis today (July 9th). They'll love them there, with all the stuff about Star Trek and nerdy songs. You have been warned.

Hunter Valentine Julie Puppets

The turn out for this show was pretty amazing, it was mostly women, but there were actually a good portion of men too.

Hunter Valentine started off their set with "Jimmy Dean" with the catchy chorus of "and when you walk away/you walk away with my feelings". I'm not that familiar with their songs, but I'm pretty sure they did "Scarface", and also, I think a cover of The Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

As predicted, Julie Puppets didn't really fit in on the bill, as evident by the crowd having gone away. To their credit, it is a tough act to follow Sick of Sarah. Singer Russ Staiger said on stage that they haven't played in over a year, but they seem to have to have it together from their "69 times playing the 400 Bar" (joke) (see comment below). Their set includes a full band for the first three song, then a solo three-song set, and then closing out with the full band.

The majority of the crowd was there to see Sick of Sarah, they've built up quite a fan following. You can see that this isn't their first rodeo, the band is tight and singer Abisha dance moves have been perfected from all their tours.

Sick of Sarah started off their set with their single, "Kick Back", which sounded great, but "Bittersweet" was clearly the crowd's favorite. It was a short set, and fans were demanding an encore. Always leave them wanting more.

Sick of Sarah is about to embark on the Warped Tour 2011, which should be pretty amazing, but I must admit, it's better to see them in a more intimate setting like the 400 Bar.

Sick of Sarah at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (07/08/11)

PS, as noted on their setlist, they also held a "Tattoo" raffle.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Saturday, 09 July 2011 at 12:22 PM
Tara Davis writes:

Hey, Tara from Fuzzy Machete here. Sorry you missed us this time, but I'm sure we'll see you again. I know this city is notorious starting shows later than posted, but with five bands on the bill, we ran a pretty tight ship an every single band started right on the dot of the announced start times.

One quick correction: Russ was actually NOT joking when he announced that it was his band's 69th appearance at the 400 Bar. It was. The Julie Puppets have been on a long hiatus, but used to be really active in the Minneapolis scene a couple years ago. They did a lot of double-bills with Sick of Sarah, and also headlined some pretty exciting shows on their own. This was their "comeback" show with a new drummer but otherwise their same line-up. As you could tell from the sight of me bouncing up and down near the front of the stage, I'm a huge fan.