W♥M

SXSW 2023

Read More SXSW SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17–22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. ....

What a year, once again! This was my 12th SXSW in the last 16 years, and I'll be honest I thought it was going to be a down year post-Covid…. But far from a dull year, Austin was alive and well with loads of great new artists from all over the world in very tiny intimate settings.

To future SXSW attendees it’s still always good to have a nice daily list of shows you want to see and the locations to map out a schedule. All the venues are centrally located near downtown and the transportation options with walking, scooters, bikes, and Lyfts make life easy getting around the music festival.

Anyone that is buying a $1,000 music badge is out of their mind (that isn’t getting it free through label/company etc.). The collection of free day parties all over the city is endless, all you had to do was RSVP to a few, but most of them were free without it. And as far as the nightly showcases paying for $10-20 covers is the way to go.

The first night I saw 15 bands at three venues and paid $30 in covers. The second stage locations were extremely convenient when making decisions on who to catch.

Now for the music enrichment of new music with the top 10 lists.

Top 10 performances at SXSW

1. Orions Belte @ International day stage (Khruangbin/Delicate Steve fans)
2. The Garrys @ Swan Dive and Lazarus Brewery (caught them twice) (Unreal surf rock)
3. Lemonade Shoelace @ Cedar Street Courtyard and Laz (killer psychedelic band from Belfast / Tame Impala-esque)
4. Heavy Heavy @ Parish (killer Ed Sharpe/Nathaniel Rateliff sound) (every song gets better love the male/female vocals)
5. Red Rum Club at Lazarus Brewery
6. Been Stellar @ Swan Dive (Creek and the Cave)… Ben Stellar showed up at this party (Tokyo Police Club sound)
7. The Goa Express @ Swan Dive (killer Britrock)
8. Silverbacks @ Lazarus Brewery (great Irish band reminds me of The Rakes/Art Brut)
9. Kiwi Jr. @ Lazarus Brewery (Strokes vibes)
10. Lounge Society @ Chess Club
    
    --
    Honorable Mention: Sports Team @ Mohawk

Top 10 Artists missed @ SXSW Thee Sacred Souls Fennac (killer DJ) Vanille Balthvs Fonteyn Iguana Death Cult

Good Looks Wild Child Jockstrap Girl Scout -- Honorable mention: Circa Waves, Philline Sonny, Zella Day, Julianna Rolino, Salarymen, Vox Rea

Best Venues at SXSW Lazarus Brewery Mohwak Swan Dive

Can't wait for next year!!!! Rock On!

P.S. Favorite moment at SXSW was hanging out with Ben Romans Hopcraft (former lead singer of Childhood), who I interviewed for W♥M eight years ago at Great Escape Festival in Brighton, England. Crazy small world, we ran into each other at the Lounge Society show at Chess Club. Some of the members of The Nude Party were there as well, who have a sold out show at Turf Club coming up.

Ben has a new band he plays drums and sings for called Miss Tiny. Check them out on Spotify.

Silverbacks at Lazarus Brewery

Lemonade Shoelace Thao at High Noon (15 Mar 2023) Heavy Heavy at the Parish (16 Mar 2023) Red Rum Club Lounge Society at Chess Club (16 Mar 2023)

Lemonade Shoelace at Cedar Street Courtyard, Austin (16 Mar 2023)

brody ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

SXSW 2023: Thao at High Noon, Austin (15 Mar 2023)

Read More SXSW SXSW 2015 is taking place March 17‚Äì22, 2015. We love this time of the year, as many bands heading down to Austin will likely stop in Minneapolis before or after the event. .... Thao We kind of lost track of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down since the pandemic happened… but you know we’ve always been supportive of Thao Nguyen ever since we heard about her in January 2008 …

It’s that time of the year again: SXSW in Austin, Texas. This time of the year, we all benefit from all the bands in Austin, because many of them will be heading to our local venues after SXSW. It looks like things are back to normal, coming off of a terrible two-year pandemic.

Brody is currently at the Paste Magazine / Ilegal Mezcal showcase at High Noon, just east of downtown Austin. Bands are playing 30-min sets, both indoor and outdoor stages.

Currently Thao is setting up her set.

Thao (27 Oct 2013)

We last saw Thao & the Get Down Stay Down in Oct 2013 and said, “This truncated set featured a lot of new songs, taken from her latest release We the Common, including "Holy Roller" and "Every Body". The new material, as I discovered it hearing it live, is more aggressive than her folk songs from her previous two albums. Although the set was shorter, Thao display her talent for all things strings: jumping from guitar to acoustic to banjo to steel guitar. It was fun to watch the transitions.”

Here is the Paste / Ilegal Showcase schedule:

March 15 12:00pm – Devon Gilfillian 12:40pm – Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness 1:20pm – Barrie 2:00pm – Kate Davis 2:40pm – Michigander 3:20pm – Trials of Cato 4:00pm – Thao 4:40pm – Miss Grit 5:20pm – SUSU 6:00pm – Alaska Reid 6:30pm – Brian Sella (of The Front Bottoms)

March 16 12:00pm – Medium Build 12:40pm – Annie Blackman 1:20pm – John Roseboro 2:00pm – William Prince 2:40pm – Dream Wife 3:20pm – Overcoats 4:00pm – Bonny Doon 4:40pm – Sunny War 5:20pm – The Bad Ends 6:00pm – Esther Rose 6:30pm – Sarah Shook & the Disarmers

March 17 12:00pm – CM Talkington with Renee Zellweger 12:40pm – Sadurn 1:20pm – Far Caspian 2:00pm – Fruit Bats 2:40pm – Why Bonnie 3:20pm – Darling West 4:00pm – Cheekface 4:40pm – Eshu Tune (Hannibal Buress) 5:20pm – Death Valley Girls 5:55pm – McKinley Dixon 6:30pm – Ron Gallo

Thao at SXSW, Austin (15 Mar 2023)

brody x vuwest (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis: March 15 to March 16

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

03/15 Bonobo with Jordan Rakei at Palace Theatre Read More Bonobo Bonobo was just in Minneapolis on May 21st, but unfortunately it was a busy night and we couldn’t cover it… Thankfully, we’ll be covering their Greek Theatre … Jordan Rakei Jordan Rakei is currently touring in support of his sophomore album Wallflower (Ninja Tune). Jordan Rakei Tour Dates: 26 Feb - Sinclair, Boston, MA 28 Feb - Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON 01 Mar - Shelter, Detroit, MI …

03/15/2022 Tuesday

Bonobo
with Jordan Rakei
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

Simon Green, or better known as Bonobo, returns to touring, in support of his new album Fragments (Ninja Tune).

We saw Bonobo in at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in Sept 2017 and said, “Simon Green a.k.a. Bonobo’s latest album Migration came out last January to rave reviews. The sound has an overall indigenous feel, a lullaby and a dance party all wrapped into one. Bonobo hit the stage, front and center with his synthesizers. He was surrounded by a strings section, trombones, drummer and guitarist. Our beautiful guest act for the night was the lovely British singer Szjerdene, who has been touring with Bonobo for years enhancing the already brilliant performance with her soulful and brazen vocals. After Green discovered Szjerdene, and their sounds were a match, the birthing of musical collaboration began.”

Jordan Rakei to open.

Tour Dates

21-Feb: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
23-Feb: College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT
25-Feb: Great Hall at Avant Gardner, Brooklyn, NY
27-Feb: Royale, Boston, MA
28-Feb: Echostage, Washington, DC
02-Mar: Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA
04-Mar: ANTHOLOGY, Rochester, NY
05-Mar: Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
06-Mar: MTELUS, Montreal, QC
09-Mar: HISTORY, Toronto, ON
10-Mar: Royal Oak Music Hall, Royal Oak, MI
11-Mar: Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
12-Mar: The Sylvee, Madison, WI
13-Mar: Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
15-Mar: The Palace, Minneapolis, MN
17-Mar: Mission Ballroom, Denver, CO
18-Mar: The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
19-Mar: Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
21-Mar: PNE Forum, Vancouver, BC
22-Mar: Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
23-Mar: McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR
24-Mar: Roseland Theater, Portland, OR

03/16 Thao with Becca Mancari and Why Bonnie at Fine Line Read More Thao We kind of lost track of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down since the pandemic happened… but you know we’ve always been supportive of Thao Nguyen ever since we heard about her in January 2008 … Becca Mancari Nashville, by the way of New York, Becca Mancari will be launching a co-headlining tour with Ron Gallo this September and October. The tour kicks off at The Foundry at the Fillmore in Philadelphia on September 10th. …

03/16/2022 Wednesday

Thao
with Becca Mancari and Why Bonnie
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Our favorite Vietnamese singer and songwriter Thao (formerly of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down) will be on a headlining tour of North America, beginning with the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis on March 16th.

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down released Temple - Deluxe Edition via Ribbon Music in 2021. The LP is a digital deluxe version of her latest album, 2020’s Temple and features acoustic and string arrangement versions of “How Could I,” “Marauders,” “Marrow,” and “Temple.”

Support from Becca Mancari and Why Bonnie for the first half of the tour, and Black Belt Eagle Scout and Quinn Christopherson for the second half.

Tour Dates:

03/16 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe +
03/17 Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre +
03/18 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall +
03/19 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall +
03/20 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge +
03/22 Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater +
03/23 Millvale, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre +
03/24 Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall +
03/25 South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom +
03/26 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club +
03/29 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts +
03/30 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg +
03/31 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club +
04/01 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle +
04/02 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West +
04/03 Birmingham, AL @ Saturn +
04/28 Vancouver, BC @ Imperial #
04/29 Seattle, WA @ The Neptune Theatre #
04/30 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom #
05/02 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's #
05/04 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up #
05/05 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom #
05/06 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom #
05/07 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #

+ w/ Becca Mancari, Why Bonnie
# w/ Black Belt Eagle Scout, Quinn Christopherson

03/16 The Districts with Francis of Delirium and Vanillaroma at Turf Club Read More The Districts Opening the show was Pennsylvania’s The Districts. The band was formed while all the members were still in high school. We saw the band in ...

03/16/2022 Wednesday

The Districts
with Francis of Delirium and Vanillaroma
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

We caught The Districts in Aug 2021 and said, “After over a year or so not being able to play live, because of the pandemic, The Districts are just simply happy to be back live concerts. Singer Rob Grote, quickly commented after their first song, “Man, it’s been a while. Have you guys been to a show since… this (indicating the virus) went down?” The someone in the audience took the opportunity to reply with, “Freebird!””

Francis of Delirium (Luxembourg-based project of Jana Bahrich) and Vanillaroma will open.

Tour dates:

03/11 - Mr Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
03/12 - A&R Music Bar, Columbus, OH
03/13 - Zanzabar, Louisville, KY
03/15 - Metro, Chicago, IL
03/16 - Turf Club, Saint Paul, MN
03/18 - Bluebird Theatre, Denver, CO
03/19 - Kilby Court, Salt Lake City, UT
03/21 - Neumos, Seattle, WA
03/22 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
03/25 - August Hall, San Francisco, CA
03/26 - Lodge Room, LA, CA
03/27 - Casbah Rock, San Diego, CA
03/29 - Valley Bar, Phoenix, AZ
03/30 - MW Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
04/01 - Dada Dallas, Dallas, TX
04/02 - Mohawk, Austin, TX
04/03 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
04/08 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
04/09 - Bar Le Ritz, Montreal, QC
04/10 - The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
04/12 - Space Ballroom, Hamden, CT
04/13 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
04/14 - Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY

03/16 Valley with Catie Turner at 7th St Entry Read More Valley Canadian band Valley (not to be confused with Australian band The Valley) was last seen in Minneapolis in March 2019, touring with Lennon Stella. …

03/16/2022 Wednesday

Valley
with Catie Turner
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

JUNO nominated, alternative-pop band Valley is returning to the Minneapolis area, at the 7th Street Entry on March 16th. The show is sold out.

Valley’s latest EP The After Party was released earlier this month.

Catie Turner will open.

Tour dates:

February 22 Nashville, TN Basement East
February 23 Atlanta, GA The Loft
February 25 Austin, TX Antones
February 26 Dallas, TX Cambridge Room
March 1 Phoenix, AZ Rebel Lounge
March 3 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
March 4 San Francisco, CA Popscene
March 5 Santa Cruz, CA The Atrium
March 8 Portland, OR Holocene
March 9 Seattle, WA The Crocodile Second Stage
March 11 Salt Lake City, UT The Grand
March 12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
March 15 Chicago, IL Subterranean
March 16 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
March 18 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre
March 19 Saskatoon, SK Amigos
March 22 Victoria, BC Capital Ballroom
March 23 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
March 25 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
March 26 Calgary, AB Commonwealth
April 14 St Catharines, ON Warehouse
April 15 London, ON Rum Runners
April 16 Waterloo, ON Maxwell’s
June 11 New York, NY Governors Ball

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.

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

Julien and Julian

Read More Julien Baker Julien Baker’s appearance on stage. Baker started her music career in 2010 in the band The Star Killers (renamed themselves Forrister), when she was 15 years old .… Thao We kind of lost track of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down since the pandemic happened… but you know we’ve always been supportive of Thao Nguyen ever since we heard about her in January 2008 …

JULIEN BAKER
julienbaker.com

American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Julien Baker released her critically acclaimed album, Little Oblivions, during the pandemic, through Matador Records.

Little Oblivions Remixes EP

Still working and evolving her songs, Baker announced Little Oblivions Remixes EP , which will be available September 1st. The remix EP will feature collaborations with Half Waif, Thao, Helios, Gordi, and Jesu.

We caught Julien Baker in Aug 2017 and said, “Baker started her music career in 2010 in the band The Star Killers (renamed themselves Forrister), when she was 15 years old, but decided to go solo in 2015. Unfortunately, the shy singer and guitarist’s songs were often drowned out by the chatty crowd (at least where we were at), who were clearly weren’t there to give the opener a chance.” Of course, at the Surly Brewing Festival, “Seeing Baker, nearly a year later, I can tell you that she’s more confident and taking command of the stage. She’ll sometime scream on some songs, which can be such a powerful thing to hear from this very young singer. To be honest, the crowd loved her.”

With a nice fan following, it should be interesting to see Baker return to Minneapolis this September 24th, headlining and playing her biggest venue yet – First Avenue mainroom.

Thao and Katie Malco are listed as openers.

Tour Dates

09/03/2021 Birmingham, AL @ Saturn + 09/04/2021 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse + 09/05/2021 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Festival 09/07/2021 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel + 09/08/2021 Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom + 09/10/2021 Richmond, VA @ The National 09/11/2021 Richmond, VA @ The National 09/13/2021 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club + 09/14/2021 New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre + 09/15/2021 Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall + 09/17/2021 Boston, MA @ House of Blues + 09/18/2021 Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre + 09/20/2021 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre + 09/22/2021 Chicago, IL @ Metro + 09/23/2021 Chicago, IL @ Metro + 09/24/2021 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue + 09/25/2021 Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre + 09/27/2021 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre + 09/28/2021 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall +

09/29/2021 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre + 10/27/2021 Austin, TX @ Stubb’s # 10/28/2021 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater # 10/29/2021 Houston, TX @ Heights Theater # 10/30/2021 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger # 11/01/2021 Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren # 11/02/2021 San Diego, CA @ The Observatory # 11/04/2021 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern # 11/06/2021 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater # 11/08/2021 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater # 11/09/2021 Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre # 11/10/2021 Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre # 11/12/2021 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex # 11/15/2021 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada # 11/16/2021 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall # + with special guest Thao and Katie Malco # with special guest Dehd and Katie Malco

Read More Julian Lage Bluegrass/folk duo Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge recently made an appearance at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Saturday, February 25th. .…

JULIAN LAGE
julianlage.com

Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage will be touring the United States in the fall in support of his latest release Squint (Blue Note Records). He’ll be stopping by the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis this October 5th, billed as “An evening with Julian Lage”. No opening band is listed as of this writing.

What is interesting about these Lage will be offering exclusive Master Classes in some selected cities. If you paid for the class, you can show up early to the show and will spend 45 minutes learning Lage’s special techniques on his guitar playing with a Q&A session.

Lage wass somewhat of a child prodigy, having had a documentary film made about his guitar playing when he was 8 years old. When he was 12, he performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards. By the age of 15, he was already a a faculty member of the Stanford Jazz Workshop at Stanford University… so yeah, the guy knows music.

We caught Lage with Chris Eldridge in March 2017 and wrote, “The two (Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge) started playing two instrumental songs from their latest Mount Royal to a very attentive crowd. Eldridge then announced that they were two guitarists, and that they would be playing nothing but “guitars songs”. If you didn’t like guitar music... then you were at the wrong show, Eldridge joked.”

Julian Lage Tour 2021

Sep 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
Sep 26 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Sep 28 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
Sep 29 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
Oct 1 - Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
Oct 2 - Denver, CO - Daniels Hall
Oct 3 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
Oct 5 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
Oct 7 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
Oct 9 - Toronto, ON - Axis Club
Dec 4 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge
Dec 7 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
Dec 8 - Washington, DC - Union Stage
Dec 9 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern
Dec 11 - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl
Dec 12 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East

JULIAN WINDING fb/julianwindingmusic Danish/English composer, producer, Julian Winding just released “Bleed For It”, taken from the soundtrack to the film Victim Of Love by Jesper Isaksen. The song received a Robert nomination by the Danish Film Academy for “Best Original Song” by Julian Winding at The Danish Film Awards 2020 (The Robert is like the Oscar in America).

JULIA BHATT juliabhattmusic.com Genre-jumping Miami-based indie artist Julia Bhatt released her colorful synth led electro-pop jam, “Hair Salon Vibes”, on August 13th, 2021. She’s also the support act for Mutlu in November, playing Dallas, TX (11/7), Houston, TX (11/10), Austin, TX (11/13), Knoxville, TN (11/13), and ending in Decatur, GA (11/17).

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

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Phenom

Read More Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently …

We kind of lost track of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down since the pandemic happened… but you know we’ve always been supportive of Thao Nguyen ever since we heard about her in January 2008: “Thao Nguyen has a new album that's coming out on January 29th called We Brave Bee Stings and All. The title of the album comes from one of her songs, "Swimming Pools" (which you can hear on her myspace). She's also going on tour in London starting on January 17th with Willis, see tour information below.”

Thao and Mirah at the Cedar Cultural Cente (7/1/2010)

We’ve seen her live a few times, including her first few Minneapolis appearance in 2009 and, my personal favorite, her appearance with Mirah in July 2010. Recently, we saw Thao’s fifth studio album Temple, released in May 2020. With the global shutdown, it meant that promoting the album through traditional touring wasn’t going to happen.

One of the best music videos I’ve seen in a while is for their song “Phenom”, which took inspiration from having to do all those Zoom video conferencing. It’s very fun and you may have seen similar “pass the thing” type of video trickery, but this music video takes it a step further. It’s very fun and worth checking out if you haven’t seen it.

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Phenom (Official Music Video)

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

Minneapolis: September 6 to September 7, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 6 to September 7, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Buffalo Tom at Varsity Theater Read More Buffalo Tom Buffalo Tom named themselves after Buffalo Springfield and their drummer Tom Maginnis. When I saw the Boston-based band in 2000, the band was already 'old'. They had just released Asides that summer …

BUFFALO TOM
Varsity Theater
Fri 09/07/2018 (7pm/$25)
varsitytheater.com

Boston’s Buffalo Tom is currently wrapping up their tour, they’ll be ending at Chicago’s Metro the next night. The group form in the late ‘80s, rose to fame in the early ‘90s with Let Me Come Over and Big Red Letter Day, which I discovered them through college radio.

Eventually saw the band (with Grant Hart, rest in peace) when they were on tour for their compilation record Asides from Buffalo Tom in February 2000. You can tell it was cold, even guitarist and singer Bill Janovitz was wearing hat and coat indoors...

Buffalo Tom’s new album is Quiet and Peace (Banquet Records), their first album in seven years. The trio will stop by the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown on Friday, September 7th.

Note: There is no opening band, because the band will play a double set, with Let Me Come Over set (“and yes, we know LMCO 25 was last year”) and a “new and old stuff” set.

Tour dates:

09/07/2018 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
09/08/2018 Metro / Smart Bar Chicago, IL
11/29/2018 Buffalo Tom Bi Nuu Berlin, Germany

Neko Case 2018 Tour Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Downey to Lubbock Rise Against at Armory NeedToBreathe at Armory Dawes Passwords 2018 Tour Rolling Blackouts CF at Turf Club Read More Neko Case Neko Case has a new album The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, which came out September 3rd on ANTI-, and her First Avenue … Dave Alvin Roots music legends Dave Alvin (from rhythm and blues band The Blasters) and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (named “Country Artist of the Yea” twice by Rolling Stone) have united for this 2017 tour. The two will hit the road to swap songs and share stories of their life experience. … Rise Against Rise Against's "Any Way You Want It" cover appeared on their Revolutions Per Minute (2003) album as a hidden track. If you've never heard of Rise Against, they are a … Dawes The three-hour evening was opened by Los Angeles-based Dawes, who considers Minneapolis one of their strongest markets, in a solid hour-long set of their own. … Rolling Blackouts CF Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is headlining the 7th Street Entry on Monday, April 30th. Their upcoming debut album Hope Downs will be out June 15 via Sub Pop. …

Other shows in the area:

NEKO CASE
+ Thao Nguyen
Palace Theatre
Thu 09/06/2018 (6:30pm/$35)
palacestpaul.com

Neko Case’s first album in five years, Hell-On will be available on Anti- Records. Joining her on this tour is Thao Nguyen (of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down).

Tour dates:

09/05/2018 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
09/06/2018 Palace Theatre St. Paul, MN
09/07/2018 Hoyt Sherman Place Des Moines, IA
09/08/2018 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE
09/09/2018 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK
09/11/2018 The Civic Theatre New Orleans, LA
09/12/2018 Iron City Birmingham, AL

DAVE ALVIN /JIMMIE DALE GILMORE
+ Jon Langford
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Thu 09/06/2018 (7pm/$50)
dakotacooks.com

From different worlds, Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, have teamed up to record an album. Alvin is the singer/songwriter from the Blasters and Gilmore is from Texas hippie-country band Flatlanders.

The two will be stopping by the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant on Thursday, September 6th. The two longtime friends (with backup band The Guilty Ones) will be playing from their critically acclaimed album, Downey To Lubbock.

Jon Langford to open.

Tour dates:

Sep 1 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads
Sep 2 - Omaha, NE - Sunday Roadhouse
Sep 6 - Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
Sep 8 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School of Folk
Sept 9 — Berwyn, IL -- Fitzgeralds
Sep 11 - Cincinnati, OH. Southgate House
Sep 12 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
Sep 14 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
Sep 15 — Ottawa, ON — City Folk Festival
Sep 16 - Rochester, NY/ON - JCC Hart Theater
Sep 22 — Solvang, CA — Ya Ya Festival
Sep 25 - Salt Lake City, UT - State Room

RISE AGAINST
+ AFI, Anti-Flag
Armory
Thu 09/06/2018 (5:30pm/$34)
armorymn.com

In celebration of The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1 (Virgin Records), Rise Against will be headlining a 2018 tour with my brother’s favorite AFI and Anti-Flag. Should be a real banger, as the kids would say it, at the Armory on Thursday.

Tour dates:

09.06 | Minneapolis, MN | Armory
09.09 | Nashville, TN | Marathon Music Works
09.11 | Austin, TX | Stubb’s BBQ
09.12 | Houston, TX | Revention Music Center
09.13 | Irving, TX | The Pavilion
09.15 | Morrison, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09.16 | Salt Lake City, UT | The Complex
09.17 | Garden City, ID | Revolution Concert House
09.19 | Bozeman, MT | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

NEEDTOBREATHE
+ Johnnyswim, Forest Blakk
Armory
Fri 09/07/2018 (5:30pm/$42)
armorymn.com

Once again, at the Armory, South Carolina rock band Needtobreathe will be headlining in support of their collection of songs, Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions). Johnnyswim and Forest Blakk to open.

Forever On Your Side Tour 2018:

09/04 – PNC Pavilion, Cincinnati, Ohio
09/05 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland, Ohio
09/07 – The Armory, Minneapolis, Minn.
09/08 – Huntington Bank Pavilion , Chicago, Ill.
09/09 – Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.
09/10 – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, Lincoln, Neb.
09/12 – Red Rocks, Morrison, Colo.
09/14 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore.
09/15 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, Wash.
09/16 – Abbotsford Entertainment , Abbotsford, BC
09/18 – The Fox, Oakland, Calif.
09/19 – Vina Robles Amph, Paso Robles, Calif.
09/21 – Cal Coast Credit Union, San Diego, Calif.
09/22 – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif.

DAWES
Palace Theatre
Fri 09/07/2018 (7pm/$39.50)
palacestpaul.com

Popular group Dawes will be headlining the Palace Theatre in St Paul on Friday, September 7th, in support of their album Passwords (HUB Records).

Tour dates:

09/7 /// St. Paul, MN /// Palace Theatre
09/8 /// Maquoketa, IA /// Codfish Hollow
09/9 /// Kalamazoo, MI /// State Theatre
09/11 /// Indianapolis, IN /// The Vogue
09/12 /// Pittsburgh, PA /// Stage AE
09/14 /// Portland, ME /// State Theatre
09/15 /// Fredericton, NB, Canada /// Harvest Jazz
09/16 /// Canton, MA /// Festival on the Farm
09/18 /// New Haven, CT /// College Street Music Hall
09/19 /// Red Bank, NJ /// Count Basie Theatre
09/20 /// Cary, NC /// Koka Booth Amphitheatre
09/22 /// Franklin, TN /// Pilgrimage Festival
09/23 /// Atlanta, GA /// Tabernacle

ROLLING BLACKOUTS C.F.
Turf Club
Fri 09/07/2018 (8pm/$16)
turfclub.net

Australia’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is back in town, this time at the Turf Club on Friday, September 7th. The group was previously in town in April 2018, promoting their album Hope Downs (Sub Pop).

Tour dates:

09/1 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
09/3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/5 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
09/7 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
09/8 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09/10 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
09/11 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
09/12 - Montreal, QC @ Le Ministère
09/13 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
09/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09/15 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/17 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat

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

Minneapolis: September 12 to September 14

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 12 to September 14, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Oh Wonder London-based alt-pop Oh Wonder is headlining First Avenue’s mainroom next Friday, June 3rd. The duo (Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West) has already sold out .... Jaymes Young Jaymes Young at Varsity Theater Monday 11/10/14, 7pm $17 Australian Vance Joy (not to be confused with Irishman Foy Vance) is back in ....

OH WONDER
at First Avenue
Tuesday 09/12/2017 (6pm/$27.50)
first-avenue.com

Oh Wonder is kicking off their Ultralife tour at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

We caught the British duo at their first Minneapolis show in June 2016 and noted, “This was Oh Wonder’s first time in Minneapolis, and they were incredibly pleased at the turn out and also the historic nature of the venue (it is often associated with Prince as the venue was used often in the film Purple Rain). Of course, with only one album under their belt, the band basically played their entire album live. Hits like ‘Lose It’ were done early in the set, Unforgotten theme song ‘All We Do’ played mid-set, and saving new single ‘Plans’ for the encore.”

Jaymes Young to open.

Tour dates:

09/12 - First Avenue - Minneapolis
09/13 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee
09/15 - The Vic Theatre - Chicago
09/18 - Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
09/19 - Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
09/20 - Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
09/21 - Metropolis - Montreal
09/22 - House of Blues - Boston
09/23 - College Street Music Hall - New Haven
09/26 - Brooklyn Steel - New York
09/27 - Brooklyn Steel - New York
09/29 - The Fillmore - Philadelphia
09/30 - Mr. Small’s Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA
10/02 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
10/04 - The National - Richmond, VA
10/06 - Neighbourhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
10/07 - Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
10/08 - Iron City - Birmingham, AL
10/10 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
10/11 - Stubb’s BBQ - Austin, TX
10/13 - Tricky Falls - El Paso, TX
10/14 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
10/15 - Soma - San Diego, CA
10/18 - Shrine Expo Hall - Los Angeles, CA
10/19 - The Fox Theatre - Oakland, CA
10/21 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
10/22 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA

Read More X Legendary Los Angeles punk band X (not to be confused with Australian band X or Japanese band X or London band The xx) recently made a semi-rare Minneapolis appearance last night at Mill City Nights. … Skating Polly Grrrl rockers Skating Polly will be in town next Wednesday, March 30th. The duo (Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse) was previously in town in in 2014 with White Fang. … DJ Jake Rudh This is billed as a Transmission (aka DJ Jake Rudh) / BNLX release show, but music fans may want to take note that at nearly midnight, The Ocean Blue is scheduled to appear. …

X
at First Avenue
Wednesday 09/13/2017 (7pm/$25)
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ X is on their 40th Anniversary tour. They are proud to mention that all the original band members are on this anniversary tour, including singer Exene Cervenka, bassist/singer John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake.

We previously caught the band in a rare appearance in 2015 and Exene and John earlier this July 2017. Noted, “Another iconic front woman, Exene Cervenka and musical partner from X, John Doe opened the first leg and this show with a short twenty-three minute acoustic set. Half of the iconic punk band came off more like Johnny and June than say, Sid and Nancy, playing a folk-tinged, stripped set that included X classics, and a couple covers.”

Rising punk band Skating Polly is the special guests for all of X’s tour, as we’ve previously mentioned. We caught the sibling band when they headlined the 7th Street Entry in May 2017 and said, “The history of Skating Polly actually started in 2009, when the two step-siblings, Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse were just 9 and 14, respectively. While we were curious about the duo, having written about them last year, the band made a big change in their DIY band in 2017: they added their brother Kurtis Mayo to the lineup.”

DJ Jake Rudh (of Transmission) to play music before and between sets.

Tour dates:

09/06/17 @ Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, NV
09/08/17 @ Complex in Salt Lake City, UT
09/09/17 @ The Summit in Denver, CO
09/11/17 @ The Waiting Room in Omaha, NE
09/13/17 @ First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
09/14/17 @ Turner Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI
09/16/17 @ El Club in Detroit, MI
09/17/17 @ Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY
09/19/17 @ Port City Music Hall in Portland, ME
09/20/17 @ Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA
09/21/17@ Stage48 in New York, NY
09/22/17@ Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA
09/23/17 @ State Theater in Falls Church, VA
09/25/17 @ Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, PA
09/26/17 @ Kent Stage in Kent, OH
09/27/17 @ Skully’s Music Diner in Columbus, OH

All dates with Skating Polly

Read More The Cribs Wakefield's The Cribs (consisting of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman) are big Smiths fan... so much that they recruited Johnny Marr in their group in 2008 ... Paws The co-headliner is Paws, a Glasgow-based punk band signed to FatCat Records. The trio's latest album is Youth Culture Forever, which came out earlier this year. ...

THE CRIBS
at 7th Street Entry
Thursday 09/14/2017 (7pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

The Cribs has a brand new album called 24-7 Rock Star Sh**, and their first promotional tour date in the U.S.A. starts in Minneapolis at the 7th Street Entry on Thursday!

We last saw the trio in September 2015 and wrote, “I think it's best summed up by The Cribs' guitarist/vocalist Ryan Jarman as he exclaimed, "Let's rock like it's 2007!" referring to their first St Paul show. The trio, featuring twins Ryan & Gary, and younger brother Ross Jarman, are currently touring in support of their sixth studio album For All My Sisters, which came out last March 2015 via Sonic Blew / Sony RED UK.”

Glasgow’s Paws to open.

Tour dates:

09/07/2017 Festival Number 6 Festival Grounds
09/09/2017 Festival Number 6 Festival Grounds
09/14/2017 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
09/15/2017 Riot Fest & Carnival (Chicago)
09/16/2017 Third Man Records Detroit, MI
09/18/2017 Lee's Palace Toronto, ON
09/19/2017 Théâtre Fairmount Montreal, QC
09/20/2017 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA
09/21/2017 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
09/23/2017 U Street Music Hall Washington, DC
09/25/2017 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC
09/26/2017 The EARL Atlanta, GA
09/29/2017 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX
09/30/2017 Antone's Austin, TX
10/01/2017 Dada Dallas Dallas, TX
10/03/2017 Lowbrow Palace El Paso, TX
10/05/2017 Valley Bar Phoenix, AZ
10/06/2017 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
10/07/2017 Independent San Francisco, CA
10/10/2017 The Cobalt Vancouver, BC
10/11/2017 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
10/12/2017 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR
10/19/2017 Sala Corona Cuauhtémoc, Mexico
10/21/2017 Parque Fundidora @ "Live Out"

Read More Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently …

Other shows in the area:

09/12/2017 Samantha Fish is headlining the Cedar Cultural Center on Tuesday, in support of her new record Chills & Fever. Fish has deep Motown, soul, and R&B influence on her album, as well as edgy rock ‘n roll sound. Ken Valdez to open. 7pm, $15

09/13/2017 Thao Nguyen of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down is doing a solo show at Cedar Cultural Center on Wednesday. Yowler (also solo) to open. 7pm, $20

09/14/2017 John Mulaney is doing stand-up at the Northrop Auditorium on Thursday. 7pm and 10pm, $25

09/14/2017 Grammy Award winning reggae band Morgan Heritage is headlining the Skyway Theatre on September 14th. 8pm, $20

09/14/2017 Whosah who was previously in town at Cabooze in July 2017 is back, this time headlining the Triple Rock Social Club. Millenium and Halfloves to open. 8pm, $8

09/14/2017 Jake Miller is headlining the Cedar Cultural Center on September 14th. Be sure to show up early to check out New Jersey’s The Stolen. 7pm, $20

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

Minneapolis: April 3 to April 5, 2017

Read More Minus the Bear Seattle's Minus The Bear is on tour in support of their latest album Lost Loves, which came out two weeks ago (Oct 7th) on Dangerbird Records. … Beach Slang Beach Slang is currently on tour in support of their upcoming debut album Find People Who Feel Like Us (out October 30 on Polyvinyl Records). Like most of the Midwest tour … Bayonne Bayonne, the new moniker of Austin-based Roger Sellers, will be making a stop at the 7th Street Entry on Wednesday, January 27th. The artistic style ....

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on April 3 to April 5, 2017. Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

MINUS THE BEAR
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Tuesday 04/04/17, 7pm ($22)
finelinemusic.com

It’s been a few years since we last saw Minus the Bear. The band is back to promote their new album Voids, which just came out on March 3rd, 2017, via Suicide Squeeze Records.

Show up early to check out Beach Slang. We saw them at the Triple Rock in October 2016 and noticed singer James Alex had a lot of local Minneapolis fans!

Bayonne also on the bill. We previously saw him in January 2016 and noted, “Bayonne is a musician from Austin, TX. No, scratch that, he is more than just a musician, he's a true entertainer.”

Tour Dates:

03/29/17 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
03/30/17 Buffalo, NY The Town Ballroom
03/31/17 Toronto, ON Opera House
04/01/17 Millvale, PA Mr. Small's Theatre
04/02/17 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
04/04/17 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
04/05/17 Omaha, NE Slowdown
04/06/17 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
04/07/17 St. Louis, MO Delmar Hall
04/08/17 Maverick Music Festival
04/10/17 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent
04/12/17 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
04/13/17 San Francisco, CA Great American
04/14/17 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
04/15/17 Seattle, WA The Showbox

Read More Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently … Biffy Clyro Vertigo of Bliss Import Biffy Clyro Bliss Indeed So, you release a debut album as good as "Blackened Sky", which spawns four top quality singles, you have an insane and … Big Wild Opening the show was Big Wild from Los Angeles. Big Wild is Jackson and was definitely a jaw dropper as an opening act for an already amazing line up. What sets Big Wild apart from the other acts of the night … Sohn SOHN is the stagename for Vienna-based (but London-born) Christopher Taylor. Taylor is touring in support of his debut album Tremors, which came out in April via 4AD Records. …

Other shows in the area:

04/03/17 OMNI with Brilliant Beast and Spooky Ghost to play the 7th Street Entry. $10 gets you in the door.

04/04/17 Local favorites The 4onthefloor will be playing the Triple Rock Social Club with Tabah . Do you realized it’s 4 (April) on the 4th?

04/04/17 The Molochs (not the ancient child eater god or the metal band called Moloch) will be playing the 7th Street Entry on this night. The Los Angeles-ish musician (by the way of Buenos Aires) will be promoting his new album America's Velvet Glory. Cosmonauts is the co-headliner. Cult of Lip to open. Additional details at first-avenue.com, $10 entry fee.

04/04/17 Scottish trio Biffy Clyro sold out the Turf Club on Tuesday. We reviewed their record Ellipsis, last August and wrote, “A recurring theme found in the album’s lyrics is the concept of “fighting back” against one’s personal demons. An ideal of living life unfettered, like an animal, also recurs throughout. Frontman Simon Neil has said that Ellipsis was created to be a volatile “fight rock, pint-in-the-face rock,” album.” O'Brother to open.

04/05/17 Big Wild is playing Fine Line Music Café; touring in support of their debut EP Invincible (Foreign Family Collective). The band is co-signed to Seattle’s ODESZA. Phantoms and Imagined Herbal Flows to open.

04/05/17 Vienna-based Sohn (aka Christopher Taylor) returns to Minneapolis at the Triple Rock Social Club.

04/05/17 String Cheese Incident will grace the Palace Theatre.

04/05/17 Thao & The Get Down Stay Down is returning to Cedar Cultural Center. Yowler to open.

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

Minneapolis: March 30, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on March 30, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Aoife O'Donovan Opening up the show, was Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan playing some folky/storytelling songs from her latest solo album Fossils, including set opening song "Lay My Burden Down", "Oh, Mama", and "Beekeeper". ....

AOIFE O’DONOVAN
at Cedar Cultural Center
Wednesday, 03/30/16, 7pm ($22/$25)
thecedar.org

Aoife O’Donovan (known for being the lead singer of Crooked Still) continues her headlining North American tour in support of her second solo album In the Magic Hour. The record was written in the wake of her grandfather’s death, making it a personal album for O’Donovan. Guests on the album included Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Gabriel Kahane among others.

We previously caught O’Donovan with Glen Hansard in November 2015 and wrote, “After her Joni Mitchell cover song "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio" (to be released as a B-Side on this Black Friday Record Store Day 7" single), she is joined on stage with Thomas Brosseau, who provided piano for the rest of her 30-min set.”

Neko Case’s “the male counterpart” Mark Erelli to open.

Tour dates:

03/30 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
03/31 - Stoughton, WI - Stoughton Opera House
04/01 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
04/02 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi
04/03 - Cincinnati, OH -20th Century Theatre
04/05 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern
04/06 - Annapolis, MD - Ram's Head
04/07 - Vienna, VA - The Barns At Wolf Trap
04/08 - Point Norfolk, VA - North Shore
04/09 - The Grand Opera House – Wilmington, DE
04/11 - The Parlor Room – Northampton, MA
04/12 - Portland, ME - One Longfellow Square
04/13 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
04/04 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
04/16 – The Town Hall – New York, NY*
05/07 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN*
05/14 – INB Performing Arts Center – Spokane, WA*
06/04 - Ogden, UT - Ogden Music Festival
06/05 - Pagosa Springs, CO - Pagosa Folk 'n Bluegrass
06/08 - Mount Solon, VA - Red Wing Roots Music Festival
06/09 - Mount Solon, VA - Red Wing Roots Festival
06/10 - Mount Solon, VA - Red Wing Roots Festival

Read More Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently … Saintseneca Saintseneca is back with a new album Such Things, which came out earlier this month on Anti- Records/Epitaph. ...

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Wednesday, 03/30/16, 7:30pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

Thao Nguyen (Thao & the Get Down Stay Down) and Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs) recently broke down the creative process behind the track “Astonished Man” off of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down’s new album A Man Alive (Ribbon Music) in Funny Or Die's new parody of the New York Times’ recent Bieber/Diplo/Skrillex video. Watch the video here.

The tour starts tonight (March 25th) at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom.

We’ve been following Thao since for awhile, but the last time we caught the band was with the Head and the Heart in 2013.

Saintseneca to open. The Columbus band was previously in town in October 2015 in support of their Anti- Records/Epitaph’s Such Things.

Tour dates:

03/25 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom*
03/26 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre*
03/27 Vancouver, BC The Cobalt*
03/30 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Café†
03/31 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall†
04/01 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall†
04/02 St. Louis, MO Ready Room†
04/03 Louisville, KY Headliners†
04/05 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle†
04/06 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
04/07 Cincinnati, OH Woodward Theater†
04/08 Millvale, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre†
04/09 Toronto, ON Adelaide Hall‡
04/11 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom‡
04/12 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair‡
04/13 New York, NY Webster Hall†‡
04/15 Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club†‡
04/16 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts†‡
04/17 Richmond, VA The Broadberry‡
04/18 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle‡
04/20 Atlanta, GA Terminal West§
04/21 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks§
04/22 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Studio§
04/23 Austin, TX The Mohawk§
04/24 Dallas, TX Trees§
04/26 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad§
04/27 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom§
04/28 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up§
04/29 Los Angeles, CA The Regent Theatre§
04/30 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore§

*with Car Seat Headrest
†with Saintseneca
‡with Little Scream
§with Seratones

Read More Skating Polly The band’s latest effort, The Big Fit, is their most fully realized collection of head-bopping, not quite sugar-sweet pop music infused with visceral, distortion-drenched punk sounds. It’s raw, infectious and inciting. It’s real. …

SKATING POLLY
at 7th Street Entry
Wednesday, 03/30/16, 7:30pm ($8)
first-avenue.com

Grrrl rockers Skating Polly will be in town next Wednesday, March 30th. The duo (Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse) was previously in town in in 2014 with White Fang. If you’re new to the band, you can check out their Ugly Pop EP for free (or a suggested donation) via Noise Trade.

Opening will be several local bands: Catbath, Cherry Cola (the solo project from Stereo Confession), and Bruise Violet (named after a Babes in Toyland song).

Tour dates:

03/26/16 Boise, ID Downtown Boise
03/28/16 Seventh Circle Music Collective
03/29/16 Lincoln, NE Vega
03/30/16 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
03/31/16 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
04/01/16 Louisville, KY Lydia House
04/02/16 Lakewood, OH Locker Room @ Mahall's
04/23/16 Norman Music Festival

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

The Head and the Heart at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/27/13)

Tour Poster Setlist 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 … Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently … Quiet Life 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 …

Seattle's The Head and the Heart just stopped by First Avenue, in Minneapolis, as part of their national tour in support of Let's Be Still. The album was released last week, October 15th, 2013, on Sup Pop.

QUIET LIFE

Opening up for this sold-out folk show were Quiet Life, from Portland. I got the impression that the band are close friends with The Head and the Heart and they were really grateful to be sharing the stage with the headliner.

The band had a very brief thirty minute set with about six songs, starting with "Devil's Kin", from their latest album Wild Pack, and ending with "Shaky Hands", which I think I heard was a new song, written about a friend's divorce. Highlight of their set was "Messin' Around", mostly thanks to the organ-playing and catchy (easy to remember) chorus.

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN

Since we last saw Thao Nguyen, she was at the Cedar earlier in 2013. This truncated set featured a lot of new songs, taken from her latest release We the Common, including "Holy Roller" and "Every Body". The new material, as I discovered it hearing it live, is more aggressive than her folk songs from her previous two albums.

Although the set was shorter, Thao display her talent for all things strings: jumping from guitar to acoustic to banjo to steel guitar. It was fun to watch the transitions.

Prior to The Head and the Heart taking the stage, whoever was manning the music was playing nothing but Velvet Underground songs. It was a fitting tribute to Lou Reed, who passed away that day.

Then the intro music of "Springtime" was played on the speakers and suddenly The Head and the Heart launched into "Summertime", featuring Charity Thielen on lead vocals. You soon discovered that vocals were shared among the trinity of Charity, Josiah, and Jonathan. And, in fact, the three of them does a lot of tight harmony on many of their songs.

As you can see from their setlist, about half the songs are from their latest album Let's Be Still, including "Summertime", "Homecoming Heroes", "Shake", "Cruel", and "Josh McBride". You could always tell which songs were from the debut self-titled album because they usually had the audience singing along, in particular the set closer "Rivers and Roads".

Encore were "These Days Are Numbered" (featuring Charity solo), "Gone", and "Down in the Valley". After seeing how both the Head and the Heart shows sold out, singer Jonathan Russell just could not believe that all these fans came together. "You're all strangers in one room," Russell said, "It's crazy." You get the feeling that the band also agree that bringing people together, this is what they are about.

The Head and the Heart's latest album, Let's Be Still, is out now on Sub Pop Records. The band has been selling out all their double shows, so if you don't have a ticket now, you may be out of luck. Maybe you could grab a ticket early on the next tour?

Their remaining tour dates:

10.28.13 | Madison, WI | Orpheum Theater *+ 10.29.13 | Royal Oak, MI | Royal Oak Music*+ 10.31.13 | Toronto, ON | Danforth Music Hall *+ 11.01.13 | Boston, MA | The Royale * 11.02.13 | Boston, MA | The Royale * 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 *+

11.15.13 | Dallas, TX | Southside Ballroom ^+ 11.16.13 | Austin, TX | Stubb's ^+ 11.17.13 | Austin, TX | Stubb's + 12.02.13 | Vancouver, Bc | Commodore Ballroom ^ 12.03.13 | Seattle, WA | Key Arena ! 12.05.13 | Oakland, CA | Fox Theatre^ 12.07.13 | Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern ^ 12.10.13 | Los Angeles, CA| The Wiltern ^ 12.12.13 | Denver, CO | Ogden Theatre ^* 12.13.13 | Denver, CO | Ogden Theatre ^* 12.14.13 | Kansas City, MO | Midland Theater * = Thao & The Get Down Stay Down + = Quiet Life

The Head and the Heart at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/27/13)

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