Looks like spring will end just in time for Art-A-Whirl this weekend, with clouds rolling in and temperatures dropping into the 50s. Don't worry—I'm sure it'll be hot and humid after that.
For your convenience, AAW events below are preceded by "Art-A-Whirl." I thought that up myself.
Tuesday, May 13
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunker’s
Ale Möller with Bruce Molsky @ Cedar Cultural Center
St. Dominic’s Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Bôa with Dream, Ivory @ First Avenue
Killed By Kiwis, Quail, Lydia @ Green Room
Cedar Avenue Big Band @ Jazz Central
Dowling & Donohue, Tom Feldmann @ Metronome Brewery
Nova Jazz Orchestra @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Irish Trad Session @ Padraig’s
Saint Motel with Brigitte Calls Me Baby @ Palace Theatre
Genevieve Heyward and BLOODLINE with Ava Levy and Bryn Battani @ 7th St Entry
Artist Showcase @ Sociable CIder Werks
- Katy Perry @ Target Center—Anyone going to this? No, I mean, really—is anyone going to this?
May Conspiracy Series featuring Lena Elizabeth, Freque, & Charles @ 331 Club
Worker’s Playtime with Dan Israel @ 331 Club
SASAMI with Mood Killer @ Turf Club
Cheap Bouquet (Residency) with Joe Bartel, Ditch Pigeon, Buckls @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, May 14
Shady Babies Open Mic @ Acadia
Great River School Does the ’80s @ Amsterdam
The Cherry Pit Presents: Bible Study at Berlin @ Berlin
New Orthodox, the Poor Nobodys, Brendan Wells @ Cloudland
Miss Shannon’s Swing Night @ Eagles 34
SPELLLING with oeurth @ Fine Line
Starlight Vinyl Night: MAKR Spins the Classic @ Icehouse
Zacc Harris Group @ Metronome Brewery
Big Woods Brass @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Mortiholics Residency @ Mortimers
Mike Wolter and Friends @ Palmer’s
Randy Casey & the Swamp Donkeys, Dive Bar Orchestra @ Schooner Tavern
Kyle Gordon with JamesG @ 7th St Entry
Lenz and Frenz, Ian Alexy @ 331 Club
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Doug Collins and the Receptionists @ 331 Club
The Band Feel with Lighter Co. @ Turf Club
Ghostmade Cellophane, Touch of Malice, Ecphasis @ Underground Music Venue
Paul Bergen & Friends @ White Squirrel
Lords of the Universe (Residency) with Izzy Cruze Band, Color Cord @ White Squirrel
Stranger Gallery, Redder Moon, The Trapezoids, Darkling I Listen @ Zhora Darling
Thursday, May 15
- Megan Moroney with Charlie Worsham @ Armory—Maroney is one of the few gals that country radio currently acknowledges, and if you guessed that means she has to write smarter and sing prettier than the boys while also playing it cute enough that no one’s ego gets bruised, well, ding, ding, ding. Her 2023 debut, Lucky, showcased her witty turns, with Moroney telling a bro it won’t work out “Cause I sleep on my side/And you sleep with everyone” and apologizing to her Georgia fam after falling for a Volunteers fan on “Tennessee Orange.” Though “28th of June” (about a former anniversary that’s now just another day) and “No Caller ID” (don’t answer, Megan!) display her more lovelorn side on her 2024 follow-up Am I Okay, there’s some residual spunk on tracks like “Man on the Moon,” about putting an ex where he belongs. I’ll try not to hold it against her that she had “a little thing” (her words) with Morgan Wallen a few years back.
MNAKED: Lisa Deguiseppi & RJ Vocal @ Aster Cafe
Anthony Cox/John C.S. Keston/Suwal Singh @ Berlin
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunker’s
Bato Bato! @ Cedar Cultural Center
Hyooman, True Lust, Spaceport @ Cloudland
Party 4 Parties @ Day Block Brewing
Ostrom Bros Band, Steve Solkela @ Driftwood
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
- Cheekface with Pacing @ Fine Line—Much as I’ve loved this wry little L.A. band from the start, I didn’t expect them to have so much staying power. But their cleverness hasn’t dimmed on their new album, Middle Spoon, their fifth in seven years (and that’s not counting the five additional EPs). Greg Katz begins with the blunt statement “Cigarettes can kill but if they don’t they make you stronger” and drops talky asides like “We love dust because it is so cool/So of course we can't wait to be it/Dust I mean, not cool.” But for all their smarts and tunes, what keeps these hopelessly online wise guys and gal humming along is that they’re a slick little rhythm machine. I mean gosh, “Military Gum,” featuring McKinley Dixon, is actual rap-rock.
Mayday Parade with Microwave, Grayscale, and Like Roses @ First Avenue
Snapped Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
Shannon Curtis—’80s Kids @ Hook and Ladder
KYM and the Kick (Album Release) with Alonzo, Poison Ivy & the People @ Hook and Ladder
Willie Waldman Project @ Icehouse
Peter Kogan Jazz Presents @ Metronome Brewery
Dark Click with Curtiss A @ Minnesota Music Cafe
James Ehnes Plays Dvořák @ Orchestra Hall
Dark Star Orchestra @ Palace Theatre
Riddim Driven with DJ I Roach @ Palmer’s
Rodents, 2.4.2.8. @ Schooner Tavern
Matthew Logan Vasquez with Jacob Alan Jaeger @ 7th St Entry
Cross Pollination: Knife Emoji, Anything You Want @ 331 Club
Wild Horses with Thomas Sticha @ Turf Club
Anxiety Society, The Owl-Eyes, Sleepy Eye @ Underground Music Venue
Davey & the Midnights, The Driftless Revelers @ Uptown VFW
Devaney & Friends with Chris Perricelli @ White Squirrel
Wisper with Mishi Mega, Sanctuary, Waterline @ White Squirrel
Dan Chouinard & Kevin Kling @ Woman’s Club
Visa Card, Selfish Teammate, Daisy Hex, Mullet @ Zhora Darling
Friday, May 16
Quartet Life Crisis and Retro//Modern @ Amsterdam
Allison Mahal & Van Isaacson @ Aster Cafe
Art-A-Whirl: Maria and the Coins, Heavy Metal Brass Band, Viva Knievel @ Bauhaus
Dan Carpel/Chris Graham/Miguel Hurtado @ Berlin
Eric Jacobson Quartet @ Berlin
Chris Wilbourn (aka Felix of Heiruspecs) @ Berlin
Art-A-Whirl: Blazz, Echtoo, RBA, RadiateELF, Ryan-C, Slutmachine @ Broken Hearts Tattoo
J-Mo on the Beat and the J Lighters @ Can Can Wonderland
Art-A-Whirl: Josh Katzenmeyer @ California Building
Art-A-Whirl: Best Intentions, the Beavers, Chemistry Set @ Casket Arts Building
Bronson Arm, Disasteratti, Primitive Broadcast Service @ Cloudland
Colleen Raye with Rick Carlson @ Crooners
The Prime Time Trio @ Crooners
Purple Reign: Remembering Prince @ Crooners
Dead North and Luke LeBlanc @ Day Block Brewing
Lev & Olga with Zoya, Gossamer, the Filthy Famous @ Driftwood
Embahn, Bella Larsen and the Scene Kids, Catfish Seagal @ Eagles 34
Art-A-Whirl: 26 Bats!, Eleganza!, Greg Grease, Bathtub Cig, Dr. Mambo’s Combo @ Eastside Food Co-op
Art-A-Whirl: Emily Rhea, Funk N Spuds, Xelias Aerial Arts, Chutes, Lighter Co @ Elias Metal Studio
Peter Bjorn and John with Beemer @ Fine Line
Larkin Poe with Amythyst Kiah @ First Avenue
Some Shitty Cover Band @ Green Room
Steeling Dan + the Super Tramps @ Hook and Ladder
Hipshaker MPLS @ Hook and Ladder
DJ Lemony Starlight Vinyl Night @ Icehouse
Art-A-Whirl: Gifted Handz, Barlow, Thomas Abban, Early Eyes @ Indeed Brewing
Art-A-Whirl: Schutte/McKinney/Ylvisaker @ Kickernick Building
Jon Elconin Quartet (EP Release) with Bryn Battani @ Metronome Brewery
Funktion Junction @ Minnesota Music Cafe
James Ehnes Plays Dvořák @ Orchestra Hall
Coleman’s Sandbox Premiere with William Eddins @ Ordway
Hüsker Dü Tribute Show with Greg Norton & His Büddies @ Palmer’s
Art-A-Whirl: Meat Raffle Ska, Lea Elizabeth, Elska, Zaq Baker Band @ Q.arma Building
Jack Knife & the Sharps @ Schooner Tavern
Art-A-Whirl: Electric Church, Machinery Hill, Of the Orchard, Northern Hammer @ Sociable Cider Werks
Art-A-Whirl: Jun and Liliana, Why Worry?, Marie Nelson @ Solar Arts
Jack Klatt, Jake La Botz @ Terminal Bar
Art-A-Whirl: Big Salt, Uspop @ 331 Club
Art-A-Whirl: Retrofizz, Carnage the Executioner @ Twin Ignition
The ExSPHEREience with Trompe le Monde, & SMILE like you mean it @ Uptown VFW
Chris Holm & Friends @ White Squirrel
Footnote and the Devine with Economic Headwinds, 23 Watts @ White Squirrel
Raison d'Être Opera Presents The Mother of Us All @ Woman’s Club
Saturday, May 17
It’s Broadway, Baby! @ Amsterdam
Paul Frantzich & David Anania @ Aster Cafe
Adam Linz/Joe Strachan @ Berlin
Tommaso Moretti’s Inside Out 4tet @ Berlin
DJ Amy Pickett B2B Allen Hz @ Berlin
Art-A-Whirl: Queen Jeanne, the Audacity, the Favorite Things, Lazenlow @ Broken Clock Brewing
Art-A-Whirl: Shreddingnillo, Cavernousmaw, Sashabangzz, Moses, MollyXParton @ Broken Hearts Tattoo
The Good, the Bad, and the Funky @ Bunker’s
Vibes: The Outdoor Function @ Cabooze
Strictly R&B: Taurus Takeover SZN 2 @ Cabooze
Art-A-Whirl: Shibumi String Quartet @ California Building
Rock U Music Showcase @ Can Can Wonderland
The Crosses, Laugh Track, Meditation @ Cloudland
Tiny Toones Fundraising Event @ Crooners
Colleen Raye with Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Calvarosa, Orlando & the Rumors @ Driftwood
The Bill Patten Trio @ Dusty’s
Art-A-Whirl: Choices Outdoor DJ @ 56 Brewing
SPEED with Whispers, Out4Blood, and Lack @ Fine Line
The Devil Makes Three with Bridge City Sinners @ First Avenue
Official Breakaway Music Festival Singles Only Pre-Party @ Green Room
The Belfast Cowboys with Mark Joseph & American Soul, the de'Lindas @ Hook and Ladder
JOEY feat. AllDay & Jam E.Z. @ Hook and Ladder
Katy Tessman (Album Release) with Annie & Kari and Favourite Girl @ Icehouse
Chris Hepola Quartet @ Jazz Central
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Weekly DJ: MPLS House @ Modist
Chamber Music in the Hall @ Orchestra Hall
Mending the Sky @ Orchestra Hall
Coleman’s Sandbox Premiere with William Eddins @ Ordway
Pink Tower, Holiday, Garth, and Karaoke Crime Scene! @ Palmer’s
The New Back Alley @ Schooner Tavern
Mallrat with Anna Shoemaker @ 7th St Entry
Glass Eyed Brother, Arcana 81, Bookowski @ Terminal Bar
Art-A-Whirl: Speed Riders, Mary Jam, Socktopus @ 331 Club
Art-A-Whirl: Riffin’ Griffin, Car Crush, Cattle Dog @ Turbo Tim’s
Flipp with Cretin Avenue Hop @ Turf Club
Chemical-X @ Underground Music Venue
Sequence: Malion, Jen-E, D Untethered @ Uptown VFW
My Cousin Dallas @ White Squirrel
Catastrophic Heros with Evernoir, Ecphasis @ White Squirrel
Deceased, the Grand Demise of Civilization @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, May 18
Marvelous, Vinny Franco and the Love Channel, Fuchsia @ Amsterdam
Patty and the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Art-A-Whirl: Backyard Boombox @ Bauhaus
Imagined by Nelson Devereaux: NTHNL + Hidden Bastille + Old Feels @ Berlin
Art-A-Whirl: The Confused @ Broken Clock Brewing
Lucy London @ Bryant Lake Bowl
Star Bandz and Raq Baby @ Cabooze
Dhaxal, Suge, Somali Museum Dance Troupe @ Cedar Cultural Center
Phine & Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Dusty Forever, Kansas Plates, and Voulouse @ Eagles 34
Music of Queen + More for Kids @ First Avenue
Nicholas David and Demitrious Rallis @ Icehouse
Louyah with Ryman Leon @ Icehouse
Joey Thursday with Canadian Girlfriend @ Metronome Brewery
Red Hot Django Peppers @ Metronome Brewery
Annual Spring Concert @ Orchestra Hall
Coleman’s Sandbox Premiere with William Eddins @ Ordway
Art Beagle’s Backup Band @ Padraigs
Church of Cornbread @ Palmer’s
West Bank Social Club @ Palmer’s
Art-A-Whirl: Kyle Saxe, OCE, Hiba Hassan, The Jayboys, Yardbarn Jubilee @ Q.arma Building
DeathbyRomy with heffy @ 7th St Entry
Art-A-Whirl: SJMS, Twin Town Band @ Sociable Cider Werks
Art-A-Whirl: Joe Kemmerling, Marko Fields, Jeff Kasbaum @ Solar Arts
Art-A-Whirl: Jake La Botz & Mikkel, Diane, Switchyard @ 331 Club
Art-A-Whirl: Havana Quartet, Lucy Michelle, the Nunnery, Edie & Craig @ Twin Ignition
Kat and the Hurricane and Biitchseat @ Underground Music Venue
Karaoke with Ally @ White Squirrel
Godot and thisworldisnotkind @ Zhora Darling
Monday, May 19
Willie Wisely & Tommy Barbarella Organ Combo @ Dakota
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
Other Country Ensemble @ Eagles 34
Bob “Slim" Dunlap Tribute and Memorial @ First Avenue
MN Hard Bop Collective @ Metronome Brewery
Cowaoke with Ben Mooker @ Palmer’s
Open Mic Mpls @ Sociable Cider Werks
Womenfolk Presents Rachel Ries @ 331 Club
Acoustic Jam Session @ Utepils
Joe Kelly with Robyn Jamner, The Daily Norm, & Ambient Toad @ White Squirrel
Lori Dokken, Patty Peterson, Judi Vinar, & Rachel Holder @ Woman’s Club
