On the agenda this week: a possibly swampy two-day fest on Harriet Island and some rap legends coming to town for Rondo Days. Plus the proverbial "much more."
Tuesday, July 16
International Reggae All-Stars @ Bunker's
- Drone Not Drones @ Cedar Cultural Center—A summer edition of Drone Not Drones? Why not? Every January for nine years, the Cedar has hosted a 28-hour continuous drone, mixing local experimental musicians “to protest the extrajudicial and immoral drone program and raise money for the victims of the United States military-industrial complex.” For this more limited version, several local musicians will cycle in to create a two-hour continuous drone out on the Cedar plaza. Performers include Mary Hanson Scott, Gallope/Olveira/Papach, Paul Metzger, and Crystal Myslajek and Dosh.
St. Dominic's Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke With On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Allingations Band @ Father Hennepin Bluff Park
Allan Rayman with Michael Lemmo @ Fine Line
Kenzie Cait, Daphne Jane, Emily Rhea @ Green Room
Explosion Big Band @ Jazz Central
Charlie Doesn't Surf @ Loring Park
Lasse Corson @ Metronome Brewing
River City Jazz Orchestra @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Devil Dodger, Blacklist Royals, Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band, and Homeword Bound @ Palmer's
Cowaoke with Ben Moooker @ Palmer's
Selfish Teammate Psychic Sports, Life Skills @ Pilllar Forum
Industrial Strength with DJ Sin @ Terminal Bar
Hana Vu with Babebee @ Turf Club
Worker’s Playtime: Gawker Slowdown @ 331 Club
July Conspiracy Series featuring The Infernos, Mammoth Moth @ 331 Club
The New Havoline Supremes @ White Squirrel
Shrimp Olympics (Tuesday Residency) with True Lust and Mullet @ White Squirrel
Heed the Warning, Lutheran Heat, Future Babel, Luke Graner @ Zhora Darling
Wednesday, July 17
DG the Artist @ Cedar Cultural Center
Miss Shannon's Swing Night @ Eagles 34
Open Mic with Neal Dimick @ Ginkgo Coffee
JCS: Creative Collaborations @ Jazz Central
Mark Joseph @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Ben Cook-Feltz @ Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
Rana K, Juni & Betty, Dean Sibinski @ Metronome Brewing
Jackie Rae Daniels (Residency) @ Mortimer's
Redwing Blackbird, Paisley Fields and Betty Won't @ Palmer's
Couch Potato Massacre, My Kid Banana, The Right Here @ Pilllar Forum
Swamp Poppas @ Schooner Tavern
Joe Nicola @ Sociable Cider Works
Moken with Zoë Says Go and theyself @ 7th St Entry
Breakers' Paradise @ Terminal Bar
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Doug Deming and the Jeweltones @ 331 Club
Maybe Nebraska, Prozac Rat, Lena Elizabeth @ 331 Club
Dylan & The Dead – A Tribute Show @ Turf Club
Jared Justen with Ditch Pigeon & Jon Elconin @ Underground Music Venue
Meezy, Perf, Saint Grim, Jane October, & Yung J.B. @ Underground Music Venue
Castle Black, Red Fletcher, Sugarcoat @ White Rock Lounge
St. Paul Mudsteppers @ White Squirrel
Thursday, July 18
Absynthe of Faith, Depotek, Mach Fox, VVolf Mask, and DJ Lorth @ Amsterdam
Brilliant Colors of Jazz Trio @ Bryant Square Park
Jaybee & the Routine @ Bunker's
SoL, Ava Levy, Emma Jeanne @ Cloudland
Artificial Flowers @ The Commons
The Atlantis Quartet @ Crooners
The Guy Mintus Trio @ Crooners
The Music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon @ Crooners
Rainbolt Mountain Project @ Day Block Brewing
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke With On-Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
The Light in the Ocean @ Eagles 34
Jessica Pratt with June McDoom @ Fine Line
49 Winchester with Zandi Holup @ First Avenue
Semi Infamous, Homunculus Rex, Weeklong Weekend @ The Garage
Stick Men with Markus Reuter @ Granada
Snapped: Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
Dilly Dally Alley (Single Release) with Nunnabove & Soupy2K @ Icehouse
The Orange Goodness, with Tom, Dick & Harry @ Mears Park
Yo Jimbo Jazz @ Minnehaha Bandstand
Curtiss A & Dark Click @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Young Relics @ Minnesota Music Cafe
DSN Presents Hot Hot Hot @ Mortimer's
Riddim Driven with DJ I Roach @ Palmer's
Just Luv Inc. @ Schooner Tavern
Strand of Oaks with Lacey Guthrie @ 7th St Entry
James Hype, Jake Shore @ Skyway Theatre
Whiskey Rock 'n Roll Club @ Surly Brewing
Knife Emoji, Hot Jupiters @ 331 Club
Timberiver, Ecphasis, and Mortura @ Underground Music Venue
Dale Watson and His Lone Stars @ Uptown VFW
Goatroper with Laura Hugo, Clayton Ryan @ White Squirrel
Friday, July 19
Tonal Whiplash, A Sunken Ship Irony @ Acadia
- Chief Keef with Lil Gnar and The Glo Boyz @ Armory—This Chicago rapper was just 16 in 2012 when he distilled rap’s antisocial (or maybe just plain anti-) instincts into the killer drill classic “I Don’t Like.” In the time since, Keef hasn’t so much developed as a rapper as maintained his intensity and belligerence, and the sequel to his 2013 mixtape Almighty So is his most ambitious effort in years. High profile guests include Quavo as well as Tierra Whack (who steals “Banded Up” from him) and Sexyy Red bringing some much needed female counterbalance. Where the original mixtape featured several up-and-coming Soundcloud trackmasters, Keef almost exclusively handles the production himself bringing a hard rat-a-tat drill energy leavened by touches like the brilliantly flipped Wilson Pickett sample on “1,2,3.”
Cassandra Cole + Mayda @ Aster Cafe
Cyber City Disco/Android Assassins Takeover @ Beast Barbecue
Mike Vasich/Josh Granowski @ Berlin
Jeremy Boettcher Quartet @ Berlin
The Good the Bad & the Funky @ Bunkers
DJ Sunakuita @ Can Can Wonderland
The Makeouts (Single Release) @ Can Can Wonderland
Astronomy Town, Conor Lee, Lu Lu and the Shoe @ Caydence Records & Coffee
La Dame Blanche with DJ Queenduin @ Cedar Cultural Center
Duff Thompson, Steph Green, Lake Davi @ Cloudland
Southern Nights: A Tribute to Glenn Campbell @ Crooners
Leslie Vincent and Tommy Ward @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Judi Vinar and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Rank Strangers, Soft Topics, Field Hospitals, Tiny Daggers @ Eagles 34
Swingin' on a Star @ Eagles 34
International Treasures, Mira Babal, Nate Hance @ 50th & France
Where is the Key, Cause for Concern, Duck Bomb, Galleon @ The Garage
Rightful Heirs @ Ginkgo Coffee
Candlelight: Neo-Soul Favorites @ Granada
Gifted Handz, Bakari, Mack OC, DJ Fatz & DJ ENL @ Green Room
- Minnesota Yacht Club @ Harriet Island—The cryptically named new fest on the block may not have a very clear brand identity (at least the Basilica Block Party is committed to “bands you once listened to on Cities 97”) but it does offer up the best single-day retro lineup of any 2024 local music festival. Too bad that line up is divided between two days. My personal preference is for Day One, with Alanis and Gwen headlining, the unwavering Joan Jett and the fiery Morgan Wade in support, and Durry and Gully Boys representing their hometown. But if you wanna see the Hold Steady, you’ll have to buy tix for Day Two with the Chili Peppers mamafrazzawhossawoppin’ in the headlining spot and put up with the Offspring as well. (Click here to revisit our Flea-inspired investigation into why Minneapolis barely offers public toilets.) Can’t Craig and the boys swap places with the Black Crowes? If you’re concerned about how recent flooding might impact Harriet Island, we asked festival organizers about it but never heard back.
Hipshaker MPLS @ Hook and Ladder
Dark Light Oblivion @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Machaki with Butler @ The Loft
Sarah Navratil @ Metronome Brewing
Ingrid Streitz @ Minnehaha Bandstand
Funktion Junction @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 @ Orchestra Hall
Madeline Colford @ Padraigs Brewing
Big Woods Brass Band @ Padraigs Brewing
Sammie Jean Cohen, Laura Hugo @ Palmer's
Sunshine & the Night Walkers @ Schooner Tavern
Anothernight, Daisychain, TABAH, and full catholic @ 7th St Entry
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band @ State Theatre
- Mates of State with Al Menne @ Turf Club—Duos don't get much more quintessentially indie than Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. A married couple and a fully contained band (he drums, she plays guitar or synth or whatever, both sing) who raised two kids on the road, they peaked in 2011 with Mountaintops, essentially their swan song, on which their sound was fuller than ever and their lyrics sharper. They're back in the studio now, and on their first tour outside of the East Coast since 2015. Good to have them back.
Oak Pantheon, One with the Riverbed, Synopsis @ Underground Music Venue
Heartless, Private Oates @ Uptown VFW
Artepils 2024 - Music & Arts Showcase @ Utepils Brewing
Worn Mantle, Wanderer, Iosis @ White Rock Lounge
Full Tilt Boogie Preparty with Pals & Flintlock @ White Squirrel
Steady Range (Album Release), Alexander Natalie, Dot Operator @ Zhora Darling
Saturday, July 20
Uncle Sparky’s Beach Party presents Spark Joy @ Amsterdam
The Other Ol’ Blue Eyes with Bleek and Grimm @ Aster Cafe
Let's Nacho with DJ Vinz @ Bar Fly
Strictly R&B: The Summer SZN Day Party @ Cabooze
DJ Sanakuita @ Can Can Wonderland
My Kid Banana, The Tossups, Stay at Home Astronaut @ Caydence Records & Coffee
Bruder, Deep Fakes, Lovely Dark @ Cloudland
Yazmin & Beat Zero featuring Prudence Johnson @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Judi Vinar and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Cassandra Johnson, Emmy Woods, Delicate Friend @ Day Block Brewing
The Bill Patten Trio @ Dusty's
Efmi, Pandelion, and Secret Formula @ Eagles 34
Prodrome (Release Show), Durian Skeele, Intercourse, Paths of the Eternal @ Eagles 34
Stone Ark, Squirm, Tarius and the Sound @ Eagles 34
Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra @ First Avenue
- Rondo Days @ Hallie Q. Brown Community Center—This year's celebration of the historically Black neighborhood not only features music from locals Lady Midnight, Juice Lord, and St. Paul Slim but certified rap legends MC Lyte and Rakim.
The Black-Eyed Snakes with the Unnamed, Taylor Ray Band, the Infernos @ Hook and Ladder
Minneapolis Pops @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
The Mike Lauer Group @ Metronome Brewing
Jaybee & the Routine @ Minnesota Music Cafe
DJ Bryan Angeles @ Modist Brewing
Good Doom (Album Release) with Huhroon, IE, Rice @ Mortimer's
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 @ Orchestra Hall
Cabaret: Aitkin @ Orchestra Hall
Frothy Band @ Padraigs Brewing
Lost Island Society’s Speakeasy Soirèe @ Palmer's
Ray Covington @ Papa Legba Lounge
Hurricane Harold's All Star Review @ Schooner Tavern
The Stews with League Two @ 7th St Entry
Sorry For Party Rocking @ Studio B
The Hazy Phase, Climbing Trees, L1T3 Seminar @ Terminal Bar
TV For Dogs, deletist, Radiator Girl @ 331 Club
DJ Hayes Presents Shake @ Uptown VFW
Artepils 2024 - Music & Arts Showcase @ Utepils Brewing
Best of Both Worlds: Hannah Montana Night @ Varsity Theater
The Sunshapes (Album Release) with Strange Forest, Maddie Kadlec @ White Squirrel
Pop Wagner & the Tavern Trio @ White Squirrel
Jake Schultz & Annie Thoma (EP Release) with Killed by Kiwis, Sunsets Over Flowers @ White Squirrel
Upright Forms (Album Release), Tender Comrade, Pill Cutter @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, July 21
Mayfly Moon with Squirm, Son/boy @ Amsterdam
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Leaneagh & Company (Residency) @ Berlin
Freezing Hands, VHS Dust, Miracle Debt @ Cloudland
Next Generation: Classical @ Crooners
Next Generation: Jazz @ Crooners
Next Generation: Musical Theater @ Crooners
Phine Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Bal Folk Dance with Bob Walser, Daddy Squeeze, Elizabeth and Friends. @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Helion Prime, AfterTime, St. October, Closed City Terror @ The Garage
Mary Jam with Hot Bagels, Cheap Bouquet, Delicate Friends, Virginias Basement @ Green Room
Concert for Cobalt with NUR-D, Doll Chaser, Zora, Wet Denim, & Ghosting Merit @ Hook and Ladder
Twin Cities Flamenco Collective @ Icehouse
Bavarian Musicmeisters @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Minneapolis Pops @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
NX Gen Jazz @ Metronome Brewing
Cabaret Nisswa @ Orchestra Hall
Church of Cornbread @ Palmer's
Quinceanera of Maricella @ Papa Legba
Of The Orchard and Mom Rock with Amateur Hour and The Thing With Feathers @ 7th St Entry
Descent of Man, Maniacal Force, Rahvn @ White Rock Lounge
Dystopian Dispatch with Marshmallow Chaos, The Amazing Double Lotus @ White Squirrel
Monday, July 22
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
Mike Kota (July Residency) with Hemma & Hazelcreak & Lighter Co @ Green Room
David Feily presents Minneapolis String Project & Society of Chemists @ Icehouse
Barb Ryman @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Not Quite Dead @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Youth Jazz Orchestra Camp @ Metronome
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Devil Dodger, Blacklist Royals, Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band, and Homeword Bound @ Palmer's
Cowaoke with Ben Moooker @ Palmer's
The Well with Red Desert and Airship Caravan @ 7th St Entry
OpenMic Mpls @ Sociable Cider Works
