This Friday is one of those nights where the question isn't "Are you doing anything?" but "What are you doing?" There's the anti-ICE concert outside of the Black Forest headlined by Dropkick Murphys. There's Rage and Reset Vol. 3 at Pilllar. There's a great triple bill of Modern Wildlife, Yuasa-Exide, and Field Hospitals at Cloudland. And out in Hinckley, Switchfoot, Lit, and Fuel promise to—hehe, just making sure you're paying attention.
How am I supposed to get to a fish fry when there's this much music going on?
Tuesday, March 3
Open Mic @ Acadia
DJ Cam Jones @ Acadia
Mat Kerekes, Shallow Alcove, Beeson @ Amsterdam
Greatest Jam on Earth @ Blues Saloon
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunker’s
60 Juno, Darkling I Listen @ Cloudland
Sarah Morris & Molly Dean @ Dakota
St. Dominic’s Trio @ Driftwood Char Bar
Karaoke with On Call Karaoke @ Eagles 34
Nothing More, Catch Your Breath, Archers and Doobie @ Fillmore
Bill Simenson Orchestra @ Jazz Central
Red Planet @ Metronome Brewery
Bluewater Kings Showcase @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Yo-Yo Ma with the Minnesota Orchestra @ Orchestra Hall
March Conspiracy Series featuring the Daily Norm, Joe Kelly, Ambient Toad @ 331 Club
Worker’s Playtime with Pop Wagner @ 331 Club
The New Havoline Supremes @ White Squirrel
Ait Ait (Residency) @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, March 4
Paper Sky, Cutie Machines @ Acadia
MN Songwriter Showcase @ Aster Cafe
Twin Cities New Wave Day @ Barely Brothers
The Cherry Pit Open Jam @ Berlin
- Slum Village with Room3 & Kevin Gamble @ Dakota—Love the idea of the Dilla-steered Detroit rappers collaborating with the versatile and beatwise local jazz combo Room3 and keys whiz Gamble. Should be a special night.—Keith Harris
Cal Pflum, August Ouest, Drew Sudbury @ Driftwood Char Bar
Irish Diplomacy @ Dubliner Pub
Laura LaFave's Lunar New Year Karaoke Extravaganza @ Eagles 34
Open Mic with Neal Dimick @ Ginkgo Coffee
- Road Salt: An Evening of Music to Melt The ICE @ Hook and Ladder—The folks at the Hook are always there for their community, and tonight's show will benefit the very deserving rapid responders at Monarca. David Wimbish of the Collection and Jesse James Deconto of the Pinkerton Raid will be joined by LAAMAR, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, Maura Dunst, and Bathtub Cig.—Keith Harris
Los Straitjackets & Deke Dickerson @ Hook and Ladder
Pat Donohue and Friends @ Midway Saloon
Tytus Canby @ Minnesota Music Cafe
The Smithereens with John Cowsill @ Parkway
Alec Collins, Will Durie, Lomotion @ Pilllar Forum
Robert Wilkinson, Steve Brantseg @ Schooner Tavern
Bosso Poetry Company @ 331 Club
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with the 5 Dans @ 331 Club
The Second Stringers @ White Squirrel
Hunny Bear (Residency), Mockturnal, Knife Emoji @ White Squirrel
Thursday, March 5
Clementine, Agony In the Living Room, Stoney Point, Sugarcoat @ Amsterdam
David Huckfelt’s Mystery Lights @ Animales
- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit @ Armory—The settings on Jason Isbell’s latest, Foxes in the Snow, are spare (solo voice and guitar), the tone is largely one of quiet regret, and the payoff is that Isbell’s ease with a melody has only grown with time. We could hear all that last March, but those elements were thrown into relief by the release of Amanda Shires’s Nobody’s Girl, which rocks fiercely, exposes its wounds, and includes some dynamite tunes of its own. In case you haven’t heard, Isbell and Shires used to be married, and there’s no way to listen to one album without hearing the echo of the other. That means even neutral third parties like you and I will find grounds to cast blame where it’s none of our damn business. But when the smoke clears, what’ll matter is whether lines like “I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today” or “I finally found a match, and you kept daring me to strike it” retain the punch they have right now.—Keith Harris
Silversmith, Nona Invie @ Aster Cafe
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunker’s
Louis Michot with Soul Trouvere @ Cedar Cultural Center
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials @ Dakota
Baseline Bad, Zoe Says Go @ Driftwood Char Bar
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with On Call Karaoke @ Eagles 34
George Birge, Brian Fuller @ Fine Line
Dodie, Andy Louis @ First Avenue
Snapped Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
Susan Gibson @ Hook and Ladder
SaltyDog with Wise Jennings @ Hook and Ladder
Leslie Vincent (Residency) @ Icehouse
Acoustic Thursdays @ Mainstreet Bar
Fuzzy Math @ Metronome Brewery
Megastellar Open Mic @ Midway Saloon
Lowdown Dirty Fools Blues Band @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Rayonbase, Bella Larson, the Customers, Adult Video @ Mortimer’s
Bobby J’s West Bank Social Club @ Schooner Tavern
- feeble little horse, Hooky @ 7th St Entry—Let's hear it for bands taking care of themselves. With their latest album, Girl With Fish, Best New Musicking its way into playlists nationwide, these murmury Pittsburghers had a gangbusters 2023 in store. But they called off their tour for undisclosed health reasons, instead "letting the horse get a good night’s sleep"—and don't you dare call 'em feeble for that. But now they're back on the road, rested and ready. Looking forward to hearing Lydia Slocum singsong "Do you wanna be in my pocket?" and then scream "DO YOU WANNA BE IN MY POCKET?"—Keith Harris
Richard Smith & Pat Donohue @ 318 Cafe
Northeast Invitational @ 331 Club
Rage Against the Regime ft. Diane, student 1, Sean Anonymous @ Turf Club
The Stress of Her Regard, the Pullover @ White Squirrel
Friday, March 6
Billy Johnson and George McKelvey @ Animales
2026 Songwriter Workshop @ Art House North
St. Rangers, Tennessee Stiffs @ Aster Cafe
Frequency Fridays: Beats for the Underground @ Bazemnt
Medicinal Jazz Band @ Bear Cave
Dean Magraw + Suwal Singh with Fairooz Nazifa @ Berlin
Doug Little and Havana Highlife @ Berlin
- Abolish ICE: A Fundraiser for the People @ Black Forest Inn—The Dropkick Murphys are shipping up to Minneapolis to extend a middle finger in ICE’s direction. At 4 p.m., the veteran Celtic punks will perform a special acoustic set in the parking lot behind Black Forest Inn, right across the street from where Border Patrol agents beat, shot, and killed Alex Pretti earlier this year. “Help us support the warriors who’ve stepped up to protect our neighbors and our democracy!!” the band writes via social media, adding that they’ll be playing a sold-out Palace Theatre later that night in St. Paul. Here are the local bands participating: Wild Colonial Bhoys, Danza Ketzal, Brass Solidarity, Kiss the Tiger (read Racket’s profile here), Sophie Hiroko (ditto), Chutes, Laamar (ditto), the Shackletons, and Obi Original (ditto). And here are the orgs benefiting from this benefit: Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Show Up For Eat Street, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and Rent Support for Bancroft Families. You can donate and watch the livestream here. Fuck ICE. Let's rock.—Jay Boller
Drinkwine with Friends Band @ Blues Saloon
Afrobeats to the World @ Cabooze
Dar Williams, Joy Clark @ Cedar Cultural Center
Modern Wildlife (Album Release), Yuasa-Exide, Field Hospitals @ Cloudland
John Oates and the Good Road Band @ Dakota
Caribou Gone, Vagadeux, the OutCats @ Day Block Brewing
Piss With Style, Pogo Ballet, 1 Singular Cigarette @ Driftwood Char Bar
Irish Music Session @ Dubliner Pub
Wild Colonial Bhoys @ Dubliner Pub
Miss Shannon Swing featuring Katya and the Upswing @ Eagles 34
Ditch Pigeon (Residency) @ Eagles 34
Redveil, Chenayder, Matt Proxy @ Fine Line
Heated Rivalry—The Party @ First Avenue
Drew & Ellie Holcomb @ Fitzgerald Theater
Switchfoot, Lit, Fuel @ Grand Casino Hinckley
Eddie Adams, TNA, Chanderz @ Green Room
Aurelio Voltaire, Swongos @ Hook and Ladder
Nick Bhalla, Jeffrey Merrill @ Jazz Central
Loft Radio feat. UrBoiN8 @ The Loft
Momzilla, Damn Phibian, Alpine Shepherd Boy, Tonal Whiplash @ Memory Lanes
The Steve Kinney Quartet @ Metronome Brewery
Rooms on Fire @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Buildings, Gay Witch Abortion, In Lieu, Million Point Million @ Mortimer’s
Dropkick Murphys, the Aggrolites, Haywire, Slugger @ Palace Theatre
- Rage and Reset @ Pilllar Forum—Central Avenue in northeast Minneapolis has been one of ICE’s prime targets over the past two months, and the righteous coffee shop/skate shop/all-ages venue Pilllar Forum has done its part to resist and then some. Now, for the third year, Pilllar is offering two nights of blistering communitarian rock and one afternoon to chill out. Night one features Bejalvin, Eudaemon, fallingwithscissors, S.L.O.G., Sarin, Lost Evidence, lovergirl, and Pointless Animal. Night two features Anita Velveeta, Mary Jam, Fiona Hayes, Hey Ily!, Flyover States, Mouthful, Excuse Me Who Are You?, Yada Yada, Dicqbeats, Gill Weather, and Dying for Julia. And then on Sunday enjoy DJ sets from ollo11 and jamlla while browsing at a sale from Sleepyhead Vintage. Monarca will receive the proceeds. You might just have a little pent-up rage these days, and for sure you could use a reset.—Keith Harris
Maurice Jacox & We Still R @ Schooner Tavern
Clinton Kane, Julian Ray @ 7th St Entry
Three Days Grace, I Prevail, Sleep Theory, Funeral Portrait @ Target Center
Tree, FSN, JWAC @ Terminal Bar
Richard Kriehn with Matt Muller & Pat Frederick @ 318 Cafe
The Red Hot Django Peppers, Triple Fiddle @ 331 Club
Hanson Family Band @ Turf Club
All Your Friends — The Indie Party @ Turf Club
Chris Davies & the Afterparty, East Of The Rockies @ White Squirrel
Freak of the Week with DJ Lady D @ Zhora Darling
Saturday, March 7
Cornbread Harris & Friends @ Animales
2026 Songwriter Workshop @ Art House North
Sandra McCracken @ Art House North
Cryote, Dustin Lee @ Aster Cafe
Saturday Night Vibes: Pisces Szn Takeover @ Bazemnt
Jumpsuit: Shawn Raja, Dedicated Enemy, TML @ Black Hart
Strictly R&B: Her Night @ Cabooze
Last Shot at Redemption, Red Fletcher, Trigger Armada @ Can Can Wonderland
John Magnuson Trio @ Carbone’s
Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins, Maygen and the Birdwatcher @ Cedar Cultural Center
Sex Mex, Joust, Panel @ Cloudland
Natural Mystic: The Music of Bob Marley @ Crooners
Brass Elephant, the Silverteens, the Hobbled @ Driftwood Char Bar
Release the Craicen @ Dubliner Pub
Ciao Bello, Martin Devaney & Friends, Miss Georgia Peach @ Dusty’s
Back to the 30's & 40's Swing Gala @ Eagles 34
Lauren Spencer Smith @ Fillmore
Jeris Johnson, Butcher Babies, Eva Under Fire, LYLVC @ Fine Line
Peter McPoland, Girl Tones @ First Avenue
Letters, Friend Port @ Gambit Brewing
Flatfoot 56/the Killigans, Loss Leader, Toilet Rats @ Hook and Ladder
The Dead Days of Winter: Country Is Dead @ Icehouse
Barking Daisy @ Mainstreet Bar
Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley @ Metronome Brewery
Milton’s Playhouse @ Midway Saloon
Jaybee & the Routine @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Chemical, Interlay, Peeler, Tuffie @ Mortimer’s
Jiggs Lee Invasion @ Mystic Lake
Søndergård Conducts Bruckner @ Orchestra Hall
SPCO: Musician Appreciation Concert @ Ordway
Ryan Picone Quartet @ Padraigs
- Rage and Reset @ Pilllar Forum—see Friday's listings.
The Changeups, Elour, Prophets of Mothra @ Schooner Tavern
Ella Red, Peggy @ 7th St Entry
Rittz, DJ Chris Crisis & Dropout Kings @ Studio B
Daniel Drisco, Robert Dixon @ Terminal Bar
Katy Tessman, Nikki Lemire, & Becky Schlegel @ 318 Cafe
Scott Hefte and the Bury ‘em Deep, Rank Strangers, Driftless Pony Club, Violet Palms @ 331 Club
Fine Dials (Album Release), Buckaroux Banshees, No Regard @ Underground Music Venue
International Women’s Month Music Showcase @ Uteplis Brewing
Afflatus, Willows @ White Squirrel
Boots & Needles @ White Squirrel
The Del-Viles, Crush Scene, J-Mo On The Beat & the J Lighters @ White Squirrel
EMM, Bentley Robles @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, March 8
Jeff Ray & the Stakes @ Animales
Patty and the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Laurels String Quartet (feat. Jeremy Messersmith) @ Berlin
James Keelaghan and David Woodhead @ Cedar Cultural Center
Mediterranean Sundance @ Crooners
Legacy of Lilith Fair @ Crooners
Phine & Friends, Shotgun Ragtime Band @ Driftwood Char Bar
North Star Jazz Community Jam Section @ Dual Citizen
Crown of Clover @ Dubliner Pub
Sunday Trad Session @ Dubliner Pub
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
The Floozies and Too Many Zooz with Bray Radbury @ First Avenue
Candlelight: Tribute to Tool @ Granada
Candlelight: Tribute to Drake @ Granada
- Rock out for Rent Relief @ Hook and Ladder—The folks who are still trapped inside by ICE need rent relief, and fast. Out to help them tonight is a lineup that includes the Good Neighbors, green, Mark Wade and Ryan Smith, Stone Arch Rivals, and Adam and Ava Levy.—Keith Harris
Obi Original and the Black Atlantics (Residency) @ Icehouse
Taste of Vervain, Frost Found Us, Fragged Out, Brain Washed @ Klash Coffee
Jen Burleigh-Bentz @ Metronome Brewery
The Riff Rangers @ Midway Saloon
Holi Festival @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Søndergård Conducts Bruckner @ Orchestra Hall
- Rage and Reset @ Pilllar Forum—see Friday's listings.
Church of Cornbread @ Schooner Tavern
Hudson Freeman, Brian Gerald Bulger @ 7th St Entry
Emmy Woods and Friends @ 331 Club
Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School @ 331 Club
Wilkinson James, Erik Brandt @ White Squirrel
Miners and Gardeners, Lakeside Cemetery @ White Squirrel
Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, Ramson, Unattractive Giant Monster, Your Mom's Mom @ Zhora Darling
Monday, March 9
Sheridan Zuther and Ted Godbout @ Crooners
The Movie Song Singalong with Dan Chouinard @ Crooners
Sea Shanty Sing @ Dubliner Pub
Other Country Ensemble @ Eagles 34
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Queer Contra Dancing @ Eagles 34
Angel Du$t, Big Boy, Bad Beat @ Fine Line
Hawthorne Heights, letlive, Creeper @ First Avenue
MN Hard Bop Collective @ Metronome Brewery
Blues Jam with Moses Oakland @ Midway Saloon
