January is, as ever, a slow month for touring acts here in the usually much colder north. But there are plenty of locals onstage. Take a chance on someone you haven't checked out yet.
Tuesday, January 2
International Reggae All Stars @ Bunkers
St. Dominic's Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke With On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Bill Simenson Orchestra @ Jazz Central
Bluewater Kings Showcase @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Afro House with DJ Vegan Water and Friends @ Palmer's
All Nighter Tuesdays @ ROK Music Lounge
Gross Motor All Stars (Album Release), Gnaw, UNTURNED, Haze Gazer, and Fuss @ 7th St Entry
Industrial Strength with DJ Sin @ Terminal Bar
Worker’s Playtime: Jeff Ray@ 331 Club
January Conspiracy Series featuring Ben Cook-Feltz, Vonnie Kyle @ 331 Club
The New Havoline Supremes! feat. Mary Cutrufello, Dan Lowinger @ White Squirrel
Pure Shifter (Tuesday Residency) with Dog Gamn & Mild Manner @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, January 3
MN Songwriter Showcase hosted by Nick Hensley @ Aster Cafe
- Laura Jane Grace, Mya Byrne @ Cloudland—Don't get your hopes up—both the early and late shows are sold out. But the fact that this new southeast Minneapolis club is already drawing acts of Grace's caliber is such a good sign I felt it couldn't go unremarked upon.
Maggie's Wednesday: Mia Dorr @ Crooners
Tim Sparks Trio (Album Release) @ Dakota
Miss Myra and the Moonshiners @ Eagles 34
Miss Shannon's Swing Night @ Eagles 34
Trent Romens Band (Residency) @ Green Room
Luke Peterson Quartet + Jake Baldwin Quintet @ Icehouse
Ethan Ostrow Band @ Jazz Central
The Craig Clark Band @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Karaoke Crime Scene @ Palmer's
- Dilly Dally Alley (Single Release) with Floodwater Angel, full catholic and The Confused @ 7th St Entry—The single that horn-driven local sextet Dilly Dally Alley spotlights tonight is "Same Damn Door," a punky change of pace with singer Sophia Spiegel showing amazing breath control.
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Josh Quinn @ 331 Club
Lars-Erik Larson & The 2nd Stringers @ White Squirrel
Thursday, January 4
Martin Devaney, Mary Cutrufello, Mike Gunther, Daguerreotypes @ Cloudland
The ACME Jazz Company @ Crooners
One World – The Best of Sting & The Police @ Dakota
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Snapped: Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
Derecho Rhythm Section @ Icehouse
Young Relics @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Lowdown Dirty Fools @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Anarky, Oath, Bad Kitchen, Avery Seed @ Pilllar
Sleepy Eye, Wyatt Avery, Bryn Battani @ ROK Music Lounge
Anarchist Bachelor Party @ 7th St Entry
Northeast Invitational @ 331 Club
Broken Vow, Mile End @ White Rock Lounge
- A David Berman Celebration @ White Squirrel—I was one of the last people to interview the late, great David Berman. As I wrote in a Q&A published the day after the Silver Jews/Purple Mountains mastermind died in 2019 by suicide at 52: “In both his songs and his poems, Berman snugly fit dazzling imagery, razor-sharp wordplay, effortless humor, and world-weary melancholy into deft couplets, all delivered through his drawling, unmistakable deadpan growl. The musical arrangements that showcased his lyricism ranged from cowboy shuffles to mournful twang to herky-jerky psychedelia… losing [him] hurts like hell.” Almost five years later, fans still miss the hell outta the singular singer-songwriter/poet, as this tribute showcase featuring Twin Cities musicians makes clear. Among the locals tipping their caps to Berman via his timeless songs: Emmy Woods, Dot Operator, Stressica, the Cottonwood Shivers, Cara Lillian, New Seven, and Gabe Berkovski.—Jay Boller
Friday, January 5
Luke LeBlanc + Sarah Morris @ Aster Cafe
PRGRPHS, Radiator Girl, Sidewalk Diamonds, Crash Cuddle @ Cloudland
The Peter Kogan Quintet @ Crooners
Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken @ Dakota
Ausgang City, Michael Rendahl @ Driftwood
Katia Cardenas Quartet @ Eagles 34
Sigcell, Sunsets over Flowers, 1947 @ Eagles 34
Resolutions ⏤ A New Year’s Dance Party with Michael Grey, JEN-E and DJ HNDRXX @ Fine Line
- Shrek Rave @ First Avenue—“It’s dumb just come have fun.” So reads the promotional pitch for Shrek Rave, a dance night themed around everyone’s favorite Scottish ogre. For irony-soaked millennials who spend too much time online (hello!), the 2001 animated film has sprouted a cottage industry of memes and in-jokes, a phenomenon that L.A. host/artist Jordan Craig first translated into a dance night few years ago. By 2022, the Grey Lady was writing about his lime-green party. “When people say there’s a Shrek rave, where else are you going to go?” Nick, a 28-year-old raver, told the New York Times. “I found out about this a day and a half ago. I wish I knew earlier, I would have brought earwax.” In what trippy, bass-throbbing ways will Shrek, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, and the gang manifest in the Mainroom, which’ll be rebranded as “The Swamp,” tonight? You gotta see for yourself. (P.S. Did you know the late, great Chris Farley was originally planned to voice Shrek? Check out these fantastic early recordings.)—Jay Boller
Beemer Presents: A New Year's Pageant @ Icehouse
Splash! & Paper Chain @ KJ's Hideaway
Dirty Audio X Pierce @ The Loft
Kathleen Johnson Presents Park Cafe @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Open Rehearsal @ Orchestra Hall
Søndergård Conducts Enigma Variations @ Orchestra Hall
Punks for a Cause Presents~Sanctuary Supply Depot Benefit & Supply Drive @ Palmer's
Twin Citizen with Colin Bracewell, Jon Berg and Pullstring @ 7th St Entry
The Haws, the Beavers @ 331 Club
Collections of Colonies of Bees and Dosh with Max and Jeremy Ylvisaker @ Turf Club
Rogue Royal, Trigger Armada, Leaving Hope @ White Rock Lounge
New Year's Celebration with easeupkid and Friends @ Underground Music Venue
The Matt Arthur Contraption @ White Squirrel
Saturday, January 6
The High 48’s Bluegrass Brunch @ Aster Cafe
Hazelcreak with Walker Rider, Rosie, and Dark Bunny @ Cedar Cultural Center
Curve, Murf, Gay Witch Abortion, Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops @ Cloudland
Minnesota Guitar All Stars @ Crooners
River: The Music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carlly Simon @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Geoff Jones and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
The Wreck, the Hamm Sammies @ Driftwood
Jonger, Amateur Hour, Movie House, Little Lizard @ Dusty's
Waar Party, Ashes From Stone, and Slag @ Eagles 34
Shatter, Skimask, Kaldeket, Ruin Dweller @ Eagles 34
RaveQuest ⏤ A Medieval Dance Night @ First Avenue
ELOUR, Juniper Fly, FLOWTUS @ Green Room
- Why Khaliq (EP Release) @ Icehouse—This prolific St. Paul rapper hasn’t headlined a show in five years, but he’s been plenty busy during that time. His new eight-track EP, Road Runner, dropped at the end of September, just a year after he released the album NORTH BABY, a collaboration with producer Smokey Visions. On his latest release, Khaliq remains smooth as ever without being slick, and the vibey tracks match his sensibilities, with synths washing unobtrusively over the beats. Album highlights include “Brodies,” with its ping-ponging “wassup”s, and the fast-paced “Speed Bumps,” with an assist from fellow MN MC Knucky.
One Moment in Time: A Tribute to Whitney Houston by Julia Wheaton @ KJ's Hideaway
The Roxxy Hall Band @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Søndergård Conducts Enigma Variations @ Orchestra Hall
HAPPY INSURRECTION DAY #2: The Day Our Nation Betrayed Us @ Palmer's
Lissie's Midwinter Residency @ The Parkway
Goodbye Mordecai, The Symptones, Uncle Jesse's Comb, Time Room @ Pilllar
FLOW STATE: DJ Tiberius, OD4, DJ Turnstyle @ ROK Music Lounge
Daphne Jane and Bloodline with Chutes and Lana Leone @ 7th St Entry
Chad Erickson & the Untimely, Handsom Midnight, July Fighter @ Terminal Bar
Valors, Butter Boys, Shrimp Olympics @ 331 Club
Willow Creek Brothers, Poolboy, Blue Red Roses, and Gladden @ Turf Club
Superfloor, High Tiny Hairs, and Rank Strangers @ White Squirrel
Confucisaurus with Sunshine and the Night Walkers @ White Squirrel
Sunday, January 7
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Mary Scott, Nelson Devereux @ Cloudland
Kieran and Zach’s Rock and Roll Call @ Crooners
Pat Frederick and Low Company @ Crooners
- Martin Dosh Presents: The Larry Schaefer Memorial Orchestra @ Dakota—Dosh has gathered an incredible lineup here: Bryan Nichols and John Keston on electric piano and synth; Jeremy Ylvisaker and Dee Kesler on guitars; Erik Fratzke on bass; Peter Goggin and Chris Thomson on saxophones; Jake Baldwin on trumpet; Joey van Phillips, Martin Dosh, and Umar Malik on drums and percussion. Their music draws from electric Miles Davis, early Weather Report, Can, James Brown, and Fela Kuti, In other words, this is going to be A Lot.
Phine Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Mother Banjo + Two Rivers @ Icehouse
Miss Myra & The Moonshiners with the Southside Aces @ KJ's Hideaway
The Good, the Bad, & the Funky @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Classics with Thomas Søndergård @ Orchestra Hall
Church of Cornbread @ Palmer's
1st Sundays Eclectic Collective: Thinkers, Thumpers, Wailers, & Baby Makers @ Palmer's
- Radio K's Frostbite Residency @ 7th St Entry—Everyone’s favorite umm-ing DJs are taking over the Entry for two Sundays of local music to kick off the new year. This week, that means TABAH, Carnage The Executioner, student 1, and SoulFlower; next week, it’s Gramma, RiGBY, Mold, and Psylo. And hey: We’ll take any chance to re-share last year’s excellent, extra-long Racket oral history on Radio K in honor of its 30th anniversary.—Em Cassel
Bejalvin's 1 Year Birthday Bash, Identity Crisis, Falling With Scissors, Mace @ White Rock Lounge
Threads Electric, Lightkeeper, A Sunken Ship Irony @ White Squirrel
Monday, January 8
House of the Serpents (EP Release) @ Amsterdam
Stronger Than Pride: The Passionate Songs of Sade @ Dakota
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Queer Contra Dancers @ Eagles 34
Other Country Ensemble @ Eagles 34
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Cowaoke with Ben Moooker @ Palmer's
The Cactus Blossoms with The Riffin' Trio @ Turf Club
Tim Robinson Roundup @ 331 Club
Matt Arthur Contraption @ 331 Club
Mumblin’ Drew’s Oldfangled Orchestrators Monthly Residency @ White Squirrel
The Oh Boys with Jared McCloud, Taylor James Donskey @ White Squirrel
