No way around it—fall finally arrives this week. Enjoy what many are calling "the best season in Minnesota" and go enjoy some music while you're at it.
Tuesday, September 19
International Reggae All Stars @ Bunkers
St. Dominic's Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke With On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
- The Used with Sleeping in Sirens and Dead American @ Fillmore—Did you know that the Used put out a new record this year? Toxic Positivity? I didn’t until I set out to blurb this show, so let’s cue it up now. …OK that’s enough of that! Look, the Used’s biggest hits are behind them—you don’t see a lot of “Bert Is My Homeboy” shirts these days—but as bands who peaked in the mid-aughts go, you could do a lot worse than tracks like “The Worst I’ve Ever Been,” even if they’re more produced and more predictable than the songs that made Bert McCracken & Co. famous. They’re certainly not enough to tarnish the legacy of the Utah screamo pioneers, who had back to back to back bangers between their 2002 self-titled debut, 2004’s In Love and Death, and 2007’s Lies for the Liars. The Used have released new music more or less consistently for the last 20-plus years, and it’s a career most bands of their era would be proud to have—one that’ll no doubt be a lot of fun to celebrate.
Terror Reid with Lu, Domsta, and NOGOOD @ Fine Line
Peelander–Z with Dog Party @ First Avenue
FRENCH POLICE, Closed Tear, and Lesser Care @ Green Room
Rabeca (Residency) with Willow Waters, Full Catholic @ Icehouse
Explosion Big Band Open Rehearsal @ Jazz Central
Miss Myra & The Moonshiners with The Good Time Gals and Average Joey @ KJ's Hideaway
River City Jazz Orchestra @ Minnesota Music Cafe
- Herb Alpert & Lani Hall @ Ordway—It's rude, I know, to say "Herb Alpert's still alive?" but will you allow "Herb Alpert's still touring?" Well, at 88, he's not just still on the road but sharing the stage with his wife of nearly 50 years, singer Lani Hall. Dude outsold the Beatles in 1966 (along with his Tijuana Brass), founded powerhouse independent label A&M Records, and supplied the beat that Puff sampled for Biggie's "Hypnotize." That's not nothing.
The Tallest Man On Earth with Andrea von Kampen @ Palace Theatre
Judy Walks, 1947, Longwinter, Blood Driver @ Pilllar
MALINDA with Lizzie Weber @ 7th St Entry
Industrial Strength with DJ Sin @ Terminal Bar
Worker’s Playtime with Theyself @ 331 Club
September Conspiracy Series featuring Mike Munson @ 331 Club
Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello & Dan Lowinger @ White Squirrel
Mary Jam (Tuesday Residency) with Mystery Meat, Atomic Lights @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, September 20
MN Songwriter Showcase hosted by Nick Hensley @ Aster Cafe
Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band @ Cedar Cultural Center
Rhoda Anderson Habedank @ The Commons
Maggie's Wednesdays: Linda Peterson and Jason Peterson DeLaire @ Crooners
Senor Blues, the Whistles @ Driftwood
Miss Shannon's Swing Night @ Eagles 34
Dutchman's Breeches, Malamiko, Clidesfeld @ Eagles 34
Lena and the Lovekills @ Eagles 34
Swans with Norman Westberg @ Fine Line
The Disco Biscuits @ First Avenue
High Pulp with Brandon Commodore's NRG @ Icehouse
JCS: Creative Collaborations @ Jazz Central
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Front Row Paul Appreciation Party @ Palmer's
Swamp Poppas @ Schooner Tavern
Lovehouse with Mineral Man and Emma Jeanne @ 7th St Entry
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Sarah Morris @ 331 Club
Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello @ 331 Club
Califone with Setting @ Turf Club
David Kushner @ Varsity Theater
Valdrin with Nothingness and Aberration @ White Rock Lounge
Saint Paul Mudsteppers Monthly @ White Squirrel
Leonard Cohen Tribute Night @ White Squirrel
Thursday, September 21
MNAKED Curated by Nick Hensley Featuring Zacc Fricke + Ira Haze @ Aster Cafe
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunkers
Lipa Carpatho-Rusyn Slovak Dancers @ The Commons
Tom Paxton and the Donjuans @ Cedar Cultural Center
Duo Libra Presents: The Many Moods of Carmen McRae @ Crooners
The Urban Classic EWF Tribute @ Crooners
Joyann Parker Presents: Classic Ladies of Country Music @ Crooners
The Customers, Nick Leet @ Driftwood
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
ZZ Ward with Jaime Wyatt @ Fine Line
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors with Josiah and the Bonnevilles @ First Avenue
Drag Me With a Spoon @ Granada
Confused Thursdays feat. KG3, Confused, Fairy Boat @ Green Room
Who Are They?, Electric Warrior @ Hook and Ladder
Twin Tribes with Panic Priest and DJ Gwiingwans @ Icehouse
Kate Voss and the Hot Sauce @ KJ's Hideaway
Young Relics @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Jazzicality @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Atreyu and Memphis May Fire @ Myth Live
Søndergård Conducts Alpine Symphony @ Orchestra Hall
Riddim Driven with DJ I Roach and Friends @ Palmer's
The Right Here, Voice of Addiction @ Pilllar
Forever 31 and Fauna Sauna @ ROK Music Lounge
Kid Quill with Pertinence and Ice God the Macgyver @ 7th St Entry
Cross Pollination: Awful Offal @ 331 Club
Zippo Man, Odd Prospect, Popstar, and Movie House @ Turf Club
Devaney & Friends with Martin Devaney, Rank Strangers, Bootcut @ White Squirrel
Friday, September 22
Wing Beaver, Civil Decline, Virginia's Basement, The Tossups @ Acadia
Annie Fitzgerald Trio (Single Release) @ Aster Cafe
The 70's Magic Sunshine Band @ Bunkers
The Birthday Club: Dan Chouinard and Dane Stauffer @ Crooners
Mistress Ginger Presents: Looking for Liza @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Maurice Jacox @ Crooners
Durand Bernarr with JeRonelle @ Fine Line
Undeclared ⏤ Dance Night Orientation @ First Avenue
Yohannes Tona Ethio-Jazz with Dibekulu @ Green Room
The Belfast Cowboys @ Hook and Ladder
- Clem Snide @ Icehouse—Clem Snide's Eef Barzelay waited about a decade longer than he should have to make the Fleet Foxes record that nobody but producer Scott Avett suspected he had in him. But the two linked up (after Barzelay endured a series of truly harrowing emotional and financial disasters) and, in 2020, Clem Snide released Forever Just Beyond. If Barzelay's slightly nasal quaver is more plainspoken and less prettified than any of Avett’s brothers, something in his timbre suggests a sweetened harmony even when his vocal is unaccompanied. And even his more cosmic musings shade significantly more sardonic than any turn of the twenty-teens’ indie-folkies, none of whom would quip “It’s easy to say you would never sell out/When nobody’s made you an offer” or “You will never make anyone better by shouting them down at the mall.” More than two decades after his first LP, Barzelay can’t resist pulling on loose threads, which is why this works best when the music that’s been tailored to suit him still ain’t a perfect fit.
Jeffrey Merrill @ Jazz Central
Madtown Mannish Boys @ KJ's Hideaway
Ray Covington @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Laberinto y Fiera de Ojinaga @ Myth Live
Søndergård Conducts Alpine Symphony @ Orchestra Hall
Teddy Swims with Matt Hansen @ Palace Theatre
Luke Callen with Goatroper @ Palmer's
Sammie Jean Cohen, Wild Lyre, and Pony Folk @ Palmer's
- Emily Wells @ The Parkway—A minimalist composer with pop affinities, or a tasteful synthpop practitioner with a knack for textured repetition? On her latest, Regards to the End, Wells splits the difference between those identities, as she ruminates on responses to the AIDS crisis as a means of exploring how art can confront climate change.
Bird Bass, Precedented Times, Disposable Days, Atomic Lights @ Pilllar
ZAND with Lucy Loone and Surly Grrly @ 7th St Entry
Erin McCawley's Harrison Street Band @ Schooner Tavern
Midnight Tyrannosaurus @ Skyway Theatre
Scarlet Tangerines, WAAR Party, Suburban Muscle @ Terminal Bar
Daisychain, Is Thing On?, Wish Wash @ 331 Club
Oracle Sisters with Ryder the Eagle @ Turf Club
Native Tongues Tribute with DJs Ms. Lakesha & Greenery @ Uptown VFW
Peso Pluma Nights @ Varsity Theater
The Collaboratory 4th Fridays @ White Squirrel
Saturday, September 23
Field Medic with Olivia Barton @ Amsterdam
Ava Levy + Indigo Koonce @ Aster Cafe
Hot Times at Zona’s Cabaret and Blues Joint @ Capri Theater
Patty Peterson Presents: In The Moment with Kavyesh Kaviraj @ Crooners
The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Presents: Agatha Christie Night @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Maurice Jacox and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
- Musiq Soulchild @ Dakota—This Philadelphia neo-soul smoothie is more than a quarter-century into his recording career, and the days of R&B smashes like "Halfcrazy" and "Dontchange" are probably behind him. But he still has a gift for basking in pure vocal sensation, and seems willing to try new things. His latest,Victims and Villains, is a collaboration with Hit-Boy, better known as a hip-hop producer. (He's been Nas's go-to partner in the rapper's well-received middle-aged.) On this three-night stand at the Dakota, Musiq will have time to stretch out a little.
Boywithuke with Naethan Apollo @ Fillmore
Gus Dapperton with Sarah Kinsley @ Fine Line
Explosions in the Sky with Dosh @ First Avenue
- Dua Saleh @ Franconia Sculpture Park—You never need an excuse to take a drive out to the Franconia Sculpture Park, but here’s a great one: Dua Saleh. As part of Franconia’s 27th Annual Art and Artists Celebration, the Twin Cities rapper/R&B singer will perform at the Earthen Amphitheater surrounded by all the site’s weird and wonderful contemporary sculpture art. With three sharp, concise EPs, the Sudanese-born Saleh has crafted a bassy, seductive sound while molding language like the poet they are. They haven’t released new music since the deluxe version of Crossover last year rounded out their clubby 2022 EP (their first without St. Paul production whiz Psymun handling beats), but they’ve been keeping busy, especially with their recurring role as Cal Bowman on Netflix's Sex Education.
Grayson DeWolfe, Caleb Dee, Creeping Charlie @ Green Room
Run Westy Run with Scott Yoder and Coma Club @ Hook and Ladder
- Francis Fest @ Indeed Brewing Company—The gang’s all here at this epic vegan food fest where you can try all kinds of plant-based eats in one spot. Eleven different businesses will be serving up eats, including sweets from cake creators Seymour Munchmore, Revival (try the nachos if they have them), Lyndale Avenue's vegan stoner care Hi Flora!, Plant Bar Cafe, and MN Nice Cream. There will also be over 20 local makers on hand; shop from jewelry artists Larissa Loden, Everyday Ejiji, Ghost Owl, and enjoy music from Monica LaPlante, Carnage the Executioner, and Scrunchies.
South Arts Jam Session with Drew Tucker @ Jazz Central
One Moment in Time: A Tribute to Whitney Houston by Julia Wheaton @ KJ's Hideaway
Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet አንድነት @ KJ's Hideaway
Roxxy Hall Band @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Søndergård Conducts Alpine Symphony @ Orchestra Hall
All The Pretty Horses, Elour, and noise @ Palmer's
Laura Hugo, Old Smugglers, and Turbo Pastel @ Palmer's
The Shabby Road Orchestra @ The Parkway
A Sunken Ship Irony, Shuge, Juniper Fly, The Staboteurs @ Pilllar
Vallis Alps with Izek Rose @ 7th St Entry
Seventh Street Shuffle @ Schooner Tavern
$uicideboy$ with Ghostemane, City Morgue, Sematary, and Ramirez @ Target Center
Destroy the Planet, Jake Searl, FOXBY @ Terminal Bar
1000mods with Valley of the Sun and Wizzerd @ Turf Club
killusonline, ROT, Out4Blood, Why Not @ Underground Music Venue
Daft Punk Night @ Varsity Theater
Raw Breed, Candy Apple, Identity Crisis, Self Abuse @ White Rock Lounge
The Mentors, Cock ESP, Mommy Sez No, Penis @ White Rock Lounge
Room 3 with Cyrus, Jada Lynn @ White Squirrel
Sunday, September 24
- The Postal Service & Death Cab for Cutie @ Armory—Ben Gibbard had himself a helluva 2003. That year his flagship band, Death Cab for Cutie, dropped their O.C.-core indie classic, Transatlanticism, while his side project, the Postal Service, released its first and only LP, Give Up. Tonight, Mr. Gibbard will dangle irresistible millennial catnip by performing both of those records in their entirety. Just take our money, Ben! Transatlanticism holds up as one of Death Cab’s best, an artifact of ‘00s indie-rock perfection that led a generation to question why, exactly, the glove box is called what it’s called. It’s easy to forget how novel the Postal Service origins were in ‘03; the project had Gibbard mailing bleepy/bloopy indie-pop songs across the country to electronic musician Jimmy Tamborello, resulting in an electro-pop masterpiece that blew up so big the USPS called its lawyers. Based on my Instagram reporting, it seems the always wonderful Jenny Lewis will be part of the Postal Service’s live band, which adds yet another pull factor to turn out for this twofer at the Armory. Here’s hoping you’ve climbed the corporate ladder since spinning these albums on your first-gen iPod in high school—ticket prices are decidedly 2023.
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
John Craigie with Taylor Rae @ Cedar Cultural Center
Pat Donohue and Honky-Tonk Jump! @ Crooners
Co-MingL Presents: The Soul Of September @ Crooners
The Brian Grivna Quartet @ Crooners
- Musiq Soulchild @ Dakota—See Saturday's listings.
Phine Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
d'Lakes, Pescatarian at Best, Larry Wish, Anita Velveeta @ Eagles 34
Johnny No Cash Band @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Bishop Briggs and MisterWives with Raffaella @ First Avenue
Johnny Sincerely Orchestra @ Granada
Twin Cities Flamenco Collective @ Icehouse
Crosstown Open Jam @ KJ's Hideaway
Church of Cornbread: Cornbread Harris and His Band @ Palmer's
Black Widows' Greatest Open Mic Ever @ Palmer's
Fame on Fire with Kingdom Collapse @ 7th St Entry
Mikkel, Charlie Parr, Dave Hundrieser @ 331 Club
The Real Chuck NORAD @ 331 Club
Everclear with the Ataris @ Uptown Theater
Cali vs. Everybody Dance Party @ Uptown VFW
Lonesome Dan Kase (solo), Kismet Roundezvous @ White Squirrel
St. Paul Songwriter Rounds @ White Squirrel
Monday, September 25
Ana Everling and House of Waters @ Cedar Cultural Center
- Musiq Soulchild @ Dakota—See Saturday's listings.
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
World Music Monday @ Eagles 34
Babymetal and Dethklok @ Fillmore
No Resolve and Halocene with The Haunt and Hooked Like Helen @ Fine Line
Nothing But Thieves with Kid Kapichi @ First Avenue
LA Buckner (September Residency) with Kennadi Hurst and DJ Yhaaanté & GGdrumz. @ Icehouse
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Cowaoke with Ben Mooooker @ Palmer's
Claud with Lutalo @ 7th St Entry
Pop Wagner's Honky Tonk Ranch @ 331 Club
The Roe Family Singers @ 331 Club
Matt Arthur Contraption @ 331 Club
