Read these listings carefully to learn a fascinating anecdote about myself and Blues Traveler's John Popper FROM THE '80s.
Tuesday, September 17
Liana Flores with Juliana Chahayed @ Amsterdam
International Reggae All-Stars @ Bunker's
St. Dominic's Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke With On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Ziggy Alberts with Garrett Kato @ Fine Line
- Blues Traveler with Vanessa Collier @ First Avenue—I met John Popper once or twice when I was in high school. He was friends with some guys I knew. Had a lot of harmonicas.
Flack, Duck Bomb, The Violet Press, Galleon, Chameleon @ The Garage
Fairy Boat, Samuel Wilbur, Bryn Battani @ Green Room
Explosion Big Band @ Jazz Central
River City Jazz Orchestra @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Groove with DJ Jen-E @ Mortimer's
Keane with Everything Everything @ Palace Theatre
SimpleGifts featuring Billy McLaughlin @ Parkway
Abby Holliday with Brother Bird and lily blue @ 7th St Entry
Artist Showcase @ Sociable Cider Werks
Industrial Strength with DJ Sin @ Terminal Bar
- Charly Bliss with Raffaella @ Turf Club—This Brooklyn indie act emerged in 2017 with a sugary blast of rockers, matured and got synthy in 2019, and on last month’s anticipated Forever, Charly Bliss went pop. (Bonus local angle: Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus helped on the production side.) The results are uneven—for the first time, Eva Hendricks’s clever, heartfelt wordplay is diluted by co-writers—but the band’s “bubblegrunge” still crushes, this time with Top 40-winking catchiness. Bangers include “I Don’t Know Anything,” a behind-the-scenes vent of industry frustrations, and “Back There Now,” an exhilarating kiss-off to young love.—Jay Boller
September Conspiracy Series featuring Triple Fiddle, Maura Dunst @ 331 Club
Wednesday, September 18
MN Songwriter Showcase @ Aster Cafe
Shadowlands feat. S. Carey & John Raymond @ Berlin
Vasen with the Northern Fiddlers Bloc @ Cedar Cultural Center
Caswyn Moon and Faith Kelly @ Day Block Brewing
Kitchen Patrol and Joe @ Day Block Brewing
Lena and the Lovekills @ Eagles 34
Miss Shannon's Swing Night @ Eagles 34
Mon Rovîa with Tish Melton @ Fine Line
The California Honeydrops @ First Avenue
Open Mic with Host Neil Dimick @ Ginkgo Coffee
JCS @ JCS: Creative Collaborations @ Jazz Central
Mayfair 3 with Monica Louise @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Elour & Mortiholics (September Residency) @ Mortimer's
Remi Wolf with Lava La Rue @ Palace Theatre
Swamp Poppas @ Schooner Tavern
GEL with MSPAINT, Destiny Bond and The Mall @ 7th St Entry
Deicide, Krisiun, Inferi, and Cloak @ Studio B
Breakers' Paradise @ Terminal Bar
Sam Burchfield & The Scoundrels @ Turf Club
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Tom Feldman @ 331 Club
Knife Emoji, The What-have-yous @ 331 Club
Sweet Spine with Lake Drive @ Underground Music Venue
St. Paul Mudsteppers @ White Squirrel
East Lake Jazz Workshop @ White Squirrel
Thursday, September 19
Nekrogoblikon with Enterprise Earth and Dead Icarus @ Amsterdam
Conan Gray with Maisie Peters @ Armory
Leighton Tuenge Trio (Album Release) @ Berlin
Jaybee & the Routine @ Bunker's
Sunless, Mares of Thrace, Murf @ Cloudland
RIVER: The Music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon @ Crooners
Not Your Baby with Ciidesfeld and Basement Heroes @ Day Block Brewing
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Karaoke With On-Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Zheani with Buttress and ZAND @ Fine Line
Hippo Campus with Lutalo @ First Avenue
Snapped Live Band Open Mic @ Green Room
The Sex Rays, Mad Mojo Jett, & Jazz Outlaws @ Hook and Ladder
The New Standards with Lamaar @ Mears Park
Colby Kent & Zander @ Metronome Brewing
Mary Elias's Young Relics @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Dead Star Nation Presents The Forest @ Mortimer's
- St. Vincent with Dorian Electra @ Palace Theatre—Annie Clark has released a new album, All Born Screaming, since she was in town last, but if you want a refresher about her 2021 Armory show, I was there.
Riddim Driven with DJ I Roach @ Palmer's
Andy Shauf with Hayden Pedigo @ Parkway
Katia Cardenas Combo @ Peavey Plaza
Lifestyle Shakes, Pleasure Cube, Gwen @ Pilllar Forum
Mubbla Buggs, the Rodents @ Schooner Tavern
Under the Rug with Basic Printer @ 7th St Entry
Matthew Caws of Nada Surf @ Surly Brewing
The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League @ 331 Club
Cover Me ⏤ A Bruce Springsteen Sing-Along @ Turf Club
Synth Night @ Underground Music Venue
Devaney & Friends with Katy Vernon, Art Vandalay @ White Squirrel
Friday, September 20
Huron John and DBMK @ Amsterdam
AirLands + The Nunnery @ Aster Cafe
Cyber City Disco - Dana Kazuko, Echo, Phriz Da Beatz @ Beast Barbecue
Steve Pikal / Mary Louise Knutson @ Berlin
Sophia Shorei Quintet @ Berlin
- Sugarhill Gang & the Furious Five @ Cabooze—Two original members of the Gang (Wonder Mike and Master Gee) and two original members of the Five (Melle Mel and Scorpio), all of whom deserve to get paid.
Oceanographer, Sir Valentine @ Caydence Records & Coffee
Carsie Blanton with Matt the Electrician @ Cedar Cultural Center
Forest Ray, James Eugene Russell, Mary Cutrufello @ Cloudland
Maggie's Afterglow: Charmin Michelle and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
The Bishops, Umbrella Bed, Goodbye Mordecai @ Eagles 34
Swingin' on a Star @ Eagles 34
The Teardowns, FINICK @ 50th & France
Eric Hutchinson with Dan Rodriguez @ Fine Line
sapphic factory: queer joy party @ First Avenue
After Arizona, Cilician Gates, Duck Bomb, Empathy @ The Garage
Camo & Krooked + Mefjus @ Granada
Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers @ Ginkgo Coffee
- Papa Mbye (EP Release) with Huhroon, Sumana, Giselle, *67 @ Green Room—A Papa Mbye track is an ever-changing thing. Rare is the song on his new EP Parcelles 16 (named for his uncle’s address back in Senegal) that finishes where it began, rhythmically or melodically. Which isn’t to say the West African-born, Minneapolis bred musician rambles—whether guitars follow fluid lines or chonk out the funk, whether electronic noises swell from below or articulate themselves as replicas of fuzzed out thumb-pianos, the sounds progress, evolve, make themselves known. At the center is Papa’s own voice, serrated and filtered, making demands like “Kiss me where it hurts/You could make it better” and pondering the concept of home on the climactic closing track, “Senegambia.”
Honey Island Swamp Band with TWINE @ Hook and Ladder
Hipshaker MPLS @ Hook and Ladder
What's Going On - A Tribute to the Life & Music of Marvin Gaye @ Icehouse
The Freier Department @ Jazz Central
Funktion Junction @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Starset Immersion: The Final Chapter @ Myth Live
Søndergård, Lim, and Rachmaninoff @ Orchestra Hall
- St. Vincent with Dorian Electra @ Palace Theatre—See Thursday's listings.
Sand County, Voulouse, and Jack Klatt @ Palmer's
Daniel Villarreal with Matt Jennings @ Parkway
- Joe Bartel (album release), Anni XO, Zaq Baker Team @ Pilllar Forum—Billed at his "final punk album," (what does it mean? does anything mean anything?) Bartel's latest, American Poison, is a frantic burst of communal, semi-acoustic anxiety, with strings and horns and voices chiming in to remind him that he's not alone. Oh hey, and that means you're not either! Here's what I wrote about the advance track "Toxic Air."
Annie & the Bang Bang, Dan Israel Band @ Schooner Tavern
BLK ODYSSY with Asha Imuno and Benji. @ 7th St Entry
Dr. Oliver Tree @ Skyway Theatre
Grand Lilac, Dot.Operator, Val Son @ 331 Club
Scream and Soulside with In Lieu @ Turf Club
FERAL DANCE: Theology, OPTNS, Evilynda, Dustn Haze @ Uptown VFW
Big Salt with Elour, The 99ers @ White Squirrel
The Rosies, Babe Haven, Ice Climber, When the Dust Settles @ Zhora Darling
Saturday, September 21
Pump: UKG Series @ Artery MPLS
Daddy Issues: Two-Year Anniversary @ Beast Barbecue
Queer Cumbia Dance Party @ Black Hart
The Good, the Bad, & the Funky @ Bunker's
Irish Diplomacy @ Can Can Wonderland
Kyrie Nova & the Defiant, Bloom or Bust, Admiral Fox, Littleton @ Caydence Records & Coffee
Great Lake Swimmers, Luke Callen @ Cedar Cultural Center
Wolf Blood, Feast of Lanterns, Lykoi Fel @ Cloudland
Maggie's Afterglow: Charmin Michelle with Rick Carlson @ Crooners
L.A. Buckner & Big Homie and Brandon Commodore's NRG @ Crooners
The Bill Patten Trio @ Dusty's
Pearl Parkway, Nice and Blue, Thomas Richey @ Eagles 34
- The Front Bottoms @ Fillmore—The emo revival boom of the '10s didn’t produce a better or more poorly named band than New Jersey’s the Front Bottoms. Supercharged by Brian Sella's preternatural lyricism, the group arrived almost fully formed with a string of albums from 2011 through 2014 that young rock fans no doubt consider all-time classics. (Talon of the Hawk is a true emo masterpiece.) Advanced middle age wasn’t kind to the Front Bottoms, who despite always ripping live suffered from discography duds, but we’re happy to report that last year’s You Are Who You Hang Out With is a natural-sounding return to form; Sella can still turn a phrase with the best of 'em, and the acoustic-punk arrangements aren’t striving for any middle-of-the-road radio rock space, to the extent that market exists anymore.—Jay Boller
- M. Ward with Leslie Stephens @ Fine Line—A fine indie singer-songwriter who has rewarded if not demanded attention over the years, Ward has courteously given us a chance to catch up with him with For Beginners: The Best of M. Ward. These aren’t necessarily the songs I’d have chosen (where’s “Primitive Girl”?) but if you only know Ward for his famous friends (he was the him alongside Zooey Deschanel in She & Him and a participant in Conor Oberst and Jim Jones’s indie Wilburys project Monsters of Folk) it’s a good starting point. He consistently displays a fragility that never flaunts its sensitivity, singing with a brightness that keeps him clear of despair. The compilation adds to his oeuvre a version of Godley and Creme’s “Cry” that doesn’t quite stand along his reimagining of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (or his “Oh Lonesome Me,” which didn’t make the cut), but his setlist doesn’t stick solely to the best-of. In fact, he apparently played Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” twice in one night on a recent date.
Spud City Singers @ Gambit Brewing
King Swank, Playboy Sho-Tee (a.k.a Sixx Figga Sho), BozeMøntana, DJ Devario @ The Garage
Jon Wayne And The Pain, Feed The Dog @ Green Room
InMotion: Monochrome @ Icehouse
Nancy Bierma: The Music of Keith Jarrett @ Jazz Central
Leprous, Earthside, Fight the Fight @ The Lyric
Dean Magraw and Davu Seru @ Metronome Brewing
Jaybee & the Routine @ Minnesota Music Cafe
DJ Alexis Rose @ Modist Brewing
Movements, Turnover, Queen of Jeans @ Myth Live
Søndergård, Lim, and Rachmaninoff @ Orchestra Hall
Art Beagle Back Up Band @ Padraigs
Fireseek Equinox ft. Academy Order, Count Spookula, Cult Sequence, LOUM, Autumn @ Palmer's
We're Not That Old: Nur-D, Alex Frecon, The Symptones, Linus @ Pilllar Forum
- Powderhorn Porchfest @ Powderhorn—True south Minneapolitans know PorchFest rocks—they don’t need no blurb telling ‘em as much. But for the uninitiated, this annual Powderhorn hootenanny is, in fact, a hoot, featuring exactly what’s promised in the name: live tunes from 13 genre-spanning local bands performing from three honest-to-god porches along 17th Avenue. There’ll be food vendors galore (Taqueria el Patron, Eggroll Queen, KCM Eggrolls, Vang Express, and more), and not one, not three, but two beer gardens situated outside of Reverie Cafe + Bar. You just can’t beat drinking outside during early fall, folks. Click here to see the full lineup of local music acts, which includes talented multi-hyphenate headliner Tufawon.—Jay Boller
Jack Knife & the Sharps @ Schooner Tavern
Sidequest, Charlie Wonder, Z @ Studio B
Surlyfest 2024 @ Surly Brewing
Hans Zimmer Live @ Target Center
Landfill Harmonic @ Terminal Bar
The Crimson Boys, Tomboyy, Super Flasher @ 331 Club
A Sunken Ship Irony, Ditch Pigeon, Faux Pseudo @ 331 Club
Sleeping With Sirens @ Uptown Theater
Crimes Against Ravers Pop Up @ Uptown VFW
The White Buffalo + Shawn James @ Varsity
Ysilik, Cymothoa, Sons of Bliss @ White Rock Lounge
Pop Wagner & the Tavern Trio @ White Squirrel
Briefcase with Stone Arch Rivals, Soft Topics @ White Squirrel
Blood Tower, Gates of Dawn, & Blood Sigil @ Zhora Darling
Sunday, September 22
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
- Andrew Broder & PEOPLE (feat. Kinfu & Britt Robson) @ Berlin—Does anyone in the Twin Cities music community have better taste than Andrew Broder? Sure, his projects are often great, but he's just as vital as a catalyst, bringing together unexpected collaborators, and this monthlong Berlin residency will showcase that gift. Most unexpected collaborator of all? Sports/music writer Britt Robson, who will talk hoops with Broder and then make his debut as a DJ on September 22.
Marimba Matt @ Can Can Wonderland
Debashish Bhattacharya Trio with Matthew Rahaim @ Cedar Cultural Center
Ryan Picone Quartet @ Crooners
Co-MingL Presents: The Soul of September @ Crooners
Phine Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Dayfunk: Johnny Fiasco @ Eat Street Crossing
Stone Williams, Yellow Roses, SIX @ The Garage
Miguel Espinoza Fusion + Dave Hagedorn @ Granada
Jaspar Lepak + Kashimana @ Icehouse
The Assortment with DJ Michael Grey @ Mortimer's
Descendents with The Buzzcocks and Grumpster @ Palace Theatre
Church of Cornbread @ Palmer's
West Bank Social Club @ Palmer's
Amelia Moore, Julia Cooper @ 7th St Entry
The Real Chuck Norad @ 331 Club
Gollylagging, Despondent, & Linus @ Underground Music Venue
Marc E. Bassy & Skizzy Mars @ Varsity
North Country Singers @ White Squirrel
Karaoke Underground @ White Squirrel
Monday, September 23
Shady Baby's Open Mic @ Acadia
Zulu with killusonline, Identity Crisis, and Riotgrrrldarko @ Amsterdam
Global Roots Festival: Fränder and Balkan Paradise Orchestra @ Cedar Cultural Center
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
World Music Monday @ Eagles 34
The Lemonheads with John David Kent @ Fine Line
Wild Rivers with Lily Meola @ First Avenue
September Mondays with Eli Awada @ Icehouse
MN Hard Bop Collective @ Metronome
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Devil Dodger with Bedpan Bambalam @ White Squirrel
Lori Dokken and Dan Chouinard @ The Woman's Club of Minneapolis
