One reason I like compiling these listings is that I don't miss out when touring acts come to venues I wouldn't expect them to. Who'd have anticipated that rarely touring '90s critics' fave Barbara Manning would play the Aster and prolific oddball Jeffrey Lewis would show up the Driftwood in the same week? As the Family Circus kids say, "Not me!"
Tuesday, July 18
Shadow Lake with Perfectly Still, Fear Not the Wolf, and Blame the Witness @ Amsterdam
- Barbara Manning + Buck Campbell @ Aster Cafe—Barbara Manning hasn’t played the Twin Cities in 22 years, and it’s fair (if a shame) to say that most indie rock fans who came of age in that span don’t know a lick of her music. Yet back when lists still meant something, the Spin Alternative Album Guide put the San Francisco singer/songwriter’s debut, Lately I Keep Scissors, at No. 82 on its Top 100 Alternative Albums list, edging out Big Black and Sun Ra. (Oh, the ’90s!) Her followup, One Perfect Green Blanket, may be an even better selection of songs, showcasing her direct lyrics, New Zealand-derived strum, and unpolished charm. By 1997 she’d earned her a spot on the Matador roster and an opening slot on a Yo La Tengo tour, but her debut for the label, 1212, underperformed, as bizzers say. After a few years in the early 2000s gigging and recording in Europe with the Go Luckys!, she went back to school and eventually became a high school biology teacher. (This interview fills in a lot of the blanks in Manning’s life and career left by this little blurb.) She’s performing as a duo with Buck Campbell, best known for local ’80s faves Urban Guerrillas, and since, like YLT, she’s got a real fondness for other people’s material (a recent setlist included Rodney Crowell’s “Shame on the Moon” and Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down the Line”) we’re likely to hear an ace cover song or two.
Spells and Curses @ Bryant Square Park
International Reggae All Stars @ Bunkers
St. Dominic's Trio @ Driftwood
Karaoke With On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
Boy Dirt Car, Lucas Barblique, Los Pinche Gueys, The Alma Club @ Eagles 34
RLGDPPL @ Father Hennepin Bluff Park
Rock for Robin Beyoncé Dance Party with DJ Keezy @ Hook and Ladder
The Larry Schaefer Memorial Orchestra @ Icehouse
Explosion Big Band Open Rehearsal @ Jazz Central
Matt Jennings Electric Trio @ Loring Park
River City Jazz Orchestra @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Ann Wilson & Tripsitter @ Pantages Theatre
Orthe, Prgrphs, Birdhole @ Pilllar
Red Wanting Blue with Taylor James Donskey @ 7th St Entry
Industrial Strength with DJ Sin @ Terminal Bar
Worker’s Playtime with Blood Brother @ 331 Club
July Conspiracy Series featuring The Beavers, Steam Machine @ 331 Club
Air Traffic Controller with Colin Bracewell and Let's Be Kids @ Turf Club
Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, July 19
Hella Reptilian, Los Outsiders, Dingus, and Manual Disappointment @ Amsterdam
John Forrest and The Model Citizens + Labrador Wild @ Aster Cafe
Spaghetti Monetti and The Sauce @ The Commons
Eleganza! @ Como Park Conservatory
Maggie's Wednesdays: Lori Dokken @ Crooners
Senor Blues, Dodgin Potholes @ Driftwood
Catalyst Music's 8th Birthday Bash @ The Garage
Radiochurch + Dilly Dally Alley + Mr. Zipp @ Icehouse
JCS: Creative Collaborations @ Jazz Central
Top Shelf Band @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Delicate Friend, Honey Dick, San Ardo & Dog Gamn @ Palmer's
Swamp Poppas @ Schooner Tavern
Madilyn Mei with rosie @ 7th St Entry
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Papa John Kolstad and the Poppettes @ 331 Club
Lime Cordiale with Halfloves @ Turf Club
JRod the Problem @ Underground Music Venue
Saint Paul Mudsteppers Monthly @ White Squirrel
Thursday, July 20
Scalise with Emma Jeanne, & Love Monday @ Amsterdam
The Percolators @ Bryant Square Park
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunkers
Stablemates with Prudence Johnson and John Hogman @ Crooners
Cafe Accordion Orchestra:@ Crooners
The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Presents: Picnic from Hell @ Crooners
Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience @ Dakota
Band Camp, House of Music @ Driftwood
Karaoke with On Call Entertainment @ Eagles 34
LGBTQ+ Twin Cities Latin Dance @ Eagles 34
Trent Romens Band (EP Release), Demitri Rallis & Friends, Tony Cuchetti @ Green Room
The Big Wu with Matt Pudas Band and Kaitlin Nicole-Thomas @ Hook and Ladder
- Beyoncé @ Huntington Bank Stadium—Beyoncé’s critically adored 2022 album Renaissance is a call to party that’s defined as much by its ambition as its groove—she’s determined to gather unto herself every rhythm from the past 50 years, and to show her work. Dense, with disparate beats and styles grinding up against each other, the mood is less DJ set than club crawl, working the tension between the sweaty reality of a night out and the promised transcendence of the dancefloor. And like after any good Saturday night, tomorrow morning you’ll still remember the best parts: the church girls actin' loose, the “Cuff It” crew fuckin’ up the night, the “revolutionary” (heh, sure) call to quit your job. Her chameleonic vocal shapeshifting remains astonishing, and there’s something (as always) both imperial and empathetic about how Bey incorporates (double meaning intended) her influences into her singular being—she’s every woman. As for how it’ll play live, well, probably no contemporary pop star has a better sense of how to use a stadium. So pretty well, I’d guess.
Toivo Hannigan Trio @ Icehouse
Friend Dog with Collapsing Stars + Spine Stealers @ Icehouse
Analise Levesque @ Jazz Central
- Craig Clark Band, Jojo Green @ Mears Park—Proper, functioning cities should rock. With the annual, free, weekly, outdoor Lowertown Sounds program, St. Paul is privy to this in ways Minneapolis could really learn from. When this year’s lineup was announced, organizers noted that over half of the acts are new this summer. Non-musical offerings include great beer from Utepils and Wabasha Brewing Co., wine from Alexis Bailly Vineyard, and a rotating cast of 20 food trucks.
Jim Bird Big Band @ Minnehaha Bandstand
Mark Arneson Presents featuring Jordan Johnson @ Minnesota Music Cafe
- Joyann Parker Band, Corey Medina & Brothers Band @ Minnesota Zoo—Imagine a zoo with nary a child, one where you can sip wine and watch animals do their thing as the sun sets. Impossible, you say? Nope! We’re talking about Wild Nights at the Minnesota Zoo, a summer series for grownups. During these events folks can explore all the trails and exhibits until 8 p.m. (hilariously, they note that food and drink is not allowed in the Llama Trek walk-through exhibit). Each installment will feature a variety of concerts, all themed that night around a specific genre. Tonight is blues night, with Joyann Parker and Corey Medina.
Time Room, Drug League, Valors @ Mortimer's
The Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs @ Palmer's
Patrick Tanner @ Schooner Tavern
Bakarii, Rich-Goone, King Swank, Kion Rose, and Celly Mac @ 7th St Entry
Brigitte Calls Me Baby @ Surly Brewing Co.
Cross Pollination: Awful Offal @ 331 Club
Jon Wolfe with Anderson Daniels @ Turf Club
The Only Way Out @ Underground Music Venue
Los Gemelos de Sinaloa @ Varsity
John Magnuson Trio, Nick Leet, Gawker Slowdown @ White Squirrel
Friday, July 21
Arrows in Action, Honey Revenge, Finish Ticket @ Amsterdam
Cassandra Cole + Laura Hugo @ Aster Cafe
Sue Orfield & Joan Hutton @ Crooners
BZ3 Organ Trio Featuring Julius Collins @ Crooners
I Honestly Love You: A Tribute to Olivia Newton-John & Anne Murray @ Crooners
Maggie's Afterglow: Maurice Jacox and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
- Jeffrey Lewis & the Voltage, Products @ Driftwood—Lower East Side lifer Lewis has more bands than I can count; this particular unit recorded Bad Wiring with the jittery, wiseass anti-folk veteran (and cartoonist) in 2019. Maybe he'll dip into that excellent outing (my favorite is the one where he freaks out about whether he could write songs in a Maoist state and his girlfriend tells him to CTFO), though I imagine that regardless of who's in the band we'll get a wide sampling of his voluminous songbook. Recent favorites include "When That Really Old Cat Dies" (he'll be surprised how sad he is), "What I Like About England" (the food), and "You're Invited" (apologetically, to a last minute birthday party). But mostly I hope he'll play "Do You Know Who I Am? I'm %$&in' Snooki!!," cut way back in 2013 with proto-anti-folkie and national treasure Peter Stampfel.
Swingin' on a Star @ Eagles 34
Afrohouse Night with DJ IREM$, DJ Narcos and Tolzy @ Fine Line
King Krule with Jerkcurb @ First Avenue
Smiley's Music Showcase @ The Garage
Some Shitty Cover Band @ Green Room
Malamanya + Salsa Brava Dance Party @ Hook and Ladder
One Less Guess, Socktopus, Serious Machine @ Icehouse
Andrew Schwandt @ Jazz Central
The Common Practice with Ruby Blu @ KJ’s Hideaway
Luke Lynell Band @ KJ's Hideaway
Dan Israel @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Charlie Doesn't Surf @ Loring Park
Lolo Russo @ Minnehaha Bandstand
Sumo Seven @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Kill Scenes, The Rope, Stranger Gallery, The Muatas @ Mortimer's
Fret Rattles, Guerrilla Teens, Drunk Drivers and DJ Rock the Monkey @ Palmer's
Mike Younger, Jettkick, and Becky Kapell & The Fat 6 @ Palmer's
Jimmi & the Band of Souls @ Schooner Tavern
late night drive home with benches @ 7th St Entry
The Gated Community, Emmy Woods and the Red Pine Ramblers @ 331 Club
Louise Post (of Veruca Salt) with The Dumes @ Turf Club
birdhole, Blood Driver, Shadow Lake @ 331 Club
Daisychain with Muun Bato, The Controversial New 'Skinny Pill' and Mik Cool @ Turf Club
Old Guys Play the Blues @ Water Works
The Matt Arthur Contraption with Woodzen @ White Squirrel
Saturday, July 22
Yungblud with The Regrettes + Games We Play @ Armory
Minnesota Orchestra's International Day of Music @ Cedar Cultural Center
Erin Schwab and Sophie Todaro with Jay Fuchs @ Crooners
Charmin and Shapira: Jazz, Bossas and Ballads @ Crooners
- Leslie Vincent (Album Release) @ Crooners—A few years back, Vincent debuted with a fine album of standards, but on her new album, How I Loved You on Mars, her bold, vibrant voice tackles some contemporary material as well, such as this light, swinging "Psychedelics With You," featuring burly brass and a a lysergic kick to its drumming.
Maggie's Afterglow: Dorothy Doring and Rick Carlson @ Crooners
Chicky Rooster, What! @ Driftwood
- Midtown Blues & Funk Fest @ Dual Citizen Brewing—Last Friday, KARE 11 asked Racket about the plight of Twin Cities music festivals, particularly the under-attended TC Summer Fest at Target Field. And ya know what? The apparent success stories continue to be free, community-driven events like the Midtown Blues & Funk Fest (fka the Lowertown Blues & Funk Fest). You’re not gonna get mega-dollar talent like the Killers here, but you will get a killer lineup that features blues guitar great Walter Trout of Canned Heat fame, Corey Stevens, Mick Sterling, Prince’s pal Jellybean Johnson, and Kendra Glenn plus Lisa Wenger.
The Unnamed, Mad Mojo Jett, Crush Scene, and DJ Megan O @ Dusty's
J-Mo On The Beat and The J-Lighters @ Eagles 34
Linus, Couch Potato Massacre, Atomic Lights, Suburban Muscle @ Eagles 34
DOLLHAUS ⏤ A Malibu Dreamhouse Rave @ Fine Line
The Knee-Hi's & Kangaroo Court Tour @ The Garage
Purple Funk Metropolis, Hey Arlo, DOSH @ Green Room
Cornbread Harris Ensemble @ Icehouse
- Heiruspecs (Vinyl Release), MaLLy, Ms. Lakesha @ Icehouse—The vinyl supply chain being what it is, your favorite live local hip-hop band and mine are just now making pressings available of their December 2022 release, Pretty Random But What Happened to the Heiruspecs. But hey, you can never have too many record release shows, especially when the new(ish) album, their first in seven years, is worth one more celebration. At least.
Zacc Harris, Steve Kenny Standards Thing @ KJ's Hideaway
Minneapolis POPs @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Inafunk @ Minnesota Music Cafe
Summerslam of Triibute Bands 2023 @ Palmer's
REMIXER with DJ JEN-E @ Palmer's
- Rondo CLT's 30th Anniversary Block Party Bash @ Rondo Community Land Trust—That’s right, folks who quietly stew about the fact we under-cover St. Paul events: Here’s another prime Saturday option in the capital city. Organized by the housing advocacy nonprofit Rondo Community Land Trust, this bash will provide free food tickets to the first 150 attendees; they’ll get to choose from the two tasty, Black-owned food trucks who’ll be on site—West Indies Soul Food or Jones n' Your Bones BBQ. The block party will also feature a beer garden, interactive art projects, vendors, and live music from the likes of Tarli & the Tribe, Big Kiaa, Solana, and Panasueco.
Jack Knife & the Sharps @ Schooner Tavern
Internet Kids ⏤ Hyperpop Dance Party @ 7th St Entry
Garden Tigers, Home Team Quarterback, Grant Swift @ Terminal Bar
Phantom Fields, James Eugene Russell, Tyler Haag @ 331 Club
Indie Summer Nights @ The Treasury
- Molly Brandt with Pit Stop and Becky Kapell @ Turf Club—There’s a lot to like about Brandt’s lovely latest album, Surrender to the Night. That catch in her voice and that pedal steel accompaniment are pure country, but the settings are pure Minnesota, right down to the title of "Eagles 34" or the plainspoken description of a southeastern Minnesotan landscape that moves her “gently like a needle in a groove” on "Bluff Country Paradise."
Glitterer, 9Million @ Underground Music Venue
Who Are They? + Zeppo @ Uptown VFW
Dexter and the Moonrocks @ Varsity
Ramy Youssef @ Woman's Club of Minneapolis
The Sam Graeber Trio @ White Squirrel
Jarad Miles & The Ancient Waves, The Daguerreotypes, Omaha @ White Squirrel
Magenta Vice with PLVS VLTRA, Gehenna Saga @ White Squirrel
Sunday, July 23
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Jackie Rae Daniels + The Cottonwood Shivers @ Aster Cafe
Honky-Tonk Jump: The Texas Swing Music of Bob Wills @ Crooners
Ryan Bynum and Elyse Jones @ Crooners
Natania and Ticket To Brasil @ Crooners
An Evening with Patty & Ricky Peterson @ Dakota
Phine Friends, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Johnny No Cash Band @ Eagles 34
Twin Cities Country Dancers @ Eagles 34
Karaoke with Reina Starr @ Eagles 34
Godflow ⏤ Hip Hop & Hope Fest @ First Avenue
Ringpop! with Virginia's Basement, glowingtide, and J CYN @ The Garage
The Iguanas, Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound @ Hook and Ladder
Sarah King with Samantha Grimes @ KJ's Hideaway
Twin Cities Brass Band @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Minneapolis POPs @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Monkey Temple & the Connection, Ramos & Santoshflow @ Minnesota Music Cafe
First Aid Kit with The Weather Station @ Palace Theatre
Cornbread Harris: Church of Cornbread @ Palmer's
Black Widows Greatest Open Mic Ever @ Palmer's
White Line Darko, Beneath Green, Zippo Man, and Asparagus @ 7th St Entry
Glad Rags with Theyself and LOUD SUN @ The Treasury
- Finesse (Single Release) with Sass, Mr. Submissive and Gwen @ Turf Club—The headliners are celebrating the release of two terrific songs this week: "End of Always" and "Honest Lake." As I said of the former here, "as a GHWB-era collegiate let me tell you: If you’d thrown this on a party mix in ’89 between Erasure and New Order we’d have kept dancing without a second thought."
The 241’s, Jeffrey Robert Larson, The Hawsl @ White Squirrel
St. Paul Songwriter Rounds @ White Squirrel
Monday, July 24
Leisure Hour with Fend, and The Briefly Gorgeous @ Amsterdam
- Lucinda Williams @ Dakota—This intimate five-night stand will give Williams an opportunity to share a little insight into her life and music, and since the alt-country queen has Minnesota ties—she met her longtime manager/collaborator (and eventual husband) Tom Overby when he was working at a Minneapolis Best Buy, and the couple got married onstage at First Avenue in 2009—so expect a little bit of local color. And you can probably also expect the new song "Hum's Liquor," about Bob Stinson and featuring his half-brother Tommy. That's one of the darker moments on Williams latest, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, which, as the title suggests, rocks out with less fuss than she has in recent years.
Marc and Bill from Thrio @ Driftwood
Tango Desperados Practilonga @ Eagles 34
World Music Monday @ Eagles 34
Killer Mike and the Midnight Revival with Trackstar the DJ @ First Avenue
Brandon Commodore (Monday Residency) with Midnight Love @ Icehouse
Ameet @ Lake Harriet Bandshell
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Cowaoke with Ben Moooker @ Palmer's
- Chairman Chair & the Chairmen (Album Release) with shrimp olympics, d'Lakes and Drug League @ 7th St Entry—I don't know all that much about the headliners, but I'm a fan of their new single, "Geography," as I noted here, and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of their full-length, An Infomercial Cruise.
The Roe Family Singers @ 331 Club
Matt Arthur Contraption @ 331 Club
Courtney Marie Andrews with Lanue @ Turf Club
Domination Is the Game @ Underground Music Venue
