Skip to Content
Music

Sound Unseen Returns with Movies About Alanis, Drag Queens… Kenny G?

Plus Gaelynn Lea goes Broadway, release shows from Under Violet and Muun Bato.

You oughta know about the new Sound Unseen lineup.

|Courtesy of TIFF

You Can’t Unsee This

In some ways it’s hard to believe that the Minneapolis-spawned music/film series Sound Unseen is in its 22nd year already. In others, it’s hard to remember a time when Sound Unseen didn’t exist. This year, the series leads with the much-discussed new Alanis Morissette documentary, Jagged, at the Parkway Theater; closing night will be in the Walker, where you’ll get to see Emily Branham’s Being BeBe, the story of Cameroon-born drag queen BeBe Zahara Benet. Other artists spotlighted in film include a-ha, known only for “Take on Me” in the U.S. but still superstars back home in Norway, and Kenny G who’s profiled by the same director who once examined anti-Christian tricksters the Satanic Temple. Oh and there’s that Kickstartered Poly Styrene doc I’ve personally wanted to check out for a while and maybe you have too. And a lot more, which you can read about here

Ladies and Gentlemen... Gaelynn Lea

Duluth musician Gaelynn Lea is headed to Broadway. Or at least her music is. Lea will be scoring the new production of Macbeth, featuring Daniel Craig (who apparently has a movie coming out soon) and Ruth Negga (the star of Loving). Lea announced the news via Twitter on Wednesday, promising that the accompaniment will be “spooooky,” which is a lot of o’s! 

Under Violet Kicks off a Month of Release Shows at the Parkway

The Parkway Theater is raring to go. Movies, concerts, whatever... they are booking that room solid. As part of this onslaught of public entertainment, they’re doing a series of album-release shows in October, which begins with the local folk-pop trio Under Violet celebrating their lovely Threes (released back in January) on Saturday. Other upcoming release shows include Them Coulee Boys with Namesake on October 8, the Barley Jacks with Coming Down The Mount on October 9, and Sarah Krueger with her self-titled debut as Lanue on October 16.

Muun Bato Catch the ‘Vapors’ with New Album

Speaking of new music (which is kinda the point of this whole column), Muun Bato’s Paraphonic Vapors drops today. (Oh, and it's Bandcamp Friday too. How about that?) The band’s second album drifts and tumbles with the same hypnotically tuneful wash of psych-guitar that made their self-titled 2019 debut so bracing, but with tauter songwriting and an even fuller sound. They’ll celebrate the new album’s release at the Entry on Saturday, with Magic Castles and Waveless opening. 

Here's some more live music to check out this week.

Friday 10.1

Yeti Steady @ Amsterdam

Double Grave + 26 Bats! @ Icehouse

New Power Generation @ Dakota

Saturday 10.2

Services, Sidestep, GI Bill @ Part Wolf

The Toxenes, Low Rats. the Unnamed, DJ Megan O @ Mortimers

Sunday 10.3

Zacc Harris Trio @ Icehouse

Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound with Jon Rodine Band @ Hook and Ladder

Monday 10.4

Chris Bates’ Red 5 @ Icehouse

Wednesday 10.6

Superheater, Big Salt, Mojo Jet @ 331 Club

M.T. Foyer, Loud Sun, Jung Yeller @ Mortimers

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

SCOTUS Tramples Trans Rights: How MN Did—and Didn’t—Respond

Plus punks fight for their rights, an ode to strip malls, and why the Nation nominated Minneapolis for the Nobel Peace Prize in today's Flyover news roundup.

Lots of New Coffee Shops Debut, a few Local Chains Expand, and a Very Old Bar Is Back in Action

Plus a new Somali dessert spot is in the works and we say goodbye to a Richfield favorite in the Racket Restaurant Roundup.

June 30, 2026

It’s Almost Independence Day and It’s Your Complete Concert Calendar: June 30-July 6

Pretty much all the music you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

When Nice Folks Make Cruel Choices: Journalist Justin Ellis on MN’s History of ‘Unaccounted for Repression, Rage, Discrimination, and White Supremacy’

In his book, 'The Cruelty of Nice Folks,' Ellis looks at how when it comes to race, Minneapolis is trapped in cycles of good intentions and failure to follow through.

Walking 1,776 Miles for Better Mental Health Resources in Rural Minnesota

Owatonna native Jason Lennox is raising funds for addiction recovery the hard way this summer.

June 30, 2026