So next weekend is reportedly "Valentine's Weekend," because the actual holiday falls on Tuesday. I don't know how I feel about Valentine's Day expanding backward like that, but I do know there's lots of romance-y music for you to act all gooey about this year. (Not me though. I got no Valentine. Sad.)
Tuesday, February 7
International Reggae Allstars @ Bunkers
Stronger Than Pride: The Passionate Songs of Sade feat. Cate Fierro @ Dakota
St. Dominic’s Trio @ Driftwood
Robot Slide + D’Lakes @ Icehouse
January Conspiracy Series featuring Taylor James Donskey, Willow Waters @ 331 Club
Workers Playtime, Doug Otto & Hilary Thavis @ 331 Club
Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrufello @ White Squirrel
Lulu & the Shoe Residency with Kid Cassidy, Faux Pseudo @ White Squirrel
Wednesday, February 8
John Magnuson Trio with special guest Billy Dankert @ Aster Cafe
The Tanahill Weavers @ Cedar Cultural Center
Ready or Hot with Kiss the Tiger and DJ Jake Rudh @ First Avenue
Erik Koskinen and His Band @ Icehouse
Colonel Mustard’s Mechanical Orchestra @ Palmer’s
FAE hosted by Fanaka Nation with Jae Zole, Joglizz, Juice James @ 7th St Entry
Harold’s House Party on KFAI with Jeff Ray and the Stakes @ 331 Club
Jacket, Siphon the Psyche, & PSYPL @ Underground Music Cafe
Nights with Tim @ White Squirrel
Thursday, February 9
Only Humans, Barnacle, and Nothing To Do @ Amsterdam
Jay Bee & the Routine @ Bunkers
Cafe Accordion Orchestra @ Crooners
The Golden Toads, Louis Broughton Band @ Driftwood
- BabyTron with ShittyBoyz and DaBoii @ Fine LineDetroit's BabyTron crams his rhymes with so many sports and pop culture references that serious young rap fans are worried he might be a joke rapper. (In the old days, we just called using sports and pop culture references "rapping.") He's for sure not a serious rapper, which isn't a bad thing, but he's not always a funny rapper, which isn't a good thing. His latest, Bin Reaper 3: New Testament , is his best though. His crew the ShittyBoyz are on hand to remind you why he's the breakout star.
The Charlatans UK and RIDE with DJ Jake Rudh @ First Avenue
Candlelight: Romantic Jazz ft: Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald @ Granada
Atomic Energy Commission, Partial Traces, Trash Catties, and Magenta Vice @ Hook and Ladder
- Amy LaVere @ Hook and LadderLouisiana-born, Detroit-bred, Memphis-based, LaVere has been releasing quietly brilliant albums since the mid-'00s. Their key components are her slurry but girlish voice and her acoustic bass playing, which defines a swaying groove. For a taste of how that comes across live, check out 2015's Hallelujah I'm a Dreamer, recorded with husband and producer, Will Sexton.
Rachel Kurtz & the Feelings @ Icehouse
Six Strings, Many Visions: The Beatles @ KJ’s Hideaway
The 99ers (February Residency) @ Mortimer’s
The Front Porch Swingin’ Liquor Pigs @ Palmer’s
Ben Noble with Caleb Dee and JØUR @ 7th St Entry
Loss Leader, Dead History, No Encore, and Closetalker @ Turf Club
Labrador Wild, The Briefly Gorgeous, and Nectarous @ Underground Music Cafe
Trench Size Trio @ White Squirrel
Friday, February 10
RadioBody: Radiohead Danced and Played in Jazz @ Amsterdam
Billy Johnson & The Hillcats @ Aster Cafe
Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown @ Bunkers
Tim Sparks and Phil Heywood @ Crooners
The Spirit of Whitney Houston with Kathleen Johnson @ Crooners
Rapture: A Tribute to Anita Baker @ Dakota
The Long Goodbyes, Dragnet & the Silverteens @ Driftwood
HebbaJebba + Cassandra Cole @ Eagles 34
Seeking aRAVEments ⏤ A Valentine’s Day Rave @ Fine Line
Jon Sullivan Band, Kind Country Band @ Hook and Ladder
Chad Johnson and the MN-Ts (Album Release) with Mark Joseph @ KJ’s Hideaway
Logan Springer and the Wonderfully Wild @ KJ’s Hideaway
Beethoven/5: Jonathan Biss Plays Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto @ Ordway
In the Round: John Louis, AJ Scheiber and Grant Glad @ Palmer’s
The High 48s and Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire @ Parkway
Bella White with Jack Schneider @ 7th St Entry
The Johnny Sincerely Orchestra, Zaq Baker, Queen Jeanne @ 331 Club
Twin Cities’ All-Star ’90s Tribute @ Turf Club
Porcupine, Hope Fiend, Bonefire, and The Muata @ Underground Music Cafe
TWAIN with Slink Proper @ Uptown VFW
The White Buffalo @ Varsity Theater
Lost Island Society w. Linus, Exactly No @ White Squirrel
Saturday, February 11
RadioBody: Radiohead Danced and Played in Jazz @ Amsterdam
Katy Tessman Band (Single Release and Book Launch) with Nikki Lemire @ Aster Cafe
Chase & Ovation The Music of Prince @ Bunkers
- Beyond the Blue: A Night of Cinema and Sounds Curated by Pieta Brown and Liz Draper @ Cedar Cultural CenterOne of those multi-artist/multi-media events the Cedar does so well, with its creation entrusted to Iowan Americana performer Brown and versatile/ubiquitous Minnesotan bassist Liz Draper. Aida Shahghasemi, Chama Devora; Sara Pajunen and Brown's group Sylvee & The Sea will perform. Square Lake Music & Film Festival will handle the "cinema" portion of the evening.
A French 75 Valentine Featuring Maud Hixson @ Crooners
Erin and Jay Cabaret: Naughty and Nice Valentine’s Day @ Crooners
Love Songs and Sinatra with Andrew Walesch and his Orchestra @ Crooners
A Song for Youth: A Tribute to the Music of Donny Hathaway @ Dakota
Fab Hackmasters, Dojo @ Driftwood
Mal Amante: Rosalía Dance Party @ Fine Line
WInter Hip-Hop Showcase @ The Garage
The Belfast Cowboys Valentine’s Party @ Hook and Ladder
- Ozone Creations Presents: The Silk Lounge @ IcehouseWhat exactly is Ozone's "Silk Lounge"? The Twin Cities-based Afrofusion collective isn't spilling too many details, but it's "Mediterranean-styled," "romantic" (no surprise, given the holiday on the horizon), and features DJs McShellen and Kwey. Sounds hot.
Jessie Street Jazz Band @ KJ’s Hideaway
No Room for Squares, Telethesia @ KJ’s Hideaway
Perry Wayne X Sqishi @ The Loft
Cole Diamond with James Eugene Russell & Becky Kapell @ Mortimer’s
Beethoven/5: Jonathan Biss Plays Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto @ Ordway
Psylo (EP Release), Lapdogs, Mike Kota and Psypl @ Palmer’s
Kpop Night with DJ R.E.L., Alifera, K-Move @ 7th St Entry
The Johnny Sincerely Orchestra, Charlotte Montgomery, whispered the rabbit @ 331 Club
Voltage Controller Vol. 14: John Keston, Cody McKinnen @ 331 Club
Impaler with Dumpster Juice, Fret Rattles and DJ Rock the Monkey @ Turf Club
Clams, Funk N Spuds, & Velvetwolf @ Underground Music Cafe
Jason Chaffee @ White Squirrel
Briefcase with The Right Here, Yeah Doggos @ White Squirrel
Sunday, February 12
Jacket, Foxby, and Only Humans @ Amsterdam
Swing Brunch with Patty & the Buttons @ Aster Cafe
Doug Anderson: A Valentine’s Cabaret @ Crooners
Love and Keys: An Intimate Evening of Piano with David Billingsley @ Crooners
Kate Beahen's Broadway Extravaganza @ Crooners
Super Duty, Shotgun Ragtime @ Driftwood
Red Hot Django Peppers @ Icehouse
Prairie Clamor, Pyrrhic Victories, Garret Nasset & the Friends He Made along the Way @ Mortimer’s
Cornbread Harris: Church of Cornbread @ Palmer’s
Kai Brewster’s Millions @ Palmer’s
Squirrel Chess Club @ White Squirrel
St. Paul Songwriter Rounds @ White Squirrel
Monday, February 13
Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience @ Dakota
Monday Jazz with Kavyesh Kaviraj @ Icehouse
Auto-Tune Karaoke @ Mortimer’s
Cowaoke with Ben Marker @ Palmer’s
The Roe Family Singers @ 331 Club
