The Macklemore review I would have written if I’d been there
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If I had had a ticket to the August 31 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis show at the Minnesota State Fair, my review might have looked something like this: Continue Reading
MUSIC REVIEW | One Direction make even the most unlikely giddy at the Target Center
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Five cute British boys come to Minneapolis and—sorry, Niall is actually Irish—and everyone loses their minds.One Direction, the white-hot boy band from across the Atlantic, played a Target Center bursting at the seams Thursday, July 18. The boys’ tops, both mop and tank, bounced around the stage as if they were the life of the pool party you threw while your parents spent a kid-free weekend at the vineyards. Out in the audience, cell phones waved, girls clutched their faces, moms snapped pictures of their daughters singing along.I’d never attended this kind concert before. And as a late-20s man there by myself in a someone-clearly-made-a-mistake near-stage seat, I stuck out. That’s what the woman next to me said.I wasn’t even supposed to be there. Continue Reading
MUSIC REVIEW | The Gaslight Anthem and Bouncing Souls come to First Avenue with their Jersey punk in tow
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New Jersey waves came crashing down on First Avenue, Thursday, February 28 when Garden State heroes Bouncing Souls and the The Gaslight Anthem came to town, each with their own brand of punk in tow.
It was a stacked lineup—both bands headlined in Minneapolis this summer and only a couple weeks apart. (My reviews are here and here.) Overwhelmingly the sold out First Avenue was stuffed with older Gaslight Anthem followers, though they took to Bouncing Souls as well as any mohawked fan might. Though the night was hyped as an East Coast pairing, the opener was charming Mississippi solo artist Cory Branan. He did drink from a red solo cup like some fraternity sideshow, but Branan took his acoustic guitar through less-traveled, rough-edged singer/songwriter fare—the contemplative to jangly love songs with drinking song cadence. All of it was often punctuated with frantic strumming and strings plucked like he wanted to snap them. Continue Reading
Is the Viking Bar ever going to reopen?
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For more than six years—since August 1, 2006, the Viking Bar at Riverside and 19th Avenue South has sat empty. For that same period the marquee over its blue door, the same marquee that once advertised shows featuring “Spider” John Koerner, the Front Porch Swingin’ Liquor Pigs, and Willie Murphy, has read “GONE FISHING.”Call the Viking’s phone—the same number that used to be picked up by Larry, George, or one of the brothers Nelson. 6-1-2-3-3-2-4-2-5-9. There will be one ring, then: Doo-doo-weep. “The number you have dialed is not in service or is assigned in a different area code. Continue Reading
MUSIC REVIEW | Doomtree Blowout overcomes obstacles at First Avenue
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The past year has seen a rising tide behind local hip-hop act Doomtree—a wave compressing as it comes to shore and growing into a wave that would wash over us all. The release of their acclaimed second full-length, No Kings. P.O.S’s monster We Don’t Even Live Here. The release of their DVD Team the Best Team. Mayor R.T. Ryback declaring Friday, December 14 “Doomtree Day.” It all seemed to be bearing down on this weekend’s Doomtree Blowout 8—the eighth installment of their yearly showcase, featuring crew and individual performances at the sold-out First Avenue.
MUSIC REVIEW | The Hold Steady create a sense of place at First Avenue
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On Saturday November 24, Craig Finn and The Hold Steady crew played to raised fists from a pogoing crowd. Chicago may have seemed tired, but Minneapolis was wide awake and partying on one massive night.
MUSIC REVIEW | Even under distress, POS gets down at First Avenue
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The show Friday, October 26 featured five acts, but there was no question the entire night was all about headliner POS. Billed as an album release for his latest full-length, We Don’t Even Live Here, First Avenue was packed to the coat check by a sold-out crowd lubricated with sweat and Surly—a crowd ready to get down.
MUSIC REVIEW | The Smashing Pumpkins at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium: Still the biggest f#$%ing band on this planet
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It’s been over 14 years since my first concert—The Smashing Pumpkins at Milwaukee’s Marcus Amphitheater. There’ve been over 100 others since, but that first one still shimmers in my mind, as if singer, guitarist, and songwriter Billy Corgan and the other Pumpkins had transported that crowd onto the dreamy set of their “Tonight, Tonight” music video. So I’m biased.
MUSIC REVIEW | Brother Ali tears down and rebuilds First Avenue
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October 5th was cold. White knuckle cold. So I pulled on my gloves, and with dinner breaking down in my gut, I coasted over I-94 and onto East 15th Street, minding an uncertain taxi, before torquing the remaining mile to a sold-out First Avenue buzzing with hip-hop faithful there to see hometown headliner Brother Ali.
STYLE | Hmong designers strut their stuff in Fresh Traditions fashion show
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The sold-out Fresh Traditions Fashion Show had the Minneapolis Public Library bursting at the seams September 29. Organized by the Center for Hmong Arts & Talent (CHAT), the event featured models showcasing designs by five Hmong designers and design collectives.