Thursday, July 3rd proved to be a beautiful evening to enjoy outdoor entertainment at another great installment of the Music in the Zoo series. Those familiar with the virtuosity of banjo extraordinaire Bela Fleck came out to experience his latest boundary breaking collaboration with the Brooklyn Rider quartet. It was an evening of sophisticated compositions that covered a wide range of style and emotion. Continue Reading
Longtime fans of the Minneapolis sound returned to First Avenue Saturday, June 28 for the 3rd Annual Bobby Z & Friendz Benefit 2 Celebrate Life. There was much anticipation to see special VIP host Apollonia for her first appearance back at First Avenue since the filming of Purple Rain in the early 80s. In addition to her accepting an Oscar from Bobby Z for her role in the movie, the crowd was thrilled with her performance of “Take Me With You.” The show’s lineup was rich with Minneapolis talent including Brian Setzer who stepped in to perform hits like “Stray Cat Strut,” Atmosphere’s Slug belted out an enthusiastic version of “Let’s Go Crazy,” a stirring version of “When Dove’s Cry” roared out from the Sounds of Blackness, and a playful version of “Baby I’m a Star” featured American Idol contestant Paris Bennet. After the star packed concert, the audience was invited to stay and mingle while the full length version of the movie Purple Rain streamed on the big screen.Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading
The Weesner Family Amphitheater was packed top to bottom and side to side June 23rd for one of the most anticipated matchups of this seasons Music in the Zoo series; John Hiatt & the Combo and the Robert Cray Band. It was a great night for outdoor music in the perfect setting with two extraordinary talents and the result was spectacular.Robert Cray’s set list:”Phone Booth””Move a Mountain””Right Next Door””Sittin’ on the Top of the World””You Move Me””I’ll Always Remember You””Fine Yesterday””I Shiver””I Guess I’ll Never Know””I Can’t Fail””Chicken in the Kitchen””Hip Tight Onions””What Would You Say””Forecast Calls For Pain”John Hiatt’s set list:”Nothin’ I Love””Open Road””Lift Up Every Stone””Terms of My Surrender””Cry Love””Wind Don’t Have to Hurry””Good Guitar””Think Called Love””Memphis””Slow Turning”Encore:”Have a Little Faith in Me””Riding with the King” Continue Reading
Of all the classic melodies Aaron Neville cycled through on the Sue McLean stage June 19, some of the biggest crowd reaction occurred after the opening lyric to the Johnny Nash-penned “I Can See Clearly Now (the rain is gone)”. Despite a full day of stormy weather, loyal music fans decked out in a multitude of colored plastic wear lucked out as the rain stayed away for the entire length of Neville’s nearly two-hour set.The talented band, including fellow Neville Brother Charles on saxophone, worked through a diverse selection of styles to the crowd’s delight. Some entertainers perform cover tunes out of necessity, contrary to Neville, whose silky signature voice has people demanding to hear his take on many well-known favorites. Starting out strong with “Stand By Me,” he performed more than 25 tunes with standouts including “Don’t Know Much,” “Fever,” “Three Little Birds” and “Tell It Like It Is.” Minnesota native Cory Chisel braved the rain to start the evening with a solid set that complemented Neville’s work nicely. Continue Reading
Two pillars of the jam band scene .moe and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood brought their feel-good energy to the Music at the Zoo Series Tuesday, June 17th. Die-hard fans showed up with tie-dye shirts and recording gear to document another great night of live music outdoors at one of the best venues in the Metro. Continue Reading
It’s so good to see a hard-working rock band like Needtobreathe gaining momentum as they are out touring to support their fifth studio release Rivers in the Wasteland. In fact they did double duty on their June 12th return to Minneapolis playing a promotional set for Cities 97 prior to their full concert at the Skyway Theatre. The substantial line of ticketholders that would soon pack the venue was a diverse mix of young and middle-aged fans who were already aware of what this band is capable of bringing to the stage.Drummer Randall Harris kicked a powerful steady beat on the new track “Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now” to start the performance out with a fresh new sound. Bear Rinehart’s unmistakable vocal led the charge and immediately commanded everyone’s attention. Without hesitation, Rinehart’s brother Bo strummed a one, two guitar riff that gained momentum like a freight train leading into “Oh, Carolina,” a toe-tapping ode to the bands hometown. Continue Reading
Fans spanning several generations packed the Target Center June 11th with high expectations for a truly diva-inspired performance. Veteran performer Cher made it happen with her big production Dressed to Kill Tour 2014. Many juicy words could be used to describe the energy of this show built around a song list covering nearly five decades of material, but “old” would certainly not be one of them. The set and costumes were visually stunning and hearing the music was good reminder of why Cher is admired and appreciated worldwide. Adding to the grand scale of the event, Cyndi Lauper opened the show with a full set of her well-known hits.Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading
Outdoor music lovers rejoice, summer is here and the 2014 Music in the Zoo series kicked off on Monday, June 2nd with a nostalgic performance by The Monkees. Surely Davy Jones is missed, but Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork are carrying on the legacy with a well thought out show that touches on the many highlights of this band’s wild ride. The mood was set with a few funny video shorts from their hit TV show leading into one of their best known songs Last Train to Clarksville. The three longtime collaborators still seem to be having fun together and it transfers directly to the audience who appeared to be really excited about this show. The Neil Diamond penned “I’m a Believer” and “Steppin’ Stone” came back to back and had fans up dancing and singing along. Dolenz and Nesmith handled most of the lead vocals, but the spot light was shared pretty evenly as each showed their skill on various instruments.During short set breaks it kind of felt like being at a drive-in movie as more of their extensive video catalog really brought out the feeling of that era and had the audience laughing and reminiscing. Continue Reading
A little rain did not hamper the spirit behind the 2nd annual Concours d’Elegance where an exclusive selection of automobiles lined the charming streets of Excelsior Commons Sunday, June 1st. The intent was to arrange the cars along the lake shore and although weather disrupted that plan, the event staff did a nice job of keeping the show afloat and making guests feel welcome and accommodated. Car owners still had plenty of time between re-polishing chrome fenders to chat-up stories about turning their collectable sleds into showroom quality pieces of art.A diverse range of spectators took close-up pictures of fancy hood ornaments and peaked their heads through rolled down windows and under raised hoods to admirer the many intricate details that make the history of the automobile one worth checking out. Event proceeds go toward benefitting the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, The Lazarus Project and the ICA Food Shelf. Continue Reading
Hip hop is alive and thriving in Minneapolis and once again Rhymesayers’ annual Soundset festival came together as the perfect mixtape to kick off the summer concert season on Sunday, May 25. Selling out 30,000 tickets in advance made for a record year and the weather even decided to play nice as an added bonus. The talent-rich lineup was nicely spread out over nine hours with primary focus on two main stages that alternate acts about every half hour while rising talent lit up the Fifth Element tent and DJs commanded the Essential Elements tent. Other attractions geared toward the genre included a car competition, live painting on a graffiti wall, a skateboard showdown and plenty of vendor booths and food options. MTV’s Sway Calloway hosted the main stages and had a lot of great things to say about the role Minneapolis has played in the overall hip-hop scene. He was enthusiastic about introducing hometown acts like Prof, who brought great energy to the stage. Continue Reading
