Jillette Johnson opens for Mary Lambert at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Saturday, November 1

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Saturday, November 1st, burgeoning singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson will be opening for Mary Lambert at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis. Johnson’s debut album, Water in a Whale, was released in June 2013 on Wind-up Records. The album features catchy pop songs like “Torpedo” and “Heathen,” as well as the poignant “Cameron” which tells the story of a young boy grappling with his transgender identity. Johnson’s lyrics are honest and self-reflective, which sets the stage seamlessly for Mary Lambert’s fearless authenticity. Continue Reading

MUSIC PHOTOS | Mayda at New Century Sessions

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The New Century Sessions on October 29 opened with Mu Daiko, an innovative Japanese-style taiko drumming ensemble based in the Twin Cities. The ensemble plays new compositions, and infuses traditional melodies into its ever-expanding repertoire. Different members of the ensemble performed with Mayda for a few songs throughout the evening.A Korean adoptee raised in Minnesota, Mayda is a young, yet seasoned, multi-instrumentalist, artist and producer. Her music has been featured on Jersey Shore, in Korean Reebok commercials and on Showtime and MTV. Mayda’s slick, expansive, and evolving pop sound fuses R&B, pared-down acoustic struts, full-band funkadelic blasts, electronic beats and synth flourishes. This was a CD release show for her latest Busy Signals.New Century Sessions and the The Lowertown Line partnered to film this event with TPT. Continue Reading

Dylan, Spider John, and the Purple Onion

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I got to know Saint Paul and I got to know Bob Dylan because I got to know Bill Danielson. Bill owned the Pink Pizza Shack at Hiawatha and Lake in Minneapolis. In 1957 it was a hangout for me and my friends. Bill and his wife, MaryAnn, did pretty well there, but he wanted to be in Saint Paul, his hometown. He sold the Pizza Shack to brothers Duane and Lonnie Anderson, who changed the name to Dulono’s. Continue Reading

REVIEW | “Panacea” with The Poor Nobodys at the Twin Cities Horror Festival

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When they described the film Panacea in the publicity materials for the Twin Cities Horror Festival as being in the style of David Lynch, it was a very apt way to sum it up. I recall being in the middle of watching Lynch’s Inland Empire and feeling like I was dreaming, even though I knew I was still awake and aware of being seated in someone’s living room watching something on a television screen. The combination of visuals and the soundtrack were so hypnotic that I began to lose track of the boundary between the thing on screen and in my ears, and the context of me and my place in reality. The work the musical group The Poor Nobodys do with Panacea elicits the same response.The film is a black and white creation by Crist Dahl and Chris Delisle, two filmmakers out of Rochester who combine their own original visual recordings with found footage to create a very weird pastiche. All sound is provided by The Poor Nobodys. Continue Reading

THEATER REVIEW | BareBones serves up Metamorphosoup at Hidden Falls

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BareBones has been producing Halloween extravaganzas for 21 years. The themes embrace the time and space between two worlds brought on by the intersection of those worlds around Halloween. There’s always a look at the worst of humanity and glimmer of the best. The program outlines this year’s theme in greater detail:Metamorphosoup is an emotional investigation of the process of loss–loss of community through conflict, love of loved one by death and loss of oneself as we flow through the grieving.The show is performed outdoors at Hidden Falls, tucked away behind the former Ford Plant in the secret pocket of Highland Park. It’s dark, it’s near the River, though you might not know it in the dark except that there’s a watery chill in the air. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Fast and faster with Blind Shake, Oozing Wound, Running and Weakwick at the Eagles Club 34

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Punk rock at the Eagles Club 34 on October 25 is as close to the Minneapolis punk scene of the 1980s that I have seen well since the 1980s when shows used to happen in church basements, Chuck E Cheese restaurants and Oddfellow halls. And like the punk shows of the 1980s, there was a little bit of something for everyone who likes loud – punk, metal, kinda-noisy, garage, thrash…I should emphasize that I attended the Blind Shake, Oozing Wound, Running and Weakwick show. Teen King and the Princes played the same venue Saturday night; they played in the ballroom. There was a dance and Halloween dress rehearsal. The crowd was a little older – as in Metro Mobility acted as the party bus bringing several revelers home (or maybe after party) when the band finished. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Ex Hex and Speedy Ortiz pack the 7th Street Entry

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One thing was very clear by the end of the Ex Hex/Speedy Ortiz show October 24 at the 7th St Entry, Ex Hex is a big enough draw for the show to have been at a larger venue like the recently re-opened Turf Club. The two bands appear to be switching off headlining duties, but more people had definitely packed into the Entry to see indie rock mainstay Mary Timony and her new trio with bassist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura Harris. The venue probably wasn’t nearing capacity, but there were enough in attendance to make it a little uncomfortable. Despite that, the crowd danced feverishly through out Ex Hex’s brief middle set as they put on an professional, energetic performance of pop-rock punk.There’s something to be said for the fact that Mary Timony has been involved with one of the best albums of 2011 with Wild Flag’s only album, and now in 2014 with the new debut Rips. Similar to her peers J Mascis and Tanya Donelly, Timony is currently making some of the best music of her career. Continue Reading

MUSIC PHOTOS | Richard Marx at Mill City Nights

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The usually open floor at Mill City Nights was filled with seats October 23rd creating a listening party atmosphere that nicely suited the RIchard Marx concert. There were of course some ladies who were especially excited to see him perform up close, while most seemed to be appreciators of his extensive catalog of hits. It was nice to see Marx’s personality shine through as he reminisced and joked about the stories behind some of the music that most in the audience grew up around. Out in support of his new album Beautiful Goodbye, he sprinkled in some new material amidst all of his well known hits and also performed big tunes he wrote and produced for other artists including Luther Vandross, ‘NSYNC and Keith Urban. The venue had a great feel and had the mix dialed in to a comfortable listening level, which enhanced the dynamic difference between sweet ballads such as “Hold on to the Night” in contrast to his up tempo infectious pop tunes including “Should Have Known Better.” It was a first-class performance and memorable show greatly appreciated by his loyal fans here in the Twin Cities. 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

Minnesota Opera’s Tap Into Tempo caters to young operaphiles

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Some fifty young professionals filled the tables at Fulton Brewery on Tuesday, October 21 for Tap Into Tempo, an event previewing the rest of Minnesota Opera’s 2014-2015 season and specially designed for opera lovers of a certain lack of age. The evening was hosted by MN Opera’s Bergen Baker and featured musical previews by the company’s Resident Artists. It also contained a general introduction to opera for newcomers–the “opera virgins,” as one person put it. The mood was offbeat and ribald, much to patrons’ enjoyment.The evening began with food provided by the Hot Indian Foods Truck and many visits to the bar. (Fulton’s The Libertine was, fittingly, the seasonal brew.) As patrons competed to fill out their Opera Bingo cards, Bergen launched into a picture-enhanced crash course in opera focused on breaking down operatic stereotypes and relishing some of its particular attractions, such as barihunks. Continue Reading