Must-see concerts this week: First Ave's anniversary party, Bob Dylan & more
First Avenue will celebrate its 55th anniversary this week, providing at least one reason to get out of the house as winter attempts to assert its dominance over the spring.
Elsewhere, you'll find genuine musical legends (Blind Boys of Alabama) and maybe even a little encouragement to see some music outside of the Twin Cities (Bob Dylan in Mankato).
Here are the concerts worth catching around the Twin Cities (and beyond) this week.
Thursday, April 3 at The Dakota
The gospel group is about as celebrated as any group could be. They've won Grammys, were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and have lifetime achievement awards from both the Grammys and the National Endowment for the Arts. They're on the road frequently, but anytime they're in town is a chance to see something special.
Friday, April 4 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato
Love his live shows for their idiosyncrasies or hate them, there's no doubt that any Dylan show will be a packed house. For this tour, Dylan is headed to less frequently visited towns around the country. The Twin Cities are left off his "Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour" in favor of a stop in Mankato. He'll head to Eau Claire the following night.
Friday, April 4 at First Avenue
First Avenue just celebrated the 45th anniversary of 7th St. Entry with a series of concerts that featured Soul Asylum, Kiss the Tiger, and others. Now, it's the main room's turn.
For the downtown staple's anniversary, they'll bring in The Suburbs. Between the venue and the bands, there's a lot of Minnesota rock history in the building on Friday.
Friday, April 4 at Palace Theatre
Conor Oberst, a songwriter revered by fans as the second-coming of someone a little higher up on this list, canceled a big chunk of Bright Eyes' 2024 tour due to vocal issues. But the face of the Saddle Creek moment in the '00s is back on the road playing music from across his multi-decade career.
Oberst and his cohort are joined by fellow Omaha indie stalwarts, Cursive.
Saturday, April 5 at Cloudland Theater
Reclaim works to increase access to mental healthcare for queer and trans youth "so they may reclaim their lives from oppression in all its forms." That makes Saturday's benefit concert a damn good cause.
But even aside from doing good things with your concertgoing, it'll be a fun night at Cloudland. The show is headlined by local glam punk icon Venus de Mars, who will be joined by the punky Surly Grrly, the poppier Despondent, and drey dk, whose music and striking voice shifts between pop melodies and ambient experimentation.Concerts on Tuesday, April 1:
Joe Lovano's Paramount Quartet at The Dakota
Sarah and the Sundays at Fine Line
Pouya with Freddie Dredd and Cursed at The Uptown Theater
Jeffrey Martin w/ Lou Hazel at Icehouse
Tommy Richman at Varsity Theater
Songbird Series at Pilllar Forum
International Reggae Allstars at Bunker's
The New Havoline Supremes at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Unattractive Giant Monster residency with Home Team Quarterback and Orchid Club at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Eldest Daughter, Oceanographer, and Clayton Ryan at 331 Club (free)
Concerts on Wednesday, April 2:
The Birthday Massacre with Essenger and Magic Wands at Fine Line
Joe Lovano's Paramount Quartet at The Dakota
Polica, Kareem Rahma & Tiny Gun, and Marijuana Deathsquads at Green Room
Zack Fox (DJ set) at First Avenue
Ben Sollee at The Parkway Theater
Sir Woman with Dylan Meek and Uncle Roy & Spice at Turf Club
Arts Fishing Club with Brother Elsey at 7th St. Entry
Baths, Fashion Club, and Dosh at Icehouse
Twine at Bunkers
Hunny Bear residency with Greenline Quintent and EFMI at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
The Second Stringers at The White Squirrel Bar (free)Concerts on Thursday, April 3:
The Blind Boys of Alabama at The Dakota
Caravan Palace with Zayka at First Avenue
Lil Skies with Lil Gnar, Fergie Baby, $AM, and more at Fine Line
The Army, The Navy with Aggie Miller at 7th St. Entry
Maoli at Varsity Theater
Lil Skies with Lil Gnar, Fergie Baby, and more at Fine Line
LAP with Haze Gazer at Pilllar Forum
Glitterdark album debut and dance party at Uptown VFW
The Twin Town Old Time Music Festival Kick-off Party at Hook and Ladder
Sunpearl and friends at Berlin
Jay Bee & the Routine at Bunker's
Once More, Autumn, Green, and Oceanographer at Underground Music Cafe
Mark Guiliana at Icehouse
Music of Timothy C. Takach at The Landmark Center (free)
Early Evening Jazz: Reid Kennedy Trio at Berlin (no cover)
Allison Dyg at Badger Hill Brewing in Shakopee (free)
Ex-Rodeo with Night of Joy at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Concerts on Friday, April 4:
Bob Dylan at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato
First Avenue's 55th Anniversary Celebration feat. The Suburbs with Black Widows at First Avenue
Bright Eyes with Cursive at Palace Theatre
Urban Classic: The Friday Night Soul Revue at The Dakota
Tamino with plus +.+ at The Fitzgerald Theater
Basia Bulat - Basia's Palace Live in Concert at The Cedar Cultural Center
King Caesar with In Solid Air and Weald at The White Squirrel Bar
Bestial Mouths, Burning, and Friends at Zhora Darling
Franz Ferdinand at The Fillmore
La Lom with El Marchante at Fine Line
Air Supply at Mystic Lake
The Dirty Pretty, The Observant, and Serf Revolt at Terminal Bar
Subhumans with FEA at Uptown VFW
Ahmed & the Creators at Berlin
A See Saw pre-party: Feeling Figures, Bermuda Squares, Answering Machines, and Yuasa-Exide at Cloudland Theater
Belfast Cowboys at Hook and Ladder
Teenage Bottlerocket with Mest & MakeWar at Green Room
Leisure Hour with Keep for Cheap, NATL PARK SRVC, and Anni XO at Pilllar Forum
Impaler with Dumpster Juice and Extermination Day at Turf Club
Marlon Funaki with The Back Alley at 7th St. Entry
Early Evening Jazz: Adam Harder Nussbaum / Ted Olsen / Mike Wolter at Berlin (no cover)
Concerts on Saturday, April 5:
A Benefit for Reclaim: Venus de Mars, Surly Grrly, Despondent, and Drey DK at Cloudland Theater
The Hard Quartet with Sharp Pins at First Avenue
Warren Zeiders with Tyler Braden at The Armory
Rebecca Black with Blue Hawaii at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Shemekia Copeland at The Dakota
An Evening with Amy Grant at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester
The O'Jays at Mystic Lake
Bestial Mouths, Burning, and Friends at Zhora Darling
Anxious with Altra Q, Stateside, and Everybody Takes One at 7th St. Entry
The Dead Century with Valors at Day Block Brewing
Grieves with Curci and Nobi & Khingz at Turf Club
Bumsy and the Moochers with Runaway Ricochet and The Von Tramps at Pilllar Forum
Flore Laurtentienne with Zack Baltich at The Cedar Cultural Center
Lungs, Cobra Dzar, Cymothoa, and Tiger Blue at Zhora Darling
Countess Cabaret with Luann de Lesseps at The Fillmore
The Controversial New 'Skinny Pill,' Fumbler, and Sunnbather at Palmer's Bar
MAKR AN ERIS, Eric Mayson, Bathtub Cig, and Vinny Franco at Green Room
Lissie with AirLands at The Parkway Theater
Bohemia After Dark: A Tribute to Cannonball and Nat Adderley at Berlin
The Dead Century with Valors at Day Block Brewing
Tank and the Bangas with Elliott Skinner and DJ Zeus at Fine Line
League Two, Asparagus, and Lily Blue at Underground Music Venue
Abebi Stafford/Ian Duerr at Berlin (no cover)
Concerts on Sunday, April 6:
LAAMAR at the Historic Memorial Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery
Rich Amiri with Swapa at Varsity Theater
Skylark Opera Theatre at Landmark Center
Skerryvore at The Dakota
Psychedelic Sundays with Dream of the Wild, Ice Climber, Beneath Green, and Shrimp Olympics at The Cabooze
StoLyette with Pornonono and Drew Christopherson at Berlin
Brass Messengers at 331 Club
Dr. Mambo's Combo at Bunker's
Church of Cornbread: Cornbread Harris and Friends at Palmer's Bar (free)
Mary Bue, Martin Devaney, and Molly Maher at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Uncle Muskrat at Badger Hill Brewing in Shakopee (free)Just announced concerts:
April 19: Nachito Herrera: The Last of the 50s at The Dakota
April 26: Bizhiki at Theodore Wirth Park Trailhead for Strib Unbound
May 8: Ghost-Note at The Dakota
May 9: Brantley Gilbert at The Ledge Amphitheater
May 9: The Melismatics with Benjamin Cartel and Stone Arch Rivals at Icehouse
May 10: Jamecia Bennett: A Mother's Day Tribute to Women in Music at The Dakota
May 14–15: Peter Asher at The Dakota
May 16: The Verve Pipe at The Dakota
May 18: Benmont Tench at The Dakota
May 23: anni xo and Kiernan at Fine Line
May 24: Eudaemon album release show with Anita Velveeta, Rodeo Boys, Another Heaven, and Valeska Suratt at Pilllar Forum
June 4: Alejandro Brittes at The Cedar Cultural Center
June 11: Ted Olsen album release at The Cedar Cultural Center
June 20: An Evening with Greg Koch at Turf Club
June 24: Pedrito Martinez at The Dakota
June 25: Lost Bayou Ramblers with Ethno USA on the Road at The Cedar Cultural Center
July 27: Michael Franti & Spearhead at Hilde Performance Center
Aug. 9: Billy Strings at Target Center
Aug. 15: Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse at The Armory
Sept. 3: Pup & Jeff Rosenstock at Palace Theatre
Sept. 17: The Baseball Project at Fine Line
Sept. 19: Ethel Cain with 9million at Palace Theatre
Sept. 30: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at First Avenue
Oct. 4: Garbage at First Avenue
Oct. 7: Sex Pistols play 'Never Mind the Bollocks' at The Fillmore
Oct. 9: Mumford & Sons with Michael Kiwanuka at Xcel Energy Center
Oct. 10: Jonas Brothers at Xcel Energy Center
Oct. 18: Sons of the East at Fine Line
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Grammys EP Ben Winston on the risks of producing live TV: ‘I always never know quite why we do it'
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So when I sat down with Casey Wasserman and the LA28 team, literally two years before we did it, it was like, what can we do for ten minutes in the closing ceremony that really grabs attention and makes a statement about L.A.? I was really keen to do something big that embraced the Hollywood of L.A., that embraced music because I think music is a huge part of the culture here. I wanted to show off the city because, yes, we don't have the Eiffel Tower and the Seine and the Notre Dame, but we do have beautiful beaches. We have really iconic symbols, whether it be the Griffith Park Observatory or the Hollywood Sign. But more than that, what I had to think about with L.A. was the theme. What is the Olympics? The Olympics is a thing that people from all over the world go to, and they try and achieve their dreams there. And Los Angeles is a city where people from all over the world come to, and they try and achieve their dreams here. Linking all of those things together suddenly got me thinking. I'd worked with Tom Cruise quite a bit over The Late Late Show days. We've done lots of sketches with James [Corden], whether it would him being Pumbaa and Timon in Lion King or jumping out of a plane or flying those Top Gun planes with James, and I've gotten to know Tom well. And I had this idea that maybe he jumps off the roof, shocks everybody, grabs the flag, and then takes that flag out of the stadium and drives from Paris to his airplane, jumps out of the airplane, lands in Hollywood and takes over the sign. And then we showcase some real sporting icons of L.A. who then take that flag and land at the beach, and then we just do a huge beach concert. I love how you start with a really small idea. Gotta think big! It was difficult to do. But it was such a fun, bold, ambitious idea. And everyone was in. So in the end, it became a one-hour special that encompassed all of those ideas that was a real celebration of L.A. What was beautiful about it for L.A. and for me is that the next day of the closing ceremony, the image that was around the globe was Dre and Snoop in front of the LA28 sign and Tom jumping off the roof. So we'd achieved our goal of announcing and launching LA28 in a really great way. So going back to the other question, how do you get attention? That is a great example where I think unscripted television really gripped the world and made an impact. You had to have been worried about pulling all of that off. What was your biggest concern? There were so many. The fact that the biggest movie star in the world is standing on a roof and about to jump off it, that is always a concern. We lost our beach with about four weeks to go, for various reasons. And then it's just all those elements coming together. I was really excited when NBC loved the idea so much that they gave us a special for it, though that meant that what was a 16 minute idea that was live could then become like an hour's special with more music and more Tom could breathe a little bit more in prime time. But that was a very nerve wracking on the day because although it was pre-taped it was live in the ceremony. That was the most nervous I think I've ever been, of anything I've done. You still get nervous? Live television is always nerve-wracking. I always never quite know why we do it. As it gets towards 5 p.m. on Grammy Sunday, I have this sort of sick feeling in my stomach where I'm always like, why on earth did I agree to do this again? We only have six weeks to make that show because the nominations come out around Thanksgiving. Nobody will do anything before they're nominated. You can't even pick up the phone to ask them. And this year with the fires, most of our team were evacuated. Some of our team lost their homes. And suddenly, we were making a show for Feb. 2 with all of that going on as well. The way I always think about it is you're climbing this mountain, you get to the top of that mountain at 5 on Grammy Sunday, and you jump off. And you just hope the parachute opens and you have a really nice flight. But you also know that it's live television. Anything could happen, and you could smack your head on the way down. Luckily, I think this year was probably the show I'm most proud of. Why is that? Because I think that the fact that we were making it around the time of the fires, the fact that there were murmurs of people saying you shouldn't be doing the Grammys a month after the fires have broken out, the fact that I had a real passion to do it and was really feeling that we could actually do something really beautiful for the city of L.A. I worked out that 6,000 people earn a living in some way from the Grammys happening. 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And I just thought it was a really lovely idea of showcasing local businesses who had lost so much in the fires and partnering them with a Grammys artist. And then there was also the question of who starts the show. I was having a conversation with Brandi Carlisle, and we were talking about the song 'I Love L.A.' And interestingly, I was playing that in my car as I was driving from my hotel into the office, because I was evacuated. I thought, well, actually, that's a really beautiful way of starting the show, but then who plays it? And then Brandi said to me, do you know the band Dawes? They lost their homes and their studio in the fires. Allowing them to open the Grammys with a supergroup of artists, John Legend and Brittany Howard and all these incredible artists, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley — that could be an amazing way to open the show. Everything from the way we reacted to the fires all the way to featuring the best new artists for the time in the history of the Grammys. We didn't stop the music. It just went one after the other after the other after the other. And I love the way we did that in that Trevor went in the audience. He walked through and he introduced each one of them, and you just thought he was going to throw to the package. And he says, oh, let's take a look at the music from these best new artists. And then Benson Boone gets out his microphone and the suit rips off, and that started that was the trigger, and then all the other artists run to their corners, Shaboozey and Doechii and Raye, bringing down the house. And so that was a really lovely moment that was technically incredibly hard. Hamish Hamilton did an amazing job directing that, but staging it where the music never stopped. I love the idea of music never stopping. You also had the added pressure as the first award show back to make it OK for there to be award shows again. Whether it be the commercials for the local businesses, whether it be the fire department presenting the Grammy award for album of the year to Beyoncé, whether it be Dawes opening, which I thought was really powerful. We love this show, and we love music, and we love television. Yes, the fires were brutal for all of us, but they actually made us they made us sharpen our lens. They made us go, OK. How do we make this OK, and how do we pay tribute this city, and how do we make a love letter to this city? And in a way, I think it was an advantage going first because everyone could follow our lead. You've done so many kinds of live TV. What's on your wish list? What do you still want to do? We've been really lucky. We've done a few really wonderful music specials. I love working with artists. I love the challenge of live television. There's a big thing happening in three years in this city, so hopefully, I'll be a little bit involved in that. I'm not after doing more award shows. I really like the one that I make. I love the Grammys. I'm proud of the Grammys. It's become part of me. I don't have a burning desire to suddenly start running other award shows. So no Oscars for you? Nope. Definitely not. I think Raj [Kapoor] does a great job on that, and that's one for him, not me. We're developing a reality show right now in Calabasas, to partner with our Kardashian show, and I'm really enjoying the casting process of that. I'm looking at doing a kids' show with a streaming platform right now, which I've never done before, but it could be quite impactful. As a dad of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, if you'd asked me 10 years ago about a kids' show, I'd be like, what are you on about? (Laughs.) I think about what could I be doing at the World Cup next year? I love working with Trevor Noah — what is the next form of variety show that we could do together? I'm really excited about the opportunities that we have over here at Fulwell, and just really want to make things that I'm proud of and I love and I'm passionate about. So what do you have up your sleeve for the 2028 Olympics in LA? I don't know right now, because nothing's been announced. But if I had the opportunity of being involved in LA28, I would love that. I think it's going to be a phenomenal Olympics, and I'd be honored to be involved. I hope they call me! Best of GoldDerby Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic' Minha Kim 'confronted all new emotions that I had never anticipated' in Season 2 of 'Pachinko' 'Étoile': Exclusive 4-part conversation with creators, star Luke Kirby, cinematographer, and choreographer Click here to read the full article.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
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Book Review: 'Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soil' doesn't live up to book's promise
One of the most challenging things about any biography of Bob Dylan is piercing the reticence the legendary singer and songwriter has displayed in talking about his roots. In addition to that, biographers have had to to sift through the myths Dylan has built up about his life story. That's why it's somewhat forgivable that 'Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soil' by Harry Freedman doesn't quite live up to its promise of tracing how the singer's early career was influenced by his Jewish roots. Freedman offers a serviceable introduction to Dylan's early discography and his biography, including his childhood on the Iron Range of Minnesota. But the books offers little new illuminating information into how Dylan's Jewish heritage may have influenced his career. What's frustrating are the times Freedman instead relies on speculation rather new insights. At one point, Freedman questions whether antisemitism played a role when a 1963 Newsweek profile that angered Dylan mentioned the singer's family name, Zimmerman. At the same time, Freedman is able to richly conceptualize the impact of Dylan's music and the context of his rise. Freedman describes how Dylan's early career came at a time for young people when 'music was the only thing that made sense.'
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Book Review: 'Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soil' doesn't live up to book's promise
One of the most challenging things about any biography of Bob Dylan is piercing the reticence the legendary singer and songwriter has displayed in talking about his roots. In addition to that, biographers have had to to sift through the myths Dylan has built up about his life story. That's why it's somewhat forgivable that 'Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soil' by Harry Freedman doesn't quite live up to its promise of tracing how the singer's early career was influenced by his Jewish roots. Freedman offers a serviceable introduction to Dylan's early discography and his biography, including his childhood on the Iron Range of Minnesota. But the books offers little new illuminating information into how Dylan's Jewish heritage may have influenced his career. What's frustrating are the times Freedman instead relies on speculation rather new insights. At one point, Freedman questions whether antisemitism played a role when a 1963 Newsweek profile that angered Dylan mentioned the singer's family name, Zimmerman. At the same time, Freedman is able to richly conceptualize the impact of Dylan's music and the context of his rise. Freedman describes how Dylan's early career came at a time for young people when 'music was the only thing that made sense.' With more solid evidence — or perhaps a less elusive subject — Freedman could have turned that prose into a book that lives up to its title. ___ AP book reviews:
