Concerts to see this week: A Prince celebration, Breakaway Music Fest, Alison Krauss
Concerts to see this week: A Prince celebration, Breakaway Music Fest, Alison Krauss originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
We've probably said this before, but June feels like the start of the summer concert season.
There are hints of it that start in May, but it's clear that things are truly getting underway this week with the kickoff of outdoor shows at The Ledge Amphitheater, the arrival of the Twin Cities first big summer music festival, and a cities-wide celebration of Prince.
Here are the concerts you shouldn't miss this week around the Twin Cities.
Tuesday, June 3, at Turf Club
Peelander-Z is an experience. They're the kind of band where some fans might not even listen to the albums, but never miss a live performance. Their shows are uncontrolled chaos that might feature costumed dancers, a giant squid, human-sized bowling, and ballistic energy from Peelander-Yellow. (Every member is named after a color that they almost exclusively wear.) There's really nothing quite like Peelander-Z and the group's high-energy, tongue-in-cheek punk songs.
Over at Zhora Darling, the six-piece, L.A.-based Dutch Interior arrives just after the release of Moneyball, packed with modern Americana songs that feel somehow distant from the label. Despite having six members — who have all been lifelong friends — the music is sparse, almost low-fi, and has an undercurrent of quiet punk energy. Poor Image and Harlow open.
Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 8, at various locations
Paisley Park's annual celebration of Prince returns for four days of events that start on Thursday with a dance party featuring a Transmission tribute to Prince at First Avenue.
The big attraction is a Friday night concert at Paisley Park that includes Morris Day and the Time, as well as The Family, a group that only released a single 1985 album co-produced by Prince. (That album features the original recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U.") However, they reformed in 2011 as fDeluxe.
Many other events are taking place at Paisley Park and around Downtown Minneapolis. Though the tickets don't come cheap. General admission passes for the full weekend cost $752.75. Meanwhile, a single-event ticket for the Friday concert will run you $109.75.
Friday, June 6, at First Avenue
Cue debates about whether or not Samia Finnerty will count as a local artist. (Minnesotans love to adopt artists, so the answer will be "yes.") Finnerty, who performs as just Samia, moved relocated to the Twin Cities relative recently, partly recording her new album, Bloodless in the state.
Samia hits her stride on Bloodless, with seamless indie-pop songwriting that has an appealingly dark streak. That's clear right from the outset on the song "Bovine Excision" (look that up if haven't just eaten), which includes lyrics like "picking leeches off white underwear" and "I just wanted to be your friend / cup of tea in your cold hand / and drained, drained bloodless."
Friday, June 6–Saturday, June 7, at Allianz Field Festival Grounds
For a second year, the Breakaway Music Fest, which is held in a bunch of cities around the country, is making a stop in St. Paul. The EDM fest's 2025 lineup includes some big names in electronic dance music like John Summit, Tiësto, and Alison Wonderland. It'll be a bass-heavy, two-day dance party around the parking lot of Allianz Field.
However, this year, EDM fans are going to have to make a tough call. Breakaway is happening on the same two days as the inauguralFestival in Cadott, Wis. The alien-themed fest has a similarly deep lineup, headlined by Marshmello, Rezz, Liquid Stranger, and RL Grime.Sunday, June 8, at The Ledge Amphitheater
Alison Krauss and Union Station are touring together for the first time since 2015. That's cause for celebration among folk and bluegrass lovers, as is the release of their first new album since 2011's Paper Airplane. They're arrival is also the kickoff of an impressive summer season at The Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park.
Alison Krauss and Union Station will follow Sunday's show with two more performances in Minnesota. They'll play Mankato's Vetter Stone Amphitheater on June 10 and Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park on June 11. Russell Moore opens.
Sunday, June 8, at Surly Festival Field
The pop-folk group just released their first new music since 2022, with the EP Somewhere. It's a gentle album that falls neatly in line with what has led the band to an arguably quiet popularity. The Ohio group has billions of streams and millions of monthly listeners. That might not offer any insight into their catchy, emotional songs, but if you haven't given their records a spin and are wondering how they're headlining a huge outdoor venue, well, there you go. Blind Pilot and Gardener open.Concerts on Monday, June 2:
Leslie Vincent + Dylan Hicks & Small Screens at The Dakota
Kitty Craft at 7th St. Entry
Jared Justen with Nikki Lemire at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Dan Israel with Billy Johnson at Lake Harriet Bandshell (free)
Soul Trouvére at 331 Club (free)
Roe Family Singers at 331 Club (free)
Concerts on Tuesday, June 3:
Peelander-Z at Turf Club
Dutch Interior with Poor Image and Harlow at Zhora Darling
Drillbit with Defiled Sacrament and Mortura at Pilllar Forum
Enemy of Fate at Underground Music Cafe
Accordo, presented by the Schubert Club at Icehouse
Johnny Lied and George McKelvey at Aster Cafe
International Reggae Allstars at Bunker's
John Magnuson Trio at 331 Club (free)
Concerts on Wednesday, June 4:
An Evening with Robyn Hitchcock at Turf Club
Dr. Mambo's Combo: A Birthday Tribute to Prince at The Parkway Theater
Alejandro Brittes at The Cedar Cultural Center
Matteo Mancuso at The Dakota
Fuchsia with Jake Baldwin Quartet and Green Line Quartet at Zhora Darling
Psychostick with Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre and Rad Enhancer at The Cabooze
Ice Horse at Icehouse's Starlight Room
Dan Tedesco and Eva Markham at Aster Cafe
Martin Kember and The Unit - 'Purple Msicology' at Green Room
West 22nd with Pretty Jane and Daphne Jane at 7th St. Entry
Martin Kember and The Unit 'Purple Musicology' at Green Room
Twine at Bunker's
The Second Stringers at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Hunny Bear residency at The White Squirrel Bar (free)Concerts on Thursday, June 5:
Prince Celebration Kick-Off DJ Dance Party feat. Let's Go Crazy, DJ Jake Rudh, and Lenka Paris at First Avenue
Three Sacred Souls with Tré Burt at Palace Theatre
Cantus at the Historic Memorial Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery
Geordie Kieffer at Fine Line
Kavyesh Kaviraj & Omar Abdulkarim at The Dakota
Burning Blue Rain with Pierre Lewis at The Cabooze
Matthew Mallinger and IE at Berlin
Rotundos, Quail, and Serpents of Serenity at Underground Music Cafe
Molly:II:Molly and The Scarlet Goodbye at Icehouse
TC Gumbo Jam feat. Eddie Christmas, Demitrious Fallis, Nicholas David, and more at Hook and Ladder
John Magnuson Trio with Billy Dankert at Aster Cafe
Spiderlily, Skeleton Crew, Pity Party, and Weeklong Weekend at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
The Dregs with Fanaka Nation, King Swank, Yuh-Huh Go, and more at 7th St. Entry
Emmy Woods with Cottonwood Shivers at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Concerts on Friday, June 6:
Prince Celebration 2025 feat. Morris Day and the Time, Jesse Johnson, The Family, and Johnny Venus at Paisley Park
Breakaway Music Festival with Tiësto, John Summit, Alison Wonderland, and more at Allianz Field
Force Fields Music Festival w/ Marshmello, Rezz, and others in Cadott, Wis.
Samia with Raffaella at First Avenue
Pierce the Veil with Sleeping with Sirens at The Armory
Vial with Rat Bath and Virginia's Basement at Hook and Ladder
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials at The Dakota
Ally Venable at 7th St. Entry
Ghost Dragon at The Loft at Skyway Theatre
Drouth with Nothingness, Sacrificial Vein, and Cavernous Maw at Zhora Darling
Honey Revenge at Fine Line
Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, Dingus, and Atomic Lights at Cloudland Theater
Heed the Warning at Day Block Brewing
Atlas Tango Project at Berlin
Lakeside Effects, Ghostlands, and M.A.Y. at Underground Music Cafe
Bermuda Squares, The Slow Death, Sparrowhawk, American Muscle, and Neo Neos at Palmer's Bar
McNasty Brass Band with Rhythm Nation at Icehouse
Hell Yeah 3!!! - The Dirtbag Prom feat. DJ Mary Lucia at Turf Club
Twins Perform the Music of Thelonious Monk at Berlin (no cover)
JB Reilly at Utepils Brewing (free)
Kaatwalk with Nina Luna at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Concerts on Saturday, June 7:
Breakaway Music Festival with Tiësto, John Summit, Alison Wonderland, and more at Allianz Field
Force Fields Music Festival w/ Marshmello, Rezz, and others in Cadott, Wis.
One Ok Rock with Stand Atlantic at The Armory
Surly Brewing 19th Anniversary Party feat. The Suburbs, Solid Gold, Gramma's Boyfriend, and more at Surly Brewing
Lake Street Roots, Rock & Deep Blues Music Festival 12 at Hook and Ladder
Panchiko with Alison's Halo at First Avenue
Annie DiRusso at Fine Line
Runner and Bobby with Silverwar House and Call Me Fritz at Zhora Darling
The Rolling Stoners at The Dakota
TaikoArts Midwest presents Taikogroover, a concert dance party at The Cedar Cultural Center
Joust, Heavy Lag, Bad Crime, and TV Cop at Cloudland Theater
Chris Rawlins with Wren & Wilde at Aster Cafe
Momentum at Green Room
Gasolina Reggaetón Party at Varsity Theater
Petty Treason's Big Queer Burlesque Bonanza at Turf Club
Dog Gamn record release with Din-Din, Full Catholic, Girdle of Judith, Ghosting Merit, and Watches at Palmer's Bar
Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards and Fake Shark at Underground Music Cafe
Rootstock feat. Poetic Roots, BakkwoodDrift, SoulFlower, and more at Icehouse
Naethan Apollo at 7th St. Entry
Kev Fest feat. Cole Diamond, Crush Scene, Molly Maher, Quietchild, and more at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
New Primitives at Graze Food Hall (free)
Concerts on Sunday, June 8:
Alison Krauss & Union Station at The Ledge Amphitheater
Caamp with Blind Pilot and Gardener at Surly Brewing Festival Field
Nona Invie residency feat. Molly Raben and Nat Harvie at Berlin
One World: The Best of Sting & The Police at The Dakota
Dylan Salfer at The Hewing Hotel's rooftop
Nobro, Bad Waitress, and Gen and the Degenerates at 7th St. Entry
Jesus Son EP release with Toilet Rats, GARF, and Despondent at Zhora Darling
Dead on the Block at Icehouse
The Church of Cornbread with Cornbread Harris at Palmer's Bar (free)
Chickaboom & Troglodyte with Dan Israel & Mike Lane and Keith Johnson at The White Squirrel Bar (free)
Emmy Woods and Adam Bohanan at 331 Club (free)
Record Prophets with Aftergreens and Pencilneck at The White Squirrel Bar (free)Just announced concerts:
June 20: Talkin' All That Jazz hosted by Drunken Monkee with Sole2Dotz, Miss Mari, Se'Anna on Da Mic, and more at Icehouse
July 11: Bainbridge and High Zombie at The Loft at Skyway Theatre
July 13: Mid-Summer Sound Bath at The Cedar Cultural Center
July 17: Real Numbers, Tom Henry, and Quinn A. Robinson at Cloudland Theater
July 18: Tsimba and Thred at The Loft at Skyway Theatre
July 31: David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at Fine Line
Aug. 14: Keith Wallen with Level at Turf Club
Aug. 15: Monica LaPlante, Monsoon, and Oyster World at Cloudland Theater
Aug. 27: The Cedar presents The Global Get Together with Alma Andina at the Minnesota State Fair
Aug. 28: The Cedar presents The Global Get Together with Brass Solidarity at the Minnesota State Fair
Sept. 11: Ni/Co at 7th St. Entry
Sept. 16: Daisy the Great at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Sept. 17: Max McNown at First Avenue
Oct. 6: Hazlett at First Avenue
Oct. 11: Laufey with Suki Waterhouse at Target Center
Oct. 18: Vader, Kataklysm, and more at Studio B at Skyway Theater
Oct. 19: Aminé at The Fillmore
Oct. 22: Cuco at First Avenue
Nov. 7: Mon Rovia at First Avenue
Nov. 13: Chase Rice with Charlie Worsham at The Fillmore
Nov. 17: Avatar with Alien Weaponry and Spirit World at The Fillmore
Dec. 11: Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles with Nona Invie at The Fitzgerald Theater
Feb. 2: Lord of the Lost and The Birthday Massacre with Wednesday 13 at First AvenueThis story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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I'm in an acceptance mood, taking things for how they are. That's connected to a quote from you about how it was hard to be yourself in your salad days while still innovating. What parts of your earlier self did you hold onto, and what did you let go of to embrace this evolution? Like I said, I had a lot of controlling thoughts—overthinking and comparing myself to my peers. That kind of thinking kills creativity: How can I be better than everybody else? That felt ridiculous, but you see how a generation was influenced by people like Kanye saying he and his music are better than everyone else. It led people to believe they needed to think the same. I realized that was a manipulation tactic: Why do I need to be better? Therapy showed me a lot: self-discovery, self-love. I always loved myself, but I never knew it was so important to care for yourself in that explicit way. That wasn't taught to me. After winning a Grammy in 2021, I went through things I didn't comprehend until therapy. I just had to go through a lot of old traumas. I get it, especially in a Black family. The idea is to be great first, then worry about trauma later—or not at all. Perfectionism creeps in. Eventually, we realize we can't keep measuring ourselves against everyone else. We need our own standard, our own lane. Yeah. Growing up Haitian, my mom was always like, 'You can do better than that. I was top of the class, so you can be too.' But I had trouble in school—bad grades, shy, found it boring. No matter how hard I tried, getting an A was tough. My mom would say, 'Why can't you get an A-plus? Why come back with a C-minus or B-plus?' It was always, You can do better. That bled into my music. I had to break myself from those chains. I feel that. My mom used to say, 'This is an A household.' I think sometimes our close collaborators can become a chosen family. That can bring 'family-like' clashes. TIMELESS has a lot of collaborators—a broad spectrum of voices. Despite that, it's cohesive. How did you maintain harmony while navigating creative disagreements? That definitely happened. Early on, I struggled to give feedback to artists. I wasn't great at saying, 'Hey, try this.' Sometimes I didn't trust my ideas, or I wasn't sure I had the idea. So I'd let them do their thing while I made the music. It still felt collaborative, but I got a bit more comfortable speaking up by the end of creating the album. I'm shy, and sometimes I feel my ideas aren't the best. Maybe I'm still healing from past trauma where collaborators told me my ideas sucked. That shattered me and made me not want to speak up. But sometimes their ideas are better—so it's about merging ideas. I never want it 100% me or them. I'd rather have a 50/50 approach to show it's truly collaborative. From a listener's perspective, it's hard to imagine you struggling with that, especially with the album's cohesive flow. And it also marks the return of your brother Lou Phelps as a featured artist. Family can be comforting but also tricky. How did that relationship influence you two musically this time around? It's been a journey. There were moments when we disagreed. As The Celestics, our second project was Supreme Laziness . Around that time, I was blowing up with my electronic stuff, but Lou was still trying to 'make it.' In a family, there can be entitlement. He assumed it would be easy— just drop an album, it'll go fine. But headlines made it seem like 'it was just KAYTRANADA and his brother.' That bothered him—and me. I wanted him to have his own shine. Early on, it was easy to give him my opinions, but he'd shut them down, wanting to prove himself. So I'd think, Never mind, do you. Even if I said, 'I'd change this idea,' he'd get defensive. That was something we had to go through. During the pandemic, he had an epiphany: 'Damn, man, all this time you were trying to help me be better.' Subconsciously, I agreed. He wasn't on my previous albums either, though he wanted to be, which was a scandal for my mom. She asked, 'Why not put your brother on?' But it didn't feel right until now. Lou was ready, and 'Call You Up' was just a demo of his that I grabbed for the album. This journey took understanding, communicating better, and maturity. We still collaborate. The Celestics haven't broken up. Lou's always been around. In both of your growth processes, you saw that family is family, and we just need to let them have space to be them. Exactly. Lots of patience and maturity. There's a vulnerability in that which extends to TIMELESS and its danceability. I told a homie some tracks feel like 'crying while dancing on the dance floor.' How'd you balance emotional weight while giving people something to move to? Life experiences, plus my favorite disco and boogie songs are often heartbreak anthems that are still upbeat. 'You broke my heart, but I'm going to be okay,' type songs. Think heavy instrumentation, bass, strings, drums — like seven or eight minutes, giving you a breakdown that feels so emotional. That's what inspired me. That was always my type of music. I've always loved danceable sad songs, with big chords and heavy drums but also a vulnerable message. Also, on TIMELESS , I explored more R&B, so some songs lean purely that way. That emotion also comes through on 'Stepped On,' where you follow in the footsteps of J Dilla and Madlib's Quasimoto by putting your voice on the track. What made you express yourself that way — where you're even more vulnerable than being behind the track? Pure self-expression. Nobody else has the melodies or ideas I have for my music, except maybe my brother. My beats are upbeat, but I don't always want house-style vocals. Sometimes I want it off-grid, like Raekwon or Q-Tip. In today's industry, people are often on the beat or even ahead of it, so I decided to do it myself. Also, as a Black gay man, I asked, What would I sing about? On 'Stepped On,' I wrote about a breakup and my personality as a yes-man—just feeling stepped on. The lyrics came easily. Being on tour with The Weeknd pushed me, too. I thought, I'm going to try to write a song for The Weeknd to challenge myself. During Bubba , I had demos singing with Thundercat playing bass; I wasn't confident, but everyone said, 'You sound good, Kevin.' I was like, really? Eventually, outside compliments—and compliments from somebody I was dating—pushed me to take it seriously. Now I have more demos stashed. 'Stepped On' was my test to see if people would like it, and it worked. In previous interviews, you've mentioned referencing punk, new wave, noise and genres known for being subversive and pushing sonic and cultural boundaries. How did they become tools for you to push your own or society's boundaries? In those genres, you don't need a perfect singer. It's purely self-expression, often dark, nighttime vibes. I found a link to some sub-genres of hip-hop—Dilla, Black Milk, Madlib—because they'd sample synthy new wave tracks, making them sound funky, electronic, but still hip-hop. When I started searching for those samples, I really listened and realized, They're just expressing themselves with synths and drum machines. They're not trying to stand out by doing something over-the-top or calling in extra producers. They're just being themselves. That was inspiring. I wanted that formula for my vocals: no rigid approach, just expression. Right, it's about letting go of those boundaries. In a way, you're paying homage to new wave/noise's ethos: Get on a track, say what you need to say, and move on. Exactly. TIMELESS is like a time capsule. Listening to those '80s and '90s artists, they'd just make an album—12 songs, here's how I feel. It could be their best album, their worst, or mid. Who cares? It's how they express themselves. I want my future albums to be that way, too. Not, 'Oh my God, gotta create the biggest album and do the biggest rollout.' No, just express yourself. Don't overthink it. Frankie Knuckles once quoted Robert Owens, saying, 'Give me roses while they're dead because I can't use them when I lay.' As an artist whose evolution has been visible, do you think you're getting the recognition you deserve, or is it too early to call? I'm still learning. I also feel not everyone hears what I'm doing—listeners can be lazy, skimming tracks too fast, creating quick judgments. So a part of me feels I have something to prove, but at the same time, I don't. Music is self-expression. I do it for myself and the people who are waiting for more—not for those who don't like it.
