Sims and Astronautalis announce co-headlining First Avenue show
April 30, 2013
It's a tale of two Andys. Doomtree member and established solo MC Sims and world-traveling rapper and freestyler Astronautalis will pair up to co-headline First Avenue's Mainroom on Friday, June 14.
It will be the first time headlining the downtown Minneapolis venue for both performers (save for an appearance Astronautalis made to cap off Vita.mn's Are You Local? SXSW send-off last spring), and will be the first headlining show from Sims in over a year. Rather than battling over who has to go on first, the two rappers will perform one collaborative set with a live backing band in what they are touting as a "one-time-only affair."
"There will be a lot of firsts on June 14," writes Sims. "It will mark the first time we’ve performed a collaborative set, and our first time performing with this band. The first time either he or I have headlined at First Ave. And the first time we’ll be playing some new songs, including our new collaborative song 'This Is The Place' (more on that soon)."
It's not the first time the two have collaborated with one another. They have toured and performed together in the past (including a 2011 gig at the Triple Rock that was a deciding factor in Astronautalis's decision to move to Minneapolis from Seattle), and Astronautalis invited Sims to guest on the song "Thomas Jefferson" on his 2012 record This is Our Science. According to their show announcement they have even been living together in recent months as Astronautalis has recovered from a fire that destroyed his home; that cohabitation has led to even more partnerships happening in the studio and on the stage.
Keep your eyes on the blog for more on that new track from Sims and Astronautalis. And for now, find more info about their upcoming show, which will also feature opening sets from Mixed Blood Majority and Greg Grease, over on First Avenue's site.