I didn’t believe all those music heads who told me to listen closer to The Joshua Tree. I didn’t believe all my friends and mentors, who see U2 live every chance they get and rave about it for weeks after the fact. I didn’t even believe Brian Oake, who I believe about most things, when he […]
Last night at the Walker Art Center, Marijuana Deathsquads and People entranced hundreds with their newest project, a commission that features new scores for nine silent Dada films. With their backs turned to the audience and their eyes facing the screen, the 11 musicians — squad members Ryan Olson, Isaac Gale, Mark McGee, Ben Ivascu, Mark […]
Being at a Sylvan Esso concert feels like standing in a confetti shower. That’s not how I would’ve described their music before last night’s show at First Avenue. But standing as small strips of noise tumbled onto each other, watching one of the best light shows I’ve ever seen, I felt a silly glee that’s […]
“My first time playing here was in January 2013,” Donna Grantis told the audience on Friday night. At the Dakota, she and 3RDEYEGIRL — Grantis on guitar, Ida Nielsen on bass, and Hannah Welton on drums — made their live debut with Prince. “We were so new we didn’t even have a band name,” Grantis […]
Last night at the Palace Theatre, Gary Clark Jr. took the stage for the first of two nights with swagger and confidence. More polished than in previous local shows and with a tight groove, he played with ease and his classic relaxed style, extending into long guitar solos. Clark let the songs gently segue together […]
“Epic” is the word that comes to my mind to describe last night’s Guns N’ Roses: Not in this Lifetime performance at U.S. Bank Stadium. Yes, I said epic. I’ll be honest: My expectations were low. I may have been too quick to judge how age affected the music by watching a few YouTube videos […]
Just when I thought myself exhausted, the Revolution took the stage. It’s been a long weekend, what with Current/Walker Art Center fest Rock the Garden on Saturday and day-after coverage taking up my Sunday. I normally avoid writing about concerts two days in a row, trying to stay healthy and well-rested — but I’ve made […]
“This is a festival still finding its season,” the writer Michael Perry reflected in the opening page of the program for this year’s third annual Eaux Claires festival, which was simply titled “Troix.” Perry is the official “narrator” of Eaux Claires and the neighbor of the festival’s mastermind, Justin Vernon, and his big, booming baritone […]
A sold-out Fitzgerald Theater crowd hung on Chastity Brown‘s every note on Friday night as she celebrated the release of her Red House Records debut, Silhouette of Sirens. “I’m so touched to see y’all here,” Brown said during the encore, clearly inspired by the energy of the adoring audience. She was joined on stage by […]
No, Pusha T didn’t go on when he was supposed to. Neither did “Caroline” up-and-comer Aminé. T.I. started 20 minutes late, Ty Dolla $ign’s set slipped a few hours following a flight delay, and Lil Uzi Vert cancelled altogether. That’s not taking into account Mac Miller, who dropped out after the recent Manchester bombing (Miller […]
