St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center has had the privilege this summer of hosting two of England’s storied rock bands in sold-out shows — both of them Rock and Roll Hall of Famers whose popularity has been re-energized by recent Hollywood blockbusters, and both led by septuagenarians. Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra starship landed in late […]
Almost every single seat in the Xcel Energy Center was filled Thursday night while the Electric Light Orchestra’s iconic spaceship hovered on screens above the stage, the audience awaiting the British rock band that’s been rolling since the ’70s. The crowd rose from their seats to applaud the shadows gliding on stage, accompanied by a […]
David Crosby strokes his beard and reminisces about the beginning of the Byrds. “After we started to get good with it,” he says, “Dylan showed up.” His interviewer, Jakob Dylan, says dryly, “You’ll have to be more specific.” Among the many things we learn in the new documentary Echo in the Canyon, one of them is […]
“This is a really bad idea,” said Stephen King, “especially considering that the band that first had a hit with this song came from Minnesota. Anyone remember the Trashmen?” Some of us remembered the Trashmen playing “Surfin’ Bird” on that very stage in First Avenue’s Mainroom. King dropped his guitar and stepped forward for that […]
My Brightest Diamond has released five albums and played hundreds of shows, but each one is a novel experience. Two of their only constants: Shara Nova’s classically trained voice and her bent toward artsy surprise. In Nov. 2018, she released the My Brightest Diamond album A Million and One, a more electronic, dancey project than […]
One of Beyoncé’s biggest fans had her own homecoming last night. Lizzo, aka the former queen of Minneapolis hip-hop, returned to the Twin Cities for her first local headlining show in about two years. Like the rest of the shows on the Cuz I Love You tour, this Palace Theatre date sold out minutes after […]
The Better Oblivion Community Center opened its doors for one night in Minneapolis, and a sold-out crowd rushed in. Better Oblivion Community Center is a collaboration between Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, both successful rock artists in their own right. Their debut self-titled came out in January of this year. This project isn’t Bridgers’ first […]
It had been months since I saw a good thunderstorm. Snow and deep freezes have swept through the Twin Cities lately, but it’s been a long time without thunder and lightning. Sharon Van Etten put an end to that stretch last night at First Avenue. She summoned angry synths, crashing cymbals, and even windchimes and […]
“I feel like everyone here has been cooped up inside,” Kacey Musgraves told the crowd at St. Paul’s Palace Theatre on Saturday night. After a week of polar vortex-induced blistering temperatures, the St. Paul audience seemed eager to be out of their homes and shoulder-to-sholder with thousands of strangers for the sold-out show. Georgia-based singer-songwriter […]
The Current enters adolescence this year, and part one of the celebration kicked off Friday night with a sold-out First Avenue show. “I got really strong when I was 14 carrying those heavy books,” quipped Kerry Alexander of Bad Bad Hats in a sweet deadpan, “and emotionally strong for other reasons.” The first night of The […]
