Bastille Day 2013

Minneapolis' Bastille Day is happening today, Sunday, July 14th, 2013, from 3pm to 10pm. The annual block party sponsored by Barbette Café is open and free to the public.

I'm probably the first to admit that I don't really follow the Minneapolis music scene that much, even though I've seen so many local artists in my time… but this year's lineup, I don't really know any of the bands. Am I really that unhip?

This year's lineup:

Street entertainment:

Meanwhile, over at Brit's Pub on Nicollet in Minneapolis, they are also competing with their own free Bastille Day Celebration event. Starting at 3pm and no end time (probably 9pm) today July 14th, you can enjoy free plays and music and food/drink specials all day.

Graham Parker fronted a mid-70s band called Graham Parker & the Rumour, who scored a Top 40 hit in the UK with "Hey Lord, Don't Ask Me Questions". By 1980, his band The Rumour broke up, but Parker continues on with The Shot and, of course, a solo artist. In 2012, Parker reunited his original band the Rumour to record Three Chord Good, their first album together in 31 years!

The Belfast Cowboys are described as "a 9-piece, horn-driven band that specializes in the music of Van Morrison." St Dominic's Trio is the smaller version of the Belfast Cowboys. I think that's all anybody needs to know about this Minneapolis band.

Not entirely sure a British rocker and an Irish cover band has anything to do with France's Bastille Day – but hey, who cares?