Minneapolis: March 25 to March 26, 2016

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YOUNG FATHERS
with HXLT
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Friday, 03/25/16, 8pm ($15/$17)

Scotland’s Young Fathers is back in the USA – mostly touring around the Coachella Music Festival. We caught the Mercury Prize-winning band last May 2015, and noted, “Energy from the three singer, all with different styles, remained consisting high, often dancing too hard and sweating throughout their nearly hour long set.”

The trio (‘G’ Hastings, Alloysious Massaquoi and Kayus Bankole) recently collaborated with Massive Attack for “Voodoo In My Blood,” which you can watch on youtube.

Opening the show will be HXLT, which Pitchfork described as “an undeniable live performer, full of charisma.”

Tour dates:

JUDAH AND THE LION
at Varsity Theater
Saturday, 03/26/16, 7pm ($15/$17)

Nashville’s Judah & The Lion is back in town, supporting their sophomore album Folk Hop N Roll. The record entered the Billboard’s Heatseekers Album Chart at an impressive #2 and #1 on the Heatseekers South Central!

That’s not really a surprise considering we first caught them in 2014 and was blown away by their growing fanbase: “Many of their songs got their most dedicated fans to help sing along, especially on “Back’s Against the Wall”, where Akers stopped a second to hear his fans finish the lyrics… with the biggest grin on his face.”

Opening the show will be The Saint Johns. The Saint Johns is a duo who are quickly gaining popularity and have a new album, Dead of Night, which came out 4th. Their music has been featured on “Sons of Anarchy”, “Nashville”, and many other popular television shows. They have also had an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman”.

Tour dates:

CULLEN OMORI
at 7th Street Entry
Saturday, 03/26/16, 8pm ($12/$14)

After the 2014 breakup of Smith Westerns, singer Cullen Omori decided to strike out on his own as a solo artist. His debut New Misery recently came out (March 18th) on Sub Pop Records.

We previously caught Smith Westerns before they broke up in 2013, and wrote, “The guys played well despite the oppressive heat (lead singer Cullen Omori, who was dressed in an ultra-thin, billowy shirt, looked like he might melt under the stage lights) and end-of-tour fatigue. Affable jams like ‘Best Friend’ and ‘White Oath’ worked well alongside choice cuts from the band’s breakout album 2011’s Dye It Blonde like the spritely ‘End of the Night,’ ‘Fallen in Love’ and a favorite of mine, ‘Smile.’”

Omori is currently on his “Sad Guy No More” tour with Canadian dream pop band Living Hour. Living Hour’s self-titled album is out now on Lefse.

Opening the show will be local “post-gender” artist Suzie.

Tour dates:

JONATHAN RICHMAN
at Cedar Cultural Center
Saturday, 03/26/16, 7pm ($15/$20)

Look, we just love Jonathan Richman, okay? The last time we caught the loveable singer, it was in 2012 and we had this to say, “Jonathan Richman has the kind of rock ‘n roll holiness reserved for someone like Leonard Cohen. But where Cohen is all hushed poetic passages and melancholy overtures, Richman inspires the kind of reaction that could only be found in a Baptist church on a Sunday morning. Dressed in yoga pants and slippers, with a long-sleeved green shirt over a black and white striped shirt, Richman padded across the Cedar Cultural Center’s stage looking like a Parisian street corner balladeer, his arms wide open ready to embrace the entire audience. An excited young fan near the front held up a glittery and feathered sign (“Jonathan, be my little dinosaur”) and Richman pointed at it and smiled and then patted his chest in gratitude as the entire room erupted in applause.”

As usual, he’s joined by Tommy Larkins on drums. The two are irresistible together.

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