Minneapolis: This Week (09/10/2023)

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09/03/2023 Sunday

It’s Labor Day, and the place to be is at the Soul Asylum show at the Minnesota State Fair.

Even though it’s just Dave Pirner as the original band member (Dan Murphy retired in 2012, Karl Mueller died in 2005, and drummer Pat Morley left the band for rehab in 1984), we still consider that this is pretty much Soul Asylum.

Soul Asylum (05 Jun 2015)

We caught the band in Jun 2015 and said, “The hits came fast and hard from Soul Asylum as tracks like “Black Gold” and “Just Like Anyone” got everyone moving around and singing along – it’s truly mind-blowing just how jam-packed with hit songs Soul Asylum’s catalogue is. The current line-up, which consists of Pirner, bassist Winston Roye, guitarist Justin Sharbono and Michael Bland on drums, have obvious chemistry which makes for some entertaining moments. Pirner enjoys hamming it up for the crowd, skidding across the stage on his knees and joking around with Bland: “Michael Bland likes it when my ass is hanging out of my pants.””

Tour dates:

Bandshell Tonight! Concert Series Series.

09/05/2023 Tuesday

Originally booked at the Palace Theatre in February 18, 2023… the show has been rescheduled now to take place on September 5, 2023. All tickets purchased for the original show will be honored.

Internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY® nominated artist Tove Lo is on tour in support of her fifth studio album Dirt Femme.

Tove Lo at First Ave (15 Feb 2017)

We saw Tove Lo in Feb 2017 and wrote, “Tove Lo took to the stage wearing a cinched up Beatles t-shirt and in tight yellow zippered racing pants, adorned with album’s title on the back cheeks and the album’s two chapters, Fairy Dust and Fire Fade, down each leg. Like many Swedish dance pop acts, her three-person band included two on percussion with a keyboardist rounding out the group. Fairy Dust refers to the emotional curve of anticipation and euphoria, marked by slower jams, and how she opened with ‘True Disaster’ and the album’s title track.”

Tour dates:

09/07/2023 Thursday

When it was first announced that the legendary band The Pretenders would be playing the tiny 7th Street Entry, you thought it was a joke. But it turned out that it’s true… the band wanted to play small clubs.

So, yeah, as expected, the show is sold out. And best of all… it’s Chrissie Hynde’ birthday (Sep 7).

The Pretenders’ forthcoming studio album, Relentless will be out September 15th.

Tour dates:

09/07/2023 Thursday

Internet star Poppy and Massachusetts’ PVRIS are teaming up in a co-headlining Godless / Goddess Tour.

Poppy is touring in support of a forthcoming album Zig, set for release in October 27, 2023, on Sumerian Records.

Poppy (17 Feb 2020)

We previously saw Poppy in Feb 2020 and wrote, “With a male backing band dressed casually all in white, a row of vertical pink neon tubes separating the rhythm section to the back, and a tall mirrored, lighted box framing the petite artist with braided ponytail in a one-shouldered dark ruffled dress, Poppy took to the stage to the opening air raid sirens from the first single from her new record, ‘Concrete’ to begin her sixty-minute headlining set.”

Pvris (31 May 2016)

As for PVRIS, we saw them in May 2016 and said, “The music of PVRIS is extremely unique in a way that makes them fit on every sort of line-up. They have opened up for poppy bands like The Maine and, most recently, they opened up for metalcore act Bring Me The Horizon. Regardless of what genre the headlining act was on their past tours, Pvris was able to stand out and make an impression on the generally young crowds. It was nice to see them headline a show and truly shine through their nearly hour long set.”

Pom Pom Squad (06 Mar 2022)

Also on the bill is Pom Pom Squad, a band that we saw in Mar 2022 and noted, “First on this triple-girls bill was Pom Pom Squad. The band did a cover of Weezer’s “Undone (The Sweater Song)” as their penultimate song. They ended their set with “Be Good”. “

Poppy tour dates:

09/07/2023 Thursday

We previously mentioned the first Big Star Tribute show in Sep 2022 … it looks like the second annual tribute show is taking place this week (September 7, 2023).

Details from online listing:

90s favorites Toad the Wet Sprocket is currently on their greatest hits tour… and will stop by the Fillmore in Minneapolis on Sept 9th, 2023. The group remastered their greatest hits album All You Want (Bonus Edition).

Toad the Wet Sprocket (08 Jul 2015)

We caught the band in July 2015 and wrote, “Just a quick history lesson if you’re not familiar with this alt-rock/college rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket. They formed in the late 80s, and by the 90s, had some breakout hit singles (including “Walk on the Ocean”, “All I Want”, “Something’s Always Wrong”, and “Fall Down”). Various reasons broke up the band in 1998, but officially announced they reformed in 2010.”

Tour dates: