Minneapolis: This Week (11/12/2023)

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

11/06/2023 Monday

The legendary John Oates is making a stop by the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis this November 6th. Oates, the other half of Hall & Oates fame, will be playing an early and late show.

Oates co-wrote some of your favorite songs, including “Out of Touch”, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”, and “Maneater” (which surprisingly made an appearance in the recent Jennifer Lawrence film No Hard Feelings).

Although Oates is under no obligation to play those hits, I’m sure he’ll tell stories about how those songs came to be.

Those stories can also be read in Oates’ memoir Change of Seasons, which was published on March 28, 2017 by St. Martin’s Press.

As usual with these Dakota Jazz Club shows, show up early and grab some food before the event. The show will start on time, so don’t be late.

Tour dates:

11/08/2023 Wednesday
Loreena McKennitt 
at State Theatre
hennepintheatretrust.org

Canadian singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt is back in Minneapolis. McKennitt is known for her refined and clear soprano vocals and has sold more than 14 million records worldwide.

It appears that the show is in celebration of her 1991 album The Visit… the show is entitled The Visit Revisited.

Tour dates:

11/10/2023 Friday
Ben Kweller
with Mason Jennings
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

It’s been 20 years since Ben Kweller’s cult-classic album, Sha Sha, took the indie world by storm. Well, Kweller is celebrating with a tour and a re-release of the album as a new anniversary edition entitled, Sha Sha Deluxe. The Sha Sha tour will stop by Minneapolis at the Fine Line on November 10th.

The Sha Sha Deluxe album has been remastered, with demos, B-sides, live recordings, and other rarities. Some of these tracks have never before released to the public. One of those unearthed rarities is “I Have the Power,” which is streaming now at all DSPs. The song was recorded by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads) back in 2001 when Kweller was coming up in NYC with The Strokes and Moldy Peaches.

Sha Sha Deluxe is available on Triple-LP, Triple-CD, and USB Toothbrush. Yes, a red toothbrush USB stick.

Update: Backed by his band, including actor/musician Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and special guests, Kweller will be performing tunes from Sha Sha and the rest of his extensive catalog at the anniversary shows.

Mason Jennings to open.

Tour dates:

11/11/2023 Saturday
We Are Scientists 
with Sean McVerry
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

When Brooklyn-based dance rock band We Are Scientists are back on tour… in support of their new album Lobes.

“Finally — FINALLY — we get to tour the United States again,” exclaims guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray. “It’s been too long, and we’ve been aching for it.”

We saw the band in May 2019 and noted, “Next up was New York, by the way of Berkeley, We Are Scientists. The duo features Keith Murray on lead vocals and guitars and Chris Cain on bass and backing vocals, but for the live shows, they’ve added Keith Carne on drums. I’ve told this story before, but I first discovered the band in 2006, when the band had a massive breakthrough success with their debut With Love and Squalor. Just simply listening to the album for the first time, we were all singing along – that’s to show you how catchy their songs are.”

Update: Sean McVerry to open.

Tour dates:

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to vu@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time. Thank you.