05 Oct 2024 Saturday
Billy Bragg
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

There’s nothing quite like a Billy Bragg concert. Part political rally to inspire the working class, part troubadour melodies for the melancholy and lovelorn, and a full-on musical rollercoaster in a packed venue full of fans that somehow feels intimate and inclusive—all for anyone fancies a shout and a jig and maybe wants to shed a tear for love or joy or hope. Bragg’s songs have spanned decades, with influences ranging from Woody Guthrie to Kirsty MacColl to ‘80s new wave and beyond.

The singer-songwriter is in the midst of a U.S. and Canada tour called “The Roaring 40,” in support of his 2023 career-spanning box set The Roaring 40 1983-2023. He’s touring with vocalist and keyboardist JJ Stoney, so expect plenty of favorites, some singalongs, and some heartfelt, plaintive numbers… and probably, as we’re in the midst of a U.S. election year, plenty of socio-political commentary and calls for activism. In other words, you’ll probably leave one of his shows full of love, pride, and hopeful vibes.

We saw Bragg in Apr 2019 and said, “If you’ve ever seen Billy Bragg in concert, you know that he has stories on every song he’s ever written. The show was about 40% music and 60% Bragg’s wisdom and stories. Many fans bought all three tickets, and, of course, Bragg recognized them from the previous two nights and would sometime joke about it, saying they really mistaken this show another Billy – Billie Ellish. Although to be honest, the much older audience had never ever heard of the neo-goth, chart-topping 17-year-old pop star.”

Tour dates:

9/20 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
9/21 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA
9/22 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
9/24 – Crest Theatre – Sacramento, CA
9/26 – Palace of Fine Arts – San Francisco, CA
9/27 – Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
9/28 – The Magnolia – San Diego, CA
10/3 – Chautauqua Auditorium – Boulder, CO
10/5 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
10/6 – Barrymore Theatre – Madison, WI
10/7 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
10/10 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI
10/11 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON
10/12 – Kodak Center – Rochester, NY
10/17 – Lansdowne Theatre – Philadelphia, PA
10/18 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
10/19 – The Atlantis – Washington D.C.
10/20 – 9:30 Club – Washington D.C.

05 Oct 2024 Saturday
HOMESHAKE
with Freak Heat Waves
at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
first-avenue.com

Toronto-based Homeshake (aka Peter Sagar) will be headlining the Amsterdam Bar & Hall on October 5, 2024. Homeshake’s album Horsie is out now via SHHOAMKEE.

Canada’s Freak Heat Waves to open.

We saw Freak Heat Waves in Apr 2018 and said, “Opening the show was Victoria, British Columbia’s Freak Heat Waves. The trio, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Steven Lind, with bassist James Twiddy, and drummer Thomas DiNinno, played a set of songs from their third album Beyond XXXL (Telephone Explosion), including the singles “Self Vortex” and “Toxic Talk Show”.”

Tour Dates:

09/19 – Houston, TX – The Secret Group
09/20 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
09/21 – Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
09/22 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
09/24 – Sante Fe, NM – Meow Wolf
09/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
09/28 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
09/30 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10/01 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
10/03 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
10/04 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
10/05 – Des Moines, IA – xBK
10/06 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
10/08 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
10/10 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Indianapolis
10/11 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
10/12 – Memphis, TN – 1884 Lounge
10/13 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
11/04 – Detroit, MI – El Club
11/05 – Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall
11/06 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
11/08 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom
11/09 – Portland, ME Portland House of Music
11/10 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
11/12 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
11/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
11/15 – Albany, NY – Lark Hall
11/16 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
11/17 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis
11/19 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
11/20 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
11/22 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
11/23 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
11/24 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle Music Hall
12/03 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
12/04 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Solana Beach
12/06 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
12/12 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
12/13 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
12/14 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
12/15 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
* Festival Performance

05 Oct 2024 Saturday
JP Cooper
with Sam Fischer
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Singer-songwriter JP Cooper is touring in support of the new single “Waiting On A Blue Sky,” out now via Republic Records. The single was produced by Cam Blackwood (George Ezra), the single marks the Mancunian artist’s first release since his acclaimed second album, 2022’s She.

The tour will stop by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on October 5, 2024.

Sam Fischer to open.

Tour Dates:

17th September Dallas, Texas The Echo
18th September Austin, Texas Parish
19th September Houston, Texas Bronze Peacock
21st September Atlanta, Georgia The Loft
22nd September Nashville, Tennessee Basement East
24th September Washington 9:30 Club
25th September Ardmore, Pennsylvania Ardmore Music Hall
27th September Brooklyn New York Warsaw
28th September Boston, Massachusetts Royale
29th September Montreal, Quebec Beanfield Theatre
1st October Toronto, Ontario Danforth Music Hall
3rd October Detroit, Michigan Magic Stick
4th October Chicago, Illinois House of Blues
5th October Minneapolis, Minnesota Fine Line
7th October Denver , Colorado Bluebird Theatre
9th October Los Angeles, California Belasco Theatre
10 October San Francisco, California The Fillmore

05 Oct 2024 Saturday
Melt
with MARIS
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

New York’s Melt (not to be confused with alternative psych-rock band Meltt) is touring in support of their debut album If There’s a Heaven. The record was produced by Sam Evian (Big Thief).

The band is famous for their viral hit song “Sour Candy”, which NPR called “one groovy superorganism.”

MARIS to open.

Tour Dates: