What’s happening this week.

24 Jan 2025 Friday
Frank Black
with she’s green and DJ Jake Rudh
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Local radio station The Current is celebrating their 20th Anniversary on air. They’re asking to celebrate with them with Frank Black (singer and songwriter of The Pixies) to celebrate his 30th Anniversary of Teenager of the Year, at First Avenue, on January 24, 2025.

In addition to playing the entire album, start to finish, Black has also re-issued the album on limited edition Double Gold Vinyl, via 4AD, which you can pick up at this upcoming concert.

We saw Pixies in June 2024 and said, “Boston’s Pixies have been going strong since their fabled 2004 reunion tour (which started in MN) and singer Frank Black (aka Black Francis) announcing his solo career was over a decade ago and going through a handful of bassists following Kim Deal’s departure in 2013. A Perfect Circle’s Paz Lechantin had been holding the position for the decade (and recording three studio albums) but she and fans were surprised earlier this spring, when news broke of her term ending.”

she’s green and DJ Jake Rudh to open.

We saw she’s green in Sep 2023: “Local shoegazing band she’s green, featuring Zofia on vocals, Teddy on bass, Liam on guitars, Raines on guitars, and Kevin on drums, opened the show. Although, according to Zofia, the group is from the area, but it was their first time playing the Turf Club. We’ve previously mentioned their Minneapolis shows, such as in August 2023 or January 2022 … but never mentioned they’ve played St Paul. The group is still relatively new, so they’re introducing some new songs, such as “Clobber”. At least that’s the title they currently agreed on.”

Teenager Of The Year Tour Dates:

Jan 18th – LA, CA – The Orpheum
Jan 19th – El Cajon, CA – The Magnolia
Jan 22nd – Denver, CO – The Paramount
Jan 24th – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Jan 25th – Chicago, IL – The Metro
Jan 26th – Chicago, IL – The Metro
Jan 28th – Detroit, MI – St Andrews Hall
Jan 29th – Toronto, ON – History
Jan 31st – Boston, MA – House Of Blues
Feb 1st – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Street
Feb 4th – Paris, France – Le Trianon
Feb 6th – London, UK – The Palladium

23 Jan – 02 Feb 2025
Great Northern Festival
at Minneapolis/St Paul
thegreatnorthernfestival.com

Minnesota’s Great Northern announced their 2025 festival lineup recently.

Their name actually reminded me of the band Great Northern, who I saw in Nov 2007: “… I hadn’t heard of them at the time, but was impressed with their dreamy vocals over shoegazey melodies. I even went so far as to produce this drawing of them. The drawing capture (now former) bassist Ashley Dzerigian and singer Rachel Stolte talking about deer and their love of nature (note: horse shirt and crow on the keyboard).”

It would be cool if they could get Great Northern to headline a Great Northern Festival.

Anyway, the Great Northern Festival will run January 23 to February 2, 2025, and will take place at various venues in Minneapolis and St Paul.
Most of the events are free, please check their website for additional information.

Some Great Northern events:

The Great Northern Launch Party – January 23 | 6:00 p.m. | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
Kick off the festival with a guided sauna tour along with a special outdoor viewing of Prince’s Sign O’ the Times concert projected onto the United Crushers building. Gather around cozy fire pits to enjoy delicious eats and signature cocktails at the Malcolm Yards food hall.
The Great Northern Sauna Village – January 23-February 2 | Hours Vary | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
The Great Northern Sauna Village offers outdoor sauna sessions, sound bathing, forest bathing and the start and finish lines of a winter run. It also offers special sauna sessions, including Family Day, Senior Day, BIPOC Community Steam, German Aufguss and Guided Thermaculture.
Jeremy Dutcher – January 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Ice House.
Indigenous Two-Spirit singer and composer Jeremy Dutcher (Tobique First Nation) makes his Minnesota debut at the Great Northern 2025 with a show at Ice House. Sung in English and Wolastoqey, the language of the Wolastoqiyik people, Dutcher’s sophomore album Motewolonuwok blends neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences to deliver a moving and powerful performance.

Dutcher’s debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, was awarded some of Canada’s most prestigious music awards, including the Polaris Music Prize and the Juno Award. Don’t miss your chance to see the performer NPR referred to as “the newest light in Canada’s Indigenous resistance.”
Climate Solution Series – January 25 & 26 | 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | American Swedish Institute.
Join us for two days full of talks, live podcasts, and community workshops. Highlights include: nationally recognized experts, Dr. Britt Wray of CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry and Leah Thomas, founder of the nonprofit Intersectional Environmentalist, will discuss climate change, navigating climate anxiety and building meaningful community. Additionally, national podcast Vibe Check, with hosts Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, will record a live podcast about climate advocacy and making sense of the post-election and inauguration moment.
Winter Run – February 1 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | The Market at Malcolm Yards.
All ages and abilities are invited to partake in a winter run, starting and finishing at The Great Northern Sauna Village. Enjoy a healing sauna session after the run.
K’óoben Pop-Up – February 1 | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Glass House.
This can’t-miss culinary cocktail party-style celebration features specialty dishes and beverage pairings from renowned local chefs including Gustavo Romero (Oro by Nixta); José Alarcón (previously Centro, Vivir); Noe Lara (Pints & Paddles); Mike Hidalgo (Rumba); Daniel Guerrero (Colita); and Daniel D Torres (Rumba).

25 Jan 2025 Saturday
The Vaccines
with THUS LOVE
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

The Vaccines to return to Minneapolis, headlining the Fine Line, on January 25, 2025.

We saw The Vaccines in March 2024 and said, “The band proceeded to deliver a charismatically rocking set. Formed in 2010, The Vaccines rode their own wave of accolades in the UK and somewhat in the U.S., with fans like Debbie Harry attending their shows. Songs like the moody, tongue-in-cheek “Post Break-Up Sex” and the boppier “Teenage Icon” have both singalong and caustic qualities, creating a kind of cultural bridge from ‘90s Britpop to the post-9/11 indie rock chaos that swept the musical landscape. With Young’s deep, bass-y vocals anchoring guitar hooks and pop licks, he carries just enough swagger to exhort and inspire. “All My Friends Are Falling in Love,” a single from 2018 (the band just released their most recent album last year), still slaps like an early aughts rock ode written by a long-lived, once-hopeful teenager in love. Oh, the spangly, spiky bloom of the jaded indie rockstar.”

Vermont’s post-punk band THUS LOVE to open. The band made it on Rolling Stones’ Artist You Need To Know for the most exciting rock album of 2024.

We saw the band in Jun 2022 and said, “Vermont’s trio Thus Love was next on the lineup. The trio (Echo Mars, Lu Racine, and Nathaniel van Osdol) formed in 2018. They’re working on their debut album, but already released a few Demo albums. Watching the band’s high energy performance and post-punk music style… it’s hard to believe that they took inspirations from van Osdol’s jazz collection.”

Tour dates:

01/18/25 – Boston, MA – Royale ^
01/20/25 – Montreal, QC – Studio TD ^
01/21/25 – Toronto, ON – Concert Hall ^
01/23/25 – Detroit, MI – El Club ^
01/24/25 – Chicago, IL – The Vic ^
01/25/25 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line ^
01/28/25 – Denver, CO – Summit ^
01/31/25 – Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theater ^
02/01/25 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox ^
02/02/25 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom ^
02/04/25 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore ^
02/06/25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern ^
02/07/25 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up^
^ w/ The Vaccines

25 Jan 2025 Saturday
Terrapin Flyer
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

In 1999, Terrapin Flyer participated in a Grateful Dead jam night… and sound found themselves playing and touring with the legendary band. Throughout the years, they’ve supported various members of the band, including Jerry Garcia Band and Melvin Seals… etc.

So… bring out that tie-dye tee and expect to hear some Grateful Dead jam songs at this upcoming Turf Club show in St Paul, on January 25.

Tour dates:

Jan
25th
St Paul MN Turf Club
Jan 31st
Nellie’s Palatine IL
Durty Nellie’s Gastropub
Feb
1st
St. Louis MO
Atomic By Jamo
Feb
15th
Sideouts Island Lake, IL
Sideouts Sports Tavern
Feb
22nd
Three Oaks, MI
Feb 28th
Chicago IL Martyrs’
Mar
1st
Chicago IL Martyrs’
Mar
7th
Impact Fuel Room – Libertyville IL
Mar
15th
Heroes Lemont IL
Apr
19th-
May
31st
Michigan City, IN
Live at the Lakefront
Sep
27th
Heroes Lemont IL

26 Jan 2025 Sunday
Rubblebucket
with Hannah Mohan
at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
first-avenue.com

Rubblebucket, the art-pop project of Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth, is currently on tour. The duo will stop by the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, in St Paul, and they’re bringing Year of the Banana.

Hannah Mohan (from the band And the Kids) to open. We saw And the Kids in April 2018 and wrote, ““I have to do some yoga first” guitarist/vocalist Mohan said after a brief set change and entrance of her band And the Kids, and the crowd wasn’t sure if this was part of the show, or just some needed stretching, but it turned out to be the latter as Mohan mentioned recent headaches from frequent couch sleeping. The Northampton, MA band describes their own sound as “unconscious, accessible, existential, indie, glitter, popsicle, crisis” music and that’s as good a description as any, as evidenced by latest full-length, Friends Share Lovers (Signature Sound Recordings) and more recent single, ‘2003’.”

Tour dates: