Minneapolis This Week (April 12, 2026)

Here is what is going on this week in Minneapolis/St Paul, ending on April 12, 2026: • Yagody at Cedar Cultural Center (April 7, 2026) • Chameleons at Varsity Theater (April 7, 2026) • On Cinema at The Fitzgerald Theater (Apr 8, 2026) • The Koffin Kats at Turf Club (Apr 10, 2026) • Willie Wisely at High Hat (Apr 11, 2026)

April 7, 2026 Tuesday
Yagody
with Ukrainian Village Band
at the Cedar Cultural Center
thecedar.org

Ukraine’s Yagody is returning to Minneapolis, playing the Cedar Cultural Center this April 7, 2026.

We saw the band in April 2025 and wrote, “Yagódy are a self-described theater and music group, reinterpreting Ukrainian folk music and traditional dress for modern audiences. Founder Zoriana Dybovska worked to find other performers, forming an initial band in 2016. Their debut, self-titled album was released in 2020 and was focused on those traditional Ukrainian, Serbian, and Bulgarian songs. Their first original song, Tsunamia, was the country’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 and placed fifth. They are currently in the middle of their 20-stop North American tour. The band appeared as a quintet: three singers (with one on accordion), a bass guitarist and a drummer. The drummer translated for the introduction from one of the singers. The second song was impressive for the nature and bird noises in the introduction before the vocals began. While the singers were each impressive, the addition of bass and drums helped add to the rhythmic beat. The third song had great vocal solos, especially to end the song. This is aggressively danceable music, loud and pulsing. This drives forward and weirdly, wouldn’t be out of place at a dance club.”

Ukrainian Village Band to open.

Tour Dates

April 7, 2026 Tuesday
Chameleons
with The Veldt
at Varsity Theater
livenation.com

Manchester’s Chameleons is on a come-back since 2021, as we previously mentioned in our review of their latest album Arctic Moon (Metropolis Records) in 2025. To promote the record the British band will return back to the USA this year, kicking off their tour at the Varsity Theater, in Minneapolis on April 7, 2026. If you live a little south, the group will stop by Jack Rabbits, in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 26.

We saw the band in November 2024 and wrote, “Despite the absence of Dave Fielding and missing drummer John Lever (who died in 2017), the band faithfully reprised their seminal album, with many in the crowd still remembering the old lyrics enough to sing along, especially on singles “Mad Jack” (which opens the record), first single, “Tears” and second side opener, “Swamp Thing”. Although the band was well-known in Europe and the UK, they missed many radars in the US compared to their Manchester cohorts of the day- i.e. The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, The Stone Roses- perhaps due to Strange Times not being available on CD until seven years later, in 1993. The post-punk punch that begins the album does wane towards its end, towards the gentler and retrospective, as on “Childhood” and “I’ll Remember”, but energy again increased as the band played its brand-new song, “Where are You?”, released in May as a three-song EP via Metropolis Records. It’s also the first single from a planned new forthcoming full album, “Arctic Moon” and brought momentum up one last time before the encore.”

The Veldt was previously announced will be the support for this North American tour. We haven’t seen the band since March 2017 when they opened for Phantogram: “The evening began with a welcome return of experimental shoegazing soul band The Veldt and a too brief thirty-five minute set that truly showed their music was ahead of its time. Formed in the mid-80’s in Raleigh, NC, the group led by the Chavis brothers (Daniel and Danny) have influences that lean from Prince to Echo and the Bunnymen, Otis Redding to My Bloody Valentine, and were on labels like Capitol, Mammoth, and Mercury during the ‘90s. Layered experimental sounds coming from artists like The Weeknd, Anderson .Paak and Miguel, are just catching up to what The Veldt was exploring twenty years prior.”

Tour Dates

April 8, 2026 Wednesday
On Cinema
at The Fitzgerald Theater
first-avenue.com

American funnymen Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington (aka Mister Neil Hamburger) are the hosts of On Cinema, a variety show and movie review between the two comedians. For the first time since 2019, the duo will take their On Cinema show on tour, stopping by the Fitzgerald Theater, in St Paul, on April 8, 2026.

We’re big fans and saw the two dudes in August 2015 and wrote, “Having previously teamed up on tour, Tim Heidecker and Neil Hamburger are back at it again, stopping by a sold out comedy show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis last night. In typical Neil Hamburger style, the drunken, badly done hair comb over, safety pinned suit, Hamburger came on stage gripping three drinks, wheezing and coughing. Stunned at the adoring standing ovation, Hamburger jokingly said he might as well leave now… but then continued telling his “gags”. We’ve seen Neil Hamburger before and we know his materials aren’t that funny, but it’s more about his delivery and awkwardness that makes it so laughable. Moving away from jokes about his ex-wife, the America’s $1 Funnyman mostly made fun of “Leeeegendary” famous musicians Grateful Deads, Blind Melon, Gene Simmons (Kiss), Paul McCartney (Beatles), and Ozzy Osbourne.”

Confirmed 2026 Tour Dates

April 10, 2026 Friday
The Koffin Kats
with Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy and The Rumours
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Punk rockers The Koffin Kats to headline the Turf Club, in St Paul on April 10, 2026.

Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy and The Rumours to open.

The Koffin Kats writes:

April 11, 2026 Saturday
Willie Wisely
with Tommy Barbarella’s Organ Combo
at High Hat
bandsintown.com

Willie Wisely to play the High Hat this April 11, 2026.

We saw Wisely at the High Hat in Dec 2025 and said, “The second set opened with Wisely solo on acoustic for a couple of numbers, starting with a beautiful version of Through Any Window. That group of three songs, with the newer California, and the ethereal Vagabond was worth the price of admission itself. (Side note: drummer Anania came and stood next to me for that group of songs, having personally requested California. His quiet singing along was truly a moment of one artist’s respect for another. I was lucky to witness it up close.) The Tommy Barbarella Organ Combo was back on stage for another of their instrumentals and the jazz funk simply dripped as each musician got their moment in the sun and all were fantastic. The whole group back together, Wisely was clearly having a blast and the second hour was flying by. A sly moment by the band to play a little backing music while he tuned and then introduced the next song was a good set up for There’s One in Every Generation. A Christmas song was timely both for the season and with all of the recent snow. You’ll Never Find was a perfect cover for this group as Barbarella was off the charts and Wisely was dancing all across the venue. A final bit of walk off music for Wisely had the band closing to Booker T & the MG’s Green Onions, about as cool and perfect a number. Willie Wisely and friends had put on a heck of a performance and the atmosphere was buzzing as a happy crowd headed towards merch and to visit with the artists.”.

Tommy Barbarella’s Organ Combo to open.

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.

vu ♥ wheartm.com ♥ @weheartmusic ♥ instagram.com