Minneapolis This Week (May 10, 2026)
Here is what is going on this week in Minneapolis/St Paul, ending on May 10, 2026: • Mac DeMarco at First Avenue (May 6, 2026) • Cut Worms at Turf Club (May 8, 2026) • Mdou Moctar (solo) at Fine Line (May 9, 2026) • Emily Rach Beisel at The Pattern Room, Ivy Arts Building (May 10, 2026)
Mac DeMarco at First Avenue (May 6, 2026)
Mac DeMarco will be headlining First Avenue, in Minneapolis, on May 6, 2026.
Mac DeMarco @ House of Vans, New York (06 12 14)
We saw Mac DeMarco in June 2014 and wrote, “Mac DeMarco was a crowd favorite that night at House of Vans, creating a crowd five times bigger by the time they began their set. With their chill rock music, Mac DeMarco played crowd favorites (though it seemed like all the songs were met with extreme enthusiasm) like “Salad Days” and “Passing Out Pieces.” With a tucked in shirt and his signature cap, DeMarco acted grandpa-like throughout the set, from the way he plays his guitar to his dancing to his extremely polite tone of voice. There were, of course, moments where he definitely was not so well-mannered, like when he decided to put the security guard in the pit between his legs, or when he mentioned the band would be by the merch later and said, “and if you don’t want to hang, fuck you!” Though his music does not inspire mosh pits (in the traditional sense), there was an almost consistent one in the middle of the crowd by the fifth song to the end of the set, where DeMarco crowd surfed for a good minute.”
Mock Media to open.
Cut Worms at Turf Club (May 8, 2026)
Cut Worms returns to Minnesota, playing the Turf Club, in St Paul on May 8, 2026.
Cut Worms
We caught Cut Worms in Oct 2023 and said, “Turn out for the Cut Worms (aka Max Clarke) show was incredible, for a sleepy Tuesday night! You wouldn’t know it until Cut Worms took the stage, and his fans filled out the dance floor nicely. Clarke played a lot of tunes from his latest self-titled album, which is actually his third album. His debut album, called Hollow Ground was a big hit on Metacritic (thanks to Pitchfork leading the positive review). With the new self-titled album, Clarke mentioned that he was inspired by The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson) four-and five-part harmonies, so the record comes across feeling like it was written in the 60s. You can certainly pick up the influence when you hear them play “Ballad of the Texas King” live on stage, with the jangle harmony.”
Tchotchke
Tchotchke to open. We saw Tchotchke in April 2023 when they were first in the city: “Opening the show was New York’s Tchotchke (formerly Pinky Pinkyl from Los Angeles). The all-girls trio features singer and drummer Anastasia Sanchez, bassist Eva Chambers, and guitarist Emily Tooraen. This was their last week with King Tuff, and they were sad to leave the tour. They recounted that they’ve been on the road with Tuff for what seemed like five weeks already…. Maybe it’s their first time in the Twin Cities, but they were curious if Minnesotans ever “get cold?” Anastasia continues, “I mean, it’s cold here and you guys get snow.” They are referring to the fact that we were hit with a snow storm the previous night, resulting in four or five inches of snow on the ground. While it’s uncommon to get snow in April, Minnesotans shrug it off as Nature’s April Fools.”
Mdou Moctar (solo) at Fine Line (May 9, 2026)
Mdou Moctar is on a solo tour, stopping by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on May 9, 2026.
The ticket limit is strict. Any attempt to exceed the posted ticket limit per customer or household, or to game the system in any way, will result in cancellation of orders without notice. There is a transfer delay for all tickets prior to the show.
Mdou Moctar
We saw Mdou Moctar in Oct 2024 and wrote, “Mdou Moctar next took the stage with fellow band members of Ahmoudou Madassane on rhythm guitar, Michael Coltun on bass and Souleymane Ibrahim on drums. Moctar is from Niger and his brand of music is Tuareg Rock aka Desert Blues, a sound that we have seen before in musicians like Bombino, the great Vieux Farka Touré and even Moctar at First Ave in Mar 2022. There is not much similarity with the blues coming out of the Mississippi Delta and the Saharan Desert. Moctar has been compared to Jimi Hendrix, but his guitar sounds more feral. There is a beat that runs through his songs, like the train rhythm created by Johnny Cash. But instead of a lonely engine plugging along in the middle of the night, Moctar’s is a runaway train going at full speed across an endless desert with no horizon in sight.”
Emily Rach Beisel at
The Pattern Room, Ivy Arts Building (May 10, 2026)
The Pattern Room, Ivy Arts Building (May 10, 2026)
Chicago-based soloist Emily Rach Beisel just released her new single “Her Still Singing Limbs” (taken from her forthcoming second album Sumptuous Branching via Amalgam). Her promotional tour will stop in at the Pattern Room, in Minneapolis, on May 10, 2026. Please note the Pattern Room is a new event venue, I have included the address for reference:
The Pattern Room at Ivy Arts Building
2714 E 27th St, Minneapolis, 55406
2714 E 27th St, Minneapolis, 55406
Tour Dates
- 4/26 Milwaukee, Wi · Woodlawn Pattern
- 4/29 Ypsilanti, MI · Ziggy’s
- 4/30 Toronto, ON, Canada · Tranzac
- 5/1 Hamilton, ON, Canada · Zula Presents
- 5/2 Toronto, ON, Canada · Sellers & Newell
- 5/3 Detroit, MI · Trinosophes
- 5/7 Rock Island, IL · Rozz Tox
- 5/8 Iowa City, IA · PS1
- 5/9 Mankato, MN · Carnegie Art Center
- 5/10 Minneapolis, MN · The Pattern Room
- 5/11 Minneapolis, MN · University of Minneapolis
- 5/12 Madison, WI · Art Lit Lab
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.