dave@weheartmusic.com

Glitterer at Cloudland Theater (03-02-2024)

Cloudland Theater opened in October of 2023, a DIY project from former musicians of the band the Soviettes, they being Maren Macosko and Brad Lokkesmoe. It’s not really a theater nor is it a bar. It is a small music venue on Lake Street that still retains the vestiges of the former tenant, an architecture firm with the place being clean, airy, open with great sightlines to the cozy stage. The reason Macosko and Lokkesmoe built the venue is to give up-and-coming bands a place to play after COVID and the George Floyd riots laid claim to venues like Triple Rock and Hexagon.

Pert Near Sandstone at First Ave (12-02-2023)

into music by playing in heavy metal and ska bands. But as their music lessons progressed they too were caught by infectious music of bluegrass. And for almost twenty years they have been playing music that is impossible not to dance to, mainly because their percussionist, Andy Lambert, wears a pair of clogs. He was joined on stage with Nate Sipe on fiddle and mandolin, Kevin Knibel on banjo, J Lenz on guitar, Chris Forsberg on fiddle and Justin Bruhn on bass.

Veronica Swift at the Dakota (09-22-23)

What’s neat about writing for We Heart Music is to see fans of all ages at shows. In fact, the age gap between the audience at the Varsity Theater to see David Kushner on September 21st and Veronica Swift at the Dakota the night after is almost three generations. And although the crowd at the Dakota was a little greyer, they were no less enthusiastic in their applause for they were treated to an eclectic, dynamic show from a performer not yet thirty.

Poppy & PVRIS at First Avenue (09/07/2023)

Poppy took the stage in a baby blue gogo dress and pigtails the crowd had filled to capacity and they were there to celebrate at the altar of all that is Poppy. But first there was a prayer to assure the crowd that there would be plenty of love, candy, dancing and screaming, which immediately lead into “BLOODMONEY”, a song that gives Poppy the noted distinction of being the first solo female act to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance (2021).