Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Strasbourg 82
Today is jazz drummer Art Blakey’s birthday, and to celebrate Gearbox Records is releasing Strasbourg...
Jazz
Jazz is an improvisational music genre that originated in African-American communities in New Orleans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It blends blues, ragtime, and European harmonic structures with highly syncopated rhythms, swing, and individual musical expression
GoGo Penguin at Fine Line, Minneapolis (October 7, 2025)
Manchester trio GoGo Penguin brought their intricate, guitar-free blend of jazz and electronica to the Fine Line. Surrounded by keyboards, laptops, and acoustic drums, they delivered dizzying polyrhythms and luminous tension. Bassist Nick Blacka anchored the chaos.
Dakota 40th Anniversary Block Party at Dakota Jazz Club (September 20, 2025)
Forty-year anniversary celebrations were on the menu this weekend. In Chicago the Pogues played Riot Fest to celebrate the 40 years since the release of their seminal album Rum Sodomy & the Lash. At The Bank on the University of Minnesota campus an all-star line-up, including Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, headlined the 40th Farm Aid Music Festival. And on Nicollet Mall in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, a jazz club reached the rare milestone and decided to throw a party.
Selby Avenue Jazz Fest (September 13, 2025)
The Selby Avenue Jazz Fest is in the heart of St. Paul, specifically, the Rondo neighborhood. It was founded in 2002 as a response to the one-year anniversary of 9/11. Co-founder, Michael Wright, felt a need to celebrate the good things going on in the world and in the heart of St. Paul, and he felt, “Nothing gets people together like a good old-fashioned block party.” The inaugural Jazz Fest had 600 people. There were quite a few more on Saturday.
We♥KC! August 22-24, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO /Lawrence, KS metro)
Read More Alabama Shakes The second half of the show is Lara’s music pick of...
Jax: August 11 to August 15, 2025
Jax: August 11 to August 15, 2025: Blind Melon, Postmodern Jukebox, Mike Campbell , Taylor Swift Laser Party
Salin at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (June 30, 2025)
Salin, aka Salin Cheewapansri, is the Thai drummer. Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, she tried the piano before switching to drums, busking on the streets at an early age to heavy metal and grunge.
Southside Aces at 370 Sets, St Paul (June 24, 2025)
Southside Aces at 370 Sets (June 24, 2025) Southside Aces Setlist Anytime (Emmett Miller cover)...
Twin Cities Jazz Festival at Mears Park, St Paul (June 20-21, 2025)
On a balmy summer evening in downtown St. Paul the Twin Cities Jazz Festival kicked off its 27th year. Earlier in the week the Star and Tribune noted that the TCJF is bigger than the Taste of Minnesota and boasts more musical acts than the Minnesota Yacht Club. In fact, there were over eighty artists playing 20 venues over two days and a lot of it was free. So, it was my intention to catch five of these acts at Mears Park.
Minneapolis This Week (June 22, 2025)
What’s happening this week. Read more Minneapolis Music Guide. 17 Jun 2025 Tuesday Sunflower...
Summer Music Series
There are a large number of free music opportunities across the Twin Cities in the...
Kool and the Gang at Jacksonville Jazz Festival (May 23, 2025)
One of the biggest free Jazz festivals in the country, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, in Jacksonville, Florida, is currently underway this Memorial Day Weekend. Officially, the event kicked off on Thursday (May 22), with a Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at The Florida Theatre. The winners got a cash reward, as well as the opportunity to play on Saturday (today) to an audience, estimated to reach about twenty-five thousand attendees (keep in mind that the majority of people will show up much later in the day).
Jax: May 18 to May 22, 2025
Jax: May 18 to May 22, 2025: honestav, Brit Floyd, Jacksonville Jazz Festival
We♥KC! April 7-10, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)
Read more Kansas City Music Guide. Getting close to tax time— For those of use...
Minneapolis: This Week (04/13/2025)
What’s happening this week. Read more Minneapolis Music Guide. 07 Apr 2025 Monday 08...
Jacksonville Jazz Festival announced lineup
Presented by Jacksonville Aviation Authority, this Jacksonville Jazz Festival is amazing multi-day music festival, is completely free! Featuring several award-winning artists performing in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida.
We♥KC! March 15th-17th Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)
Read more Kansas City Music Guide. Ahh, it’s St. Pat’s weekend, lads and lasses!...
Minneapolis: April 09 to April 10, 2025
Read more Minneapolis Music Guide. 09 Apr 2025 Wednesday Jazz Is Dead ft. Ebo...
Minneapolis: This Week (03/16/2025)
What’s happening this week. Read more Minneapolis Music Guide. 11 Mar 2025 Tuesday...
Minneapolis: March 14, 2025
Minneapolis: March 14, 2025 Pre-game your St Patrick’s Day with Irish traditional band Lúnasa at the Pantages Theatre, in Minneapolis, on March 14. The band now features guest artist award-winning fiddler Colin Farrell (from Manchester, England), bassist Trevor Hutchinson (former member of The Waterboys, piper and Riverdancer, Cillian Vallely, flutist Kevin Crawford, All-Ireland fiddle champion Sean Smyth (founding member of Donal Lunny’s Coolfin), and guitarist Ed Boyd (worked with with Flook and Kate Rusby.)
Rocktober: October 15, 2024
Rocktober: October 15, 2024
The Wallflowers at Taste of Minnesota (06 July 2024)
It’s been a while since we attended the Taste of Minnesota in Minneapolis (previous events had admission fees or were on a bad weekend for us). Weather was incredible on Saturday, bringing out a ton of fans, ready to eat and enjoy some free music.
Madeleine Peyroux at the Parkway Theater (04-24-2024)
Tour Dates Fri, APR 26 Englert Theater Iowa City, IA Sat, APR 27 City Winery...
Cyrille Aimée – à Fleur de Peau
We Heart Music had the opportunity to chat with Cyrille Aimée as she embarks on a world tour to promote her latest album à Fleur de Peau out on Via Recordings March 8th with a stop at the Dakota on March 19th.
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.
We♥KC! September 19-26, 2023 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS / Topeka, KS)
Read more Kansas City Music Guide. Whew! Late September remains busy with shows and performances,...
R.I.P. George Winston
The rural folk/New Age instrumental pianist and principal performer on the Windham Hill Records label George Winston passed away on Sunday in Williamsport at the age of 74 of cancer, according to his publicist Jesse Cutler.
We♥KC! June 9-15, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)
Read more Kansas City Music Guide. This week gets hot and heavy, especially at...
R.I.P. Astrud Gilberto
(Read more Musicians who died in 2023) R.I.P. Astrud Gilberto Seemingly an ageless wonder, “The Girl...
Hiromi at Dakota Jazz Club (05/17/2023)
After a nine year hiatus, Hiromi Uehara returned to Dakota Jazz Club to offer the audience an inside peak to her new band, Sonicwonder, with Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Hadrien Feraud on electric bass and Gene Coye on drums.