As summer hurtles towards its mid-point, it’s a good time for any discerning Twin Cities music fan to take stock of their life. Have I seen at least one great show outdoors yet? Have I caught at least one local band that set my ears on fire with their excellence?
If you’re answering no to these kinds of questions, then you haven’t been reading this column—and that’s a damn shame. Don't worry, however, you’ve still got time left this summer to change your ways and enter a world of sublime live music pleasures. Read on for Metromix’s guide to the best live music hitting the smaller Twin Cities stages this week.
Tuesday, July 22
The turf war over who can claim The Hold Steady as their own escalates tonight when the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Minneapolis classic rock, riff-copping sensations headline a gig at First Avenue that is sure to be packed to the gills. Granted, the men of the Hold Steady haven’t technically lived here since 2001, but with just released new album Stay Positive still containing plenty of Twin Cities lyrical love, it's clear where their hearts call home (8 p.m., $25, 18+).
Wednesday, July 23
Local music maven and all around nice guy Sean “Twinkie Jiggles” McPherson is best known for keeping the low end on lock down as bassist for such notable groups as Heiruspecs, among many others. Fortunately for Twin Citians, he’s branching out into doing some show booking, running a weekly series every Wednesday night at the Turf Club devoted to jazz/R&B/soul oriented music entitled “Re-Loaded”. Tonight’s edition features Pandelerium, live band hip hop group out of St. Louis and Captain Blasted, a new effort from some of the same sizzlingly soulful gentleman who got asses shaking in the late ’90s as the Sensational Joint Chiefs (9 p.m., $TBD, 21+).
Thursday, July 24
The rock can’t stay away from the Turf Club for very long, a point underscored tonight with a gig by local garage rock titans The Blind Shake. With a grimy, baritone guitar-grounded sound straight out of the St. Paul sewage system, The Blind Shake simply ooze rock ‘n’ roll filthiness. They’ll be joined tonight by Witch Hats, an Australian outfit every bit the equal of the BS boys in shear serrated sonic spookiness. Rounding out the bill are locals France Has the Bomb, who provide a poppier take on garage rock grime, and Double Bird, who know how to tautly craft danceable post-punk pop (9 p.m., $TBD, 21+).
Those looking for musical sustenance earlier in the evening should once again check out The Minnesota Museum of American Art’s awesome 'Patio Nights" series, which features scene stalwarts Kid Dakota proffering their drug reference laden dirges with opening duties courtesy of prickly precision rock combo Story of the Sea (7 p.m., $7, All Ages).
Friday, July 25
Earlimart know a thing or two about striking while the iron’s hot. It’s been less than a year since the Southern California crew dropped the low-key smart-pop of Mentor Tormentor, and now paired down solely to band leaders Aaron Espinoza and Airana Murray they’re already back with Hymn & Her. The new album represents a solid addition to the band’s canon of Elliott Smith-ish melancholia and seeing them translate some of its wide lens arrangements—horns and strings abound on the record—to the small stage of the Triple Rock Social Club will certainly prove intriguing. They’ll be joined by two up and coming alt-country acts from the local scene, The Wars of 1812, who have pop appeal aplenty, and The Western Fifth, who tread in darker musical waters no less melodically rich (9 p.m,, $10 adv/$12 door, 21+).
Saturday, July 26
Local jangle-pop group Popcycle celebrate the release of their new album, Yesterday’s Blast, tonight at the Uptown Bar and its Byrds-y pleasures can be sampled for free in their entirety on the group’s official website—www.popcycle.net. Not to be outdone in the making big news department, Rich Mattson reports tonight’s gig by his long running rock group ’Ol Yeller, will be its last, a sad thing for those who loved the Son Volt-ish band during its luminous eight year run on the local scene (9 p.m., $5, 21+).
Adolescent yearning and big buzz-saw riffs have been a winning combination since the days of Cheap Trick and Queen (or for you youngsters out there, Weezer). This point is clearly understood by The XYZ Affair, a cheeky Brooklyn quartet playing tonight at The Nomad World Pub. They’re out on the road in support of their awesomely overwrought debut, A Few More Published Studies. Those who favor subtlety should steer clear, but those longing for a little operatic grandeur in their rock ‘n’ roll will likely be the happiest they’ve been since Freddie Mercury was still prancing about in his awesome threads (9 p.m., $8 adv/$10 door, 21+).
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