Nestled within the heart of Minneapolis, The Fine Line Music Cafe has a knack for quietly hosting some of the most talented musicians on the road today. My experiences there have consistently unveiled acts that, in their brilliance, seem almost too grand for the intimate confines of the venue. So it’s no wonder that Sarah […]

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Faye Webster wants her listeners to get the joke. Give her music a casual listen, and you might miss the punchline. There’s a type of humor here that can be found deep beneath the surface in the melancholy waltz’s of her music. Yet, she never takes herself too seriously. Like Courtney Barnett, there’s a smirk […]

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On the corner of Hennepin and Lagoon in Minneapolis, an iconic sign and marquee light up the night, casting a much needed glow back over the neighborhood. The Uptown Theatre, once a cherished local movie theater, has reemerged this year as a new concert venue hoping to become just as memorable, proudly reclaiming its position […]

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“It’s our fourth time playing First Avenue” revealed Adam Weiner during his show last night. He retained his usual seat on the bench behind his upright piano, affectionally named Nellie (that is, if affectionate means having it’s named carved into the wood on the side.) Nellie, like Adam, both appeared to have been through hell […]

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Photos by Alexander Just. Words by Casey Carlson When you think of eras like the 80’s and 90’s, you’re likely to think of the art and culture of that era more than any economic or societal events. Especially if you never lived in those eras, or, like me, werent there for very long. Thanks to […]

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To know Eric Clapton, you need to know blues music. After all, that’s where slowhand himself got his start with guitar. And while he’s ventured into pop music and acoustic ballads over the last sixty years of his career, Clapton always comes back to his roots in the blues.  The blues have always had it […]

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Atmosphere in the opening slot may not be something the band has been used to in recent years. But with a couple of other heavy hitters, including Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, and Rome – The Minneapolis based hip hop group – now in it’s 27th year – can still pull a crowd. And yes, that still […]

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Photos courtesy of Chris Phelps Summer’s most difficult concert ticket to get may have belonged to Taylor Swift, But The Killers gave her a run for her money with a surprise performance at First Avenue last night. Announced just one week prior and selling out nearly instantly, the tickets to their intimate show became priceless. […]

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MUNA’s music is all about self-expression and empowerment, and their live show is no different. The band members are all incredibly talented musicians in their own right, and their return to the Twin Cities, marking their second show here since August, was a breathtaking display in more ways than one. MUNA’s been on a roll […]

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You’ve heard an M83 song whether you’ve known it or not. But the band has much more depth than the one-or-two hit songs used for every cinematic moment in the last ten years. Midnight City and Outro are both songs that were the cornerstones of cinematic, euphoric moments in films and commercials since M83 released […]

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Remember last summer when we covered MUNA? And it was a really good show and we wanted them to perform in arenas? Well, we got close. The Palace Theatre is larger than their last show at First Avenue (which you can find our coverage here) And while we are getting a larger venue for them […]

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“We aren’t kidding when we say the Twin Cities is like a second home to us” Said Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith between songs last night. “I’ll never forget our first tour through here, and for some fucked up reason we sold out First Avenue! You guys keep showing up, and it means a lot to […]

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While it wasn’t built for it in mind, US Bank Stadium is the largest concert venue in Minnesota. It was built for Vikings games and NCAA Championship games to be played in front of over 50,000 people. But even though it’s seven years old, the powers that be haven’t figured out how to make anything […]

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Any fourteen year old who picked up an acoustic guitar to fulfill their singer-songwriter dreams has sat at the end of their bed, staring at the wall of their bedroom imagining it’s an arena full of screaming fans. They’ve imagined creating a riff on guitar that’s instantly recognizable, and leaving the crowd speechless with their […]

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Since their inception in 2018, Bob Weir has brought the Wolf Brothers to the Twin Cities on three occasions, making their return to St. Paul last night a welcome sight for fans who were once concerned that these performances might be rare – or that Weir may not return. Despite concerns about his age, Weir […]

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Ive often spoke about how I grossly underestimated bluegrass in the past. Ever since then, it seems to have continued it’s resurgence tenfold. Even acts like Billy Strings have started to sell out entire arenas tens of thousands in capacity. Resurgance may not even be the right way to put it. Perhaps Bluegrass music is […]

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Tonight, Madison Cunningham finally got the respect and headlining show she deserves in St. Paul.  In past shows where Madison Cunningham has opened at the Palace Theatre, iv’e made note of the noise level from the audience during the show, oftentimes drowning out her singing during slower numbers. Tonight, that definitely wasn’t the case. An […]

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I was lucky enough to photograph two of the three Denver-metro show for the Drive-By Truckers. Here’s a few images from both. Fox Theater – Boulder, CO SETLIST: Intro Slow Ride Argument Heroin Again One of These Days Play It All Night Long When The Pin Hits The Shell Do It Yourself First Air of […]

Live Coverage

If you didn’t think you could mosh at a Mac DeMarco concert, I’ve got some bad news.  The night ended with a shirtless Mac on guitar, shredding “Enter Sandman” onstage, with a mosh pit opening up near the pit. Concertgoers were throwing themselves into eachother. For those not near the mosh pit, they danced and […]

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April 10, 2019 Our cab driver on the previous evening told us, “You haven’t been to Nashville if you haven’t gone down to Broadway St”. Personally, I’d rather hang in dives and dumps than Blake Sheldon’s bar – or especially Kid Rock’s bar. That aside, that’s not what tonight was about. First trip to Nashville. […]

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It’s been over 5 years since Brt Rynlds and Charles Bronson, better known as Sex Burger, made their presence known performing and djing disco boogie funk around town. Their unique sound and show took dance floors by storm before their hiatus. Now Sex Burger is back at it again with Dan Staddon sitting behind the […]

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Minneapolis recently lost a very loved man, Ron Upton. Ron was well known in Uptown and loved by many. His memorial concert was last night at the Uptown VFW. The VFW filled up with so many friends and family of Ron and was a beautiful way to say goodbye. Many of Ron’s favorite bands played. […]

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A great place to spend a Friday night is The Shout! House. The Shout! House Dueling Pianos is a live music venue in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. It combines music and improvisational comedy with the help of the audience to create unique, fun filled experience. It is the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday, divorce, or bachelorette […]

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The Duluth band had their first show in Minneapolis last night. Hurricane Joe is a metal band with a deep bond between the band members. They are releasing a new album and starting to play more in Minneapolis. The Cabooze was dead at 5:30 when they started to play. The audience was only family and […]

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AFI, on ‘The Blood Tour”, hit the stage at First Avenue last night, along with opening acts, Chain Gang of 1974, and Souvenirs. California based band, Souvenirs, featuring bandmates Nolan, Riley, Tim and Vince also opened with their mellow sounds. Opening for AFI, Kamtin Mohager brought his retro sound to the stage as Chain Gang of 1974. It’s […]

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On November 5th, the band LANY arrived in Minneapolis on their 40th stop on tour at the Fine Line Music Café. Before the band even came on, there were chants of their name and fans in the front row throwing rose pedals on the stage. As soon as Jake, Les and Paul walked on stage, […]

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Lany’s Paul Jason, Leslie Priest and Jake Goss recently arrived on First Avenue’s stage to a cheering crowd; eager to hear their fresh r&b infused pop songs live. Great friends, good times, and a love of music created Lany (they span NY to LA). Their sound shows in ILYSB (I Love You So Bad), and […]

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