Concert Announcements - June 14, 2014

The Deafheaven, Pallbearer, and Wreck And Reference show on Monday, June 23 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis is now SOLD OUT.

Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park has a big night of local metal on Saturday, July 12 with Blue Felix topping the bill along with Immoralis, Left 4 Dead, Endless Reign, and Lysergic.

Sludge band Weedeater will play Minneapolis at the Triple Rock Social Club on Sunday, July 13. No openers have been announced, and advance tickets are on sale now through Ticketfly.

Following an appearance at the Warped Tour in Shakopee on Sunday, July 20, acoustic-punk band Divided Heaven will take over the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato on Thursday, July 24 with Braden Saulsbury as support.

As announced a couple days ago (see tour announcement here), rock band He Is Legend from North Carolina will play St. Paul at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall on Sunday, August 17 with support from Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster and Wilson. Advance tickets are now on sale through Ticketfly.

Arch Enemy, in tow with new vocalist Alissa White-Gluz (ex-The Agonist), play Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Tuesday, November 18 with Germany’s Kreator and Huntress. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 20 at 10:00 am through AXS. The tour announcement with complete dates is here.

Dark Tranquillity and Insomnium are pairing up for a tour that brings them to the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Friday, January 16, as reported a couple days ago here. Advance tickets and VIP packages are on sale now through The Vault.

In Concert This Week

UPDATE: Reflections will not be playing with After The Burial on Sunday, December 22. The promoter has removed them from the lineup listed on his website.

This is naturally a slow time of year for live music, but there's still some (primarily local) shows to be had this week.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels plays a rescheduled show tonight, Friday, December 20 at Myth in St. Paul. The opening band has not been announced, but this all ages show starts at 7:00 and tickets are $25.

Tonight you can also catch a big local show at the Cabooze in Minneapolis with Blue Felix, Nuisance, Emergent, Pinwheel, Scream At The Sun, and A Sound Theory. This is an 18+ show, and it's only $5 at the door.

Tomorrow's After The Burial at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis with Your Memorial and I Am Vengeance is SOLD OUT, but a second show with support from Your Memorial, Reflections, and Thira has been added on Sunday, December 22. Both shows are early, all ages shows. These shows are the official album release events for Wolves Within, the new album from After The Burial that came out this week through Sumerian Records. You can buy tickets ($15) for the Sunday show through Ticketfly.

Lastly, Grant Hart, former drummer of hardcore punk legends Hüsker Dü, plays a solo show at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Thursday, December 26 with Catbath and Frankie Teardrop. This is an 18+ show that starts around 8:00; tickets are $10 in advance through Ticketfly.

Concert Announcements - September 27, 2013

After wrapping up a North American tour supporting Saxon on October 10, Fozzy makes their way to Pov's 65 in Spring Lake Park for a headlining show with Echo Effect, Fifth Hour, and Vulkan. Fozzy of course features WWE superstar Chris Jericho on vocals, guitarist Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo) and drummer Frank Fontsere (Stuck Mojo). Advance tickets are on sale now through Vital Culture.

Blue Felix tops a big local bill dubbed Halloween Hell Fest III at Neisen's in Savage on Saturday, October 26 with Nuisance, Dead Horse Trauma, Drek, Immoralis, Rock 'N Roll Whores, and Number Se7en. This show is FREE, there's a costume contest ($200 top prize), and the first 100 guests through the door will entered into a raffle for a Jackson guitar from Capitol Guitars in St. Paul.

Japan's doom merchants Church Of Misery play the Turf Club in St. Paul on Halloween, Thursday, October 31 with Wizard Rifle and Vulgaari. Tickets are available now through Ticketfly.

Dark rock band The Foreign Resort from Denmark play Ground Zero in Minneapolis with The Bellwether Syndicate and Uzza on Saturday, November 9. Get your tickets through Brown Paper Tickets.

More dark, eclectic rock comes to Ground Zero in Minneapolis with Ego Likeness, Inertia, Servitor, and Ficshe on Sunday, November 17. Brown Paper Tickets has the advance tickets.

Lastly, a reminder that tickets for Megadeth, Fear Factory, and Nonpoint go on sale through Ticketmaster today, Friday, September 27 at 10:00 am for their show on Saturday, November 23 at Myth in St. Paul.

Tonight - PAIN OF SALVATION, CHERIE CURRIE in St. Paul, ESCAPE THE FATE in Minneapolis, DORYDRIVE, BLUE FELIX in the Suburbs

I can't ever recall a night with five shows scattered across the metro, so here we go. My pick of the bunch is Swedish progressive metal outfit Pain Of Salvation with Kingcrow, Imminent Sonic Destruction, Violent Fade, and Redshift. I'll shortly have a review of the new Kingcrow album posted that I hope will convince you to attend. This is a 16+ early show that starts at 6:00, and tickets are $18 at the door.

Another rare performance happens tonight in St. Paul at the Girls Got Rhythm Festival at the Amsterdam Bar - former vocalist of The Runaways, Cherie Currie, headlines the night with Sugar Stems, Marilu And The Machetes, and Is/Is. It all starts at 8:00; it's a 21+ show that will cost you $20 at the door. The Minneapolis StarTribune recently ran a short interview with Cherie Currie.

Over in Minneapolis you can catch Escape The Fate with Glamour Of The Kill and My My Missfire - The Color Morale is no longer a part of this show. This is an all ages show that gets underway at 8:00, and tickets are $20 at the door.

DoryDrive returns to the area for a free show at the Hi 5 Bar in Burnsville; no further information is available.

Finally, Neisen's in Savage has a big local metal package of Blue Felix, Throw The Fight, Gabriel And The Apocalypse, Terror Overising, and A Sound Theory. This show is also free - it's 18+ and starts at 7:00.

In Concert This Week - March 9, 2013

I had hoped to post this earlier, but here it goes with the metal and hard rock show happening this week.

Heathenfest with Einherjer is cancelled tonight, Saturday, March 9, but in its place is a great bill of local bands for FREE show at Station 4 in St. Paul - get there tonight for Deretla, Minos, Cold Colours, Wicked Inquisition, Noble Beast, and Drona. Another FREE show with locals bands happens tonight at Neisen's in Savage - go check out Blue Felix, Tepetricy, Pinwheel, A Sound Theory, and Matrekis. Also taking place tonight is Vintage Trouble and Leogun downstairs at The Nether Bar at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis.

After tonight, the only other show of note is Flyleaf, Drowning Pool, and Stars In Stereo at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Tuesday, March 12.

Concert Announcements - July 27, 2012

The Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis just announced a local show with Emergent, Vaudeville, Thira, Whither The Tide, and R.A.G.E. on Friday, August 10.

Hard rock band Saving Abel plays an 18+ show at Station 4 in St. Paul on Friday, August 17. Advance tickets are only $5.

Yesterday it was announced that the Dethklok, Lamb Of God, and Gojira tour was cancelled due to Lamb Of God’s singer Randy Blythe ongoing legal trouble in the Czech Republic, where he continues to be held in jail. All three bands were scheduled to be a part of Knotfest with Slipknot on Saturday, August 18 in Somerset, Wisconsin, and I’ve removed them from the calendar listing. Hopefully replacement bands for Knotfest will be announced.

On Sunday, August 19, Texas Hippie Coalition will play at The Cabooze in Minneapolis.

Blue Felix plays a free show at Neisen’s in Savage on Thursday, August 23.

The Turf Club in St. Paul has instrumental warriors Zebulon Pike along with Jel, Pizza Boys, and Good Morning Gentlemen on Friday, September 14. This show will also feature a drum-off with Dave King, JT Bates, Martin Dosh, and Tim Glenn.

As if having Wino playing on Thursday, August 16 at the Turf Club in St. Paul wasn’t awesome enough – now godly doom metal pioneers Saint Vitus will play at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis with Weedeater on Monday, October 1.

GWAR returns to First Avenue on Sunday, November 18 with Devildriver, Cancer Bats, and Legacy Of Disorder. This is an all ages show, and tickets go on sale today, Friday, July 27 at 12:00 noon.

Lastly, rock legends The Who will be performing Quadrophenia (and more) in its entirety at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, November 27. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 am today, Friday, July 27.

Concert Announcements - July 23, 2012

There’s been little in the way of new shows announced, so this update will be brief.

Hard rock band Trapt will play Station 4 in St. Paul on Sunday, August 12 for a 16+ show.

Monday, August 13 sees the return of local black metal band Teratism with a show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

The reunited Broken Hope (with new vocalist Damian Leski) lands in St. Paul at Station 4 on Tuesday, September 18 with Decrepit Birth, Jungle Rot, and Encrust. Although this is smack-dab in the middle of a tour with Obituary headlining, Obituary will not be appearing at this show. There’s been no word on why this is, but hopefully all bands will be able to play longer sets.

Further details are now available for the My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult on Thursday, October 11. Support acts will be Canad’s Left Spine Down (with Front Line Assembly keyboardist Jeremy Inkel) and locals Screaming Mechanical Brain. This is an 18+ show, at tickets are on sale now for $20 in advance or at the door.

Locals Blue Felix, Nuisance, and Severah team up for a show on Saturday, October 27 at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley.

MUSHROOMHEAD, SID WILSON Concert Review

Sid Wilson/Mushroomhead/Blue Felix

Saturday, June 9, 2012

G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park, Fridley, MN

This was bound to be a memorable show, if only because Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson (aka DJ Starscream) was billed together with Mushroomhead for this one night. Despite the past history of bad blood between the two bands, this would be proof that no hard feelings remain. Sid has been out on the road on a solo tour, and it only seemed natural to have him join Mushroomhead’s show on his night off between Rochester and Fargo.

Click on any picture to see more photos of Mushroomhead (51).

I arrived to miss all the local bands except for Blue Felix, and the only word that comes to mind about their performance is horrible. Playing forgettable rap-metal that went out of style over ten years ago, this masked crew didn’t get off the stage early enough for me.

Not having seen Mushroomhead since 2009 or so at The Rock in Maplewood, I was looking forward seeing them. As always, they put on a great show aside from it being too short. Of the four or five times I’ve seen Mushroomhead play headline shows, I’ve never witnessed a set longer than 60 minutes – tonight’s barely topped 50 minutes. A Mushroomhead show is always dramatic with two “water drum” kits on the front sides of the stage spraying plumes of water every time they’re hit, while the rest of band runs around the stage inciting the crowd. Surprisingly, opener “Come On” was the only song played from their most recent album, Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children, instead relying heavily on Savior Sorrow and XX. Some songs are more or less obligatory (“Bwomp”, Solitaire/Unraveling”, and “Sun Doesn’t Rise”), and these were rounded out nicely with “12 Hundred”, “Save Us”, “Kill Tomorrow”, and “Damage Done”. As I reported on June 10, “43” was introduced halfway through the set by stating that: “We got Sid Wilson coming on after us…Mushroomhead, Slipknot in the same room acting like decent people. There is no motherf*ckin beef at all!” The high point of the show came at the end with an awesome performance of “Simple Survival” followed by “Empty Spaces/Born Of Desire” to close the show. Mushroomhead never disappoints with their show, but I wish they would play longer sets.

Click on any picture to see more photos of Sid Wilson (26).

This was Mushroomhead’s show, but Sid Wilson took the stage soon after they got off to keep the crowd in the bar until closing time. Getting started around 1:15 am, the crowd had definitely thinned out by the time Sid arrived on stage. Surprising everyone, two members of Mushroomhead took the stage as Sid was getting going behind his turntable to play the water drums during the first song. It was a nice gesture, and this will undoubtedly go down in the annals of Slipknot lore. The first half of Sid’s performance had him behind his DJ console scratching records while dance music blared from the sound system. He then stepped to the front of the stage where he was joined by two rappers for a hip-hop style performance right up until the bar closed at 2. I’m not familiar with Sid’s solo work and can’t tell you the songs he played, but the second half of the show that had him rapping was the far more entertaining part. He was clearly having a good time on stage, and although not metal Sid’s set was a lot of fun. I had the chance to chat with Sid for a while after his set, catching up about personal things and reminiscing about some old Slipknot memories. Probably the last time I had seen him was backstage when Slipknot played Roy Wilkins Auditorium a few years ago, so it was a fun end to the night.

Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson To Join Black Flood Diesel At Meet And Greet This Sunday

Reactivated Minneapolis metal band Black Flood Diesel announced on their Facebook site that they will be conducting a meet and greet session at the Minneapolis Hard Rock Cafe from 2:00–3:30 pm this Sunday, August 29 prior to their CD release show the same night at First Avenue. In addition to free ticket giveaways to the show and photograph and autograph opportunities, Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson will be appearing together with Black Flood Diesel and the meet and greet. The Hard Rock Cafe is located at 600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55403-1820, directly across the street from First Avenue.


Sunday's show will be both to celebrate the release of Black Flood Diesel's new EP Baptism and pay tribute to former Black Flood Diesel and American Head Charge guitarist Brian Ottoson who passed away in April 2005 in the midst of an AHC tour with Mudvayne. You can listen to one new track, "Medication", and samples of two others, "Baptism By Fire" and "Big Black", at Black Food Diesel's Myspace page. Black Flood Diesel has previously toured nationally with Motograter and Mushroomhead.

Black Flood Diesel will perform an early all ages show this Sunday, August 29 at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Support will come from Blue Felix, Nuisance, Screaming Mechanical Brain, and Whither The Tide.