Tonight - TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (2 Shows) and CHURCH OF MISERY with VULGAARI in Minneapolis

Chris Caffery performing with Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on April 24, 2010. For a review of this concert, click here.

The seemingly unstoppable Tran-Siberian Orchestra plays two shows in Minneapolis today at the Target Center, one at 3:00 and the other at 8:00. Before dismissing this as rock-lite Christmas fare, keep in mind that Jon Oliva himself has stated that TSO, for all intents and purposes, is Savatage. Most of the Savatage principles are usually on the tours - Chris Caffery, Johnny Lee Middleton, Jeff Plate, Al Pitrelli, Alex Skolnick, and Zak Stevens alongside prominent metal vocalists such as Jeff Scott Soto and Kelly Keeling. Close your eyes, imagine Jon Oliva singing the songs, and it's not much of a stretch to hear Savatage as the foundation of TSO. If you long for the days of metal bands touring arenas with elaborate stages, TSO beats 'em all with hands-down the best, most dramatic stage and light show you'll ever see. This is also the last tour on which the band will play the The Lost Christmas Eve album. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster; it's all ages and tickets are $32–70.

Jeff Scott Soto performing as the Devil with Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on April 24, 2010. For a review of this concert, click here.

TIP: Arenas almost always release choice, extra tickets on or near the sides of the stage once they see exactly how the stage fits in the arena - even if they show is sold out. I've gotten awesome seats to previous TSO concerts by buying them the day of the show!

BONUS TIP: Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist for Metal Church, can usually be seen running the soundboard for TSO! I don't know if he is this year, but if you see him, shout out "Metal Church!" and he'll give you a smile and a wave.

If slow, intense doom is your thing, don't miss out on seeing Japan's Church Of Misery together with local sludge/doom masters Vulgaari and Lungs at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. This is an 18+ show that starts around 9:00, and tickets are $18 at the door.

Concert Announcements - November 1, 2013

There hasn't been any major concert announcements over the last couple of weeks, but I have been adding a few shows to the Concert Calendar (at the bottom of the page) as they trickled in. A whole bunch of new shows have just been announced, so here's the latest concert news.

Tantric is back in the area on Saturday, November 9 at Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park with support from Stone Senate and La Madness.

Chicago’s Hëssler returns to Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park on Friday, November 15 with Think Negative and Metal Witch.

Lamb Of God drummer Chris Alder will be appearing at Guitar Center in Oakdale for a meet-and-greet before the band’s show the same night at Myth in St. Paul on Monday, November 18. No further details are available yet for the meet-and-greet.

Minneapolis rock band 3 Pill Morning plays the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis on Wednesday, November 27.

F*ckface Unstoppable featuring Bam Margera hits Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park with Wilson, Strate-Jak-It, and Mouthz Of Dirt on Sunday, December 1.

Metalcore band All That Remains plays Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with Motionless In White on Wednesday, December 4.

Japanese doom band Church Of Misery will be playing the Twin Cities after all. Their previously scheduled show at the Turf Club in St. Paul got canceled when their tour fell through, then the tour got rescheduled without a new date here. Now, a stop at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis has been added on Saturday, December 14 with special guests Vulgaari and Lungs.

Friday, December 20 is a big night of local metal at the Cabooze in Minneapolis with Blue Felix, Nuisance, Emergent, Pinwheel, Scream At The Sun, and A Sound Theory.

Former Husker Dü drummer Grant Hart has a solo show lined up at the Triple Rock Social Club on Thursday, December 26 with Catbath.

Industrial gods Skinny Puppy are back with a new album, Weapons, and a tour to support it. They’ll play Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 22 with Army Of The Universe. Tickets go on sale today, Friday, November 1 at 10:00 am through AXS.

CHURCH OF MISERY North American Tour Now Rescheduled

Following the news that Japanese doom band Church Of Misery had to cancel their upcoming North American tour due to delays in obtaining work visas caused by the U.S. government partial shutdown, Metal Blade Records posted the rescheduled dates on their Facebook page yesterday. Great news - except the new dates don't include a rescheduled stop at the Turf Club in St. Paul. Support will still come from Bloody Hammers (November 1–23), Against The Grain (November 1-23), Wizard Rifle (November 24-December 6), and Saviours (November 27-December 6). The new tour itinerary is listed below.

November 1 - Chicago, IL, Ultra Lounge
November 2 - Rock Island, IL, Rock Island Brewing Co.
November 3 - Grand Rapids, MI, Pyramid Scheme
November 4 - Indianapolis, IN, Beale Street Live
November 6 - Pittsburgh, PA, 31st St. Pub
November 7 - Syracuse, NY, Lost Horizon
November 8 - Toronto, ON, Hard Luck
November 9 - Ottawa, QC, Mavericks
November 10 - Montreal, QC, Il Motore
November 11 - Providence, RI, AS220
November 12 - New York, NY, Saint Vitus
November 13 - Richmond, VA, Kingdom
November 14 - Baltimore, MD, Otto Bar
November 16 - Atlanta, GA, Earl
November 17 - New Orleans, LA, One-Eyed Jacks
November 18 - Austin, TX, Mohawk
November 19 - Dallas, TX, Club Dada
November 22 - Tempe, AZ, Yucca Tap Room
November 23 - Los Angeles, CA, The Satellite
November 24 - San Diego, CA, Soda Bar
November 25 - Fresno, CA, Audie's Olympic
November 26 - Santa Cruz, CA, The Catalyst
November 27 - Oakland, CA, The Opera House
November 29 - San Jose, CA, The Blank Club
November 30 - San Francisco, CA, Thee Parkside
December 1 - Sacramento, CA, Harlow's
December 3 - Seattle, WA, The Crocodile
December 4 - Portland, OR, Rotture
December 5 - Bellingham, WA, The Shakedown
December 6 - Vancouver, BC, The Rickshaw Theater

CHURCH OF MISERY's North American Tour Canceled

The recently announced North American tour by Japan's doom lords Church Of Misery has been canceled, a victim of the partial government shutdown here in the U.S. Church of Misery was due to play St. Paul at the Turf Club on Halloween, Thursday, October 31 with Wizard Rifle and Vulgaari. Nothing official has been released yet by the band to the best of my knowledge, but a post on Vulgaari's Facebook page reads:

"Due to our government being a bunch of whiney children who can't get along and would rather just take their ball and go home... Our Halloween show with Church of Misery is not happening. Being from Japan, they're having work visa issues due to the government shutdown. Huge bummer. This will hopefully be rescheduled. We'll keep you posted."

A post by the Turf Club on the event's Facebook page confirms this: "This show is going to be rescheduled. COM had visa issues due to the government shutdown."

The tour was slated to start October 18 in Oakland, and wrap up in Los Angeles on November 23. Shouldn't processing and approving work visas for metal bands be an essential government function??

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.

CHURCH OF MISERY to Embark on North American Tour, Invade St. Paul on Halloween

Japanese doom band Church Of Misery have lined up an extensive North American headlining tour starting in mid-October to promote the release of their firth album, Thy Kingdom Scum (Rise Above/Metal Blade). The band circles the U.S. and Canada beginning October 18 in Oakland, and makes a stop in St. Paul at the Turf Club on Halloween, Thursday, October 31 with Portland's two-piece noise crew Wizard Rifle and locals Vulgaari. Support on the tour comes from Saviours (October 18-23), Wizard Rifle (October 18-31), Bloody Hammers (November 1-19), and Against The Grain (November 1-23). The complete itinerary is below.

October 18 - Oakland, CA, Opera House, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 19 - San Francisco, CA, Thee Parkside, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 20 - Portland, OR, Rotture, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 21 - Seattle, WA, The Crocodile, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 22 - Bellingham, WA, The Shakedown, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 23 - Vancouver, BC, Rickshaw Theater, w/Saviours, Wizard Rifle
October 24 - Edmonton, AB, The Pawn Shop, w/Wizard Rifle
October 25 - Calgary, AB, Palomino, w/Wizard Rifle
October 27 - Saskatoon, SK, Amigos, w/Wizard Rifle
October 29 - Winnipeg, MB, The Zoo, w/Wizard Rifle
October 30 - Fargo, ND, The Aquarium, w/Wizard Rifle
October 31 - St. Paul, MN, Turf Club, w/Wizard Rifle
November 1 - Chicago, IL, Ultra Lounge, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 2 - Rock Island, IL, Rock Island Brewing Company, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 3 - Grand Rapids, MI, Pyramid Scheme, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 4 - Indianapolis, IN, Beale Street Live, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 6 - Pittsburgh, PA, 31st Street Pub, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 7 - Syracuse, NY, Lost Horizon, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 8 - Toronto, ON, Hard Luck, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 9 - Ottawa, ON, Mavericks, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 10 - Montreal, QC, Il Motore, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 11 - Providence, RI, AS220, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 12 - New York, NY, Saint Vitus, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 13 - Richmond, VA, Kingdom, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 14 - Baltimore, MD, Ottobar, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 16 - Atlanta, GA, The Earl, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 17 - New Orleans, LA, One Eyed Jacks, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 18 - Austin, TX, Mohawk, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 19 - Dallas, TX, Club Dada, w/Bloody Hammers, Against The Grain
November 21 - Albuquerque, NM, Sister Bar, w/Against The Grain
November 22 - Tempe, AZ, Yucca Tap Room, w/Against The Grain
November 23 - Los Angeles, CA, The Satellite, w/Against The Grain