Grand RockTember Music Festival Announced - September 14

An impressive lineup of 80s metal bands is geared up for the Grand RockTember Music Festival on Saturday, September 14 at the Grand Casino Amphitheater in Hinckley. Acts confirmed so far are Winger, L.A. Guns, Firehouse, Warrant, Dokken, Lita Ford, and Skid Row, with more bands to be announced! Plan on spending the day there, as show time is 2:00 pm. Ticket information has yet to be released, but tickets go on sale June 20.

Concert Announcements - August 13, 2012

There’s been some lineup changes to Knotfest this Saturday, August 18 at Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin. I’ll have more details about this in a separate post.

Station 4 in St. Paul is hosting a night of local metal with Face Of Oblivion, Micawber, Ominous Conception, Australis, and Vessels For Our Ghost on Wednesday, August 21 for a cheap ($5) all ages show.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels will headline the Breathe Easy Music Fest II with a special solo acoustic show on Sunday, August 26 at The Pourhouse in Minneapolis. This solo is a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and also features performances from the Tim Mahoney Band, Cole Allen Band, Crankshaft And The Gear Grinders, Saving Starz, BKS, and Clifton Wales.

Hard rock gods Boston return for a show on Saturday, September 1 at Treasure Island in Welch.

Offbeat metalcore band Blessed By A Broken Heart performs with local heroes Write This Down (their new album Lost Weekend is reviewed here) play Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, September 8. This is super-early (4:00 doors) all ages show with massive support from Children 18:3, My My Misfire, Rob Mahlum, City Of The Weak, and October Fades To Black.

Fresh off a show last month at the North Star Room, hard rockers 12 Stones play Minneapolis at First Avenue on Wednesday, September 12 with local support from 3 Pill Morning.

Rochester’s own rising metalcore band and Facedown Records recording artist Your Memorial blast into Station 4 in St. Paul for an all ages show on Saturday, September 15 with For All I Am, Erra, With Life In Mind, Revival, In The Line Of Duty, and Couriers.

Faribault Harley-Davidson in Faribault is celebrating their 35th anniversary with performances by Skid Row, L.A. Guns, and Annex on Saturday, September 22, along with a bike show, burnout pit, and other activites.

The original lineup of Taking Back Sunday has reunited, and they’re out on the road to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their seminal Tell All Your Friends album. First Avenue in Minneapolis will be hosting them on Thursday, October 11 with Bayside and Mansions for an all ages show.

John Lydon’s (Sex Pistols) Public Image Limited have released their first album, This Is PiL, in 20 years and are supporting it with a tour that hits Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Monday, October 22. An old friend of mine had recorded a PiL show at First Avenue back in the late 80s, and I remember it being a really cool show.

Old school Canadian punk band Propagandhi are back on tour, and play the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Wednesday, November 7 with Off With Their Heads and The Menzingers.

Electronic/industrial act Assemblage 23 plays Ground Zero in Minneapolis on Thursday, November 8 with Espermachine and Thought Thieves.

Pierce The Veil plays on all ages show on Saturday, November 10 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis with Sleeping With Sirens, Tonight Alive, and Hands Like Houses.

The AP-sponsored tour of metal band Miss May I lands at Station 4 in St. Paul on Thursday, November 15. Support for this all ages show will come from The Ghost Inside, Like Moths To Flames, The Amity Affliction, Glass Cloud, Peter Says Denim.

Finally, the Savatage-led Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings their annual Christmas extravaganza to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for two shows (3:00 and 8:00) on Saturday, December 29 to perform The Lost Christmas Eve for the first time. Ticket information has not yet been released.

In Concert This Week

If you missed Minneapolis rockers Throw The Fight this past Tuesday, you have a few more chances this month. The official release show for their new album, What Doesn't Kill Us, is tonight, Friday, June 8 at G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley. This is an 18+ show.

Saturday, June 9 is a big music night with three shows of interest. Mushroomhead returns to town for an 18+ show at G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley with Tenally Viper, Devilsex, A Sound Theory, Blue Felix, Heaven's Gate, and Embrance The Ending. Interestingly, Sid Wilson of Slipknot (aka DJ Starscream) will be spinning a DJ set following the show. Sweden's black metal horde Marduk storms into Station 4 in St. Paul with Norway's 1349, Withered, and Weapon for a 16+ show. Lastly, LA Guns featuring Phil Lewis and Steven Riley headlines an outdoor party at Biff's in Spring Lake Park with Hell Cats and Heart tribute band Bad Animals.

Long-running industrial-rock band Apocalypse Theatre brings their unique Revolution Circus tour to G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley on Sunday, June 10. Also featuring Mommy Sez No, Mercury Red, Illusions Fate, Breed, Venus Demars, The Devils Caravan, and DJ Mach Fox, as well as various performance sideshows, this show promises an "ultra condensed 50–60 minute cacophony that includes material from all of us and some combined mutations to a full blown two hour (or even longer) show." Check out the Revolution Circus website for additional information. This is an 18+ show and cover is only $6.

Detroit's new hardcore sensations Tides Of War are on tour most of this month, and Monday, June 11 sees them land in St. Paul at Station 4 for an early all ages show with Everyday Hero, A Moment In Time, and Imagine The Silence.