Tonight - REFLECTIONS Album Release Show and Tour Kick-Off in Burnsville, NIK TURNER'S HAWKWIND in St. Paul

I recently had a post with updates on the activities of Reflections, the Twin Cities-based technical metalcore band that is set to explore with the release of their new album Exi(s)t, which is being released through eOne/Good Fight this Tuesday, October 22. The start of their co-headling tour with Erra happens right here in Burnsville tonight, October 19 at The Garage with local support from Don't Worry I'm A Doctor. This is the official album release show, so copies of Exi(s)t should be available tonight for purchase. It's an early (5:00 doors) all ages show, and tickets are $12 at the door.

Also tonight, Nik Turner of Hawkwind and Space Ritual fame, will be playing at the Turf Club in St. Paul. There's a strong argument to be made that Nik is one of the most influential pioneers of psychedelic space rock. Now over 70 years old, Nik is out promoting a new solo album called Space Gypsy. I've seen this show billed as Nik Turner's Hawkwind and Nik Turner's Space Ritual, but regardless of what it's called, I'm sure you can expect to hear a mix of material from those two bands alongside other selections from Nik's vast recorded catalog. This is a 21+ show that starts at 9:00 with support from Thunderbolt Pagoda and Hedersleben; tickets are $12 at the door. Interesting trivia: cult doom/stoner band Sleep supported Nik Turner's Hawkwind way back on the Holy Mountain tour!

Lastly, Soul Asylum plays First Avenue in Minneapolis tonight with Fountains Of Wayne and Evan Dando. This is an 18+ show that starts at 8:00; tickets are $30 at the door. Yeah, Soul Asylum is a far cry from metal, but they were instrumental in the early 80s hardcore scene in the Twin Cities and deserve respect for that.

Concert Announcements And Updates - June 14, 2013, Part 2 of 2

Here's the second half of the latest metal concert news for the Twin Cities area, covering July and August. See Part 1 for the updates for June.

Buckcherry returns to the area for a show on Wednesday, July 3 with Girl On Fire at the Vetter Stone Amphitheater in Mankato.

Cantharone has another show lined up at the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis with Hate Beast on Thursday, July 4.

Long-running punk band Meat Puppets will play four shows in Minnesota to promote their 14th album, Rat Farm, released on Megaforce earlier this year. They play two shows on Saturday, July 13 – an early 5:00 show at the St. John’s Block Party in Rochester, followed by an 8:30 show at the Twin Cites Roots, Rock and Deep Blues Festival in Minneapolis at Patrick’s Cabaret. The next night, Sunday, July 14 has them at Tycoons in Duluth with Actual Wolf and Enemy Planes.

The day after performing with Sevendust in Rochester, Otherwise has their own headlining show on Sunday, July 14 at Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park with special guests Throw The Fight and The Soft Light.

KEN Mode and Virginia doom band Inter Arma play the Turf Club in St. Paul on Thursday, July 18.

Ambassador Gun hooks up with Philadelphia’s Sadgiqacea, Hivelords, and Poney for a show at the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis on Friday, July 19.

The Meat Puppets’ fourth Minnesota show happens at the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato on Friday, July 19.

Comical metal band Psychostick returns, this time to Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park on Friday, July 19 with Outside The Murder and Strate-Jak-It.

Sweden's female-fronted power metal sensations Amaranthe play the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 23 with support from Kobra And The Lotus.

Although they long ago abandoned their early punk roots, Minneapolis’s own Soul Asylum tops the Skyline Music Festival with Big Head Todd And The Monsters, Matthew Sweet, and Gear Daddies to Target Field in Minneapolis on Friday, July 26.

A huge lineup of local bands have organized the Metal For Life event at Neisen’s in Savage on Saturday, July 27—all proceeds will be donated to the Shriners Hospital for Children. Slated to participate are Cantharone, Piranha, Gryzor, Matrekis, Clobberboot, Eldergaad, Dark Mirror, Tomorrow Brings New Blood, Chaostrophe, Deretla, Monogon, and Malice (MN). This event is all ages are starts early at 10:00 am.

Locals Nuisance also play on Saturday, July 27 at the Cabooze in Minneapolis with Slow Spokes, Aeous, We Be Lions, and Up Rock.

Florida instrumentalists Set And Setting play the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis on Wednesday, July 31. Their debut album Equanimity was released last week through Forcefield and Science of Silence.

Minneapolis-based heavy instrumentalist masters Zebulon Pike rock the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Friday, August 2 with Vulgaari, Relentless, and Ashen.

Down in Mankato at the Vetter Stone Amphitheater you can catch rock band Everclear at the Mankato Ribfest on Friday, August 2.

Loverboy plays the Mankato Ribfest at Vetter Stone Amphitheater on Saturday, August 3.

The Monday, August 5 Vampire Weekend show at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis is SOLD OUT.

The Big Night Out Tour with hard rock bands Fuel, Hoobastank, Lit, and Alien Ant Farm comes to Myth in St. Paul on Wednesday, August 7.

The Vetter Stone Amphitheater in Mankato has a big night of 80s metal with Ratt, Sebastian Bach, Dokken, and Lita Ford on Thursday, August 15.

Fresh off their recent show in St. Paul, Bobaflex hits Mankato at Buster’s on Wednesday, August 7 with Royal Bliss.

TOMMY STINSON Launches Charity Auction

Current Guns N' Roses and Soul Asylum bassist and Minneapolis native Tommy Stinson has organized a charity auction to benefit the Timkatec schools in earthquake-ravaged Petion-Ville, Haiti. Charitybuzz is hosting the auction; a link the plight of Haitians and what Tommy is doing to help is here, and the list of all 14 auction items is here.

Included in the auction items are two vacations in the Bahamas, a couple of Tommy's basses and stage clothes (I love the plaid suit!), a guitar signed by The Replacements, a Chris Mars art package, and packages of tickets to shows at First Avenue and the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis.

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Tommy Stinson Painting Up For Auction

Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson and his uncle, Chip Roberts, have donated a collaborative, signed painting entitled "They Don't Deserve You" (below) to the 102.9 WMGK Classic Rock Art Show silent auction. All proceeds from the auction benefit the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Steven Van Zandt that helps fund music education in schools. "They Don't Deserve You" was inspired by a song of the same name that will be featured on Tommy Stinson's new solo album scheduled for release later in 2010. Go to Tommy's website to see additional details about the painting.

Tommy Stinson's ties to the Twin Cities music scene are, of course, deep. Tommy was a founding member of The Replacements and has been a member of Guns N' Roses since 1998 (has it been that long?). He's released one solo album, and albums with Bash & Pop and Perfect. In 2005 he toured and recorded with Minneapolis's Soul Asylum.