Concert Roundup

Boy, it’s really embarrassing that what was intended to be a short, quiet hiatus has turned out to be so long, but there’s tons of great things I’ll be posting over the next month. I appreciate everyone’s patience and support! I’ve brought the concert calendar fully up to date over the last couple of weeks, and here’s a quick rundown of the most interesting and recent shows that have been announced.

Tonight, Friday, April 1 is a busy night. Legendary 70s hard rock band CAIN has kept the momentum going from their initial reunion on September 17 with another round of shows. They perform tonight at approximately 11:30 at the Minnesota Music Cafe in St. Paul. Other upcoming Cain shows are April 8 at Primetime in Burnsville, May 13 at Throwbacks in Woodbury, and the Moondance Jam Pre-Jam on July 13. Power metal band CIRCLE II CIRCLE returns to the area tonight for a show at Station 4 in St. Paul with SHADOWCRAFT, HOLLOWSTONE, and NOBLE BEAST. There’s also two great local shows tonight – Metal Blade recording artist EPICUREAN (who will be debuting two new songs) team up with ALATION, STELLAR VECTOR, and DJ NOISE at Ground Zero in Minneapolis, and CIMMERIAN, THIRA, WARVOLUTION, and SHEFACH DAHM will create some havoc at Robert’s in Mounds View.

AMON AMARTH will be playing two sets at Station 4 in St. Paul on April 15…legendary Bay Area thrashers DEATH ANGEL, DAIGORO, and DERETIA play Station 4 the next night, April 16…(HED)P.E. and MUSHROOMHEAD co-headline with LIVAN and BETTER LEFT UNSAID at The Cabooze in Minneapolis on April 27…DEFTONES return for another sold-out show at First Avenue in Minneapolis with DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and FUNERAL PARTY on April 28…local hard rockers SMILING POLITELY have a record release show with TEPETRICY, THIRD SUPPLY, UNDER NONE, FORTHANGEL, and CRASHING DAYLIGHT on April 29 at Robert’s in Mounds View…SYMPHONY X brings a huge bill with NEVERMORE, SOILWORK, POWERGLOVE, and BLACKGUARD to Station 4 in St. Paul on May 2…rising stalwarts HOLY GRAIL and CAULDRON hit Triple Rock in Minneapolis together on May 8…Canadians WOODS OF YPRES do a special one-off show with MINOS on May 14 at Station 4 in St. Paul…also on May 14, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA brings their Beethoven’s Last Night spectacle to the Mystic Lake Casino Showroom in Prior Lake…Brazil’s legendary SEPULTURA returns with BELPHEGOR, HATE, KEEP OF KALESSIN, NEURAXIS, and BONDED BY BLOOD to Station 4 in St. Paul on May 18…HATE ETERNAL brings with them ORIGIN, VITAL REMAINS, and ABYSMAL DAWN to Station 4 in St. Paul on July 2…splatter gore merchants EXHUMED team up with MACABRE, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, WITHERED, NAILED SHUT, and AUSTRALIS on July 26 at Station 4 in St. Paul…local thrashers THE REGIME play a reunion show with PORCELAIN GOD at Station 4 in St. Paul on August 13…KAMELOT has rescheduled their last cancelled tour with a stop at Station 4 in St. Paul on September 9 with ALESTORM, BLACKGUARD, and THE AGONIST…EVERGREY makes their first appearance in a few years with a show September 27 at Station 4 in St. Paul with SABATON, POWERGLOVE, BLACKGUARD, and THE ABSENCE.

Many punk and hardcore legends are coming to town…Keith Morris of CIRCLE JERKS and BLACK FLAG brings his new outfit OFF! to the Triple Rock in Minneapolis with TRASH TALK and MUCH WORSE on April 3…SUBHUMANS and MDC pair up with VARIX and BRAIN TUMORS on April 14 at the Triple Rock in Minneapolis…MIKE WATT & THE MISSING MEN play St. Paul’s Turf Club on April 18…the wacky Tescoe Vee brings THE MEATMEN to the Triple Rock in Minneapolis on April 28 with QUINCY PUNX, AGAINST THE GRAIN, and ED GEIN FANCLUB…FACE TO FACE, STRUNG OUT, and THE DARLINGS hit First Avenue in Minneapolis on May 4…MEAT PUPPETS open for SLIGHTLY STOOPID with HONEYBOY CARENCRO at First Avenue in Minneapolis on May 6…the WARPED TOUR returns to Cantebury Park in Shakopee on July 10.

Classic hard rock fans can take heart with a large amount of great shows in addition to the Cain shows mentioned above…PAT TRAVERS BAND and KEN VALDEZ play Famous Dave’s in Uptown on April 9…ROBERT PLANT & THE BAND OF JOY plays the State Theatre in Minneapolis with NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS on April 12…CINDERELLA and SCARLET HAZE hit the Medina Entertainment Center on April 16…JEFF BECK also plays the State Theatre with TYLER BRYANT on April 17…APRIL WINE and HEAD EAST co-headline the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina on April 30…TESLA and KNIGHT CRAWLER play the Medina Entertainment Center on May 7…KQRS is sponsoring a festival event at St. Paul’s Midway Stadium on May 29, so far STYX, CHEAP TRICK, BADFINGER, and the LAMONT CRANSTON BAND are on the bill…ADLER’S APPETITE returns to play Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis on June 3…FASTER PUSSYCAT comes back to Station 4 in St. Paul on June 9 with IMPALER, THE REGENERATORS, and MATREKIS…Ticket details remain to be released for DEEP PURPLE with an orchestra on June 19 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis…MOTLEY CRUE and POISON team up with the NEW YORK DOLLS at Target Center in Minneapolis on June 24…JETHRO TULL celebrates the 40th anniversary of Aqualung with an engagement at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on June 25…PAUL RODGERS brings his solo act to Treasure Island in Red Wing on July 16…tickets go on sale April 4 for JOURNEY, FOREIGNER, and NIGHT RANGER at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on July 28…GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS will level the Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater in Apple Valley on August 17…DEF LEPPARD, HEART, and AMANDA SHAW is the only thing remotely interesting happening at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul on August 26.

There’s many other shows coming to town, so check out the complete concert calendar on the right.