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.

BRET MICHAELS Myth Concert Moved to December 20

Myth issued a statement on their website last night that the Bret Michaels concert scheduled in St. Paul tonight, Saturday, September 21 has been postponed until Friday, December 20. All tickets will be honored for the new date, and refunds are also available at the point of purchase. Accompanying the news is a statement from Poison frontman Mr. Michaels:

"To all of our great Minnesota fans, Mike and all at Myth - we thank you for cooperating with us and understanding. Due to a filming conflict, we find it necessary to reschedule tomorrow's show at the Myth to Friday the 20th of December. This will be the rock and roll Christmas party of the season."

Tonight - Concerts Everywhere!

Tonight must be a record for the number of shows going on in the Twin Cities area - I have a total of nine events on the calendar! Here's the complete rundown of metal and rock shows tonight, in no particular order.

Milwaukee's Misery Signals bring a night of metalcore to The Garage in Burnsville with The Color Morale, Intervals, The Kindred, Elders, and To Release also on the bill. It's an an early (5:00 doors) all ages show, and tickets are $15 at the door.

The Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis has a brutal night of extreme metal with Ambassador Gun, Sadgiqacea, Hivelords, and Poney. This is a 21+ show that starts around 9:00, and it's only $8 at the door.

Costumed marauders Green Jellÿ take over the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis with strong local support from Impaler, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Iguana, and Rock And Roll Whores. This is an 18+ show; tickets are $13 at the door and it gets underway at 7:30.

More comedy metal is occurring tonight at Pov's 65 in Spring Lake Park with Psychostick together with Outside The Murder and Strate-Jak-It. Tickets are $13 at the door for this 8:00 show that is 18+.

Poison singer Bret Michaels teams up with Warrant and Firehouse for an all ages performance at the Lakefront Music Fest at Lakefront Park in Prior Lake tonight at 6:30. Tickets are $20 at the gate.

As we get farther from the Cities, Hemlock from Las Vegas plays the Wicked Moose in Rochester with Embrace The Ending and Fail To Decay. It's $10 at the door, and starts around 9:00.

Down in Mankato, alternative punk band Meat Puppets play the What's Up Lounge with Turned Out T.V. and Enemy Planes. Tickets are $12 at the door.

Heading east to Cadott, Wisconsin, Rock Fest continues with Korn, The Offspring, Theory Of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Nonpoint, 4th Floor, and Bumblefist making for a long day that kicks off at 12:00 noon.

Lastly, Moondance Jam up north in Walker, Minnesota has for its second full day Slash, Bachman & Turner, Blue Öyster Cult, Johnny Rivers, and Sweet starting the day at 3:00.

Concert Announcements - October 19, 2012

Sold out – there are no tickets remaining for Converge, Torche, Kvelertak, and Mourner tonight, Friday, October 19 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis.

The Throw The Fight show scheduled for Friday, October 27 at the North Star Room in Mounds View has been canceled. According to an October 16 post at the venue’s Facebook page, the North Star Room is “changing directions” and “taking a break from shows.”

New Jersey-based black metal band Krieg launches an East Coast assault with Minneapolis’s own Profound Lore recording artist Wolvhammer and Doomsday that lands at the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 27.

Progressive doom/hard rock band Royal Thunder takes the stage at The Nether Bar at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 28. Joining them is two of the Twin Cities’ best grind/sludge bands, Ambassador Gun (newly signed to Prosthetic Records) and Blue Ox.

Local power metal band Dawn Of Valor has secured the support slot for ex-Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate at Mill City Nights on Sunday, November 4.

The P.O.D. and Nonpoint show at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Friday, November 16 has been canceled. A statement on the First Avenue website reads: “Due to a scheduling conflict with P.O.D., the November 16 show has been canceled. Etix sales will be automatically refunded. Any tickets purchased at First Avenue or our local outlets can be refunded at The Depot Tavern.” You can still catch P.O.D. on Saturday, December 8 at Myth in Maplewood in support of 3 Doors Down and Daughtry.

Due to the above cancellation, Nonpoint has been re-booked on Friday, November 16 for a show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Alternative hard rock band Candlebox will be playing in Burnsville at the High Five Bar & Grill on Saturday, December 1. I believe the High Five is the same venue as the now-closed Primetime Bar & Grill.

West End Motel, the side project of Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, plays the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Sunday, December 9 with support from Ricer for an 18+ show. Tickets are $10 and go on sale today, Friday, October 19 at 12:00 noon through etix and other local First Avenue ticket outlets.

Returning to Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Thursday, December 20 is the one and only Steel Panther. This is an 18+ show. Their last show here sold out, so get your tickets soon—they go on sale today, Friday, October 19 at 10:00 am through the Mill City Nights website or AXS, their box office, and Electric Fetus in Minneapolis.

Chicago’s legendary hard rock band Styx returns to the area for a show at the Mystic Lake Showroom in Prior Lake on Friday, December 28.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels is back again, this time for a show at Treasure Island Casino in Welch on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31.

Full details about the Doro and Sister Sin show on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14 have been released, and the big news is that Station 4 and Swordlord Productions are presenting this as a FREE show. It’s a 21 and up show and doors are at 7:00. Get their early and be sure to show your appreciation by being generous at the bar.

As if hosting Michael Schenker on Saturday, October 27 wasn’t enough, Neisen’s in Savage will also present legendary guitar god Uli Jon Roth on Saturday, February 16. No ticket information is available at this time.

In Concert This Week - August 23, 2012

For once in a long time it seems there’s not an overload of concerts this week, but there’s some good ones!

Tonight, Thursday, August 23, local nü-metal crew Blue Felix plays a free show at Neisen’s in Savage.

It’s been a while since Canada’s Into Eternity has visited, but they are back with new singer Amanda Kiernan (who has replaced Stu Block, now the singer of Iced Earth) at Station 4 in St. Paul on Friday, August 24 with support from locals Cold Colours, Climactic, and Northsky.

Saturday, August 25 is an awesome night of death metal at Station 4 in St. Paul as Canadian heavyweights Kataklysm headline an impressive bill with Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains, and Rose Funeral. Origin leveled Station 4 back on May 17 (review with pictures here), so don’t miss then this time!

Click photo to see more pictures of Origin (56).

I’ve never counted the number of times Poison frontman/celebrity Bret Michaels plays solo dates here in a year, but it’s a lot. He’s back again for a solo acoustic show at The Pourhouse in Minneapolis on Sunday, August 26. Bret is performing as part of the Breathe Easy Music Fest II, also featuring the Tim Mahoney Band, Cole Allen Band, Crankshaft And The Gear Grinders, Saving Starz, BKS, and Clifton Wales, which is a benefit event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. According to a great article in the Stillwater Patch, this festival was originally scheduled for last month outdoors at the home of organizer Rob Olson in Lake Elmo but was cancelled after he mistakenly killed his 40,000 square foot lawn with a grass-killing herbicide! Not only did The Pourhouse offer the venue free of charge for the event, but Scott’s (the lawn care company) offered to restore Olson’s lawn for next summer’s festival and provided the money to book Bret Michaels.

Christian metalcore outfit Mychildren Mybride play an all ages show on Tuesday, August 28 at The Garage in Burnsville with Betrayal, Lions Lions, and Famous Last Words.

If you’re willing to suffer the parking and crowd at the Minnesota State Fair, Kiss and Mötley Crüe have sold-out co-headlining concert at the State Fair Grandstand in St. Paul on Wednesday, August 29. Support will come from England’s The Treatment.

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.