Lineup for Grand RockTember 2 Festival at Grand Casino Hinckley Unveiled

Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley is reprising last year’s 80s-focused Grand RockTember Festival with (what else?) the Grand RockTember 2 Festival to be held this year over two days, Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13.

Blue Öyster Cult performing August 25, 2013 at the Minnesota State Fair. Check out the review of this show here, and click the pictures to see more photos (20).

The Friday show is a 70s classic rock bill with Sweet, April Wine, Foghat, and Blue Öyster Cult. Saturday’s show features Dee Snider, Jack Russell’s Great White, Lita Ford, Winger, Firehouse, Warrant, and Scrap Metal, which boasts an all-star lineup of singers Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Derek St. Holmes (Ted Nugent), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Mark Slaughter (Slaughter, Vinnie Vincent Invasion), and Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson (Nelson). Single-day and two-day tickets will be available when tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:00 am. You can get the latest information at the Grand Casino Hinckley site.

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.

Tonight - FIREHOUSE, THE AVENGERS in Minneapolis

90s rock superstars Firehouse play the Twin Cities with remarkable regularity, and that streak continues with their show tonight, Thursday, May 9 at The Pourhouse in Minneapolis. There are three tiers of tickets for this 21+ show that gets underway around 7:30: general admission ($25), reserved table seating ($40), and premium VIP seating ($60). This is a special benefit show for Six String Slingers, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide "high quality guitars and lessons to U.S. combat veterans who are suffering from PTSD and other combat-related issues." Firehouse returns again on Friday, July 19 for a show with Bret Michaels and Warrant at Lakefront Park in Prior Lake.

Extreme Noise Records in Minneapolis has lined up a special, free in-store event with cult 70s punk band The Avengers from San Francisco. Starting at 6:30, there will be a record signing, a question-and-answer session with fans, as well as a live performance. This in-store appearance is a warm-up for The Avengers' headlining slot at the Girls Got Rhythm festival in St. Paul this Friday, May 10 at the Amsterdam Bar & Grill. These two shows are surely not to be missed if you're a fan of old-school punk. Scroll down to watch The Avengers performing "We Are The One" in Germany in 2006.

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 - April 12, 2013

Metalcore band The Color Morale tops a huge bill on Thursday, May 2 at The Garage in Burnsville with My Ticket Home, Narrow Hearts, We Are The Blog, Broken City Skies, A Minor Set Back, Vessel For Tomorrow, In Search Of Silence, By The Thousands, and The Broken Are Crowned.

Early 90s sensation Firehouse will play The Pourhouse in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 9.

Atlanta rock band Dory Drive plays the Hi Five Bar in Burnsville on Saturday, May 11.

California band In This Moment comes to Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Wednesday, May 22 with support from Gemini Syndrome. Tickets go on sale today, Friday, April 12 at 10:00 am through AXS.

England’s Bush will play First Avenue in Minneapolis on Wednesday, May 22. Tickets go on sale today, Friday, April 12 at 12:00 noon through Etix.

A big night of metalcore happens Friday, May 24 at The Garage in Burnsville with For The Fallen Dreams, Hundredth, Upon This Dawning, Gideon, and Sworn In.

Metalcore band Sea Of Treachery and Madison’s Guardians play Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, June 1.

Hardcore heroes Your Demise play the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis with support from Rotting Out and Expire on Wednesday, June 5.

The news that Paul Di’Anno’s (ex-Iron Maiden) June 5 show at Neisen’s in Savage (and the entire tour) was cancelled was reported here back on March 22, and Blabbermouth recently confirmed that his US tour is now officially cancelled.

The first of two Alice Cooper shows on Sunday, July 14 at the State Theatre in Minneapolis is SOLD OUT. Tickets are still available for the Monday, July 15 show.