Mid-May is a great time to be a student, mostly because it means school is fast coming to an end and care free days are on the way. Nights at the library spent cramming for finals can be replaced by nights of a far different stripe—perhaps Red Stripe—at any of the Twin Cities' numerous fine watering holes, many of which happen to be showcasing tasty live music this week.
So put down the books Poindexter, because it’s time to rock.
(And if you’re reading this at work and really long to re-live your pre-full time job days, trust us, we’re with you.)
Read on for Metromix’s guide to the best live music hitting the smaller Twin Cities stages this week.
Tuesday, May 13th
Two critically adored female songwriters hit the Cities tonight, but gender is about all they have in common. Laura Viers will be bringing her classy brand of brainy folk-pop to the seated coziness of the Cedar Cultural Center, while MIA’s globe trotting schizoid tech pop will be firing up the masses out in Maplewood at Myth .
Looking for a ruminative listening experience? Hit up Viers’ gig. Just want to get your indie-freak on out in the ’burbs? MIA will definitely get the party started.
Wednesday, May 14th
Justin Vernon of mega-hyped folk act Bon Iver may be the one with a stranglehold on the national indie music spotlight at present, but his former bandmates in beloved Eau Claire group DeYarmond Edison have reformed as Megafaun and crafted a spooky slice of backwoods folk on their new album, "Bury the Square", see for yourself when they play live at the Kitty Cat Klub .
If you need music with a slightly quicker pulse to get you over the midweek hump then head on over to the 7th St. Entry and rock out to The Helio Sequence, a duo from Portland, Oregon, featuring sometime Modest Mouse drummer Benjamin Weikel and a spiraling propulsive guitar sound.
Thursday, May 15th
Stunningly original in sound, San Francisco abstract hip-hoppers Subtle think nothing of throwing together beat heavy samples, electronic cellos and melodica on the same track—and topping off the cake with some seriously skewed rapping. The creatively restless sextet’s gig at the 7th St. Entry will surely delight fans of the atypical, and paint knowing smiles on the faces of any locals already fond of Minnesota’s own similarly lively indie-rap hybrid, Mel Gibson & the Pants).
Friday, May 16th
Nick Africano’s five piece band has been slowly but surely building a buzz around his soulful folk-rock via steady gigging at the 400 bar the last few years, culminating in the release tonight at the club of their debut album, "I’ve Ever Desired". Sounding more like a grizzly soul man with some serious mileage on his tires rather than the early twenty-something he actually is, Africano’s tastefully adorned torch songs are worth keeping an eye on—could the Cities have its own Bob Seeger?
Also breaking out of the box with a new disc worth noting this week is local quartet Parts For All Makes, whose mix of girl group harmonies, minor key piano plonks, and serrated guitar spikes will be on display at the Uptown Bar and Café.
Saturday, May 17th
Find your favorite bird, put in fake bad teeth and get ready to groove to forty years worth of Brit pop sounds at the Triple Rock Social Club. England Swings VII, an annual local music cover festival in which Minnesota groups tackle classics from across the pond. Past shows have featured covers of the expected legends (The Kinks, The Beatles) but also plenty modern fare (Oasis, Travis). The 9-band lineup looks particularly solid this year.
Add a comment