Twin Cities August Events

Whassup!!!! Jul 31, 2026

Vital Haps This Week

Dirtbike Boyfrend, Quiver the Busker, TORSO MAN, Dumpster Meds, Tape and Tears, Mon, Aug. 17, Underground Music Venue
There’s wild-eyed unembarrassed weirdo energy to Dirtbike Boyfriend, like someone unapologetic ally offering a critical evaluation of Madonna’s career during a long elevator ride. (“If this isn’t the appropriate time, when is?”) He keeps going after you leave. Real Jad Fair/Daniel Johnston vibe. Duluth’s Bret Holland is a skilled t-shirt artisan who races dirt bikes and makes comics because of course. The latest 18-song disc Blue, Blue, Blue definitely evokes that a Crispin Glover foreboding like he’d just as soon kick you in the head as laugh self-deprecatingly at what a dork he is. Creepy in the claustrophobic way. Which isn’t to in anyway say bad, just, maybe, watch your “dosage”? Prolific Chicago folk-punk opener Quiver the Busker recalls the ragged impassioned anarchic grace of Against Me!

Woolly Mack, Anslem, Cohen Bros, Mike Midwestern, Tue, Aug. 18, Zhora Darling
Woolly Mack is like the name hints, a retro-soul, psychedelic deep funk Twin Cities six-piece whose single last year, “Big Time,” possessed a tasty STAX shimmer and was joined by the funky blaxploitation-flavored “The Remedy.” Anslem play chunky, hard-charging but arty indie rock with some metal overtones. Atlanta’s the Cohen Brothers Band play old-timey bluegrass and Americana.

Willie Nelson, Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Wed, Aug. 19, Mystic Lake (Shakopee)
The Red-haired Stranger ‘s history at 93, is too long to comfortably tell, but he was one of the first outlaws to move to Austin, his dope-smoking and farm aid connected him to divergent crowds, and he was always generous to fellow musicians. He is the last living member of the ‘80s supergroup the Highwayman, and he continues to release music at a furious pace. Country, folk, blues, reggae, pop, rock. There isn’t anything Willie hasn’t tried, and always has remained true to his character. The Avett Brothers were one of the best live bands we saw in the aughts, and felt after their Rick Rubin breakthrough, I and Love and You, they’d be superstars. But while all four albums in the tens (all with Rubin) did well and finished in the top five on rock charts they didn’t achieve stardom or even ubiquity. They left Universal for 2024’s eponymous release but kept Rubin. It’s pared down but still doesn’t have the energy of 2020’s unpolished, unfussy Third Gleam EP, done without Rubin. Lukas Nelson is a chip off the block who performed under a band name to disguise his heritage while cutting his teeth. Smart kid with a well-screwed head and some good tunes, plus great genes. Supporting 2025’s very good American Romance.

Ghost Quartet, Fort Snelling Amphitheater, Wed – Sun, Aug. 19 – 23
Ghost Quartet is a song cycle about love, death and whiskey from Dave Malloy, the Tony-nominated creator of the Broadway hit “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” A camera breaks and four friends drink in an interwoven tale spanning seven centuries, with a murderous sister, a treehouse astronomer, a bear, a subway, and the ghost of Thelonious Monk.

David Housewright’s Fear The Reaper, Wed, Aug. 19, Next Chapter Books
A former President of the Private Eye Writers of America, David Housewright has won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, a Shamus nomination from the PWA and three Minnesota Book Awards. In his latest Rushmore McKenzie takes down a man wielding an AR-15 at a small town winery, then has to find out who, if anyone, was the shooter's target before he, or someone else, tries again.

William Kent Krueger’s God’s Country, Wed, Aug. 19, Once Upon a Crime; Mon, Aug 24, Next Chapter Books
From the New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember, comes Krueger’s latest intallment, which finds Cork O’Connor, preparing for a family trip into the Boundary Waters, troubled by ominous visions about his future. Ignoring the warnings, he uncovers signs of violence while searching for a missing friend.

Loring Park Neighborhood Party, Loring Park, Wed, Aug. 19
It’s a special mid-week neighborhood fair. Enjoy live music, food trucks, kids’ activities like face painting and a bounce house, and explore local art vendors. MPD Horses, MPD Robots, Makers Market, and Resource Booths.

Minnesota Monthly Fine Spirits Classic, Thursday, August 20, Orchestra Hall (Mpls)
It’s a celebration of premium spirits and cocktail culture from bold bourbons and silky gin to velvetyrums and handcrafted Liquers. Whether newb or connoisseur liquid pleasure is enjoyed equally. Besides the hooch, there are featured foods for sale from restaurant partners.

Peter Himmelman, Thur, Aug. 20, Dakota
Like conference rooms at an airport Ramada, the accommodations have changed several times for singer/songwriters since Himmelman got his start in new wave act Sussman Lawrence. A brash young voice with a story to tell, Himmelman reinvented himself several times to survive, writing for TV and film (Judging Amy, Bones), done five children’s albums (starting in the late nineties before ubiquity set in), and doing music therapy. Through it all he’s kept releasing albums, some piano rock/balladry, others folk and bar band guitar rock. He possesses the unquenched heart of a storyteller in the mold of Randy Newman, Warren Zevon and Joe Henry, telling timeless tales in the sophisticate pop/rock mien. One of those Songwriter’s songwriter.

Bunny Blood, Wish Wash, Planer, Fri, Aug. 21, Cloudland
Intriguing genre-bending Minneapolis trio Bunny Blood churns, drifts and dreams like a shoegazer, builds, bristles and broods like indie rock but break like nu metal dissassembling, fueled by versatile vocalist/bassist Hallie Gronquist. Billowing dream-pop/psych-rockers Wish Wash hopscotch among delicate beauty, fuzzed out languor and blissed out roar with mesmerizing female vocals. Planer plays noisy 90s indie/emo like Hot Water Music, Seaweed and Mineral.

Dances with Dali – A Surreal Flameno Experience, Southern Theatre (Mpls), Fri – Sun, Aug. 21 – 23
A new production from Flamenco X exploring the intersection of flamenco tradition and the visual language of Salvador Dalí. The piece uses Dalí's recurring motifs — distorted time, dreamlike landscapes, and the tension between memory and reality — as a structural framework for a program of original flamenco choreography, live cante, and guitar.

David Huckfelt & the Unarmed Forces, Sat, Aug. 22, Turf
Iowa native David Huckfelt first pursued theology, then enrolled in the prestigious Iowa Writer’s workshop before turning to music as frontman of indie-folk trio The Pines. He turned a National Park Service fellowship of two weeks on a remote island in Lake Superior into his 2019 solo debut Stranger Angels, followed by the less austere Room Enough, Time Enough taking a step toward comparatively expansive roots/rock covers album I Was Born, But… with his Unarmed Forces backing band really asserting itself on John Cale’s rollicking blues-roots shuffle “Any Way the Wind Blows,” George Jones’ soul-tinged “The Race is On,” and Big Thief’s pretty atmospheric country-pop “Anything.” Huckfelt also offers a fine, timely cover of Dylan’s “Changing of the Guards.”

Midwest Black Book Fair, U of MN Urban Research & Outreach (UROC), Sat, Aug. 22
This family friendly event will feature Black book vendors, Black authors, book signings/readings, writing and publishing workshops, Black food vendors, and more!

Acting & Writing Meetup, Sat, Aug. 22 (2pm), Lake Hiawatha Park
Everyone will create a scene from scratch in 20-30 minutes, then it will be handed off to actors to perform. If there are enough actors who aren't writing, we'll facilitate some acting games while the writers write. No experience required.

Waseca Sleigh & Cutter Summer Kite Festival, Waseca Intermediate School (Waseca, MN), Sat, Aug. 22
Watch as massive, colorful kites soar high above the festival grounds, painting the sky with dazzling shapes and colors brighter than your favorite holiday lights. Get ready for the famous Great American Kites Candy Cannon as sweet treats rain down from the sky for kids and families to enjoy!

Private Lives, Guthrie, Thru Sun, Aug. 23
It’s been five years since divorcees Elyot and Amanda called it quits. Now they’re both on marriage number two and honeymooning at a popular resort town in France with their new spouses. Insults and sparks fly until everyone is caught in an emotional crossfire and forced to follow their hearts. The fourth production of Coward’s most celebrated work, the last time during the Guthrie’s 2007-2008 season.

Live Performance

Weekdays

Chuck Prophet, Sun, August 2, Parkway Theatre
We spoke about catching Robert Earl Keen before it’s too late because he’s largely given up touring, Chuck Prophet’s hand was almost forced. The roots singer/guitarist and celebrated sideman was diagnosed with stage 4 lyphoma in 2022. Fortunately with chemo he recovered, and during that time hatched a love of a Latin dance style known as cumbia, generally heavy on guitars, accordion and percussion. The 65-yr old Prophet championed a Salinas band ¿Qiensave? and recorded the delicious Wake the Dead, their bracing energy percolating alongside his literate storytelling and backing band. Prophet’s made plenty of great somewhat unsung music from the three-album arc collaborating with Escovedo (Real Animal, Street Songs of Love, Big Station) to his decade long run with Green on Red, an underrated solo career and a long list of supporting credits (including Warren Zevon, Cake, Penelope Houston). A consummate performer always looking to serve the song.

Bermuda Search Party, Hollyy, Of the Orchard, Sun, Aug 2, Zhora Darling
Boston’s Bermuda Search Party (FKA the Q-Tip Bandits) play bright, almost cloyingly upbeat, horn & synth-driven indie/funk-pop, fueled by a brass section (trumpet & trombone/keys) and the harmonizing of vocalists bassist Claire Davis and guitarist Leo Son. At times they suggest Modest Mouse on mood elevators, others it’s an Up With People (or Foster the People) concert on cocaine. They’re known as an energetic live act. Chicago’s Hollyy are a neo-soul, late 70s-style rock act led by blue-eyed crooner Tanner Dane, that land closer to disco than the Daptones while supporting last-year’s full-length debut The Weight of This Heart.

Suki Waterhouse, Charlotte Lawrence, Mon, Aug. 3, Palace
There’s nothing wrong with Suzi Waterhouse that authenticity wouldn’t solve. The fashion plate ex-model is the bling version of Zooey Deschanel, which is to say the sashaying-actress/model-turned-pouting-pop-star is a UK creation complete with appearance in AbFab, a role in Divergent series 2015 movie Insurgent, and a marriage to actor Robert Pattinson. Her latest, Loveland, is not bad though the less-is-more vibe of modern “indie” synth-pop has the consistency of frogurt – sweet but kinda tart with a shallow aftertaste. Charlotte Lawrence is another actress/model/nepo child turned pop star. Smells Like Teen Spirit: "Our little group has always been and always will until the end."

Cruz Beckham and the Breakers, Mayfly Moon, Mon, Aug. 3, 7th Street Entry
Is anyone really crying out for a European nepo child's insights into love? Does it help if he sounds like a fish & chip Oasis looking for a New Order? When he promises on his new single "to wear you down," you just assume he means like mini-me in a Mike Myers skin suit. We've all met Nigerian princes more credible than this posh playboy affecting humanity. Pathos from a wealthy dope sporting Nicholas Cage's Raising Arizona mustache? Don't make me laugh unless that's the intent. Really missed when nepo spawn were more embarrassed than emboldened.

It must bite being so rich & famous from birth than your "friends" are never honest, stunting your self-awareness & authenticity while ensuring any distress is mostly frivolous posturing.

Will Swinton, Tue, Aug, 4, 7^th Street Entry
New Zealand phenom Will Swinton was a beloved ne’er-do-well growing up, evidence of his easy charm, which he turned toward music in his late teens. Swinton’s raspy, vaguely nasal mumble is the kind of squirrelly character to squeeze between bars, insinuate itself into your space with effortless, atmospheric melody and walk away with your wallet. He put three tracks from his debut Better Days EP into the top 15 in NZ, leading him to Los Angeles, where he secured a major label deal. An evocative singer without being much of a wordsmith, he recalls Pete Yorn.

New Album Release: Ditch Pigeon, Boots & Needles, Mimi Oz, Logan Vagle, Tue, Aug. 4, Underground Music Venue // Ditch Pigeon, Chairman Chair and the Chairmen, Dead Larry, True Green, Thur, Aug. 6, Amsterdam Bar
Ditch Pigeon is singer/guitarist Hayley Anne whose charged vocal modulations and sustains dance within cinematic vibrato and cascading guitar chords for an atmospheric effect of traversing a vast cave complex with burbling interior rivers, magnificent glimmering stalactites and inscrutable figural chalk drawings leading deeper into the depths, singer/songwriter fare on the end of a carrot whose spherical mystery you can never corner. She’s preparing to release her debut LP, Chronic Burger Vision on August 6. OPENING ACTS: Boots & Needles are Lauren Asheim and Dallas Cornell playing vintage country with a dash of rockabilly swag. Toronto singer/songwriter Mimi Oz worked with Bob Wiseman (Blue Rodeo) on her 2013 debut Three of Swords, plays with anti-folk act Rooster and is working on her fourth album, the follow-up to 2021’s Growing Pains, about her time in New York City. Woolly circus psych/folk-punk combo CCATC possess a winning whimsy with three albums under their belt.

Goo Goo Dolls, Tue, Aug. 4, Mystic Lake
They say if there’s a path before you, someone else must have cut it. The best way to analogize the bleeding edge versus the leading edge, is the difference between the Replacements and the Goo Goo Dolls; it’s the essential product of something dangerous and risky versus something built to resemble something critics and cognescenti loved. Not everyone can be a trailblazer; takes guts and a willingness to go against-the-flow. It’s easy to hold it against Johnny Rzeznik as a cheap knockoff, and to some extent it’s true. But give the Buffalo act credit as contemporaries who were able to polish the ‘Mats chaotic allure into something more manageable and commercial and sustain it for a time. Whatever qualms I had about the rip-off were erased with the perfect Westerberg lift, “Two Days in February,” a devastating kiss-off acoustic track unequalled in the Dolls’ catalog.

Tomahawk/Melvins, Wed, Aug. 5, First Ave
Tomahawk is an early aughts experimental metal supergroup under the aegis of Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Fantômas), featuring drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Battles) and guitarist Duane Dennison (Jesus Lizard, Hank III, Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers). While their early releases explored throb and breakdowns, it was six years between their third album and 2013’s Oddfellows and other eight before 2021’s pandemic-inflected Toxic Immobility, which opens up the sound significantly. Patton commented the songs were nearly complete without lyrics and Dennison correctly described it as cinematic, as it’s like an open world RPG – no telling where it will go – often precipitating a dry, math-y throb with plenty of hairpin rhythmic turns. The Melvins bring a similar experimental vibe to their latest, Savage Imperial Death March, a collaboration with Napalm Death, that while brutal is also very lithe on its feet and explorative. Definitely less sludgy/grinding than you’d might expect.

Soul Asylum frontman and sole original member, Dave Pirner

Soul Asylum (Acoustic), Ivan Neville, Laurels String Quartet, Wed, Aug. 5, Dakota
Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner has long since cleared the table of old bandmates and the last couple albums (2020’sHurry Up and Wait, 2024’s Slowly but Shirley) returned to the grimy, Midwestern bar band rock on which they cut their teeth,and Pirner’s still pretty good at those anthemic rockers. With an unplugged disc apparently on the way (two singles out of “Misery” and “What Will Become of Me”),this acoustic show is a fine crudités. Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville (Aaron’s son) released his first solo album in 20 years,2023’s Touch My Soulsampling deeply from the Big East traditions that inform his sound from funk and R&B to roots, blues, jazz and soul.

Young the Giant, Cold War Kids, Little Image, Thur, Aug 6, Surley Brewery
Eclectic California indie rockers Young the Giant have catchy modern sound that combines the earnest arena rock sheen of Coldplay with a more intimate college rock baroquialism suggestive of a pocket-size the National – neither as sophisticated nor sateen – with a U2 fascination. Children of immigrants, YtG's timing has been impeccable as far as their frequent political subtext of acceptance, sacrifice and identity. It’s odd finding CWK in a supporting slot, but that’s what happens 10 albums in and a decade removed from your last charting album. An oddly soulful, occasionally jagged indie-pop band early on, they’ve enriched their eclectic songwriting and traded self-conscious theatricality for greater concision and cohesion. On tracks like “Hang Me Up To Dry,” they unite their urbane rhythmic baroquialism in engaging off-beat modern rock.

Noeline Hofman, Thur, Aug 6 , 7^th Street Entry
Emblematic of how success happens these days, a then-twenty year old Canadian songstress Noeline Hoffman caught Zach Bryan’s attention with her song, “Purple Gas,” was invited to perform it in duet with him and wound up on 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene, prompting a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Hoffman’s country/Americana is spare and understated fueled by a powerful wavering voice that recalls Be Good Tanyas’ Frazey Ford, alongside foot-tapping country rock, loping hill-tinged pedal-steel country, and story-telling folk.

Field Hospitals, Hex Horse, Bell Choir, Thur, Aug 6, Icehouse
The members of Field Hospitals formed from experimental local acts intending to make something more conventionally verse/chorus/bridge, fashioning jangly, moody indie rock the spans from washes of R.E.M. shimmer, to a big Wedding Present ring and a touch of Agitpop’s melodic muscularity. It’s the debut of Hex Horse which apparently plays slow-building doom-folk, alt-country and slow-’recana. Bell Choir plays indie-pop.

Dwllrs, thebandfriday, Sun, Aug, 9, 7^th Street Entry
There’s a particular sound – piano-driven, swooning background vocals baked in atmospheric guitar pyrex – that is so de riggeuer these days on mainstream big radio albums that it’s reminiscent how every female singer/songwriter had this (faux?) sophisticated jazzy AC rock instrumental backing after Suzanne Vega and Aimee Mann had big success with it. It’s just a stylistic era-specific choice like gated drums, and equally ubiquitous. While California duo Dwllrs’ thoughtful dreamy modern pop is delectable it’s not especially memorable. Openers thisbandfriday are also a duo of childhood California friends (presumably the only way to have real ones there) who got Tik Tok famous and signed to a major label; decent melodies are wasted on bands that all sound alike. Does anyone remember when bands wanted to be unique? Of course acts like that don’t get signed; needs to be Basic enough to sell middle aged A&R guys.

Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Sun, Aug. 9, Hook and Ladder
For almost four decades since the late eighties, California’s Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys have been bringing their incendiary roots-rock(abilly) & Western swing show to the people, long before it was hip. Like their peers, they’ve traveled widely across Americana’s expanses including doo-wop, Memphis soul,bluegrass, mariachi, cajun, wide-ranging covers and even an instrumental album,thought it’s been more than a dozen years since their last studio release, What a Dream It’s Been.

Blimey, Tommy Oeffling and the B-Team, Mon, Aug. 10, 7th Street Entry
Locals Blimey play noisy hyper-melodic local indie rock that recalls Drunken Boat, Seaweed, and Swirlies. Big ringing hooks, some churning over-driven distortion, alternately shouted/understated lyrics. Only a few singles out so far. Prolific Milwaukee singer/songwriter Tommy Oeffling has released at least a half-dozen albums in just four years,and a handful of CDs. He hangs at the intersection of rock and folk, often slotting into classic songwriter mold (think Joe Pernice or Jackson Browne but more mumblecore). Though he mostly keeps it mid-tempo, he can rock out.

Common Lady, NATL PARK SRVC, Kym & the Kick, Mon, Aug. 10, Zhora Darling
Common Lady is a chamber/indie-rock seven-piece who will break out horns and strings around folk-soul chantress Emma Deihl. Debuting with their 5-song PatchworkEP, they veer from the piano balladry of “Scarlet,” to the jazzy-folk, struggle paean, “Tightrope,” and the jaunty blooze “Stick Shift.” They’re joined by fellow Minneapolis septet NATL PARK SRVC, who are more symphonically/twee-inclined recalling Cleveland’s Bears, Camera Obscura and Sondre Lerche. The songs build and bloom very nicely and delivered with a gusto that sometimes eludes indie-pop acts: If you’re gonna bite you some Belle, don’t be shy!

Nik Parr & the Selfless Lovers, Tue, Aug. 11, Underground Music Venue
Austin’s sax-blowing/keyboards-playing frontman Nik Parr makes bloozy bar room rock in the mold of Springsteen, with chooglin’ rumble, a healthy dollop of southern-fried soul and the epic mein to throw life’s mundane stories on the Planetarium ceiling, snapshots of a better world you can only dream of.

Stanley Clarke (two shows), Tue, Aug. 11, Dakota
Clarke's a jazz heavyweight whose extraordinary bass playing helped to redefine the instrument as a melodic lead while a young (21 yo) member of Chick Corea's groundbreaking jazz fusion act, Return to Forever. His innovative blend of rapid fingerstyle runs, complex chording and blend of upright-style picking and aggressive slap-and-pop tonalities, demonstrated the bass' versatility and had him heralded as the next Jaco Pastorius. However, while incredibly technically accomplished, there is a feeling in some quarters (unshared) that he peaked creatively by the eighties, though he won a Grammy for 2011's The Stanley Clark Band album. Of late he's been an in-demand soundtrack composer (Romeo Must Die, The Transporter, Soul Men).

Willow Avalon, JD Clayton, Slater Nalley, Wed, Aug, 12, Fine Line
Willow Avalon’s father Jim White was iconoclastic folk singer, and she’s the type to find her own way. After signing an ill-fated publishing deal for which she wasn’t paid, she turned a billboard ad for her self-released single into a rotation slot at KCRW and then a sync on Riverdale that gave her the money to buy back her masters. She’s a twangy Americana artist in the mold of Kacey Musgrave and beyond that Lucinda Williams, with a spunky reverence for old school country storytelling. Her latest, Pink Pocket Pistol, features a terrific duet with Jason Isbell. JD Clayton’s well-received 2023 debut, Long Way From Home, followed by last year’s solid sophomore effort Blue Sky Sunday. Both offers rootsy band rock with a country edge balancing Robert Keen’s light country rock touch with greasy southern-soul/rock.

Watson Twins, Wed, Aug. 12, Parkway Theatre
Twin sisters Chandra Watson and Leigh Watson distinctive roots-soul harmonies have found homes on many artists’ albums since backing Jenny Lewis’ 2006 solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, including the Shins, Kings of Leon, Vanessa Carlton, American Aquarium and Butch Walker. They’ve also released their own more rustic Americana music on five studio albums, that last of which was 2023’s Holler, followed by last year’s fine live album, Seeing Double, accenting the boisterous, “steam heat” of their sibling partnership.

Riff Wood, Willowake, Wed. Aug. 12, 7th Street Entry
Precocious Utah teens Riff Wood began in their tweens and after winning a high school Battle of the Bands went viral on Tik Tok, somehow getting the attention of 3-time Grammy-winning producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day’s Dookie, My Chemical Romance’s Black Parade). He produced their debut while they were still in high school. At their best Riff Wood play keenly polished but still impassioned power/pop-punk; at their worst, they sound like something Matchbox Twenty tossed out. Building on a theme, opening act Willowake are a Los Angeles trio just out of high school who apparently got famous of Tik Tok though it’s pretty unremarkable third-wave emo, like undercooked Promise Ring.

Modest Mouse, Califone, Thur, Aug. 13, Palace
Poised between math-y post-punk, burbling Northwest indie-folk and plinky introspective keyboard pop, Modest Mouse are an unlikely alt-rock juggernaut. Isaac Brock’s distracted vocals could be phone memos, given how left of the spotlight they sound. His sotto voce reflections, usually half-submerged in the mix, are oddly relatable, the murmurs of confusion as the ride jostles and skitters in the band’s trademark manner. Sometimes the arrangements get quite grand but always with this rattling human bit at its center. The death of founding drummer Jeremiah Green at the end of 2022 shook the band. It hangs over their latest, An Eraser and a Maze, particularly “Third Side of the Moon,” giving the music an even moodier, contemplative subtext than usual. Califone is an outgrowth of ‘90s roots-blues act Red Red Meat – whose drummer/keyboardist Brian Deck produced Modest Mouse major label debut The Moon & Antartica – are a cult underground fave for a string of extraordinary early-aughts albums that wove electronics and dusty folk-blues, growing successively richer and more ambitious. After just one album (2013’s Stitches) in a dozen years, they’ve released two more in five years, including 20025’s The Villager’s Companion, continuing to widen their cinematic roots vistas.

American Cream, Good Doom, Shadow Hex, Thur, Aug. 13, Turf Club
Originally the brainchild of Nathan Nelson, American Cream’s auteur/frontman Nelson teams with Liz Buhmann for their latest, Twin. It’s a bristling indie-funk party hosted by a boy/girl-attack like the B-52s, doing the twist in a jazz-skronk blender, a self-conscious, joyously weird po-mo new wave art-funk throwdown. Good Doom’s minimalist instrumental psychedelica is experimental soundtrack music, without a narrative arc so much as motifs quickly moving in and out. The first three discs tended to be more concise, if less symmetrical. Their last disc, 2024’s A Powerful Hex, expands beyond the three minute mark with richer less jagged textures building in more coherent, complex ways while always remaining highly diapohonous.

American Vanity, Sun, Aug 16, 7^th St Entry
Not sure what it is about this month for teenage rockers, but American Vanity is another band of teens trying to make the jump. They have some Broadway touring and television from their childhood, and deliver churning, moody modern rock like they're trying to wheedle the last beer from a roommate. How high are the stakes anyway for middle class 17 year olds? To be fair, which we snap, they’re polished, dynamic, professional radio rock. Not much grime, but plenty of impassioned melodrama. In time more nuance and less trope will come easier.

They were gonna remake Wired's Pink Flag, but everything got a bit under-exposed.

American Football, Afternoon Bike Ride, Sun, Aug 16, First Ave
The parameters of history are wider than the horizons of pop, so albums and artists keep emerging years after they’ve been given up for flop. So it was that emo footnote American Football, featuring the less “interesting” Kinsella, the drummer, not Tim who led Joan of Arc and Cap’n’Jazz, came to be the relevant one two decades on. Mike made one album trying to take emo further, blending the pop hooks and jangly mope with sparser, emptier arrangements like in jazz, an urban emo answer to desert rock. It went unremarked, but the legend spread such that when they (in authentic style) recorded an album and actually returned, the outpouring encouraged them to forge on. In a twist, they abandoned their initial thrift after their 2016 return, recording a more polished, layered album only to go full orchestral on the new album, which ladles rich instrumentation to somewhat soften the harsh bare wire emotional ugliness of a divorce, fully abandoning the ethos, while retaining ornately cloudy flattened effect shimmer. The baroque effort is distancing in a seemingly intentional manner. Montreal trio Afternoon Bike Ride are an eclectic jazz-folk act that creates a variety of dreamy, percolating textures and martial rhythms around the pretty melancholy drifting whispered coo of Lia Kurihara.

LCD Soundsystem, Victoryland, Tue, Aug. 18, Armory
If Pet Shop Boys grew into Pet Shop Men, you would hope they’d be LCD Soundsystem, a band whose coy insouciance hasn’t lost its rebellious indifference. Perhaps there is an element of self-parody in their epic rock but this is an act whose first hit “worried” it was no longer hip. There may be two directions to go, but any honest businessman knows that’s not true. (Credit the Clash: He who fucks nuns, later joins the church.) But I came here to praise James Murphy not to bury him. LCD Soundsytem are an epic melodrama p imped out in keyboards, orchestral samples and self-indulgence – it’s the soundtrack to the diva in us all. FFS they did a grand Madison Square final concert and returned just six years later with a new album; which they’re still touring. Is it shameless to get paid? Depends on how much you go for. How awesome to do “Losing my Edge” 25 yrs after you wrote it. Cue Johnny Rotten (below) for the punchline. Opener Victoryland is fey knotty rhythmic indie pop like Elephant 6 by way of the Dismemberment Plan, and is supporting second LP My Heart is a Room with No Cameras In It.

Kill Lincoln, JER, Bad Operation, The Best of the Worst, Wed, Aug. 19, Fine Line
Skanking within an inch of their lives, DC ska-core sextet Kill Lincoln’s tempos are lit like a fuse, racing to beat the band to the finish. The vocals are way up front amidst the clamor, a pogoing vocal focal point while the guitars riot as though on the lam, expecting a cop to come busting through any moment. They have a big melodic sound like Catch-22 and an anthemic chug worthy of Streetlight Manifesto, while the funny car throttle suggest our own adrenaline junkies Dillinger 4. Gainesville’s JER graduated from Youtube Skatune Network where they posted ska covers of popular songs to full-time artist. (He also teaches marching band at a local high school in his free time.) JER’s approach is more dynamic and eclectic than his peers, deeply evoking Fishbone.

Raynes, Pretty Pretty Please, Thur, Aug. 20, Turf Club
North Dakotans Joe Berger and Mat Charley met in college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue music together. They found folk-soul UK vocalist Mark Race online to form Raynes, and he was willing to relocate to make a run at their dreams. Short-circuited by the pandemic, they wrote individually before reuniting to record 2023’s 8-song A Ghost in the Walls EP. Rich in harmonies with strong, pulsing rhythms they recall the early Bodeans, but in a more sophisticated folk/AAC manner. They’re keenly recorded with crisp soundfields that never seem busy despite an abundance of instrumental touches. Shuffling shambolic harmony-enriched Minneapolis psych-roots act Pretty Pretty Please released the full-length debut Let It Out last year.

Jason Carter Band, Mon, Aug. 23, Parkway
Jason Carter was a teenage guitarist/mandolin player when he saw Del McCoury’s band, first on TV then live. He switched then and there to fiddle, since the band already had a guitarist and mandolinist. He spent two years building his skills and joined at 19, spending the next three decades playing with the most awarded band in bluegrass, winning three Grammys and six IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year awards. For a new challenge Carter stepped out front for 2022’s Lowdown Hoedown. Last year he joined 12-time IBMA Fiddler of the Year winner Michael Cleveland for the boisterous Carter & Cleveland, featuring two players who know what they’re doing and it sounds like it.

Umphrey’s Mcgee, Mon, Aug. 23, First Ave
In a genre whose fans’ discernment tends to be highly compromised (in the best way) by drugs, Umphrey’s McGee standout as an act that lives up to the eyes-like-saucers hype. The South Bend, Indiana act truly embraced the culture and its fan service / behavior is tremendous. Can you imagine voting on the best live performances of the year and having the band release them? This may sound weird but they are the Los Lobos of the jam scene – a band whose musicianship and obvious positive vibe are communicated in music that has long left the genre pen to roam free, as it was meant to. Sure it’s jazzy funk rock, but the excursions feel much less frivolous and flighty than almost any other jam band. It will be interesting for fans to see how longtime lead guitarist Brendan Bayliss responds to the continued departure of second guitarist Jake Cinninger, who was last with the band in February, and is presently taking a break from touring.

My Chemical Romance, Sleater-Kinney, Tue, Aug. 24, Target
Spent a week on Warped Tour My Chemical Romance headlined. (Not that this brief moment of time was enough to form judgments upon, though there was *waves hands* there is other data.) Always struck me as brooding self-absorbed wankers, but unlike Avenged Sevenfold nothing about them made you afraid to say it to their face, which is probably why they spent most of their time on the bus. Gerald Way is just pissed they were born too late to be queen and not talented enough to do Sergeant Pepper’s. Listen they’re a perfectly passable pop-punk, second/third-wave emo act. They got older but didn’t grow up – or maybe we didn’t; FFS these days even the Vice President wears eyeliner Alice Cooper. Where’s the rebellion? It’s painted on the cliff wall, like a Wiley Coyote fail. I’d talk about the music but… where is it? Their last album was 16 years ago? And they reunited seven years ago? GimmeafckinBreak. And Sleater-Kinney, the punk rock, riot grrl icons of the nineties decided to hitch their wagon to this well-flogged horse? SMDH. They’re still a great, powerful band, that even releases new music, like 2024’s Little Rope. What are you doing? Everyone has to pay the rent, huh?

Todd Rundgren's forgotten more than most musicians know @ music.

Todd Rundgren, Tue, Aug. 25, Uptown Theatre
Todd Rundgren has always been a maverick and trailblazer with a penchant for showmanship. He’s written pop songs and prog symphonies, done lavish stage shows and rocked out. He almost became a computer programmer instead of a producer and his facility with tech was made him a trailblazer in the seventies, abandoning his successful act Nazz to strike out on his own and scored big with third solo album, 1972’s Something/Anything?, a double album he credited to ritalin, highlighted by “Hello, It’s Me,” and the album opening, “I Saw the Light.” There was his prog-rock act Uptopia, in the late seventies/early eighties culminating in a move to production (XTC’s Skylarking, Psychedelic Furs’ Next Position Please, Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell). He may have moved beyond the spotlight but at 78 he’s still releasing albums (2022’s Space Force feature Adrian Belew, Rivers Cuomo, Neil Finn, the Roots), rocking the house and mining his deep catalog.

Quicksand, Bane, Tue, Aug. 25, Amsterdam
There was a moment, just after Helmet hit in the mid 90s, when Quicksand seemed like one of the hardest hitting punk/alt-metal acts in the pen, a pummeling autoclave to wear away your mind. Many thought they might succeed Fugazi and crossover but the pressure broke the band in the late nineties before they could release their third album. Year later they reunited and released 2017’s very respectable Interiors. Distant Populations began to stretch making more holes for the melody to escape, not grinding the hook so hard into the ground. That work really blossoms on the new release Bring on the Psychics, particularly tracks like “Supercollider” is maybe the best song they’ve ever written, 33 years after their breathrough debut, Slip. Bane was a side project of Converge’s Aaron Dalbec whose debut, It All Comes Down to This, was a seminal post-hardcore release and got the 25^th anniversary treatment a couple years ago, but their last album was 2014’s Don’t Wait Up. Great pairing.

Raquel Rodriquez, Wed, Aug. 26, Icehouse
Mexican-American native L.A. soul singer Raquel Rodriquez is working it, like one does, after graduating from USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music, and landed a gig singing backup for Gwen Stefani. She’s been building her chops a dozen years with maybe a half dozen EPs and two LPs, 2021’s Sweet Side and 2024’s Housewife. She excels at groovy, head-bopping mid-tempo soul-pop, which layered dynamic arrangements that incorporate elements of pop, jazz, R&B and soul. She’s well matched in Rudy De Anda, a fellow Mexican-American with a similar passion for classic pop and Motown soul over gently insistent melodies.

Trish Toledo, Rudy De Anda, Thur, Aug. 27, Turf Club
Toledo grew up in Carson, CA the child of an Ecuadorian-Guatemalan family with much older siblings and an oft-absent musician father. Though she loved music she deferred her dream due to teenage pregnancy, to a dozen years later she returned to her love at her 11-year old son’s insistence. Though she grew up on cumbia and ballads, her great love is Motown/pop-soul of the late sixties, in crisp, baroque, horn-laded numbers worthy of the Brill Building.

Santana, the Doobie Bros, Thur, Aug. 27, Mystic Lake (Shakopee)
Carlos Santana found success fusing afro-cuban rhythms to American blues-roots, rising to fame in the late sixties and early seventies behind iconic, rhythmic grooves “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.” Santana’s signature style is integral to the sound, with the soaring melodic sustains melting into scabrous blues licks, and tight rhythmic turnarounds. He had a career resurgence thanks to Supernatural, with its collaborations, including the enormous hit with Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, “Smooth” and “Maria Maria” with The Product G&B, which won a record-tying nine Grammys. The Doobie Brothers are okay. Not sure they belong in the Rock Hall of Fame, but at least they belong more than Madonna. They reunited on a couple occasions but for our purposes it wasn’t real until Michael McDonald’s big basso returned full-time in 2019. They’ve even released two albums in that time, including 2025’s Walk This Road.

Bonnie Raitt, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Thur, Aug. 27, MN Fairgrounds
Slide guitarist/singer Bonnie Raitt’s enjoyed an extraordinary half-century of blues-roots mining winning intimacy with a honey-smoked rasp and spunky grit that always felt down-home. She enjoyed critical acclaim almost from her self-titled 1971 release but it took until her sixth album to achieve any commercial success, going gold on 1977’s Sweet Forgiveness with the help of a cover of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” in 1977, just as the rockabilly revival was warming. But she still couldn’t break through. It took another dozen years and being dropped from Warner Brothers, grabbed up by Prince, suffering a ski accident that laid her up, got sober after before she released 1989’s Nick of Time, which went to #1 and won Grammy for Album of the Year. It revitalized her career. Then she recorded her biggest hit, “Something to Talk About,” off 1991’s Luck of the Draw, which went to #2, and followed with another #1, 1994’s Longing in their Hearts. She released six more albums over the next 32 years, moving among roots and rock and all were well received. (Finally.) She’s won 13 Grammys and in 2000 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her latest release, 2022's Just Like That... was a surprise hit, going to #6 on the rock charts, powered by the title track, which won Song of the Year Grammy, and "Made Up My Mind," which won Best Americana Performance. New Orleans roots-soul player Jon Cleary is the real specimen, a barrelhouse blues and R&B piano powerhouse who happens to hail from Kent, England. You wouldn't know it, and his backing band of Big Easy ringers won't let you even suspect. He’s been at it three decades, appeared in short-l;ived New Orleans series Treme, and is supporting last year’s The Bywater Sessions.

Ray LaMontagne, Sun, Aug. 30, Orpheum
Singer/songwriter LaMontagne’s breakthrough 2004 debut Trouble was lifted by Americana’s rising tides, which carried his impassioned ballads, propelled by the late-breaking title track. LaMontagne pushes his husky soulful rugged baritone like there’s still a leftover drop of feeling in there. More troubadour than classic songwriter, he tried on a variety of guises (AAA crooner, swaggering roots-soul, heady psych rock) before returning to the roots-rock that predominated on his first album for 2020’s AOR-inflected Monovision and 2024’s reflective, more folky, Long Way Home.

Dave Matthews Band, Mon, Aug. 31, Mystic Lake (Shakopee)
Nobody sets out to create a cliché. It’s a comment on how successful the formula is that everyone wants their bite. Don’t hate the player, hell it’s hard to even blame the less talented seeing a valuable property and trying to lay claim to it. In truth, they’ve probably been situated on that highway a while and who can blame them for taking advantage of the traffic. DMB might be boring to us, but we know it’s entirely someone else’s fault. They seem good at what they do and if it were possible to eliminate the redundancy we might even grow to appreciate. As is meandering white boy, roots-soul festival rock with lots of dangly noodly bits is my version of hell, if you escape the flaming pit of Katy Perry covering Nickelback.

Antibalas, Tue, Sept. 1, Parkway
Brooklyn Afrobeat act Antibalas is our version of a jam band, and on some level they’re similar. Both inhabit the funk universe, and we aren’t judging so much as expressing a preference. In explanation, we’d argue that not only does the big brass section brings back jazz motifs not in circulation but there’s an elegant cicularity to the compositions that for us feels less like running 16 eighth-mile laps at the gym. It’s just taste. Traversing the under-explored trail blazed by Fela Kuti, The Daptone act got started in the late nineties just as we moved to the area, so there’s some sentimentality there. Still, their numbers feel twice as dynamic as any 4-bar blues jam. The vocal-free approach is a new wrinkle (though they always favored instrumentals) for last year’s Hourglass, which marks the departure of singer Duke Amayo after he keyed the martial arts-themed 2020 release, Fu Chronicles. Getting back to basics suits them, and the set is a delightful return to the funky afro-jazz of their earliest years.

Peter Hook & the Light, DJ Jake Rudh, Tue, Sept. 1, First ave
Peter Hook & the Light exist in a Sell Out grey area. On the one hand he’s assembled a band of ringers to tour New Order and Joy Division albums that are decades old. On the other hand, they’re great albums and Hook has a legitimate claim to authorship for both, even if he was only the bassist. For a brief time he was even New Order’s vocalist before Bernard Sumner took over. In Hook’s favor, these are leaden cover bands but skilled sympathetic performances that bring the songs to life, especially the interesting orchestral interpretations. It probably sucks for the other band members, but they’re an ocean away and it’s hard to feel wildly invested in their complaints when music is meant to be shared and this was some of that era’s best. Nobody else out there giving Unknown Pleasures the philharmonic treatment.

Enter the 36 Chambers: Stay Until Showtime?

Wu Tang Clan, Tue. Sept. 1, Mystic Lake (Shakopee)
When they were on top of their game – dark, funky dry and hypnotic – there wasn’t a better crew in hip-hop. They were mob deep, the solo albums were sick, and the albums were real affairs – for a minute. But just as things spiraled out of control for ODB, so too did it get away from the Wu in a series of disappointing follow-up solo albums, and secondary member debuts. Beyond that Raekwon and RZA began to beef publicly over the sound, and though there are moments in their subsequent releases, it’s hard to escape the sense everybody was saving their best for their own albums. Only Ghostface seems to really bring it on the reg. Appropriate to the theme, the Final Chamber tour which was supposed to conclude last year still continues, only many of the members aren’t showing up for some of them, leaving audiences frustrated with Wu shows absent Young Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Cappadonna and Raekwon. (ODB’s son, Young Dirty Bastard takes over Dad’s rhymes.) There are assurances everybody will be on the tour when it kicks off August 27. Time will tell.

Weekend

Scottie Miller & Orchestra Album Release, Sat, August 1, Parkway Theatre
A Berklee grad in the eighties, Miller cut his teeth in blues, roots and R&B, received a key mentorship playing keyboards on Bo Diddley’s last tour. He’s toured for years with blues legend Ruthie Foster, watching her acclaim grow, earning several Grammys along the way. He has released 13 albums, and is an inductee in the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame which equates to a nice career, but Miller took a stylistic leap forward with 2023’s book/album release Carnival Cocoon. He composed music to accompany poetry he’d penned over the years, creating jazzy songs structured around the emotional tonalities and lyrical rhythms rather than established musical structures like verse/chorus/verse. Miller took another step with his latest, Hello Pain!, channeling a period of physical and emotional desolation into a series of ornate atmospheric tracks whose haunted ache recalls Sparklehorse’s Good Morning Spider. Recorded live digitally with an orchestra in Budapest, this performance features a pocket orchestra, as nine take the stage to help recreate he grandeur of Hello Pain’s baroque arrangements, Read our feature on Miller and the new album.

Chris Thile & MN Orchestra, Fri – Sat, July 31 – August 1, Orchestra Hall
Chris Thile is like those people you’ll hear about that know 20 different language, but they’re all musical. After rising to prominence with Nickel Creek, his profile and command of the idiom only increased. Never interested in massive acclaim, Nickel Creek went on hiatus as Thile launched Punch Bro thers pioneering bluegrass chamber music, releasing five popular album in ten years, while winning a McArthur Genius Grant along the way. He’s converted two albums worth of Bach Sonatas to violin, took over the Prairie Home Companion (redubbed Live From Here) for the final six years until its COVID-inspired end. The band’s releasing their first all-instrumental album, The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers, on July 24, meanwhile, Thile joins the Orchestra for “Part narrative song cycle, part musical self-portrait” ATTENTION! Is there no heart-felt fascination Thile can’t indulge?

Robert Earl Keen, Fri – Sun, July 31 – August 2, Dakota
This is a rare treat. If you have any interest in seeing Keen, you should pick up a ticket to one of the three nights, because he doesn’t do this (much) anymore since hanging up the touring bus in 2022. A few dates here and there the past four years is it. He’s barely released any music – just 2022’s Western Chili – or new songs since 2015’s Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions and before that 2011’s 11^th studio release Ready for Confetti (across 27 years). The Austin native graduated TAMU but didn’t leave because he liked playing music on the porch with fellow music nut Lyle Lovett. What made Keen special was his ability to serve both the old-fashioned Texas drinking and hell-raising and the thoughtful storytelling types, perfectly bridging that distance with his trademark hard-won wisdom song, “The Road Goes on Forever."

Sophie Hiroko, Ava Levy, Scrunchies, Lana Leone, Fri, Aug. 7, 7^th Street Entry
Duluth native Hiroko’s releases throb with nineties nostalgia for distortion drenched girly melody, like the Breeders or Velocity Girl, blending grunge rumble with shambolic psychedelic churn and dreamy vocal coo. Ava is local music celeb Adam Levy’s daughter, with a spare, breathy intensity reminiscent of Sharon Van Etten. Chunky art-punk trio Scrunchies’ clamorous, sinewy alt-rock is at turns noisy, urgent, anthemic, often at once.

Talib Kweli (two shows), Fri, Aug. 7, Dakota
One of the flagship franchises of backpack rap, Kweli enjoyed both critical and commercial success rapping with Mos Def in Black Star, and as a solo artist. Blessed with enough skills to earn Jay-Z’s approbation, Kweli’s smart effortless flow doesn’t need to shout. As the aughts turned into the tens, his profile rose to meet his critical stature with Reflections Eternal reuniting for 2011’s Revolutions Per Minute followed by 2011’s terrific Gutter Rainbows. When things topped out there short of super-stardom, Kweli just go t to work and grew more focused on following his own schedule and muse. One of the legends.

Hook & Ladder Decade Celebration, Fri, Aug. 7, Black Eyed Snakes; Sat, Aug. 8, The Silent Treatment
Friday night features Duluth, MN acts curated by Low’s Alan Sparhawk. He fronts headlining noisy garage-blooze rockers the Black-eyed Snakes, joined by his daughter Hollis’ pastoral hypno rock quartet Willem Dafoe Fan Club, whose languid tempos fit his dad’s narcotized aesthetic, and opener Entheos Enclave’s elegant jazzy prog-fusion, fueled by the evocative artistry of frontwoman Inga Weis. Saturday night features headlining punks the Silent Treatment mine no-frills, distortion-light, old school four-on-the-floor garage-punk attitude, with soulful rocker, Voice finalist Nicholas David, and the roots-soul sextet Bobby J’s West Bank Social Club invite the Big Easy’s jazzy horn-laden balladry and brassy funk.

Dale Watson & his Lone Stars, Sat, Aug. 8, Turf Club
Watson’s an Americana OG, long before there was a name for the intersection of country, rockabilly and rock he’s inhabited for 35+ album and four decades plus. It’s a sound as old as a bad reputation and twice as hard to kill and the silver-throated six-stringer is a fond acolyte on his latest, Unwanted. He moves readily from Western Swing (“If You Really Love Me (Outlive Me)”) to clever waltzes (“Never Mend the Broken Spoke”) to outlaw country (“What the Hell Happened to the Cadillac”) to classic country (“Willie Waylon and Whiskey”) and blues (“That’s Where the Money Goes”). Real road dog and born performer.

Rootstock, Sat, Aug 8, Icehouse
Rootstock Music Festival is a celebration of Black artists, musicians, and instrumentalists from/based in Minnesota. It starts at 4pm and features indoor and outdoor stages with more than a dozen acts including Poetic Roots, Gr3g, Gifted Hands, Mayyadda, Jackson Hurst, Jandeltha Rae, Juice Lord, Essjay The Afrocentric Ratchet, Lewiee Blaze, Southside Knucky, Tailor Briann, Maya Marchelle,

A young Emilio Estevez checks his piece in Alex Cox's *Repo Man*

Circle Jerks v. Repo Man, Sat. Aug 8 , Fitzgerald
First wave Cali punks The Circle Jerks created truly joyous irreverence whether breaking down teenage life (“Wasted,” “I Just Want Some Skank”), philsophizing (“World Up My Ass,” “Live Fast Die Young”) of offering profound political commentary (“When the Shit Hits the Fan”). They were well paired in filmmaker Alex Cox’s Repo Man, arguably the most essential (slightly fantastic) document of the L.A. punk era, capturing its mindless decadence (“Let’s get sushi and not pay!”) or overly mindful paranoia (“did you take a lot of acid in the sixties”). From its vision of a generic culture to government conspiracy and general indolent indifference, it could be retitled, Before We Went Full Idiocracy. Cox shows up with the Jerks for a combination film viewing, Q&A and live performance. Should be fun.

The Penny Peaches, Low Rock Bride, Anna Devine, Sat, Aug 8 , 7^th Street Entry
Hattie and Grace Peach’s sauntering Americana is a spring day in the woods, life spirit and grace manifesting in 360 behind Hattie’s lead and Grace’s sweet harmonies. There’s an old-timey lilt to the Hattie’s sweetly swelling vocals, while perky rhythms and chiming guitars disguise shadowy undercurrents such as “Don’t Ask Questions” or “Ready To Die.” Lone Rock Bride also hail from the Americana neighborhood but the Minneapolis sextet is in the pedal steel country rock community with a shambling ringing rock swoony sway on last year’s debut LP Rosette. Indie-folk/pop singer/songwriter Anna Devine opens.

Mat Kearney, Jake Scott, Fri, Aug. 14, State Theatre
Mat Kearney is the perfect late Gen X amalgam of hippy folky, rapper in the Soul Coughing/early Mason Jennings mold, fused to adjacent Adult Contemporary pop (foot-tapping, instantly forgotten melody) in that very John Mayer manner, burbling pop rock Ed Sheeran keyboard wash, and to top it off he’s CCM which is a great rising tide but perhaps contributes to the vaguely Tuesdays with Morrie, upbeat, corny/self-help subtext. No judgment; whatever gets you through the night. Jake Scott’s confessional (Pre-)Adult Contemporary, backwards cap pop/rock feels generic enough that if it isn’t AI, the question is why not? Does make sense to have this guy open though, got to admit.

Megasound, Agnes Uncaged, Fri Aug 14, Turf Club
Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge of Bad Bad Hats had known Elena Carroll (aka Party Nails) for over a decade when Carroll joined the pair onstage for the song “Pretend To Be Nice” by Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), as performed by the movie (cartoon) band Josie & the Pussycats. It was such fun, Alexander said off-handedly they should get together and write. Carroll opened her date book and asked when? Thus was born the trio Megasound with Carroll on lead vocals. They lean into their love of fun, sorta trashy early aughts garage-rock, like Jet and Franz Ferdinand and late-90s hook-laden indie-rock/pop, like Velocity Girl, Juliana Hatfield and The Breeders. Read more in our feature on Megasound. Agnes Uncooked also hark back to the turn of the century, with an uber-catchy straight-ahead jangly psych-folk/garage on their 2021 debut LP How to Kill Creeping Charlie. They tightened the screws under the skilled tutelage of veteran producer John Agnello (Jawbox, The Hold Steady, Dream Syndicate) for their latest, Cyanotype, building sinew with Dino Jr heft/crunch while turning up the psychedelic fog machine, shrouding singer/guitarist Julie Eubanks’ willowy vocals in thick washes of distortion and shimmer.

Healing Gems, Black Widows, Fri, Aug. 14, Underground Music Venue
Healing Gems resurrect Esquivel in warm undulating tones, steeping in gentle waves of tinkling tropical keyboards and the lounge-borne insouciance of blithe bliss enveloping you like a dry heat. The Los Angeles six-piece formed a decade ago offering cinematic soundtracks to unwritten space westerns, surf-lounge exotica over percolating rhythms like an overactive imagination at sunset. Openers Black Widows are rockabilly rumble impressarios, reverb-rocking grimy four-chord completists that rope-tied Duane Eddy with his own bolo.

Big Thief, Ben Lamar Gay, Sat, Aug. 15, Surly Field
Brooklyn’s Big Thief are led by Minneapolis native Adrianne Lenker, who began releasing solo material before teaming with bandmate Buck Meek in 2014. The surprisingly muscular indie-folk trio’s debut Masterpiece was a critical hit, anchoring Lenker’s lilting vulnerable vocals to propulsive tunes often with big ringing choruses. As time’s progressed, they’ve been a fickle partner to genre moving about liberally showcasing Lenker’s brittle but surprisingly yielding poetics and the band’s commensurately limber stylistic facility. After two albums in 2019 and 2022’s double album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, their first to make the Billboard Top 40, paradoxically at their most eclectic, they followed with an even broader leap with last year’s Double Infinity, whose experimental but still evocative effort whose parched psych-folk cracks open a jazzy sense of space, finding a dry sound that’s still warm and refreshing as summer rain. Ben Lamar Gay is a boundary-pushing jazz cornetist from Chicago with a bright rangy palette.

The Crane Wives, Brye, Sat, Aug. 15, First Ave
Kansas City by way of Grand Rapids, The Crane Wives emerged during the folk bloomlet of the early ‘10s, playing elegant, emotional, layered stories fueled by the vocal harmonies of singer/guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury. Like their namesake, The Decemberist’s 2006 4th album, The Crane Wife, the quartet appreciates a layered soundstage with a sophisticated array of guests, which took a further turn on 2024’s fifth studio album, Beyond Beyond Beyond as the guitarists fully embraced a rougher-hewn sound now keyed by electric guitars. Still richly imaginative storytelling, but more dynamic, allowing new tonalities into the mix. Introspective breathy indie-pop songstress Brye broke through with 2022's toxic situationship ode "Lemons," supporting full length debut Cycle Breaker.

Emily Nenni, Buffalo Nichols, Sat, Aug. 15, Turf Club
Nenni harkens back to the golden age of country women, channeling the spunky spirit of Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynnette, though her pipes aren’t that strong, she knows bring a song across. Which is to say Nenni’s got a big personality and a strong sense of herself with comes across as assurance and an easy manner that draws the listener in. Her latest, Movin’ Shoes, is her fourth and second consecutive with John James Tourville (The DesLondes), and testimony to the crisp, effortless charm of the performances. Buffalo Nichols is a self-taught guitarist who went from hired hand consuming disparate styles to embracing a dynamic folk-blues storyteller style.

The Toxhards, sat aug 15, amsterdam
Rock needs more drama kids – a category distinct from those enveloped in self-perpetuating drama. (No Morrissey, we’re still not talking about you.) We’re talking theatrical, over-the-top, ambitious little Max (“Rushmore”) Fischers. Sure, there’s always a risk of over-indulgence, but with so many artists looking for their lane, it’s refreshing to hear someone like Portugal.The Man, Of Montreal and Queen, who often seem inure to the concept to “too much.” Is some of it? For sure, but you can’t make a big splash without a big swing, and the Toxhards swing that odd, rock-shaped theatrical mayhem bat.

Anni XO, Huhroon, Bathtub Cig, Lily Blue, Fri, Aug. 21, 7th Street Entry
Anni XO is a delightful indie-folk/pop Minneapolis singer/songwriter emanating shy insecurity and self-possessed joy in a frisson of confusion like the steam of fresh rain off summer asphalt. Psych shimmer, pulsing breaks, and drifting folk keyboard burble embody the fragile skrim between “Daydream” and “Passenger Seat.” She also wrote a fun song about an ex-m “Asshole.” Huhroon is Haroon Rasheed, a Minneapolis slam poet/glitch-hop/rock poet. Eerie sad-dappled psych-folk pop of Hilary James’s Bathtub Cig sometimes feels like a fey longing sadcore letter to The Medium Place.

The Chair, Whispered Rabbit, Northern Hammer, Sat, Aug. 22, Cloudland
Headliner is Jesse Thorson (Slow Death, Yesterday’s Numbers) who will be premiering The Chair a new psych-folk act. Slow Death launched rambunctious garage-rock cherry bomb, Petty Larcenists: The Best Bad Luck You Can Have, their sixth album, in May. Whispered the Rabbit play slow building but epically swelling cinematic instrumental folk-prog/punk. Arrive early for doom metal duo Northern Hammer.

Eagles of Death Metal, Mountain Head, Sat, Aug. 22, First Ave
It’s almost crippling for a fun party-time rock act whose irreverent light-hearted skewering of rock tropes is it’s bread-and-butter to even continue after a soldout show turns into a death sentence for 90 people. Not gonna comment on the necessity of their return, that’s a conversation for Jesse Hughes and his accountant. So, suffice to say, Hughes and the whole smirking boogie rock circus is back on the road, and that’s work for someone. The stonesy-garage rock is older but no worse for wear, and Hughes clearly appreciates the intersection of hard rock, greasy boogie and garage-punk, and the winking over-the-top rock swagger is all tongue-in-cheek, except maybe, it’s not? They’ll be celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Death By Sexy by playing the whole album and a selection of other tunes. Mountain Head features the Hannah Brothers from Canada, playing moody alt/psych-rock with electro-pop elements, having first achieved notoriety for their cover of ODB.

Weird Al, Puddles Pity Party, Fri, Aug. 28, MN Fairgrounds
It’s one of the oldest saws in music that comic bands are inevitably a fad, and ergo should not be encouraged or invested in. (On some level this precept only egged punk rock on.) Weird Al was inspired by hearing his song (at 17 yo) on the only place such music existed, the Dr. Demento Show, and mounted a career in service of the cause. At this point he’s an institution (though sadly hasn’t spawned a wealth of imitators), where having him parody your song is a rite of musical stardom. What’s more he’s done it without being mean or demeaning and remains a thoughtful, self-effacing interview. It’s sort of extraordinary he exists at all, more power to him. Puddles Pity Party is a 6’8 guy in clown whiteface performing earnest covers with heavy-hearted (he’s depressed) whimsy.

Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, Fri, Aug. 28, Target
Pond, Sat, Aug. 29, Fine Line
We are sorry dear reader but we are probably not your best source for Tame Impala reviews. Tame Impala somehow is less interesting to us than Beach House, which bores us to death. We get it – neo-psych, hip-hop/soul with a dance track ambience and a chillax vibe. Sure it’s “influential.” It’s just not influencing us to do anything but finish this piece quickly. Dominick Fike is a hipster version of Jack Johnson, which means while both have this slacker/surfer languor to their strummy couch rock, Fike is self-consciously off-beat and distant, not purely inviting like Johnson, and much more hip-hop while still basically being bland AAA for twenty-somethings. As Tame Impala is primarily Kevin Parker, his touring band has time on their hands. Touring band members Guitarist Nick Allbrook and drummer Jay Watson created Pond (sadly not the great American Northwest alt-rock act) with two others blending arch neo-psych and synthesizer art rock like Soft Cell trying to pull off Rush.

Locals Real Numbers celebrate new release, *Was It Always This Way*

Real Numbers Album Release, Absolutely Yours, Shady Cove, Fri, Aug. 28, Cloudland
Beatific Minneapolis C86/indie-pop quintet Real Numbers made their debut in 2016 appropriately enough on Slumberland Records whose twee pop catalog was clearly an inspiration (as well as the UK post-punk jangled-jagged guitar acts like Wedding Presentm McCarthy and the Chameleons). They’re back a decade later with their second full-length, Was It Always This Way, and while time has passed, judging from the first singles, they sound well preserved. Absolutely Yours offers diaphanous sun-speckled dream-pop, a cool breeze of shoegaze shimmer set to stun in the mold of The Sundays, Luna and the Cranberries. Shady Cove offer dreamy, cinematic keyboard-driven indie pop like that found in late 90s Pacific Northwest.

Michael Che Live Taping, Friday – Saturday, Aug 28 – 29, First Avenue (two shows each night)
Che is best known for co-anchoring Weekend Update with Colin Jost, but also did a comedy sketch show for HBO Max (That Damn Michael Che) and two hour long comedy specials for Netflix, “Michael Che Matters,” and 2021’s “Michael Che Shame the Devil.” Prior to SNL, Che was a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and appeared in the movie Top Five with Chris Rock.

Alabama Shakes, Hannah Cohen, Fri – Sat, Aug. 28 – 29, Surley Field
In music it’s never so much what you say as how your say, and Brittany Howard has a way of saying. The Alabama trio blew up right about when Americana hit its high-water point in 2012 (see, Lumineers “Ho Hey”), accenting their garage-soul spirit while remaining firmly beneath the roots umbrella. Howard’s let’s loose like a soul shouter but also modulates evocatively, slinking all over their looser grooves like an alley cat that’s been around the block. Her infectious manner amplifies the acts already sumptuously intimate living room vibe. Striking while the iron was still warm, they avoided the sophomore slump three years later with Sound & Color, an album that went all directions and defied easy categorization/typecasting, wandering widely and confidently, then took a decade break for solo projects and growth. (There was a Grammy for the delicious “Killer Diller Blues.”) Now they’re preparing to release their third disc, I Must Be Dreaming, just before this weekend’s shows. Cohen’s father was a jazz drummer and she was a model and later released a book of photography followed by her surprising debut 2012 album Child Bride. She’s sung backup pretty widely (Big Thief, Glen Hansard, Sufjan Stevens), a testimony to the wafting ephemeral beauty of her wispy jazz-folk/indie-pop vocals. It took six years to follow up her third album, Welcome Home, and the reward is a pretty intimate drifting effort like a soft rock Nick Drake. Which, well….

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Sat, Aug. 29, MN Fairgrounds
James "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis are the most successful songwriting/production duo in modern music history. Emerging from with a New Jack Swing for R&B, they keyed Minneapolis funk/soul-rock/pop scene alongside Prince, claiming five Grammys, over 100 gold, platinum or diamond certifications and more Billboard Hot 100 #1s than any other production team in chart history. While the Fair show might differ, they typically bring a tight five-piece band to perform the tracks from Janet Jackson, The Time, New Edition and Usher, to name a few, that made them famous, while sharing backstage details of the songs’ creation.

Couch Potato Massacre, Lipstick Homicide, The Punchlines, Dingus, Sat, Aug. 29, Cloudland
Couch Potato Massacre are a throwback to furious high-energy, pop-culture drenched pop-punk like Descendents or NOFX. Subjects include Benson And Stabler, Dr. House, Meeseeks, Flaming Moes and Wednesday Addams. Iowa City’s queercore trio Lipstick Homicide’s been channeling chunky hook-heavy mid-tempo shout-along two-minute punk for over two decades sharpening their hooks and breadth, often sounding like a female-fronted Green Day. The Punchlines are local pop-punk while weirdo outrageous uptempo pop-punks Dingus has been at it for two decades.

Cut Chemist, Chal 2na, Sat. Aug 29, St. Paul Get Down: Raspberry Island
Cut Chemist is an old school head from Los Angeles, who was battling as a tween and started cutting beats not much later, forming the core of what would eventually become Jurassic 5 with his early crew, Unity Committee. J5 arrived in the late nineties/early aughts, with 2000’s killer Quality Control, blending heavy con-rap with a vibrant street sound. Deep throated baritone Chali 2na (taking his name from the deep-voiced Starkist cartoon character) honed his rich limber flow alongside Cut Chemist in Unity Committee and J5, but also sidelighted in vibrant latin-inflected hip-hop funk crew Ozomatli for many years. Cut Chemist bailed on J5 three years before they folded after the disappointing 2006 release Feedback due to mounting creative differences, but they reunited in 2013 to play Coachella and do another tour. Cut Chemist has released two solo albums (most recently 2018's autobiographical Die Cut) and worked with longtime collaborators such as DJ Shadow, but had struggled to find purchase like many Gen Xers trying to negotiate the flattened music landscape and get noticed years after their high point, still talented but without to ability they once had to marshal notice. Given their long collaboration, it should be a lively memorable show.

Big Upcoming Concerts

SUGAR, J Robbins, Thur – Sat, Sept. 10-12, First Avenue
Bettye LaVette, Fri, Sept. 11, Dakota
Eric Clapton, Tue, Sept. 15, Grand Casino
Sondre Lerche, Dosh, Wed, Sept. 16, Cedar Cultural
Liz Phair, wed, Sept. 16, Palace

Social Distortion, Descendents, the Chats, Sept. 20, Armory
Weezer, The Shins, Silversun Pickups, Sun, Sept. 20, Grand Casino
Kacey Musgraves, Tue, Sept. 22, Target Center
Supersuckers, Sept. 24, Ballentine VFW (Uptown)
Beth Orton, Sat, Sept. 26, Parkway Theatre

They Might Be Giants, Oct. 1-4, First Avenue/Fitzgerald
DJ Shadow (Endtroducing), Thur, Oct. 1, Palace
Mastodon, Sat, Oct. 3, Palace
Bright Eyes, Lullaby for the Working Class, Sat, Oct. 3, First Ave

Dream Syndicate, Sun, Oct. 4, Turf Club
Sex Pistols, Tue, Oct. 6, Fillmore
Chance the Rapper, Tue, Oct. 6, Armory
Failure, Quannic, Wed, Oct. 7, Fine Line
Deerhoof, Thur, Oct. 8, Turf Club
Buddy Guy, Thur, Oct. 8, State Theatre

Godsmack, Dorothy, Wed, Oct. 14, Armory
Arcwelder, Fri, Oct. 16, Turf Club
Digable Planets, Sat, Oct. 17, Fillmore
Steve Aoki, Sat, Oct. 17, Armory
Fruit Bats, Thur, Oct. 22, Fine Line

American Aquarium, Sun, Oct. 25, Turf Club
Dresden Dolls, Tue, Oct. 27, Palace Theatre
Airborne Toxic Event, Fri, Oct. 30, Uptown Theatre
John Waters, Fri, Oct. 30, Parkway Theatre
Rhiannon Giddens, Sat, Nov. 1, Walker art Center
L7, Mon, Nov. 3, Fine Line

Theatre

Ongoing
Shrek, Stages Theatre, thru Sun, Aug. 2
Shrek The Musical brings all your favorite characters from the Oscar winning film to life and proves that when we open our hearts, we create bonds that can overcome even the biggest challenges.

Henry IV, Pt 1: Life & Death of Henry Hotspur, Shakespeare Youth Theatre, Crane Theatre, Thru Sun, Aug. 2
A raucous and exhilarating portrait of a nation in the throes of revolution, Henry IV Part 1: The Life and Death of Harry Hotspur is the story of a king trying to defend claim to the throne within a country seized with rebellious fervor, set into the tumultuous world of the American late sixties.

Robin Hood, The Merry Musical, Sidekick Theatre, Thru Sat, August 8
In this new take on the fabled story, Robin and his friends are full of hijinks, clowning and fun—and they’ll include the audience in the action. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to yell out, “They went that way!” or cheer, “Long live Robin Hood!” in this swashbuckling musical. It’s great fun for all ages.

Come From Away, Guthrie Theatre, Thru Sun, August 9
Based on the inspiring true story of Gander’s unexpected guests after US airspace closed on 9/11, this hopeful musical honors our common humanity and highlights the importance of reaching out to those in need. The 2017 Broadway production received seven Tony nominations including Best Play. (It won one, for Best Direction.)

Wicked, Orpheum Theatre, Thru Sun, Aug. 9
Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships...until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

The Prom, Lyric ArtsNEXT Festival, Theater Latté Da, Thru Mon, Aug. 10
Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Festival of New Musicals showcases three works that stretch the boundaries of musical storytelling. Each show culminate two weeks of workshop time with two public performances, providing audience members an opportunity to take part in the creative process. Each performance is followed by s discussion with the playwrights, composers and lyricists.

The Prom, Lyric Arts, Thru Mon, Aug. 10
When four down-on-their-luck actors hear about a small-town Indiana teen banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom, they see a chance for a PR makeover. But their over-the-top activism turns the town upside down, leading to laughter, love, and a show-stopping celebration of individuality

The Butler Did It, Park Square Theatre, Thru Sun, Aug. 16
The world premiere of this Jeffery Hatcher whodunnit takes audiences to a school for butlers that serves the fabulously rich, where a perfect murder has just been committed. The butler did it… but which butler?

Opening, Short Runs / One Night Only

Venus in Fur, Hive Collaborative, Mon, Aug. 3, Sat. Aug. 8, Mon, Aug. 10
King of the ten-minute play, David Ives' Venus in Fur, is a two-person (in the theatre, a two-hander) power play (as most are) in the manner of The Zoo Story. A director is futilely trying to cast his new work, a theatrical adaptation of
Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's erotic 19th-century S&M novel Venus in Furs, when the perfect specimen walks in. Famed NYT critic Christopher Isherwood called it "a suspense-packed study of the erotics (and the semiotics) of power, in which the two participants prove to be seriously, almost scarily adept." Directed by Michelle O'Neill, starring Hope Nordquist and Kyle Weiler.

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Lake Harriet Bandshell (Mpls), Sun, Aug. 9
Zorongo Flamenco has been in Minnesota for over forty years and is one of the only American flamenco companies that performs both traditional and contemporary theatrical flamenco performances.

Loudly Clearly Beautifully, Artistry Black Box, Sat, Aug. 15, Sun, Aug. 16
Elena Glass' meditation on what it means to come of age and into power after tragedy and grief, from her father Gene’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis when she was just 14, through her coming of age during his steady decline, to her resilient post-pandemic rebirth following his loss.

Midsummer Night's Dream, Hanifil Perfoming Arts Center (White Bear Lake), Fri – Sun, Aug. 14-23
Step into an enchanted forest where love goes hilariously awry and magic rules the night. Mischievous fairies, feuding lovers, and a troupe of bumbling actors collide in this whimsical comedy filled with romance, transformation, and delightful

Made in India, Southern Asian Arts & Theater House, Cowles Center (Mpls), Fri – Sun, Aug. 21 – 29
Blending theater, dance, puppetry and movement, Made in India is a new original production about loss, resilience, curiosity, and self-discovery. It follows an Indian-born transracial adoptee as she navigates identity, belonging, and the search for home—spanning childhood through adulthood—exploring the complexities of race, culture, family, and memory, asking what it means to reconnect with a heritage that feels both deeply familiar and just out of reach.

Opening (Major)

In The Heights, Artistry/Schneider Theatre, Thur – Sun, July 30 – Aug. 23
Lin-Manuel Miranda's breakthrough 2005 musical traces the dreams romances and challenges of Dominican, Puerto Rican and Cuban residents in the Washington Heights neighborhood, dealing with gentrification, racism and the potholes in life's roads. Directed by Maija García.

MN Fringe Festival, Cedar-Riverside/West Bank, Thur – Sun, Aug. 6 – 16
The 33rd Annual MN Fringe Festival is at hand. There are 540 performances of 104 different shows spanning the spectrum. There is a preview on August 5 with 30 groups doing 3-minute snippets. This is a good way to scan. Terrific local reviewer CherryandSpoon.com has a fine early preview. Here's our brief preview.

Dirty Dancing: The Musical, Ordway Theatre, Wed – Sun, Aug. 12 – Sept. 6
Nobody puts Baby in the corner! To be fair, a musical of an already dance-laden movie feels less of a stretch than your usual silver screen to stage adaptation. Starring Annalese Starzec and Blake Zelesnikar.

Free Outdoor Music

Fenixdion, Grand Oak Opry (St. Paul), Sat. Aug. 1

Geoff Elvee, Staring Lake Amphitheater (Eden Prairie), Sun, Aug. 2

Minnesota State Band, Normandale Lake Bandshell (Bloomington), Tue, Aug. 4

Vittorio and the Bridges, Loring Park (Mpls), Tue, Aug. 4

Chris Holm, Lunchtime in Mears Park (St. Paul), Tue, Aug. 4

Sam Graber Band, Eagan Festival Grounds, Wed, Aug. 5

Daniel Villarreal, Cedar Cultural Center, Wed, Aug. 5

Fiddles and Flannel, Lakeside Lions Park (Spring Lake Park), Wed, Aug. 5

Los Rebeldes, Huset Park (Columbia Heights), Wed, Aug. 5

Dirty Shorts, Market Square Park (Mendota Heights), Wed, Aug. 5

The Percolators, Jefferson Park (S. St Paul), Wed, Aug. 5,

Salsa Del Soul, Normandale Lake Bandshell (Bloomington), Thur, Aug. 6

Dan Israel, Veteran’s Memorial Amphitheatre (St. Louis Park), Sat, Aug. 8

One to One Music Festival: Carl Thomas, Bloomington Central Park, Sat, Aug. 8

Dan Israel, Staring Lake Amphitheater (Eden Prairie), Sun, Aug. 9

Jazz on the Prairie Big Band, Normandale Lake Bandshell (Bloomington), Tue, Aug. 11

Drunk Girl Crush, Lunchtime in Mears Park (St. Paul), Tue, Aug. 11

Salsa Del Soul, Centennial Park (Brooklyn Center), Tue, Aug. 11

Talk of the Town Orchestra, Lunchtime in Mears Park (St. Paul), Wed, Aug. 12

Adam Bohanan, Centennial Lakes (Edina), Wed, Aug. 12

Tommy Bentz Band, Eagan Festival Grounds, Wed, Aug. 12

The Cellar Kings, Riverfront Park (Anoka), Wed, Aug. 12

Nafas Ensemble, Central Park (Roseville), Thur, Aug. 13

Obi Original & the Black Atlantics, Downtown Park (Hopkins), Thur, Aug. 13

Heartland Souvenirs, Staring Lake Amphitheater (Eden Prairie), Thur, Aug. 13

Mississippi Valley Orchestra, Lake Monster Brewery patio (St. Paul), Thurs, Aug. 13

Ashley Wineland, Mississippi Crossings (Champlin), Thur, Aug. 14

Dan Israel, 50^th & France (Edina), Fri, Aug. 14

Drums of Navarone, Central Park (Roseville), Sat, Aug. 15

Jayanthi Rajasa, Grand Oak Opry (St. Paul), Sat, Aug. 15

Classic Brass Quintet, Woodbury Central Park, Sun, Aug. 16

Beau Baker Band, Town Green (Maple Grove), Mon, Aug. 17

Sam Graber Band, Lunchtime in Mears Park (St. Paul), Tue, Aug. 18

Dirty Shorts Brass Band, Minnetonka Civic Center Park, Aug. 18

Trent Romens Band, Riverfront Park (Anoka), Aug. 19

Nancy Olson, Lunchtime in Mears Park (St. Paul), Wed. Aug. 19

Brandt, Hager, Mullis & Carranza, Silverwood Park (St. Anthony), Wed, Aug. 19

Funk N Spuds, Harriet Island (St. Paul), Wed, Aug. 19

The Working Stiffs, Market Square Park (Mendota Heights), Wed, Aug. 19

Lone Rock Bride, Travis Tramhert, Casperson Park (Lakeville), Wed, Aug. 19

Salsa Del Soul, New Hope Civic Center Park, Wed, Aug. 19

Jordan Johnston, Bloomington Civic Plaza, Wed, Aug. 19

Bizhiki, Walker Hillside (Rain: McGuire Theatre), Thur, Aug. 20

Kelly Blau Trio, Downtown Park (Hopkins), Thur, Aug. 20

Paul Hintz, Woodbury Central Park, Sun, Aug. 23

The Fairlanes, Big Woods Brass, Como Lakeside Pavilion (St. Paul), Sun, Aug. 23

MOYANA, 50^th & France (Edina), Sun, Aug. 23

Alligations, Central Park (Roseville), Sun, Aug. 23

Fiddles & Flannels, Town Green (Maple Grove), Mon, Aug. 24

Salsa del Soul, Minnetonka Civic Center Park, Tue, Aug. 25

Vibronauts, Como Lakeside Pavilion (St. Paul), Tue, Aug. 25

Gigi the UkuLady, Concert on the Lawn (Brooklyn Park), Tue, Aug. 25

Long Time Gone/Jonah & the Whales, Casperson Park (Lakeville), Wed, Aug. 26

Hibah Hassan, Harriet Island (St. Paul), Wed, Aug. 26

Ross William Perry Band, Bloomington Civic Plaza, Wed, Aug. 26

Shirts and Skins, Riverfront Park (Anoka), Wed, Aug. 26

Somali Museum Dance Troupe, Lakeview Terrace Park (Robbindale) Fri, Aug. 28

Matthew Aitch, City Square Park (Chaska), Thur, Aug. 27

The Quantum Mechanics, Como Lakeside Pavilion (St. Paul), Fri, Aug. 28

Colin Bracewell, 50^th & France (Edina), Fri, Aug. 28

John Mischke, Como Lakeside Pavilion (St. Paul), Sat, Aug. 29

Kaatwalk, Grand Oak Opry (St. Paul), Sat, Aug. 29

Sam Graber Band, Centennial Lakes (Edina), Sun, Aug. 30

Celebration Brass Quintet, Como Lakeside Pavilion (St. Paul), Mon, Aug. 31

Free Outdoor Movies

Men In Black, Wed, Aug 5, Commons (Mpls)
How to Train Your Dragon, Thur, Aug. 6, New Hope Performance Center
Zootopia 2, Thur, Aug. 6, Linden Hills Park (Mpls)
Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Thur, Aug. 6, Ojibway Park (Woodbury)
Elio, Fri, Aug. 7, Guidant John Rose MN OVAL (Roseville)
The LEGO Movie, Fri, Aug. 7, Staring Lake Park (Eden Prairie)
Sharknado, Fri, Aug. 7, Lake Harriet Bandshell (Mpls)
Back to The Future, Fri, Aug. 7, Town Green (Maple Grove)
Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Sat, Aug. 8, Polar Lakes Park (White Bear Township)

Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Tue, Aug. 11, Pearl Park (Mpls)
Four Samosas, Wed, Aug. 12, Commons (Mpls)
Spongebob Movie, Thur, Aug. 13, Logan Park (Mpls)
How to Train Your Dragon, Thur, Aug. 13, Hause Park (N. St. Paul)
Inside Out 2, Fri, Aug. 14, Town Green (Maple Grove)
Barbie, Thur, Aug. 13, North Loop Green (Mpls)
Back to The Future, Fri, Aug. 14, Hause Park (N. St. Paul)
Freakier Friday, Fri, Aug. 14, Van Cleve Park (Mpls)
Mamma Mia!, Fri, Aug. 14, Hampden Park (St. Paul)
Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Fri, Aug. 14, Highlands Park (Cottage Grove)
Hoppers, Fri, Aug. 16, Staring Lake Park (Eden Prairie)

Minecraft, Tue, Aug. 18, Luxton Park (Mpls)
Wayne’s World, Wed. Aug. 19, Commons (Mpls)
Devil Wears Prada, Thur, Aug. 20, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Wicked: For Good, Thur, Aug. 20, Victory Park (Mpls)
The Count of Monte Cristo, Thur, Aug. 20, New Hope Performance Center
Big Green, Thur, Aug. 20, New Hope Performance Center
Top Gun: Maverick, Thur, Aug. 20, North Loop Green (Mpls)
Jurassic Park, Fri, Aug. 21, Town Green (Maple Grove)
Encanto, Fri, Aug. 21, El Rio Vista Rec Center (St. Paul)
Elio, Fri, Aug. 21, Hollingsworth Park (Robbinsdale)
Spongebob Movie, Fri, Aug. 21, Commons (Mpls)

TRON: Ares, Tue, Aug. 25, Whittier Park (Mpls)
Little Giants, Wed, Aug. 26, Commons (Mpls)
Princess Bride, Wed, Aug. 26, Forest Hill Church (Forest Lake)
Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Thur, Aug. 27, Lynnhurst Park (Mpls)
Minecraft, Thur, Aug. 27, Ainsworth Park (St. Louis Park)
Zootopia 2, Thur, Aug. 27, Minnetonka Civic Center
Elio, Thur, Aug. 27, Centennial Park (Brooklyn Center)
Wicked, Fri., Aug. 28, Phalen Beach House
In The Heights, Fri, Aug 28, Lake Hiawatha Park (Mpls)
Ratatouille, Fri, Aug. 28, Town Green (Maple Grove)

Art and Street Fairs

PeopleFest, Eden Prairie, Sun, July 26 – 31
Washington County Fair, Stillwater, Wed, July 29 – August 2
Vintage Band Festival, Thur, July 30 – August 2
34^th Annual Powderhorn Art Fair, Powderhorn Park (Mpls), Sat – Sun, Aug. 1 – 2
Rondo Block Party, St. Paul, Sat, Aug. 1

Prior Lake Days, Fri – Sat, Aug. 7 – 8
The sip, sample & stroll Friday affair features wine, beer & liquor tastings as well as food trucks, vendors, crafts and shops. Saturday’s funday is a family affair with a big kids zone featuring an obstacle course, rock climb slide, bouncy house, water races, temporary tattoos and the Culvers Ice Cream tuck. For adults there’s the big cornhole tournament, a cookie eating context, live music, and a pet zone.

Irish Fair of MN, Harriet Island (St. Paul), Fri – Sun, Aug. 7 – 9
The 44^th annual three-day Irish Fest features vendors, food, bingo, kids zones, and lots of music as well as Best Legs in Kilt contest, Irish & Scottish dancing, whiskey & beer workshops, history presentations, sheep herding, step-dancing demo, road bowling, rugby, and a wealth of great headlining acts including the High Kings, Boiled in Lead, Gaelic Storm, Chasing Abbey and Biird.

45^th Annual Stockyard Days, New Brighton, Fri – Sun, Aug. 7 – 9
Besides the usual vendors, crafts, kids zone, and music, there’s a parade on Saturday morning followed by the 120-mile Antique Car Run from New London to New Brighton which begins reaching the finish line at 3pm. Then there’s fireworks to conclude the evening. Also, bingo, magic, petting zoo and a magician.

Asian Street Food Night Market Festival, Pan Asian Center (Maplewood), Fri – Sun, Aug. 7 – 9
An exciting lineup of authentic street food vendors, live performances, artisan makers, cultural displays, and family-friendly activities. This year’s Night Market is about building a welcoming space where people can come together to enjoy great food, celebrate culture, and create meaningful memories.

Uptown Art Fair, Minneapolis, Fri – Sun, Aug. 7 – 9

Lakeside Guitar Festival, Fri – Sun, Aug. 14 – 16, Como Lakeside Pavillion (St. Paul)
An extraordinary free outdoor international music festival at the Lake Como pavillion Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Highlighted by Yasmin Williams, a tremendous fingerstyle player who began, probably like a lot of kids on Guitar Hero II. Mexico guitarist Jeronimo Gonzalez, a master of the jarana jarocha who fuses son jarocho with jazz, hip-hop and beats, Obi Original and acoustic legends Pat Donohue and Richard Kriehn. A *paid ticket* Minnesota “Last Waltz,” roving cast, style performance concludes Saturday evening. (Gonazalez hosts a free workshop at MacPhail on Thursday. RSVP by 8/12.)

Porchfest, Uptown Minneapolis, Sat, Aug. 15
Porchfest will feature multiple, spread-out, overlapping concerts during a single afternoon that attendees can enjoy while wandering the neighborhood. Explore the Wedge neighborhood of Uptown in an intimate and novel way. Attendees will discover new musicians, support local businesses, and celebrate the diverse, eclectic history of this neighborhood.

India Fest, St. Paul, Sat, Aug. 15
The 43^rd annual festival celebrating India’s Independence Day in at the State Capital offers cultural performances (music, dance, culture), a lively crafts and shopping bazaar, Indian cuisine and street food, a kids zone, and plenty of booths and vendors.

Rice & Larpenteur Summer Block Party, Rice St. & Larpenteur Ave (St. Paul), Sat, Aug. 15
The 8th Annual Summer Block Party at Rice & Larpenteur, with free youth bike helmets from M Health Fairview, climbing wall, Homong Dance Team, live music courtesy The Blues Saloon, vendors booths, food trucks.

Como Park Obon Fest, Como Park (St. Paul), Sun, Aug. 16
Music, martial arts, singing, dancing, drumming, delicious food, vendors, games, and other aspects of Japanese culture will be featured at the annual Como Park Japanese Obon Festival on the grounds of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. At the end of the Obon festival, lanterns are released onto the water so that the spirits can return to the other world.

Lino Lakes Blue Heron Days, Thur – Sat, Aug 13 – 16
St. Paul Heritage Days, Heritage Park (St. Paul), Thur – Sun, Aug 13 – 17
Vadnais Height Day, Sat, Aug. 15
Eden Prairie Arts in the Park, Purgatory Creek Park, Sat, Aug. 15

Mounds View Festival in the Park, Silver View Park, Fri – Sat, Aug 21 – 22
Friday is family fun night with a parade, DJ, and a penny carnival in addition to the vendors. Saturday there’s a craft fair, live music, 20^th annual car show, a beer garden, medallion hunt, raffles a dunk tank, bingo and a kids zone, and fireworks at the end of the evening.

Minnesota’s 55^th Renaissance Festival, Shakopee, Aug. 22 – Oct. 4
Step into a storybook world of magic and make-believe. Princesses, knights, fairies, and legendary heroes take center stage for a weekend filled with enchantment, costumes, and happily-ever-afters, this opening weekend. Licensed K-12 teachers, school faculty, & staff, can get FREE admission this weekend, simply present a valid school ID badge at the box office. Kids ages 5 to 12 attend for FREE with an adult ticket purchase.

Minnesota Grand Art, Craft & Food Festival, Thur – Sun, Aug. 27 – 30, Ted Wirth Park (Minneapolis)
A four-day celebration of creativity, craftsmanship, and culinary excellence in the heart of Minneapolis. Bringing artisans, makers, food vendors, and small businesses from across the Midwest together for handmade products, specialty foods, and live entertainment.

Live Athletics

Minnesota Twins Home Games
vs. Baltimore Orioles, Mon – Wed, Aug. 10 – 12 (Wed. day game)
vs. Philadelphia Phillies, Thurs – Sun, Aug. 13 – 16 (No Fri. game)
(Sat. $2 Beers until first pitch; Sun. day, back2school backpack)
vs. Atlanta Braves, Mon – Wed, Aug. 17 – 19 (Wed. day)
vs. Chicago White Sox, Fri – Sun, Aug. 28 – 30
(Fri. Fireworks; Sat. day, Hat Giveaway first 10K; Sun. day, kids bear mascot)
vs. Detroit Tigers, Mon – Wed, Aug. 31 – Sept. 2
(Tue. dog-friendly "Bark @ the Park")

Minnesota Vikings Home Games (Men's Football)
vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sat, Aug. 22 (Pre-Season)

St. Paul Saints Home Games (Minor League Baseball)
vs. Louisville Bats, Tue – Sun, Aug. 4 – Aug. 9
(Thur. honor Negro Leagues, $2 beer; Fri. Fireworks; Sat. Backyard Brawl hat/jersey; Sun. day, Artsy Fartsy)
vs. Toledo Mudhens, Tue – Sun, Aug, 25 – 30
(Thur. Native American night, $2 Beers; Fri. Fireworks; Sat. Twins day, Ron & Toby Gardenhire Bobbleheads; Sun. day, Dog Day)

Minnesota United FC (Men's Major League Soccer) Games on APPLE TV
vs. San Diego FC, Sat, Aug. 1
vs. FC Jaurez, Tue, Aug. 4 (Leagues Cup)
vs. Tigres, Fri, Aug. 7, (Leagues Cup)
vs. Atlante, Tue, Aug. 11 (Leagues Cup)
vs. Atlanta, Wed, Aug. 19
vs. Orlando, Sat, Aug. 29 (Hat Giveaway, first 10K)

Minnesota Lynx Home Games (Women’s Hoops)
vs. Indiana Fever, Sun, Aug. 2 (day, ABC)
vs. Los Angeles Sparks, Thur, Aug. 6 (PRIME)
vs. Las Vegas Aces, Sat, Aug. 8 (day, CBS/Paramount)
vs. Los Angeles Sparks, Sun, Aug. 9 (day, NBC/Peacock)
vs. Golden State Valkyies, Mon, Aug 24 (USA/Victory+)

Niche or Off-beat

Ted^xMinneapolis: Climate of Change – Shifting Conditions Spark New Ideas, MN Orchestra Hall, Tue, Aug. 4
We examine the climates we inhabit: emotional, social, professional, and cultural. Together, we'll explore how shifting conditions don't just challenge us—they spark the new ideas that propel us forward. Our speakers will share how they navigate different climates through adaptation, growth, and innovation, proving that we thrive not by resisting change, but by responding to it.

Universe in the Park, Dodge Nature Center (West St. Paul), Fri, Aug. 7
A short outdoor presentation and slideshow to introduce you to the solar system and the tools astronomers use to study it. Then, as weather permits, you can view the sky through 8-inch reflecting telescopes until 10 p.m. What do you wonder about the universe? Be sure to bring your questions! Staff are ready with answers about everything from amateur astronomy to the latest discoveries of space scientists.

Vex Robotics Competition, Mall of America, Fri – Sat, Aug. 7 – 8
Experience the excitement of competitive robotics in the University of North Dakota College of Engineering & Mines’ Signature Robotics Competition. Watch talented VEX Robotics teams showcase their creativity, engineering skills and teamwork as they debut their designs + strategies for the new OVERRIDE! challenge. Teams will compete for four invitations to the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas Vs. Loco Beach Coconuts, Target Field, Fri – Sun, Aug. 7 – 9
Unique exhibition baseball with different rules including steal first on wild pitches, no stepping out of the batter’s box, no walks, fan foul ball catches are outs, and there’s a two hour time limit. Choreographed dances and trick plays in the spirit of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball games, but not fixed.

Pop Up Twin Cities Vintage Flea, North Loop Green, Sat, Aug. 8
Stop by North Loop Green from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Browse unique vintage finds, rare collectibles and handmade goods.

UFA Frisbee Football Semifinals: Minnesota Wind Chill vs. Indianapolis Alley Cats, Sea Foam Stadium (Concordia University, St. Paul), Sat, Aug. 8
Competitors square off for a chance to make it to the Final Four August 27-28 in Madison, WI.

Big Minneapolis Anime Convention, Minneapolis Convention Center, Sat – Sun, Aug. 8 – 9
A family-friendlyconventionfeaturing celebrity voice actors, cosplay, and a massive vendor hall.Popular voice stars like Dante Basco, Janet Varney, and Monica Rial. Autograph sessions, interactive panels, and unique artist alley shopping.

Catvideofeest 2026, The Main Cinema (Mpls), Sat – Sun, Aug. 8 – 9
Oscilloscope Laboratories presents CatVideoFest 2026, a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhousesm directed by Ingmeow Bergman. (*Wink*.) (A portion of ticket proceeds from every Cat Video Fest screening goes directly to cats in need.)

Bell Expeditions, Bell Museum, Tue – Sat, Aug. 11 – 15
As part of Bell’s Learning Landscape, what science in process. In an expedition-style set up outside of the museum, students and scientists will work together to demonstrate how scientific collections are created. Visitors will be able to watch live dissections as the team works together to take various data, preserve different types of samples, and produce specimens for the Bell Museum natural history collections, an active research institution utilized by scientists around the world.

Sip & Smoke: Cigar & Whiskey time, Sun Club (Edina), Wed, Aug. 12
Join us outside in the Courtyard for an evening of smooth whiskey, expertly paired with the perfect cigar, great company, and live music. Whether you're a whiskey connoisseur or simply looking to relax under the stars. Ticket ($20) includes first whiskey or bourbon pour.

Vixen National Championship Party, Fri, Aug. 14, A Bar of Their Own (ABOTO)
Celebrate the Minnesota Vixens’ women football team, which beat the Pittsburgh Passion 42-14 in Canton last month. The Vixens’ origin goes back to 1999 but they’ve been in the Women’s Football Alliance since 2017, and finished with an 8-1 record and won three rounds of playoffs to take the title. Players will be there to celebrate.

Nitro Circus 2.0, CHS Field (St. Paul Saints Ballpark), Sat, Aug. 15
Co-founded by action sports athlete Travis Pastrana, this adrenaline-packed live show features some of the world’s best athletes in freestyle motocross (FMX), BMX, skate and scooter in an over-the-top experience filled with massive tricks, and wild crashes inclding a 75 foot FMX backflip through a wall of fire (Adam Jones), a 40 ft “death dive” off the famous Giganta Ramp (Ryan Beam) and snowmobile tricks…. In Summer!!

Twin Cities Gus Macker 3-on-3 Tournament, North Hennepin Community College (Brooklyn Park)m Fri – Sat, Aug. 15 – 16
Teams of all ages and skill levels will take the court for a full weekend of competition, while fans enjoy music, local food vendors, family activities, and the electric energy that only Gus Macker can bring. Whether you’re chasing a trophy or just love the game, this is the weekend where the Twin Cities come out to play.

Once Upon A Time Weekend, Renaissance Fair (Shakopee), Sat – Sun, Aug 22 – 23
Step into a storybook world of magic and make-believe. Princesses, knights, fairies, and legendary heroes take center stage for a weekend filled with enchantment, costumes, and happily-ever-afters. Licensed K-12 teachers, school faculty, & staff, can get FREE admission this weekend, simply present a valid school ID badge at the box office. Kids ages 5 to 12 attend for FREE with an adult ticket purchase.

American Pottery Festival, Friday, August 28, Northern Clay Center
The 28^th annual APF unites ceramic artists, students and collectors for a weekend full of sales and art, of course, but lso artist talks, studio demonstrations and very hand-on workshops, as befits the avocation.

Blue Dream, Friday, August 28, REVEAL (St. Louis Park)
Two hours of live jazz as the day fades to twilight, from a 6^th floor view of the Minneapolis skyline. (The fourth Friday every month through November.)

Stepping Into the Unknown: Films from the Bob Dylan, Center Sat, Aug. 29 (two shows)
Bob Dylan Center Director Steven Jenkins presents hour-long program of short films and videos of the Bard, then engages in a post-screening discussion and audience Q&A. Local singer-songwriter Dan Israel rounds out the program with a brief solo-acoustic set of Dylan covers. The films feature Dylan on stage and in the studio over fifty years, from solo-acoustic beginnings through the "going electric" revolution, ongoing reinventions with The Band, Joan Baez and Tom Petty, and late-career tributes to Tony Bennett and Johnny Cash.

Color of Southeast Asia (COSA) Fest, Mississippi Gateway Regional Park (Brooklyn Park), Sat, Aug. 29 (12-6)
The 2026 theme is Rooted in Healing, Growing in Unity, honoring the stories that build resilience, and foster intergenerational and cross-cultural connections. The event serves not only as a celebration of our rich cultural heritage but also as a powerful reminder of the tremendous contributions that the Southeast Asian community has made to Minnesota.

K-Pop Minnecon, Sat – Sun, Aug. 29 – 30, St. Paul RiverCentre
It’s two-days dedicated to the $10B global phenomena with everything a K-pop stan could desire, including fan panels, exclusive merch, dance showcases, selfie zones, vendors and live performances from Ichillin’ and Justin Park. Other performers include Aiden, Hohyun, Toshi, JTR, JJang.E, and Ramiro Brave.

Guthrie Theatre Open House, Sun, Aug. 30
To celebrate 20 years in their iconic home on the riverfront, the Guthrie is hosting a free open house briming with activities to honor the memories made over hte past two decadses and look ahead at what's to come.

Book Readings

Olivia Jakobitz’ Testimony of a Heretic: Leaving the Evangelical Church, Tue, Aug. 4, Inkwell Booksellers
Local poet Jakobtiz’s poetry collection is equal parts early memoir, religious criticism, and exploration of growth and freedom. The medium of poetry allows for an exploration of ideas, vivid storytelling, inspiration, and lament.

Leila Renee’s Soft Spots, Tue, Aug 4, Magers & Quinn
Renee’s stories have appeared in the Kenyon Review and McSweeneys, and has received the Gulf Coast Price in Fiction and a Fullbright award. Her novel is a darkly funny and off-kilter coming-of-age novel following recent college graduate Robin Clarke after she runs away from her family, only to be forced to confront whether she should reconcile with her father when his health takes a sudden turn for the worst. She’s joined by Dralandra Larkins.

Meggie Royer’s A Violet Stretch of Sky, Sat, Aug. 8, Eat My Words
Royer is a poet/writer/artist who has been nominated several times for a Pushcart Prize. This poetry collection imagines Virginia Woolf and Vincent van Gogh in conversation with women of myth, examining the complex nature of relationships marred by love and violence and attempts to to reconcile her teenage and adult selves.

Nisha Srinivasa’s The Synesthete’s Rainbow, Mon, Aug 10, Magers & Quinn
Oakland author Srinivasa’s debut novel paints the story of a toxic situationship through the vibrant lens of synesthesia. As the Synesthete journeys across this messy, fragmented, chaotic, and heart-wrenching rainbow, she confronts both the antagonist and herself in her plight of unrequited longing, and ultimately arrives at a burgeoning sense of self. She’s joined Minneapolis writer Avalon (Ivy Ever After).

Alice Lovejoy’s, Tales of Militant Chemistry, Tue, Aug. 11, Thinking Spot (Wayzata)
From Nazi Germany to the Manhattan Project to the Cold War, Tales of Militant Chemistry tells the revelatory and chilling story of how the same materials that made film and photography possible also powered war and environmental devastation. Alice Lovejoy is a film and media historian and a professor at the University of Minnesota.

Everyone Has a Story, Tue, Aug. 11, Rise Early Learning Center (St. Louis Park)
As part of the St. Louis Park Summer Reading Festival, local authors Sarah Warren, Jean Mountain, and Mike Huber will read from their books. There will also be wandering puppets from Heart of the Beast, family-friendly activities, and food trucks.

Jill Swenson’s The Land of Everlasting Sky, Tue, Aug. 11, Magers & Quinn
Estranged from her father, still mourning the suicide of her husband and the loss of their farm in upstate New York, and now grieving her mother’s death, Jill has spent decades trying to put the past behind her—but she ultimately discovers that her only path forward is to reckon with the past, no matter how distant, shameful, or tragic. She’s joined by book reviewer Laurie Hertzel whose Memoir News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist won a Minnesota Book Award.

Leslie Bazzett’s Mia, Wed. Aug. 12, Milkweed Books
Bazzett’s debut novel is a psychological thriller featuring an American woman adrift in Mexico for a year who chance encounter with a glamorous older expat spirals into obsession and betrayal. She’s joined by local writer Julie Schumacher, whose bestseller Dear Committee Members won the Thurber Prize for American Humor

Kemper Donovan's Sweet Spot, Thur, Aug. 13, Once Upon a Crime (Mpls)
Kemper Donovan writes the USA Today bestselling Ghostwriter Mysteries and hosts the “All About Agatha” podcast. Sweet Spot is his third book in the series. True crime royalty meets literary snark in this ghostwriter's latest assignment in the intelligent, wildly funny locked room mystery.

Alexandra Sifferlin’s The Elusive Body, Tue, Aug. 18, Magers & Quinn
Sifferlin, an NYT health and science journalist, weaves profound, maddening, and uplifting stories of patients seeking answers to unexplainable symptoms, the doctors trying to help them, and the latest research on diagnosis. The Elusive Body illuminates the diagnostic journey, revealing why diagnoses matter and how they have the power to transform lives, the medical system, and even society, one case at a time.

Jessica Lourey’s The Crying Killer, Tue, Aug. 18, University Club of St. Paul
Thriller novelist Jessica Lourey has been short-listed for the Goodreads Choice Awards and the Edgar Award twice each; and won the International Thriller, Anthony, and Minnesota Book Awards. When bodies begin surfacing bearing the presumed dead Crying Killer’s brutal and unmistakable signature, Tuesday Hendrickson – who spent eight years running from the trauma of her sister’s murder is certain he’s coming for them. She is left with a terrible choice: unearth the shocking secret she buried with her sister, or become the Crying Killer’s next victim. With crime reporter/author Krisit Belcamino (Blessed are the Dead).

Greg Watson’s The Shape of Your Absence, Wed, Aug 19, Subtext Books
Watson is an award-winning author of twelve collections of poetry. He is also co-editor with Richard Broderick of The Road by Heart: Poems of Fatherhood, published by Nodin Press. He’s joined by poet/writer Patrick Cabello Hansel (The Devouring Land, Quitting Time).

Anesa Miller’s I Never Do This, Thur, Aug. 27, Subtext Books
In Miller’s debut novel, nine-year-old Miriam Winslow has never worn new clothes, never had a haircut, and believes that sinners must repent with dramatic displays of remorse, or harm will come to their loved ones. Now thrust into foster care, Miriam must adapt to a secular lifestyle. Foster parents Rick and Deanne Fletcher quickly come to love their “new little girl.” Then, they meet the rest of Miriam’s clan, notably her angry Christian brother who wants her back.

Annie Bruno’s Until You Find Your Way, Fri, Aug. 28, Next Chapter Books
Former Minnesota resident Bruno has published essays and short stories. This is her first novel. Told in spare, luminous prose, Until You Find Your Way walks you through grief and the many sides of love, showing how much the heart can hold when it learns to let go.

Donyae Coles’ The Sunken, The Adored, Sat, Aug. 29, Once Upon a Crime
The second book by the author of Midnight Rooms, Coles weaves a historical horror tale set during a hot Venetian summer…this slow-burn, atmospheric tale has a grim fable feel, which will draw readers in long before the monster gets its claws into them.

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