Tuesday 4/5
Wilderado and Flipturn at the Turf Club – TICKETS
Formed in the California mountains, but originally hailing from Tulsa, OK, Wilderado have been steadily building a passionate fan base and defining who they are since 2015. When they first came together, Maxim Rainer (lead vocals, guitar), Tyler Wimpee (guitar, vocals) and Justin Kila (drums) spent a summer in Latigo Canyon, a secluded part of Malibu, with longtime Sufjan Stevens collaborator James McAlister, immersing themselves in writing and recording. Those songs went on to form early EP releases with tastemaker indie labels IAMSOUND and National Anthem, which garnered more than 100 million streams, but more crucially provided the backbone to years of touring.
Following initial recording sessions at their one-time home and creative space named “The Misty Shrub” (the title of the first EP) in Latigo Canyon (the title of the second EP), the band returned Tulsa to base themselves from their hometown. Since then, they’ve crisscrossed the USA a half dozen times playing with artists as diverse as Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, Mt. Joy, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and have performed on the main stage at such festivals as Lollapalooza, Bottlerock, and Austin City Limits.
In the time since 2015, flipturn has mushroomed to reaches far beyond the walls of the Fernandina Beach garage they first practiced in. Built up by Dillon Basse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (drums), the band is walking proof that the DIY approach is still alive and well in the modern music world. With over 40 million streams on Spotify alone, countless sold out shows across the US, and tours with Mt.Joy, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Wilderado, the band has a lead foot on the gas pedal. This year will see flipturn joining the prestigious lineups of Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, SXSW, Hangout, Sunfest, and Treefort. Fans can also look forward to the band’s upcoming debut album and more shows to be announced.
Ministry at the Theatre – TICKETS
MINISTRY’s Al Jourgensen, the acclaimed pioneer of industrial music, doesn’t muck around, doesn’t sugar-coat, doesn’t pull punches. He’s highly opinionated, exceptionally well read and articulate on subjects ranging from politics to alien conspiracies to American history to his beloved Chicago Blackhawks/Bulls/White Sox/Bears. He is an avid follower of NASA scientist David S. McKay, ancient civilizations scholar Zecharia Sitchin, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Scottish writer/archaeologist/scientist Graham Hancock.
Moral Hygiene is Ministry’s 15th studio album and features some of the project’s strongest and most inspired material to date. It features the creative masterwork of founder and creator Al Jourgensen who spent the pandemic pause ruminating on the new world we as a society have found ourselves in – while pondering just what we are going to do about it. Singles have included “Alert Level” (sounding the alarm on the state society is in), “Good Trouble” (a rallying cry to fight for human rights in homage to Civil Rights leader John Lewis), “Disinformation” (the dangers of consuming mass media without critical thinking) and “Search And Destroy” (the unique take on The Stooges classic). The latter features guitar virtuoso Billy Morrison (Billy Idol/Royal Machines) who is also heavily featured on a number of songs on the album. The record also includes a collaboration with Jello Biafra (Jourgensen’s cohort in side project LARD) on “Sabotage Is Sex.” The album was added to many “best of 2021” year-end lists, including Loudwire, Consequence Of Sound, Punk News and XS Rock (where it was ranked the #1 album of the year).
Grandson at the Varsity – TICKETS
Platinum-selling alt-rocker grandson will bring his brand of fiery, frenetic and explosive live performance to Minneapolis for a show at Varsity Theatre on Tuesday, April 5th.
The “rock ‘n’ roll rebel” (Alt Press) sold out two nights at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre and continues to bring his frenetic, rollicking live performances to cities across the U.S for his 20+ headlining date tour, which is sandwiched between his supporting arena tours with Imagine Dragons and Avril Lavigne.
grandson recently dropped “Kult,” his newest track with Steve Aoki (ft. Jasiah). Brimming with white-hot intensity, “Kult” lyrically approaches the cynicism and pressure of having the world on your back; cracking under the weight and looking for a way out.
Known for his “polemical songwriting” (Interview Magazine) and “exuberant” (Forbes) live performance, grandson is fresh off some of his biggest collaborations to date. From writing “Rain,” an exclusive track with Jessie Reyez for The Suicide Squad, to tapping Travis Barker and pop superstar Kesha for “Drop Dead” and even partnering with the legendary Tom Morello for the gut-busting “Hold the Line.” grandson’s live performance promises to be unforgettable.
Wednesday 4/6
Snotty Nose Rez Kids at the Entry – TICKETS
Snotty Nose Rez Kids is a Canadian Hip-Hop duo of Haisla (Indigenous) descent from Kitimat, BC. Rappers Yung Trybez and Young D formed the duo in 2016, releasing two albums in 2017 with their second, The Average Savage, winning them Best Hip Hop Artist at the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA’s), cemented them on 2018’s Top 10 list of the coveted Polaris Music Prize, and landed them a 2019 Juno Nomination for best Indigenous Music Album. The group toured heavily in Canada with appearances in New York City, Seattle, and Darwin, Australia. They quickly gained notoriety for their energetic, inspiring, and thought-provoking performances.
As COVID restrictions began to ease in 2021, SNRK were back in studio, creating their most personal project to date, LIFE AFTER, released in October 2021. The release landed them on the covers of Exclaim Magazine, Range Magazine, and The Georgia Straight. Their hit single, Uncle Rico, debuted on BET Jams and went into rotation on MTV. After a year and half, SNRK were back on the road for leg 1 of their Life After Tour with 13 shows in the US, and have announced a second leg for 2022 with another 20+ dates in Canada and the US.
Picking back up where they left off in 2020, SNRK are set for 2022 to be their breakout year.
Thursday 4/7
SUBA Trio at the Dakota – TICKETS
SUBA Trio is the second recording and concert collaboration between 7-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist-composer-bandleader Omar Sosa and U.K.-based Senegalese kora master and singer Seckou Keita, featuring folkloric Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles. The recording made NPR Music’s ’20 Best Albums of 2021’, reached #1 on the Transglobal World Music Chart (December 2021), and received a 4-star review in Downbeat, to mention just a few of hundreds of accolades. SUBA Trio‘s debut in London at Queen Elizabeth Hall in November 2021 was sold-out.
Both charismatic and virtuoso performers, Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita share a special musical chemistry that inspires audiences to their feet with a unique fusion of jazz and world music. Each concert is an uplifting experience, reflecting the close and compassionate listening of artists engaged in a captivating musical conversation. London’s Morning Star newspaper writes, “The unhurried elegance of what Sosa calls ‘minimalismo’ articulates this utterly modern musical idiom”. And London’s Jazz Journal comments that SUBA is “suffused with the soulful spirit of song – music of archetypal vision and deeply heartening consequence.” In the U.S., Jazz Weekly writes that SUBA “sounds like a serene sunset in the Sahel desert, with sparkling stars, spacious horizons, and wondrous panoramas.” And Downbeat describes the “otherwise impossible-to-categorize music as oceanic, bridging the Atlantic from Cuba to Senegal”, and offering “a genuine ‘world music’”. Rounding out the Trio is the wonderful percussionist, Gustavo Ovalles, whose exceptional mastery of the maracas, quitiplas, and culo ‘e puya is truly remarkable.
Friday 4/8
Lawrence at the First Avenue – TICKETS
As NPR writes, “siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence are not your typical pair.” Clyde Lawrence and Gracie Lawrence have been writing songs and listening to countless Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman, and Aretha Franklin records in their family’s New York City apartment since they were little kids. After years of playing together, they officially created Lawrence, an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has since gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals.
In July 2021, Lawrence released their new album, Hotel TV, and became the first band to release music under Beautiful Mind Records, the label of Grammy-winning producer/songwriter/artist Jon Bellion, who co-produced and co-wrote the songs on the album along with Clyde, Gracie, and their bandmates Jordan Cohen and Jonny Koh. The tracks on Hotel TV have garnered tens of millions of streams across all platforms and have had multiple viral moments on Tik Tok and Instagram. Most recently, the album’s lead single, “Don’t Lose Sight,” is currently featured in an international Microsoft commercial, which has propelled it into the Top 20 on the USA Shazam Pop Charts and has led it to begin receiving airplay on Top 40 radio stations across the country.
Altin Gün / Pachyman at the Varsity Theater – TICKETS
Amsterdam based Turkish-psych innovators Altın Gün are launching a new 2-song digital single to kick-off their spring tour dates in Europe and North America. The focus track “Badİ Sabah Olmadan” is a pulsing, dark hued rocker that captures the energized essence of a band at the height of their powers. The band’s original version of the track can be found on their Bandcamp-only album Âlem – released in the summer of 2021. The band tells us this about their boiling new version:
“‘Badİ Sabah Olmadan’ is a traditional love song from the town of Kırşehir, where the poet begs his lover to come to him before the night ends. We recorded an electronic version for our charity album Âlem, and then started to play it live with the band. We liked it so much that we decided to record a live band version. Happy to play it for our fans this spring!”
The second offering on the digital single is “Cips Kola Kilit”. It is the original version that appeared on Âlem. It is defined by an 80’s feel, and beat patterns enhanced with synth washes and a softly spoken, seductive rap. Mojo magazine praised its “New Order-y fluidity.”
The Return of Pachyman is a supernatural force from a brave new world that’s a little bit San Juan, a little L.A., and a whole lot of Channel One in Kingston, Jamaica. Designed to be a resurrection of sound systems from the past through which we can celebrate a post-Trump future, the record shows that blasting off into reggae’s deep space has never gone out of style. It’s a high-flying journey into a different kind of dub vibe, as García tells it, by composing songs “in major keys, which is not as common with reggae nowadays.”
García hails from Puerto Rico, where he grew up immersed in the music of local reggae heroes Cultura Profética and classic Jamaican dub records from King Tubby and Scientist. After relocating to Los Angeles, he fell in with the weekly Echo Park reggae night Dub Club and began creating his own dub music, influenced by the Caribbean sounds of his youth, and recording guitar, bass, drums, and piano in his basement studio. García began to organically build an enthused following in the reggae community and was given the 2021 Discovery Award at this year’s Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC).
Alison Wonderland at the Armory – TICKETS
Alison Wonderland is so much more than a DJ: She is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Since emerging in 2009, Alison Wonderland’s sound has quietly inched towards mainstream ubiquity as the sonic sorceress received the “Highest Female DJ Billing Ever at Coachella,” captured the No.1 spot on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart twice consecutively (with her debut album Run and sophomore album Awake), headlined sold-out arenas around the globe plus headlined stages at the biggest festivals in the world, and clocked upwards of 800 million streams. Alison Wonderland was Billboard Dance’s “Breakout Artist of 2018” and the magazine’s 2019 Dance Issue cover star. In 2019, between headline slots at festivals around the world, Alison also played her own headline concerts which sold over 100,000 tickets globally – most recently selling out two acclaimed shows at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Alison has just announced her third album, Loner, is set for release via Astralwerks on May 6.
Saturday 4/9
The Revivalists at the Fillmore – TICKETS
Audiences are eager to see the renowned live band for their first full headline tour since before the pandemic lockdown – it kicks off April 1 with a show at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall, marking the start of a big year ahead for The Revivalists, who have more than 540 million global streams. They will play a big hometown set at New Orleans Jazz Fest in May, and will make their long-waited return to Red Rocks in Colorado for a sold-out headline show in June – their third consecutive sell-out at the famed venue. The Revivalists will be releasing new music in the coming year, which will follow 2020’s Made In Muscle Shoals live studio EP and mini-documentary that was filmed at the legendary FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a location steeped in the many classic styles of American music that inform the New Orleans-based band’s signature sound. Check out the Rolling Stone feature on it. Made In Muscle Shoals featured re-imaginings of The Revivalists’ hits including a gorgeous stripped-down take of their platinum selling hit “Wish I Knew You,” a crossover smash that became the band’s breakout single several years ago and set a record for most single-week spins ever at Alternative radio.
Sunday 4/10
Forester at the Turf Club – TICKETS
Formed in 2019, Forester is a new indie electronic duo that has already made a lasting impact in the scene. The Los Angeles-based group is comprised of Xander Carlson and David Parris, both of whom write, produce, and sing. Their music blends acoustic instrumentation with electronic elements that transport the listener to wide open spaces, allowing for introspection as well as the desire to dance. They landed a deal on Kygo’s Palm Tree Records in May 2020 and dropped their sophomore album, A Range of Light, on December 4. In 2021, while working on new music, they also had incredible performances around the country, including selling out their first show on a sunset cruise around Manhattan, opening for Kygo at Red Rocks in Colorado, and playing at the very first Palm Tree Festival in New York. With millions of streams already under their belt and an ethos that calls for an eyes-closed escape, Forester’s future is looking brighter than ever.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre at the First Avenue – TICKETS
Named in tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist and his influence in introducing Eastern culture and music into the world of Western rock & roll, the Brian Jonestown Massacre formed in San Francisco, CA, in 1990. Some 40 different members passed through the group’s ranks over the next half-decade, but their focal point always remained singer/guitarist Anton Newcombe, who along with bassist Matt Hollywood, guitarist Dean Taylor, organist Mara Regal, accordionist Dawn Thomas, drummer Brian Glaze, and “Spokesperson for the Revolution” Joel Gion, recorded the Massacre’s 1995 shoegazer-influenced debut LP, Methodrone.
A collection of early recordings, Spacegirl and Other Favorites, followed on the band’s own Tangible label in early 1996, and was the first of four Brian Jonestown Massacre LPs to appear that year. Next up was the brilliant, Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request, a full-blown homage to the Stones’ glorious psychedelic-era excesses. Recorded live in the studio, the grittier Take It from the Man! found the band exploring even broader territory. Finally, the year ended with the release of Thank God for Mental Illness, a showcase for strong country and blues leanings.
