Bon Iver @ the Orpheum Theatre by: Joe Toeben   If there’s one thing it’s for certain: Bon Iver is one of the most exciting musical acts of the present decade.  Led by Justin Vernon, they have released one of the years most endearing and heartfelt albums.  There’s no doubt that it was a different release from his prior work with Emma, but their live performance did an outstanding job of bringing the new album to life.  Kathleen...

The dark little niche of a Minneapolis venue that is 7th Street Entry was bustling Thursday, August 4th when we arrived at Fences’ first ever Minneapolis show. The first thing I noticed was the crowd. I was surprised at the diversity that was in attendance; ages spanning from high school and college scenesters to middle aged couples were all there. Being the wallflower I tend to be at shows, I sat up on one of the benches that line...

The  Audio Perm Block Party held at Shuga Records in Northeast Minneapolis went down on August 27th. This was the first block party organized by the Audio Perm crew. Attendance was low considering this type of event. Maybe all the Hip-Hop heads were at the Minnesota State Fair. Despite it’s sparse attendance, the block party was a success. Things went accordingly to schedule and the music was grooving. One performance highlight that...

 Volbeat with Cold and Anchored By: Andy Hanson   Before the madness, Volbeat strode on-stage donning simplistic yet quintessentially METAL jet-black clothing, a knowing nod to the live performance outfits of their heroes and clear musical inspiration, Metallica. Often labeled the Danish version of that powerhouse, Volbeat are vaulting quickly in the mainstream metal community largely on the heels of an unrivaled ability to collide...

An hour and a half north of Los Angeles, nestled in the San Gabriel mountain range, lies Lake Hughes. On August 12th, this sleepy haven was home to a who’s who of the Antelope Valley (The high desert area on the outskirts of LA county) with the For Those Who Have Art Festival. It was labeled as half art exhibit and half DIY music fest, but the end result clearly edged towards the latter as by the time that most of the attendees had...

Downtown Minneapolis was packed Friday July 15th with a swarm of people hanging out and headed to the Twins game. All this commotion didn’t slow down the energy at the 2011 Minnesota Black Music Awards (MBMA) held at the Pantages Theater. After a hiatus and returning last year, MBMA celebrated it’s 31st Anniversary and 20th award ceremony honoring national and local artists who are illustrating the Minneapolis sound. MBMA...