Posts Tagged ‘Minneapolis’

Unless your omniscient talents were in full gear and you had the foresight to purchase tickets within 7 days after they went on sale, you probably won’t be going to Coachella. Tickets for this year’s Coachella Music Festival sold out in ONE WEEK.

So I, along with hundreds of other procrastinators will spend the next couple months trying to bribe other people to sell us their passes and incessantly checking the festival’s website to see if, by some unprecedented act of Congress, a new allotment of tickets has been made available to the public.

Probably not gonna happen.

So for all my procrastinators, I’m providing a “Plan B” list so that you can still kick off your 2011 with an awesome concert experience.

Procrastinators need love, too. Wanee Festival 2011 Partying along the Suwanee (River, that is) while listening to live music of Widespread Panic, Rusted Root, and Stephen Marley is the perfect “springtime is here” ritual. Held in Live Oak, Florida, this year’s Wanee Festival dates are April 14th-16th. Founded by the Allman Brothers and produced by Live Nation, Wanee regularly attracts hundreds of southern rock and reggae enthusiasts for a 3 day musical extravaganza. Visit waneefestival.com for lineup, schedule, and ticket info.

Cold War Kids

They had me at “Hang Me Up To Dry,” and they are one Coachella act I was very much looking forward to seeing. Hmph. Oh well. Thankfully, they have several upcoming shows including appearances in Portland, Minneapolis, and in Oakland.

7th Annual Atlanta Blues Festival Calling all blues lovers to the ATL! Featuring Floyd Taylor, Mel Waters, and the legendary Bobby “Blue” Bland, the 7th installment of this successful festival is less than a week away! On February 11th, Atlanta’s Civic Center is hosting the event. An excellent idea for a bluesy, soulful date night! New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival No other city does jazz like N’awlins. This year’s festivities include musical acts  Dumpstaphunk, Shades of Praise, and former Haitian presidential hopeful, Wyclef Jean. The festival starts April 29th-May 1st and continues the following weekend on May 5th-May 8th. In addition to enjoying some of the best live music on the planet, attendees can also experience N.O.’s heritage as local food and craft vendors will be stationed throughout Fair Grounds Race Course.

Big Boi & Cee Lo Green

Coachella artist, Cee Lo, is teaming up with his long time buddy, Big Boi, on February 11th at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Songs like “Shutterbugg” and “Fo You Sorrows” helped make Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot one of my favorite albums of 2010. And hearing Cee Lo perform  Lady Killer’s “Fool For You” will make the night worth the while.

Visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets for Cold War Kids, 7^th Annual Atlanta Blues Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the Big Boi & Cee Lo Green concert.

And for more of the latest music news and reviews, check back in with Erica Renee Davis right here at Positively Celebrity!

Following closely on the heels of their free show in Denver during the Democrats’ Convention, Los Angeles rock activists Rage Against The Machine made sure they were in the Twin Cities during the Republicans’ time in the national spotlight.

On Monday, guitarist Tom Morello performed solo (as The Nightwatchman) at the “Take Back Labor Day” benefit in St. Paul, alongside Mos Def, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle and Atmosphere, among others.

On Tuesday evening, Rage Against The Machine made an unscheduled appearance at the Ripple Effect festival on the front lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol building.  The police, however, citing a lack of permit, refused to let the thousands of fans assembled hear the band play.  Instead, Morello and frontman Zack de la Rocha grabbed megaphones and led the crowd in a cappella renditions of two songs. 

Wednesday night saw the band across the river in Minneapolis, playing at a Target Center surrounded by riot police.  Rage took the stage, to the delight of the progressive-leaning crowd, wearing Guantanamo Bay prisoner uniforms, playing their first song with heads covered.  They played a roaring set, the crowd exploding during every song. 

After their encore, the band stayed onstage and explained to the crowd that it was possible to face the police outside “peacefully” without being “passive.”  The crowd must have listened, because although there were some arrests on the streets of Minneapolis, there was no violence.

As much as I love Jon Stewart and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, I think it might be tough for Stewart to reconcile his connection to the common man while residing at the hippest hotel in the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention next week.

Rooms go for $400 and up at the brand new W Minneapolis – The Foshay, where it’s been reported Stewart will be staying. This hotel hotspot touts Manny’s Steakhouse and the Keys Cafe, along with a 30th floor open-air perch to view all 360 degrees of Minneapolis. The Foshay is even more highfalutin than the spot McCain and Co. will cool their heels – The St. Paul Hotel.

Jon, you can’t help that you are a multi-millionaire, living the good life. Our welcome mat is out for you, Jon, here in the Twin Cities. As long as you keep us laughing at your funny fake news we will consider you to be one of us.

After “re-forming” last year, incendiary LA-based foursome Rage Against The Machine is making their rage actively felt in the American political arena.

The band has announced plans to play a free show in Denver on August 27 at the Denver Coliseum.  Across town at the same time, the Democratic Party will be holding their nominating convention.

A week later, Rage Against The Machine will be in Minneapolis playing a show on September 3.  Across the Mississippi River at that time, the Republicans will be holding THEIR convention in St. Paul.

Fans can get free tickets to the Denver show by entering a lottery in person at Cuernavaca Park in Denver August 24 through 26.

RATM was in Chicago on August 2, performing at Lollapalooza 2008.

Frontman Zack de la Rocha had a new EP out last month from his side project One Day As A Lion, and guitarist Tom Morello has been performing on the side since 2003 as the activist folk singer The Nightwatchman.  Both side projects are similarly politically engaged.