With summer fast approaching so does the number of awesome festivals happening not just nationally but regionally. Here at MNunderground, we've got our annual trip to The Summer Set Music Festival already lined up. However this year we are branching out & packing our freshest gear and heading down to St. Charles, Iowa (outside of Des Moines) for the second annual, Hinterland Music Festival. Hinterland takes place on August 5th & 6th for 2 full days of great music. This festival screamed our name not just because of the amazing line up but because it’s a festival for people who love music and the outdoors. Don't get us wrong, the line-up definitely caught our attention when we first caught wind of this festival. With acts from all over the country, you get the perfect blend of artists to please even your pickiest friends. With acts like: Hayes Carll, The Turnpike Troubadours, Houndmouth, Cold War Kids, Grace Potter, Ray LaMontagne & the great Willie Nelson. 

Courtesy of Four Eyes Foto

Definition of Hinterland: The land behind a river. The rural area near a city. A backwater. This could not be more telling of what to expect at this event.  This festival is a tents only campground, NO RVs or campers. No "glamping" here. Unless, you decide to take some of the neighboring hotels up on their reduced rates offered for Hinterland weekend and take the free shuttle to the festivities.  Unlike some festivals Hinterland makes is approved for all ages.. There is a family friendly environment, this will be an event you can take the whole family to (Children 12 & under have free admission with adult admission). The kiddos even have their own “Kinderland." The kid friendly corner of the festival made just for them. There is even a Family/Quiet Camping area available with quiet period from 10pm - 8am so you can get a good night’s rest before seeing your favorite acts. The General Store is also available for any staples you might have forgotten. Not to mention the countless vendors for crafts, food and more that will be available over the two days. 

Courtesy of Jeremy Kim Photography So why not, wind down your summer with your buddies and road trip to Iowa to experience this unique and one of a kind festival.

Courtesy of Jeremy Kim Photography For more information please visit www.hinterlandiowa.com

It had been 20+ years since The Cure had visited Minnesota, far too long for what proved to be an audience of true fans.  Ticket sales outstripped initial expectations so much so that they reconfigured the seating arrangement not once but twice.  With over 12,000 in attendance, it was clear that there is a strong fan-base here.


As the crowd funneled in and found their spots around the Xcel, The Twilight Sad took the stage.  A Scottish band with a moody pop rock sound, they were definitely had soul behind the music.


   


More than once we heard comments from audience members about how fantastic they sounded.  A couple of people even wondering if they were lip-syncing from a recording.  They obviously weren't, but it was a testament to the quality of their performance and the sound in the Xcel center last night.



Was it worth a 20 year wait to have The Cure back in Minnesota?  Absolutely!  We just hope they do it again far sooner than another 20 years from now.

I found this description on the First Ave page which speaks about his new album Azel, "Fans of Bombino and Tuareg music in general will notice a few remarkable innovations on this album. The first is the introduction of a new style Bombino is pioneering what he affectionately calls ‘Tuareggae’ – a sunny blend of Tuareg blues/rock with reggae one-drop and bounce.

Another is the first-ever use of Western vocal harmonies in recorded Tuareg music, (due to Longstreth’s influence) which give the songs new depth and color. Finally, the band behind him is tighter and more energetic than ever before. The result is Bombino's best, most well-rounded, and groundbreaking album to date: Azel." I highly suggest you give it a listen. You will not be disappointed.

Being a fan of music i'ts easy to get lost in the world of YouTube at the videos out there. We at MNUnderground have decided to put together five videos a week that we have found or dug up in the archives.

We have decided to call it Happy Trees in tribute to everyone's favorite little painter :)

Sit back and enjoy the first week of videos....

Doors open: 9:00 PM
Days until show: 2
Ages: 18 & Over
Advanced Ticket Prices*: $15.00
Day of Show*: $18.00

If you are a fan of EDM, then your weekend starts on Thursday night.  Thanks to the folks at SIM Shows, you have back-to-back nights of great music right here in Minneapolis.


22-year old wunderkid, Henry Steinway aka RL Grime, has made one of the most unique impacts on the EDM scene over the last 2 years.  Since the release of his debut EP "Grapes" back in 2012, Grime's genre-blending style has made fans of EDM lovers and non-believers alike.  With some of the most recognizable remixes of the last year, he has proven that his style is universally dig-able.  He, along with LUNICE and BRANCHEZ are set to take over Mill City Nights this coming Thursday night...

The Cedar was an ideal venue for this show.  A small crowd by TBT standards and the amazing sound quality at The Cedar only highlighted the skills on display even more.  It felt a bit odd to look around the audience of a Trampled show to see almost no one dancing.  Instead, 300+ people stood like statues transfixed on the down-tempo sounds emanating from the stage.  

Coming in through the back left of the stage, the venue opens up into a general admission, multi- floor, concert utopia. There is a huge circle light installment that covers the entirety of the main dance floor, which you must take a staircase down into. The GA floor is lowered into the center, with a ground level around area wrapped around the sides that is home to bars, coat check, merch tables, and bathrooms.  There is also an upper balcony that wraps around the back and right side of the stage, and 3 VIP booths located on the upper left of the venue. The view from up top is pretty sweet and the support beams don’t cause much of a disturbance in your view – unlike at EPIC Nightclub. All of this exploring was while Blood Diamonds, a 6’9” Los Angeles native, took the stage by command. He skillfully switched between house & trap and kept the crowd going the whole night. It was pretty cool and I was definitely impressed this first time seeing him on the decks. I would definitely like to check him out again sometime and see if he can deliver a second time around.

Still trying to decide what to do this weekend?  If you are a fan of EDM at all, you have heard the name Pretty Lights.  Well, Derek Vincent Smith aka Pretty Lights, will be invading Myth night club in Maplewood Saturday night.

 His most recent album, A Color Map of the Sun is, in my opinion, his best yet.  Rich in musical style and character, Smith called upon the skills of some of New Orleans' most talented musicians to create sounds to work with.  By all accounts, the tour is nothing short of incredible.

This show is SOLD OUT, but I found a number of tix available on Craigslist and eBay...  We have ours on lock...

Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett took the stage right at 9:00 and dove head first into a collection of tunes nearly any music fan would recognize.  Just the two of them on stage, their guitars and microphones.  That's all they needed.



Not familiar with The New Orleans Suspects...  Well, let me suggest you get acquainted. These guys are some of the most storied and talented musicians in New Orleans music, and arguably rock music as a whole. "Mean" Willie Green has been the drummer for the Neville Brother's Band since the 1980's, Reggie Scanlan has played bass for The Radiators for over 30 years, Jake Eckert was the lead guitarist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, CR Gruver has played keys for The Meters Experience, and a laundry list of other jazz legends, and Jeff Watkins has lent his saxophone skills to James Brown for over 12 years, and worked as Joss Stone's producer for 6.  These 5 guys put more funky-jazzy musical talent on stage than your brain can handle.



As if all of that wasn't enough, the third and final set of the evening was all these ridiculously talented musicians on stage together, at the same time...  Playing favorites from both The Suspects and Little Feat's rosters, as well as a few artfully chosen covers, not a person in the Cabooze was sitting still.   The party was rockin', and we were all sad to see it end, including the guys on stage.

A Special thanks to the Krewe of D.A.D.s for putting this show together.  Further proof that the Minnesota music scene has a little bit of everything, and a little NOLA funk doesn't go unappreciated.