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Must-see concerts in the Twin Cities this week: Chance the Rapper, Steve Earle, Becky G
By Dustin Nelson,
1 day ago
After a week with massive stadium shows from Metallica, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Ice Spice, and others, this week brings a mix of intimate performances and the return of the Minnesota State Fair.
Here are the concerts you should catch this week, including a look at the first shows from this year's State Fair Grandstand lineup.
Composer and electronic musician John C.S. Keston, who was born in the U.K. but lives in Minneapolis, presents an evening electroacoustic compositions accompanied by alone-a and Crystal Myslajek. His work crafts an atomospheric world that wraps you up with transportive sounds built through sound designs, piano, vocals, signal processing, and other experimental techniques. 204 N 1st St., Minneapolis ($10)
It's tempting to throw a superlative like "indie rock titans" at Built to Spill. However, that's more of a reference to their influence and lasting legacy than ever being a chart-topper.
Nonetheless, the band is celebrating the anniversary of one of its best albums (along with Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret , I might argue) at First Avenue . It's a great opportunity to hear some tracks live you might not otherwise find on a Built to Spill setlist. 701 N 1st Ave., Minneapolis ($35)
Folk legend Steve Earle stops into the Dakota two nights in a row. (He's also playing on Aug. 20.) Earle's shows emphasize his reputation as a storyteller, both in song and from the stage.
Earle has performed with some version of the Dukes as his backing band for the better part of the last four decades. Earle said the death of bassist Kelly Looney in 2019 kind of drew a line that cut ties with Dukes' original lineups. So, he began performing solo again and even released a live album of his solo performances, Alone Again (Live) , last month. It's a rare opportunity to see the songsmith perform solo. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($90–120)
Thursday, Aug. 22 at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
It begins. The Minnesota State Fair kicks off today and the nightly Grandstand lineup opens with Becky G. The singer and actress has already accumulate a heap of accolades in her young career, including many Latin Grammy nominations, four No. 1 hits on Billboard's Latin charts, and a pair of multi-platinum albums.
The “Mamiii” singer is a fitting start to a Grandstand lineup that will include familiar names like Blake Shelton, Matchbox Twenty, Ludacris, T-Pain, Mötley Crüe, and others over the next 12 days. 1265 Snelling Ave., Falcon Heights ($44–88)
Friday, Aug. 23 at Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
The Minnesota State Fair follows Becky G with one of the biggest names to grace the Grandstand stage this year: Chance the Rapper. It's a big get, because the The Voice coach doesn't have many shows on the calendar this year. He's already been buttering up Minnesotans, praising the fair in an interview with the Star Tribune , er, Minnesota Star Tribune .
“I hear it’s the state fair,” he said. “Texas has a big one, too. But if you are going to play a state fair, Minnesota is the one to play, right?” We're still waiting on that promised new album this year, but the possibility of hearing some new music live will make the wait a little easier. 1265 Snelling Ave., Falcon Heights ($48–148)
The Austin-based singer-songwriter and former frontman of The Ugly Americans and The Scabs hits the Cedar with opener Fathom Lane. His genre-hopping '70s inflected rock has garnered a significant following. It's not surprising that this one is already sold out. 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis ($30)
It's a theatrical night of metal during the Freaks on Parade tour on Sunday night. Alice Cooper is still bringing his 80s rock hits on the road, performed with no small amount of flair. Cooper co-headlines with Rob Zombie, whose shows are similarly theatrical, if from a younger generation. The director and former White Zombie lead singer last stepped away from his film career for a solo release in 2021 with Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy . 199 W Kellogg Blvd., St Paul ($39.50–$59.50)
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