Missing for two years, the festival returns this week alongside a slate of rap icons (GZA), '80s speed metal (Exciter), and more than a couple of local artists worth catching.
Here are seven shows to catch around the Twin Cities this week.
The '80s metal vibes are strong at the Turf Club. Exciter have been cranking out speed metal for more than four decades — if you count the breaks and many, many lineup changes. On Monday, they're playing the Dan Beehler-fronted hits. Midnight, formed in the early '00s, plays a more brutal brand of metal, but with a distinct '80s influence. Wraith and Hellwitch open.
On this year's Only God Was Above Us , the band's first album since 2019, Vampire Weekend seemed concerned with legacy, where they fit into the world. Frequently self-referential, the record clicked with fans. Ezra Koenig and co. will play two straight nights at the Armory with fellow '00s indie stalwarts Ra Ra Riot.
The rap titan will play back-to-back shows at the Dakota, a bit of a surprising venue choice for one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan. It'll be a beautifully intimate space to see GZA/The Genius, whose Shaolin monk and chess-filled solo work, like the classic RZA-produced Liquid Swords , is among the best any members of Wu-Tang Clan produced outside of the confines of the supergroup.
The Minneapolis band is celebrating 20 years of playing together (on and off). They've described themselves as "warped version of your favorite old country records" and that's not inaccurate. The chaotic folk/punk band's celebration is also something of a farewell as another hiatus begins after this show. Constant Insult, Fletcher Coulee, Luc, and Jeffrey Robert Larson open.
The Basilica Block Party returns from a two-year hiatus this weekend. It has moved from the streets around the Basilica to Boom Island Park with two days of music that will feature the Goo Goo Dolls and The Fray headlining on Friday. The main stage wraps up on Saturday with sets from Counting Crows and Needtobreathe. There will also be a stage of local music both days.
Charlie Parr is more than a fixture of the Minnesota music world, he's been an inspiration for many with a career that has spanned more than two decades. His latest album, Little Sun , was released earlier this year and is a beautifully soulful roots album. While there's plenty of blues and fingerpicking, Little Sun has a big sound that shows, again, why he's earned acclaim around the world.
There aren't many groups quite like Magic Sword. The synth-heavy group is as much an art project as a band. They wear masks that radiate light and record albums to soundtrack a mythologically rich story in graphic novel form. They headline the Turf on Sunday with Essenger, North Innsbruck, and Magenta opening.
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