News

The Black Keys are playing at the Target Center in Minneapolis on May 15.

Check out this list of  big upcoming entertainment options just outside our area. These totally drive-to-able events maybe just thing to scratch your mini-road trip itch. Or, if you just need to get out of town for the day (we're not asking questions), you might as well have some place to go, right?

Incubus
May 9 • Myth, St Paul

Donald Glover + Danny Brown
May 10 • Epic Event Center, Mpls

KD Lang
May 10 • O’Shaughnessy, St Paul

Chickenfoot + Black Stone Cherry
May 11 • The Brick, Mpls

Electric Six
May 11 • First Avenue, Mpls

Paul F Tompkins
May 12 • Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul

St. Vincent
May 12 • First Avenue, Mpls

Steve Winwood
May 12 • The Orpheum, Mpls

Daughtry
May 13 • The Brick, Mpls

Meshuggah
May 13 • First Avenue, Mpls

Slash
May 14 • The Brick, Mpls

The Black Keys + Arctic Monkeys
May 15 • Target Center, Mpls

The Cranberries
May 17 • The Brick, Mpls

BB King
May 18 • The State Theatre, Mpls

Marilyn Manson
May 18 • Myth, St Paul

Lynyrd Skynyrd
May 19 • Treasure Island, Red Wing

Van Halen
May 19 • Xcel Energy Center, St Paul

Xiu Xiu + Dirty Beaches
May 19 • Triple Rock Social Club, Mpls

Rob Zombie + Megadeth
May 22 • La Crosse Center Arena

Photo: by CJ Foeckler

Former Eau Clairian/current Madisonian and Christopher Porterfield's latest project Field Report* just done got itself written up by the Rolling Stone Magazine. (Porterfield uses to head up Conrad Plymouth.) A taste:

Field Report doesn’t have a record deal yet – Porterfield says he’s weighing his options – but the band has already attracted famous fans like Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, who invited Field Report to play his SXSW showcase and watched the band from the front row, "with a camera phone out, singing along," Porterfield recalled. "It is undeniable when you listen to Field Report," Duritz enthused to Rolling Stone. "This is just great music."

– Rolling Stone, 5-4-1012

In other news, the article was written by Sconnie music writer and one-time Eau Clairian Steven Hyden. Who also writes for The Onion's A.V. Club.

*An anagram of Porterfield!

Just when you thought Bon Iver’s Flaming Lips collaboration was the only local music nugget to look forward to on Record Store Day (this Saturday, April 21), The Ronald Raygun swoops in and drops news of a 7” single release. The awesomely named Eau Claire trio (comprised of Ben Hinz, Jaime Hansen, and Matt Haapala) just got the shipment of vinyl on Tuesday, with the A-side holding the song Driver and the B-side introducing a song called Brain by Hinz and his wife Louise, a project they call The New Apocalypse Bass Orchestra.

I can’t speak for the B-side, but Driver is a phenomenal track that came as a welcomed surprise upon first listen. It no doubt still carries the sonic nightmare stamp that Raygun is known for, but also highlights some catchy vocal melody. It’s a perfect entrypoint to the band for those of you n00bs out there.

Raygun has 200 physical copies of the record (on snazzy blue vinyl), which come with a download code and handmade posters. They will be available at Revival Records, The Local Store, Raygun’s Bandcamp site, and their live shows. They’ll likely go for between $7 and $10.

As a graduation celebration, local band Scrimbo is packing their bags and heading across the big pond. The self-described “catchy indie rock” band, composed of Adam Thoms (More Amore, The Blue Room) and Alyssa Rieper (Feathe), is currently in the process of contacting venues to play as they travel across a good portion of Western Europe. Their adventure begins in England and continues on to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Spain. They will be playing alongside many European acts, even Chumbawumba. Alyssa (a recent UWEC graduate) while excited about many different aspects of the tour, said that it will be unreal to see many of the famous European landmarks such as Big Ben and the Colosseum. The “Bon Voyage, Eau Claire” European tour kicks off on May 2 and Scrimbo will be in Europe for about 57 days. What then? Adam says, “We’re in it for the long haul and are also preparing for the next big unknown tour to cross off our bucket lists: Australia.” Make sure to check out one of their shows before they leave and wish them farewell. 

Facebook | Bandcamp