Citizen Cope at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (03/07/10)

Tour Dates 03/09/10 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK 03/10/10 House of Blues Dallas, TX 03/12/10 Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheatre - SOLD OUT! Austin, TX 03/13/10 House of Blues Houston, TX 03/15/10 Varsity Theatre Baton Rouge, LA 03/16/10 Tipitina’s New Orleans, LA 03/30/10 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC 03/31/10 Roseland Theatre Portland, OR 04/01/10 Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA 04/02/10 Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA 04/03/10 Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA 04/07/10 Wiltern Theatre Los Angeles, CA 04/08/10 Wave House San Diego, CA 04/09/10 Fillmore San Francisco, CA 04/10/10 Fillmore San Francisco, CA 04/13/10 Knitting Factory Concert House Boise, ID 04/14/10 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT 04/15/10 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO 04/16/10 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO 04/17/10 Midland Theatre by AMC Kansas City, MO 04/19/10 Pabst Theatre Milwaukee, WI 04/22/10 WXRV Earth Day Concert Boston, MA 04/23/10 Music Box @ Borgata Atlantic City, NJ 04/24/10 Ram’s Head Live Baltimore, MD 04/29/10 Norva Norfolk, VA 04/30/10 9:30 Club Washington DC 05/01/10 9:30 Club Washington DC 06/03/10 BAMA Jam Enterprise, AL Discography [2002] Citizen Cope [2004] The Clarence Greenwood Recordings [2006] Every Waking Moment [2010] The Rainwater LP Read More Citizen Cope http://weheartmus... Brody is our guest host, updating us on some of the shows he's been seeing: Alberta Cross and Dar...

Citizen Cope is famous and he is loved. That's evident at the two recent sold-out show at The Varsity Theater (the beautiful venue is huge, so selling out the place is pretty impressive*). From what I've gathered, most of the people there last night was also at Saturday's sold-out show, stating that it was also quite crowded on Saturday.

The audience was surprisingly younger, about college age, a contrast to Gomez's parental audience. What this generally means is that it gets rowdier and people tend to drink and act rude and don't mind pushing/crushing you. I couldn't really brave the front and eventually left and watch the rest of the show at a safe distance.

Citizen Cope's been steadily gaining fans since signing with DreamWorks Records, a division of the movie company of the same name. So it's no surprise that you'll find much of Cope's music on television and commericals. From a quick scan, I noticed his music's been used in quite a few HBO shows, so even if you haven't heard of Citizen Cope, you're likely to have heard his music.

Citizen Cope at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis 3-7-10

When Cope took the stage at eight, the crowd went nuts. Citizen Cope looks tense and serious, while his backup band looks smiley, but dressed and plays like they belong in a blues band.

He started his set with "Comin' Back", followed by "Let The Drummer Kick". I don't have the setlist (I don't think they actually had any on stage). The rest was a blur, but I do recall hearing "Hurricane Waters" with its catchy line, "I will carry you through the hurricane waters, and I'll remember you in the blue skies".Also, the clear favorite of the setlist was "Son's Gonna Rise", off of The Clarence Greenwood Recordings.

He also did "Healing Hands", from the new The Rainwater LP (released March 2nd via Rainwater Recordings), which actually sounds a bit reggae towards the end of the song. The song is available as a free download off his website.

The Rainwater LP is out now, as part of Amazon's $5 MP3 album promotion, and be sure to check out the rest of Citizen Cope's tour.

03/08/2010 00:35:42 ♥ vu () ♥ citizencope.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ twitter.com

We Were Promised Jet Packs @ Varsity Tom. Night!!!

Looking back at Mumford and Sons @ The 400 Bar 9/21/2008 / The May 25th Varsity Show is already Sold Out!

Most of Minneapolis missed out on seeing the future of British folk music at the 400 Bar last evening, with only around 75 people witnessing the wonderful triple bill of Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, and Johnny Flynn. It’s a shame, because all three young bands bring a fresh and youthful perspective to the singer/songwriter genre, and if this show took place in England, they would have sold out a much larger venue than the 400 Bar. But it was a nice, intimate show that really showcased three talented songwriters with wonderful voices.

First on the bill and last but not least was Mumford and Sons, fronted by Marcus Mumford (who would later play drums for Laura Marling’s band). They played a lively, spirited set despite the fact that there were only a small handful of fans in attendance. A few of their early jokes fell a little flat on the quiet crowd (one was about how the haven’t heard anyone say ‘Yah,’ in Minnesota yet) causing the electric banjo player to kiddingly remark that “This is as far away from home I’ve ever been. And the farthest away from home I’ve ever felt.” But the crowd and the band warmed to each other nicely, and the group really hit their stride on tracks like the jubilant ‘Roll Away Your Stone,’ and the sorrowful ‘White Blank Page.’ They played predominantly without drums (save for a bass drum that the singer occasionally kicked while playing), and that allowed for the strong vocals of Marcus to shine through, setting a wonderful opening tone on a night filled with distinctive and rich voices.

I was surprised to see Laura Marling and her band setting up next, for I thought her recent Mercury Music Prize nomination for her album “Alas I Cannot Swim,” would entitle her to be the headliner. But the unassuming 18 year old settled in quickly, opening her set with the evocative ‘Ghosts,’ that was augmented quite well by her full band behind her (as opposed to the sparse solo acoustic version I saw her play on Jools Holland.) She has a true gift as both a songwriter and a singer, and both of her gifts were on full display last evening, with her beguiling voice singing the intricate and often heartbreaking lyrics of lost love and exploration that belies her young age. She has a rather diminutive stage presence (standing cross- legged and rarely looking directly at the audience), but her full, resonant voice more than makes up for her timidity, filling the club with the sounds of her sorrow and her dreams.

She also played two lovely new songs for us last evening, 'Rambling Man,' and 'Alpha Shallows,' (although she joked with the crowd, declaring that “All these songs are new to you, really.”) And I’m sure there were a few people in the audience that were discovering Laura Marling last night, being treated to the beauty of her songs for the first time. ‘My Manic And I,’ is as dynamic and complete a song as I’ve heard recently, a unique study of human relationships, depression, God, and love, all in a three and a half minute pop-song that was the highlight of the set for me. Laura truly is a singular musical talent, who hopefully will continue to flourish for years to come within the confines of the music industry, providing us with many more albums filled with her distinctive music and insightful lyrics, and hopefully more shows in Minneapolis, that ought to be better attended as her name recognition grows.

Johnny Flynn and his band, ‘The Sussex Wit,’ have songs that should be (and probably are, in his native England) pub anthems, and the sparsely filled and relatively quiet 400 Bar didn’t necessarily suit his rousing songs. But again, we were treated to an intimate glimpse of a songwriter whose lyrics are filled with a depth of knowledge and insight that is at odds with his young age (only 25,) and he and his seasoned band rolled through most of the tracks from his excellent album, ‘A Larum,’ in a stirring set. His songs and lyrics are steeped in Englishness, causing me to think of, and miss, jolly ole’ England throughout his set.

The electric banjo once again was featured prominently in the music, as was the cello, violin, and trumpet, and those instruments added to the festive but mournful nature of the songs. ‘Brown Trout Blues,’ was a despondent, melancholy highlight of the set, with lyrics about being happy with who we are, even when that is not enough for the people we love. ‘Cold Bread,’ was another standout of the set that would have been better served with a Saturday night whiskey-soaked crowd (as opposed to a rather subdued Sunday night crowd) that could have turned this into the rousing sing-along that the song deserves and probably is with an audience more familiar with his music and lyrics. But it was an altogether engaging set, filled with the feisty, spirited songs of Johnny Flynn, a talented songwriter that we should hear more from in the future.

It was a great triple-bill last evening at the 400 Bar, one where the bands were all friends, shared instruments and even swapped performers, and all of the acts displayed their own unique and fresh talents that will take the future of British music in whatever direction they choose. It’s just too bad more people weren’t there to witness it. But those of us that were will consider ourselves lucky to have seen the start of what should be flourishing musical careers from all of the artists on stage last night.

Erik T.

Thanks again to Erik for the amazing review.

Mumford and Sons will be back in Minneapolis May 25th @ The Varsity Theater.. Tickets sold out in 20 minutes!!!!!!!!

Brody's SXSW Schedule!!!!!

Wed. March 17th

3:00pm Standard Fare(UK) @ Red House Pizzeria

4:00 Young Mammals(TX) @ RH

5:00 Classic Education(Italy) @ RH

6:00 Findlay Brown(UK) @ RH

7:45pm Howlies @ Galaxy Main Room

8:00 SOKO @ Galaxy (backyard)

8:40 Race Horses (UK) G-MR*

9:00 Choir of Young Believers @ G-b*

9:35 Toy Horses @ G-MR*

10pm Fanfarlo @ G-b*

10:30 Findlay Brown @ G-MR

11pm Ozomalti @ G-b*

11:25 New Villager @ G-MR

12:00 Rose Elinor McDougal @ G-MR

1:00 Miike Snow @ G-b* or Art Brut's new band at G-MR

Thursday March 18th

11:00am The Megaphonic Thrift @ Filter Mag Party

11:45 Casio Kids @FMP*

12:30 Serena Maneesh @ FMP*

1:00 The Kissaway Trail @ FMP

1:50 Fools Gold @ FMP or 2:00 Fyfe Dangerfield @ RH Pizzeria

2:40 Active Child @ FMP

3:00 Sondre Lerche @ Austin CC

3:20 Minus the Bear @ FMP

4:20 Uffie(Awful Lady Soveriegn) @ FMP

5:15 Miike Snow @ FMP

8:00pm La Patere Rose @ Paradise or The Soldier Thread @ Dirty Dog

9:00pm Pomegranates @ Maggie Maes

10:00 Athlete @ Beauty Bar (Billiard Bugulow) or VV Brown @ Latitude 30

or 10:00pm Fyfe Dangerfield @ Lamberts

11:00 Samuel @ Lamberts

12:00 Miles Benjamin @ MM* or 12:00 Marina and the Diamonds @ Lamberts

1:00 The Rural Alberta Advantage @ MM*

Friday March 19th

Noon Stricken City @ RedHouse Pizzeria

1:00 SOKO @ RHP

2:00 Johnny Flynn + Band @ RHP

3:00 The Smith Westerns @ RHH or 2:40 Temper Trap @ Filter Mag Party

3:30 BRMC @ FMP

4:00 Lawrence of Arabia @ RHH or Local Natives @ FMP

5:00 Lovvers @ RHH or 5:15 Dr. Dog @ FMP

or 5:10 Jakob Dylan and the 3 Legs feat. Neko Case @ Austin CC (Day Stage Cafe)

7:30 Sydney Wayser @ The Tap Room Six

8:00 Red Cortez @ Maggie Mae's Rooftop or 8:00 Still Life Still @ The Parish

8:55pm Band Of Horses @ Central Prespeterian Church

10:15 Tanlines @ Club De Ville

11:00 Broken Bells @ Lustre Pearl

11:30 Holly Miranda @ CPC*

12:00 Fanfarlo @ The Ale House or 12:30 The XX @ CPC*

1:00 Eisley @ Maggie Mae's Rooftop or 1:00 Phantogram @ Red Eyed Fly

Saturday March 20th

Noon Lissie @ Austin Convention Center

1:50 Fratellies Lead Singer(Codeine Velvet Club) @ Filter MagParty

2:40 Athlete (acoustic) @ FMP

3:20 The Constellations @ FMP

4:20 The Boxer Rebellion @ FMP

5:15 Frightened Rabbit @ FMP

7:00 Thunder Power @ Micash

8:00 Dappled Cities @ Maggie Maes or 8:00 Thunder Power @ Mi Casa Cantina

9:00 Matt Pond PA @ Galaxy Room or Kelsey Wild @ Stephen F's Bar

11:00pm Kieren McMullun @ Creekside Hilton Garden Inn

or 11:00 Tanya Morgan @ The Independent

12:00 Dawn Kinnard CHGI*

1:00 Athlete @ CHGI*

Here's a couple of random no name bands that I found that sound pretty good

Mumford and Sons coming to Minneapolis May 25th!!!

THe full U.S. Tour below
May 16 The Filmore at TLA Philadelphia
May 17 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn
May 20 9:30 Club Washington
May 21 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland
May 22 Wexner Center Columbus
May 24 Lincoln Hall Chicago
May 25 Varsity Theater Minneapolis
May 29 Sasquatch! Music Festival George
May 30 560 Club Vancouver
May 31 Aladdin Theater Portland
Jun 3 Great American Music Hall San Francisco
Jun 4 Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles
Jun 7 Rhythm Room Phoenix
Jun 9 Antone’s Austin
Jun 10 House of Blues - Pontiac Garage Dallas
Jun 12 Bonnaroo Music Festival Manchester
Jun 14 The Bluebird Bloomington
Jun 15 Off Broadway St. Louis
Jun 16 Record Bar Kansas

The Best Song of All Time : Athlete -" Shake Those Windows"

Can't wait to see these guys at SXSW..

Now, Now Every Children / Gold Motel / Total Babe @ Fine Line 2/23/10

Yea I know this video is from their Chicago show, but I love this tune and

this is how they really sound live.

Big thanks to the Fine Line for letting us host a great show. It was too bad more people didn't show, but come on it was a Tuesday.. All 3 bands were great. You could really tell Now, Now Every Children has developed a bigger sound after playing in front of 100,000+ crowds in Europe.

For a full write up by Vu check out WeHeartMusic.com

Jay Gabler put up a great preview and may have a review soon on TCDAILYPLANET.net

New Video! Amy Macdonald - "Don't Tell Me That It's Over"