Spring 2023 concert calendar: Minnesota live music guide
March 02, 2023
The days are getting longer. There’s that anticipation in the air for another great year of music in Minnesota. Here are more than 100 great shows to check out this spring at concert venues around the Twin Cities and beyond to help you plan your evenings until the rest of the snow melts.
March 2023
March 2: Runner at Seventh St Entry
with waveform*
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 3: Joan as Police Woman solo at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
More Info, 900 Mount Curve Ave., Minneapolis
March 3: Run Westy Run at Turf Club
with The Mood Swings
Formed in the ’80s and influenced by the Stones and the Stooges, local rockers Run Westy Run have decades of experience under their belts. Welcome them back to the stage again to celebrate their new album Beyond Reason.
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
March 3: Jenny Don't and the Spurs at Green Room
with Cole Diamond
More Info, 2923 Girard Ave. S., Minneapolis
March 3-4: Pert Near Sandstone's Winter Stringband Gathering at Cedar Cultural Center
Twangy bluegrass band and local favorites for those who enjoy crispy banjo plucking will be able to bid farewell to winter with Pert Near’s latest. Along with them are fellow string bands Arkansauce (from Jonesboro, Ark., naturally) and the Hackensaw Boys from Charlottesville, Va. More Info, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
March 4: Cory Wong ft. Victor Wooten at Palace Theatre
with Trousdale
Blasting brass, powerful funky basslines, and punched-up energy that beckons listeners to dance is the theme for Cory Wong’s Power Station tour, named for the album that came out in 2022. With impressive guitar licks and enough excitement in the music alone, you won’t even notice that it’s mostly an instrumental set.
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
March 4: Early Eyes at 7th St. Entry
with FruitPunchLoverBoy and Trash Date
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 4: MOD SUN at First Avenue
with Stand Atlantic and Pardyalone
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 4: Titus Andronicus at Turf Club
with Country Westerns
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
March 5: Elle King at Palace
with Red Clay Strays
Grammy nominee and CMA Award winner Elle King returns to the Twin Cities for her A-Freaking-Men tour. Enjoy her banjo-plucking and throaty, melodic vocals as she unleashes tracks from her 2023 release, Come Get Your Wife.
More Info, 17 W. Seventh Place, St. Paul
March 5: Margo Cilker at 7th St. Entry
with Luke Callan
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 5: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Xcel Energy Center
The Boss is back. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen is set to visit the Twin Cities following the release of R&B and soul covers, Only the Strong Survive, in 2022. Expect a few of those classics tossed into a lengthy career-spanning set.
More Info,199 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
March 7: An Evening With Carbon Sound at 7th St. Entry
with Huhroon, sahn, and DJ Narcos
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 7: Nebula at Turf Club
with Magic Castles and Red Desert
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
March 9: Crash Test Dummies at The Fitzgerald Theater
with Carleton Stone
Three decades since they released the debut album that garnered them multiple Grammy nominations, Crash Test Dummies will visit the Fitzgerald Theater the night before their new single, “Sacred Alphabet,” drops on March 10.
More Info, 10 Exchange St. E., St. Paul
March 9: Caution at Underground Music Cafe
More Info, 408 N. Third Ave., Minneapolis
March 11: Morgan Wade at First Avenue
with Nate Fredrick
Morgan Wade is known for her unique voice -- both ragged and honeyed -- as much as she is for deeply vulnerable and honest lyrics. She’ll take to the First Avenue stage to showcase her debut 2021 album, Reckless, on her No Signs of Slowing Down tour.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 11: We Three at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with Casey Baer
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
March 11: Thouxanbanfauni at 7th St. Entry
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 12: Maddie Zahm at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with corook
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
March 12: Rock the Cradle at MIA
Spend the day at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with your little ones and The Current for another year of Rock the Cradle. Enjoy family-friendly programming and music that will engage both the young and young at heart, including performances by Koo Koo Kanga Roo, She’s Burgers, and TaikoArts Midwest.
More Info, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis
March 13: Juice Lord at 7th St. Entry
with Tailor Briann, Nakara Forjé, Aubreykingx, hosted by Maya Marchelle
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 14: An Evening With Carbon Sound at 7th St. Entry
with SYM1, Craishon, and Yasmeenah
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 14: Ari Lennox at Fillmore
More Info, 525 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis
March 14: Weyes Blood at First Avenue
with Vagabon
Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood brings her gently drifting voice and her dreamy and ethereal tunes to First Avenue for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic on her In Holy Flux tour.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 14: Nessa Barrett at Palace Theatre
with Isabel LaRosa
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
March 15: Colony House at Fine Line
with little image
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 15: Mac Saturn at 7th St. Entry
with Billy Tibbals
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 16: JAWNY at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with Wallice
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
March 16: Sloan at 7th St. Entry
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 16: MIKE at Underground Music Cafe
with 454 and Niontay
Released just before the end of 2022, MIKE released his 10th self-produced album, Beware of the Monkey. It’s full of smooth, hypnotic samples, and his fluid cadence provides a steady clip of introspective lyrics over the top.
More Info, 408 N Third Ave., Minneapolis
March 17: Elise Trouw at 7th St. Entry
with XTINA
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 18: Larkin Poe at First Avenue
with Michigan Rattlers
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 18: Neal Francis at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with Carlile
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
March 18: Andy Schauf at Cedar Cultural Center
Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Schauf is known for descriptive, observational songs that carry the listener along with his visceral storytelling. Get carried away with his gentle voice, and gentle toots from his clarinet.
More Info, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
March 19: Maya Hawke at Fine Line
with BB Wisely
If the lead singer of the band looks like the ice cream-scooping love interest from Stranger Things or Uma Thurman’s daughter, well, you’d be right on either account. Maya Hawke is also an accomplished lyricist, and her airy vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the wistful guitar and piano on her 2022 release, MOSS.
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 19: Eric Bellinger at 7th St. Entry
with Trevor Jackson and Nick Lavelle
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 20: The Beths at First Avenue
with Sidney Gish
New Zealand indie rockers the Beths return to Minneapolis and their debut on First Avenue’s larger stage. This time they’ll show off their third release, Expert in a Dying Field, a vibrant, poppy take on their sound.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 21: Mavi at 7th St. Entry
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 22: Betty Who at First Avenue
with Shea Couleé
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 23: Masego at First Avenue
Grammy-nominated saxophone player Masego mixes jazz and hip-hop, and loops portions of sax in his songs for a sound that ranges from sensual to somber, even silly, with his track “Old Age” featuring SiR.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 24: J.I.D. at Fillmore
with SMINO
More Info, 525 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis
March 24: Lettuce at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 25: VIAL at 7th St. Entry
with UNTURNED, Modern Nun, Riotgrrrldarko
This event is dubbed Pissfest for VIAL’s “Territorial Pissings” single release show.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 26: keshi at The Armory
with deb never and James Ivy
Casey Luong, who performs under the moniker “keshi,” has an explosive sound that blends smooth R&B. His silky boy-band-esque voice is punctuated with brazen beats and the occasional burst of distorted vocals.
More Info, 500 Sixth St. S., Minneapolis
March 27: Yo La Tengo at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
March 31: Emma Donovan & the Putbacks at Cedar Cultural Center
Soulful Indigenous Australian singer Emma Donovan brings her buttery smooth voice to the Cedar with Melbourne rhythm ensemble the Putbacks. Expect fuzzed-out ’70s-style keyboard sounds to rock your body. She’s promoting her Crossover album, which includes songs in her Indigenous Australian language. More Info, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
March 31: Key Glock at Fillmore
with TiaCorine, Kenny Muney, and Jay Fizzle
More Info, 525 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis
April 2023
April 1: John Mayer at Xcel Energy Center
More Info, 199 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
April 2: Chiiild at 7th St. Entry
with Isaia Huron
Chiiild mixes dreamy psychedelia with R&B, soul, and jazz to create lush soundscapes featuring reverb-laden vocals that feel like you’re awake in a fever dream.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 4: Lil Wayne at Fillmore
More Info, 525 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis
April 7 Unknown Mortal Orchestra at First Avenue
with Seafoam Walls
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 7: Black Belt Eagle Scout at Cedar Cultural Center
with Claire Glass and Adobo
Indigenous multi-instrumentalist Katherine “KP” Paul can shred harder on her guitar than many seasoned performers, and she’s at her best on stage. Now touring on the heels of her third release, The Land, The Water, The Sky, she reflects on her ancestry in the face of collective trauma and creates a sound that looks optimistically to the future.
More Info, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
April 8: Tennis at First Avenue
with Kate Bollinger
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 8: Red Hot Chili Peppers at US Bank Stadium
with The Strokes, King Princess
More Info, 401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis
April 12: Michigander at Turf Club
with Abby Holliday
An indie rocker with a subtle twang, Michigander’s pop-infused tunes are infectious, such as the sparkling, recently released four-song single, “Superglue.”
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
April 14: Fruit Bats at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 14: Adi Oasis at Turf Club
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
April 14: Nick Shoulders and the Okay Crawdad at Fine Line
with Jack Studer
The country crooner is deeply tied to his Ozark roots, complete with yodels, a strong whistle, and a mastery of the mouth bow. Shoulders and the Okay Crawdad Band bring an authentic and honest country performance.
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 15: Dawes at Palace Theatre
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
April 15: Stars at Fine Line
Indie darlings Stars take to the Fine Line stage for an intimate performance of the 2022 release From Capleton Hill. It sounds like no time has passed since their 2004 breakout album Set Yourself on Fire, and this is perhaps a comfort to many millennials who will be in attendance.
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 17: Covet at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with Scarypoolparty and altopalo
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St. N., St. Paul
April 18: Screaming Females at Turf Club
with Generacion Suicida and The Mimes
Champions of the DIY-til-we-die ethos, the Screaming Females have been making music and touring for over a decade. With a frenzied stage presence, lead singer Marissa Paternoster commands crowds and pours every ounce of herself into singing (screaming) and abusing her guitar.
More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
April 18: 100 gecs at The Armory
with Machine Girl
Hyperpop heroes 100 gecs sound like they’ve taken the Y2K bug, put it in a blender with a similar-era desktop dial-up internet computer, and blasted it on high until it’s a goo that seeps into your ears and brain. Their songs are fun and sneakily catchy, with Laura Les lending melodic autotuned vocals, and their live performances are equally chaotic.
More Info, 500 Sixth St. S., Minneapolis
April 19: Daikaiju at Palmer's Bar
These masked pyromaniacs perform psychedelic surf rock and play with fire. Get sweaty with the rest of the crowd, and maybe bring your sunglasses for this raucous performance.
More Info, 500 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
April 20: Bikini Kill at Palace Theatre
Legendary feminist punks and riot grrl pioneers Bikini Kill reunited with their original lineup in 2019 and began a string of sold-out shows nationwide.
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
April 20: Placebo at Fillmore
British alt-rockers Placebo are back to their signature sound with their 2022 album Never Let Me Go. They’re showing it off on tour with lead singer Brian Molko’s haunting, melodic voice drifts over a landscape of experimental electronic sounds and grimy guitars.
More Info, 525 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis
April 20: Lizzie McAlpine at First Avenue
with Olivia Barton
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 21: The Suburbs at First Avenue
with The Hang Ups
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 22: Pinback at Fine Line
with Disheveled Cuss
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 22: Sunny Day Real Estate at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 23: Caroline Rose at First Avenue
with Kairos Creature Club
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 25: Xeno & Oaklander at Turf Club
with Martial Canterel and RRA
Brooklyn-based darkwave duo Xeno & Oaklander make stripped-down and highly danceable tunes exclusively with analog synthesizers -- which make for impressive live performances. More Info, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul
April 26: Tanukichan at 7th St. Entry
with Winter
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 29: GUYTANO at First Avenue
with Julia Wheaton
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
April 30 - May 7: Duluth Homegrown – Venues across Duluth
The Duluth Homegrown Festival gives us all a good reason to take a little drive north for music, enjoy the big lake, and all of the delicious food Duluth has to offer. Can't beat the price of tickets, either, with $40 for the week, $25 for a weekend day pass, and $15 for a single night.
May 2023
May 2: Graham Nash at Dakota
More Info, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
May 3: M83 at Palace Theatre
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
May 3: New Pornographers at The Fitzgerald Theater
with Wild Pink
More Info, 10 E Exchange St., St. Paul
May 3: Feist at First Avenue
After a few intimate shows debuting singles from her first release in six years, Multitudes, Canadian performer Feist is out on the road. Feist’s new album explores themes of confronting honesty and reality at at time when many eschew it for comfort.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 3: Zora at 7th St. Entry
with Destiny Spike and Kamilla Love
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 4: Blink 182 at Xcel Energy Center
with Turnstile
More Info, 199 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
May 5: Built to Spill at First Avenue
with Prism Bitch and Itchy Kitty
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 6: City and Colour at First Avenue
with Courtney Marie Andrews
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 8: Gary Numan at First Avenue
with Front Line Assembly and DJ Jake Rudh
Electronic music pioneer Gary Numan has taken a darker, more-industrial turn later in his career. His 2021 release, Intruder, is like his others only in that he’s ahead of his time and imagines a world where Earth is fighting back against the humans that took it for granted and features a live performance that is as shadowy and jarring as its premise.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 9: Waterparks at First Avenue
with HUNNY
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 10: Pearl and the Oysters at Green Room
More Info, 2923 Girard Ave. S., Minneapolis
May 11: Bright Eyes at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 12 – 13: Mid West Music Fest at venues across Winona
The stacked lineup for this year’s festival, featuring some of Minnesota’s top talents, includes Your Smith, Chicago-based NNAMDÏ, Nur-D, Ultrabomb, Raffaella, and dozens more.
May 12: Billy Idol at Palace Theatre
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
May 13: Yves Tumor at First Avenue
with Pretty Sick and Nation
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 14: Rebecca Black at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with mazie
Yes, the " Friday" girl is back, and this time with powerful electro-pop. Her sound has matured away from her debut, and Black looks ready to show the world what she's capable of with her recent full-length album, Let Her Burn.
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
May 17: MUNA at Palace Theatre
with Nova Twins
More Info, 17 W Seventh Place, St. Paul
May 17: Shania Twain at Xcel Energy Center
with Hailey Whitters
Let’s go, girls! Shania Twain is on tour after an eight-year hiatus and bouncing back from a bout with Lyme Disease that nearly robbed her of her voice. She’s celebrating the release of a powerful, poppy new album, Queen of Me.
More Info, 199 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul
May 18: Cursive at Fine Line
with Neva Dinova
The Saddle Creek alt-punk legends are performing their 2000 album Domestica in its entirety.
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 19 – 21: Art-A-Whirl at studios across northeast Minneapolis
Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country that takes place outdoors and in studios all over northeast Minneapolis. Additionally, the weekend includes a bunch of live local music at area bars and breweries, and countless food trucks are available to feed hungry art hounds. Indeed Brewing’s Whirligig event features Nur-D, Papa Mbye, Gramma’s Boyfriend, Cornbread Harris, and many more.
May 19: Future Islands at First Avenue
with Deeper
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 21: Y La Bamba at 7th St. Entry
Mexican-American and Chicanx band Y La Bamba are set to release their seventh album, Lucha, in April. Lead singer Luz Elena Mendoza reflects on queer love, identity, and loneliness that was inescapable during the pandemic. The new album is filled with melty, psychedelic, experimental indie sounds.
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 23: Hot Chip at First Avenue
More Info, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 23: Rico Nasty at Amsterdam Bar & Hall
with Omeretta the Great
More Info, 6 West Sixth St., Wabasha St N., St. Paul
May 26-29: Caterwaul Fest at Mortimer's and Palmer's
Since 2020, Caterwaul Fest has been the self-proclaimed “yearly noisy rock fest and not-so-secret society.” It has slid under the radar but has always showcased an impressive lineup of local musicians. This year they'll be tearing up the stages at Mortimer's on Friday and Palmer's Saturday through Monday over the long Memorial Day weekend.
May 30: Pedro the Lion at Fine Line
with Erik Walters
David Bazan is playing every song from It’s Hard to Find a Friend and Control.
More Info, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
May 30: Janet Jackson at Xcel Energy Center
with Ludacris
More Info, 199 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.
