Billy McLaughlin, Sweet Colleens CD release with Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Kid Koala, David Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen
Jan 27--Feb 2, 2010
Swingin' kids music, extreme turntablism, and guitar magic at both ends of the weekend, plus a raft of great new shows going on sale!
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CANCELLED: The Cedar advises that Burkina Electric (Thu. 2/11/10) has cancelled their February tour, including their Cedar show. Ticketholders are referred to the Cedar's Ticket Refund Policy
Haiti Fundraiser Update: Thanks for the tremendous support last Friday evening. Over $12,000 was raised for Doctors Without Borders. Another great benefit is coming up: GIMME SHELTER: A Benefit for Haiti on Saturday, February 6 in the Main Room of First Avenue. Mark Mallman and Solid Gold will co-headline the benefit with openers Peter Wolf Crier and Zoo Animal, and DJs Jimmy2Times and Mike 2600 will spin tracks between sets.
Tickets going on sale this week
On sale at 12noon Fri Jan 29 from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets (Electric Fetus, Irish on Grand, Homestead Pickin' Parlor, and Depth of Field), and online at Ticketweb:
Fri. 3/12/10 Chicago Afrobeat Project
Winners of the "Best African Entertainer" award in the 2009 Chicago Music Awards! MORE
8:00pm $12 advance/$15 day of show Standing Room Only
Sun. 3/14/10 Taj Weekes and Adowa
Brilliant roots reggae artist from St Lucia. MORE
7:30pm $15 advance/$18 day of show
Sun. 3/21/10 Ellis Paul with Amy Speace
A pair of highly literate, and at times emotion-plumbing, singer-songwriters from the East Coast. MORE
7:30pm $15 advance/$18 day of show
Wed. 3/24/10 The French Troubadours: Tété and Eric John Kaiser
Genial Senegalese-French acoustic pop singer and French-American Portland singer in an evening of chanson française. Oh la la... MORE
7:30pm $20 advance/$22 day of show (Co-presented with Alliance Française.)
Fri. 4/9/10 Megafaun with Charlie Parr and Breathe Owl Breathe
Showing no signs whatsoever of undergoing a Megafaunal extinction, the experimental indie folk trio is evolving and thriving. MORE
8:00pm $10 advance/$12 day of show
Tue. 4/20/10 Horse Feathers with special guest
Portland indie folk quartet with a new album coming out on Kill Rock Stars. MORE
7:30pm $10 advance/$12 day of show
Fri. 5/14/10 The Nero’s Neptune Friends & Family Showcase featuring Spider John Koerner, Charlie Parr, Milo Fine, Paul Metzger, Zak Sally, and surprise guests!
Treehouse Records offshoot label showcases their amazing depth of talent. MORE
8:00pm $7 general admission
Sun. 5/16/10 Stick Men featuring Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Michael Bernier
Not one, but TWO Chapman sticks in this trio featuring two members of King Crimson. Stick it in your calendar now... MORE
7:30pm $25 advance/$28 day of show
This week's shows
"My name is Billy McLaughlin and I'm a left-handed guitarist" This ordinary enough statement, made by Billy at the end of the first track of his recent album Into the Light, transforms into jaw-dropping when one understands that the deft fingerstyle guitarist learned to play guitar with his unique tapping style, built a solid career as a performing artist, and made his way to #7 on the Billboard New Age chart playing as a RIGHT-handed guitarist! An incapacitating bout of focal dystonia presented Billy with a tough choice: either give up playing the guitar and find something else to do, or learn to play left-handed. Come, see and hear the results when Billy performs with his Eclectric String Quartet (8pm Fri 1/29), along with a percussionist.
Sponsored by 90.3 and 106.7 KFAI.
There are not many situations in which I'd want to mix beans and brownies with big fat wet and goopy poopy diapers, but in the context of The Sweet Colleens first kids music album The Monkey Dance: All the kids are doin' it, it works for me. Throw in some catchy Cajun-inspired tunes, an appropriate blend of faster and slower songs, a Woody Guthrie cover, and, yes, songs about monkeys, and you have a recipe for a kids album that works really well (listen to it here). Swing by with the troop of small monkeys in your life when the Sweet Colleens strut their stuff with the 60-piece (!) Minneapolis Youth Chorus (11am and 2pm Sat 1/30).
A Cedar Family presentation. Sponsored by 90.3 and 106.7 KFAI.
If monkey songs for kids are not your thing, perhaps Kid Koala (8pm Sat 1/30) is closer to the tree? Spinning records become melodic instruments in the hands of Canadian turntablist Kid Koala, who takes being a DJ to an extreme. Sample him here. Plain Ole Bill opens. Highly recommended. Standing room only.
Two guitar icons (and old friends) in two shows this Sunday: David Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen (5pm and 9pm Sun 1/31). Each must have fifty years experience playing guitar, each has incredible stories to tell, both are fastidious musicians in the folk-blues vein, yet both are relaxed and effortlessly comfortable on stage. Jorma's Hot Tuna compadre mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff will be joining in for some numbers. Still sitting on the fence? Read this review of one of their shows last weekend…
Center section seating has sold out for the 5pm show, but is still available for 9pm. General admission seating is available for both shows.
Sponsored by 90.3 and 106.7 KFAI.
That's all for this week. See you at The Cedar soon…and remember, bring a friend or three!
Brian
Brian Corner,
Publicity Support,
Cedar Cultural Center,
416 Cedar Ave S,
Minneapolis MN 55454
Tel: 612-338-2674
Fax: 612-338-1687
bcorner@thecedar.org
