Email Author Erik Thompson

2010 Stories by Erik Thompson

• The Thermals and Cymbals Eat Guitars at the Triple Rock, 09/30/2010

  published Oct 01, 2010

  The Thermals and Cymbals Eat GuitarsSeptember 30, 2010Triple Rock Social Club, MinneapolisIt was a fun night to be at the Triple Rock on Thursday, as both the Thermals and Cymbals Eat Guitars deliver... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Caribou at First Avenue, 9/27/10

  published Sep 28, 2010

  CaribouSeptember 27, 2010First Avenue, MinneapolisCaribou mastermind Dan Snaith brought a tight three-piece backing band along with him to First Avenue on Monday night, and they proceeded to light u... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Craig Finn's ode to the Twins

  published Sep 24, 2010

  Fans of the Minnesota Twins are clearly flying high after our beloved local 9 clinched the Central Division title late Tuesday night (their 6th title in 9 years). And, perfectly timed to celebrate the... More >>

• Rogue Wave, Midlake, and Peter Wolf Crier at First Avenue, 9/20/10

  published Sep 21, 2010

  Rogue Wave/Midlake/Peter Wolf CrierSeptember 20, 2010First Avenue, MinneapolisThree varied but passionate bands played to a small but devoted crowd at First Avenue on Monday night, and each group took... More >>

• Aimee Mann at the Dakota Jazz Club, 09/13/2010

  published Sep 14, 2010

  Aimee MannSeptember 13, 2010Dakota Jazz Club The first night of a tour is always a precarious occasion for a fan. There are shows where the group hits the stage like a well-oiled machine, completely r... More >>

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  Pavement at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, 9/12/2010

  published Sep 13, 2010

  PavementSeptember 12, 2010Roy Wilkins AuditoriumIn the end, it was only the coordinated light show that didn't make much sense during Pavement's splendidly shambolic set at Roy Wilkins, as the band hi... More >>

• Billy Bragg at the Cedar Cultural Center, 9/8/2010

  published Sep 09, 2010

  Billy BraggSeptember 8, 2010Cedar Cultural CenterWednesday night proved to be the perfect time for Billy Bragg to come rolling through Minneapolis (when isn't it, really), with the political winds s... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Amphetamine Reptile Records 25th Anniversary Bash at Grumpy's, 08/28/10

  published Aug 30, 2010

  Amphetamine Reptile Records 25th Anniversary BashAugust 28, 2010Grumpy's Downtown On what was a perfect day to celebrate anyone's anniversary, a sold-out crowd gathered at Grumpy's in downtown Minneap... More >>

• Lou Barlow and the Missingmen at the 400 Bar, 8/25/10

  published Aug 26, 2010

  Lou Barlow and the Missingmen400 BarAugust 25, 2010Lou Barlow brought his merry band of Missingmen (guitarist Tom Watson and drummer Raul Morales) with him to the 400 Bar Wednesday night, delivering a... More >>

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  Phosphorescent & J. Tillman at the Cedar, 08/03/10

  published Aug 04, 2010

  Phosphorescent & J. TillmanAugust 3, 2010Cedar Cultural CenterTwo bands drove all the way from Seattle just to play for us at the Cedar Cultural Center on Tuesday night, as both Phosphorescent and... More >>

• The Dead Weather at First Avenue, 07/28/2010

  published Jul 29, 2010

  The Dead WeatherJuly 28, 2010First AvenueThe Dead Weather will always be viewed as Jack White and Alison Mosshart's sultry little side-project, and for good reason, since those two are clearly the m... More >>

• The Swell Season at First Avenue, 07/25/10

  published Jul 26, 2010

  The Swell SeasonJuly 25, 2010First AvenueThe Swell Season, still buoyed by their Oscar win for Best Original Song in 2008 and the success of their recent album Strict Joy, have played the Hollywood Bo... More >>

• Built to Spill at First Avenue, 07/22/10

  published Jul 23, 2010

  Built to SpillJuly 22, 2010First AvenueHaving seen Built to Spill about a dozen times since the mid-'90s, it's become quite easy for me to spot when they are truly on during a performance, and when ... More >>

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  The Faint at First Avenue, 07/21/10

  published Jul 22, 2010

  The FaintJuly 21, 2010First AvenueWith everything that the Faint brought with them on stage Wednesday night at First Avenue, it's possible that the crowd would've been entertained even if the band n... More >>

• Band of Horses at State Theatre, 07/17/10

  published Jul 19, 2010

  Band of HorsesJuly 17, 2010State TheatreWhen Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell took to the stage Saturday night at the State Theatre and announced "my voice is a bit shot tonight," I was worried th... More >>

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  Hole at First Avenue, 07/16/10

  published Jul 19, 2010

  HoleJuly 16, 2010First AvenueThere were a lot of people speculating as to how Hole's show at First Avenue was going to go down on Friday night, from the die-hard fans convinced Courtney Love was going... More >>

• The Hold Steady at the Cabooze, 07/03/10

  published Jul 06, 2010

  All the pieces were certainly in place for a memorable show from the Hold Steady on Saturday night, with a sold-out crowd awaiting the band at the outdoor stage at the Cabooze on a steamy but glorious... More >>

• WHYr & Deerhoof at First Avenue, 06/26/10

  published Jun 28, 2010

  WHYr/Deerhoof June 26, 2010 First Avenue Two Bay-area bands with tight ties (so much so that they even work each others merch table) but disparate sounds rolled through Minneapolis along with the sto... More >>

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  Sting and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Xcel, 6/21/10

  published Jun 22, 2010

  Sting brought the biggest, and clearly the most accomplished, backing band of his storied career along with him to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Monday night, with England's Royal Philharmon... More >>

• Lookbook leads a strong contingent of local bands into First Avenue

  published Jun 21, 2010

  Lookbook at First Ave. w/ Zoo Animal, BIGHT CLUB, & Slapping Purses from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.A diverse array of local bands descended upon First Avenue on Friday night, with Lookbook leading the way ... More >>

• HEALTH sonically assaults the 7th Street Entry

  published Jun 16, 2010

  Two minutes into HEALTH's stirring set at the 7th Street Entry, the two girls directly in front of me fled immediately for the exit, the band's sonic assault ultimately proving to be too much for them... More >>

• She & Him subtly charm at First Avenue

  published Jun 07, 2010

  Throughout She & Him's jaunty sold out show at First Avenue on Saturday it seemed much more like a she and them show - the focus was consistently on frontwoman Zooey Deschanel, while Matt Ward see... More >>

• Midlake deliver a stirring set at the Cedar

  published May 26, 2010

  It seemed rather fitting that it started to storm just before the Midlake show at the Cedar on Tuesday night, for their serene, tranquil songs (and those of opener Jason Lytle) just sound better wit... More >>

• The Twilight Sad bring tumultuous sounds to Triple Rock

  published May 20, 2010

  The Twilight Sad have one ultimate request for their sound man: "Above all else, make us loud." I found that out while chatting with the band after their stellar but far too short set at the Triple Ro... More >>

• The Tallest Man on Earth

  published May 19, 2010

  Let's get the silly stuff out of the way first: Kristian Mattson (a.k.a. the Tallest Man on Earth) isn't really all that tall. But his majestic... More >>