Hot concertgoer summer is coming to a close. But hot shows are slated for early September to help carry the vibe into fall.
Lenny Kravitz
Cool is Lenny Kravitz’ brand. He is a rock star in the purest, simplest way — effortlessly stylish, wild and passionate yet unflappably chill. And he’s performing at the Orpheum Theater.
The show is part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Kravitz debut album Let Love Rule. He hardly even looks much different than when he began. Even his kid, actor Zoe Kravitz, is impossibly cool.
Now 55, Kravitz is still cruising on the mystique he entered the pop world with — his transcendent blend of musical influences from early soul and funk to blues, bluegrass, punk and grunge, is a sorcerer’s concoction only he seems to be able to pull off. And, again, he seems to do so with little effort, for decades.
Kravitz will perform at the Orpheum Theater on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 pm. Ticket cost starts at $69.50.
Black Uhuru
As the genre of reggae began to take hold in the international music scene in the early 1970s, Black Uhuru was one of the early bands to come out of Jamaica.
The classic reggae group, led by Derrick “Duckie” Simpson, are masters of the slow-winding hypnotic rhythm of the genre, while subtly introducing rock and pop melodies.
On Black Uhuru’s latest album, 2018’s As the World Turns, Duckie sings his sweet and sorrowful reggae jams using autotune. It’s a startling clash of style that excites and is used well by the band to continue playing their classic reggae with a modern bent.
Black Uhuru will be at the Cedar Cultural Center on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 pm. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Blink 182 and Lil Wayne
Rock and rap have always had an interesting relationship. The two are not obvious, naturally cohesive parts for collaboration, but have great potential for awesomeness. Rap-rock like Run DMC and Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way,” or Jay Z and Linkin Park’s Collision Course EP are amazing.
Also, rock stars set an example for being the best at the most popular music genre. Now rap is the center of the pop world, and rappers want to have rock star fun.
Lil Wayne spent significant time as one of the most revered rappers in the world. He was fond of wearing punk-styled skinny jeans and toying with neo-grunge rap-rock. Weezy co-headlining with Blink 182, a rock band that also peaked atop the genre, is a natural collision of well-known pop-jams and having a punk-rock good time.
Wayne has skipped a couple shows on the tour so far, and he’s backed-out of not one but two Twin Cities’ shows in 2015 and 2017 — so buyer beware. Given Wayne’s amazing catalog and the fun-potential of a night with him and Blink 182, it might be worth the risk of disappointment (and hopefully a refund).
Blink 182 and Lil Wayne will be at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Ticket costs as of Aug. 30 start at $26.50.
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