After a couple of spirited albums by his Cosmic Valley Band and the marathon run by Monsters of Folk, Conor Oberst is going back to the horse he rode in on from the Nebraska plains, Bright Eyes. He's issuing his first album in four years under that moniker Feb. 15, "The People's Key," and then he's embarking on a full tour that will include two shows at First Avenue on April 4 and 5. Check First Ave's site for an update on when tickets go on sale. It's one of only a few club stops on the tour (the rest are theaters), and Minneapolis is the only city to have two shows besides New York, where Oberst's crew already sold out one night at Radio City Music Hall. You gotta love that he stuck with First Ave here. His Bright Eyes band will include his Monsters of Folk mate Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott, both more or less the two regulars in the rotating lineup.
Another cool show just announced for early April: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 3. Aside from their opening set with Dave Matthews last September, this will be the first time to catch the James Brown-ian Austin, Texas, soul-rock ensemble -- one of the liveliest and most thrilling live bands I saw at SXSW in recent years. Tickets ($15) will be on sale soon at the Cedar's site.
Here's a little sample of what to expect from Lewis & the Honeybears.
