Our big summer concert preview ran in Sunday's paper, and already there is a lot of new gig news to share:
*Almost a month after the date was announced and seven months until showtime, tickets to Justin Timberlake's Feb. 9 concert at Xcel Energy Center will go on sale next Monday, June 3, at noon via the arena box office, Ticketmaster and LiveNation.com. Prices are in an unusually wide range of $47, $92 and $177. The show is the second-to-last date on his U.S. tour behind "The 20/20 Experience," which ends a night later in Omaha. For our western Minnesota readers or super-fans of JT, he is also playing the Fargodome in Fargo on Feb. 7, tickets for which go on sale Monday at noon. Pre-sale offers to all his shows are available through his fan club and via the MasterCard Priceless program.
*Another date that's out before ticket info is available, Sammy Hagar will fill one of the unannounced dates at the Minnesota State Fair grandstand on Aug. 24 (a Saturday). The gig is part of his "Four Decades of Rock" tour, featuring former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and two of his former Motrose mates, Denny Carmassi and Bill Church. Look for more details soon.
*One of the best free music series in the metro area, downtown St. Paul's Music in Mears will kick off its 10th anniversary run on June 6 with Dan Israel & the Cultivators. All shows are on Thursdays 6-9 p.m. Other highlights of the schedule, starting June 13: Enemy Planes and Zoo Animal; June 20: Lucy Michelle featuring John Munson and Chan Poling; June 27: CBO Smooth featuring TC Jazz Fest players; July 11: High on Stress, Haley Bonar; July 18: Curtis Blake & Greazy Gravy, Tex Pistols; July 25: Joey Ryan & the Inks, Twilight Hours; Aug 1: Sleep Study, Rogue Valley; Aug 8: Dark Dark Dark; Aug 15: Kristoff Krane, Heiruspecs; Aug 2: Barbara Jean, Chastity Brown; Aug 29: Little Man. More details at the Music in Mears website.
*Two of Minneapolis's most popular annual outdoor bashes, Barbette's Bastille Day bash and the Red Stag Block Party, also gave us a peak at their 2013 lineups. The Bastille Day bash on July 14 will feature the Suicide Commandos, John Mark Nelson, Lucy Michelle, Nadine Dubois & Les Folies Risque, LEAGUES and the Brass Messengers. Among the acts confirmed so far for the Red Stag parking lot bash on Aug. 3 are Actual Wolf, Gramma's Boyfriend, Eleganza! and All Tomorrow's Petty, with more to come. Now all we need is a little sunshine and summer can begin.
