Bands like the New Primitives have blown through Mill City Museum's Ruins Courtyard in past years. / Star Tribune file
The heat has tapered off and so has the meltdown at the State Capitol, both of which bodes well for the overdue kickoff to the Mill City Live concert series at Mill City Musuem in downtown Minneapolis tonight. Twin Cities blues/folk/foot-stomp heroes Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover -- who influenced everyone from John Lennon to Bonnie Raitt to Beck with their early-'60s Koerner, Ray & Glover albums for Elektra -- will finally kick off the happy-hour series in the museum's ruggedly picturesque Ruins Courtyard with a 6-8 p.m. performance ($5 cover, benefits the museum).
The series was supposed to start July 7, but it got shut down along with the state-run museum and everything else caught up in the legislative battle. Local music writer and Mad Ripple Hootenanny leader Jim Walsh curated the series for the museum this year with an eye for acts of cultural/historic significance to Minnesota. Chris Osgood's all-star Mill City Rockers and the Flamin' Ohs were to play the two prior weeks (no makeup dates are planned). The good news: There are still five shows left.
The other four Mill City Live concerts are: Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers (July 28), the Hypstrz / Mighty Mofos (Aug. 4), Adam Levy & Friends (Aug. 11), Curtiss A & Jerks of Fate (Aug. 18). Click here for more info on all these very promising performances.
Also back on is the 9 Nights patio series at the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul, which was supposed to kick off July 5 but is back on for every Tuesday night in July and August. The free shows include dance instruction by Tapestry Folk Dance Center from 6:30-7 p.m., followed by live music until 8:30 p.m. Classic honky-tonkers Trailer Trash get the first night back next Tuesday, followed by: the "Uncensored" tribute to soul/R&B (Aug. 3), Irish group O'Rourke's Feast (Aug. 9), Dan Newton's French ensemble Cafe Accordion Orchestra (Aug. 16), Cajun specialists the New Riverside Ramblers (Aug. 23) and a Fab Four tribute called "Revolution 5" (Aug. 30).
By the way, the relaunch of these concert series also should serve as a reminder that the Mill City Museum, History Center and other sites in the Minnesota Historical Society chain are also now finally reopen. They undoubtedly could use your patronage.
