Pick six

A half-doaen cool things in music, from two points of view:

June 30, 2012 at 10:14PM
Channy Leaneagh of Polica
Channy Leaneagh of Polica (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Dave Matthews Band, River's Edge Music Festival. This was my third time seeing DMB, and it gets better and better every time. Eat, drink and be merry.

Poliça, River's Edge. These locals were awesome. They're like the female version of Bon Iver except Auto-Tuned but pull it off way better than T-Pain.

89.3 the Current marks third anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. It wasn't until I was listening to the Current the morning of June 25 when they played "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" that I realized that it had already been three years. The king of pop is dead, but he is not forgotten.

BRANDON WHITE, MINNEAPOLIS

Tedeschi Trucks Band, Minnesota Zoo. Guitar god Derek Trucks elevates every song, musician and stage on which he works. He especially inspired his wife, Susan Tedeschi, whose vocals and guitar were fierce.

Kristin Chenoweth, State Theatre. In a highly entertaining and wildly eclectic evening of song and shtick, the Broadway and TV star proved to be Dolly Parton with a bigger voice and smaller you-know-whats. She sang everything from disco and Christian to standards and country. Best were her stunning interpretations of Broadway's "The Prayer" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

Gaslight Anthem, "Late Show With David Letterman." It was the same passion, intensity, roaring Jersey guitars (three of them) but the sound was a tad more modern on the tune "45." Can't wait for the album "Handwritten" on July 24.

JON BREAM

about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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