Peter Wolf, "Midnight Souvenirs." The former J. Geils Band frontman takes a fantastic journey through American music with such cool passengers as Merle Haggard, Neko Case and Shelby Lynne. Sunday Cajun Dance, Half Time Rec. When I'm feeling homesick and need a little Southern comfort, I head over to this St. Paul hangout. This Louisiana party has been going strong since the late '80s.
Monday happy hour, 331 Club. Party like it's 10 o'clock at 6:30 p.m. with the country roots of Glen Hanson & Friends and the singing brothers of the Cactus Blossoms on the second and fourth Mondays and the sounds of West Virginia on first and third Mondays with Pocahontas County.
KEVIN ANTHONY, Minneapolis.
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KDWB's Star Party lineup. For the May 20 event at Epic, KDWB has landed five artists in the top nine slots on Billboard's Hot 100 this week: Ke$ha, B.o.B., Jason Derulo, Taio Cruz and Train. That's Top 40 heaven this spring.
Jakob Dylan and Neko Case, "Smile When You Call Me That," Fitzgerald. On this sad, sad song, their voices intertwined like whiskey and water, evoking those classic George Jones/Tammy Wynette duets of the '70s.
The Hold Steady, "We Can Get Together." Craig Finn again salutes his Twin Cities roots on this ballady love song, mentioning Hüsker Dü, St. Paul and "do you remember?" (what "hüsker dü" means in Danish). The new disc, "We Can Get Together" (out Tuesday), has a slightly different vibe (and more power chords) but the same old Finn.
JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNE
