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

Chris Hoffman of Shoreview:

1 Uptown Porchfest. Aside from being a fun walkabout in a friendly Minneapolis neighborhood with concerts on various porches, highlights were Magdalene McClun with Joe Damman and Story Horse.

2 The Immaculate Beings, Pryes Brewing Co. Their final local show for now before a move to Nashville was a joyful and sentimental event filled with family, friends and their growing fan base. We were introduced to the group at the Bonfire Music & Arts Festival in Hillsboro, Wis., earlier this summer and fell hard. Good luck, sweet people.

3 Tina and the B-Sides, First Avenue. Always a rollicking good time. It's extra fun to see this band in Tina Schlieske's hometown club and having so much fun themselves. Shoutout to Molly Maher's humble efficiency as her friend's guitar tech for the night.

Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:

1 Bettye LaVette, the Dakota. After opening with Bob Dylan's "Things Have Changed," the song stylist extraordinaire demonstrated how things have changed. Backed by a mostly new quartet, she devoted the next 90 minutes to little-known material from her new LP, "LaVette!" featuring songs written by Georgia journeyman Randall Bramblett. Aided by perfect seasoning from guitarist Bobby Keyes, she amused with "Lazy (And I Know It)" and "Hard to Be a Human" and brought the kind of raw, searing emotion that only she can summon on the slow-burn "Concrete Mind" and "I'm Not Gonna Waste My Love."

2 Sigur Rós with the Wordless Music Orchestra, State Theatre. With a 41-piece Twin Cities orchestra conducted by London's Robert Ames and a less-spectacular-than-usual light show, the Icelandic quartet had a totally different vibe this time around. Jónsi's vocals were otherworldly and the music was as relaxing as a mellow movie soundtrack, especially in the first set. But the tempos, energy and textures varied more in the second segment, showcasing the mesmerizing magic of the hard-to-describe Sigur Rós.

3 Stephen A. Smith on Taylor Swift. The provocative, clamorous sports commentator went on one of his typical rants on his ESPN TV show, this time, about taking his two daughters and their friends — 10 girls total — to see Swift for $20,000. "That's the best concert I've ever been to in my life," he said, in part. "I was jamming to Taylor Swift. She was sensational. I'd pay to see her again. Seriously, I'm not joking. Taylor Swift is a performer. She was a superstar that night. I need to take a moment to give that girl some love. That girl is special."

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