Stevie Wonder to unlock 'Keys of Life' at Target Center

The rock/R&B legend will perform his classic 1976 album for his first Twin Cities concert in 27 years in March.

January 15, 2015 at 2:27PM
U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to musician Stevie Wonder during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The Medal of Freedom is the country's highest civilian honor. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1160540
U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to musician Stevie Wonder in 2014. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

One of the top names in our recent list of "most overdue acts" in Twin Cities concert, Stevie Wonder will finally return to Minneapolis to perform at Target Center on March 29, his first local gig in 27 years. As if that doesn't make it special enough, the concert is part of his "Songs in the Key of Life" tour, in which he performs a live adaptation of his landmark 1976 album.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. for $39.50-$149.50 plus fees through AXS.com, 1-888-9-AXS-TIX or the arena's box office. Pre-sale offers begin Tuesday through Citi Card Private Pass.

Wonder's last local concert was back in 1988 at St. Paul's long-defunct RiverFest. The Detroit-bred Motown music legend, 64, eschews conventional touring and mostly plays sporadic fly-in dates. Ours is only one of 10 spring dates announced today. He kicked off his "Songs in the Key of Life" itinerary at Madison Square Garden in early November and has been earning raves for it. The Grammys are hosting a special tribute concert in Wonder's honor next month, which will air on CBS on Feb. 16 and include guests such as Willie Nelson, Chris Martin, Usher and Ed Sheeran.

A double-album that capped off a string of classic early-'70s LPs, "Songs" was ranked No. 57 in Rolling Stone's list of rock's 500 greatest records. It includes the hit singles "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke" along with topical deeper cuts such as "Black Man" and "Village Ghetto Land."

about the writer

about the writer

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

See More