Leslie Perez @ Icehouse Saturday August 29!
2026-08-29 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55404, United States
Local favorite (and MEL alum) Leslie Perez headlines here first show at Icehouse in Minneapolis! Saturday Night August 29 at 7pm.
Spend an evening immersed in heartfelt music and compelling songwriting as Twin Cities neo-soul artist Leslie Perez performs a blend of original music and beloved classics spanning R&B, soul, and neo-soul with a full band. Opening the night are husband-and-wife duo JonCarlos + Gabriella, whose vibrant mix of Latin, pop, and soul sets the stage for an unforgettable evening of rich vocals, soulful arrangements, and authentic storytelling.
Leslie Perez is a neo-soul artist from the Twin Cities. Her unique sound draws from influences such as Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Alicia Keys, blending soulful vocals and emotionally honest songwriting with R&B, soul, and neo-soul, carrying a signature authenticity rooted in her faith. After leaving a pre-law path to pursue music, she built early momentum independently, gaining millions of streams and a growing global audience. Now with Gotee Records, Leslie continues to make music that resonates, connects, and genuinely moves those who hear it. More at leslieperezmusic.com.
https://icehouse.turntabletickets.com/shows/12425?date=2026-08-29

An Evening with Chris Renzema @ Anselm House Sept 4th
2026-09-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Anselm House, 10 Church St. SE Room 110, Minneapolis, MN
Chris Renzema kicks off the new school year with a concert at Anselm House.
Friday, September 4, 2026
Doors open at 6:15 p.m., Music begins at 7:00 p.m.
10 Church St., Room 100 (the main auditorium).
Paid parking is available in the Church Street Garage, 4th Street Ramp, or Lot 37.

Ticket Pricing:
UMN Students – $25
UMN Alumni and Faculty – $30
Other Twin Cities Community Members – $35

Allison Eide @ Varsity Theatre Thu Sep 17
2026-09-17 19:00 - 22:00 | The Varsity, 1308 SE 4th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, United States
UNW’s own Allison Eide headlines her first tour at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis! Thursday September 17 at 7pm. It should be a fun, crazy night!
Tickets here

Gable Price and Friends at the Turf Club. Plus Stephen Stanley. Thursday, Sept 17.
2026-09-17 20:00 - 23:00 | Turf Club, 1601 University Ave, St. Paul, 55104, United States
Gable Price‘s show last year with Strings and Heart and Jervis Campbell electrified the crowd! Now he’s back! Coming to the legendary Turf Club on Thursday, Sept 17 with special guest Stephen Stanley.
Tickets are here:
$25- General Admission
$75- VIP

More Info: Gable Price and Friends are quickly emerging as a rising force in indie rock, with a sound that sits in the lineage of bands like Gang of Youths, Kings of Leon, COIN, and The Killers.
After building a loyal fanbase through relentless touring, the band broke through with The Consequence of Being Alive, followed by Jungle in the City, their strongest debut yet across streaming and editorial platforms. A 37+ date headline tour followed, playing to the largest crowds of their career coast to coast. In 2025, they joined Fitz & the Tantrums on their largest support run to date, followed by an even larger, entirely sold-out, 33-show tour in early 2026 opening for Josiah Queen alongside Jervis Campbell.
That momentum has carried into a new chapter, marked by their biggest shows to date and a return to their roots. Their single “Too Good” has sparked a cultural moment online, generating hundreds of unique pieces of user-created content and millions of views. Rooted in indie rock, the band continues to evolve lyrically, re-embracing their identity while holding onto what makes them one of the most compelling live acts on the road.

Hulvey at First Avenue! 630p. With Special Guests Indie Tribe and Kijan Boone.
2026-09-20 18:30 | First Avenue, 701 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
The MEL welcomes Hulvey back to the Twin Cities! He’ll be playing at the historic First Avenue on Sunday, September 20 at 630pm. He’ll be joined by special guests Indie Tribe and Kijan Boone.
Tickets are $27.50 plus fees ($35.59 plus tax)
For tickets: Click Here

Jervis Campbell @ the Fine Line Wed. Sept .30
2026-09-30 19:30 - 22:30 | Fine Line, 318 North 1st Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55401, United States
theMEL.fm welcomes Jervis Campbell to the Fine Line on Thursday September 30.
Tickets:
General: $25 (plus fees and taxes)
VIP Package: $75 (plus fees and taxes)
The ticket limit is strict. Any attempt to exceed the posted ticket limit per customer or household, or to game the system in any way, will result in cancellation of orders without notice. There is a transfer delay for all tickets prior to the show.

ABOUT: Jervis Campbell has been making music in Nashville, TN, since 2018. His anthemic rock songs feature themes of both hope and struggle, drawing from his own experiences and day-to-day life. Jervis self-produced and independently released his debut album, Onward and Upward, in 2018. When asked about the choice to self-produce, Jervis said, “I pushed myself to make this album as authentic as I could, so I wanted to make these songs come to life by my own hands.” So far, listeners have enthusiastically supported Jervis’s vision. Onward and Upward has garnered more than 25 million streams since its release. The Hopeful Hearts Club, Campbell’s sophomore record, will be released in the Fall of 2023. Since 2019, Jervis has toured with only a guitar, treating fans to intimate acoustic versions of his songs. In 2023, The Hopeful Hearts Tour will feature a full band, allowing listeners to experience the songs as Campbell intends.

Judah and the Lion @ First Avenue Friday Oct 16
2026-10-16 19:30 - 23:00 | First Avenue, 701 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
The MEL welcomes Judah and the Lion to First Avenue! It’s Friday October 16 at 730pm.
Tickets
General: $35 (plus taxes and fees)
VIP Packages: $95-255 (plus taxes and fees)
The ticket limit is strict. Any attempt to exceed the posted ticket limit per customer or household, or to game the system in any way, will result in cancellation of orders without notice. There is a transfer delay for all tickets prior to the show.
ABOUT:
At the beating heart of Nashville band Judah & The Lion is a story of a deeply loyal chosen brotherhood, dating back to 2011 when Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald became bandmates in college. Judah & The Lion’s newest and sixth album, I Am A Prism, came after a period of soul searching, and in the midst of a welcome joyous new life milestone: Brian becoming a father again. The last three albums have documented some personally heavy topics – mental health and depression (2019’s Pep Talks), heartbreak and divorce (2022’s Revival), and charting the stages of grief (2024’s The Process). On the other side of this trilogy of hard times and heartbreak, Judah & The Lion was at a creative crossroads. They took some time off, parted ways with their management, and asked themselves some tough but necessary questions.
Judah explains, “We wanted to get really honest with ourselves about those kinds of deep internal questions. What do we bring that no one else brings? Why do we wanna make another record? Not like we were wanting to quit, but it was just like, let’s get back to the “why” of when we first started making music together. We do it because we want to help people. That’s the heart behind this.”
“We use our music to propel us through hard things in life and shoot us forward into a more hopeful space, without ignoring the really tough parts of being human, and I think that is why our fans relate to it.,” Brian adds. “And I think defining why somebody is connecting, relating to the music that we’re putting out was a really important thing for us to discover before we went into making I Am a Prism.”
Case in point, Judah & The Lion fans will likely recognize two songs on I Am A Prism from the band’s live shows last year – lead single “Maybe The Best Is Now” and the album’s midpoint track “Gravel Roads”.
“Maybe The Best Is Now” is a callback to a song from their last album, 2024’s The Process, called “The Best Is Yet To Come”. It was introduced into their set last Spring as an encore, and Judah began teaching the chorus to their audience. While the crowd was singing along to “Maybe The Best Is Now”, the tape was rolling. Judah and Brian knew that when they got to the studio later that summer, they wanted to incorporate the voices of their fans into the studio recording. The work of exploring ways to ground their next album in what mattered most to Judah & The Lion had begun, finding the continuums that would celebrate their growth and evolution.
“A lot of this record is trying to connect the thread between our beginnings and this point,” Judah says. The album opener “I Am A Prism” is a powerful example, with multiple links to the opening track of their 2022 album Revival called, “Open Your Eyes”. “I Am A Prism” not only represents Judah’s personal transformation, but the transformation of the album itself after its title track was written, as well as who it was written for. After so many years writing and recording music that spoke to Judah’s personal battles, family hardships, grief and loss, Judah’s older brother Eli finally revealed that he had struggled to listen to any Judah & The Lion’s albums because the lyrics just made him too sad. After this illuminating conversation, Judah sat alone at his piano and wrote “I Am A Prism”. This revelatory and honest moment between brothers had crystallized what this album wanted to become, who it was for, and how to get there.
For the recording of I Am A Prism, Judah & The Lion teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, and composer Jeremy Lutito as their co-producer, who encouraged them to lean all the way in, to embrace everything they are, and not hold back in any way sonically. From folk to rock to big pop anthems, he challenged the band to be unapologetically and fully Judah & The Lion. Jeremy understood that the best path to getting the absolute most from the band and these new songs was simplicity. Every sound, from the quietest moments (like the album’s title track) to the most bombastic (the freewheeling “Can You Relate”) was made by the hands of Judah, Brian, and Jeremy, with the help of an audio engineer. Coming back to themselves allowed them to go deeper and deeper with the music.
Now, after an amazing fifteen years of becoming a beloved favorite band to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, and sticking together through some of the most difficult of times, Judah & The Lion are ready to share this victorious moment with their fans. At its thematic core, I Am A Prism is a celebration of the full spectrum of life, dark and light. This affirming message is perhaps best captured in the song “Miracle”:
It all comes back around—was it then or is it now?
And I’m waking up
I’m living in the middle of a miracle
I’m seeing stars shooting through the physical
I’m living in the middle of a miracle
Brian shares, “That song really encapsulates the simplicity that we’re going for on this album. I think it’s just a beautiful representation of the stage of life that both of us are in right now. Especially with me having kids, ‘miraculous’ is truly one of the only ways you can describe that feeling.”
Judah reflects, “Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. If you think about the simplicity of life, we’re all here breathing, we’re all here for a reason. Some people think that a miracle has to be some big, dramatic event. But it’s like, what if a miracle is just waking up in the morning? The miracle is all of it. It’s the process. And the process is perpetual. It never really ends. Life itself is a miracle.”
And this is the simplest and most beautiful reminder everyone needs.

LOVKN @ Art House North Sunday October 18
2026-10-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Art House North, 793 Armstrong Avenue West, St. Paul, MN, 55102, United States
LOVKN will be playing songs from his new album “In Process” at Art House North in St. Paul.

He writes: It was winter of ’24 and I had just moved my life to Washington. I remember lying in bed during what felt like a late-bloomed quarter life crisis – an unrelenting season of internal challenge. I swiped open my phone and searched “recording studios near me” (I’m such a musician, I know). Before long, I stumbled upon an old barn-turned legendary audio-capturing-paradise, nestled in the boonies of north Seattle; a Pacific Northwest dream. It seemed unlikely that I’d ever be able to track music there, but over 240 of my listeners turned that dream into reality in the summer of 2025, helping me raise almost $20K on Kickstarter to track my new album In Process.
This 11-track album is my journey through the discomfort of change, learning to live with less certainty about things in life and faith that once felt Impervious. It’s an album about maneuvering the space between, with a heart and head full of unanswered questions, trying not to completely lose myself in the midst of it all.
I’d love for you to join me this Fall of 2026 as I share the songs and journey of In Process in an up close and personal, solo-acoustic setting. This is an indie-tour and your support goes a long way in keeping my art alive. All ages welcome. Merch will be available for sale (vinyl, CD, tees, etc).

Tickets:
Art House North
793 Armstrong Avenue West
Saint-Paul,Minnesota, 55102
6:30 PM (doors)
7pm (Show)

The Arcadian Wild @Parkway Theater in Minneapolis Sunday Oct 26!
2026-10-25 19:30 | Parkway Theatre, 4814 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, United States
The Arcadian Wild
Sunday, October 25, 2026
6 pm Doors // 7 pm Music
All Ages
TICKETS:

$25 ($32.30 w. taxes/fees) Advance General Admission

$30 ($35 w. taxes/fees) At The Door General Admission

From Parkway Website: Nashville indie folk/pop group The Arcadian Wild come to Minneapolis as part of their Make It Out Alive Tour (out August 14). With repeat Top 10 placements on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart to performances on legendary stages like Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Old Opry, the band has been hailed for their “gorgeously arranged and achingly sincere” music (Under The Radar) and lauded their “beautifully crafted songs that go straight for the heart” (No Depression).
Led by songwriters Isaac Horn, Lincoln Mick, and Bailey Warren, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary. Combining elements of confessional pop,folk, progressive bluegrass, and formal vocal music, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, to journey and wonder, to laugh and cry, to share joy and community and sing along.
heir fourth and most enthralling album yet, Make It Out Alive is a celebration of hope, love, and joy in the face of overcoming personal loss and emotional upheaval. Having now surpassed the ten year marker as a band, it also finds the trio in the midst of a creative reformation, as they co-wrote all the songs collectively for the first time, as well as worked with an outside producer for the first time. They unveiled the first peek at the album with their intoxicating new single “Cool To Know You,” a driving, hopeful track that reminds us of the light we bring to others, even when we can’t see it ourselves.
Named for a utopian landscape in Greek mythology, The Arcadian Wild’s story began when Horn and Mick met at Nashville’s Lipscomb University. They bonded quickly and cut their teeth playing house shows. In 2015, they released their self-titled debut to widespread praise, racking up nearly 50 million streams on Spotify alone. Heavy touring followed with a revolving door of supporting players, and the group returned in 2019 with their second full-length Finch In The Pantry, which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart. Horn and Mick welcomed Warren into the band full-time in 2020 while simultaneously shifting their focus to composing and recording an ambitious, multi-movement song cycle that resulted in the 2021 EP Principum, which reached #3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and helped earn the band performances everywhere from the Woody Guthrie Center to the Ryman Auditorium. They followed it up two years later with their third and most recent full-length Welcome, which earned them their debut on the Grand Ole Opry and prompted Under the Radar to hail the band’s “gorgeously arranged and achingly sincere” music and No Depression to laud their “beautifully crafted songs that go straight for the heart.”

Gavn! @ 7th Street Entry Wed Oct 28
2026-10-28 19:00 - 22:00 | 7th Street Entry, 701 First Avenue, Minneapolis, 55403, United States
The MEL welcomes Gavn! to 7th Street Entry on Wednesday October 28th at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm.
