Pho

It was a busy night in the Twin Cities this weekend. While Secret Stash records presented their Soul Review at The Guthrie, Valerie June was charming concert-goers at The Cedar. Meanwhile, Nikki Hill and her dynamite band (hubby/guitarist extraordinaire Matt Hill, Troy Sandow on bass and Joe Meyer on drums) ripped up a couple of sets at Famous Dave's in Calhoun Square.

This southern dynamo hails from North Carolina and brings her own brand of spunk n' funk. Whether they are the originals that make up the bulk of her debut full length record Here's Nikki Hill or the lively cover of  "Who Were You Thinking Of?, Nikki Hill puts each tune and the band through their paces.

Matt Hill, with his own solo record under his belt, comes off as a stylish and impressive guitarist that complements Nikki's brand of 
 R n'  B perfectly.

Those who stayed until the midnight hour were treated to a rousing "Whole Lotta Rosie", a song the band doesn't perform all that often.

The band had a successful European tour and is now covering as much ground in the US and Canada as they can before heading back to the UK in the fall. This is a must-see band if you can catch them live.

Relative newcomer Valerie Hill made her debut at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Saturday night.

Her solo set consisted mainly of songs from her forthcoming album "Pushin' Against A Stone" (produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys) and showed off her distinctive Tennessean voice, as well as her talents on slide guitar and banjo.

After the show Valerie June couldn't have been nicer as she chatt

Didn't even break a sweat at Parlor City Pub tonight while shredding through dozens of thunderous blues tunes with his band.

Bluesmore celebrated their 20th Anniversary by inviting Lucky Peterson and his lovely wife Tamara to play one balmy Saturday night at Brucemore mansion.

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