Two bands that each packed the Palace Theatre on their own last year, Spoon and Grizzly Bear will pair up for a twofer concert June 30 outside Surly Brewing – the third show to be booked at the Minneapolis brewery by First Avenue's team for 2018, and probably not the last.
Tickets for Spoon and Grizzly Bear go on sale Friday for $41 via eTix.com, First Ave outlets or 1-800-514-3849. One dollar from every ticket sold will go toward Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. Synth/electronic singer and composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (not to be confused with buzzing Cannon Falls twang-popster Caitlyn Smith) will open.
Part of a summer co-headlining tour with the two hipster darling bands, it will probably sell out here in town. Spoon, after all, sold even more tickets than the Surly field holds with its two-night stand at the Palace in September.
As popular as the Palace has become, there's still no denying the appeal of outdoor summer concerts to Minnesota music fans. First Ave is trying to meet that demand with a proposed riverfront amphitheater in Minneapolis. Until that gets greenlit by the city and others, the Surly staging area – officially called Surly Brewing Festival Field – seems to be the favored spot for First Ave and its Chicago partner Jam Productions. Shows there are 18-and-older and hold about 5,500 people, many of whom arrive via the nearby Green Line stop or Dinkytown Greenway bike trail.
The newly announced First Ave +1 golden ale from Surly certainly added more synergy to that equation. Word is at least one more concert is in the works for the brewery, with a few other options on the table, too. Here are the three shows so far on tap:
Spoon & Grizzly Bear: June 30, on sale Friday, $41, more info here.
Sylan Esso: July 20, $35, more info here.
Courtney Barnett: July 21, with Julien Baker and Big Thief, $37.50, more info here.
