It's hard to think of a rising Twin Cities singer who has consistently captivated new audiences in recent years more than Lady Midnight.
Her look and style are eye-popping, and her songwriting and music are instantly evocative. But as you'll see in her Mini-Grandstand performance today at startribune.com, those charms quickly take a backseat to her voice, a soothing yet riveting tool that's part Eartha Kitt, Solange and Jeff Buckley.
After cutting her teeth with the rootsy Afro-Cuban band Malamanya and guesting for rappers P.O.S. and Brother Ali, the real-life Adriana Rimple cut her own uncharted path on last year's debut solo record, "Death Before Mourning." The album — which weaves hypnotically between Afrofutursitic R&B, cosmic slow-funk and electro-pop — just made City Pages' Best Of issue. It's available at l8dmnt.com or her Bandcamp.com page.
While sidelined from performances in 2020, Ms. Midnight helped start a GoFundMe campaign for Auntie's, a safe-haven music venue for women and LGBTQ performers. She's finally returning to the stage again with a Sept. 21 gig scheduled at Icehouse in south Minneapolis.