There are currently several artists that I will go to see every time they are in town:

• Richard Thompson
• The Robert Cray Band
• Suzanne Vega
• David Byrne
• Lyle Lovett

I’ve seen Richard Thompson many times at various venues and think he is the best overall guitar player I’ve ever seen live. His lyrics are wonderful and he is very friendly and engaging with audiences, always coming out afterwards to meet with fans after the show. I think he likes it here, too, visiting at least once a year.

The Robert Cray Band is a relatively new find for us. We first saw them open for John Hiatt at the Minnesota Zoo amplitheater, but they stole the show that night. I believe they returned the next year at the same venue, then played two free shows the following year at the Minnesota State Fair.

Suzanne Vega and David Byrne don’t tour much these days, so it’s always a thrill when they show up in the coming events section of the local papers. I’ve only seen them a handful of times, so I hope they return to touring again soon.

Lyle Lovett always seems to play the State Theater when visiting Minnesota and I think I’ve seen him perform there three times. A mix of jazz, alternative rock, gospel and country, it’s hard to tell what kind of audience he will draw, but they always leave happy. The shows with the Large Band are especially fun to watch. Too bad he doesn’t have any official sites worth linking to…

Venues

My favorite place to see live music in Minnesota is the one and only First Avenue. The Fitzgerald in downtown St. Paul is very nice, as was the old Guthrie before the geniuses in charge of the Walker Art Center decided it would make a better parking lot (more). For classical music, you can’t beat the Ordway…DK