Rare Americans return to the Twin Cities for the first time since 2022

The Vancouver band last played the 7th Street Entry. On Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, they step up to Amsterdam Bar and Hall in Saint Paul.

In October 2022, Rare Americans squeezed into the 7th Street Entry, First Avenue's small back room, on Oct. 18. More than four years later they're crossing the river to a bigger stage. Rare Americans play Amsterdam Bar and Hall in Saint Paul on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, with Naethan Apollo opening. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7. Tickets are on AXS. The date was announced Oct. 13.

It's a step up in room size, from the Entry to a 400-capacity hall on a Saturday night in late February. That's usually a sign a band's audience has grown while it was away.

For anyone who hasn't caught up, Rare Americans formed in Vancouver in 2018. Frontman James Priestner and guitarist Lubo Ivan lead the band. They've built a catalogue unlike most guitar bands: animated concept albums and singles that come with full cartoon worlds attached. The *Searching for Strawberries* project rolled out in acts, with Act II arriving in June 2023 alongside an animated film, according to antiMusic. Before that came the single "Little White Lies" in December 2022, which previewed the EP *Songs That Don't Belong*.

A band that last fit into the 7th Street Entry is now headlining a Saturday night in Saint Paul.

Their 2022 visit came the same year as *You're Not a Bad Person, It's Just a Bad World*, the record Oye Records bills as the fourth studio album from the "genre-bending Canadian punks." JamBase files them under pop these days. Both labels fit. Rare Americans write hooks big enough for radio and play them with a punk band's lack of patience.

Priestner has been open about what drives the band. In a Q&A with Ones To Watch, the band talks about wanting to hear fans' stories while sharing their own. That makes sense for a group whose songs lean on characters and narratives.

Amsterdam Bar and Hall is a good place for the return. With 400 capacity, it's big enough to feel like a step forward and small enough to keep the singalong energy that a room like the Entry builds. The 7 p.m. start on a Saturday leaves plenty of night left after the encore, and Naethan Apollo opening gives early arrivals a reason to show up at doors.

If you were in the Entry in 2022, this is a chance to see how the band has grown. If you weren't, catch them while they're still in rooms this size. Bundle up, it's February in Saint Paul, and get your tickets early.

Sources: Rare Americans (Wikipedia) (en.wikipedia.org); Rare Americans release Act II of new album and animated film (antiMusic) (ftp.antimusic.com); Rare Americans – You're Not a Bad Person, It's Just a Bad World (Oye Records) (oye-records.com); Rare Americans Wants to Hear Your Story While Sharing Theirs [Q&A] (Ones To Watch) (onestowatch.com); Rare Americans at Amsterdam Bar and Hall (AXS) (axs.com); First Avenue (nightclub) - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)