First Avenue, JAM, and The Current Present

Rufus Wainwright and José González: Unfollow The Rules In The Local Valley Tour

Past event
Sep 23, 2021
Carlson Family Stage
tour art

Critically acclaimed powerhouse singer-songwriters Rufus Wainwright and José González each perform their unique blend of warmhearted melodies, inspiring lyrics, and exceptional musicianship. 

Unfollow The Rules finds Rufus Wainwright at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as mischievous as ever. Recorded in the same legendary Los Angeles studios as his landmark debut, his ninth album is both a bookend to Act 1 of an extraordinary career and a distillation of 21 years of experience at pop’s most flamboyant coal face.

Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, Unfollow The Rules captures Rufus at a crossroads. Ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past, he’s taking stock of two decades of running riot with rules, making sense of how he has matured as a musician and celebrating the contented family man he has become.

Following José González’s acclaimed Vestiges & Claws, Local Valley provides a welcome reminder of the Gothenburg, Sweden-based artist’s understated appeal and singular ability to communicate discreetly. Sung in English, Spanish, and Swedish, these 13 thought-provoking, meticulously crafted songs sound as characteristically confident and rich in compelling detail as anything in his prior canon.

Event Details

Event Info

  • Doors open at 7:00 pm
  • Show time at 8:00 pm
  • Will Call tickets available at the East Box Office on the Ground Floor

Student Rapid Rush

  • $20 Rapid Rush tickets are available at the East Box Office on the Ground Floor, 30 minutes prior to this event (7:30 pm, Thu, Sep 23) for UMN students, valid with a U Card. Based on availability.
Rufus Wainright

Rufus Wainwright

Praised by The New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters, and composers of his generation. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer-songwriter has released seven studio albums to date, three DVDs, and three live albums including the Grammy-nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with artists including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Robert Wilson, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting, and producer Mark Ronson, among many others. His recent release, Unfollow the Rules, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and for a Juno for Adult Alternative Album of the Year.

José González

José González

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait,” José González’s stellar career can only be described as a dream. His classic interpretation of The Knife’s Heartbeats provided the son of Argentinean parents with a jumpstart that has since tallied more than 1B streams, over 150 licensed TV, film, and videogame uses, and a major presence on radio stations around the globe. He has won a range of honors, performed on high-profile network television shows, headlined prestigious festivals, sold out concert venues on virtually all continents, and collaborated with Ben Stiller on an inventive film soundtrack. González’s warm, intimate voice and tender harmonies, underlined by a dexterously plucked Spanish guitar and muted percussion, deliver profoundly thoughtful lyrics largely revolving around ideas of civilization, humanism, and solidarity. A sincere, artful performer whose singular approach to songwriting and sonics sets him worlds apart, José González is in a class by himself.