Whichever side of the "Is Uptown still cool?" debate you land on, you can at least now say the neighborhood's VFW hall definitely still rocks.

Live music returns to the Uptown VFW — aka the James Ballentine VFW Post 246, located on Lyndale Avenue just north of Lake Street – starting Friday with a gig by Al Church's Hall & Oates tribute band Private Oates, the venue's first concert since the pandemic hit. A calendar of gigs released Wednesday lists subsequent appearances by Native blues-rockers Indigenous, Latino dance band Malamanya, hip-hop vet Dimitry Killstorm, a special Halloween gig with Kiss the Tiger and a lot more.

All of the VFW's music events will require proof of COVID vaccination or negative test results for admission. The venue has also posted a new code of conduct to "help create safer spaces/venues free of discrimination or harassment of any kind."

"Other than those new guidelines to make everyone feel safer, things will mostly be the same as they were before," reports Joe Holland, the ubiquitous musician and talent buyer who's returning to his post as manager of the VFW event space, which holds 444 people.

After the space was renovated in 2016 to better accommodate bands, the VFW became something of a last outpost of live music in Uptown. That's even more true now in 2021 — especially if you don't count Mortimer's at Franklin and Lyndale as being in Uptown (which it technically isn't).

Holland has kept busy presenting live music all spring and summer as part of the Nobool Presents team, which oversaw the Hook & Ladder's Under the Canopy outdoor series. That series has been so popular the Hook extended into late October. Obviously, though, Minnesota music lovers are going to have to move indoors at some point this fall.

UPTOWNVFW.ORG, Star Tribune
The VFW logo behind the bar at Post 246.

"It's been tricky getting to this point of reopening," Holland said, citing mechanical and staffing issues as well as the ongoing COVID worries. "But I think it's a good time for it."

Tickets will usually start around $10 and can be bought online via Eventbrite.com. That ticket money, by the way, goes toward paying the performers and production costs, while bar sales at the venue still go toward the VFW's nonprofit arm serving military veterans and other good causes.

Here's the list of shows so far confirmed there. Many more are pending.

  • Friday - Private Oates: A Tribute to Hall & Oates
  • 09/17 - Selwyn Birchwood & Craig Clark Band
  • 09/18 - "Hot in Herre" with DJ Rowsheen, Ander Other
  • 09/24 - Ghosteater EDM
  • 09/25 - Dimitry Killstorm Presents: "Milkshake"
  • 10/01 - Malamanya
  • 10/02 - Indigenous
  • 10/08 - Casual Confusion & Heartless (Heart Tribute)
  • 10/09 - Electric Feel: 2000s Indie Rock and Pop
  • 10/15 - Steepwater Band
  • 10/28 - The G*ddamn Gallows
  • 10/31 - Kiss The Tiger with Ready Freddie
  • 11/04 - Athereal Rose, Glassine, Slayvannah
  • 11/12 - Mustard Plug, STDo, Space Monkey Mafia