Effective immediately, all concerts and events at First Avenue and associated venues will require either proof of a full series of COVID-19 vaccination, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the prior 72 hours. More info HERE.

Presale starts on March 10 at 10AM | Tickets on sale on March 11 at 11AM

Doors open at 8PM | Show starts at 9PM | 18+ | $20 Advance | $22 Day of Show | $35 Reserved Balcony

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It’s tempting to describe Dua Saleh as a natural. An artist who only began recording music two years ago isn’t supposed to sing with such infectious bravado and haunting gloom. Yet to say Dua, who identifies as gender non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns, has arrived fully-formed on their first-ever EP project titled Nūr - (pronounced “noor” - meaning “the light” in Arabic). They may have just decided to try songwriting, but they’ve spent their life working across divisions: borders, mediums, identities, and protest lines.

Dua Saleh grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Rondo neighborhood. It was there, in a black cultural center of the Midwest with a once-thriving soul and jazz scene, where Dua became obsessed with music. From the sounds of their home country of Sudan streaming from a satellite specialty channel, to the jazz-scat singers of the 1940s, to R&B and hip-hop of the early 2000s, to dancehall and afro-beat, everything was fair game for Dua.

It’s Dua Saleh’s fluidity – of sound, of form, of self-presentation - that makes them so enlivening. Their vocal range is elastic, floating from an elegant purr into an unvarnished, guttural growl, and then back again at a moment’s notice. Their writing can be dreamy, but more often plumbs the soul, pricking deep with a poet’s precision and showing the scars that remain. To listen to Dua Saleh is to hear, in real time, someone fight for the right to define themselves for themselves.

Ricki Monique is a Minnesota-based musician, organizer, and creative. As co-founder of Tangible Collective, her practice centers on improving the Black Creative experience in MN. She uses art as a tool for expression and release. Finding beauty in the process, Ricki believes that creative expression can be used to heal, expose, and provide space for her community -- specifically Black Women.

Born writer and storyteller, Ricki wrote poetry, short stories, and songs for as long as she can remember. She finally shared this gift in 2018 with the drop of her first song on SoundCloud, "Always Knew," featuring Thomasina Petrus -- local legend actress, jazz singer, and playwright. The following year, Ricki began making music with @kwey_, which led to the drop of her two latest works, "No Time" (Freestyle) and "Garden of Better," both on all streaming platforms.

Outside of music, Ricki Monique hosts events, draws, creative directs, plus whatever else she feels will best get her creative ideas out. Using art as a way to evolve and heal, the art form Ricki uses has -- and always will -- vary. The goal is to get the emotion out and hopefully create something that someone can feel. Stream her music on all streaming platforms!