I bought concert tickets to see Blur play in London’s Hyde Park months before I actually secured airfare to the UK. When the Britpop legends recently announced that they were releasing their first new album in 12 years, The Magic Whip, and would headline a British Summertime show in June to coincide with the release, I knew that I had to be there.

Erik Thompson is the clubs editor at City Pages, and a freelance music writer in the Twin Cities.

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