- SATURDAY, JULY 23
- 11:00 am: 60 Hr Band Challenge winners
- 12:00 pm: The Good Time Gals (blues/jazz)
- 1:00 pm: Jae Havoc (hip hop)
- 2:00 pm: The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra (progressive rock)
- 3:50 pm: Captain Gravitone & the String Theory Orchestra (roots w/ elements of jazz, tango, folk & funk)
- 5:20 pm: Lucy Michelle (folk/americana/rock)
- 6:40 pm: The Shape of Walter (world music)
- 7:50 pm: The Larry McDonough Quartet (jazz)
- 9:20 pm: Bee Balm Fields (folk rock)
- SUNDAY, JULY 24
- 12:00 pm: PK Mayo (blues)
- 1:50 pm: Mary Clare Stroh (folk)
- 2:50 pm: Blue Hazard (bluegrass)
- 3:50 pm: EZ Jazz Trio‘ (jazz)
- 4:50 pm: Kaleb Braun-Schulz & the Nightingales (folk rock)
- 5:50 pm: The D’Sievers (trombone jazz)
- 6:30 pm: St Peter Govies parade (marching band with original music by Sarah Houle)
- 6:50 pm: Machiko (pop rock)
- 7:50 pm: portal iii (psychedelic folk)
Saturday, July 23
“The Good Time Gals” is a fresh, fun, vintage inspired duo with modern sensibilities. Miss Myra and Debbie Briggs deliver a one-of-a-kind musical performance featuring guitar with tight two part vocal harmonies, playful arrangements, and peppered with influences of blues, hot club jazz, western swing, old country, and popular music of the 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Jae is Hip Hop artist from Rochester, Minnesota that learned how to shape a song from start to finish in a way that was his own. He devoted himself to this passion by learning to write, produce, engineer, and distribute his music. Jae has also been behind mixes and instrumentals for artists like buzzworthy up-and-coming Seattle artist Brakebill and Twin Cities-based artist Sam Phoenix.
Born from a desire to play technically challenging music derived from influences like Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Dixie Dregs and King Crimson, the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra was started in 2009 by founding member John Wright. Wright enlisted the aid of guitarist Dan Neale, violinist Lisi Wright and drummer Mario Dawson. With a new studio release, “Flirting with Chaos,” and a stronger than ever ethic to create the ultimate musical moment between the players and audience, GCO’s Art Rock/Jazz Fusion creations are vibrant musical art works.
Captain Gravitone & the String Theory Orchestra, performs original roots based music with features of jazz, tango, rock, folk & funk. Gravitone explores the nature of things, gravitational force, quantum physics, parallel universes, circus freak shows, life, death, super-heroes, black holes and interstellar travel. The group features banjoist Eli Hoehn, guitarist Kelly Coyle on guitar, “Boneman” Nate Baren on trombone & accordion, Peter Jacobs on keys, low brass specialist, Sarah Houle, on tuba, and percussionist, Zach Sproles.
Lucy Michelle is a songwriter as serious as they come. Twin Cities natives will know her as the former front-woman of gypsy-pop outfit Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, a raucous and eclectic six-piece which has now become indie rock quartet Little Fevers. As a ubiquitous figure in the MN music scene Lucy has released 7 albums in the last 15 years and is set to release her 2nd solo album this coming fall. An ambitious full length entitled “American Mom” featuring local greats John Munson, Dylan Hicks, Chris Koza and Richard Medek.
The Shape of Walter is Jason Helder (Acoustic Guitar and Vocals), Dave Ross (Keys), Moises Lima-Guerrero (Bass), and Ken Markham (Percussion). Their music has a unique, high energy, “world music” quality to move your feet, and an intense lyrical message to move your mind
Larry McDonough is an award-winning St. Paul jazz composer, pianist, singer, and teacher. He has performed with legendary saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, Trombonist Fred Wesley, and trumpeter Duane Eubanks, as well as a who’s who of local jazz artists, and was inducted into the Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame for his work in the group Danny’s Reasons. His awards include the American Composers Forum Showcase Award for the composition “Strait of Gibraltar.”
Bee Balm Fields is Laura Karels and her amazing band, Pete Klug, Ben Scruggs & Eric Bunde. The group has a variety of sounds that emanate from the songwriting of Laura Karels.
Sunday, July 24
Paul’s natural musical talent on guitar, especially slide, both in concert and recordings, has garnered worldwide praise from his colleagues and critics. Publications Vintage Guitar Magazine and Blues Matters UK have drawn comparisons to the work of Duane Allman, Lowell George, Roy Buchanan, Ry Cooder and Sonny Landreth. His rich vocals have been receiving as much attention as his guitar tone and melodic riffs.
Mary Clare Stroh is a professional musician and songwriter from Faribault, MN. She aims to reach hearts and minds by sharing her original songs that acknowledge pain and encourage hope in the big and regular day to day moments in life. When her kids are content you can find Mary Clare in the kitchen testing recipes and baking bread for her family and friends.
Blue Hazard mixes their love of contemporary mediums with old-soul roots to create an impactful musical experience. Evolving from a novice family band into dedicated and earnest musicians, the group impresses listeners with their crisp harmonies, complex arrangements, and honest & diverse songwriting. Blue Hazard was formed in 2000 and is comprised of two siblings and two friends. In 2012, they debuted “This World of Mine” — their first album consisting of mostly original songs. Progressing further, the band released their first all-original album “Sideshow” on July 7, 2017.
Eric Zimmerman is a music educator, bassist, and composer. His albums “Exhibit A” and “Self Portrait” were released in 2019. The EZ Jazz Trio includes Eric Zimmerman composer/arranger and electric strings, Evan Bierer on tenor saxophone Ryan Rader on Drums, and recently Ethan Pinto on Bass.
Kaleb Braun-Schulz is a songwriter from Mankato, MN. His album, ‘Nightingale,’ released in 2021, found immediate local success and was well received by the Minnesota music community. Kaleb & The Nightingale Band performed at the Paramount Theater in Austin, MN, as part of the Minnesota Music Coalition’s Caravan Du Nord concert series.
The D’Sievers Trio has been actively performing jazz in South East Minnesota for the past 17 years, and their music features improvisation and a sense of humor. The band has performed at the Twin Cities Jazz Fest and the Rochester City Jazz Festival, They also released an album of original music entitled Trombots and Mermaids. The album includes eight original tracks composed by The D’Sievers’ band leader and trombonist John Sievers. The album’s songs range from blues tunes like “The Mermaid Shuffle” to a bossa nova: “Careless.” John Sievers studied trombone at the University of Northern Iowa where he performed with the university’s top jazz ensemble. Sievers has also performed with notable musical acts like The 10,000 Maniacs, The Buckinghams, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and Benny Golson.
Piano/Vocals: Michelle Roche
Horns: Sarah Houle & Jessica Landsteiner
portal iii featuring a trio of veteran Minnesota musicians, introduces its debut release with a self-titled double LP of four deep listening instrumental pieces. Bassist Liz Draper (who’s played with everyone from the Grammy Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers, Grammy nominated slow-core band Low to the Balkan folk group Orkestar Bez Ime), had been touring with folk traveler, songwriter and guitarist Charlie Parr of Duluth, MN. The two discovered a shared mutual interest in drone and ambient music. portal iii emerged as a trio when Draper recruited former bandmate Chris Gray from doom project Up the Mountain Down the Mountain to join them on drums. With the three of them sharing a broad range of tastes and playing styles, anything was possible, but it was a need to seek out new sonic territory that led them to create portal iii