Winter Concert Series
ArtOrg announces the 2008 Winter Concert Series. We are an arts group, so we offer an eclectic mix of all types of music–but each Friday for the next twelve weeks we are planning something special! Check it out and don’t miss your favorites!
All concerts, unless otherwise noted, are Fridays from 7 to 11 pm at the J.Grundy’s Reub ‘N’ Stein Upstairs at 503 Division Street, Northfield 55057. There is a $5 donation for all concerts, and this goes to support the music. (The musicians have been invited to play an informal set after 11pm at The Contented Cow at 302B Division Street–sneak in at 11pm for a special set. Or, stay at the Upstairs for “DJ Sound Wave” who starts at 11pm.)
A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SPONSORS OF THIS MUSIC SERIES: David and Jennifer Koenig won the eBay auction! Congratulations, and thanks! If that wasn’t all, they allowed us to search for another sponsor, and Pachyderm Studio and the Pachyderm Presevation Project responded. Thanks!
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FRIDAY, APRIL 4
ART PROM
The 2008 ArtOrg Winter concert series started with Peter Lang and Pert’ Near Sandstone on January 18–a day when the temperature was a cool minus 10 F at concert time! Now, some eleven weeks, eighteen bands, and over 500 people in attendance later (see the photosets of the concerts here), we are celebrating with an event this Friday we call “ArtProm”. ArtProm is being billed with the following taglines: “Northfield’s Most Unpredictable Party”, “Create a New Memory”, and finally “Who Will You Take to ArtProm?”
Events start at 7pm at the Upstairs of the J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N Stein and will feature many fun elements: Rockabilly with the Todd Thompson Trio, dancing from the Lindy Hoppers CO, appetizers from Grundy’s, an iPod setlist of songs submitted by LocallyGrownNorthfield.Org, photos from the Davis Portrait Studio, and more! Get your duds at Fashion Fair, or Mantorville Square–here is a photoset with some of the available atire. Come as you are or wear that powder blue tux!
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ARCHIVE of past concerts in this year’s series
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 18
PETER LANG and PERT’ NEAR SANDSTONE
PETER LANG was discovered and recorded in 1972 by the legendary guitarist John Fahey who signed Lang to his own label, Takoma Records. Peter Lang toured, recorded and performed for nearly ten years, developing a reputation as one of the nations top acoustic players. In the 70’s he was in good company, having recorded or performed with Ry Cooder, John Fahey, Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, John Hartford, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Leo Kottke, Freddie King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Hammond, Keith Jarrett, Phoebe Snow, Maria Muldaur, The Yellowjackets, Robben Ford, and many others. Peter’s website, MySpace, and YouTube pages.
PERT’ NEAR SANDSTONE is a new-timey string band from Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, established in 2003. They play a hard-driving acoustic music in the old-time vein, but with a fresh sense and new-time urban grit. Pert Near approaches the American stringband tradition with reverence, infusing their own ideas and character to deliver a sound and style uniquely their own. In Pert Near’s songwriting there is as much depth and diversity (and often quirkiness) as their traditional material. Pert’ Near’s website, MySpace and YouTube pages.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
CAJUN HOT SOLES
The CAJUN HOT SOLES will take you back to the sweat-stained Louisiana dancehalls of the 1950’s and earlier – horses and Model T’s parked outside, beer and gumbo inside, but most importantly, a crowded dance floor swaying to accordions and fiddles playing rhythmic Cajun two-steps and waltzes, with a singer telling stories of heartache and trouble. The Cajun Hot Soles have performed frequently and steadily since inception in 1998. The band members have decades of both Cajun and non-Cajun musical experience. They have made – and continue to make – trips to Louisiana to study with master Cajun musicians. They have played as the backing band for visiting Louisiana Cajun musicians. The Cajun Hot Soles’s website, and MySpace pages.
Wendell Carroll (formerly of Northfield’s dot-com startup ViA, Inc.) and Linda Reiss will provide an overview of Cajun traditions and dance instruction at 7pm sharp! Don’t miss this one!!
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1
DREAMLAND FACES and THE WAPSIPINICON
Like a life-sized music box, DREAMLAND FACES is hauntingly beautiful and odd. It’s vaudeville, it’s cabaret, and it’s nostalgic. Spin the band’s new self-titled CD and you can practically smell moth balls and grandma’s perfume. Sawer/vocalist Andy McCormick cops to a bullhorn to add the Cantor to his candor. Karen Majewicz squeezes the box while ringing out hearts with her achingly beautiful warble. The instrumentation is minimal and heartbreaking, the music breathtaking and timeless. Could it be that the saw is tonally the perfect instrument?” -Frank De Blase, City Newspaper. Dreamland Faces website, and YouTube pages.
THE WAPSIPINICON plays music one wants to hear again and again. An added bonus to this evening will be the visual ramblings of Scott West, stage painter and member of the popular Cloud Cult. Wapsi’s MySpace page. The panting created by Scott West the night of this performance will be auctioned to the highest bidder!
JOIN US FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL NIGHT OF GREAT PERFORMERS AND GREAT MUSIC.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
SIZZLING EGGHEADS
The SIZZLING EGGHEADS regularly played Minneapolis’ top original music clubs in the late 80s and early 90s. The improv rock trio headlined First Avenue and the Entry, the Cabooze, 400 Bar, the Uptown Bar & Grill, as well as the Lion’s Pause at St. Olaf and an exploration through Carleton’s Cave. Guitarist Peter Diggins was signed to IRS Records at the time, though no recordings have been released. Peter and bassist Jim Anton recently played the 15th Annual Jimi Hendrix Tribute at the Cabooze, along with drummer Michael Bland (Prince, Mambo’s Combo, Soul Asylum), and decided to revive the Eggheads experience. JIM ANTON has played with Jonny Lang, Greazy Meal, Peter Ostrushko, Steve Tibbetts, Dean Magraw, The Jayhawks, John Gorka, Greg Brown, Har Mar Superstar, Eighthead, Beat The Clock, Greazy Meal, Ourmine. Believe it or not, but Peter played with Yanni for a couple of years! Drummer for this gig will be GEORGE MARICH who has played with 12 Rods, Ila Cantor (New York City), Reed Wallsmith (Oregon), Selfhelp, Brian Herb and his Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Excellence, Postmortem Grinner, and Jindra.
Many local perfomers will be sitting in with the band on this special night–including Wendy Smith of the Zillionaires, and others.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
MULTE AND FOOT-NOTES
Nordic dance instruction early in the evening at 7 pm!
FOOT-NOTES from Decorah, Iowa incude Beth Hoven Rotto (fiddle), Jim Skurdal (mandolin, lead vocal), Jon Rotto (guitar, vocals) and Bill Musser (bass, vocals). The group formed in 1991 to carry on a tradition of monthly old time dances in a rustic two-room schoolhouse in Highlandville, Iowa, where area residents have been gathering for years. The old time music they play reflects their ties to Norwegian-American communities in the area. Most of their repertoire consists of dance tunes that were popular at house parties, barn dances, and “bowery” dances in northeast Iowa around the turn of the century and into the first few decades of the 1900s. They also incorporate a number of danceable tunes from European traditions—including Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish. Foot-Notes have represented Iowa at the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklife on the National Mall in Washington, DC and have been featured on Norwegian National Radio (NRK). They have released two CDs, Decorah Waltz and My Father Was A Fiddler. The Foot-Notes website.
MULTE includes Jon Bjork (five-row chromatic accordion, guitar), Drew Dixon (guitar), Brad Easterson (fiddle, mandolin, recorder), Gordon Oschwald (bass), Ruth Sylte (piano accordion, melodeon, vocals), Virginia Windschitl (fiddle) and, when possible, Andrea Een (fiddle, Hardanger fiddle). The group grew out of Northfield’s Nordic Jam night, now at the local Eagle’s Club, which has been meeting since 2002. They play acoustic music from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland) and their immigrant communities in North America, most of it dance tunes. All but one have deep Scandinavian roots and together they represent more than eight decades of experience playing traditional Nordic folk music. Members of Multe have performed at folk music/dance venues in Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the USA, including Musik ved Siljan, Nordlek and Norsk Hostfest.
Look for some special guests to drop in for this true “Nordic Roots Session: Decorah to Northfield”.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22
MEDUSAHEAD CABERET featuring PENCHANT and TED KING AND THE DADA CHACHA
Neo-Beat/Dada poet and performance artist TED KING, word-smith and frontman for Opiate of the Masses and Dada Chacha, cult favorites in the Minneapolis jazz and hipster scene for many years, hooks up with some of the Cities’ best players to create this new show: “Part Charles Bukowski, part Carl Jung, and a whole lot of something else. It’s music, poetry, stand-up comedy, high risk over the line smart-ass stuff” Outside, Original, fresh, Jazzy and Raw!! Ted King’s MySpace page.
MEDUSAHEAD CABARETis a theater and word-arts performance production company in the Twin Cities. Poetry of MedusaHead mavens Susan Thurston Hamerski and JoAnne Makela is included in this special evening. Member of the Northfield Women Poets group, the newly released anthology “Penchant,” published by Heywood Press (2007) will be available. Lucy Sweitzer and Glenn Bourdot will be providing the music. MedusaHead’s MySpace page.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29
MR. STICKY and TOASTER FORK
MR. STICKY are the guys that for the past five years have been rockin’ Halloween night with the sounds of Led Zeppelin’s II, Weezer’s Blue Album, Beck’s Midnight Vultures, Cake’s Fashion Nugget, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magic-100% live…100% cover to cover. Mr. Sticky began early in the spring of 2001 when college roommates and long-time musical compliments, Hutch and Z, teamed up with a duo boasting an even longer musical history— Jeffy and The Doctor. This collection of musicians recognizes the spine-tingling, hair-raising, chilling, and profound impact of auditory stimulation and seeks that recreation with every sound. Mr. Sticky wants to take the world for a ride with the top down and the tunes up. They carry a penchant for highly volatile groove-ability with a history of packed dance floors. Mr. Sticky’s dynamic sound rocks hard and rolls smooth, but above all, connects with you. Loaded with rhythm, adrenaline, and instrumental wizardry, Mr. Sticky reinforces rock lessons learned long ago. Mr.Sticky’s webpage, and MySpace page.
TOASTER FORK started out as a basement band six years ago, and has finally hit the studio to make a CD they are proud of. They feel AmpliFIRE will appeal to a neglected generation. Toaster Fork are just a few guys with regular, ordinary lives who decided to finally pick up instruments and make some music for those that are enjoying a slice of Midwest Americana. What makes them unique? They are a band that feels it is more positive than negative, a band with nothing to prove, rather, a chance to rock and make a few people feel better about life. Hope you can find a few minutes in your schedule to give them a listen. Toaster Fork’s website, and MySpace page.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 7
THE RCAs with Meredith Fierke
The Rice County All Stars (or RCA’s for short) are Northfield’s entry to the Super Group movement. The members hail from various famous bands such as the Mr. Sticky, The Deputies, Lone Oak, and the Big Wu. The band never fails to amaze and get people dancing. Please join ArtOrg for the eighth installment of the 2008 Winter Concert Series at 7 to 11 pm at the Upstairs of J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein. After 11pm, the musicians meet up at the Contented Cow for another set. The opener will be popular local Meredith Fierke!
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FRIDAY, MARCH 14
SIZZLING EGGHEADS and special JIMI HENDRIX TRIBUTE SET
The Sizzling Eggheads return to the ArtOrg 2008 Winter Concert Series with an evening of fun and music including a Hendrix Revival set. Several guitarists will be performing songs inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Jon Bjork, Steve Thommes, Peter Diggins and others will be sizzling! We have a call to the community for people who actually saw Jimi play in person to say some words–so far Susan Christie of EPIC Enterprises will be in attendance–she saw Jimi play back in Oakland, CA. Glassman Phil Daniel will start off the evening at 7:30 with a short set–don’t miss that! Doors open at 7:00 at the Upstairs of J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein and then we go for more music at The Contented Cow at 11pm.
The SIZZLING EGGHEADS regularly played Minneapolis’ top original music clubs in the late 80s and early 90s. The improv rock trio headlined First Avenue and the Entry, the Cabooze, 400 Bar, the Uptown Bar & Grill, as well as the Lion’s Pause at St. Olaf and an exploration through Carleton’s Cave. Guitarist Peter Diggins was signed to IRS Records at the time, though no recordings have been released. Peter and bassist JIM ANTON recently played the 15th Annual Jimi Hendrix Tribute at the Cabooze, along with drummer Michael Bland (Prince, Mambo’s Combo, Soul Asylum), and decided to revive the Eggheads experience. Believe it or not, but Peter played with Yanni for a couple of years! Drummer for this gig will be BILLY THOMMES who has played with Jonny Lang, Renee Austin, Sue Foley, Indigenous, and Soul Asylum.
A special feature of this evening will be a JIMI HENDRIX tribute set, with several guitarists performing their favorite Hendrix tunes–THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL SLOTS AVAILABLE–SO TALK TO US IF YOU WANT TO PLAY!
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FRIDAY, MARCH 21
Special: THE HISTORY OF MUSIC IN NORTHFIELD
This night is a special one, and ArtOrg will be partnering with the Northfield Historical Society to create a huge 30-foot-long timeline of “THE HISTORY OF MUSIC IN NORTHFIELD”. All the details have not yet been worked out, but we envision a short program of seldom seen video clips, interesting musical artifacts, and precious listenings to old fragile records. What was your favorite music concert, venue, or local band? Did Johnny Cash actually visit Northfield? Did Keith Jarrett’s concert at St. Olaf get interupted by WCAL coming through the PA system? Well come and participate, listen to some cool music, and add some content to the timeline. The big Northfield music timeline will be archived by the Northfield Historical Society after it is created this evening.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 28
HOWARD “GUITAR” LUEDTKE and BLUE MAX
One of the most versatile band’s around, Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max perform regularly at rock, blues and jazz festivals all over Wisconsin and Minnesota. Many who have seen Howard “Guitar” Luedtke and Blue Max have become big fans of their rockin’ electric blues style. Since 1987, Howard with his wife and bassist, Deb Klossner have opened up for or played with some of the best in the blues world, including: Long John Baldrey, Sugar Blue, Lonnie Brooks, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Debbie Davies, Tinsley Ellis, Jeff Healey, Jimmy Johnson, Kenny Neal, A.C. Reed, Eddie Shaw, James Solberg, Hubert Sumlin, Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, Joe Louis Walker and Johnny Winter. Howard’s website.
Howard will start out with an acoustic set of delta blues, and then blow out the walls with an electric blues set featuring Blue Max!
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Whew. That’s a bunch of music, and is our way of giving you a reason to become a member of ArtOrg. Become a member and we can continue to delight you with our gallery shows, art classes, facilities and events! We appreciate a membership which appreciates us for our action. Thanks in advance!