Scene june 2016 by Kate Noet

JUNE 2016 - southernminnSCENE.com

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Scene SoMinn Remembers

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| JUNE 2016

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JUNE 2016 / VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 6

PETER KLUG JULY 2

CONTENT 4 So It Goes In SoMinn

When life is messing with her emotions - one way or the other this is where columnist Autumn Van Ravenhorst turns.

SoMinn SOUND

A wrap up of all the music and comradery during the Mid West Music Fest.

8 Dearly beloved...

SoMinn SCENE writers reflect on the sudden passing of PRINCE.

10 The 2016 SouthernMinn

SCENE Summer Music Festival Preview

A comprehensive guide to all the summer music festivals that matter, from Clark’s Grove to Reykjavík.

16 Meat, Blues and Beer

- The Miracle of Smokin’ in Steele

John Hammer and the Owatonna Knights of Columbus have created one of the most successful blues fests in Southern Minnesota, for no other reason than they just wanted to.

18 Amy’s TV Crush

Amy bids us adieu by sharing the shows she loves best.

20 Kate’s Cut

Kate remember’s her 12 year old fascination with Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

22 A closer look at the

Vintage Band Festival

30 band gather to play upwards of 100 concerts in a four day period.

24 The TimeLine

CHAUTAUQUA 2016—FREE! A festival of music , arts, and more!

11 am-4 pm—TROWBRIDGE PARK | WASECA

The SoMinn’s most comprehensive calendar of things to be SCENE.

30 The Bookworm Sez:

• ‘Junk’ is an interesting look at what we keep all that stuff lying around. • Jim Downs’ ‘Stand By Me’ is an excellent overview of the struggle for gay rights. • Brady Carlson’s book about what became of our leaders after they died is a fun and fascinating read. • We Love you Charlie Freeman is one of those good-but-disquieting reads. • A Burglar’s Guide to the City is really creepy, but fascinating as well.

34 CD Reviews:

• On Santana IV, a valiant attempt to re-connect Santana’s classic line-up is caught up in over-reverence to the past. • Rob Meany catches up on adult hood with his string-laden, jazz infused solo debut, Ferris Wheels unbound. • A contrasting pair of albums from The Lowest pair.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Waseca County Historical Society 315 2nd Avenue NE 507-835-7700

36 Sportsball

Prince was a straight up baller.

38 The Bearded Life

How can something so fun cause so much anxiety?

It’s Coming

PLAY. RELAX. ENJOY. Your local course is one of the finest courses in Southern Minnesota! Follow us on Facebook to see our latest events and specials!

NOMINATING 20 BEGINS 16 JUNE 20th of SCENE

BEST SoMinn

Featuring Master’s Bar & Grille You won’t want to leave! Start and end your game here! Voted Best Golf Course in Southern Minnesota!

The Best of SoMinn 2016 at

southernminnscene.com

SEASON PASSES AND PUNCH CARDS ABOUT

Publisher & Editor: Rich Larson, 507.645.1104, rlarson@southernminnSCENE.com Calendar listings: 507.333.3130, editor@southernminnSCENE.com

Southern minn

Scene

STILL AVAILABLE!

Advertising: Faribault & Kenyon - Mark Nelson, 507.333.3109, mnelson@faribault.com LeSueur & Waseca Counties - Chad Hjellming, 507.645.1110, chjellming@northfieldnews.com Lonsdale - Lori Nickel, 507.744.2551, lnickel@lonsdalenewsreview.com Northfield & South Metro - Jay Petsche, 507.645.1120, jpetsche@northfieldnews.com Steele County - Ginny Bergerson, 507.444.2386, gbergerson@owatonna.com

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So it goes in SoMinn

AUTUMN VAN RAVENhorst Autumn Van Ravenhorst is a staff writer and columnist for SouthernMinn Scene. Drop her a line at AVanRavenhorst@owatonna.com

Go-To Music Y

ou know when you are feeling down, so you turn on the song you listened to growing up that either helped your emotional state, or made it exceedingly worse? We have all done it. You have a couple tears in your eyes, so you turn on Etta James because balling your eyes out will make you feel better. It is basically self-torture. Similar to wearing shoes that hurt so bad, you might as well put a flame to your feet. A lot of people consider those songs of their childhood. I looked back, and the songs I consider part of my life are there for fairly unusual reasons. The sounds of my childhood aren’t correlated with lonely nights in my bedroom, crying for being dumped at the age of 12. The songs I have considered staples have no poignant experience behind them, no spiritual revelation. If anything, the thoughts surrounding them are at best, hysterical. So here I share the Top 10 songs of my adolescence with the best explanation possible as to why I have dubbed them as such.

8. Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down This is because when I actually listened to the radio, I would do those “be the first caller” things all of the time. And I would win, every single time. In this instance, you would have to be the eighth caller to name the 10 songs and artists in order. I think I won a 3 Doors Down CD, a water bottle and a T-shirt. I wore that T-shirt for days and it was gross. The next time I played, I won my older sister tickets to her first Warped Tour.

7. Blue (Da Ba Dee) – Eiffel 65 The second Tuesday of every month was Fort Vannoy Roller Rink Night. Everyone at the elementary school would get discounted rates to the rink, and if you didn’t go, you were basically left out of everything for two days. This is where I first heard the song, became obsessed with it, tried to perform it at a talent show and that was the end of my reputation. My reputation that consisted of refusing to eat lunch, trying to escape the school grounds and reading Little House on the Prairie. I guess I didn’t have too much at stake there.

10. MMMBop – Hanson

Obviously. I don’t know a soul who grew up in the 90s that didn’t jam to this. Maybe not jam—head bobble? However, my connection to it is that my older sister had gotten mistaken for one of the Hanson brothers on multiple occasions—the youngest one.

9. Ghetto Supastar – Pras, featuring Mya & Ol’ Dirty Bastard Because when you are a seven year old white girl living in southern Oregon, you are a ghetto superstar.

6. Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

“Mamasaydobeddyalong.” I have no idea what they are saying and not the slightest clue of what the music video is about. I just loved the movie “Matilda.” After some research, it sounds like the writer didn’t either. The lyrics weren’t supposed to make rational sense, whatsoever.

5. I Ran – Flock of Seagulls My mother would drive me all around town at night listening to some mixed tapes she put together. She would create compilations specifically for our adventures in the green Plymouth mini van with the “new car scent” air freshener. This song particularly stands out in my memory. We had some great times in that van.

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4. Testify - Rage Against the Machine I was taught about politics and all of the things that destroy this Earth at an early age. I got angry about it and started listening to Rage Against the Machine. The result? I got even angrier.

3. No Rain – Blind Melon After the angry Rage stage, I drifted into the nonviolent bumblebee stage. Though I abstained from hallucinogens and dancing in the prairie grass, I did find a lot of comfort in this tune and will continue to turn the volume up until it hurts.

2. On the Dark Side – Eddie & the Cruisers Soundtrack The beautiful fellow who starred in “Eddie and the Cruisers” stole my heart. His silky hair, black

T-shirt and dirty jeans ripped out my little pre-teen heart. I would imagine myself singing this song with him. Hubba hubaa.

1. Put the Lime in the Coconut – Harry Nilsson

Err, a couple friends of mine stole some bowling shoes. We wore those bowling shoes out into the woods late on a Saturday night. In Minnesota, there are mosquitos. In Oregon, there are mountain lions. We scared ourselves into thinking that there was a mountain lion afoot and when we tried to run, there was no traction on the shoes. Panic struck, and when we finally made it back to the house, we turned this

song on. Once it was on, I performed some sort of celebratory interpretive dance. SoMinn, you are lucky I shared that one with you. These aren’t my favorite songs by any means. They just hold memories during the adolescent stage of my life. You know, the phase of acne, awkwardness and discomfort. Most adolescents are in a complete frenzy, yet we still reminisce about those years. Remember Furbies? I was staying up late with my mom, protesting the commercial meat industry and partaking in awful activities with my friends. It was a good time.

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Smokin’ in Steele Friday & Saturday, June 3 - 4 Steele County Fairgrounds

FOR THESE SPECIAL EVENTS! Kids Q Competition Friday, June 3 - FREE to enter! Grill and meat will be provided. Two age groups: 7-10 yr olds and 11-15 yr olds. One entry per child. Kickoff at 5 PM. Limited to 30 Participants

Annual 5K Walk/Run & Family Bike Cruise Saturday, June 4. Entrance Fee proceeds go to Special Olympics. Race begins at 9 AM Rain or Shine! 7 Age Groups - Top 3 Awarded in each bracket! FREE event T-Shirt!

Bag pickup for Pre-registrants: June 3 • 5:30-7:30 PM

Steak Cook Off National Steak Cook Off Association sanctioned competition Friday, June 3 - 6:30 p.m. We provide the steaks, you provide the talent. For entry form, rules and prize info, check our website.

Classic Car Show FREE to enter! Saturday, June 4 Set up: 3 PM Display: 4:30-7:30 PM In front of Grandstand. ALL Classic Cars are welcome! Awards for top 2 in 6 categories. Free Smokin’ in Steele Beer Garden Wristbands for displayers! (2 per car)

Space is limited, so register early! 6

VISIT SMOKININSTEELE.COM

TO REGISTER FOR THESE EVENTS!

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Space is limited, so register early!

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S.O. Minn SOUND

SARAH OSTERBAUER

Another superb Sarah Osterbauer is a die-hard music lover. When she does her budget each month, food comes after concert tickets. Find her on twitter @SarahOwrites.

very year, Mid West Music Fest ups its game, adding new, different bands and expanding their notoriety. For their seventh year, they added the Tent Stage. As the name suggests, it’s a large white tent housing a stage, MWMF info tables, and a couple miscellaneous vendors with food trucks parked nearby. On Friday, technically, day 2 of the fest, people were just starting to trickle in at 5pm when I arrived. This made no difference to the band playing however. Bae Tigre (a girl trio) delivered a festival caliber performance fit for a crowd ten times as large as the spotty nonchalant one that was there. The blue haired lead singer Ranelle Johnson, sang with fire and purpose. It made my heart happy to see an all-girl band that was this great. Gave me hope for future bands, and future festivals. Next up, Charlie Parr. An Austin, MN native, Charlie is a friend of the area and it showed. A 6pm slot on a bill that runs til 1am might not see a big crowd. But on this day, Ed’s No Name Bar was packed to the brim. No diva here, at 5:45, and it seemed like Charlie was already a couple songs in. A younger guy next to me (college freshman-ish) was stomping, clapping, hooting and hollering, along with a good portion of the front row. Parr brings out the foot stomper in every man, woman and child. It goes without saying, his appeal is ageless. When Charlie got to “God Moves On The Water” people were appropriately beer filled and exuberant. It was as if we had been transported to a riverside church on the bayou. If that wasn’t enough, Charlie’s regular sidekick, Mikkel Beckman, played one song doing percussion on Charlie’s guitar using a chopstick and pen. That my friends, is the good stuff. My roots music tour continued, with The Lowest Pair at the Historic Masonic Temple. Fresh off their CD release show at The Cedar Cultural Center, these two were a glow to be back in Minnesota. (Palmer T. Lee is a Minnesotan, Kendl Winter is from Washington). Their double banjos singing to a shared microphone were instant crowd charmers. The Masonic Center was the perfect backdrop, with the ornate detail of the building paired with the coffee house style couch seating. They told anecdotes between songs, sometimes about the song, sometimes not. Palmer had an issue with his harmonica holder but Macgyver’d it with a staple he found on the stage. He said it must have been karma coming back to him for giving a stranger a ride to work that morning. The pair were endearing and lovely, their personalities injecting sweetness and soul into their music. People begged them to play more at the end and half the room gave them a standing O that was completely deserved. The night ended with a triple threat at Broken World Records, a record store, bar and concert ven-

ue in one, a special place only found in rural Minnesota. The concert venue part resembles your mom’s basement in the 80’s, if your mom’s basement was a bowling alley. Murder Shoes had been hyped amongst the local critic community (our own Kevin Krein is a fan) and they did not disappoint. Tess Weinberg is a cool frontwoman, her voice is sultry but powerful. She has a presence that is both approachable and confident. Her steamy vocals provided a great contrast to their loud guitars. Following Murder Shoes (I’m gonna keep typing their name over and over cause it’s so great), were the much buzzed about Bad Bad Hats. Their crowd filled in any

remaining spots not filled for Shoes. Hats is a band who played MWMF before they “got big” and this was their 3rd year playing. Lead singer Kerry Alexander speaks in a rhythm similar to that of Luna Lovegood (yes, that’s a Harry Potter reference for you). She projects a hippie innocence that doesn’t come around too often in 2016. At 11:40 The Cloak Ox wrapped up soundcheck and Andrew Broder announced he was ready to “get this concert started,” only to be shot down by the man, as their scheduled start was midnight. The crowd was displeased, but the band conceded. In the audience were members of Murder Shoes, Bad Bad Hats and Gospel Machine. Turns out everyone was ready to rock out. Precisely at the stroke of midnight the band got rolling, melting brains and

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faces with their unapologetic rock. It was loud, indulgent and awesome. The Cloak Ox is everything you want in a rock band. Screeching masterful guitars, loud, loud and louder. Saturday started at the Tent Stage with the Sounds Like School Variety Show. Free to the public, this family friendly event drew a hefty crowd of parents with small kids. The talent, all local high school students, showed a wide variety of skills. A handful of your run of the mill guitar playing cover song singers, a young woman who did some powerful slam-poetry, and young man who encouraged those seating to approach the stage while he skillfully rapped over a Jay Z sample. This portion of the fest was a great example of their motto - “where music and community meet”. The Saturday itinerary also included Beet Root Stew, Matt Latterell and ended with St Paul’s finest, Martin Devaney. Beet Root brought that roots music flavor in full force. Every small child was front and center dancing for their set. Latterell, who was named City Pages Best Songwriter of 2016, was accompanied by a full band that included Communist Daughter’s Steve Yasgar. For a 4:30pm timeslot, Matt was throwing, down. These guys came here to rock out, and it was a good soundtrack to the grey skies and the rain outside. Martin channeled his inner Dylan at Blooming Grounds coffeehouse playing solo doing double duty on guitar and harmonica. It was a full house for a free show, with seemingly the entire staff of The Current in attendance. Mid West Music Fest often gets called “the SXSW of the Midwest” but I would contest that comparison as it lacks the hugeness and the star power of the once smaller Texas festival. Even though it mimics the multi-venue, multi band format, the feel is very much that of the land. People are laid back and friendly. Nothing feels pretentious or rushed, everyone is excited and happy. Bands don’t play diva cards and are just as amped to see each other play as the fans. It truly exhibits all the great qualities of the Mid West and of Minnesota.

#NowPlaying Bishop Briggs She may not have much of an online presence, and her catalogue from what I can tell is limited to just a couple songs, but Bishop Briggs’s “River” could be the female version of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church”. Fierce, heavy and seductive, she’ll leave you gasping for air and begging for more. Holidae - These Picked to Click winners and card carrying members of the electropop genre are doing everything right. Their jams are dark and brooding but also addictive and dancey. Melanie Martinez - Former Voice contestant sings smart Sia-esque pop songs infused with EDM elements. Her dark lyrics run in contrast to the danceable beats and shiny melodies.

Go See Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson Verizon Wireless Center, June 28, check this one off your bucket list. Word on the street is Willie’s still got it! Art-A-Whirl - As this issue drops, it will be Art-AWhirl weekend in NE Minneapolis. Bands and artists’ work will be on the spot at Indeed, Anchor Fish & Chips, Bauhaus, Fair State Brewing, and more.

This Happened Drake - The internet’s favorite rapper dropped his latest project VIEWS. Memes ensued. #LEMONADE - Queen Bey did another surprise album drop, complete with an hour long visual accompaniment. The album is shows us an irate Beyonce snarling over what seems to be a cheating Mr. Carter. The suspected mistress, Rachel Roy came under fire by the full force of the Beyhive. Poor Rachael Ray got caught in the crossfire by some confused hive members. Every music writer worth their salt has written and thinkpiece analyzing the album and what it means for women, black women in particular. Meanwhile the internet swirls with speculation about the affair, begging the question, who’s really playing who here? Lemons into lemonade indeed.

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PRINCE

1958-2016

Prince Rogers Nelson, 1958-2016. What a strange, strange thing to see: his year of birth and his year of death. Prince doesn’t die, does he? Can he? I mean, he’s Prince for God’s sake. We are mere mortals. He’s something completely different. Please forgive us this indulgence. Like most of you, the crack staff at SouthernMinn Scene was stunned by the unexpected passing of Prince. He was a hero around here for his music, his style and his philosophy. Some of us have been fans of his for more than thirty years. We simply couldn’t let this moment pass without paying tribute to him. The fact that this is the annual music issue just makes it all more appropriate. So here, from selected members of the staff, is a SoMinn Scene remembrance of His Royal Badness, the Purple One. The one, the only, Prince.

It’s a Minnesota Thing By Rich Larson I’m a born-and-raised Minnesotan who loves music more than anything short of family and a few friends. My teenage years fell in the 1980’s and I was 13 when 1999 came out. I lived in the Minneapolis suburbs and listened to 99½ FM WLOL (Almost Perfect Radio) constantly. This meant that I would hear some sort of Prince song at least a couple of times every day, without even trying. His music was the built-in soundtrack of my youth. And I took him completely for granted. My wife is a born-and-raised Minnesotan as well, and in many ways is far more Minnesotan than I am. She’s reserved and thoughtful. She won’t disagree with you unless she knows she’s right. She has the kindest heart of anyone I’ve ever known and she is among the smartest people I have ever known. Unlike me, she has good control over her emotions. She’s experienced far too

much death for a woman under the age of 50, but that has given her some wisdom and perspective on the matter. Because of all this, you would not expect her to be overly affected by the death of His Royal Badness, but for at least a week, she was absolutely devastated. She’s not alone. I am amazed, even a little shocked, by the amount of grief I’ve seen coming from my fellow Minnesotans over this: the pop-up tributes, the proclamations, the tears. A state senator even sang Purple Rain on the floor of the Minnesota Senate. It’s opened my eyes to something I never realized. Prince didn’t just live in Minnesota. Prince was a true Minnesotan. We’re talking a lot about how he stayed in Minnesota. He could have lived anywhere, but chose to build a world class recording facility on the Western outskirts of the Twin Cities. He put it smack dab on the prairie, where it can be -10° below zero on a normal day in January. We’re hearing more and more about his philanthropy; something he never wanted us to know about. That was private. He didn’t want that kind of attention. He didn’t do a lot of interviews and when he did, he could look and sound uncomfortable. We knew him best through the music he made and the movies he made. The man himself wasn’t easy to understand to a lot of people. Years ago I was at a Van Halen concert when Sammy Hagar said from the stage “I love Prince’s music, but he’s a silly fucker.” I look back on that now and think “Well, of course Hagar didn’t get it. He isn’t from Minnesota.” And that’s the thing. People from California and New York – even Chicago – didn’t quite get Prince, because he was such a typical Minnesotan. He dealt with winter, went to church and kept a lot of things to himself. Minnesotans are quiet and sometimes can appear a little closed off. Prince would only let you see the things he wanted you to see. Quite often what he showed didn’t make a lot of sense, but we were only seeing a small piece of what was in his mind.

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There is no question that his music came from a place of genius and virtuosity. But there was little context to it, so the rest of the country just thought he was kind of weird. And maybe he was, but he simply didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve the way an artist is supposed to, so he was confounding. In Minnesota, we loved him for that. In her grief, my wife has said that Prince made her feel cool. When she was an awkward teenage girl in the 1980’s Prince helped her find her identity as a Minnesotan through his music, his life choices and his celebrity. She was a Minnesotan and so was he. They had that in common, and that made her feel a little bit better about herself. He did that for an entire generation of Minnesotans. I don’t have a “Prince story” like most Minnesotans do. I saw him perform on a number of occasions, including an unforgettable night with about 300 other people at Paisley Park, but I never bumped into him at Target or saw him drive past me on his purple motorcycle. If I wrack my brain, the best story I have is about the first time I heard “When Doves Cry.” WLOL used to do a nightly contest at midnight where they would play two songs, and ask people to call in and vote on them. The song that won would compete with another song the following night and if a given song won five nights in a row, it would go into the station’s regular rotation. One night when I was at the very end of 8th grade, I was up late listening to this contest, and one of the songs was “When Doves Cry.” It was unlike anything I’d ever heard before, and I was instantly enamored. I stayed up past midnight every night that week just so I could hear that song, calling the radio station and voting over and over, just so I could hear it again. It was the coolest music my 14-year-old brain had ever heard and I couldn’t get enough of it. Somewhere along the line, though, I stopped appreciating that magic. I became hypercritical of what he was doing. This was one of the greatest guitar players the world had ever seen, so why didn’t he showcase that more? Why didn’t he play full songs in concert? What was with all the medley stuff? Why didn’t he act like

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a normal person? If I’d looked closer, if I’d paid attention to how much my wife loves “The Beautiful Ones” and “Sometimes it Snows in April,” I might have better appreciated who he was and what he meant to all Minnesotans. So, now I mourn along with my wife, the rest of the state, the rest of the country and the rest of the world. We have lost the figure that brought us validation in our frozen youth like no other person could have. He made living in Minnesota cool, even if the rest of the country didn’t realize it. We shared that secret with him. The music was incredible. The man was so much cooler. And we were all a little better off for having him around.

The Night Prince Took Me to the Movies By Sarah Osterbauer Everyone in Minneapolis has a Prince story. They saw him at Hell’s Kitchen. Their uncle’s co-worker played basketball with him at Paisley Park. Like everyone, I too have my own Prince story. On March 29, 2014, Prince was throwing a party at Paisley Park, and I was SO excited! PRINCE. The Purple One. My friend and I headed out there early, we knew it was limited capacity inside and we wanted to be sure we’d get in. We waited for hours, in line one place and then another and another. Finally we got in! Inside, everything was purple, the purple motorcycle was there, the Prince sign was on the wall. This was it! I was finally going to see Prince! Music played over the PA and then finally an R&B cover band took the stage. Then, 3RDEYEGIRL came out - yesssss! NOW it’s PRINCE time! Wrong again. The girls announced that tonight was a blast and they hoped we’d come back tomorrow but now, we were heading over the Chanhassen movie theater, to see a movie on Prince’s dime. He coordinated a special screening just for us! Huh? I didn’t come here to see a movie. I came here to shake it to 1999. But, knowing how odd Prince can be, I held out hope this was a fakeout. It was 1:30am. We got the the theater and there were 3 movie choices (again, still holding out hope if we picked the right theater, Prince would appear). Our pick: Divergent. It wasn’t until the movie was 20 minutes in that I gave up hope and realized we were really just at a movie. We drove to the burbs, waited for hours, watched a no name band only to have Prince send us to the movies. I told my mom the following day and she couldn’t even talk to me, she was laughing so hard. “You got punked by Prince! Oh that’s so funny!” I was a combination or confused, angry and dumbfounded. This was the beginning of my quest to see Prince and also my fear of being punked again. I started writing for SouthernMinn Scene around when this event happened. During the last two years, as I interviewed other local musicians, Prince would sporadically call journalists to have them come out to Paisley. I kept wondering, when will it be me? When do I get the call? He was my white whale, my unicorn. He was at the top of my wishlist. All I wanted was some kind of interaction with him, even if it was going to be weird. I would’ve told him how much I loved Musicology and how I used to listen to “Call My Name” on repeat and how I thought it was one of the most beautiful love songs I’d ever heard next to “Purple Rain.” I would tell him how I bought Lotusflower and played it in my car all the time, and when I found Purple Rain on vinyl at a local record store my day was made. I wanted to tell him so many things, ask him so many things, and it breaks my heart knowing that I’ll never get that call. In the days since Prince left this earth, he’s been called: a god among men, immortal, virtuosic, masterful and legendary. Prince was many things to many people, but I think the thing that got me, the one that made me into a ball of tears at the Mumford & Sons show (the day he passed), is that he was OURS. Here was this incredibly talented man, who amassed a crazy amount of music that touched so many people worldwide and he chose US. He chose to make our home, his lifelong home. Prince was a million things but the best thing I would argue is that he was Minnesota, he was Minneapolis. And in that sense he was part of everyone here. When he died, so did part of us.

Weird and Bizarre, but always relevant By Kevin Krein On a Thursday, in the late morning, from inside his office, one of my editors asks me if Prince has died. This is before the news had officially broke, though, and there

were just initial reports coming in that there was police activity at Paisley Park and that there was a “death investigation” going on. I told him no, I was pretty sure Prince as alive. But I became worried, and I headed to the internet to start checking news sources, manically refreshing pages for updated information on what was happening. It was all bringing to mind the events that played out when Michael Jackson passed away—those moments of not knowing, and not believing, before the official word is released. TMZ reported, with other news sources going with the story, that Prince Rogers Nelson had died at the Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen. Once Pitchfork ran with it, it was time to face the facts—this was, apparently, true. Growing up in the 1980s, some of the earliest musical memories I still have are of Prince—specifically “Pop Life” and “Raspberry Beret” from the Around The World in A Day album. My parents had the album on vinyl (it’s somewhere in my house right now, actually) and for some reason, we had those songs on 45 as well—and I played them all the time. Then came the soundtrack to the Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton Batman movie—as a kid, I didn’t fully understand just how weird of a record that is. But man, it is a strange idea: a pseudoconcept album where all the songs are loosely connected to the movie, and in the liner notes, it’s indicated which character from the film is supposedly singing each one. The whole thing ends with the perplexing, yet wildly successful “Batdance,” which just splices up a bunch of audio clips from the movie, backed by an incredibly intense and ever changing funk rhythm. In the 90s, Prince got weird. He wore assless pants and changed his name to a symbol. He wrote “slave” on his cheek in an effort to get out of his contract with Warner Brothers Records. He wrote songs like “Pussy Control” and released triple albums. In the 2000s, Prince found religion. He said some questionably homophobic things in an interview. He was the subject of an unbelievable story about a basketball game with Eddie Murphy’s brother Charlie. He wrote a song for the Minnesota Vikings and referred to himself as the “purple Yoda from Minnesota.” Prince did what very few artists can do—remain a relevant name through changing times. And even through all his eccentricities, even with albums in his canon that were not well received, his overall legacy and his contributions to contemporary popular music remain intact, and looked upon with great reverence. And I guess that’s what I appreciate most about him. I’m not the world’s biggest Prince fan, but I can recognize the timeless genius in what he left us with—the sorrow in songs like “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” or my favorite, “Sometimes It Snows in April”—or the bizarre, often off-putting, sensual tension that runs throughout a song like “Scandalous” from the Batman soundtrack.

The Coolness of Commonality By Kate Pehrson Ahh, junior high. As others were trying on their various identities of preppy, new wave, punk, hip-hop, deadhead, or whatever, I attempted to pass through the halls both unnoticed and noticed. Totally unsure of where I fit, I know I edged toward the nerdy and awkward. And not in today’s 21st century “cool nerd” way. I played the violin and I was good at school, but I wasn’t always so good at the social etiquette. I was awkward and geeky, and my behavior could be erratic, as I tended to take on the mannerisms of those around me at any given moment. My hormones and total lack of knowing what to do I know sometimes caused me to act strangely in front of boys I thought were cute, or girls I thought were cool. So it was a welcome relief when I got to leave school for a couple days to join dad on a trip. He was a cardiologist, and every once in a while he needed to go attend one of those conferences where the specialists gather and discuss the latest techniques and papers surrounding the care and health of the physical human heart, usually somewhere warm where you could play golf. This time it was Arizona. After the first day of meetings, there was a social dinner. We put on our supper club clothes, and got on the shuttle to head to the

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gathering. We arrived to find a room full of MDs and their spouses, all holding sensible glasses of wine, and talking in the polite tones of the educated medical professionals that they were. There I was: the young teenage girl with my New Wave hair cut short in the back, with long bangs almost covering my blue eyeliner-ed eyes. My night’s activity was going to be trying to look cool yet be respectful of my Dad among his peers. After a few minutes, I noticed there was another girl there, about my age. I thought she was super pretty, and she had on a GREAT jean jacket. All my uber-sensitive social antennae were quivering, and I noticed that she saw me too, as she sipped her Sprite while occasionally smiling at the colleagues her own Dad was talking with. Did I mention it was a GREAT jean jacket? I was super jealous, because Mom refused to buy me one. And she had the requisite music buttons on it – the little metal ones about the size of a quarter that were a MUST accessory. If I could just get a little bit closer, I could see what they were. Billy Idol? Adam Ant? The Cure? Or was she a Pink Floyd type? John Mellencamp? Wait…no. She and her Dad were coming toward our side of the room…it’s…oh! Her button was a picture of Prince on his motorcycle, and the words “Purple Rain” in the album cover font. OUR Prince. Her nametag said she was from Washington D.C. Just maybe, for once, I got this.

Days of Wild By Daniel G. Moir “I wonder if this is what Memphis felt like after Elvis died?” The question hung in the air for what seemed an eternity as I assembled my thoughts. Like Elvis Presley, Prince was a uniquely tied to our city. For those of us who came of age in the Eighties, he was the chief architect of “The Minneapolis Sound.” As a music fan that lived here, it wasn’t too unusual to arrive at a venue or music store to find out that he had just left, leaving behind the faintest wisps of Lavender in the air as the only indication of his departed presence. While other artists may have been born or started here, the majority of them left, only returning to see us as nothing more than another tour date on an endless string of one-night stands. Not Prince. He never left. He was one of us. He was going to be here forever. Then Prince died on an overcast Thursday in April. Forever just got a whole lot shorter. We have seen an endless parade of articles, each attempting to explain the impact that one life, one very privately held life, had on not just the music world, but society in general. We have seen them try to explain how this slight kid from Minneapolis not only seemed to arrive fully-formed, but continued to grow, evolve and challenge not just our pre-conceived notions of what music was, but who he was at every turn. To me, it becomes very simple when I think about Prince and his music. Prince was a weirdo who made music for weirdoes. Before you start to think that I am being at all dismissive of either the purple maestro or his vast audience, I want you to consider a very telling interview he gave with Oprah Winfrey in 1996. After the usual line of “celebrity” questioning, Winfrey seems almost uncomfortable asking the one question that countless interviewers may have wanted to ask, but were simply afraid either of the reaction, or the answer itself: “Have you ever perceived yourself as being –I know you must perceive yourself as being different. Have you ever perceived yourself as being weird in any way?” Prince responded simply and directly: “Yeah. But, understand, everything is relative. Not weird to me…” There it is. The exact essence of the man. His primary nature was that he was himself, whatever that may have been, at whatever that time might be. What someone else thought of him was none of his business. He was relaxed and confident in whom he was and this allowed him to explore the full intelligent range of his creative abilities in a way that few people will ever grasp, let alone fully appreciate. “I just can’t believe all the things people say. Controversy. Am I black or white, am I straight or gay? Controversy.” Shortly after his death, Bruno Mars posted an Instagram of a letter he received from Prince after declaring Prince to be his hero. Prince’s response was simple and to the point “Bruno, May your only heroes be God and yourself. Peace & Be Wild, Prince.” Not only was he accepting of himself, he seemed to understand that everyone has their own uniqueness as well. His music and message celebrated that. Prince may not be forever, but let us hope that his message of embracing what is unique in each of us truly last forever. You don’t need to wear purple to remember the man, you just need to be your own hero and your own weird self.

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| JUNE 2016

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By Rich Larson, Sarah Osterbauer and Daniel G. Moir editor@southernminnscene.com

hat do we call this… a tradition like no other? Nah, that’s taken. Your annual guide to fun in the sun? Please. All the places to rock in 2016? Good God, no. Let’s just call it what it is: The 2016 SouthernMinn Scene Guide to Summer Music Festivals. We, the music loving subset of the crack SouthernMinn Scene staff have labored tirelessly for weeks compiling this guide to help you plan your summer (and early fall for that matter). If you’re like us, one of those people that would prefer live music to oxygen, then you’re welcome. For those of you who are not of our kind, we certainly hope you’ll find some interest in what we’ve done here, if not from a music fan’s standpoint, then possibly from a socio/ anthropological view. Compiling this list is a labor of love, so even if we’re the only three people who read it, that’s okay. We enjoyed it. We’re pretty sure you will too.

SoMINN FESTIVALS REVIVAL FESTIVAL When: May 27-29 Where: Harmony Park What: Where else to begin but at Revival? It’s the first big outdoor festival of the summer; a renewing of the great tradition. Friends, sun, beverages (et. al.) and great music are important rites of summer that must be experienced early and together. Thankfully, the folks at Harmony Park in Clarks Grove recognized this long ago and established Revival as a jumping-off-point for the summertime SoMinn music lovers. Revival is also SoMinn Hippy Central during Memorial Day Weekend. The bill is generally made up of fantastic jam bands from all over the country, and this year the Twin Cities collective Cloud Cult has signed on as one of the headliners. Among the other great performers this year are: Lettuce (including Rashawn Ross of the Dave Matthews Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Motet, Twiddle, Shook Twins, Nth Power, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Heard, Sovereign Sect, I Like You, Frogleg, Kind Country, Circle of Heat, Smokin’ Joe & Friends, Mikel Wright and The Wrongs, Marah in the Mainsail, Sister Tree, Ginstrings and the promisingly titled Midwest Jam Collective. There’s also a pre-party on Friday night for the hardcore music/ Memorial Day Party lovers, featuring Dopapod, That 1 Guy and Mankato jam stalwarts Useful Jenkins. In fact, you can even show

up on Thursday if you like. After all, it’s the first big party of the season and we’ve all got excess steam to blow off. Why not take as much time as possible? Tickets: Once again, the standard three day pass will run you $130 in advance or $155 at the gate. A pass for the Friday preparty can (and must) be purchased at the gate if you want to be there early. If you just want to go on Sunday, it’s $75. Accommodations: Harmony Park is a campground first and foremost. I’m sure there’s a decent motel somewhere in Clark’s Grove, Geneva or one of the other lovely hamlets on Lake Geneva, but why would you go to an even like Revival and not immerse yourself in the culture? You camp at Revival. That’s what you do. It’s the only way to go. Camping is included in your ticket price. Early camping on Thursday is $25. www.harmony-revival.com --Rich Larson

SMOKIN’ IN STEELE When: June 3-4 Where: Steele County Fairgrounds What: Coming right on the heels of Memorial Day weekend, we get out first big SoMinn blues festival, brought to us by John “Blueshammer” Hammer, the patron saint of blues in Southern Minnesota. The publisher of Blue Monday Monthly, the host of a weekly radio show (Hammered by the Blues on AM 1070 in Owatonna) and a Minnesota Blues Society Hall of Famer, Hammer is also the founder of Smokin’ in Steele. This two day event held annually on the Steele County fairgrounds in Owatonna combines some of the finest blues players in the Upper Midwest with a Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned competition. Among the performers on the bill this year are local favorites like The Fabulous Love Handles, The Swamp Kings and The Mark Cameron Band, and Armadillo Jump as well as national acts like The Beat Daddies, The Bridget Kelly Band, Tullie Brae and my personal favorite Wisconsin band, The Jimmys. The sense of community that pops up around SiS is one of the best parts of the festival. The Blues no longer enjoys the popularity it once did, but the people who love it are all in, man. You may not have to have the blues to play the blues, but you do have to have passion and that can be a contagious sentiment when channeled through a Fender Telecaster or a Hammond B-3 organ. Add in the pork roast and beef ribs on the grills scattered across the grounds, and you have a very special event. Past attendees of the festival will tell you that music never smelled so good. Tickets: $10 in advance for a two-day pass, or $8 per day at the gate. Bring extra money for food. While the actual competitive barbecuers cannot sell the fruits of their labor, some of the best barbecue stands and food trucks from Minnesota will set up shop. You’re going to smell that stuff grilling, and your mouth will water.

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Accommodations: The Comfort Inn and the Oakdale Motel (both in Owatonna) are sponsors of the event. On site camping is also available by reservation. $35 per day for full hook ups, or $18 per day for primitive campsites. www.smokininsteele.com --Rich Larson

ST. PETER AMBASSADOR’S BLUES FESTIVAL When: June 11-12 Where: Various locations throughout St. Peter, including Minnesota Square Park What: This is a pretty straight forward festival. If you like the blues, if you like to listen to really talented performers who love their craft, if you’d like to spend a lovely June day in the park in one of SoMinn’s more picturesque towns, then you’ll want to be in St. Peter for the Ambassador’s Blues Fest. The St. Peter Ambassadors is an organization founded in 1969 by local business interests to assist the economic growth of St. Peter. They also have excellent taste in music. The format is a three tiered performance set. The formal festival itself runs from noon to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 11. Among the bands playing in the park that day are Willie West, Joyann Parker & Sweet Tea and longtime Minnesota favorite Mick Sterling. Shortly before the music in the park wraps up, however, it will begin to spill over into the towns various eating and drinking establishments. Whiskey River and Blaschko’s Embassy bar will have yet to be named performers, while Parker takes up residence at Patrick’s on Third and West hits the stage at Hammer’s, all performing into the wee hours of the night (or closing time, depending on your perspective). Then on Sunday, the American Legion Hall will host the annual Blues Omelets breakfast in the morning and Patrick’s will host the closing ceremonies in the afternoon. Both, of course, will feature live music. Tickets: Free. Free?? Free!!! No purchase required to enjoy this festival. Just get over to Minnesota Square Park with a lawn chair and you’ll be good. Of course, we can just about guarantee you’ll want to follow at least one of these bands to the nighttime indoor gigs. Bring money for that, because beer ain’t free. Nor are the omelets and Bloody Marys the next morning. Accommodations: As the Ambassadors are associated with the Chamber of Commerce, we would point out that there are four hotel/motel members of the St. Peter Chamber: The St. Peter Motel, The AmericInn, the Viking Jr. Motel and the fabulous Konsbruck Hotel. We’re pretty sure you can find some great campgrounds in the area as well, but there is no official camping involved with this festival. www.facebook.com/stpambassadors --Rich Larson

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HARMONY PARK 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY When: July 2-4 Where: Well, Harmony Park, of course. In Clark’s Grove. On Lake Geneva. What: As we’ve already noted, Harmony Park is one of the favored venues for outdoor festivals in Southern Minnesota. The location and landscape are absolutely perfect for music events and owners Jay and Amie Sullivan have set up permanent stages for that very reason. They tell you right on their website that they want Harmony Park to be the premier outdoor, special events venue in Southern Minnesota. In a lot of SoMinn minds, that’s exactly what Harmony is. To celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer, they are throwing themselves a pretty good birthday party. The big festival is July 3, with a pre-part on July 2. This means you can have yourself a spectacular time with incredible music for two days over the holiday weekend and then take the 4th to recuperate. How spectacular is the music? Well, the announced performers include in-demand Grateful Dead tribute artists Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Minnesota old time bluegrass string wizards Pert Near Sandstone, Javier Trejo & The Barrio Boys, Wallace Hartley & The Titanics, Kind Country, Dead Larry and a couple of “supergroups” that include members of the Big Wu, Nicholas David and Maxaphone and Friends). The pre-party looks as good as the main event, as it will feature a long list of performers including Frogleg, Shoeless Revolution and Super Duty featuring former Big Wu guitarist Jason Fladager. On top of that, they’re offering The Jones Gang on the 1st for all the people who want to do the early camping thing. Tickets: Early bird tickets are $50 for the festival. Add another $20 for the pre-party. Accommodations: Again, harmony Park is all about camping. It’s included in your ticket price, but they haven’t published any information yet about early camping (except that it will be available. You’ll want to contact the powers that be directly for that information. www.hapar.wordpress.com – Rich Larson

HAMBONE MUSIC FESTIVAL When: July 8-9 Where: History Center of Olmsted County (in other words - Rochester) What: I like the selflessness of Hambone. This is a self-contained 501c3 organization that has no other stated goal than to educate the public on the blues as an art form and to provide an affordable venue for music lovers to enjoy it. Not bad. They’re just here to help the blues keep on keepin’ on. Now in their seventh year, Hambone is the little festival that could. They aren’t the biggest festival out there, but they catch our eye because of the consistent quality of the performers. This year on day one, they will offer up The Band E, PaviElle French (a soul singer who has started to create a little bit of a buzz in the Cities and someone of whom you’ll want to take note) and Kansas City’s Nick Schnebelen Band. Day two features some of the best of the Twin Cities blues scene, including Armadillo Jump, Joyann Parker and the great Ken Valdez, followed by legendary Detroit bluesman Larry McRay. The rest of the bill is filled out by local Rochester bands Five Finger Discount and Blue Rooster. Tickets: Available at the gate. $25 for a weekend pass or $15 per day Accommodations: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Comfort Inn & Suites on Commerce Drive in Rochester. There are also a handful of primitive camp sites available. www.hambonemusicfestival.com --Rich Larson

LAKEFRONT MUSIC FESTIVAL When: July 15-16 Where: Lakefront Park, Prior Lake What: Man, the next time someone tells you that the local Rotary Club is full of stuff shirts and pencil necks, please point them toward the Prior Lake Rotary. These folks have to be the coolest Rotary Club in the world. Rather than raise funds through traditional bake sales, silent auctions and formal balls the Prior Lake Rotary sets up shop on the shore of their town’s namesake, the actual Prior Lake, and presents one of the best run, most organized festivals of the entire summer. Lakefront has evolved from a party in the park featuring your favorite music from high school to a slick little celebration featuring an outstanding setting, great food (and tons of it), relatively affordable beer and a bill that features bands that are too good to be playing a local, “small town” music fest. The fest is split into a Rock & Roll Day and a Country Day. On the Rock day, July 15, the performers are the criminally underrated Eric Hutchinson, Waukesha, Wisconsin’s 80’s “College Music” stalwarts the BoDeans, and the somehow-already-celebrating-theirtwentieth-anniversary O.A.R. Country day on Saturday the 16th brings Lauren Alaina, Love &

Theft and the ageless, über-talented Martina McBride. Meanwhile an actual DJ, Generation Now, fills in the gaps between bands, giving the crowd real entertainment from the time the music starts at 5 p.m. right up until it’s time to go home. Tickets: This is also the best value of all the music fests this summer. Advance tickets are $30 – FOR BOTH NIGHTS. Now, if you show up at the gate without a ticket, it’s $30 for just that night. But advance sales are open right now and run through July 14th, giving you somewhere in the neighborhood of two months to scrounge up $30 in couch change. Accommodations: Mystic Lake is one of the sponsors of the event, so if you’re going to stay overnight they would love it if you’d book a room at their hotel, and maybe play a couple hands of black jack before you go to bed. They also are working with Dakotah Meadows RV Park. So there’s that option also. www.lakefrontmusicfest.com --Rich Larson

BLUE COLLAR BARBECUE & ARTS FESTIVAL When: August 13 Where: Central Avenue, Faribault --Rich Larson What: There are three kinds of civic parties that people especially enjoy in the summertime: music festivals, barbecue festivals and art festivals. This has not escaped the notice of the folks who run the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault who eight years ago decided they could do it all. Usually such an endeavor is too much for any one event, but I’ll tell you, these people really pull it off. Blocking off two blocks of Central Avenue in Faribault, plus a couple blocks on 3rd Street (on either side of Central), the festival offers a city block full of barbecue vendors, a block with an outstanding arts and crafts fair, and, on 3rd Street, a great stage with enough space to accommodate hundreds of Rice County music lovers. This year the bill has been immaculately curated and includes Prairie Dog Fight Club, The Shasta Kings, blues great Moses Oakland, Mark Allen and the Key West Rejects and The 8th Street Band. As an added treat, during the 8th Street band’s extended set the American Highways combo of Chad Johnson, Mark Allen and Jason Paulson will offer a set of classic American road songs. Tickets: This is a free event, but this is a fundraiser for the PCA, so make sure you kick in a donation at any of the info booths. Accommodations: Like I said, it’s a one day event, but there are plenty of great places to stay in The ‘Bault. Just plan ahead. www.paradisecenterforthearts.org/special-guest/bluecollar-bbq-arts-festival --Rich Larson

BIG WU FAMILY REUNION XVI When: August 12-13 Where: Camp Maiden Rock West, Morristown What: Sometimes as I’m preparing for this review, I’ll just spend some time looking at lineups of music festivals, trying to gauge who’s on the circuit this year, and which promoters are hustling to get the best talent. Quite often that will result in a “Wow” moment, which is what happened when I saw the The Big Wu Family Reunion XVI bill and I saw Peter Rowan was playing both nights of the festival. That’s impressive. He’s one of the bigger names in contemporary bluegrass, having played with everybody, including Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman in Old & In the Way and, most notably, he was one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in the late 60’s. That impressed me. And then I made one of those “Oh My God” cries that makes my wife think someone died or something horrible happened. But no, nobody died. Nothing bad happened. Rather, I saw the name Leon Russell on the bill. Leon. Freaking. Russell. The man who created Mad Dogs and Englishmen for Joe Cocker, and possibly the greatest band leader of the rock era (with all due respect to Prince and James Brown) – that Leon Russell. You want to talk about a guy who has played with everybody? Well let’s see, aside from Cocker, Russell has played with or been sideman to George Harrison, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. He made an album with Elton John a couple years ago that is one of the best recordings of this century. The guy’s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And oh by the way, even at his advanced age, he’s still one of the most compelling performers around. So, along with the usual list of excellent performers on this annual bill, including host band The Big Wu (playing two nights), Minnesota guitar hero Dean Magraw, The White Iron Band, Useful Jenkins, Allie Kral, Frogleg, Circle of Heat, Maya Elena and Jason Fladager, Tim Booth’s tribute to Jackson Browne and Slippery People’s tribute to The Talking Heads, you’ve got two giants of modern American music. Way to go guys. Tickets: Tickets are $80 for the basic two-day pass. If you want to go to the pre-party on August 11th (and why wouldn’t you?), that’s another $20. VIP packages are available for $150 Accommodations: Camp maiden Rock is on the same level as

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harmony Park when it comes to festival experiences. Camping is included in the price of your ticket. Don’t over think this. www.bigwufamilyreunion.com --Rich Larson

THE 19TH ANNUAL MANKATO RIBFEST When: August 4-7 Where: Vetter Stone Amphitheater, Riverfront Park, Mankato What: RibFest has become such a big deal that a whole music festival has popped up around it. And the folks who play RibFest are always big deals. Here’s the list of performers for 2016: Blues Traveler, Bret Michaels, Joe Diffie, Chris Hawkey, G. Love and Special Sauce, Hitchville, The Belfast Cowboys, The Jimmys, Kat Perkins, Barefoot Winos, The Switchroad Band and The Plotthounds. All that amazing music, by the way, is over the course of just four days, from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. The ribs, the pulled pork and those amazing secret barbecue sauces are still the stars of the show at RibFest, which should tell you something about the quality of the food that’s available. The whole thing is really one of SoMinn’s biggest parties of the summer. Don’t miss it. Tickets: Three day passes (Sunday is a free day) are available for a limited time for $24. After June 1, tickets will be $10 in advance and at the gate. Early Bird or no, either way this is a huge bargain. Accommodations: No partners to speak of, but you’ll have no problem finding a place to stay in Mankato. www.mankatoribfest.com --Rich Larson

ROCK BEND FOLK FESTIVAL When: September 10-11 Where: Minnesota Square Park, St. Peter What: This issue is always a little early for the Rock Bend Folk Fest, but we simply cannot leave it out. For 26 years Rock Bend has been one of the best curated festivals in Southern Minnesota. The festival is run by some truly community minded organizers, who are really proud of the fact that this is, has always been and will always be a free festival. Last year, the lineup was a good mix of local bands and some really good performers from the Twin Cities. Acts like Charlie Parr, Katy Vernon and the Belfast Cowboys paired with locals like The Frye (performing their “Gram Parsons Project” show) and City Mouse to give the bill a strong presence at every turn. It’s obviously too early to speculate on artists for 2016 (although the Ericksons would be a good, educated guess), but we trust that this will be another fantastic year, like the twenty-five that came before. You can circle the weekend after Labor Day, write in Rock Bend Folk Fest and just know it will be a good time. Tickets: I quote the fest’s Facebook page “A festival which has never been coerced, coopted or besmirched by the proliferating greed of commercialism.” That means it’s free. Accommodations: many great places to stay in and around St. Peter, and you’re close enough to LeSueur and Mankato that there are probably hundreds of options. Plus it’s still early enough in the year that you could find a place to camp, if that’s your thing. www.rockbend.org --Rich Larson

BOATS AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL When: September 22-25 Where: Prairie Island Park and Campground, Winona, Minnesota What: Well, it seems we’re too early for this late September festival this year as well, which is unfortunate because it always boasts one of the best bills of the year. What we can tell you about Boats & Bluegrass is that this festival is both incredibly family friendly and incredibly Mother Earth friendly. The organizers take great care to see that families feel welcome. In fact all kids 16 and under are admitted for free. Ticket sales are capped at 1500 for a couple reasons. First of all, the larger a crowd is, the more unruly it can become, which goes against the family friendly theme. Secondly, a smaller crowd is more eco-friendly as well. According to the website, every year they try to reduce the amount of waste and recycling they produce. They don’t allow any carry ins. They don’t allow any smoking (except in designated areas), and they don’t allow dogs. They have a “zero tolerance for stupidity,” which means while this may look like a hippy fest on the outside, do not come in expecting drugs and idiotic behavior to be tolerated. It’s the end of the summer. It’s time to chill The Boats part of the festival is all about the canoe trips into the Mississippi river backwaters that are available both days. Led by Winona State University Outdoor Education and Recreation Center staff all festival attendees are welcome to explore these historically significant areas. I wish we could talk more about the music, because last

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year BandB really raised the bar by bringing in Los Lobos as the headliner. The bill also included Pert Near Sandstone, Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades, Dead Man Winter, Martha Scanlan and the Shook Twins. We’re really hoping that 2016 can match that level of quality. Tickets: You want a ringing endorsement of Boats and Bluegrass? Before a single act has been announced for 2016, all but the most expensive tickets are sold out. If you want to go a three day pass will run you $150. Remember that kids 16 and under are free with a paid adult, so it’s not like bringing you family of four is $600. There are some good Early Bird deals. If you have a good time this year and decide you want to go back in 2017, plan ahead and get your tickets sooner than later. Accommodations: This is a camping festival. You camp. It’s rolled into the cost of your ticket. Enjoy. www.boatsandbluegrass.com --Rich Larson

Holding down their gem of a lineup is Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, and banjo master Bela Fleck. My favorite backwoods roots duo, Shovels and Rope will also be there along with local favs, Charlie Parr, Pert Near Sandstone and The Cactus Blossoms. They brought in one game changer, Blitzen Trapper, who is categorized as experimental folk rock, but I would call them a jam band. Expect some good old fashioned bluegrass dancin’, some knee slapping, maybe something that resembles square dancing, with a laid back crowd who just wants to relax and enjoy music. Camping includes a family area, as roots music is kid friendly. Make a flower crown, lay out on a blanket and make sure to catch Pert Near to witness the lost art of clogging. Tickets: 3 Day - $175, 2 Day - $150, Sat only - $90, ticket price includes camping and parking! [high five!] Accommodations: As camping is included in the price, obviously that’s the best option, but if you prefer, the fest has partnered with the Clarion Hotel in Eau Claire and there’s shuttle service to and from the hotel. www.blueoxmusicfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

REGIONAL FESTIVALS SOUNDSET When: May 29, 2016, Memorial Day weekend Where: State Fairgrounds, Falcon Heights, MN What: Every year this Twin Cities hip hop institution finds new ways to get bigger and better. This year will be no exception. The most major change of course is the location, moving from Canterbury Park in Shakopee, to the more centrally located (with larger real estate) State Fairgrounds. As always they combine national heavyweights with local favorites and up and comers. Future, A$AP Rocky, The Roots (YES kids, Questlove will be here!!) and Common round out the big spots with Atmosphere. Minneapolis’s favorite party hard, PROF will also be there. You may remember me describing him as the best spectacle of Rhymesayers20. Think blow up dolls, booze, every kind of debauchery you can imagine. Local acts to look forward to include Lizzo, Doomtree, and Baby Shel (who was featured on a Vice series chronicling the Red Lake rap scene In MN). Fans of MTV’s Real World (from the early years) will rejoice in the chance to see THE Heather B who will be on hosting duty. War comfy closed toed shoes kids, because it’s gonna be a long day on your feet. Tickets: $78 or $88 (two price levels sold in limited quantities, once the lower priced tickets run out, they move to the higher price point) They’re available online via the Soundset website or at Fifth Element Accommodations: The festival is one long day of hip hop, so if you’re less than a couple hours away, you could swing it as a day trip. If not, plenty of hotel, motel, Holiday Inn options available. The fest is historically 420 friendly so it’s also not hard to make friends, if you catch my drift. Hashtag YOLO. www.soundsetfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

WINSTOCK When: June 10 - 11 Where: Winstead, MN, Festival grounds are located next to the Winstead airport (never heard of Winstead? It’s 35 miles west of the cities.) What: For being north of the Mason Dixon, Minnesota does not have a shortage of country music festivals. If you aren’t into making the big trek up to Detroit Lakes, this festival is closer to the cities and has similar qualities to WEFest. Camping reigns, and it’s close to the festival site. Country kingpins Lee Brice and Brad Paisley headline, Friday and Saturday respectively. Rounding out the B list is Thomas Rhett, Tyler Farr and Big & Rich. The fest also includes up and comers as well as local acts. You may be noticing the severe lack of estrogen at this shindig. Save for a couple of C list ladies, it’s a sausage fest. That said, the dudes are lady killers, so the audience could be mostly women. Grab your flannel, your cut-off jeans and cowboy boots and find out! Tickets: $115 - $130 for GA, $165 for reserved seats Accommodations: Camping is the preferred method of lodging here. Hotels are available but you’ll have to drive a minimum of 20 min between the hotel and festival site. Parking is $10/day. Campsites are primitive (read = no running water or electricity). Despite it being a country festival they are adamantly against riding in the back of pickups, guns and kegs. Bonus though, quiet time doesn’t start til 1am! www.winstockfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

BLUE OX MUSIC FESTIVAL When: June 9 - 11 Where: Eau Claire, WI - 5024 Crescent Ave is the address they provide to get driving directions What: Blue Ox is the perfect remedy for a bluegrass, roots music purist.

next night. Other headliners include guitarist John Pizzarelli, Russell Malone leading up to a high energy performance by Michael Franti & Spearhead on Saturday. Performing after Delfeayo Marsalis on Thursday, will be Pianist Joey Alexander. Just 2 days shy of his 13th birthday, his set will mark him as the youngest headliner in Jazz Festival history. His sense of phrasing and improvisational skills show that his two Grammy nominations were just signs of what’s to come from an impressive young artist. His version of “Over The Rainbow” is a complete delight. Tickets: Best of all, this festival is family-friendly and FREE. Accommodations: Funny you should ask. www.visitsaintpaul. com is one of the festival sponsors, so hop on over to their website find and book a place to stay with ease. Smooth, baby. Smooth. www.hotsummerjazz.com --D.G. Moir

BASILICA BLOCK PARTY

When: June 17 - 19 Where: Stone Arch Bridge/St Anthony Main in NE Minneapolis What: The Stone Arch Bridge Festival is more of an art festival than a music one. With over 250 artists showcased there, it is a huge event for local artists. This year boasts a car show along with many other activities dads and kids can enjoy. There are 3 stages that generally showcase local bands with one bigger band headlining on Saturday. While they have not yet made an official lineup announcement for this year, their twitter account has said local band Taj Raj will play. Because this festival is a good outdoor activity that’s kid friendly Father’s Day weekend, it is traditionally crowded and hot. The key is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, savor the shade and don’t be in a rush. Eat the ice cream. Get that lemon ice. If you have the dough, find a piece of art you love and bring it home. Tickets: No ticket necessary, admission is free with the concert portion happening Saturday the 18th at 8pm Accommodations: Plenty of hotel options available downtown, but I would not make a special trip to cities just for this. It’s usually very hot, humid, and crowded. However, if you like sweating in close proximity to a lot of strangers, by all means, make that hotel reservation. www.stonearchbridgefestival.com

When: July 8-9, 2016 Where: Basilica of St. MaryMinneapolis, MN What: For the 22nd time, this “Praise The Loud” fundraiser may help preserve the Basilica of Saint Mary, but it continues to tear up downtown Minneapolis with wide ranging musical choices spread out over three stages. There is literally something for everyone, from the hipsters on Night One grooving to Death Cab For Cutie and X Ambassadors to blues aficionados checking out the soulfully sweet tones of Gary Clark Jr. Mumford fans will gravitate to the catchy sounds of Matt Hires while Fort Wilson Riot has the 89.3 Current crowd covered during their set at the Star Tribune Stage. Night Two will see The Fray and American Idol champion Phillip Phillips over at the Great Clips Stage, but the big draw will be Ryan Adams and his new band, The Shining, on the PreferredOne Stage. While he will certainly hit more recent songs like the Grammy nominated “Gimme Something Good,” here’s to hoping that he pulls out one of his recent Taylor Swift “1989” covers to spice up a Summer night. Tickets: On Sale Now! $55 for a single day pass and $100 for a 2-day pass. Prices increase on June 1st (+$5/$10) and gain when the Block starts rockin’ on July 8th. Kids 5-12 are $20 and children under 5 are free. Remember-The family that rocks together, stays together. Accommodations: Gates open at 5 PM and Rock until 10:30 PM. Damn sound ordinance laws! After that, it is advised you take advantage of some of the many great nightspots in beautiful downtown Minneapolis before hopping on Expedia.com to find a place to rest your weary soul. www.basilicablockparty.org

--Sarah Osterbauer

--D.G. Moir

ROCK THE GARDEN

MOONDANCE JAM

When: June 18 Where: Boom Island Park, Minneapolis What: This hipster paradise, formally held at the Walker Art Center will move this year to Boom Island Park. Co-sponsored by The Current, the event features psych rockers The Flaming Lips, the much hyped Chance the Rapper, local heroes Polica, the lovely other half of She & Him, M. Ward, island rockers, Hippo Campus and Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats. Expect a lot of rompers, boho chic and unconventional sunglasses. Whatever you decide to wear, make sure you’re camera ready as The Current and The Walker will be filming and photographing the event. Traditionally, RTG is full of musicheads, NPR members and beautiful Uptown 20-30 somethings. Certainly food trucks on site will have plenty of vegan, organic, paleo, cage free, sugar free options. So grab your favorite off the shoulder floral number you’ve been saving for a summer event and head to the garden. Tickets: GA - $64 or VIP - $150, available online or in person at the Electric Fetus Accommodations: If you’re coming in from out of town, stay with friends in Uptown or airbnb in the same area to get the full hipster experience. Other option, once you get into Minneapolis, is to Tinder, Bumble, Hinge or Grindr yourself a place to stay! You only need to be there for one night! If you really want to go all out, rent a Nice Ride bike as your mode of transportation. www.walkerart.org/calendar/2016/rock-garden-2016

When: July 21-23, 2016 Where: Walker, MNChippewa National Forest Grounds located just 6.5 miles East on Hwy 200. What: The hair may be grayer and the wrinkles more pronounced, but the line-up at the 25th Jam is as hot as it as ever been. Built on the principle that Campin’ and Jammin’ are not mutually exclusive events, this year’s Jam will pull out all the stops over a July weekend in Northern Minnesota. In short-Woodsy Classic Rockers, this is THE ONE you have been looking for! Have you been staying up nights wondering what Nikki Sixx has been doing since Mötley Crüe called it quits? Well, worry no more, when his band Sixx:A.M. rocks the Moonlight Jam’s main stage on Saturday night! Kick back as Tom Scholtz leads Boston through every song you remember from Junior High and then sing along with Rick Springfield as he not only pines away for what’s-his-name’s girl, but shows off tracks from his brash & bold new album “Rocket Science.” Loverboy may still be “Working for the Weekend” but you can just be camping and sipping a cold one while “Lovin’ Every Minute Of It.” Chill out to the “Silent Lucidity” of Queensrÿche before rocking out to Bush, Little River Band, Firehouse, Chevelle, Kix, Blues Traveler, as well as newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Chicago. All that’s missing is Steve Miller to show up and bitch about how much the Hall of Fame sucks. Rock on and pass the marshmallows. Tickets: There are a tremendous amounts of options from a 3-Day VIP pass for $575, but ordering your tickets early is always the best way to go. A 3-Day Pass is $200 but will jump to $230 at the Gate. Single Day General Admission is $130, but increases to $150 at the gate. There are a limited number of 3 day lawn chair tags for $25 with parking setting you back $40 per vehicle. Accommodations: All Reserved & Electrical camping is currently sold out, but General Camping is still www.moondancejam.com

STONE ARCH BRIDGE FESTIVAL

--Sarah Osterbauer

TWIN CITIES JAZZ FESTIVAL When: June 23-25, 2016 Where: Mears Park, St. Paul, MN What: Mayor Chris Coleman declared 2016 as “Year of Music” in St. Paul and the Jazz Fest certainly holds down their end. Spread out over a variety of bars, restaurants, and stages (including the beautiful Union Depot!) throughout Lowertown, Jazz music will fill the weekend and get both your heart and mind pumping. Trombone player Delfeayo Marsalis and his quartet kicks things off New Orleans style at 6:00 PM Thursday night at the main stage in Mears Park. His father, and collaborator on 2014’s “Last Southern Gentleman”, Ellis Marsalis will take over the stage at Mears the

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--D.G. Moir

HALFWAY JAM XIII When: July 28-30, 2016 Where: Royalton, MN-Just off Hwy 10 (If you pass Sand’s Repair or Helena Chemical, you’ve gone too far. Turn around, Pilgrim.) What: Billed as “The Party of the Summer” this is a Bud Light sponsored hard-drinking Nineties Rock blow-out. Just the first night alone brings you Finger Eleven, Candlebox, Theory of a Deadman

A d d y o u r e v en t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l en d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

as well as Soul Asylum in support of their supurb new “Change of Fortune” album. Other nights deliver Lit, Sponge, Everclear, Better Than Ezra, L.A. Guns, Buckcherry, Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray with some “Major Announcements Coming.” Let’s be realistic, all these bands are past their “commercial prime” but, THEY STILL ROCK. When you work out your concert funds for this summer, this is hands down, the BIGGEST bang for your buck. With wooded camping all around and great music from more than just a few bands you love, this is the middle-aged equivalent of hard rock comfort food. Grab your best friend, a cooler of beer (try to sneak in some MGD just to see if you can get it past the corporate sponsorship dudes.) and a tent and reconnect with your inner rocker for a summer weekend. Tickets: Buying your ticket early and in advance is the way to go. A 3-Day General Admission ticket is just $89 with single day passes available on a tier system starting at $49, $69, $89 and $109 at the gate on the day of the show. There are a limited number of tickets available at each tier on a first come, first served basis. When the tickets are gone from the $49 tier are gone, they move to the $69 tier and so on. Accommodations: The best way to do this is with the 3-Day General Admission with Camping Pass for $169. Also on a tiered pricing system, tier 1 is already sold out, so you will have to step up your game a bit. Royalton, MN is a town of 1,242 at the last census. While this little gem can be found between St. Cloud and Little Falls on US Highway 10, you won’t be able to find too many places to crash other than your car outside Patty’s House of Sewing Retreats. Neither you nor Patty need that. www.halfwayjam.com --D.G. Moir

WEFEST When: August 4 - 6 Where: Soo Pass Ranch, Detroit Lakes, MN What: WEFest is the biggest country festival in the Midwest, and possibly the country. Their reputation precedes them as it’s known for attracting folks that are into a wide variety of bad behavior. Whatever you haven’t seen people do in public that probably shouldn’t be done in public, you’ll see at WEfest. Besides whooping it up to Eric Church and Kid Rock, you can also enjoy riding a mechanical bull, writing on yourself with permanent marker (yeah I don’t know why, people just do it, ok?), and of course drinking yourself stupid. Camp sites are where most of the craziness ensues so if you prefer to avoid that, you can go the hotel route. Remember this happens in August, and people were already looking for an excuse not wear any clothes. Imagine a lot of swim suit tops paired with cut off shorts and cowboy boots. Don’t forget your hat! Can’t look like a real fake cowboy without a cowboy hat. Sheesh. Tickets: 3 Day pass - $179, 1 Day pass - $90, camping and parking are separate Accommodations: Camping is definitely the way to go. There are shuttles to and from the campsites. This year the fest has done everyone a solid and designated sites by age. However, go with the age you feel, with the idea being, the youngest people party hardest. www.wefest.com

a performance by John Mayall. At age 82 years of age, the legendary Mayall has cut back on his performance schedule, so the opportunity to see him play here is not to be missed. This beautiful park is the perfect setting for 3 amazing days, and while there are still additions to this year’s line-up to be made, you will discover the full range of the Blues here in the land of Sky BLUES Water. Tickets: A 3-Day Ticket package is $99 with single day passes setting you back $45. You will want to act quickly as not only will the prices of the day passes go up, the 3-Day passes will no longer be available after 8/5/16. For those wanting to really splurge, the Fest has 75 Golden Sax VIP Packages available. You will be part of an exclusive club with their own Hospitality tent, a Buffet-Style Meal Service. Add to it deluxe portable toilets and a Logo’d Camp Chair to take home and you will have spent time in blues heaven for just $289. This is on a first come basis so hit the web their website for the mail in form. Accommodations: You don’t want to WallyDock your RV, so hit the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) about half a mile away, as there aren’t any spots on-site. Visit www.DECC.org or call direct at (218) 722-5573 to get your rolling home set up. For the rig-less, the Fest has teamed up with several official sponsoring hotels to take care of your needs. Check out www.VisitDuluth.com or get the 411 by calling 1-800-4-duluth. www.bayfrontblues.com --D.G. Moir

SUMMER SET When: Aug 12 - 14 Where: Somerset Amphitheater, Somerset, WI What: Summerset has traditionally been known for infusing rap, with EDM and bluegrass. This year however, they went heavy on the EDM, locking down DJ kings, Skrillex (what do you mean?), Bassnector and Steve Aoki. Chance the Rapper will be making his second Twin Cities extended area appearance (post RTG). The lineup is rounded out by Grimes and Fetty Wap along with an array of other DJs. 2016 marks the fest’s 5th birthday and they plan to celebrate big. Imagine a lot of sweaty people, under the influence, dancing like nobody’s watching with glow sticks and other toys that light up and look cool when your mind isn’t exactly right. If you go, consider downloading that locator app, so your friends can find you if you get lost. Also bring a portable phone charger and some kind of accessory that makes you stand out from the crowd. Be true to your aura, let your soul be free and DANCE. Tickets: 3 Day passes range from $184 - $1750, tickets are festival + camping + parking in one Accommodations: Options vary depending on what type of camping you want to do, RV style, car camping or shuttle in style. If you really can’t bring yourself to do your shrooms in a tent, and prefer a hotel room instead, they have options for that as well (complete with shuttle back and forth). www.summersetfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

--Sarah Osterbauer

BAYFRONT BLUES FEST When: August 12-14, 2016 Where: Duluth, MN-Bayfront Festival Park What: Celebrating its 28th year, The Bayfront Blues Festival is not only Duluth’s largest annual music event, but one of the largest outdoor music festivals in the upper Midwest. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Bayfront Festival Park gives guests a view of ships from around the world as they enter the harbour under the Aerial Lift Bridge. Over the course of three days, the Festival’s two stages feature a diverse range of talent over the nearly thirty booked acts that is sure to both delight and expand your notions of what “the blues” really is. Johnny Rawls will cruise in on his “Red Cadillac” to deliver his laid back electric blues before giving way to other practitioners from the slow burn of Toronzo Cannon, to the folk-blues of lap playing Colin Lake. Samantha Fish will be likely be the huge highlight on Friday. Not only gifted with a big, growling, soulful voice to rival anyone, her guitar skills are nothing short of breathtaking. She is the complete package that will leave attendees walking away as the word “Daaaaaaaamn” slowly drawls off their lips like sweet molasses. Tommy Castro & The Painkillers will deliver an early evening set on Saturday night as they “Ride” into the sunset with their dexterous sound. Days 1 & 2 will end with Late Nite Dance Parties under the Big Top Tent featuring Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys on Friday and Javier & The Innocent Sons on Saturday will keep the vibe going from 9:45 to 11:30 PM both nights. The exciting Annie Mack & The Big Top Gospel Revue are timed to start of Sunday’s proceedings with style and heart before handing things over to the slinky rhythms of the Blues Sisters in the afternoon. Nathan Williams brings his accordion along with The Zydeco Cha Chas bring a bit of the New Orleans Cajun delta up north to the bay This year the festival will cap off on Sunday night with

FESTIVAL PALOMINO When: September 17 Where: Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN What: Curated by Minnesota gems, Trampled By Turtles, Festival Palomino is in its third year. Last year became a vast improvement on year one and I expect this year to be better than year two. Although no lineup has been announced yet, the event site is boasting 15 bands and 3 stages. Last year there were two stages, and the acts played in tandem so that every concert goer could see every band on the lineup, instead of other large festivals where you can only logistically see half the bands on the lineup. What is special about Palomino, is how it’s obvious Trampled take extra special care in curating the bands, as well as the food and the vendors. Last year they had a stand selling beard products and another with Duluth gear. Every booth looks like it was hand picked by Dave Simonett himself (hellooo cigarbox banjo stand)! The atmosphere is laid back, and when the weather is cooperating, it can be a relaxing day on a blanket listening to music. Tickets: Early Bird GA - $52, prices will go up once the lineup is announced any day now Accommodations: Plenty of hotel options located close by the park, otherwise they do have gambling 24 hours so if you have a good pokerface and money to burn, that’s also an option. www.festivalpalomino.com --Sarah Osterbauer

NATIONAL FESTIVALS HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL

Where: Gulf Shores, Alabama What: If there was ever a reason to go to Alabama, this would most likely be it. Get ahold of your inner Shaggy & Scooby and head over to Hangout for three glorious days on the Gulf Shore beach in May. Now celebrating its 7th year, Hangout continues to draw an eclectic array of talent from the Rock of Lenny Kravitz to the EDM of Scotland’s Calvin Harris. It will come as no surprise to see Brittany Howard leading Alabama Shakes at the Festival with their new album, “Sound & Color.” Florence + The Machine, Walk The Moon, Haim, Grimes, Mayer Hawthorne, X Ambassadors, Jason Isbell and Leon Bridges are among 77 different acts that will fill stages positioned on opposite ends of the beach festival site with spots like the Malibu Beach House, and the Boom Boom Tent in between. Hop on either the Ferris Wheel or The Mega Drop to get a bird’s eye view of the grounds. You can perfect your hang at the Hammock Beach or get married at the on-site Wedding Chapel. Hey, whatever, man. The Weekend will make Friday night’s show his exclusive US festival performance of 2016. You probably “can’t feel your face” when all is said and done at this festival either. Tickets: No single day tickets are available. General Admission Tickets are $289. V.I.P. ticket add extra amenities for $1,099. Super V.I.P. tickets are $1,599 and allow you to watch the Main Stage from a hot tub. What is more chill than that? For an additional $50, you can add a “Any Line, Anytime” shuttle pass to your package. This is the best way to get to and from the grounds as parking is extremely limited. Besides, if you have, ahh, “truly enjoyed the festival” it will be yours (and everybody else’s) safest way to travel. Accommodations: Many people who attend Hangout rent a condo or beach house instead of a hotel room. These are generally more affordable and have multiple bedrooms where you can split the cost with friends. Check out www.hangoutmusicfest.com/ lodging/ for a variety of options for you and your crew. www.hangoutmusicfest.com --D.G. Moir

SASQUATCH! When: May 27-30, 2016 Where: The Gorge, Quincy, Washington What: Serving as Sasquatch’s Main Stage, the Gorge Amphitheatre is regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful concert sites. Affording breath-taking views of the Columbia Gorge canyon, this is an ideal location for a long weekend of music. In addition to the main stage, the festival employs 4 other smaller stages in order to accommodate the 114 artists currently scheduled to play over Memorial Day weekend. Headliners include Florence + The Machine, as well as The Cure, Disclosure and Major Lazer. Along the way, you can catch up with Alabama Shakes, X Ambassadors and Leon Bridges, all fresh from their slot at Gulf Shore’s “Hangout Festival” the previous weekend. This is a bill designed to have a little big of something for everyone. The best thing about multi-genre festivals like Sasquatch! is the opportunity to discover artists and styles you might never have heard of. Are you a big Cure fan? Then be sure to catch Yo La Tengo’s set on the Bigfoot stage Sunday evening as a warm-up to see if they pull out their acoustic cover of “Friday I’m In Love.” Tickets: $350 for a 4-day General Admission Festival Pass. Single day tickets are not available. Accommodations: Camping is the only way to go here. $149.50 Standard Camping passes are available and are sold separately. Camping passes entitle the bearer to one (1) vehicle and a maximum of six (6) individuals within. Each person must have their own ticketed festival wristband. You can upgrade to Premier Camping ($240), Gold Camping ($340) or Terrace Camping ($475) with each level offering greater amenities. Regardless of what level you choose, you gotta split by Noon on Tuesday, May 31st or Bigfoot will come and get you. www.sasquatchfestival.com --D.G. Moir

THE GOVERNOR’S BALL When: June 3 - 5 Where: Randall Island Park, NYC What: There are no Cinderella’s in this ball’s lineup, that’s for sure, only kings and queens. Yeezy will be there (not sure if Kim, North and Saint are coming with too or what), Beck, and Miguel. Also, The Strokes, The Killers, Robyn, Haim, Chvrches, M83, Gary Clark Jr, Elle King, Of Monsters and Men and so many more. Other standouts include the Eagles of Death Metal and Big Grams (musical marriage of Phantogram and Big Boi of Outkast). This star studded event, held in a park with the city skyline as a backdrop will not disappoint. If you want a break from the music there are photo booths, art installations and yard games. And, if you’re still in party mode once the festival shows end, there’s After Dark shows at various venues in the city to keep the night going. Tickets: 3 Day GA $305 - 3 Day VIP $2000 (yes, all those zeros belong) , Single Day - $105 Accommodations: It’s NYC baby! Go all out, stay at the Waldorf. Try to find the building where Carrie Bradshaw lived on airbnb. Hit up every late night food stand and just don’t go to bed. www.governorsballmusicfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

When: May 20-22, 2016

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| JUNE 2016

BONNAROO When: June 9 - 12 Where: Manchester, TN What: Bonnaroo is one of the largest, if not the largest music festival in the country. It is a behemoth sized event with not only music, but comedy, movies, a Christmas Barn, a giant water slide, environmental speakers and musician workshops. Their lineup is generally always indie pop. This year features hitmakers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pearl Jam, Dead & Company, Ellie Goulding, LCD Soundsystem, J Cole, Tame Impala and Death Cab plus 1000 or so more. Ok fine, not that many but it might as well be. Obviously it’ll be difficult to choose which events to go see with so many things going on, but Bonna has got you covered with a page on their website which can help you create a your own schedule (if you’re type A and want to plan your festival that way). Tennessee in June is hot so prepare to sweat and be sweat upon. Also they grow the spiders big down there so just be careful when you pack your tent up. Ew. Tickets: They went on sale already so the first (and cheaper) price level is sold out. Right now GA is $349. 50. VIP is $1598.50 per pair. Camping is separate. Accommodations: Camping is the way to go, either by tent or RV www.bonnaroo.com --Sarah Osterbauer

MILWAUKEE SUMMERFEST When: June 29-July 10 Where: Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin What: Last year an old friend called me with an extra ticket to spend a day at Summerfest in Milwaukee. Having heard of Summerfest but really not understanding what it was, I jumped at the chance, even if it meant a 5:30 a.m. flight to Milwaukee. Getting out of bed was worth it, because in one day we saw The Jimmys, Sammy Llanas (formerly of the BoDeans), Gary Clark, Jr., Public Enemy, Lindsey Stirling (of whom I’d never heard, but was glad to have seen) and Trampled By Turtles. Kings of Leon were the night’s headliners, but there was just no need to check them out. We easily had our fill. That was one day of eleven at the 2015 Summerfest. Summerfest is like an amusement park except that all the rides have been replaced by stages. It’s a park filled with gigantic amphitheaters, little club sized tents and medium sized stage areas. You can literally walk down the length of the park and catch Pat Benatar, Elvin Bishop, Sammy Hagar and “Weird” All Yankovic in mid-set. It’s crazy. The 2016 lineup is too vast to list the whole thing, but just know that among the highlights are Paul McCartney, Sting and Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Luke Bryan, Selena Gomez, Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon, Tim McGraw, Ray LaMontagne, Garbage, The Roots, The Decemberists, Billy Idol, The Violent Fems, Elle King, Cheap Trick, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Kool and the Gang, Ben Folds, Morris Day and The Time, Bobby Rush, Indigo Girls, Hollywood Vampires (featuring Joe Perry, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp) and about a kazillion more. It’s paradise. I want to live there. Tickets: Um, $20. If you want to go for one day and see all the music you can stand, it will cost you $20. There are three, five and 11 Day “Power passes,” as well, and all at ridiculously low amounts of money. Now the big, big names (like McCartney) will cost you extra and you can expect to pay the market value for those tickets, but I’m telling you that you can ignore most of those big names (except maybe McCartney) and still have an amazing experience. Accommodations: It’s downtown Milwaukee, you’ll be able to find a place to stay. For convenience sake, Summerfest does have partnerships with the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, The Pfister Hotel (which is relatively close to the park), and the Intercontinental Milwaukee Hotel. But if you look around you can find some pretty good deals. www.summerfest.com

Passes are $169.50 with the prices increasing to $189.50 the day of the show. Of course, you can certainly get the VIP pass for $399.50 which will get you a branded Forecastle merchandise item, special entrance to the festival, special stage viewing areas as well as an air conditioned lounge in “an exclusive hang area.” As expected, an exclusive bathroom truly gives you “a better pot to piss in.” All prices are final and are before various “fees” are added in. Accommodations: Nothing on site, but the festival has teamed up with a number of locations for you to crash at. From the Galt House Hotel ($135-$476 per night), to the Comfort Inn Airport Southwest ($129-$139 per night), be sure to ask for the Forecastle rate when you book. You will be glad you did. www.forecastlefest.com --D.G. Moir

LOLLAPALOOZA When: July 28 - 31 Where: Grant Park, Chicago, IL What: Lolla, which has to be one of the longest running festivals at this point, in their 25th year, will once again rock the heart of Chi-town with the biggest and brightest stars in rock, EDM, rap and indie. Headliners this year include J Cole, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Lana Del Rey, Future, M83, Disclosure, LCD Soundsystem and Ellie Goulding. Like many of the other big festivals, Lolla offers a full festival experience with Insta-worthy photo ops, art and awesome local food. This festival is for anyone who isn’t down to camp, but wants the full festival enchilada without straying too far from home. Keep in mind when you scan the lineup that there are 8 stages, and chances are two bands you were dying to see will be playing at the same time. That said, Lolla is still very much a bucket list fest for a lot of musicheads, and purists will not want to miss it. Tickets: 4 Day passes $335, 1 Day pass - $120, I hope you have your tickets already if you want to go, because they appear to all be sold out Accommodations: Hotel hotel hotel. Lolla has contracted rates with a few in the area, consult their website for details, plan to spend a lot of money regardless www.lollapalooza.com --Sarah Osterbauer

EAUX CLAIRES When: Aug 12 - 13 Where: Eau Claire, WI, entrance is located at 3443 Crescent Ave or as Justin Vernon likes to call it, “the river.” What: This is the festival’s second year and with the 20K turnout last year combined with a ton of press letting everyone know they were dumb for not going, this year should be even bigger. Eaux Claires (curated by this writer’s favorite person, Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner) combines music with art to create one-of-a-kind festival experience. Last year Justin hand wrote notes to the musicians, requesting that they walk around the grounds, make new friends and play spontaneously within the crowd. They also encourage collaborations between the artists which often resulted in the best of surprises. Because the lineup generally sticks with indie, Americana, roots, folk and throwback bands, the crowd tends to be young enough to have fun, but older enough to know better. To give you a better idea of what kind of people that might be, last year there were a plethora of people with really cool, well done tattoos. This is a party for adult musicheads who don’t have time to start petty fights or get too wasted to enjoy the art that is happening on stage. Tickets: 2 Day GA - $169, 2 Day VIP - $300 (sold out) Accommodations: Camping is recommended, dorms for anyone who wants to relive their college years or anyone on a ramen budget, or hotels. There are shuttles from the campsites and certain hotels in town. NEW this year, Justin Vernon has been working hard to get The Ox Bow Hotel open in time for the festival. It promises to be a Wisconsin chic, boutique hotel that will make you feel like you’re in the woods writing a breakup album. www.eauxclaires.com --Sarah Osterbauer

--Rich Larson

FORECASTLE FESTIVAL When: July 15-17, 2016 Where: Louisville, KY What: Initially begun as a small community event in 2002, the Forecastle Festival has grown into a three-day music, art and environmental festival held in Louisville. Now drawing upwards of 75,000 fans at Louisville’s Waterfront Park, this festival is hipster heaven headlined by The Avett Brothers (Friday), Alabama Shakes (Saturday) and Death Cab For Cutie (Sunday). From there, mix in Ryan Adams, Big Gigantic, Brandi Carlisle, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Big Gigantic with a dash of Gary Clark Jr. and Moon Taxi and you’ve got yourself a pretty fine weekend. Environmental activism remains an important component of the Forecastle experience. Showcasing over 150 environmental non-profit and outdoor recreational organizations, this is a festival to not only broaden your musical pallet, but also your mind. That being said, because of the location, the festival also features The Bourbon Lodge, a 120 foot speakeasy that allows attendees to sample craft bourbon from distilleries from across the state. Anything that was once named “Bourbon’s Most Important Festival” is OK in our book. Tickets: Single General Admission tickets are $69.50 but Weekend

RIOT FEST When: Denver Sept 2 - 4, Chicago Sept 16 - 18 Where: National Western Complex, Denver, CO and Douglas park, Chicago, IL What: As the name suggests, there’s not a lot you can’t do at Riot Fest. However they do have a short list of things you cannot do/bring with you: Donald Trump, selfie sticks, Justin Bieber, crying, littering, Native American headdresses, cantaloupe and umbrellas. Their line up for both locations is still under wraps but if past years show us anything, it is sure to be some of the best names in rap, punk and experimental rock. The fest in the past has been heavy on dreadlocks and bikers, but regardless it’s a place for anyone who doesn’t have any more fucks left to give. Tickets: 3 Day GA $99 - $149.98 (currently at the highest price point), 3 day VIP $249.98 - $299.98, can’t afford a ticket? The festival has an option for you, Karma Cash. It’s basically exchanging volunteer services for passes to the fest. Accommodations: You’re on your own www.riotfest.org --Sarah Osterbauer

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AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL When: Sept 30 - Oct 2, Oct 7 - 9 Where: Zilker Park, Austin, TX What: Everything’s bigger in Texas right? ACL Festival is no exception to that. Two weekends, massive lineup, and the fest prides itself on offering a wide array of food and other activities to enhance every festival goer experience. The event is family friendly, offering Austin Kiddie Limits (read = special area of the festival catering to kids with music and art projects). The grown up lineup is lined with heavyweights, included the critically lauded Kendrick Lamar, marketing geniuses Radiohead, folk rock titans Mumford and Sons and LCD Soundsystem (who are making the festival rounds this summer). Not a lot of better places in the country to have a festival than Austin, which also host South by Southwest. Known for being a music town, it would be an easy place to extend your stay past the fest to enjoy more music and of course some BBQ. Tickets: 3 Day - $255, 1 Day - $100, available online via the festival website Accommodations: The festival partners with hotels that offer all-in-one fest & lodging, or you can book separately and get special festival rates, another option is to book a rental through HomeAway, which is basically their version of airbnb. No camping is allowed at the festival site, however, if you desire to sleep under the Texas sky, there are other campsites available nearby. www.aclfestival.com --Sarah Osterbauer

VOODOO MUSIC + ARTS EXPERIENCE When: October 28-30, 2015 Where: New Orleans City Park, New Orleans, LA What: New Orleans can be creepy enough, but around Halloween it is all down to the spooky, the arty and fine, fine music. The full schedule of acts won’t be released until June, but if the festival’s past history is any indication, you can expect a bruising mix of the latest EDM acts (last year found deadmau5 doing his freaky lightup mouse thing), Alternative, Rap and maybe even a classic act willing to mix it up. Last year, Ozzy Osbourne featured Slash and Tom Morello in his set, so anything goes. The festival begins early in the day and features local acts that play long into night, so be sure to rest up before you go. Either that, or be sure to consume some of the weirdly-coloured bubbling drinks sold by the vendors there. Stop at Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo on Bourbon St. for the necessary protective talismans & charms. One big tip-wear a costume. Nola can be a pretty strange place to begin with. It is not that unusual to find some pretty strangely dressed people there on a regular Tuesday in February, so if you aren’t dressed in some bizarre get-up around Halloween, you are going to stick out like a sore thumb. Tickets: Pre-sale tickets went on sale in Dec. 2015 and ran $99 for a 3-day pass and increase steadily as the festival dates approach. Single day tickets can also be found. You want to start planning now for next year. Subscribers to Voodoo Fest’s e-mail newsletter get a link and passcode to order in advance. Accommodations: You can’t camp here, but City Park is located just a short 15 minute drive from Nola’s famous French Corner. You want to do this one right, so head on over to www.neworleans. com/hotels/ and stay where the ghosts of Mardi Gras can be found. www.voodoofestival.com --D.G. Moir

FUN FUN FUN FEST When: November 5-7, 2016 Where: Auditorium Shores, Austin, Texas What: As eclectic and diverse as the city that gave birth to it, the Fun Fun Fun Fest (or simply F3F) is probably the only festival that focuses equally on Hip-Hop, Punk, Electronica, Indie, Metal and, well, Comedy. Known as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin is one of those cities that the arts just seem to thrive in. F3F has a long history of offering a stage to new artists that are just starting to develop or are at the very cusp of breaking. It is no small surprise that many go on to hit the more mainstream festival markets after getting their start here. For a music break, check out the comedy and spoken word acts taking place on the Yellow Stage. This year’s festival is still in the planning stages of their lineup, but to give you an idea of what to expect, last year featured Wu-Tang Clan, Jane’s Addiction, and D’Angelo. Those acts were announced by Bill Nye the Science Guy who cited each member of the Wu-Tang as the sound scientific reasons why the festival was so fun, fun, fun. “Look at me, these bands are my people” declared Nye at the time. Watch for this year’s announcement later this summer. Tickets: In the past, $199 for a 3-day pass with $89 for single day tickets. At this time, the website is still pretty dormant, but based on past years, we will begin to hear about the line up in May with

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an on-sale around the end of July. Accommodations: You may be deep in the heart of Texas, but you are still in an urban downtown area, so there is no camping for you here, cowboy. There are free shuttles running continuously to the site, but check out www.austintexas.org/visit/ for some good information on places to stay. Maybe you can use hotel sheets and towels to build yourself a little “room tent.” www.funfunfunfest.com --D.G. Moir

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS ROCKAVARIA When: May 27-29, 2016 Where: Olympic Park, Munich, Germany What: This is a festival designed to make flowers wilt and small animals run away crying. We are talking about three days of long hair, leather and umlauts. Day one places the focus on the classical nuances of Metal and include Apocalyptica on the main stage before finishing with Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Now in their 20th year, don’t let the soaring melodic vocals of soprano Floor Jansen’s vocals fool you, this is a band heavy on power and dynamics and will drain their audience with their fantasy novel tales of the power of metaphysics and nature. Iggy Pop headlines the festival’s second night, but is in danger of being overshadowed by a truly unique experience taking place right before his slot. Billed as “The Loudest Silent Film Ever” the dark ,immersive film “Gutterdämmerung” will be accompanied by a live band and narrator. Featuring Pop, Grace Jones, Henry Rollins and the late Lemmy Kilmister, this will be one of the “can’t miss” features of night two. For anyone, or anything, still alive, day three will be the one to finish them off. Anthrax and Slayer will both delivery punishing sets before the legendary Iron Maiden brings their “Book of Souls” show to the masses. Cancer couldn’t stop vocalist Bruce Dickenson. Nor could an accident that destroyed one of the engines on their 747 Ed Force One earlier this tour. So it is unlikely that ANYTHING will get in the way of this band’s delivery of classics like “The Trooper” and “Aces High” along with the band’s newer material. Tickets: €159 (about $182.01) will get you all three days of the 3-day senses blitzkrieg, but you can get a per day ticket for just €84.50 ($96.73) with the opening night headlined by Nightwish at a paltry €74.50 ($85.28). Accommodations: No camping on site, and I gotta be honest. The festival’s website is largely in German and while my ninthgrade Deutsch class may be helpful in deciphering some things, you are gonna want to hit up AAA or your favourite travel agent for places to stay. www.rockavaria.de --D.G. Moir

ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL When: June 9-12, 2016 Where: Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight, England (well, duh.) What: The Isle of Wight Festival, first held in 1968, was one of the predecessors of Woodstock. In fact, Bob Dylan blew off Woodstock to play Isle of Wight in 1969, even though Michael Lang organized his “3 Days of Peace & Music” literally in Dylan’s backyard. Isle of Wight is probably most famous for the one held in 1970 and featured in director Murray Lerner’s film “Message To Love: The Isle of Wight Festival” highlighted by a mesmerizing Jimi Hendrix performance. In 1971 the U.K. Parliament passed the “Isle of Wight” act preventing gatherings of more than 5,000 people on the island and the festival disappeared from the scene until 2002. Changes like moving to Seaclose Park

brought back the event, and since then has grown in attendance to over 58,000 attendees in 2015. The Who make their first headline performance at the Festival since 1969. They will be joined by Queen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics, and Faithless on the Main Stage this year. A wide range of other acts include Adam Ant, Ocean Colour Scene, Sixx A.M., The Wonder Stuff, The Coors, Jess Glynne, Buzzcocks, Iggy Pop, Mike + The Mechanics and Status Quo. Tickets: Tickets for the Weekend are £195 (about $285), but students can score tickets for only £175 ($255) with Teens running £145 ($211). Children are free. Accommodations: In addition to camping, the global trend of Glamping has also caught on at places like the Isle of Wight. This “maximum service” level allows the discerning festival-goer to experience the positive aspects of camping without any of the “uncomfortable” aspects like setting up the tent and forgetting the tent spikes in your garage, getting mud in your cooler, etc. That’s cool and all, but would Hendrix have done it? www.isleofwightfestival.com --D.G. Moir

SECRET SOLSTICE: MIDNIGHT SUN MUSIC FESTIVAL When: June 16-19, 2016 Where: Reykjavík, Iceland What: Celebrate the Summer Solstice at a festival where the sun won’t set for three straight days. With this in mind, headliners Radiohead, fresh from deleting themselves from the Internet, will make perfect sense. While they are still finalizing the complete line-up, this festival is set to feature acts from around the world converging at 64.1265° N Longitude to thrill and delight insomniac attendees drinking Red Bull and Vodka. It is natural that Icelandic Of Monsters and Men also headline this bill. Other acts include St. Germain from France to ensure the “euro-hipster” crowd, South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord as well as the UK drum and bass legend Goldie. Adventurous alternative metal band Deftones, from Sacramento, CA are the perfect complement to Radiohead and will keep things interesting. To further heighten the experience, see if you can somehow score one of the 100 tickets to “Into The Glacier.” This is a oncein-a-lifetime party within Langjökull glacier, the second largest in Iceland and Europe. Ticket price includes transport to the Glacier and back from Reykjavík as well as a tour of the cave system and two drinks. Hey, if you’re going all the way to Iceland, you might as well do it right. Besides, you probably need the two drinks anyway. Tickets: You can get a full festival pass for just 24,900 Icelandic Króna (about $202), a VIP pass set at 34,900 ($271) nets you priority VIP entry lanes to get better access at the festival as well as the expected access to V.I.P. bars & lounges. Hey, you just dropped 5 figures, it’s gotta get you something! Accommodations: A Camping Pass will set you back 9,900 ISK ($77), but the best deal will most likely be getting a package that includes Flight, Ticket and Camping for the whole 5 days & 4 nights. Getting one that originates from Boston, MA will set you back 128,900 ISK ($1,033). Changing the deal over to a Grand 4 Star Hotel will up the price to 289,900 ISK ($2,324). Not bad, but you still have to get to Boston first… www.secretsolstice.is --D.G. Moir

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL of CONTEMPORARY PERFORMING ARTS

When: June 22-26, 2016 Where: Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, England What: Glastonbury is SO huge, you have to think about it as more of a festival of festivals. 175,000 attendees and the world’s biggest acts tend to do that. In short, this is every concert you have ever been to, or ever wanted to be at, in your life. Here are just a small handful of the acts: Muse, Coldplay, Beck, Disclosure, New Order, Ellie Goulding, The 1975, Ronnie Spector, Foals, Cyndi Lauper, Chvrches, James Blake, Madness, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, M83, Savages, Art Garfunkel, Bastille, Santigold, Bat For Lashes, ZZ Top, LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, the list goes on. At this point, over 70 acts have been booked with more to come. Glastonbury continues to hold a sacred spot in the heart of many attendees over the years. For many, simply attending is a spiritual journey. For some, it is an opportunity to accidently discover a new life-long favourite band for the very first time. For another, it could be an opportunity to re-connect with a band that took them through the ups & downs of growing up. It means many different things to people. One attendee described it simply as “The feeling of walking through the gates and knowing you’ve come home.” I like that. Oh, in addition to all the other acts and headliners listed, a little known, up & coming singer from Tottenham in North London named Adele will be on the main stage at some point. Be polite and give her a hand. It will make her Mum ever so proud. Tickets: 5-Day General admission tickets are £233 (about $340). Glastonbury sold out in 30 minutes when tickets went on sale in the fall of 2015. It has been confirmed that the festival will take place in June 21-25, 2017, but will take 2018 off. Look for the on-sale for 2017 this fall. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime festival, so careful forward planning is the name of the game. Accommodations: Camping is the only way that you can do this festival and is included in the ticket cost. There will be literally thousands of these mini nylon homes scattered around 1,000 acres of festival grounds, so you will want to do something distinctive to be able to find yours. May the odds be ever in your favour. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk --D.G. Moir

LONGITUDE When: July 15-17, 2016 Where: Dublin, IrelandMarlay Park What: In just three short years, the Longitude Festival has developed into the Irish Alternative music take on UK Festival Republic’s Latitude Festival held concurrently in Suffolk, England. The two festivals share a number of acts like The National, Chvrches, and Father John Misty who come directly to the Longitude stages after playing Latitude the day before. The festival is still busy locking down their complete line-up, but Kendrick Lamar (Day 1), Major Lazer (Day 2) and The National (Day 3) will headline on subsequent days. Marley Park is a beautiful wooded environment and a perfect setting for an Irish weekend with established acts like EDM artist Jamie XX and American Rapper Tyler, The Creator to up and coming bands like Pleasure Beach and their delightful single “Go.” This festival is typically Irish in all regards. Looking up travel for the festival and you will find a list of confusing pathways, each suggesting you plan at least an extra 3 hours travel time with limited parking before simply directing you to “Use Public Transport.” Looking up where to stay and you will get a message of “No Camping.” Direct and to the point. So, póg mo thóin then. Tickets: Weekend tickets will cost €159.50 (about $179.01) whilst day tickets will set you back €64.50 (roughly $72.39) Accommodations: Sadly, Longitude is a non-camping festival, but there are amazing places to stay throughout the Irish city. For me, I would strongly suggest the Hilton Dublin Kilmainham. Right across the street from the Kilmainham Gaol where the revolutionaries of the 1916 Easter Uprising were briefly held prior to their execution, this refined modern hotel is the perfect spot to unwind after a day’s dancing. In addition to free Wi-Fi and public computers in the lobby, there is a truly spectacular continental breakfast in the morning to get you going! www.longitude.ie --D.G. Moir

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| JUNE 2016

By Autumn Van Ravenhorst AVanRavenhorst@owatonna.com bviously, I am going to kick this off with a grammar question: barbecue, barbeque, BBQ, bar-b-q—which one is it? I have about as difficult of a time choosing the right one as I do burning a steak. Ha, just kidding. I have a pretty easy time doing that. To be clear, it is barbecue and the correct abbreviation is BBQ. Phew, glad I got that out there. But let’s talk about three essentials of summer. Meat, blues and beer—bring it on. Though that adequately describes a large portion of the SoMinn population, it also precisely outlines what one weekend in June is all about in Owatonna. For two days in June (June 3-4 this year, to be exact), the Steele County Fairgrounds is overflowing with a haze of grill smoke and savory smells ranging from smoked brisket to chicken dripping with an assortment of homemade sauce and spice. The Smokin’ in Steele BBQ and Blues Festival is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS), and for those who are not familiar, KCBS is the El Capitan of the barbecue world. And we need those who are skilled in the art of barbecue, otherwise we would all be eating Salisbury steak from the red Banquet freezer box. Okay, I would be. The festival originally began as a “Spring into Summer Fest” held by the Owatonna Knights of

Columbus. There was a carnival and food, but it was lacking and required a change of direction. “Owatonna has the fair, and the fair does phenomenal. We needed something different,” said John Hammer. Hammer began as a retailer in downtown Owatonna and later progressed to the property manager for the Medford Outlet Center. He traveled, had a good time and all that jazz. But that jazz turned into blues when he collaborated with the Knights on creating something that flourished and has become an anticipated event for locals, visitors and traveling barbecue competitors. “It started when I just wanted to have music close by, so I began booking acts at the Knights of Columbus, eight blocks away from my house. Sponsors paid for the band, we would cook the food then give it away for free. We had our own party and the whole city was invited. There was no charge. The Knights loved it; everyone loved it. That is when they approached me on getting involved with their summer fest,” said Hammer. Being a charitable organization, the Knights would donate proceeds from the fest, but that wasn’t turning out the way they had hoped either. Some research was done, talks were held and the group decided to hook up with the Kansas City BBQ Society—hell, why not? Go big or go home. The group got in touch with the state, designated this as a state competition and the rest isn’t history. So let’s talk about the music. A total of thirteen bands will be performing,

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loaded with vocal harmonies, funky blues and fresh rhythms. Dave Lambert and Donna Dahl, winners of the Minnesota Blues Society Road to Memphis competition, will perform as Brother Sun Sister Moon. Joining Mike Nadeau and John Linberg, they will also perform as Dave Lambert and The Motivators, falling under the genre of electric jam blues. From their hometown of Milwaukee, Tweed Funk brings Memphis flavors filled with soul and horn-fueled melodies. They have been rated on the national Living Blues Chart and been on the cover of Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine. Then there is the award winning band, The Jimmy’s, a seven piece blues and R&B group out of Wisconsin who aren’t your run of the mill blues band. With three distinctive writing voices and a three person horn section, The Jimmys are as versatile as they are exciting. The festival will also feature The Fabulous Lovehandles, The Beat Daddy’s, Armadillo Jump, Tullie Brae, The Bridget Kelly Band, The Swamp Kings, The Mark Cameron Band, Mike Fugazzi, and the “All Star” Smokin’ in Steele Band . (Side note: the next dog I get, will be named Fugazzi) Smokin’ in Steele as we know it today consists of 60-65 teams roaring in on their big rigs for the smoking competition in hopes to win any or all of the categories: brisket, ribs, chicken and pulled pork. New this year is the Steak Cook-Off, a competition that Hammer says literally anyone can roll in and do their thing. Fareway Foods donated all of the rib eyes, and $2500 in prizes will be given

to the first, second and third place winners who will be rated according to licensed judges. Attendees will have the chance to participate in the 5K Fun Run, family bike cruise, blues for kids harmonics lessons, Amateur Backy and BBQ Competition, Kids Q Competition, hot rod car show, antique tractor display and parade, and if you have the room in your gullet, a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. It also sounds like there is plenty of beer. And this is not an expensive thing to be at. $10 for the weekend and all thirteen bands. Bam. In terms of generosity, Hammer and the Knights named the Special Olympics of Minnesota as their main beneficiary, but with the growth of this event, the organization has started to extend their generosity in multiple directions. The event is tied to a KCBS program called 250,000 meals. All serious competitors will be given an extra brisket, courtesy of the sponsors. Those cooked briskets will then be donated to the Lilly Sparrow House and other organizations in the community. Hammer isn’t so much proud of the success of Smokin’ in Steele as he is pleased by it. “My father used to harp on me about giving back to the community,” he said. “I get to do what I want to do, bring in quality music acts, eat famous barbecue and benefit local charities. It is a homerun.” Autumn Van Ravenhorst is a staff writer and columnist for SouthernMinn Scene. If you live in the Owatonna area, she’d also be happy to sell you an ad in this wonderful magazine. Drop her a line at AVanRavenhorst@owatonna.com

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AMY’S TV CRUSH

AMY MERRITT Amy Merritt has been a vital contributor to SouthernMinn Scene for better than two years. This is her final column for Scene, and we will miss her presence dearly. Amy, thank you for all you’ve done to raise the writing quality in this magazine.

TV’s

am a chronic TV re-watcher. I’m kind of old school about it, with stacks of DVD box sets piled up in the living room. It’s kind of an odd collection really, as varied as my range of moods. And those moods being directly correlated to the weather in Minnesota, you can imagine that I often have a couple of shows going at once. During the middle of a blizzard I might re-watch Season 1 of The Walking Dead. I mean, it feels vaguely apocalyptic outside, but it could be worse. Much worse. On the evening of a perfect spring day I might opt for something more fun, like Pretty Little Liars, which is both intriguing and unintentionally hilarious. If it rains the next day, I’ll make a pizza and a cocktail and curl up with

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Hits

Rome or Revenge. The same way a certain smell or a certain song can conjure powerful and distinct memories, I have a similar TVsense. The shows I love are tied to specific periods in my life, and when I re-watch, there is always a little layer of nostalgia beneath the surface. If you’ve ever read this column, you know that my love for television, my TV Crush, has been a relationship nurtured over a lifetime. My first strong memory of being truly emotionally invested in a show was Laverne and Shirley. I was 10 and I loved it. As I stood in my living room singing along to the theme song, I fantasized about moving in with Laverne and Shirley. There was something about their fierce independence, their best-friendship. Being raised as a bit of a Puritan, I also thought working in a brewery was pretty bold and rebellious. I thought maybe I could be bold and rebellious too. And Laverne was so cool with that beautiful cursive L on her sweater. I wondered how she found the time to stitch it to every piece of clothing she owned, and I feel like I knew that Laverne must love herself—not in a braggy way, in a self-confident way that was nothing like the shy paralysis I lived with. I liked Shirley too, because she was kind of annoying and neurotic and still just wanted to love and be loved. And she showed me that growing up won’t be that bad because I would still be allowed a strong attachment to my stuffed animals. Even now, I’ll sometimes watch it on MeTV on Sundays. Believe it or not, it’s still kind of awesome. My freshman year in college, I met a couple of Beverly Hills 90210-obsessed dorm mates. Their level of dedication was infectious and we would get together every afternoon in the dorm lounge to watch re-runs. I still love that show even though it’s not, by any standard, good. When I watch it now, it recaptures that feeling of freedom and fun that doesn’t exist outside of finding your people and your place when you are a scared and confused college freshman. We wrote a drinking game for that show, although I don’t think we ever actually drank to it. We sent a copy of the rules to

the cast, who all autographed it and mailed it back to us. Even Tori. It was a major victory. We really were as funny as we thought. I have multiple detailed memories of watching The Sopranos for the first time. I borrowed a couple of seasons from a neighbor when I was deathly ill with the flu, and spent three days lying on my itchy green couch dozing in and out of episode after episode. The Sopranos is the only show I have ever binge-watched without skipping over the opening credits. The theme song is perhaps the most perfect pairing to any show ever. The first time The Sopranos went on a super long hiatus, a bunch of us got together to witness the long-awaited return. I can still feel the anticipation and remember when that theme song finally came on like a wave of nostalgia and excitement. When The Sopranos finally went dark, quite literally and famously, I remember the odd mix of devastation, confusion and delight at once. It was scary and exhilarating. I still think the last scene of that last episode is one of the greatest television moments ever. I couldn’t possibly go on without saying that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best things that ever happened to me. My brother and sister-in-law owned the series, and I watched a random episode at their apartment one night. I remember the episode, but I can’t say I was hooked at that point. I think it took me another year to try the show from the beginning. But now I know. Buffy is a badass. I believe I have mentioned more than once on these pages that the musical episode “Once More, With Feeling” is played regularly in my living room. It is a go-to when I have channelsurfing fatigue. One summer, I made two friends sing along to the entire episode with me, specifically to combat a major emotional meltdown brought on by the oppressive heat. It worked. It always works. I have so many other distinct memories linked to television. Watching loads of episodes of The Simpsons during a weeklong bought of illness in a crappy little apartment in Minneapolis. Obsessing over The Wire with a long-gone boyfriend. Fighting with my brother over watching The Brady Bunch or The Dukes of Hazzard after school (when we weren’t supposed to be watching TV at all). Borrowing a projector to watch Game of Thrones on my living room wall, and the inevitable weekly analysis in front of the coffee shop that followed. There have been disappointments too. Like when Dead Like Me just ended without explanation. Or when Lost got so lost I just couldn’t take it anymore. That finally brings me to Breaking Bad, which I am currently re-watching for the fourth or fifth time. It wasn’t particularly eventful to watch the first couple of seasons on Netflix. But I watched the final season, week by excruciating week, with my best friend and my cat and generally a series of vodka tonics to quell my anxiety. Seeing it all brilliantly unravel, I am still amazed at how emotionally involved I became. More than any other show, this is the one I wish I could see again for the very first time. This is the final episode of Amy’s TV Crush. Thanks for reading these last couple years, So. Minn. Now I have to go try to pinpoint the exact moment when Walter White turns evil, and when (if?), I ever really turned against him.

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| JUNE 2016

kate’s cut

kate pEhrson Kate Pehrson is a celebrated Twin Cities musician, writer, humorist, mother, wife, fire prevention partner and film aficionado. Contact her at editor@ southernminnscene.com.

So ya thought ya might like to go to the show...

n retrospect, 12 may have been a little young of an age for me to watch it, but what’s done is done. It was the early 80s, and Santa had gotten us a VCR. I tell you, it didn’t take long for me to bore of the selections at Buster’s Video, and with Mom and Dad tailing around, I couldn’t rent the interesting stuff anyway. But that’s where my older brother came in handy. I’m sure I’ll get more into the shenanigans of Rolf and me in future columns, but for now let’s start with one Friday night when he was in charge of me. A buddy had made him a VHS copy of a movie, and after Mom and Dad were out, Rolf said: “Hey Katie. You need to see this. It’s so cool.” Lord help me, Rolf had discovered Pink Floyd (an allegiance maintained to this day), and Pink Floyd had made a movie, and that movie was The Wall, and my brain was forever altered. Now, before I go any further, to the best of my knowledge, I have only ever seen this movie completely sober and not under any sort of altering influence. That could be considered a good thing, though some might disagree.

But such as it was, my not-fully-formed, hormone-riddled adolescent brain drank all that war, sex and drug imagery into my “just say no” little mind. And instead of descending into some sort of black-clad, drug-addled misanthropic teenage degenerate, I was comforted to know that I was not the only person on the planet with some seriously dark imagery rattling around in my brain. You shouldn’t be shocked to learn that young teenagers are perfectly capable of coming up with horror all on our very own, but it was nothing compared to the real life horror of world war, desolation, depression and disconnectedness so uniquely presented in this movie. I gazed awestruck - if slightly horrified - at all this imagery that had been so meticulously drawn to life in animated sequences by Gerald Scarfe: Art deco Nazi war birds. Military-uniformed skeletons. Bleeding crosses. Marching hammers. Gas-mask goblin creatures. Bricks. Explosions. A wall racing across a landscape like a midnight train of menace. And last but not least, one of the freakiest, most Freudian visual metaphors for sex I have ever seen, involving a rose and a lily engaged in a mating ritual from hell.

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Yes, I may have been a bit young to process it all at the time, but I sucked it up, disturbed and confused but unable to look away. Over the next few years, I think I watched that bootleg a good 13 or 14 times. I was drawn in by the forbidden dark imagery (I’m pretty sure Mom just thought it was a concert video), but I also think that my anxious young mind was calmed by knowing my own dark and scary thoughts were nowhere near as effed-up as the stuff I was seeing on screen. As I reflect on this now, I realize that The Wall was a watershed moment in how I viewed animation and film. The animated sequences have remained forever etched on my mind and for better or worse, whenever I hear the music, I see the movie. I know that The Wall was a concept album – and Roger Waters and the band have fought hard battles over the years to maintain its integrity. I also know that the film version has been somewhat controversial as well – in terms of whether or not it was the vision the band intended it to be. But The Wall introduced me to a darker, affecting, more political and emotional side of animation, and I liked it.

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FREE EVENT! Saturday, June 11th, 2016 12:00 pm - 9:30 pm Minnesota Square Park :30pm

7:30pm-9 Up to then, I was really only exposed to the animation of movies made by Walt Disney, and perhaps the occasional comic book. And then suddenly, I was watching “Good Bye Blue Sky”: a juxtaposition of sound and visuals like I’d never seen. Acoustic guitar and fussing baby lying in a pram watching a dove fly, evolved into an animated giant bird of prey, ripping up chunks of bleeding ground in its talons as a loud and insistent electronic chord thrust itself into my ears. I watched thousands of fighter planes emerge from a chrome hangar and fly into a stormy sky, only to morph into the white crosses of military burial grounds as the music flipped back to acoustic and back again. Suddenly, I was watching “What Shall We Do Now?”, a twisted education in the birds and the bees as two flowers circled each other, stems entwining and entangling, flirting and seducing, receiving and eventually devouring. I watched the wall race across the landscape, and in the shadows of its wake tulips became razor wire, and a baby grew into a club-wielding man of no mercy. Suddenly, I was watching a demented Wonderland nightmare-scape in “The Trial”. A broken, sickly pink, hollow-eyed doll lay slumped against the wall, while his marionette schoolmaster, deceptive ex-wife, and his over-protective mother testify against

him. I watched the demented lawyer preen and scream and a rectal-mouthed fang-toothed judge doomed him to be “exposed before your peers!” At its heart, The Wall is the story of a man who wonders how

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2:30pm-4 he has become so cut off from himself, his family, his friends, and the world. This is a story that speaks to the darkness in all of us, and jars us out of our complacency, asking “what shall we do now?” As I write this, we are just processing the loss of Prince, who famously wielded meticulous control over his art. From writing to release, he attempted to maintain complete and total control of how it went out into the world. The problem is, once art is unleashed, people will take from it what they need. For many, when they think of The Wall they think of kids falling into the meat grinder. They think of their common experience in education – being pushed into a factory of rote learning and whipped into conformity. How many of us screamed at the top of our lungs “HEY! YOU! LEAVE US KIDS ALONE!!!” every time we heard it? And still do? I think in all, there were only about 15 minutes of animation in The Wall, but that, for me, is The Wall. Yeah. I guess I thought I might like to go to a show

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| JUNE 2016

A closer look at the

Festival

Vintage Band

T By Renee Brown editor@southernminnscene.com

he sheer amount of cultural and artistic events that happen in Northfield can come as a surprise to those who are not expecting it. The Vintage Band Festival, in its own way, serves to surprise and engage listeners with a variety of bands and instruments while simultaneously dishing up culture with each performance. The Vintage Band Festival is a music festival played with vintage themes, namely, brass and wind instruments with Civil War influences and a wide range of other brass band styles as well. This will be the 10th anniversary of the festival, which kicks off on July 28. During that time, 30 bands will gather to play upwards of 100 concerts in four days. Outdoor concerts are performed in Bridge Square, Way Park and along the banks of the Cannon River. Performances will also take place at indoor venues such as churches, retirement communities, Northfield Hospital and the Grand Event Center. During that magical weekend, music is played

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The Vintage Band Festival and the one-day mini-festival draw thousands of locals and out-of-towners alike to Northfield. (News file photo)

The Original Drachenfesler Musikanten will travel once more from Germany to perform at the festival. (Submitted photo) across Northfield from morning to night. Rewind to mid-April, and things are already being set in motion to prepare for this much anticipated event. Two members of the 2014-2016 Festival Board of Directors, Vice President Dan Bergeson and Artistic Director Paul Niemisto, have been involved with the festival since its inception. Niemisto was originally inspired to start the Vintage Band Festival in the early 2000’s. On more than one occasion, he received indicators that a music festival could work in Northfield. Discussion at the Contented Cow pub first sparked talk of a potential “serious” music festival in the community. Following that discussion, Niemisto attended a conference in Austria. Bergeson recounts Niemisto telling him of seeing bands sitting along the banks of a river or in the town square, playing concerts while people shopped around them or stopped to listen. As he sat in a small Austrian town watching the river go by, not unlike in Northfield, he realized that his hometown was ideal for the same kind of conference. He had enough inspiration from other festivals he’d previously attended to have an idea of how it might work. He started by seeking volunteers and support from the business community. People were willing to help and were interested enough in the idea that the festival took on a life of its own in 2006 and it ended up being a huge success. “It started out as a conference of international music scholars,” said Niemisto, “And then I tried to get music entertainment to line up with the conference, but the musical entertainment just took over.” “And that’s how it got started. It was absolute serendipity; I was not expecting it,” he said. There are several ways to get bands to participate in the festival. Niemisto is the one who does most of the coordinating. “I’ve been in the business for 38 years. I’ve met some people. I’ve been to festivals where I’ve heard others play,” he said, pointing out that some of it is recognizing one person and they tell somebody else, so news gets spread by word of mouth. “We also think regionally in that we want to try to have a substantial representation from places within a driving distance,” he said Niemisto emphasized the importance of international bands as well. As this year is the centennial of World War I, they are looking for European

groups that could represent America’s involvement there at the time, which would include France and Belgiem, among others. “We’re having a Belgian band coming,” he added. “There’s historical brass being done in Europe so we have Sweden and a group from Germany coming as well, so we have that international aspect.” “The real hardcore historians of brass music are mostly on the East coast,” he continued. “A lot of them are connected to the military bands in Washington, D.C. If you were to look at the last 10 years of this thing you’ll find that there is a little bit of transition but a lot of the same people keep coming back.” With 10 years of credibility in the festival’s history, bands will sometimes seek our Bergeson or Niemisto asking to play. Bergeson noted, “We have a pretty high standard in terms of the musicality we want to present, so we want to listen if they have any recordings to make sure they’re up to the standard we expect.” But musicality standards aside, what makes a band qualify as “vintage?” Niemisto’s definition is that a band’s music should represent a historic era that can be defined. His examples include a World War II swing style jazz band representing an era, such as the 1940’s, a New Orleans’s Brass Band since it represents a certain time and place, and British Brass Band, which represents a particular instrumentation and tradition. “Tradition is part of it, obviously these guys are not really vintage because they’re three or four generations later than the originals, but they’re interested in it,” said Niemisto, adding that the bedrock of it is going to be Civil War, which is the beginning of brass playing in America. “And those guys are hardcore, they come in with instruments that have been restored from the 1800s, they are playing on original instruments with original uniforms and the right buttons, so there’s that element too,” he said. Of course, planning for a festival of this scale takes a great deal of coordination. Niemisto explained it as reevaluating the last festival and looking for measures of success, such as fundraising, size and reactions of the audience and of the community. “My own philosophy is we’re trying to have community involvement as much as possible,” he said. “We want the entire town, all of the busi-

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

nesses and local institutions like senior centers and so forth to feel as though they’re a partner in this, that their efforts are what really make a success.” To get the festival to occur annually, a large amount of fundraising is done to support the bands. The festival itself is similar to the funding model that public radio uses. If the public wants the shows to go on, the festival needs financial support. Help from granting organizations, SEMAC and corporate sponsors make a difference too, as does advertising. Although the festival is free and open to the public, audiences are encouraged to donate on the Vintage Band Festival’s website or by mail. “Some bands get stipends because it costs them money to travel here,” said Bergeson. “Some are professional musicians and won’t play without being payed. Half of our budget actually is in support of the musical groups.” Northfield’s proximity to the cities helps in that aspect. Many of the festival-goers are from the south suburbs, Twin Cities and Rochester. Some travel from out of state as well. Niemisto added that as bands come in from out of town they’ll do a performance on the Thursday night leading up to the festival in communities surrounding Northfield. This serves to collaborate with those communities and to publicize the festival to towns within easy driving distance. On the topic of the actual program lineup, Bergeson was able to shed some light on the way things work. “The idea is that any one band is going to play more than one time in town,” he said, adding that after the concerts in the evening some of the bands go into the local bars and pubs to continue playing for the entertainment of the people there. “The additional event that goes on at the same time as the festival, which is the National Conference of the Historic Brass Society, is an organization dedicated to vintage brass instruments and players,” Bergeson continued. Some of the members of the National Conference of the Historic Brass Society are in the bands or will come listen to the concerts when they aren’t in session. Niemisto and Bergeson both noted the memo-

rable moments that audiences can take away along with the performances. At one point during each festival, two bands face off from each side of the Cannon River and have a “Battle of the Bands.” A vintage baseball game will be held, as well as several concerts in cemeteries as ceremonial tribute to Civil War Veterans. Some of the bands dress in historical attire, which is encouraged for festival goers as well. In the past there has also been a grand ball, an antique band instrument exhibit and “Lunch, Listen and Learn” sessions, where performers play an instrument and explain its history. Of the overall significance of the festival, Bergeson summed it up as, “It helps the economy because it brings tourists and visitors to town, it showcases the cultural life of this community, which is steeped in musical tradition, and it brings a European flavor to the community for a four day weekend.” Niemisto added, “We had a very successful first year and the rest is history. It’s the right town, the right ambiance, the right community and look … everything’s right.” For more information about the Vintage Band Festival and the events that will occur this year, head to www.vintagebandfestival.org. Renee Brown is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

“

We had a very successful first year and the rest is history. It’s the right town, the right ambiance, the right community and look … everything’s right. - Paul Niemisto

“

The Jack Brass Band will perform again at the 2016 Vintage (News file photo) Band Festival in July. (Submitted photo)

Paul Niemisto is the chief organizer of the Vin- As they did in 2010, the Matterhorn Alphorn Trio will once again be strolling the tage Band Festival. (Photo submitted) downtown streets of Northfield playing period music. (Photo courtesy of David Perez Photography)

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| JUNE 2016

THE WEEK of May 20-29: Uncorked Junkmarket Style, Spring Edition: 20-May, 9:00 AM, Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, 78757 MN-16, Spring Valley, $10-$25. Come one, come all to this art and vintage affair designed for you, your friends and your family. In other words it is an event that everyone will enjoy! This is a ‘back by popular demand’ affair that will host some of the finest artisans and vintage dealers anywhere that can only be curated by the ORIGINAL JUNKMARKET! Treat yourself to the very best vintage, art, craft and organic shopping experience available...not to mention nationally acclaimed wine, signature sangrias, delectable food and a gorgeous location. To make things even better we will be providing live music, giveaways, and more! Uncorked JUNKMARKET Style, Spring Edition May 19-21, 2016 At Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery Open for Business: Thursday, May 19, 2016 - Early Bird Shopping 9 to 11AM, Regular Admission 11AM to 6 PM Friday, May 20, 2016 - Regular Admission 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday - Regular Admission 9 AM to 4 PM Cost: Early Bird Admission - $25.00 at the door, $20 pre-purchase online. Early Bird Admission includes admission all weekend. Regular Admission - $10 at the door, $8 pre-purchase online Group prices: If you are bringing a group of 15 or more contact Sue Whitney at info@ junkmarketstyle.com for reduced rates For all of the details visit: Updated daily so visit often www.junkmarketstyleevents.com. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 20-May, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 . After You is the first exhibition in Rochester Art Center’s 2016 3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series, featuring new sculpture and installation-based work by Emmett Ramstad, a Minneapolis-based artist. The sculptures in the exhibition originate from familiar bathroom features such as towel dispensers, soap dishes, bathroom stalls, and restroom insignia. Together they form extra-ordinary pieces that distort the scale and function of bathroom surroundings and ask the viewer to reconsider their public grooming associations, as well as constructions of cleanliness. 507-388-4200 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 20-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. Stay Out of the Sun Run/Walk: 20-May, 5:00 PM, Lourdes High School, 2800 19th St. NW, Rochester, $25 . The 11th annual Stay Out of the Sun Run/Walk is an event that raises awareness for melanoma research and education at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Events include a 10k run, 5k run and walk. Silent auction is also available as well as other entertainment. 507-282-8629 Southland Elementary PTO Carnival: 20May, 6:00 PM, Southland Elementary School, 201 1st Street NE, Rose Creek, Free. Please join us for the annual Southalnd Elementary PTO Carnival! You will find: *GAMES FOR ALL AGES!! Tickets 25 Nascar Figure 8 Obstacle Course, Dragon Bouncer, Dunk Tank, Cake Walk, TP Toss, Duck Pond, PlunkO and many, many more!!! *Food: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Walking Tacos, Pop, Snow Cones, Cotton Candy and more! *Many items for the silent auction and raffle. Trivia Night Fundraiser: 20-May, 6:30 PM, Old Main Village, 301 S 5th St., Mankato, $20-$25. $20/BECHS Members $25/Adults $200/Table of 8. Come one, come all and have

an enjoyable time testing you trivia knowledge with friends. There will be 5 rounds of 9 general trivia questions and one Blue Earth County questions. Prizes given each round, and a grand prize for the team with the most points at the end of the night. Old Main Village will have heavy appetizers and Buffalo Wild Wings will have a cash bar. Rochester Area Moms, Moms Night Out: Movie Night: 20-May, 7:00 PM, Paragon Chateau 14 Theater, 3450 East Circle Drive NE, Rochester, $9.50 . We are heading to the movies for a moms night out. We will be seeing ‘Mothers Day’ on opening night. We hope to see you there! If you have questions on where to find us, please email us at moms@ rochmoms.org. Merely Players Present: Leading Ladies: 20-May, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Community Center, 110 Fulton St., Mankato, $10-$13. A hilarious comedy about two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, who find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing Scenes from Shakespeare on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives arent nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls headover-petticoat in love with the old ladys vivacious niece, Meg, whos engaged to the local minister. Meg knows that theres a wide world out there, but its not until she meets Maxine and Stephanie that she finally gets a taste of it. Building Bonanza Week: 20-May, All Day, Minnesota Children’s Museum Rochester, 1643 N. Broadway, Rochester, $0-$5.50. Museum Admission: $5.50 Ages 1-101; Free Children Under 1. Little Builders opens this week, and the fun is just getting started. Visit the new exhibit and explore the concepts of construction, motion, and simple machines. We will also have an 11am sing along on Wednesday, a cherry picker from Rochester Public Utilities Friday at 11am, Banfield Vet Hospital will be visiting us on Saturday, May 21st at 11:30a, and Sylvan Learning Centers will teach us all about Lego Robotics on Sunday the 22nd from 1-3p. Root River Triathlon: 21-May, 8:30 AM, Houston Nature Center, 215 Plum Street, Houston, $50 . This doable, non-swimming triathlon is set in the Root River valley in scenic Bluff Country. The first triathlon was held 1998 by the City of Houston. Participation is open to men and women of every age (young people of 17 years and younger with the consent of their guardian!!) Participants begin by canoeing or kayaking 6.8 miles down river from Houston to Mound Prairie. Then they hop on their bikes for an 7.9-mile road-ride back to Houston. Some hills en route are challenging (% grade) and demand an extra effort. The race wraps up with a 3.0 mile, fairly level run, starting on the Root River trail and then through the streets of Houston. The finish is at the Band Shell in beautiful Trailhead Park where the award ceremony will take place around noon. (While your kids can check out the Natural Playground with rocks, water feature, large sand play area and a labyrinth. (But to name a few.) Art Journaling For The Soul: 21-May, 9:00 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $10 . Come express your creative energy. Discover different ways to use art in journaling. Art journaling can be an outlet for expressing your dreams, thoughts and feelings. Bring a journal that will open flat and will work

for drawing and coloring. Please bring your own colored pencils or markers. Your guide will be Carol Bailey. Registration Required. Building Bonanza Week: 21-May, 9:00 AM, Minnesota Children’s Museum Rochester, 1643 N. Broadway, Rochester, $0-$5.50. Museum Admission: $5.50 Ages 1-101; Free Children Under 1. Uncorked Junkmarket Style, Spring Edition: 21-May, 9:00 AM, Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, 78757 MN-16, Spring Valley, $10-$25. Come one, come all to this art and vintage affair designed for you, your friends and your family. In other words it is an event that everyone will enjoy! This is a ‘back by popular demand’ affair that will host some of the finest artisans and vintage dealers anywhere that can only be curated by the ORIGINAL JUNKMARKET! Treat yourself to the very best vintage, art, craft and organic shopping experience available...not to mention nationally acclaimed wine, signature sangrias, delectable food and a gorgeous location. To make things even better we will be providing live music, giveaways, and more! Uncorked JUNKMARKET Style, Spring Edition May 19-21, 2016 At Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery Open for Business: Thursday, May 19, 2016 - Early Bird Shopping 9 to 11AM, Regular Admission 11AM to 6 PM Friday, May 20, 2016 - Regular Admission 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday - Regular Admission 9 AM to 4 PM Cost: Early Bird Admission - $25.00 at the door, $20 pre-purchase online. Early Bird Admission includes admission all weekend. Regular Admission - $10 at the door, $8 pre-purchase online Group prices: If you are bringing a group of 15 or more contact Sue Whitney at info@ junkmarketstyle.com for reduced rates For all of the details visit: Updated daily so visit often www.junkmarketstyleevents.com. Tractor Ride - Field Days: 21-May, 10:00 AM, Tractor Ride, East of downtown, Colfax, Free. Before the tractor ride come out and see the tractors. Don’t have a tractor? Plan to ride on spectator wagons and have a great time with others of the same interest! Lunch will be served at Red Cedar Pullers concession stand. Coffee, donuts, will be available before the ride. No cost to participate!!! Emmett Ramstad: After You: 21-May, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 SE MN Celiac Support Group Meeting: 21-May, 10:00 AM, Baldwin Building, 2nd St and 4th Ave SW, 1st Floor, Rochester, Free. Guest speaker, Jackie See, MS, RD, LD, our dietitian, will present Whats New, Whats True in Nutrition for People with Celiac Disease.’ Free parking in the Baldwin ramp. All are welcome! For more info on our group, http://sites.google. com/site/semnceliacs/ Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 21-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Party In The Park: 21-May, 11:00 AM, Manthey Park, 225 NE 24th Street, Owatonna, Free. May 21st is National Kids to Park Day and were celebrating with a PARTY in the PARK! Enjoy FREE activities in Manthey Park take your turn in the bounce house and do a craft in the pavilion. While youre there fill up for lunch with the Godfathers Pizza truck and Kona Ice (normal rate apply for pizza and Kona Ice) Merely Players Present: Leading Ladies: 21-May, 2:00 PM, Lincoln Community Center, 110 Fulton St., Mankato, $10-$13. 507-282-8629 Cronin Home 4th Annual Blues and BBQ: 21-May, 4:00 PM, Olmsted County 4-H Building, 1508 Aune Drive, Rochester, $10 .

Our annual Blues and BBQ event will feature live blues music, All-You-Can-Eat BBQ, a silent auction, kids activities including face painting and balloon art and much more!. Close to You - Music of the Carpenters: 21-May, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$22. $10 Students/$17 Members/$22 Non-members Free w/overnight stay at the Historic Hutchinson House B&B. Lisa Rock has been performing to sold-out crowds for years. Shes written more than 15 original concerts and cabarets that have been seen across the country. Now, Rock has arranged a 6-piece band, complete with backup singers, and together they are dedicated to creating a Carpenters experience like no other. Rocks amazing four octave range allows her to sing the hits like Weve Only Just Begun and Rainy Days and Mondays in their original key, keeping the songs genuine and more recognizable for the audience. When she hits the lower range of her marvelous voice, notes critic Alan Bresloff, if you close your eyes, you can see Karen Carpenters face. Merely Players Present: Leading Ladies: 21-May, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Community Center, 110 Fulton St., Mankato, $10-$13. Peter Mayer: 21-May, 8:00 PM, State Theater, 96 E 4th St, Zumbrota, $20-$23. With breath-taking guitar work and intelligent lyrics to match, Peter Mayer delivers richly layered songs about interconnectedness and the human journey. Mayers songs have been compared to Shaker furniture clean and light, yet hardly simple Merely Players Present: Leading Ladies: 22-May, All Day, Lincoln Community Center, 110 Fulton St., Mankato, $10-$13. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 22-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Love and Logic: 22-May, 2:00 PM, Zumbro Lutheran Church, 624 3rd Ave SW, Rochester, $150-$250. Financial consideration ALWAYS given--ALL PARENTS ARE WELCOME REGARDLESS OF ABILITY TO PAY FEE!. Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! Sundays(5), 2-3 pm, 24 Apr; 01, 08, 15, 22 May An early childhood parenting program designed by the experts at the Love and Logic Institute. Join us as we laugh and giggle our way to the skills required to feel more relaxed, hopeful, and positive about raising children. As we learn more, well discover that parenting really should be enjoyableand that we can teach personal responsibility and respect without losing our childrens love. We will learn how to: -Avoid un-winnable power-struggles and arguments -Stay calm when kids do incredibly upsetting things -Set enforceable limits -Avoid enabling and begin empowering -Help kids learn from mistakes rather than repeating them -Raise kids who are family members rather than dictators And much more! This parenting program is designed to give you practical skills that can be used immediately with all kids and families! Location: Zumbro Lutheran Church, 624 3rd Ave SW, Rochester, 55902 Contact Andy: apjohnsrud@gmail.com OR 507.358.9832 Cost: $150 individual, $250 couple (financial consideration ALWAYS given with need) Andy is an independent facilitator of Love and Logic curricula. 507-282-8481 Joseph Langland Retrospective: 22-May, 2:00 PM, Giants of the Earth Heritage Center, 163 West Main Street, Spring Grove, Free. Poet Joseph Langland was born in Spring Grove and established the Letters Program at the U MA Amherst campus. We are celebrating his life, his work and his critical acclaim in an exhibit and program that include film, music, a picnic, and the opening of the Joseph Langland Liter-

Deuces Wild, Dueling Pianos 7:30 p.m., June 3 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault There are certain venues where you want to see certain acts play. You really want to see The Dave Matthews Band play at The Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. You want to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. You want to see Billy Joel play Madison Square Garden. Eric Clapton at The Royal Albert Hall. The Replacements at The 7th Street Entry (in 1983). Mark Cohn at the Weesner Family Amphitheater in Apple Valley (for real). Neil Diamond at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. These are venues where the artists are comfortable. They know the audiences that come to see them at these venues, and generally they make for extra special shows. These stages feel like home to them You want to see Deuces Wild at the Paradise Center for the Arts on June 3. For five years Dave Eichholz and Ted Manderfeld have appeared on the Paradise Stage, each time to a sold out crowd that was hardly ever in their seats. These guys work the Paradise better than anyone else ever has. They own the place. Manderfeld and Eichholz, partners for going on 14 years, are a dueling pianos tandem, mostly. They set two baby grands on the stage facing each other and bang the hell out of them. They connect with the audience (usually poking good natured fun) and offer the kind of on-stage chemistry that allows them to finish each other’ improvised sentences. Eichholz will pick up a guitar or saxophone from time to time, while Manderfeld blows a mean harmonica. Generally to get see and hear entertainment of this level, you’d have to go to Vegas. Instead, Dave and Ted bring that with them. To Faribault. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@ southernminnscene.com. ary nature trail on the edge of town. Jazz Jam with The D’Sievers: 22-May, 5:30 PM, Rochester Civic Theatre, 20 Civic Center Dr SE, Rochester, Free. Free and open to the public! Come enjoy an evening of live jazz & open mic at the Rochester Civic Theatre! Join hosts John Sievers (on trombone) and The DSievers as they host a jazz open mic night. Bring your instrument or your voice and sign up to play or sing a tune along with a live jazz rhythm section! Musicians of all experience levels and all ages are welcome to participate. Come with tunes in mind and bring changes for the rhythm section if you are playing an unusual tune or in an unusual key. Everyone is welcome to come out and and enjoy a great night of music at The Civic! Building Bonanza Week: 22-May, All Day, Minnesota Children’s Museum Rochester, 1643

N. Broadway, Rochester, $0-$5.50. Museum Admission: $5.50 Ages 1-101; Free Children Under 1. Twins Game: Take Me Out to the Ball Game!: 23-May, 9:30 AM, Rochester Senior Center, 121 N Broadway Ave, Rochester, $65-$70. Members: $65, Non-Members $70. The Rochester Senior Center is hosting a trip to the Twins game again this year. Call your family and friends! Join us for a trip to Target Field to watch your Minnesota Twins take on the Philadelphia Phillies! What a great way to spend the day with fun people who are just as excited to cheer on the team and enjoy the beautiful stadium! We’ve got great seats right near first base, so come along with us and enjoy America’s favorite pastime! Amazing seats; Section 107, Rows 20, 21, and 22. Cost: $65 Members, $70 Non-Members RSVP by June 1st, no refunds

after June 1st Leaving the Rochester Senior Center at 9:30 am and Hobby Lobby parking lot by 9:40 am. Box Lunch Available from Great Harvest for $10. Ask for details when reserving your seat. Open to the public. Registration and payment required by June 1st. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 23-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Mayo Clinic Hospice Community Grief Support Group: 23-May, 1:00 PM, Mayo Clinic Hospice, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, Free. Death of a Significant Other Mayo Clinic Hospice invites you to join one of our Rochester Adult Grief Support Groups. Grief Support groups provide an opportunity to meet with others who have experienced a similar loss. Through sharing and facilitator support, the group will help normalize your

The Merlin Players Present 1776 June 17-19, 23-25 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault And here you though Hamilton was a strange topic choice for a Broadway Musical. Some forty five years before Lin-Manuel Miranda’s unstoppable opus took New York by storm, there was Sherman Edwards’ and Peter Stones’ 1776, a pop take on the way things got going for The United States of America. If you think about it, the topic isn’t really an oddball choice. After all, Les Miserables is centered on the Paris Uprising of 1832. Miss Saigon is set during the Vietnam War. Evita is about Eve Peron, the former First Lady of Argentina. There’s even an emo musical about proto-Trumpian President Andrew Jackson. In fact, for as long as there have been Greek choruses, there has been historical theater. Why shouldn’t there be a musical about the creation, debate and signing of the Declaration of Independence? 1776 offers no rap battles in the cabinet room, or helicopters landing on stage. In fact, having premiered in 1969, the show bears a much stronger resemblance to the traditional golden age musicals of the time. However the musical was, and is, considered a masterpiece for it’s forward use of irreverence (or at least what was considered irreverent at the time), and for its strong reliance on dialogue (a space in the second act famously puts

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nearly thirty minutes between songs). The show is most remarkable when put into its own historical contest. During an age of widespread distrust of the government, authority and “anyone over thirty,” 1776 was able to inspire the pride of American heroism and idealism in the young Baby Boom generation. Besides that, it’s just a really good show, with great music and characters. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson are presented as complicated men who were far more than mere “rivals.” And while there are probably revisionist undertones in the characters of Abigail Adams and Martha Jefferson, the show does instruct us that a more diverse group than the traditional idea of the Founding Fathers put the United States together. It should also be noted that this is Merlin Players’ Artistic Director Julianna Skluzacek’s 100th directed production. Her abilities as a director, as well as the Merlin Players’ devotion to their AD, should make this the must see production of the summer. Skluzacek’s cast won’t let her down in a milestone production like this. This combination of script, songbook, director and cast should produce some spectacular results. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

A d d y o u r e v en t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l en d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

grief experience and offer support and comfort. Eight consecutive Monday meetings will be held from April 4th through May 23, 2016. The groups are free of charge and open to anyone from the community who has lost a significant person in their life through death. Registration closes on March 25, 2016. For information and registration, please contact: Dianne Axen Bereavement Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Hospice - Phone: 507-284-4002 or 1-800-679-9084 - email: axen.dianne@mayo.edu. - or - Debbie Ball - Administrative Assistant - Mayo Clinic Hospice - Phone: 507-284-4002 or 1-800-6799084 - email: ball.debra@mayo.edu Time Trader Orientation: 23-May, 5:30 PM, Rochester Area Family YMCA, 709 1st Avenue SW, Rochester, Free. We have group orientations the 4th Monday of the month at 5:30p.m. at Rochester Family YMCA. Time Trader is an organized exchange network through which members earn Time Credits (TC) for time spent helping other members. One hour of service earns one TC. With TC, members can buy services they want or need. For example, if you give one hour of childcare, you can receive one hour of painting, accounting, transportation assistance, or a piano lesson, and the list goes on. Community Grief Support Group: 23-May, 6:30 PM, Mayo Clinic Hospice, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, Free. Death of a Child or Grandchild Death of a Parent or Grandparent Death of a Spouse or Significant Other Mayo Clinic Hospice invites you to join one of our Rochester Adult Grief Support Groups. Grief Support groups provide an opportunity to meet with others who have experienced a similar loss. Through sharing and facilitator support, the group will help normalize your grief experience and offer support and comfort. Eight consecutive Monday meetings will be held from April 4th through May 23, 2016. The groups are free of charge and open to anyone from the community who has lost a significant person in their life through death. Registration closes on March 25, 2016. For information and registration, please contact: Dianne Axen Bereavement Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Hospice - Phone: 507-284-4002 or 1-800-679-9084 - email: axen.dianne@mayo.edu. - or - Debbie Ball - Administrative Assistant - Mayo Clinic Hospice - Phone: 507-284-4002 or 1-800-6799084 - email: ball.debra@mayo.edu. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 24-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Jane & Mary: Ee’s Next Fabulous Adventure: 24-May, 11:00 AM, Mantorville Farmers and Artisan Market, Riverside Park, Mantorville, Free. Art and craft supplies. Period costumes & accessories. Some ‘raw’ materials. Some repurposed items. Home decor. ETC. ETC. ETC. Most from the sizeable stashes we have used over the years to create our art. Now you get to sort through it all to find your treasures and inspiration to create your own. Each sale will profile new stuff. For more information, contact us: ejolive@kmtel.com or lambertmarylee@ hotmail.com. ‘Improve Your Health for a Better Self!’: 25-May, 9:30 AM, Rochester Senior Center, 121 N Broadway Ave, Rochester, Free. This year the Rochester Senior Center will be hosting the 23rd Annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day event. The goal for this day is to provide education and resources to help older adults be more healthy and fit! Come check us out! You can check our 125LIVEmn.org website for the latest information and activities for this event. Everyone is Welcome! Free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 25-May, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 . 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 25-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Karaoke: 25-May, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 - 10:30 PM every Wednesday! Paint Nite: 25-May, 6:30 PM, The Wicked Moose, 1201 Eastgate Drive SE, Rochester, $45 . Mixing paint and cocktails for a picture perfect nite on the town, and inspiring individuals to #DrinkCreatively. Paint Nite is the world leader in social painting party, Hosted at local hot spots in more than 150 cities worldwide (thats 1,000 different bars and restaurants!), its always easy to find a Paint Nite event near you! In about 2 hours time, a master artist leads your party through the steps to create a 16 x 20 acrylic masterpiece that you get to bring home with you. We cover the painting supplies and you cover your clothes with one of our fabulous signature Paint Nite bright green aprons. (Hands, arms, and face are fair game!) Use code ROCHFBA15 to get $15 OFF today!. . Spring Fling Expo: 26-May, 9:00 AM, Peace Plaza, 1st Ave SW & 1st St SW, Rochester, Free. A Spring Fling Expo in Rochester. Come out and chat with some of the health and Wellness Vendors, Jewelry, Fashion Vendors. Grab a bite to eat and enjoy it with free cup cakes. An portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the American Red Cross for disaster relief. Area Moms Playgroup: 26-May, 9:30 AM, Kutzky Park, 213 13th Ave NW, Rochester, Free. Join us for a morning of play at Kutzky Park! We look forward to seeing you there! Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 26-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 27-May, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 27-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Hosanna’s Pantry: 28-May, 9:00 AM, Hosanna Lutheran Church, 2815 57th St NW, Rochester, Free. Hosanna’s Pantry is a satellite food shelf of Channel One food bank in

Rochester. A photo ID is required. Coffee and treats are served while you wait to shop. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 28-May, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 . 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 28-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 29-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. (507) 281-6189 Bingo: 28-May, 1:00 PM, American Legion, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. Bingo 1PM the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. Kitchen open at 11:00 serving delicious foods! $1.00 and $2.00 cards. MedCity Mafia Roller Derby vs SCAR Dolls: 28-May, 7:00 PM, Graham Arena Complex, 1570 Fairgrounds Ave, Rochester, $10$12. Well be sending the SCAR Dolls home with a few more scars after we whomp them in typical MedCity Mafia Roller Derby fashion! This is our second-to-last home game of the season. In other words, this your second-to-last chance to see us play this year! Dont miss out! Doors open at 6; whistle blows at 7. Tickets are $12 at the door. Pre-sale tickets are $10; get them at the Wicked Moose Bar & Grill or from your favorite skater (pre-sale ends Friday, May 27). Seniors and kids ages 6 to 12 pay only $7 (pre-sale) $8 (door), and kids 5 and under get in for free! Our charity for this bout is NAMI Southeast Minnesota, a local affiliate of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

WEEK of May 30-June 4: Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 30-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. New Ulm Library Launches the 2016 Summer Reading Program!: 31-May, 9:00 AM, New Ulm Public Library, 17 N. Broadway, New Ulm, Free. On Your Mark, Get SetRead! Please join us for the 2016 Summer Reading Program Registration Kickoff on Tuesday, May 31 at New Ulm Public Library! The fun begins at 9:30 a.m. on May 31 with registration for children and teens ages 0 to 18. Local performer Doug Hughes will make balloon creations for kids from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Special programs, games, activities, storytimes, and more will be available throughout the Summer Reading Program, which concludes on Saturday, July 30. The schedule of activities is available at the library or at www.newulmlibrary.org. This years Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the New Ulm Public Library with special program assistance from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative and funding from the Optimist Club of New Ulm. Community donors include organizations, businesses, and individuals. Call 507-359-8336 for more information. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 31-May, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Hayden Prairie Audubon Trip: 31-May, 5:15 PM, Fleet Farm, 4891 Maine Ave SE, Rochester, Free. Hayden Prairie is famed for its show of flowers in early summer. This 240 acre tallgrass prairie is just a tiny part of the vast prairies that once covered our area. We should see thousands of Shooting Stars and many other prairie wildflowers, as well as a good assortment of birds. Meet at the NW part of the Fleet Farm parking lot to carpool. We will plan to leave at 5:15 pm. You may want to eat dinner during the hour drive south to Hayden Prairie. Dress for the weather and hiking through prairie vegetation. We will return by 9pm or a bit earlier. Audubon Leader: Joel Dunnette. James Taylor: 31-May, 8:00 PM, Verizon Wireless Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, $68-$92.50. Best known for his sweet, folk rock ballads like Fire and Rain and Sweet Baby James, Taylor has enjoyed a successful recording and performing career for nearly 50 years. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has won five Grammy awards and has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. After a 12 year recording hiatus, his most recent album of original material debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in June of last year. The album, Before This World, has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal album. Sundowners Car Club: 1-Jun, 7:30 PM, Northfield VFW Post 4393, 516 Division Street, Northfield, Free. Founded in 1992, the Sundowners Car Club is for the car enthusiast that likes special interest vehicles. Whether you own one, are building one, or just dreaming of owning one, this is the club for you. You can find us on Facebook (507) 645-8546 Emmett Ramstad: After You: 1-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5. 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 1-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Berne Wood Fired Pizza Summer Concert Series: 1-Jun, 5:00 PM, Zwingli United Church of Christ, 23148 County Highway 24, West Concord, Free. Delicious wood fired pizza will be sold along with a free summer concert series on the beautiful, rural grounds of Zwingli United Church of Christ located 7 miles west of Pine Island and 10 miles north of Kasson. Some picnic tables are provided but bringing lawn chairs is recommended. Pop, water and ice cream are sold. You may bring your own refreshments including beer and wine. Visit our website or find us on Facebook. Karaoke: 1-Jun, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 - 10:30 PM every Wednesday!

Rochester Honkers vs. Eau Claire Express (Home Opener): 1-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. The Rochester Honkers enter their 23rd season as a member of the Northwoods League, the countrys premier summer collegiate baseball league. Every summer, top collegiate players move to Rochester for an incredible summer experience. Exciting Game Promotions, Fun Entertainment, Delicious Concessions, and the Best Happy Hour in town on the Sports Deck all contribute to a fun-filled, family-oriented experience. Come See the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Today! The Rochester Honkers: Pure Baseball, Pure Fun! Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 2-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Rochester Honkers vs. Mankato MoonDogs: 2-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. The Rochester Honkers enter their 23rd season as a member of the Northwoods League, the countrys premier summer collegiate baseball league. Every summer, top collegiate players move to Rochester for an incredible summer experience. Exciting Game Promotions, Fun Entertainment, Delicious Concessions, and the Best Happy Hour in town on the Sports Deck all contribute to a fun-filled, family-oriented experience. Come See the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Today! The Rochester Honkers: Pure Baseball, Pure Fun! Rochester Area Moms Playgroup: 3-Jun, 9:30 AM, Oxbow Park, 5731 County Road 105 Northwest, Byron, Free. Join us for a morning of play at Oxbow Park. We will be playing in the natural playscape area of the park. The natural playscape is a place where children’s imaginations can run wild! Feel free to pack a lunch to eat after playing. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 3-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 3-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. Story Time: 3-Jun, 10:30 AM, Historic R.D. Hubbard House, 606 S. Broad St., Mankato, Free. Join Mary Esther Hubbard for a special Story Time on the Lawn of the Historic R. D. Hubbard House. Story Time includes a story and crafts. Story Time is free and open to the public. 651-388-8700 La Mese delle Donne (A Month of Women): 3-Jun, 6:00 PM, RCTC Art Gallery - College Center Room 200, 851 30th Ave SE, Rochester, Free. The show will be held at Rochester Community Technical Colleges UCR Art Gallery! The past 3 years we have focused on showcasing the work of Rochester area artists. With the exhibit entering its 4th year the organizers decided to open it up to the State of Minnesota! The theme for this years exhibit is Womanhood: what does it mean to you? This exhibit will showcase the work of Minnesota women artists, writers, poets, and dancers. The focus of this event is to celebrate women creatives that live in the State of Minnesota. June 3rd will be the exhibit opening reception which will focus on the visual artists involved in the exhibit. It begins at 6 pm Artist talk starts promptly at 7 pm. Closes at 9 pm. The Second reception will be held June 10th 6-9 pm. This closing reception will be focused on performance. This includes Dance, Spoken Word/Poetry and a fashion show. Performances will begin promptly at 6:30. The artwork will be up the whole month of June for those who are unable to attend the receptions. The UCR Art gallery is open 9:30 am - 4:00 pm M-F, by request on Saturday. Women to be showcased: Cassandra Buck, Amara Vercnocke, Suz Szucs, Jennifer Jesseph, Alison McClocklin, Heather Jerdee, Dawn Sanborn, Susan Waughtal, Catherine Park, Stephanie Macrafic, Jessica Ripley, Karla Giguere, Kari Dunn, Sophie Marie Knetter, Angela McHue, Laura Rice, Bethany Clarke, Sandy Gillespie, Linda Seebauer-Hansen, Nicole Daniels, Susan Hensel, Amber McCornack, Pam Whitefield, Dina Osullivan, Linda Morganstein, Lynn Unangst-Vitale, Kim Zabel, Lori Stolz, and Antares American Tribal Style Belly Dance Troupe members: Kaye Shannon Suzanne Szucs With Andrea Cheville Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/antares For more information please contact Cassandra Buck at: (507)319-4038 or crbuckrose@ hotmail.com or Suzanne Szucs at: rsonia09@ gmail.com Show will be held at: Rochester Community and Technical College UCR Art Gallery CC200 851 30th ave SE Rochester MN 55904 https://www.facebook.com/ events/459924454217743/ ?ti=cl. 507282-8629 Dazed and Confused (1993): 3-Jun, 7:30 PM, Sheldon Theatre, 443 West 3rd Street, Red Wing, $3-$5. Director and Writer: Richard Linklater Stars: Jason London, Matthew McConaughey This critically acclaimed cult favorite, written and directed by Richard Linklater (The School of Rock), explores the last day of school - and one wild night - in the lives of high school students in 1976. Complete with bongs and bell bottoms, macrame and mood rings, and featuring classic rock music by Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and KISS, this superb ensemble cast of up-and-comers (Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey and Milla Jovovich) delivers an enduring film that Rolling Stone called ‘spectacularly funny!’ 1976 was a time they’d never forget... if only they could remember... (amazon.com). Ray Bonneville: 3-Jun, 8:00 PM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, $18-$21. Bluesinfluenced, New Orleans-inspired song and

Smokin’ In Steele June 3-4 Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna Someone once said “The Blues ain’t nothin’ but a good man feelin’ bad.” It’s a great saying, but it no longer applies. To be sure, feeling down can help to write a great blues song (and vice versa), but in the 21st century you don’t need to be down in the dumps to play or enjoy the blues. In fact at just about any blues festival in the country, the feeling is the exact opposite. The original point of singing the blues was catharsis, and today’s blues players have the music down to such a science that its anthemic release can’t help but lift the spirits of all within ear shot. In other words, there’s nothing better than the blues. Unless, or course, you combine the music with barbecue. And while a barbecue and blues festival is not exactly a new idea, it’s such a good one that we need to celebrate every time one comes around. So once again we hail John “Blueshammer” Hammer and the Owatonna

groove man, Ray Bonneville is a poet of the demimonde who didnt write his first song until his early 40s, some 20 years after he started performing. But with a style that sometimes draws comparisons to JJ Cale and Daniel Lanois, he luckily found his rightful calling. Salute to Rhubarb Fest: 4-Jun, 9:00 AM, Fountain City Park, South Main Street, Fountain City, Free. This is a first time event held in City Park in beautiful Fountain City, WI. It is a beautiful drive among rolling hills and valleys. The city is located on State Highway 35 also known as ‘The Great River Road’. The events will include a arts and craft show, games for all ages, food and entertainment. On of the events will be the rhubarb tasting contest that the crowd favorite will be the ‘Rhubarb Royalty’. Other events include the purchase of a rhubarb cookbook. Local musicians will have a rhubarb jam fest. The Rhubarb Stalk Car races will be available to all ages. The largest leaf contest and tossing of the rhubarb will be sure to interest everyone. Other events include bean bag and biking events. Eagle Bluff Summer High Ropes Challenge: 4-Jun, 10:00 AM, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, $25 . June, July, August Tuesdays 1:00pm Saturdays 10:00am & 2:00pm $25 per person Meet the challenge on the ropes course this summer! Travel from tower to tower over wires and wooden boards to reach the zip-line and enjoy the best view of SE Minnesota! This confidence building experience is great for family outings, reunions, scouts, youth groups, and individuals. Reservations Required. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 4-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Stories in Stone - An Architectural Tour: 4-Jun, 10:00 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $10 . Assisi Heights has stories engraved on its walls. But many more anecdotes tell the stories that chronicle the history hidden behind the walls. Come to see some of the architectural features up close, learn about the aesthetic design aspects and a few often overlooked artistic features. Hear stories ‘imbedded’ in these stones to unravel the mystic nature of Assisi Heights. Please wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Lupus and Autoimmune Diseases Support Group: 4-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Public Library, 101 SE 2nd Street, Rochester, Free. People living with lupus and other autoimmune diseases are invited to attend this free community support group. Offered by the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota. Group meets at the Rochester Public Library on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00-11:30 a.m. For more information, contact leader Arianna Thome at 612-730-4698 or visit LupusMN.org. 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 4-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Walk Around the World Event: 4-Jun, 11:00 AM, RCTC-UCR Regional Sports Center, 851 30th Ave SE, Rochester, Free. In Celebration of World Refugee Day. CeleBARK 2016: 4-Jun, 12:00 PM, Eagles Club, 917 15th ave SE, Rochester, Free. Celebrate all the season has to offer at a BACB Unleashed signature event for dogs and their humans. CeleBARK 2016 is a dog and familyfriendly event along the shore of the Zumbro River with contests, games, demonstrations, treats and tail-wagging fun. Try your pawerr handat the Temptation Tower or see if you and your dog can win at the Peanut Butter Challenge! It is as much fun to watch as it is to do. There are prizes for the winners and, oh, dont miss the medallion hunt; where will the medallion be this year? Youll have to attend and follow the clues to find out! Humans and

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

Knights of Columbus for bringing us the 10th (we think) annual Smokin’ in Steele BBQ & Blues Festival, June 3-4 at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, SiS serves as a state championship cook off, with the winners heading for the big national competition in KC. The competitors along with those who come in to watch, smell and eat will be serenaded by The Fabulous Armadillos, Dave Lambert & The Motivators, The Jimmys, Tullie Brae, The Bridget Kelly Band, Armadillo Jump and many more. There’s also a 5K run, an antique tractor parade, an amateur barbecue contest, harmonica lessons for the kids, a hot rod car show, a big rig display… it just goes on and on. Did we mention that the proceeds benefit The Special Olympics of Minnesota? What more reason do you need to go? See you there. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

Blondie 7:30 p.m., June 11 Weesner Family Amphitheater, Apple Valley Iggy Pop played a concert in the Cities that brought the house down, and brought reams and reams of reverential tribute from the local music scribes and fans alike. There was just a brief rumor, for about two days last week that Talking Heads would reform with David Byrne and go on tour this year. Before those rumors were squelched by drummer Chris Frantz, half the music loving world lost their minds. The Ramones, a band without one single living original member, was just on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Mention the names Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine or the New York Dolls to any music historian and you’ll feel an air of respect roll over you like a cool fog. The New York punk/new-wave scene, centered around the world famous club in the Bowery, CBGB, inspired so many young artists and musicians that we’re still feeling their influence 40 years later (see: Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips, The Hold Steady, Radiohead, Panic! At the Disco, and even Lady Gaga). The first season of HBO’s underrated series Vinyl touched on the importance of that scene going back to 1973. Without the music in that place and time it’s conceivable the Twin Cities would not have produced The Replacements, Hüsker Dü or Soul Asylum. Its importance just cannot be diminished. Among the most successful of all the bands to come out of that era was Blondie. Debbie Harry’s punk attitude combined with her gorgeous looks to create the first true New Wave superstar (she could sing a little bit, too, by the way). You could make the case that they subversively destroyed disco by incorporating a four-on-the-floor beat into their massive hit Heart of Glass, and two years later introduced an entire generation of white kids to rap with Rapture. I’m not sure the Weesner Family Amphitheater has ever seen anything quite like a Blondie show. Even as the members of the band become card carrying members of AARP and have to worry about falling too hard and breaking their hips, they can still bring the same buoyant energy, kind of a condescending enthusiasm set to a beat that compels the body to move involuntarily, that they had on that grimy, dirty, cramped stage in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1978. Even the Weesner’s famous bugs that collect in the stage lights will be grooving. If they cared about such things, we would hail the band as living legends. Instead we’ll just tell you to go see one of the best bands ever. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@ southernminnscene.com.

their well-mannered dogs that are current on their vaccinations are most welcomed. Rescue groups showcase dogs available for adoption and pet-related vendors highlight items/

services for purchase. We invite vendors and rescue groups to join us at this signature event. If you are interested in being a vendor or are a rescue group that would like to attend, please

w w w. s o u t h e r N m I N n SCENE. c o m

contact Pam at 612.816.7366 Victorian Lawn Party: 4-Jun, 1:00 PM, Historic R.D. Hubbard House, 606 S. Broad St., Mankato, Free. Take a step back in time and

| JUNE 2016

Kesha 8 p.m., June 16 Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel, Prior Lake

Grand Ole Paradise 7:30 p.m., June 11 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault Remember Hee Haw? My dad loved Hee Haw. We’d watch it every Saturday night before Emergency came on. Okay, I may have dated myself so hard that all our millennial readers’ eyes just rolled back into their heads. Let’s start over. Hee Haw was a syndicated television show that showcased the best – and some might say the worst – of The Grand Ole Opry. It was full of corny jokes and country girls dressed in Daisy Dukes but it also showcased some legends of country music. Each week Roy Clark and Buck Owens had a segment called “Pickin’ and Grinnin’” where they would tell bad jokes and then play amazing country licks. On any given week you’d see people like Roy Acuff, Glen Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Merle Haggard, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, and even The Sons of The Pioneers. It was sincere family entertainment and there was always amazing music on that show. The Paradise Center for the Arts has taken the old Hee Haw model and adapted it for their stage to bring us Grand Ole Paradise. Directed by Barb Piper, the show will features more than a dozen of the finest musicians in Rice County, including Mike Hildebrandt, Doug Madow, Helen Forsythe and Ed Treinen. Piper has assembled a wide range of guests ranging in age from 90 years old to 5th grade, and the music presented will range from Hank Williams to Alison Krauss to Chris Stapleton. I’m also told the emcee of this show is incredibly charming and handsome. This is the second time in three years the PCA has produced Grand Ole Paradise. The reviews from 2014 were outstanding and Piper says they are building on the success of the last show with more music and a larger cast. She expects a large, enthusiastic audience. “Tickets to this show go very quickly,” she said. The Paradise is one of the treasures of the SoMinn arts scene that depends on support from the community. The fact that they are able to produce original programming like this and have the cream of the local talent pool on board should serve as a ringing endorsement. If all those people think the Paradise is worth supporting, you should probably take a look, yourself. This show would be a great place to start. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@ southernminnscene.com.

enjoy traditional Victorian Lawn games on the grounds of the Hubbard House. Games include croquet, three-legged races, the hoop game and more. There will be a doll and teddy bear tea party, chances to take selfies with out Victorian cut-outs and refreshments. Events on the lawn are free, admission charged for tours of the Historic R. D. Hubbard House. Sacred the Land, Sacred the Earth!: 4-Jun, 1:30 PM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, Free. Come and explore the 60-year old history of this precious piece of earth held sacred by our Franciscan values and beliefs. Walk on the cusp on the oak savannah, prairies and caves, which lie beside native lands. Eagle Bluff Summer High Ropes Challenge: 4-Jun, 2:00 PM, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, $25 . June, July, August Tuesdays 1:00pm Saturdays 10:00am & 2:00pm $25 per person Meet the challenge on the ropes course this summer! Travel from tower to tower over wires and wooden boards to reach the zip-line and enjoy the best view of SE Minnesota! This confidence building experience is great for family outings, reunions, scouts, youth groups, and individuals. Reservations Required.

WEEK of June 5-11: Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 5-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. Rochester Honkers vs. La Crosse Loggers: 5-Jun, 1:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. The Rochester Honkers enter their 23rd season as a member of the Northwoods League, the countrys premier summer collegiate baseball league. Every summer, top collegiate players move to Rochester for an incredible summer experience. Exciting Game Promotions, Fun Entertainment, Delicious Concessions, and the Best Happy Hour in town on the Sports Deck all contribute to a fun-filled, family-oriented experience. Come See the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Today! The Rochester Honkers: Pure Baseball, Pure Fun!

SafetyDirect Launching New Edition of Overshoes & Shoe Covers: 5-Jun, All Day, John Ireland School/Church of St. Peter, 1801 W Broadway, St. Peter, Free. We, SafetyDirect have Introducing the Latest Overshoes & Shoe covers product category in Footwear Accessories in our site safetydirect.ie, Safety Direct assures you complete safety and sustainability at best prices in the market. The footwear products at Safety Direct shield your feet from all kinds of hazardous situations in the work places. Users of Overshoes & Shoe covers are free to walk naturally and at ease feeling confident their customers are more possible to refer their professional customer service to others. An environmentally friendly and cost aware alternative to those currently using disposable shoe covers for each site visit, Overshoes & Shoe covers can easily be cleaned with warm water for years of use. Safety Direct solves the problem of maintenance workers safe and customers happy. Wearing Overshoes & Shoe covers gives your company a more professional look and status and saves you funds and hassles by preventing damage. After the above paragraph you have a little bit of doubt which places you can use this shoe covers, In these fields or places you utilize these overshoes they are Food Processing Industry, Hospitals, Medical, Health Care, Manufacturing Facilities, Science Laboratories, All house work, Painting and decorating, protects footwear, protects flooring e.t.c. Contact SafetyDirect, Ireland, Phone : +35391745150. www.safetydirect. ie/1168/Overshoes-and-Shoecovers.aspx. The Amazing Hoopsters: 6-Jun, 10:30 AM, Henderson Public Library, 110 South Sixth Street, Henderson, Free. An all ages, family-friendly show! This performance is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 6-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. The Amazing Hoopsters: 6-Jun, 1:00 PM, Winthrop Public Library, 302 North Main Street, Winthrop, Free. Labyrinth: 6-Jun, 6:30 PM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $10 . Learn the history and experience the balance of body, spirit and mind in walking the labyrinth. It is meditation in slow motion. Labyrinth time offers the convergence of the movement of our

bodies, the sacred soil upon which we walk and the spirit we carry in mind and heart. This is an indoor and outdoor experience. Registration is limited. Registration Required. Rochester Honkers vs. Waterloo Bucks: 6-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 7-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. The Amazing Hoopsters: 7-Jun, 10:30 AM, Blue Earth County Library, 100 East Main Street, Mankato, Free. Jane & Mary: Ee’s Next Fabulous Adventure: 7-Jun, 11:00 AM, Mantorville Farmers and Artisan Market, Riverside Park, Mantorville, Free. Art and craft supplies. Period costumes & accessories. Some ‘raw’ materials. Some repurposed items. Home decor. ETC. ETC. ETC. Most from the sizeable stashes we have used over the years to create our art. Now you get to sort through it all to find your treasures and inspiration to create your own. Each sale will profile new stuff. For more information, contact us: ejolive@kmtel.com or lambertmarylee@ hotmail.com. The Amazing Hoopsters: 7-Jun, 1:00 PM, Lake Crystal Public Library, 100 Robinson Street, Lake Crystal, Free. Eagle Bluff Summer High Ropes Challenge: 7-Jun, 1:00 PM, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, $25 . June, July, August Tuesdays 1:00pm Saturdays 10:00am & 2:00pm $25 per person Meet the challenge on the ropes course this summer! Travel from tower to tower over wires and wooden boards to reach the zip-line and enjoy the best view of SE Minnesota! This confidence building experience is great for family outings, reunions, scouts, youth groups, and individuals. Reservations Required. Caregiver Support Group: 7-Jun, 1:30 PM, Elder Network Northgate Shopping Center, 1130 1/2 7th Street NW, Suite 205, Rochester, Free. If you are caring for an older family member, friend or neighbor, this is an opportunity to meet with other caregivers to exchange helpful tips, give and receive support and learn about new resources.

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I’m no big fan of what makes the Top 40 these days, but I still have great respect for a lot of the songwriters and hitmakers that are in their prime right now. An artist like Kesha, for example, is the whole package. She can dance, she can sing, she can play and she’s an outstanding songwriter. But even if I didn’t have respect for her talent, which would be really stupid, I would tell you to go see Kesha at Mystic Lake on June 16. The story goes like this. Young woman with amazing talent from Nashville, Tennessee signs a contract at 18/ years old with pop impresario Dr. Luke. In 2010, she releases Animal, her debut album containing the song “Tik Tok.” Both the album and the song rise to #1 on the Billborad charts. The song’s nine week run on top of the charts was the longest for a female debut single in nearly thirty years. She goes on to collect another #1 hit, “We R Who We R,” and ten more top ten hits. By 2013, at age 26, she was a bonafide pop superstar. But as is sadly the case more often than not in the music business, there was a price to pay for her success. She sued her “mentor” Dr. Luke at the end of 2014 for alleged sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, emotional abuse, and violation of

Lupus and Other Autoimmune Diseases Support Group: 7-Jun, 6:00 PM, Cambridge Medical Center, 701 Dellwood Street South, Cambridge, Free. People living with lupus and other autoimmune diseases are invited to attend this free community support group. Offered by the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota (LFM). Group meets in the Harbor Room at the Cambridge Medical Center on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:00-7:00 p.m. For more information, contact leader Shannan Thiel at 763-464-2747 or familylifementor@gmail.com or visit LupusMN.org. Reading the Landscape: Prairie Talk: 7-Jun, 6:30 PM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $10 . Join naturalist Kirk Payne to explore past land use of the Assisi Heights prairie and the long-lasting effects on the environment, as revealed by characteristics of the current vegetation. The educational hike will take you through various landscapes on the property. To top it all off, we’ll finish in Canticle Park with a ‘black cow’! Please wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Community Sing Along: 7-Jun, 7:00 PM, Peace Plaza, 1st Ave SW, Rochester, Free. Join Choral Arts Ensemble and performing partners from their May 7th Diverse Voices concert at CAE’s annual Community Sing. Together we will learn about and sing from musical traditions of the Chinese, Somali, Indian, African-American, and Filipino communities as well as some of our summertime favorites. Come and make music with your neighbors! 7:00-8:30 pm, free. Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 8:00 AM, Jeff’s Little Store, 3335 Marion Road SE, Rochester, $20 . The annual rabies vaccination clinic for dogs, cats and ferrets sponsored by the Olmsted County Veterinarians and Olmsted County Public Health Services, will be Wednesday, June 8, 2016. This years rabies vaccination clinic will mark the 58th year that the event has been sponsored. Pet owners are encouraged to bring their animals in a pet carrier or on a leash. Dogs, cats and ferrets will be vaccinated for $20 each (cash only please). Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 9:00 AM, Chosen Valley Veterinary Clinic, 115 S. Main, Chatfield, $20 Yoga Program for Children and Teens: 8-Jun, 10:00 AM, New Ulm Public Library, 17 N. Broadway, New Ulm, Free. Hey, children and teens, want to try yoga? New Ulm Public Library will host yoga programs on Wednesday, June 8. Instructor Joan Lindholm will direct a class for children ages 8-11 at 10 a.m. and for young adults ages 12-18 at 11:15 a.m. Each class will last about 45 minutes. Registration with parental signature is required; forms are available at the library. This event is part of the librarys On Your Mark, Get Set Read! Summer Reading Program. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 8-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 The Amazing Hoopsters: 8-Jun, 10:00 AM, Wells Public Library, 54 First Street SE, Wells, Free. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 8-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 12:30 PM, Rochester Pet & Country Store, 5 11 1/2 Street SE, Rochester, $20 507-282-8629

The Amazing Hoopsters: 8-Jun, 1:00 PM, Waseca Public Library, 408 North State Street, Waseca, Free. Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 4:00 PM, Byron Pet Clinic, 25 Frongtage Rd NE, Byron, $20. Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 4:30 PM, History Center of Olmsted County, 1195 W. Circle Drive, Rochester, $20 Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 5:00 PM, Eyota Veterinary Clinic, 95 Center Av N, Eyota, $20 Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 5:00 PM, Rochester Fire Station #4, 1875 41st Street NW, Rochester, $20 Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 5:00 PM, RCTC Heintz Center, 1926 College View Rd. E. - Door #H9, Rochester, $20 Berne Wood Fired Pizza Summer Concert Series: 8-Jun, 5:00 PM, Zwingli United Church of Christ, 23148 County Highway 24, West Concord, Free. Delicious wood fired pizza will be sold along with a free summer concert series on the beautiful, rural grounds of Zwingli United Church of Christ located 7 miles west of Pine Island and 10 miles north of Kasson. Some picnic tables are provided but bringing lawn chairs is recommended. Pop, water and ice cream are sold. You may bring your own refreshments including beer and wine. Visit our website or find us on Facebook. Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets: 8-Jun, 6:00 PM, Stewartville Animal Clinic, 205 S. Main Street, Stewartville, $20 Karaoke: 8-Jun, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 - 10:30 PM every Wednesday! Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 9-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Rochester Honkers Vs. Mankato MoonDogs: 9-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Chatfield Music in the Park: 9-Jun, 7:30 PM, Chatfield City Park, , Chatfield, Free. The Chatfield Brass Band will be performing 5 concerts in the park and will also have 2 guest bands. Meditation In The Garden Courtyard: 10Jun, 9:30 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, Free. Spend up to three Friday mornings exploring the beauty and treasure of nature in ‘your inner garden’ through the senses of the outer garden at Assisi Heights. Engage in mindful meditations to absorb the garden through its sounds, sights, textures, and smells. Breathing exercises help clear the mind of its chatter and bring progressive relaxation, as you restore emotional balance , cultivate inner peace and deepen your connection to the beauty of nature. Weather permitting, class will be outside. Wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 10-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 10-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. 507-282-8629

California business practices, incidents that had occurred repeatedly since she had signed with him at 18. She also filed an injunction asking to be released from her contract with Dr. Luke, who denies all the charges. This spring her injunction was denied and all her claims against Dr. Luke dismissed. So now, if Kesha wants to record again, she must do so with a man she has accused of raping and abusing her. Despite the rulings against her, there is ample evidence to show that Kesha was indeed victimized by a man to whom she entrusted her career at a young age. The more our society sees and understands institutionalized harassment and the way our laws can protect abusers, the more it becomes incumbent upon all of us to support women like Kesha. She’ll be touring indefinitely to make a living because she’s essentially unable to work as a recording artist. Obviously, I have some strong opinions on the matter. But feel free to ignore the politics and social responsibilities involved in this whole thing. Kesha puts on one hell of a show, and that’s reason enough to go check her out. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

Story Time: 10-Jun, 10:30 AM, Historic R.D. Hubbard House, 606 S. Broad St., Mankato, Free. Join Mary Esther Hubbard for a special Story Time on the Lawn of the Historic R. D. Hubbard House. Story Time includes a story and crafts. Story Time is free and open to the public. La Mese delle Donne (A Month of Women): 10-Jun, 6:00 PM, RCTC Art Gallery - College Center Room 200, 851 30th Ave SE, Rochester, Free. The show will be held at Rochester Community Technical Colleges UCR Art Gallery! The past 3 years we have focused on showcasing the work of Rochester area artists. With the exhibit entering its 4th year the organizers decided to open it up to the State of Minnesota! The theme for this years exhibit is Womanhood: what does it mean to you? This exhibit will showcase the work of Minnesota women artists, writers, poets, and dancers. The focus of this event is to celebrate women creatives that live in the State of Minnesota. June 3rd will be the exhibit opening reception which will focus on the visual artists involved in the exhibit. It begins at 6 pm Artist talk starts promptly at 7 pm. Closes at 9 pm. The Second reception will be held June 10th 6-9 pm. This closing reception will be focused on performance. This includes Dance, Spoken Word/Poetry and a fashion show. Performances will begin promptly at 6:30. The artwork will be up the whole month of June for those who are unable to attend the receptions. The UCR Art gallery is open 9:30 am - 4:00 pm M-F, by request on Saturday. Women to be showcased: Cassandra Buck, Amara Vercnocke, Suz Szucs, Jennifer Jesseph, Alison McClocklin, Heather Jerdee, Dawn Sanborn, Susan Waughtal, Catherine Park, Stephanie Macrafic, Jessica Ripley, Karla Giguere, Kari Dunn, Sophie Marie Knetter, Angela McHue, Laura Rice, Bethany Clarke, Sandy Gillespie, Linda Seebauer-Hansen, Nicole Daniels, Susan Hensel, Amber McCornack, Pam Whitefield, Dina Osullivan, Linda Morganstein, Lynn Unangst-Vitale, Kim Zabel, Lori Stolz, and Antares American Tribal Style Belly Dance Troupe members: Kaye Shannon Suzanne Szucs With Andrea Cheville Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/antares For more information please contact Cassandra Buck at: (507)319-4038 or crbuckrose@ hotmail.com or Suzanne Szucs at: rsonia09@ gmail.com Show will be held at: Rochester Community and Technical College UCR Art Gallery CC200 851 30th ave SE Rochester MN 55904 https://www.facebook.com/ events/459924454217743/ ?ti=cl. 30th Annual Eddie Cochran Weekend Car Show: 10-Jun, 6:00 PM, Downtown, Broadway, Albert Lea, Free. Eddie Cochran Weekend and 30th Annual Car Show June 10th & 11th, 2016 in Downtown Albert Lea on Broadway Event is FREE to spectators both days!! Friday, June 10th~Cruise-in Social starts at 6 p.m. Sponsored by and at Country Inn & Suites, Motor Inn Co., & The Green Mill $1.00 Per Car Parking in Car Display Area ~ 12 Awards Presented Eddie’s music and other great 50’s sounds will be performed by Richie Lee and the Fabulous 50’s. Saturday, June 11th ~ 30th Annual Car show 8 a.m. To 3 p.m. ~Registration 8 a.m. To 11:30 a.m. $10 per car (dash plaque and goodie bag to registrants) Over 65 Awards at this year’s car show!!! Awards given out at 2:00 p.m. ~To finish the weekend, the fabulous Whitesidewalls will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the park on north end of Broadway. Contacts for the Eddie Cochran Weekend Jerry 507-473-0303 or Pat 507-373-8003. Accordion-O-Rama!: 10-Jun, 8:00 PM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, $18-$20.

An event that never fails to delight sell-out audiences, Accordion-O-Rama returns to Crossings. This years performers are Dan Daddy Squeeze Newton, Danny Jerabek of Copperbox, and button accordionist Patrick Harison. 30th Annual Eddie Cochran Weekend Car Show: 11-Jun, 8:00 AM, Downtown, Broadway, Albert Lea, Free. Becoming An Outdoor Family Summer Weekend: 11-Jun, 8:00 AM, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, $90 per person or $335 for family of four & $85 for each additional family member. Spring Weekend June 11-12, 2016 Summer Weekend August 6-7, 2016 $90 per person or $335 for family of four & $85 for each additional family member Reconnect with family members in the great outdoors this spring and summer! Class options include: archery, geocaching, fishing, rifle range, ropes course, and more! This weekend is co-sponsored by the Minnesota DNR. Preregistration required. Registration form will be available in March 2016. Tykes Trek: 11-Jun, 9:30 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $5 . Calling all little nature explorers! Early childhood is a time of wonder and exploration and a great opportunity to introduce your child to the outdoors. Come join us as we discover how growing happens in creation. Moms can enjoy some quiet in the courtyard. This event is suitable for children ages 3-7. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 11-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 11-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. 507-282-8629 Wildlife Science Center Canine Carnival: 11-Jun, 11:00 AM, Wildlife Science Center, 5463 W. Broadway Ave., Columbus, $10 . Join us at the Canine Carnival a tribute to canines both wild and domestic. The Wildlife Science Center will honor the working and playing dogs of the community with guest speakers, presentations by the staff on the resident wolves, and by visiting canine groups! Enjoy demonstrations from a variety of dog related activities, such as herding, agility, service dogs, search and rescue, and more. Learn about different breeds of dogs from local rescues and groups, meet dog related service providers, and visit with sellers of dog related merchandise. Dogs on leash always welcome. All proceeds benefit the Wildlife Science Center. Bingo: 11-Jun, 1:00 PM, American Legion, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. Bingo 1PM the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. Kitchen open at 11:00 serving delicious foods! $1.00 and $2.00 cards. Craft Fair & Bake Sale: 11-Jun, 1:00 PM, Faith Lutheran Church of Blackhammer, 16032 County 4, Spring Grove, Free. Faith Lutheran Church of Blackhammer Annual Craft Fair and Bake Sale, Bake Sale at 1:00 p.m., Auction at 1:30 p.m Lunch to follow- $5 - Dried Beef Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Rommegrot, Bars, Beverage. .

WEEK of June 12-18: Bryan Halling Memorial Swap Meet.: 12-Jun, 7:00 AM, Winona County Fairgrounds,

A d d y o u r e v en t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l en d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

Celebrati

historic

30 years

demonstr

ations, music, th eater, ga mes, food and fun for e veryone

ED N O I H S O L D F AI L Y F U N FAM

Premier Sponsor

Randall s License Bureau Sponsors: Legacy , Signs, Tri M Graphics, Owatonna Park and Rec, Larry s Liquor, Owatonna Shoe, Ag Power

July 9th & July 10th

Steele County History Center 1700 Austin Rd / Village of Yesteryear 1448 Austin Rd {Schedule Subject to Change}

July 9th: 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Chuck Wagon Supper Sponsored by Randallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s License Bureau Supper served 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Steele County History Center & Entertainment $15 per person Children under 6 FREE with paid adult Advance tickets only Tickets available at SCHS, Tri M Graphics, and Kottke Jewelers

July 10th: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Extravaganza

FREE ADMISSION to the event and the Steele County History Center Vintage Baseball: Owatonna Owls vs. Rochester Roosters New Straight River Sal

Rough Rider Teddy Roosevelt

Tractor Show and Slow Race

Visit the Steele County History Center s Exhibits Vietnam War, Wedding Traditions of Steele County, Minnesota Disasters:Stories of Strength & Survival

Wedding

Traditions

Steele County

SPONSORED BY:

Welcome to the History Center

WELOME TO THE H I S T O RY C E N T E R

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

w w w. s o u t h e r N m I N n SCENE. c o m

| JUNE 2016

Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson 7 p.m., June 28 Vetter Stone Amphitheater Eric Jones never disappoints. A couple years ago he brought Merle Haggard to the Vetter Stone Amphitheater, and he would have had a Buddy Guy show as well had it not been rained out. Last year he booked Cheap Trick to perform during RibFest. He has a knack for bringing in some truly legendary names. So it really should come as no surprise that the Vetter Stone Amphitheater will host Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson on June 28th. Willie should need no introduction. He is to country music what Keith Richards is to rock & roll; he’s the living embodiment of the music. His hits include songs like Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain, Whiskey River, On the Road Again and My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. His Red Headed Stranger is considered one of the greatest albums of any genre ever recorded. This is the guy who wrote Crazy (yeah, Patsy Cline’s Crazy) for God sakes. It’s Willie. Hell, his guitar is more famous than a lot of today’s country stars.

Ambassadors’ Blues Festival June 11-12 Various locations throughout St. Peter It used to be said that you have to live the blues to play the blues. I don’t know if that’s true anymore. In fact I’m pretty sure they’ve removed that rule from the bylaws. Back when you had to have ‘em to play ‘em, everybody wanted to play the blues. From Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf to the Rolling Stones, Paul Butterfield and Buddy Guy, there was a time when the blues was the foundation of popular music. The blues hasn’t changed but the world has, and these days the blues needs all the help it can get. So, hats off to the St. Peter Ambassadors for stepping to the plate. A few years ago, the Ambassadors (a community outreach group affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce) took a look at the success of St. Peter’s Rock Bend Folk Festival and started to wonder if a blues festival could do as well. It has been through some changes over the years, but with the help of some local establishments the Ambassadors’ Blues Fest is a highlight of the summer in St. Peter. This year, performers include Ian Kimmel & The Heard, Willie West, Joyann Parker & Sweet Tea and the legendary Mick Sterling with his Rhythm and Soul show. The proceedings are free (!) and held at Minnesota Square Park on Saturday, before the music moves to Blaschko’s Embassy Bar and Whiskey River. On Sunday the traditional Blues & Omelets brunch will be held at the VFW, and finally Patrick’s on Third will host the closing events Sunday night. St. Peter is offering us all a wonderful opportunity to hear some great music that needs to have the light shone on it a little more often. This is a fun party in a great town. It’s worth looking into. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@ southernminnscene.com.

Highway 14, St. Charles, $5 . 5th Annual Bryan Halling Memorial Swap Meet. Buy or sell - auto parts and more! Admission only $5! Kids under 12 are free with paid adult. Gates open at 7am, rain or shine. Vendor spaces $5, vendor gate opens at 6am. Chase Trempealeau: 12-Jun, 8:00 AM, Elmaro Vineyard, N14756 Delaney Rd, Trempealeau, $35-$85. Pricing varies with event and registration date. Chase Trempealeau & the Ultimate Chase (only in 2016) is a cycle, hike and seek event (think scavenger hunt) for all ages and abilities! Its you, a teammate, a couple of bikes, one map and one mission: To seek and find as many checkpoints as possible before time expires. Only in 2016, join in the Ultimate Chase! Its a similar Chase experience, but youll have 5 hours instead of 3! How many checkpoints can you collect? And will you be able to unlock the secret checkpoints? Whether cross training, competing, or simply out for a cruise, it’s the perfect challenge for everyone! Race concludes at the award winning Elmaro Vineyard with a complementary glass of wine, a plate of pasta and fun conversation! Competitive and Funning divisions available! Kids 13 & under free! All the details and information can be found at www.offnfunning.org! Eagle Bluff Skills School: 12-Jun, 9:00 AM, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Dr, Lanesboro, $75 . Saturday July 9, 2016 10am - 3pm $10 per person (m) / Kids under 5 are free Come celebrate the height of the monarch butterfly season with Monarch Festival. Join us for hands on activities, crafts, garden tours, an education tent with live butterflies, and much more. A butterfly release is scheduled at 2:30pm dependent on weather. Reservations recommended.

Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 12-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Wine and light appetizers. Come as you are! Public Reception to meet the artists: Saturday, May 21, 6:30-7:45p. Exhibit running from April 9 - June 18. Hours: MTWF: 10a-5p Thursday: 10a-8p Friday: 10a-4p. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 13-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. The Amazing Hoopsters: 13-Jun, 1:30 PM, Le Center Public Library, 10 West Tyrone Street, Le Center, Free. An all ages, family-friendly show! This performance is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Conversations: Living Well With Chronic Conditions: 13-Jun, 2:00 PM, Elder Network Northgate Shopping Center, 1130 1/2 7th Street NW, Suite 205, Rochester, Free. Support group for adults age 55 and older living with a chronic condition such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, diabetes, COPD, heart disease, arthritis, depression, anxiety, etc. The Amazing Hoopsters: 13-Jun, 4:30 PM, New Richland Public Library, 129 South Broadway, New Richland, Free. Rochester Honkers vs. La Crosse Loggers: 13-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. The Rochester Honkers enter their 23rd season as a member of the Northwoods League, the countrys premier summer collegiate baseball league. Every summer, top collegiate players

move to Rochester for an incredible summer experience. Exciting Game Promotions, Fun Entertainment, Delicious Concessions, and the Best Happy Hour in town on the Sports Deck all contribute to a fun-filled, family-oriented experience. Come See the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Today! The Rochester Honkers: Pure Baseball, Pure Fun! STEM Program: 14-Jun, 10:00 AM, New Ulm Public Library, 17 N. Broadway, New Ulm, Free. Middle school science teacher Peter Johnson will present The LumpaWorld Challenge on Tuesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at New Ulm Public Library. Johnsons fun and interactive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program is open to children going into grades 3 through 8. Registration is required. This event is part of the librarys On Your Mark, Get Set Read! Summer Reading Program. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 14-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. The Amazing Hoopsters: 14-Jun, 10:30 AM, Springfield Public Library, 120 North Cass Ave, Springfield, Free. Power of the Purse: 14-Jun, 11:00 AM, Rochester International Event Center, 7333 Airport View Dr SW, Rochester, $55-$400. For more information, go to www.uwolmsted. org and click Power of the Purse.. Silent purse auction raises funds for the Imagination Library. Luncheon at noon with speaker Erin Gruwell, whose story is told in the book and movie ‘The Freedom Writers. The Amazing Hoopsters: 14-Jun, 1:00 PM, Hanska Public Library, 201 West Broadway, Hanska, Free.

Stories in Stone - An Architectural Tour: 14-Jun, 6:30 PM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $10. Assisi Heights has stories engraved on its walls. But many more anecdotes tell the stories that chronicle the history hidden behind the walls. Come to see some of the architectural features up close, learn about the aesthetic design aspects and a few often overlooked artistic features. Hear stories ‘imbedded’ in these stones to unravel the mystic nature of Assisi Heights. Please wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Caregiver Support Group: 15-Jun, 10:00 AM, Elder Network Northgate Shopping Center, 1130 1/2 7th Street NW, Suite 205, Rochester, Free. If you are caring for an older family member, friend or neighbor, heres an opportunity to meet with other caregivers to exchange helpful tips, give and receive support and learn about new resources. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 15-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 The Amazing Hoopsters: 15-Jun, 10:00 AM, Muir Library, 36 Main Street, Winnebago, Free. 507-282-8629 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 15-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Teen Wellness: 15-Jun, 1:00 PM, New Ulm Public Library, 17 N. Broadway, New Ulm, Free. Teens are invited to learn relaxation techniques and other stress-relieving tips on Wednesday, June 15 from 1-3 p.m. at New Ulm Public Library. Youth Services Librarian Theodora Rudolph will lead the session for young adults ages 12-18. This event is part of the librarys On Your Mark, Get Set Read! Summer Reading Program. Mandalas for Kids - Ages 8-13: 15-Jun, 1:30 PM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, $30 . Mandalas are evident in a spider web, cross sections of a tree trunk and the petals of the dandelion. They are an ancient circular symbol for wholeness and harmony. This fun class for youth ages 8-13 will provide a plethora of material and guidance to create a mandala on a large vinyl record. Each participant will be encouraged to thoughtfully describe their experience in a creative art piece. Class instructed by Sister Bernadine Jax. Registration Required. The Amazing Hoopsters: 15-Jun, 2:00 PM, Elmore Public Library, 302 East Willis Street, Elmore, Free.

Berne Wood Fired Pizza Summer Concert Series: 15-Jun, 5:00 PM, Zwingli United Church of Christ, 23148 County Highway 24, West Concord, Free. Delicious wood fired pizza will be sold along with a free summer concert series on the beautiful, rural grounds of Zwingli United Church of Christ located 7 miles west of Pine Island and 10 miles north of Kasson. Some picnic tables are provided but bringing lawn chairs is recommended. Pop, water and ice cream are sold. You may bring your own refreshments including beer and wine. Visit our website or find us on Facebook. Karaoke: 15-Jun, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 - 10:30 PM every Wednesday! Rochester Honkers vs. Waterloo Bucks: 15-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 16-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Summer Puppet Picnic Series: 16-Jun, 5:30 PM, Sheldon Theatre, 443 West 3rd Street, Red Wing, Free. Molly gets to spend a whole week at her Grandmas farm, but you wont believe what happens when she goes to pick flowers for the Hootenanny! This summer we welcome critically acclaimed, nationally recognized Open Eye Figure Theatres famous Driveway Tour to Red Wing. Hosted under the porte cochere in the courtyard on the west side of the Sheldon (our unique, historic driveway), the three puppet picnic events intentionally reach outside the walls of the theater for summer outdoor fun. Food, a participatory puppet making activity provided by Art Reach, and pre-show live music will round out the event to create a casual space for renewing old and building new social connections across generations. Performances will be free, with a pass the hat opportunity for attendees to contribute as able. Audiences can catch all three unique 45 minute puppet shows monthly, June through August, on the following Thursday evenings: Molly and the Magic Boot -Thursday, June 16, 2016; The Adventures of Juan Bobo -Thursday, July 14, 2016; and Adventures of Katie Tomatie -Thursday August 18, 2016. 651-388-8700 Rochester Honkers vs. Duluth Huskies: 16-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child.

Frankly, Kris Kristofferson shouldn’t need an introduction either, but just so you youngsters know who and what we’re talking about, go look up Janis Joplin and a song called Me & Bobby McGee. That’s a Kristofferson song. Johnny Cash’s Sunday Morning Coming Down? Kristofferson. His music career was has been balanced by an acting career that, in the 70’s and early 80’s, had him on the celebrity A-List. By the time he gets to Mankato he will be 80 years old, but his rugged good looks and charm give him the appearance of a man thirty years younger. These two guys are the surviving members of The Highwaymen (frankly, knowing Jones’ ability to book anybody, it would be surprising, but not shocking, to see Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash arrive at the show as well). They are the standard bearers of Outlaw Country, and it’s going to be one hell of a good time to see them play by the river in Mankato. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com. Meditation In The Garden Courtyard: 17Jun, 9:30 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, Free. Spend up to three Friday mornings exploring the beauty and treasure of nature in ‘your inner garden’ through the senses of the outer garden at Assisi Heights. Engage in mindful meditations to absorb the garden through its sounds, sights, textures, and smells. Breathing exercises help clear the mind of its chatter and bring progressive relaxation, as you restore emotional balance , cultivate inner peace and deepen your connection to the beauty of nature. Weather permitting, class will be outside. Wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 17-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 17-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. Story Time: 17-Jun, 10:30 AM, Historic R.D. Hubbard House, 606 S. Broad St., Mankato, Free. Join Mary Esther Hubbard for a special Story Time on the Lawn of the Historic R. D. Hubbard House. Story Time includes a story and crafts. Story Time is free and open to the public. Rochester Honkers Vs. Duluth Huskies: 17-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. 507-282-8629 1776: 17-Jun, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. ‘1776’ premiered on Broadway in 1969 and was nomintaed for five Tony Awards. In won three, including Best Musical. Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike: 17-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17. If everyone took antidepressants, Chekhov would have had nothing to write about. The 2013 Tony Award Best Play and hilarious comedy by Christopher Durang, directed by Michelle Schwantes. Free Outdoor Family Movie: 17-Jun, 9:00 PM, Byron City Hall - Hillside Lawn, 680 Byron Main Ct NE, Byron, Free. The Byron Good Neighbor Days Committee is sponsoring 3 Outdoor Family movies over the summer. Come enjoy blockbuster movies under the stars on the side lawn of the Byron City Hall - all at no charge...and don’t forget to bring a blanket or chairs. Start times are approximate as the movie

will begin at Dusk. Local non-profits will be offering some concessions. Caledonia Founders Day: 18-Jun, 10:00 AM, Houston County Courthouse, 304 South Marshall Street, Caledonia, Free. Caledonia Founder’s Days June 22 2016 ALL DAY EVENT Kids Games Chicken Q Car/Tractor/ Motorcycle Show Street Dance BACK HOME BOYS Beer Tent. Gammel Dag Fest (Good Old Days): 18-Jun, 10:00 AM, Peterson, City Park, Fillmore Street, Downtown, Peterson, Free. Scandinavian Midsummer Celebration Live Music with Hardanger Fiddle, Nordic Dancers, Folk Art Demonstrations, Traditional Scandinavian Sweets, Nordic Fashion (Bunad) Show, Midsummer Flower Crowns, Norwegian Language Mini-lessons. Also: Medicine Show, Vintage Baseball, Parade, Chicken Dinner, 4-H Desserts, Strawberry Shortcake, Vintage Quilt Show, Scavenger Hunt, American Legion Street Dance, Artists, Puzzle Contest. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 18-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Art in East Park: 18-Jun, 10:00 AM, East Park, 590 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. An eclectic mix of the area’s local and regional artists showcase paintings, sculpture, photography, glass, wood, jewelry, fiber, collage, ceramics, authors and more. Attendees can mingle and talk with artists, purchase artwork and enjoy music and food vendors. Patchouli plays new American folk from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Captain Gravitone and the String Theory Orchestra play from 1-3 p.m. Jamie Solbert & Tracie Thompson: 18-Jun, 10:00 AM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, Free. 507-282-8629 Rochester Honkers vs. Willmar Stingers: 18-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. 1776: 18-Jun, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike: 18-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17.

WEEK of June 19-30: Rochesterfest Triathlon: Presented by Toyota: 19-Jun, 8:00 AM, Foster Arend Park,

The Three Musketeers 7:30 p.m., June 17 Commonweal Theatre, Lanesboro For many actors and actresses there is nothing more fun than to perforin a play like The Three Musketeers. Based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, the legend of Athos, Porthos and Aramis demands nothing less than full commitment to overacting. One must be proud, brave, strong, charming, loyal and funny (maybe not intentionally funny) to play a Musketeer. Al Pacino was born to play a musketeer. Now, to the studied, serious and highly respectful of their craft actors at the Commonweal, these roles might be a bit of a challenge. Right? Um…..no. Come on. So far this season the Commonweal has brought us Ibsen’s League of Youth (technically a comedy, but, it’s still Ibsen) and the small Souvenir (yes, potentially another funny play, but ultimately focusing on one woman’s need to

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follow her passion whatever the cost). After a couple of quiet productions like this, we’re guessing the incredibly talented actors and actresses of the Commonweal are like caged animals. The Three Musketeers is the play to let them howl. Fans of the original will enjoy Ken Ludwig’s adaptation. His script is true to Dumas’ novel with one major exception. He has added the character of Sabine. She is the little sister of d’Artagnon who goes on to prove that, even in 17th Century France, there’s nothing a man can do that a woman can’t do as well. A swashbuckling action/adventure story like this is perfect stock for Summertime Theater. Even your kids will love it. The Three Musketeers premiers June 17 and runs in rep through October 24. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

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Minnesota Beethoven Festival June 25-July 17 Various venues throughout Winona When it’s 7° outside in February and you haven’t seen the sun for 22 consecutive days, this is the kind of thing you dream about. It’s a warm early summer evening. You and your favorite other person make your way down to the bandshell by the river with a couple of camping chairs and (quietly) a bottle of cabernet. You find a nice spot where you can see the eagles hunting for dinner in the river, and have a nice chat with the folks sitting around you. Eventually, the music begins and it washes over you like a cool breeze. All the stress of everyday life is forgotten because Osmo Vänskä is conducting the Minnesota Orchestra as they play a Beethoven symphony about 50 feet in front of you. Have you ever heard a real string section in a live concert setting? There is nothing else quite like it. And did you know the Minnesota Orchestra is one of the most respected symphony orchestras in the world? Well, probably you did, 400 N East River Road, Rochester, $61-$125. Price varys depending on when and what event you sign up for!. The Rochesterfest triathlon is one of those events that offers an experience for the newbie triathlete or for the seasoned veteran. The transition is the parking lot of the Foster Arends Park and therefore, the parking lot is not used for parking. The transition is fairly flat and pavement. Foster Arends pond is very unique that it is an old quarry turned into a pond by the city. You will love the location and the grassy hillside around the sandy beach is excellent for spectators and athletes alike! The sprint swim is a 1/4 mile swim in a pond that has little to no wind and no waves from boats. Additionally, parts of the course have noodles as boundaries to help you out in case of trouble. The olympic swim is a unique two lap course that goes around the pond, you get out of the water and then run to the start where you head back into the deep blue oasis. The olympic smim starts off and the sprint does not begin until the last olympic athletes starts his second lap on the course. Rochester Honkers vs. Willmar Stingers: 19-Jun, 1:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. The Rochester Honkers enter their 23rd season as a member of the Northwoods League, the countrys premier summer collegiate baseball league. Every summer, top collegiate players move to Rochester for an incredible summer experience. Exciting Game Promotions, Fun Entertainment, Delicious Concessions, and the Best Happy Hour in town on the Sports Deck all contribute to a fun-filled, family-oriented experience. Come See the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Today! The Rochester Honkers: Pure Baseball, Pure Fun! 1776: 19-Jun, 2:00 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. ‘1776’ premiered on Broadway in 1969 and was nomintaed for five Tony Awards. In won three, including Best Musical. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: 19-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17. If everyone took anti-depressants, Chekhov would have had nothing to write about. The 2013 Tony Award Best Play and hilarious comedy by Christopher Durang, directed by Michelle Schwantes. The Amazing Hoopsters: 20-Jun, 11:00 AM, Comfrey Public Library, 306 Brown Street West, Comfrey, Free. An all ages, family-friendly show! This performance is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. The Amazing Hoopsters: 20-Jun, 4:00 PM, Butterfield Public Library, 111 North 2nd Street, Butterfield, Free. The Amazing Hoopsters: 21-Jun, 10:00 AM, Madelia Public Library, 23 1st Street North, Madelia, Free. The Amazing Hoopsters: 21-Jun, 2:00 PM, Darfur Public Library, 205 N Adrian Street, Darfur, Free. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 22-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Rochester Honkers vs. Eau Claire Express: 22-Jun, 12:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. 507-282-8629 The Amazing Hoopsters: 22-Jun, 1:00 PM, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School, 110 East 3rd Street, Janesville, Free. Berne Wood Fired Pizza Summer Concert Series: 22-Jun, 5:00 PM, Zwingli United Church of Christ, 23148 County Highway 24, West Concord, Free. Delicious wood fired pizza will be sold along with a free summer concert series on the beautiful, rural grounds of Zwingli United Church of Christ located 7 miles west of Pine Island and 10 miles north of Kasson. Some picnic tables are provided but bringing lawn chairs is recommended. Pop, water and ice cream are sold. You may bring your own refreshments including beer and wine. Visit our website or find us on Facebook. Hula Hoopers at Library: 22-Jun, 6:00 PM, New Ulm Public Library, 17 N. Broadway, New Ulm, Free. All are invited to see The Amazing Hoopsters on Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m. at New Ulm Public Library. The Hoopsters are a family of six from Hutchinson who perform spectacular hooping tricks choreographed to an artistic hoop dance performance. This event, which will last one hour, is part of the librarys On Your Mark, Get Set Read! Summer Reading Program. It is made possible by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative with funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Karaoke: 22-Jun, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 10:30 PM every Wednesday! Twins Game: Take Me Out to the Ballgame!: 23Jun, 9:30 AM, Rochester Senior Center, 121 N Broadway

Ave, Rochester, $65-$70. Members: $65, Non-Members $70. The Rochester Senior Center is hosting a trip to the Twins game again this year. Call your family and friends! Join us for a trip to Target Field to watch your Minnesota Twins take on the Philadelphia Phillies! What a great way to spend the day with fun people who are just as excited to cheer on the team and enjoy the beautiful stadium! We’ve got great seats right near first base, so come along with us and enjoy America’s favorite pastime! Amazing seats; Section 107, Rows 20, 21, and 22. Cost: $65 Members, $70 Non-Members RSVP by June 1st, no refunds after June 1st Leaving the Rochester Senior Center at 9:30 am and Hobby Lobby parking lot by 9:40 am. Box Lunch Available from Great Harvest for $10. Ask for details when reserving your seat. Open to the public. Registration and payment required by June 1st. Canvas Painting with Unwine Creations: 23-Jun, 1:00 PM, Gaylord Public Library, 332 Main Avenue, Gaylord, Free. This make and take canvas art class is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Colfax Free Fair: 23-Jun, 4:00 PM, Colfax Fairgrounds, Railroad Ave, Colfax, Free. 97th annual Colfax Free Fair. Carnival, youth animal exhibits, Saturday Dunn Co. dairy open show. Evening entertainment, food and fun. Canvas Painting with Unwine Creations: 23-Jun, 6:00 PM, New Richland Public Library, 129 South Broadway, New Richland, Free. 1776: 23-Jun, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: 23-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17. Colfax Free Fair: 24-Jun, 9:00 AM, Colfax Fairgrounds, Railroad Ave, Colfax, Free. Meditation In The Garden Courtyard: 24-Jun, 9:30 AM, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, Free. Spend up to three Friday mornings exploring the beauty and treasure of nature in ‘your inner garden’ through the senses of the outer garden at Assisi Heights. Engage in mindful meditations to absorb the garden through its sounds, sights, textures, and smells. Breathing exercises help clear the mind of its chatter and bring progressive relaxation, as you restore emotional balance cultivate inner peace and deepen your connection to the beauty of nature. Weather permitting, class will be outside. Wear walking shoes. Registration Required. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 24-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Story Time: 24-Jun, 10:30 AM, Historic R.D. Hubbard House, 606 S. Broad St., Mankato, Free. Join Mary Esther Hubbard for a special Story Time on the Lawn of the Historic R. D. Hubbard House. Story Time includes a story and crafts. Story Time is free and open to the public. 1776: 24-Jun, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: 24-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17. 507-282-8629 Golf Scramble and Golf Ball Drop: 25-Jun, 8:00 AM, Lake Hallie Golf Course, 2196 110th Street, Chippewa Falls, $60 . Prestige Auto Corporation has donated a 2016 KIA Soul for a Hole in One drive opportunity for Golf Scramble participants. In collaboration with the Golf Scramble event, golf balls can be purchased from any Hallie Optimist Club member at $5 per ball. A helicopter from Heartland Aviation will drop the golf balls at approximately 1 pm depending upon the weather, and a variety of prizes will be awarded to the balls landing closest to the target. Hallie Optimist Club raises money for youth programs that help bring out the best in kids. Hosanna’s Pantry: 25-Jun, 9:00 AM, Hosanna Lutheran Church, 2815 57th St NW, Rochester, Free. Hosanna’s Pantry is a satellite food shelf of Channel One food bank in Rochester. A photo ID is required. Coffee and treats are served while you wait to shop. Colfax Free Fair: 25-Jun, 10:00 AM, Colfax Fairgrounds, Railroad Ave, Colfax, Free. Emmett Ramstad: After You: 25-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 Bingo: 25-Jun, 1:00 PM, American Legion, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. Bingo 1PM the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. Kitchen open at 11:00 serving delicious foods! $1.00 and $2.00 cards. 1776: 25-Jun, 7:30 PM, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, $10-$18. Adults $18, children under 12 $10. 507-282-8629

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: 25-Jun, 7:30 PM, Central Park, 421 4th Street East, Northfield, $13-$17. Billy McLaughlin: 25-Jun, 8:00 PM, Crossings, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, $18-$20. An innovative and versatile performer and composer, Billy McLaughlin astounds audiences with the breadth of sound he draws from an acoustic guitar. Colfax Free Fair: 26-Jun, 10:00 AM, Colfax Fairgrounds, Railroad Ave, Colfax, Free. Time Trader Orientation: 27-Jun, 5:30 PM, Rochester Area Family YMCA, 709 1st Avenue SW, Rochester, Free. We have group orientations the 4th Monday of the month at 5:30p.m. at Rochester Family YMCA. Time Trader is an organized exchange network through which members earn Time Credits (TC) for time spent helping other members. One hour of service earns one TC. With TC, members can buy services they want or need. For example, if you give one hour of childcare, you can receive one hour of painting, accounting, transportation assistance, or a piano lesson, and the list goes on... Rochester Honkers vs. Thunder Bay Border Cats: 27-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Rochester Honkers vs. Thunder Bay Border Cats: 27-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Selena Gomez: 28-Jun, 7:30 PM, Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, Varies. What do you do after striking gold with your first solo album, wrapping your third season starring in a hit series and earning raves for your movie debut? If you’re Selena Gomez, you dance. At least, you get the world on its feet with ‘A Year Without Rain.’ A follow-up to ‘Kiss Tell,’ Selenas gold-certified Hollywood Records debut CD, ‘A Year Without Rain’ shows Selena and her band, The Scene, in a whole new light, this one pulsating, multicolored and ready for the mirrored ball.’I really wanted something that felt good to perform, but had a techno/dance vibe,’ Selena says. ‘I wanted something that had meaning and melody, and more empowering lyrics.’ Thats exactly what she delivers in ‘A Year Without Rain.’ Working with top producer/songwriters like Tim James Antonina Armato, Kevin Rudolf, Toby Gad and Jonas Jeberg, Selena kept to a more quickened tempo, exploring themes of love, freedom and the joy of living for the moment.Selena credits the albums neo-techno leanings to her 2010 platinum-certified single, Naturally,’ which pointed the way for her. That track ‘really helped me figure out where I want to be,’ she says. ‘Theres a feeling when I perform that song that I love, so when I was going back in the studio, I had a better understanding of where I wanted to be musically.’She gets right to it with the opening track, ‘Round Round,’ an upbeat synth-driven song about reaching the limits of indecision in love. The plaintive ‘A Year Without Rain’ may be more subdued, but its beauty impressed Selena enough to make it the title track. ‘When I got the song, I went through the roof,’ she recalls. ‘Everybody has that one person they cant live without. It was exactly what I wanted to say.’ That goes double for the Spanish version of the song, Selenas first recording in that language. Having turned 18 this year, Selena has matured since making her professional debut at age 7, but girls still wanna have fun, which is what songs like ‘Spotlight’ ‘Off the Chain’ and ‘Summers Not Hot’ are all about. ‘Rock God’ features none other than Katy Perry on backing vocals, while ‘Intuition’ boasts a duet between Selena and rapper Eric Bellinger in a tricked-out double-time salute to a positive attitude.Selena slows things down on ‘Ghost of You,’ a ravishing ballad about a breakup so rough, no amount of ‘living crazy loud’ can crush the memory. ‘Its very beautiful, very raw,’ Selena says of the song. ‘Shelly Peiken co-wrote it. She knows me, knows about everything I go through, and knows how to express it in a beautiful way.’On the flip side, Selena comes back strong with ‘Sick of You,’ a Matt Squire-written and produced track about losing a loser (‘You know fairy tales dont come true/ Not when it comes to you’). The album ends with ‘Live Like Theres No Tomorrow,’ an epic power ballad expressing the creed by which Selena has built her life and career.A Dallas native, Selena Gomez started acting at age seven when she landed a role in the popular television series ‘Barney Friends,’ on which was a regular for two seasons. She landed her first film role in the 2003 sci-fi action adventure film ‘Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.’ She made her mark as an actress playing girl wizard Alex Russo in the hit Disney Channel series ‘Wizards of Waverly Place,’ which premiered in 2007 and has now completed three seasons. Selena and her cast mates won a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Childrens Program. Selena then made an indelible impression with her starring role in 2010 comedy ‘Ramona and Beezus.’ Says Selena, ‘I wanted something completely different from my show. All these incredible actors, being able to learn from them and get

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

because that is common knowledge. But did you know that the Minnesota Beethoven Festival has featured a free pops concert given by the Minnesota Orchestra for years? It will do the very same on June 30. This free show is the most popular event during the MBF, but that doesn’t mean the other events aren’t spectacular as well. For its tenth season, the Beethoven Festival is bringing back some old favorites like the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on June 25, the King‘s Singers on July 7 and Dale Warland’s Festival Chorale (for the seventh year in a row) on July 9 & 10. New to the festival this year are the highly respected Shanghai Quartet on June 28, pianist Richard Goode, who will perform works by Haydn, Debussy, Janáček and (of course) Beethoven on July 12 and Michala Petri on recorder with Lars Hannibal on guitar will perform at the exquisite Minnesota Marine Art Museum on July 14. The headliner this year is the outstanding my feet wet in the film world. It was the perfect way to get into it.’ Next up, a starring role in ‘Monte Carlo,’ in which she plays a teen on vacation in the romantic European principality. And of course, Selena is gearing up for the fourth season of ‘Wizards of Waverly Place.’Selena has branched out into fashion with the premiere of her new clothing line, Dream Out Loud, sold exclusively at K-Mart. But her instinct for charity remains strong. She is a proud UNICEF ambassador, and will appear for a third year at UNICEF’s Trick or Treat bash, this time to kick off UNICEF’s 60th anniversary. And with the new album comes a new tour with her band.Having her own band has been a comfort for Selena as she hits the road with ‘A Year Without Rain.’ Scene members; Ethan Roberts (Guitar), Joey Clement (Bass), Greg Garman (Drums) and Dane Forrest (Keyboard) back her on tour and help shape her emerging sound. ‘On my TV show we have an ensemble cast thats like a family,’ she says. ‘If anyones missing, you feel it. I wanted that family feel in my music, and we definitely have that with the Scene.’That family feeling had grown to include fans around the world, each of them all in when it comes to following Selena Gomez on her amazing artistic journey. Wheres she headed? Shell let you know when she gets there. ‘Im still figuring out who I am,’ she says. ‘I love expressing that through music, and through film. I feel at this moment in my life I couldnt be happier.’ Emmett Ramstad: After You: 29-Jun, 10:00 AM, Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, $5 . After You is the first exhibition in Rochester Art Center’s 2016 3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series, featuring new sculpture and installation-based work by Emmett Ramstad, a Minneapolis-based artist. The sculptures in

violinist Joshua Bell. On July 5, Bell, accompanied by pianist Alessio Bax will perform Beethoven’s Sonata No. 9 “Kreutzer,” as well as works by Vitali and Ravel. The festival will wrap up on July 17 with a second (ticketed) concert given by the Minnesota Orchestra, this time under the direction of Andrew Litton. With only about 16 dependable weeks from mid-May to mid-September, we have a short outdoor performing season in Minnesota. Events like the Minnesota Beethoven Festival are to be enjoyed to the hilt. Not all these events are outdoors, mind you, but you take my meaning. A special summertime event like this, even in its tenth season, should not be taken for granted. There’s a little something for everyone here. Go check it out. – – Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene. com.

the exhibition originate from familiar bathroom features such as towel dispensers, soap dishes, bathroom stalls, and restroom insignia. Together they form extra-ordinary pieces that distort the scale and function of bathroom surroundings and ask the viewer to reconsider their public grooming associations, as well as constructions of cleanliness. The Amazing Hoopsters: 29-Jun, 10:30 AM, North Mankato Taylor Library, 1001 Belgrade Ave., North Mankato, Free. Teen Archery Program: 29-Jun, 2:00 PM, New Ulm Archery Range, 220 Tower Rd., New Ulm, Free. Young adults ages 12-18 are invited to a Teen Archery program on Wednesday, June 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Archery Range, 220 Tower Rd. in New Ulm. DNR Minneopa Area Naturalist Scott Kudelka will lead this hands-on class. Registration with parental signature is required; forms are available at the library. This event is part of the librarys On Your Mark, Get Set Read! Summer Reading Program. The rain date is Thursday, June 29 from 2-4 p.m. The Amazing Hoopsters: 29-Jun, 2:00 PM, Waterville Public Library, 210 E Paquin Street, Waterville, Free. Canvas Painting with Unwine Creations: 29-Jun, 3:00 PM, Lewisville Public Library, 105 Lewis Street, Lewisville, Free. (5070 345-5120 Berne Wood Fired Pizza Summer Concert Series: 29-Jun, 5:00 PM, Zwingli United Church of Christ, 23148 County Highway 24, West Concord, Free. (5070 345-5120

The Amazing Hoopsters: 29-Jun, 6:00 PM, North Mankato Taylor Library, 1001 Belgrade Ave., North Mankato, Free.507-282-8629 Canvas Painting with Unwine Creations: 29-Jun, 6:30 PM, Madelia Elementary School, 121 East Main Street, Madelia, Free. Karaoke: 29-Jun, 6:30 PM, American Legion Post 92, 315 First Avenue NW, Rochester, Free. From 6:30 10:30 PM every Wednesday! Rochester Honkers Vs. Mankato MoonDogs: 29-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Canvas Painting with Unwine Creations: 30-Jun, 3:00 PM, Darfur Public Library, 205 N Adrian Street, Darfur, Free. Rochester Honkers Vs. Eau Claire Express: 30-Jun, 7:05 PM, Mayo Field, 403 E. Center Street, Rochester, $8-$30. General: $8, Grandstand Reserved: $9, Box Seat Reserved: $12, Sports Deck: $30 Adult, $20 Child. Add your event for FREE to the TIMELINE c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ern minn . c o mm / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

July 19-24, 2016

Free Admission Rice County Fair Grounds - Faribault, MN

For More Information: 507-332-2470 www.ricecountyfair.net

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| JUNE 2016

BOOK REVIEWS The Bookworm Sez:

‘Junk’ is an interesting look at why we keep all that stuff lying around

The Bookworm Sez:

‘Stand By Me’ is an overdue look at the history of GLBT civil rights

By Terri Schlichenmeyer You know exactly where you put your glasses. Well, kind of. You remember that you put them down in the kitchen, but then you piled mail, a plastic fork, a magazine, and a pair of gloves on them. Your glasses are right where you left them: under other things. And once you read Junk by Alison Stewart, you’ll see those things differently. Five decades of stuff. That’s what Alison Stewart and her sister faced when it came time to clear their parents’ home - a mess, the result of “fifty years of life” that filled the entire basement, packed to the ceiling. Why, she wondered, do we hang on to the things we keep? How come we collect some items and toss away others? Why do folks often happily accept other people’s cast-offs? Stewart decided to find out. By Terri Schlichenmeyer You had no idea. How could you know? No one ever told you, nobody sat you down to explain what was what. You were blissfully unaware, kept in the dark for far too long, but read Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation by Jim Downs, and you may see the light on a few things. Years ago, when he was a college student, Downs spent evenings with his best friend in a back room in the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Philadelphia, poring through archives. Then, he had no idea of the value of the old newspapers and articles he’d found but after seeing a documentary on the 1970s and AIDS, he suddenly understood. Bothered by conclusions drawn in the movie – specifically, what he felt was a focus on promiscuous

n o i t a n se ti

To begin, she defines junk as “worthlessness.” Stuff is something you don’t want anymore but that someone else might find useful, and treasures “are any stuff or junk that appeals to you.” A third of us collect something, Stewart says, though professionals “make a distinction between collectors and clutterers.” Then there are packrats, while hoarders fall under a newlycreated psychiatric category all their own. At “a giant 250-mile-long junk-a-palooza” rummage sale in the South, Stewart promised herself that she wasn’t going to buy anything but, of course, she couldn’t resist. In Austin, Texas, she visited The Cathedral of Junk and spoke with the man who created the “creative, chaotic colossus.” She learned that humans weren’t the only creatures to be inveterate collectors. In several different cities, Stewart rode shotgun with junk collectors, clean-up crews, and haulers, to get a feel for the kind of things people throw out and what’s done with it. She met the World’s First Official Spammer, she learned why we get so much “junk mail,” she asked about space junk, spoke with professional clutter-fighters and “freecyclers,” talked with TV producers about pawn stores and picking, and she learned some good news: if you have just too much stuff, there’s plenty of help available. sex – he returned to the archives. It was there that he saw how much of LGBT history is unknown or misunderstood. His research led to this book. One of the more shocking things he discovered was “the largest massacre of gay people in American history.” It happened on June 23, 1973 in New Orleans: a group of 120 gay, lesbian, and straight worshippers were holding a church service on a Sunday night on the second floor of a building in the French Quarter. They were members of the Metropolitan Community Church, which had been established so that LGBT individuals had a safe, inclusive place to worship. On that night, they were raising their voices in song when a still-unknown person threw flammable liquid on the stairs, trapping the congregation. Thirty-two people died that night. Downs writes of a New Yorker with a “vision” of a bookstore-slash-gathering-place for “homophiles” to mingle and share ideas, rather than their bodies. He explains how a soon-to-be-famous writer was relentless in his search for gay history in Nazi Germany. He examines how activism and gay politics spurred the creation of gay newspapers, and how LGBT publications affected “people of color” and domestic workers. Coming full-circle, he shows how

When it comes to possessions, are you downsizing… or oversized? Whichever direction you’re heading, Junk can help you spot the bigger picture. It’s hard not to look around with a critical eye when you see what author Alison Stewart discovered; why you’ve saved tchotchkes from high school, broken tools, plastic silverware, and unfinished projects will never seem so puzzling. And then, turning things around, we get a serious (yet light-hearted) look at other people’s junk, how it’s tossed, and where it goes once it’s gone. In that, Stewart is respectful and doesn’t pick on anyone, but who can resist peeking? Who doesn’t want to see a happy ending to still-useful things? Yes, this is interesting… um, stuff. This is not a self-help book. It won’t tell you how to empty your crammed closets, busting basements, glutted garages, or stuffed sheds, but it’s engaging and plenty fun to read – which makes Junk a great book to put in your hands. Junk by Alison Stewart c.2016, Chicago Review Press $26.99 / $31.99 Canada 284 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

gay churches and newspapers supported gay men in prison. In any history, there’ll always be surprises, facts, and tales that are forgotten or ignored until someone finds and reveals them anew. And that’s exactly what author Jim Downs has done here in Stand by Me. Starting with upset over what he perceived to be a simplistic premise for a documentary, Downs moves on to a story that was largely ignored by nationwide news outlets, then to activists and beginnings of an LGBT press. His narrative encompasses the years roughly prior to Stonewall through about the late 1970s, and it includes a number of coincidental connections that are nicely revealed. This book is informative, sometimes horrifying, interesting and, unlike your old high-school history books, it’s never dry. Older LGBT readers may not see anything new or shocking here, but younger gay men and lesbians will truly find some eye-openers. If you don’t know what you don’t know, Stand by Me will give you some ideas. Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation by Jim Downs c.2016, Basic Books, $27.99/$36.50 Canada, 262 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

SUNDAY JUNE 19TH

Where your day trip becomes a weekend adventure Homestyle, Grease Free Cookin’ • Home Of The Silverback BBQ Sauce

TAKE DAD OUT HIS BIG DAY!

Treat him like he’s a king & bring him over some good ole favorites and a cold one

ENJOY THE WEATHER ON THE PATIO! Awesome Patio & Fantastic Food!

COME TRY SCHWEICH’S CRÈME BRULEE! IT’S THE TALK OF THE TOWN!!!

STOP IN FOR GREAT FOOD & DRINKS! Spacious Hotel Suites Available.

Happy Hour: Monday-Thursday 4-6 Friday and Sat 3-5 Complimentary App de’jour

Sunday FUNday

SCHWEICH’S WORLD FAMOUS BLOODY MARY! $5 WITH BEER BACK!

632 Second Street, Kenyon • 507-789-5800 • www.schweichhotel.com 30

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BOOK REVIEWS The Bookworm Sez:

Everybody loves those ‘Dead Presidents’

The Bookworm Sez:

‘We Love You, Charlie Freeman’ is weird and uncomfortable, but worth your time

By Terri Schlichenmeyer Someday, you might have your very own stone. Everyone will know it’s yours because your name will be on it, along with a couple of dates. It’ll be yours for a long time, perhaps forever, but sadly, you’ll never see it in its finished form. You’ll just have to trust that it’s the right size for the job or, as in “Dead Presidents” by Brady Carlson, you could be memorialized with a stone the size of a South Dakota mountain. Brady Carlson is a curious guy and when his curiosity is piqued, he tends to go all-out in a search for information. Years ago, in grade school, he became interested in U.S. presidents and he noticed that most books are written about “the lives of our leaders.” That led him to wonder about their deaths.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer Anything’s worth a try. Never done it before? Then give it a whirl, you have nothing to lose. You might actually like it. You might grow to love it. And then again – as in the new book We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge, the experiment might go horribly awry. The shiny new car just didn’t seem right. Nothing did, really. Leaving their home, moving to another state, having to make new friends, Charlotte Freeman hated it all. And this experiment her parents had gotten them into, well, no. Her mother, Laurel, sure was excited about it, though. Ever since she was young, Laurel had been fascinated with sign language, and she taught both her daughters to sign as soon as they were old enough to understand the motions. But a chimpanzee? A chimp the Freemans would raise as a child, while they taught

A few years ago, he finally acted on his inquisitiveness with a cross-country journey to the graves of the presidents and their monuments. Beginning with the Father of Our Country, Carlson learned that Washington didn’t want a lot of foofaraw upon his death. He really didn’t want a city to be named after himself, either; one can only imagine how he’d feel about his monument which, by the way, wasn’t finished for nearly 90 years after George died. Every schoolchild knows that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson – friends, rivals, and signers of the Declaration of Independence - both died on July 4, 1826. That’s an eerie coincidence, but Carlson says it’s more common than we think. Presidents Ford and Truman both died the day after Christmas (in different years). James Madison almost died on Independence Day, 1836, but he declined medical help to do so, and died a few days prior. Abraham Lincoln’s bones sat in a basement “for almost a decade.” Parts of James Garfield’s skeletal remains are in a museum, remnants of an attempted murder, a trial, and mishandled injury. One president was exhumed 140 years after he died, one lay in a temporary crypt for “two months longer than his entire presidency…” and, surprisingly, just one (so far) rests in

it sign language? Charlotte couldn’t ever imagine spending the rest of her teenage years pretending that a chimpanzee was her brother. She was leery of the “doctor” who ran the program, and of the ancient woman who’d founded the whole thing. They were white; the Freemans were black and Charlotte suspected that race had something to do with why The Toneybee Institute had hired her mother, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Charlotte and her little sister seemed to be losing their mother’s love to a chimpanzee. Nobody’d called Ellen Jericho by her real name in years. They all called her by her Star of the Morning name, Nymphadora, which was a name that made her proud, and which was the name she’d given Dr. Gardner when they first met. They made their acquaintance because he’d been bothering the town’s children with his obsessive sketching. Her Star sisters asked her to ask him to stop, which Nymphadora did – brokering a deal with him to sketch her instead, in poses that he chose. She didn’t expect to fall in love with him, nor was she prepared to stumble upon the horrible reason why Gardner wanted her to pose unclothed. And more than 70 years later, Charlotte was equally surprised at what

peace in Washington. In less than a year, a new person will sit in the Oval Office. What happened to thirty-nine of his (or her) predecessors is the premise behind this peek at presidential passings. You don’t have to look much past the title of “Dead Presidents” to know that you’re in for something enjoyably irreverent here, but author Brady Carlson isn’t disrespectful. His fascinating journey was genuine, as evidenced by places he sleuthed, people he met along the way, and the can’t-stop-reading information he found. We learn about gravesites and places where we only think a president rests in peace. We learn how he got there – sometimes a circuitous route. And we learn how our former leaders are remembered forever. Or not. History buffs will relish this book. Trivia lovers will eat it up, and political fans should lobby for it. If politics as (un)usual has your ear this year, “Dead Presidents” is stone-cold fun. “Dead Presidents” by Brady Carlson c.2016, W.W. Norton $26.95 / $34.95 Canada 324 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

she discovered… For sure, We Love You, Charlie Freeman is sharp as an axe. Author Kaitlyn Greenidge doesn’t just touch upon the issue of race, she tackles it and knocks it to the ground. This, while we squirm over what we see happening to the people in the story, and what we think is coming. Yep, Greenidge is good at making readers uneasy. That dis-ease, however, fully extends to the character, Nymphadora, who’s introduced with her Star of the Morning lineage in a way that made me wonder if this was a time-travel novel. It’s not – but it took me a good long while to understand so. Knowing that will make less of a struggle in reading this novel, and it’ll help you to love it as much as I did. For a book with edginess, unrest, and just enough weirdness, We Love You, Charlie Freeman is worth a try. We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge, c.2016, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $25.95 / higher in Canada, 336 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

Turn

River View Campground Come visit us at River View Campground for a fun, friendly getaway with family and friends or simply to relax and unwind. * Heated Swimming Pool * Fun Activities for Kids * Themed Events * Miniature & Saucer Golf See a full schedule of events on our website!

507-451-8050

Located on the Owatonna Bike Trail

2554 SW 28th Street Owatonna, MN www.RiverViewCampgroundMinnesota.com

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

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| JUNE 2016

BOOK REVIEWS

FRIDAY NIGHT @ 5PM PRIME RIB DINNER $19.99

5 Beers for $12

SATURDAY 2 FOR 1 DRINKS Free Juke Box 9 to Midnight

HAPPY HOUR

The Bookworm Sez:

‘A Burglars Guide to the City’ exposes all the tricks of a sinister trade By Terri Schlichenmeyer The back door was unlocked when you got home last night. It was locked when you left the house; you remember checking it. And though you’re trying not to panic, things have been slightly moved and it’s very, very unsettling… so don’t read

A Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh. It’ll just make you feel worse. The house under construction down the street is going to be a nice one; plenty of big windows, fancy landscaping. You’ve noticed many expensive details. Burglars have noticed, too. And they “understand architecture,” says Manaugh, “better than the rest of us. They know that sliding doors are easy to remove and that a C-note spent at a hardware store can get them inside pretty much any building. They know that doors and windows aren’t the only way into your house. But, says Manaugh, it’s not just that burglars steal things, “it’s how they move that’s so consistently interesting.” They’ll cut through walls, hide in suitcases or appliances, sleuth out floor plans, wiggle through doggy-doors or up garbage chutes, down chimneys or sewers, and sneak through roofs. They’re patient: they’ll study a building until they find a way in. They’ll study your habits and your schedule. They’ll wait until they know your building better than you do. Call the police? Sure, they’ve got equipment that can see in the dark and through walls. They know how to set traps. But as quickly as they devise ways to thwart criminals, criminals try to be one step ahead. Buy a security system? Sure, but alarms will only slow a burglar down. Ultimately, when it comes to burglary, “…you just might not be able to do much about it.” Oh, my. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book more fascinating or

more dang creepy than A Burglar’s Guide to the City. But here’s the surprise: this isn’t a true crime book. Sure, there are crimes described here. Author Geoff Manaugh discusses burglary throughout history and he writes of boneheaded, bungling burglars. Those great stories mostly serve to highlight the reason for this book, though, which is that the buildings in which we live and work have an influence on the way burglars operate. Cities, Manaugh says, are almost built with thieves in mind; in fact, he offers a challenge: look closely at any random building you’ve driven past many times. How would you get inside? Try it. You’ll be shocked. And yet – don’t think that this is a book of instruction. Manaugh cautions that, even if you’re genius at breakingand-entering, officials are usually smarter. He also goes on to explain how homeowners can lessen the chances of a burglary, why B&E guys aren’t interested in your expensive door locks, and why you should smile pretty when entering a casino. This book had me stuck to my sofa. It’s lively, informative, oh-so-fun to read, and a must-have for anyone with real estate. If that sounds like your kinda book, then A Burglar’s Guide to the City will be a steal. A Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh c.2016, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16.00 / $26.00 Canada, 296 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

M-TH 8 – 10 AM | M-F 3:30 – 6:30 PM

RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW!

BEER & WINE CRUISE!

Downtown Dundas • 507-645-8987

Bacchus Wine Society of Faribault 6th Annual

Beer & Wine Cruise on the St. Croix River Saturday, July 30, 2016 Members: $43 • Non-Members: $48 Door to Door Motorcoach Option: $25.00 per person additional

RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY SAT., JULY 23RD Call 507-332-7173, Fax 507-333-2479 or stop in at Haskell’s Faribault. ALL SALES FINAL. MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO ATTEND.

Make it a worry-free trip to Stillwater and choose the Motorcoach option for just $25 more! The bus will leave from Haskell’s Faribault at 10:00 a.m. and return approximately at 5:00 p.m. RAIN OR SHINE! Boarding time is 11:30 am. Boat leaves at 12:00 sharp! Boat returns promptly at 3:00 pm. LOCATION: St. Croix Boat & Packet Co., 525 Main Street South, Stillwater, MN 55082 — Free parking for this event!

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204 2nd Street South West, Waseca, MN

Waseca’s Best Rated spot for Breakfast and Lunch!

Burger of the Month May - Bistro Style Mushroom & Swiss 1/2 lb. Angus Beef burger, topped with rich mushroom sauce and swiss cheese

Weekly Specials: MONDAY: Chicken Salad on a bed of lettuce w/fresh fruit TUESDAY: Turkey Panini w/kettle chips WEDNESDAY: BLT w/kettle chips

June - Grand Slam Breakfast Burger

THURSDAY: Taco Salad

1/2 lb. Angus Beef burger, topped with bacon, cheese, crispy hash browns, and a cooked to order fried egg

FRIDAY: Turkey Club SATURDAY: Chef’s Choice

Stop in and check out our new early bird specials from 4-5:30 pm!

Music on the Patio 6pm - 9pm

204 2n d St. SW., Waseca

204 2nd Street South West, Waseca, MN • 507.833.7540

Enter through the Starfire Restaurant if it happens to rain , the bands will play inside club 57 Thursday, May 26th Kozy Lil Duo

Thursday, June 2nd Peter Klug

Thursday, June 16th Ben Johnson & The Road Beers

Call for information & Reservations: 507.835.1146 After 4pm: 507.837.9848

204 2nd Street South West, Waseca, MN 507.833.8756

Thursday, June 9th Tully & Allen

Thursday, June 23rd Los Tequileros

204 2nd Street South West, Waseca, MN 507.833.4700

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

206 2nd Ave. SW For Reservations: 507.461.1387

204 2nd Street South West, Waseca, MN 507.833.7540

Call for information & Reservations: 507.835.1146 After 4pm: 507.837.9848

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| JUNE 2016

CD REVIEWS By Daniel G. Moir editor@southernminnscene.com

You really can’t go home again

ou can never go home again, but that doesn’t stop the Classic Santana line-up from trying. I should be very clear about a couple of things before we start. If you came to Santana through the Rob Thomas collaboration “Smooth” or his more recent chart-topping singles of the past decade, you may be disappointed by what you find on this one. If you are an avid early fan of the band that played Woodstock on that August Saturday of 1969, well… there might be some stuff here that may call to you. I will admit to having high expectations for a reunion of the Original Santana Band. The core group of Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Michael Schrieve and Michael Carabello has not recorded, or played together since 1973. Well, kind of. In 1997, Neal Schon made his first attempt at breeching a reunion with the “Abraxas Pool” project. He was successful in gathering everyone, with the notable exception of Carlos Santana himself. Sadly, this one-off adventure yielded only one spectacular self-titled album. When news came a year ago, that Schon was rewarded in convincing Santana to commit to the project, the template he had founded with A.P. seemed poised to come to fruition. “IV” begins promisingly enough with “Yambu.” Santana’s piercing Stratocaster and Rolie’s soulful Hammond B3 organ serves as an “invitation of ceremony” of sorts before melting into

By RICH LARSON editor@southernminnscene.com

‘Ferris Wheels Unbound’ is a lush, gorgeous gift for the grown-ups

ny songwriter will admit that most of the songs they write aren’t great. Some aren’t even good. The rule of thumb is that, if you’re lucky, one out of ten songs will be worth letting the public hear. So a good songwriter will dedicate him or herself to writing every day, creating a huge backlog of music. Those unused songs aren’t all just garbage to be tossed away and never thought about again. Quite often a song will be “bad” because it doesn’t fit the style the songwriter is looking for. And sometimes a song can sit for years and, when revisited, suddenly it’s worth the light of day. Rob Meany is, among other things, a very good songwriter. For the past 15 years he has fronted the Minneapolis jazz-pop-rock group Terramara, singing, playing the piano and contributing the lion’s share of their original material. After three Terramara albums and a decade-and-a-half of songwriting, Meany found himself with a number of very good songs that simply didn’t fit his band’s groove. He quietly began working on this batch of songs, recording where and when he could with producer Andy Thompson. Finally after nearly four years, Meany has emerged with his first solo album Ferris Wheels Unbound, an accomplished collection of introspective, piano driven songs fixed with lush, string-laden arrange-

the hard-rocking “Shake It.” It’s really Schon’s bruising guitar that holds down the groove with Rolie’s injection of great organ fills and pulsating percussive rhythms supplied by the rest of the band. “Anywhere You Want To Go” starts by recalling the feel of the band’s prior hit, “Evil Ways” before spinning into its own warm path. The solos are sharp, focused and playful. This one seems destined to be heard pouring joyously from the speakers of a 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible on a sunny afternoon as it heads north up Highway One to the San Francisco Bay. The only smudge on this otherwise great song is the unfortunate “Hey baby, what’s your name? Come over here and sit on my lap.” intro that sounds leering and just plain creepy. From here, the fire of the album begins to dim significantly. The listless and unfocused “Fillmore East” resembles the acid-burnout jams of the Grateful Dead on a bad night. A real bad night. A little bit of this might be fine, but at nearly 8 minutes in length, it completely drags. Guest vocalist Ronald Isley jumps into the fray next to sing the banal “Love Makes The World Go Round” and the equally insipid “Freedom In Your Mind.” Musically uninspired, these generic tracks are coupled with inane observations that “if we just join hands, we can build a rainbow bridge” to live in harmony, for the children, or something like that. Watch out for the brown acid everyone. Seriously. Reverence to the past haunts, and sabotages, “IV.” “Caminando” is the best example. Borrowing heavily from the bass riff of Led Zeppelin’s

ments. This is adult-contemporary music; music for grown-ups who need a break from twang, tech and teenage angst. The first thing that hits you about this album is Meany’s razor sharp sense of melody. Not in the sense of a “hook” that will get stuck in your head and fester at 3:00 in the morning, but more like a relaxed, easy wave that keeps your attention as it slowly caresses the beach and disappears. “Lonely Boy” is a piano and string ballad built on the vocal melody but supported by crescendos and jazz chords; the pensive-yet-hopeful lyrics easily wrapping around the listener as we decipher their meaning. In the end the words (although they are indeed good lyrics) don’t matter all that much. Meany has conveyed his message with and without them. While Meany has said he doesn’t necessarily write lyrics to fit with a specific chord progression, he clearly has a knack for it. The title track gives us a slow, melancholy piano line that supports a melody that rises and falls: So I heard you’ve given up/You Really don’t believe in love/ It’s all a hoax, a circus ride/An empty box with no inside/Now no place is far enough/Or high enough or deep enough/To bury all those memories/You’ve hoarded all these years/So we go round and round/ Like Ferris wheels unbound/Can’t stop; you can’t slow down/Some days up then down. He couldn’t capture the feel of emotional tumult better if he

“How Many More Times” the song recalls bits of The Doors “Roadhouse Blues” in Rolie’s exhortation of “Let It Roll, Let It Roll.” Intended or not, these references are far below what this band is capable and mar the record. The biggest problem this album is the sense that, collectively, the players seem desperate to re-create the band that they once were over 40 years ago. Since going their separate ways, each player has had remarkable experiences and grown in ability, so it is frustrating to hear them try to recreate an long-gone era instead of letting that time reconnect them with where they are now, and how they may have grown. Fortunately, the album finishes strongly with the incredible instrumental “Echizo.” It is with this song that Neal Schon proves that he is the true champion of this album. Playing with both passion and fire, it is his guitar voice that leads the band to higher ground. This song alone is reason enough for the reunion, and this record, in the first place. “Leave Me Alone” is classic Santana with Rolie in great voice and Carlos Santana’s perfect guitar interjections. It is in songs like this and the equally joyful “Come As You Are” that the players come alive and revel in how their independent journeys have brought them to this rare space of reconnection. Sadly, by the time the album reaches this place, it is all over. As much as you may want to go home again, you just can’t. The you that attempts the return is different. That may be the true message of this album after all. Daniel G. Moir has forgotten more about music than all the rest of us know combined. Reach him at editor@southernminnscene.com.

tried. The centerpiece, and minor masterpiece, of Ferris Wheels Unbound is “The Cover of Snow,” a slow, gorgeous anthem with a string arrangement that recalls the quiet, unyielding cold - and change of perspective - that always arrives with the first snowfall of winter. This is not to say Ferris Wheels Unbound is a drudging, depressing album; quite the contrary, in fact. Many of Meany’s songs are built on up-tempo grooves that can at once have your thumbs tapping on the steering wheel while you try to figure the song’s time signature. “Quiet Desire,” and “That Much I Already Know” are driving jams interlaced with Meany’s sweet vocals, giving them an odd feeling of intelligent accessibility. “The View” and “Jumping the Tracks” are straight ahead pop songs infused with the poised, optimistic viewpoint of a guy who knows that hard times come and go. The key is to enjoy the good stuff that’s always in front of you. With Ferris Wheels Unbound, Meany has taken many years’ worth of discarded work and created an album with vision, wisdom, intelligence and groove. The fact that it doesn’t demand to be played at top volume gives it a knowing charm that should appeal to anybody with a few grey hairs a need for babysitters. Rich Larson is the publisher and editor of SouthernMinn Scene. You can reach him at rlarson@southernminnscene.com.

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A contrasting pair of albums from The Lowest Pair

By Sarah Osterbauer editor@southernminnscene.com

s a band The Lowest Pair is young by any standard, having formed in 2013. Both Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee had played in other bands, but were drawn to each other by the power of the banjo and shared love of roots music. Their first two albums were recorded in Minnesota, the first one in Dave Simonett’s (Trampled by Turtles) basement (per TLP’s website). For this double release, they decided to return to Minnesota, and enlist the help of Simonett again, along with local Americana treasure, Erik Koskinen.

broken front porch. Loneliness plays a supporting role on Uncertain, as the opening tune “The Company I Keep” reminds us what a close friend and foe that feeling can be. Here Winter stars and Lee appears only on the chorus. Strings are heavy and present. Winter’s voice has that natural vintage tone - similar to Iris Dement. It’s that little bit of drawl, little bit of cracks in the marble that make it so unique and special. The tune moves in southern pacing, slow and easy. On “Lonesome Sunrise” they lament a lost love, recalling all the small beautiful moments they had together. Winter and Lee share equal vocals, and it’s hard to tell if they’re yearning for each other or other people entirely. On “By Then Where Will That Be” a love has left the frame and there’s speculation of a return. If and when that happens, where will that be, “until then trouble will always be another lonesome part of me.” Cello joins the party on this track as beautiful rich parting gift. Uncertain is the perfect accompaniment to fire flies, thick summer nights, mason jars and campfires. It’s bare feet skipping recklessly through tall grass and jumping into a pond with all your clothes on.

Uncertain As It Is Uneven Uncertain As It Is Uneven is punctuated by their signature double banjo picking and sparse arrangements. For The Lowest Pair, the banjos serve as the third and fourth band members, often sharing the spotlight with their voices instead of holding up the background. They’re not here to show off or complicate things. These songs are simple, lovely compositions that function as a musical time machine. Their sound glows in sepia tones and would sound the most right on a

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Fern Girl & Ice Man By contrast, Fern Girl & Ice Man is a departure from their signature sound. The gloves come off as the tempo moves at new and different speeds. Other instruments are added, giving their sound a fullness they haven’t seen before. The focus shifts from love and love lost to an inner darkness brought about by life’s trials and tribulations. “The River Will” starts strong, with the attitude of a reckoning. Percussion rounds out the sound, making it full and solid. “Stranger” opens with a harmonica solo and sounds on the verge of a Beatles tune when the harmonica cuts out and guitar comes in. This definitely has a Trampled By Turtles vibe to it, carrying the mark of Simonett. They sing “I carry on with strangers cause I’m forever growing stranger.” This is a good example of The Lowest Pair’s love affair with homonyms and using them frequently in their lyrics. One of my favorite instances is on Uncertain, the song “Pretend It’s True” when Winter sings “I believe in you cause I believe in what you do but I’ll be leaving you cause you lie to me, still you’re lying beside me.” The best track of either album is “Spring Cleaning”. From the start it reads like an admission to one’s self of wrongs committed. When the chorus hits, the song opens up, speeding down an empty two lane highway, top down, headscarf flying off into the distance. It’s a peptalk to leave the past in the past and it almost has us convinced but not quite. The Lowest Pair aren’t here to impress anyone. They want to make music their way using their rules. They help us put a spotlight on beautiful fleeting moments. They create characters and stories that are relatable yet seem to come from another place and time. They woo us with the contrast of Winter’s broken vintage voice against Lee’s solid oak country soother. Their banjos dance with clarity and light. Sarah Osterbauer is the SouthernMinn Scene music columnist. She’s a music critic and loves to meet the people who make the city’s heart beat (and sometimes break). Follow her on twitter @ SarahOwrites.

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Karlee Kanz is a freelance writer in Southern Minnesota. Contact her at editor@southernminnscene.com.

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s we all know our hometown boy, Prince Rogers Nelson, suddenly passed away on the 21st of April. Most people in my friend group, and I’m assuming all over Minnesota and the world, are still reeling from suddenly living on a planet where Prince no long resides. I know, I know, it is very weird indeed. And not that good weird, how Prince was; that weird feeling where you think you’re missing something, maybe forgot to turn off the dryer before you left for work, left the dog outside,etc. but you can’t put your finger on it. That sinking, odd feeling where you are missing something. People grieve in their own way, and for me, usually watching sports, listening to music, or writing brings me back down to earth, consoling my soul.

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He moved like a player and played like one of those darting little guys you have to keep your eye on every second. Blink and he’s somewhere you wouldn’t expect. Lose control of your dribble for a heartbeat and he’s relieved you of the ball. He jitterbugged around the court like a sleek little lightning bug, so fast he’d leave a defender stranded and looking stupid if he weren’t careful. With his energy and discipline it was a rapid game, but never manic, or out of control. - Touré

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Thur, Sept 22 2016 So here we are, what to write...what to write. I can talk about how the MN Wild got into the playoffs but in a classic MN Wild move, got kicked out in the first round. Maybe I can write a thinkpiece on Joe Mauer’s super human stats, comparing his talent to the rest of the anemic line up. Or I can use this time to grieve, and come back down to earth. Prince was a damn good basketball player. It all started when in 2004, when Chappelle’s Show featured a skit by Charlie Murphy -Eddie Murphy’s brother- in which he recounted a story of being challenged to a late-night game of basketball by Prince. Prince and his “crew” (wearing the now legendary “Game Blouses”) easily beat Murphy and his friends, and later served them pancakes. (Chappelle played Prince in the skit) Since then everyone wondered, was that story just a skit? Prince was often seen courtside at the Timberwolves games, threw a 3-hour dance party at Paisley Park when the Minnesota Lynx won the championship, and even wrote a fight song of sorts for the Minnesota Vikings. So you can easily say he’s a fan of sports, but can he play them? In 2013, writer and journalist Touré had a first person encounter with Prince on this whole basketball thing, challenging him to a one on one pick up game, in his book I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon he states, “He moved like a player and played like one of those darting little guys you have to keep your eye on every second. Blink and he’s somewhere you wouldn’t expect. Lose control of your dribble for a heartbeat and he’s relieved you of the ball. He jitterbugged around the court like a sleek little lightning bug, so fast he’d leave a defender stranded and looking stupid if he weren’t careful. With his energy and discipline it was a rapid game, but never manic, or out of control.“ Fast forward to 2015 where the Star Tribune found a photo of Prince as a teenager, still looking fierce as ever, donning his Bryant Junior High basketball uniform. We found out he usually hung out with the jocks in school,

playing basketball, baseball, football, and in 9th grade coached a grade school basketball team at church. Ball was life, for Prince. His old coach Richard Robinson said his ball handling was excellent, and an amazing shooter even at a mere 5 foot 2 inches. The evidence is stacking up pretty well, don’t you think? Finally we got the answer from the man himself, stating in a radio interview that the skit on Chapelle’s Show actually did happen in real life, even the pancake part. But NO, he didn’t make them himself. Come on guys, he’s Prince, he has people for that kind of stuff. Prince was as Minnesotan as any of us, his passion flowed through everything he did, even late night basketball games. We should all live with such ferocity as he did, because who knows when it’ll end. You aren’t too big for yoga, too short for basketball, or too skinny to play football. Prince showed us that if you want to do something you love, do it, and do it for as long as you want. Whether its playing a sport that isn’t ‘fit’ for you, music that’s so different and weird it might turn some people off, or write things that some people might not relate to. Be that different person, it’s what makes you, well, you.

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Taken during their 2013 show at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Sigur Ros performed the first couple of songs from behind this cubed scrim. Not pictured: me having a panic attack two hours after this photo was taken.

Look at me. I am having fun.

KEVIN KREIN Kevin Krein is an incredibly anxious writer who tries to have fun, but it doesn’t always pan out. Follow his anxiety filled tweets: @ KevEFly.

A Supposedly Fun Thing

Apparently Minneapolis won’t support a nationally known hiphop act like Pusha T, who canceled his April concert, which was kind of okay since I was getting really anxious about going anyway....

and A Terrific Source of Anxiety

the anxiety, or at least the reservations t the beginning of April, about concert going were always the Icelandic post-rock there—it just took a little while for it to outfit Sigur Ros announced a large-scale fall tour of the get to the point where I realized that United States, including maybe, just maybe, going to see live a stop at the Orpheum music just wasn’t for me. Theater in Minneapolis. And for a brief At first, being only “an hour away” moment, I considered buying tickets to doesn’t sound so bad—you just hop go. on the highway and after about 25 I’ve seen the band twice before— minutes of farmland or nothingness, once at the very same venue, in the you eventually hit suburbia. And then, fall of 2008; and once in 2013 at the before you know it—it you’re in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, a glorified city! You’re navigating one-way streets! high school gymnasium, complete with You’re trying not to hit pedestrians in concession stands in the distance. the crosswalk as you try to make a left My moment of wanting to purchase handed turn down 7th St. in downtown tickets came and went very quickly, as I realized that it was at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, during the band’s encore, I had what could only be described as a horrible anxiety attack. And it was in that moment, sandwiched between my wife and her sister, sitting in the cheap seats, that I realized maybe, just maybe, my concert anxiety had become an issue that I should address. When you are seven years old, seeing the New Growing up in rural Kids on The Block can be a transcendental experiIllinois, my first real ence. concert experience didn’t happen until I was 17, Minneapolis! You’re balking at the unless you count the time I went to see price of the parking garage that you the New Kids on The Block in second are coasting into, hoping there are still grade. So a decade ago, when I moved some parking spots left! to Northfield, being only an hour away Before you know it, you are at your from a major metropolitan area where concert. You’re supposed to be having a bands I liked came through regularly good time! was a novelty that took a while to wear But after the show is over, what off. about the crowd dispersing In retrospect, from the venue all at the same time—flooding into the street? What about the line that forms rather quickly as you attempt to escape the parking garage? What about all that exhaust you end up sucking in as you idle behind an endless barrage of cars, all waiting their turn to futz with the thing that allows them to pay and let them leave? What about navigating different oneway streets to make your way back to the highway? “Only an hour away” sure feels, and probably is, a lot longer on the way back home—

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especially when it’s midnight, or later; a fan, I saw a Minneapolis date listed especially when you’ve been standing for the tour, and thought to myself for a couple of hours and your ears are that maybe I can overcome all of my ringing and you’re thirsty and your crippling concert anxieties and go to throat is hoarse from possibly screaming this show—what would have been my “wooooo!” a few too many times. very first hip-hop concert—and actually Concert going provides the have a good time. opportunity to learn who else enjoys the Maybe deep down I wanted the same kind of music as you. There should show to be cancelled so I could get out be a grand sense of camaraderie filling the room as you all wait for the band of the mistake I made of thinking I’d you’ve all paid your hard earned money be able to have a good time. About a to see take the stage and rock your month before the date of the concert, collective faces. I noticed it had been removed from More often than not, when you are the list of upcoming events for the packed ass to ankles with a crowd of venue, and there was no longer a way strangers, you discover that you don’t to purchase tickets online. As it turned actually like the people who also enjoy out, the show wasn’t happening, the same kind of music as you. In fact, as the show continues, you may find due to what I was told by the venue yourself wishing ill upon them as they were “Pusha’s recording schedule continue to talk amongst themselves commitments,” which is I think a nice through the entire show, consume too way of saying “low ticket sales.” much alcohol, or invade your personal You’d think that with all that I’ve space. learned about myself, and my inability Eventually, after enough experiences to enjoy myself at a concert, I would like this, what is a supposedly fun thing just stop going (or trying) all together. becomes less and less of one—and you begin to show less and less interest in But, bands and artists continue to tour, going to see bands you like perform tempting me to think that leaving my live; you find yourself being less and house is a sound idea. less in the moment while you are at the In June, we’ll be going to see The show you’ve paid money to attend, and Cure in St. Paul—but I guess if there’s thinking more and more about how late any crowd that may also struggle with you are going to be out, and the hassle concert anxiety, it will be the sea of of getting back home. middle-aged former goths I will be Or if you are foolish enough to looking down on from my cheap seats buy tickets months ahead of time for something, you find yourself hoping in the second level of the Xcel Energy that the concert is cancelled and that Center, as I you are wonder how miraculously much longer relieved of the show is the situation going to go you would on for, if it have put will be hassle yourself in—such to get out of was the case the parking a few years garage, and back when how quickly Morrissey we’ll be able attempted to get back to play in onto the Minneapolis highway to not once, not twice, head home. Robert Smith will tell you that ‘Boys Don’t Cry.’ Robert but three We’ll see if that’s true when The Cure plays in St. times after Smith of The Paul in June. continually Cure would postponing, assure you that boys don’t cry. But when then cancelling the show all together. it gets to be 11 p.m. and the band is And such was the case of rapper still playing, we’ll see about that Robert Pusha T, who, in December, announced Smith. a spring tour in support of his then released Darkest Before Dawn album. As We will see.

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| JUNE 2016

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