Sunday:

The mayor was late at Tycoons but, given his pre-proclamation speech involving the real/made-up story of Homegrown, which may or may not involve a story of fire-ring elves, makes sense and is forgiven.

Mr. Ness went on to win the Homegrown Pub Quiz at Carmody, leading to a who’s-who of wearing the chicken hat. Devon yelled well, and everyone got a prize.

For this old slag, the Repo Man-style back at Tycoons was worth an open-eyed listen after so many hemp-inspired ales.

There was much talk of slipping over to Luce, or back to Carmody. I’m sure readers can fill in.

Safe to say, it was a rowdy first night, leaving one to wonder if we all can hold out. I save my strength, it looks like Monday is here.

Today, ladies and gents, marks Day One of Homegrown: The Apocalypse. Homegrown banners are in rotation here at PDD, and you can still submit new ones if you’re so inclined.

As of this post, there have been no changes in the established lineup. If you know of any changes, please mention them in the comments. Please note that the two 12:30am shows on Friday — Acceleratti at Pizza Lucé and Crew Jones at the Rex — were mistakenly omitted from the Field Guide.

We’ve created some handy schedules that should be easy to read on your mobile device, so you can bookmark them for reference when you’re out in the chaos.

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

The official Homegrown Twitter account is @dhgmf. PDD’s Twitter account is @perfectduluth. We’ll be posting up-to-the-minute information, updates, pics and general weirdness under the community-established hashtag #hgmf12. You should use it too.

Speaking of community-established tags, if you use Flickr, please tag your photos homegrownmusicfestival2012 so that everyone can find them and enjoy them. Later on, we’ll post a slideshow of these shots here on PDD.

As always, have a happy and safe Homegrown. Keep hydrated. Don’t drink and drive. Stay out of jail.

Deep breath … here we go.

“Ten bands, then 25, then 40 and 50. It would be nice to see it plotted out.” — Homegrown Music Festival founder Scott Lunt in today’s Duluth News Tribune

Here it is, plotted out:

We tracked down the origins of the Homegrown Chicken and interviewed the original artists.

Check out our photo slideshow and audio story at LakeVoice to see the evolution of the Chicken.

Your Holistic Path sponsors the Homegrown Music Festival and is giving away pairs of tickets for the Friday and Saturday night shows — May 5 and 6. There will be three winners. Visit “Win Homegrown Music Festival Tickets!!” on Facebook for details.

I’m wondering, why is Homegrown punishing Trampled by Turtles fans by making them pay an extra $20 to get in? Isn’t having to wait in line for 24+ hours going to be bad enough?

Haley Bonar is giving away a sampler EP from her “Golder” album which came out last year. Haley claims MSP as her home these days but she has deep roots here in Duluth, too. If you want you can share some of those roots in the comments, I always love hearing that stuff. Especially after some folks have been doing so well on a larger stage lately. In fact, this seems like a fantastic week for music and acknowledgement for Duluth artists. We just became Duluth, MN home of Bob Dylan, Low AND Trampled by Turtles. Haley is another candidate for high pop culture level consciousness and success. This noisetrade promotion is good exposure for her, and us.

* Yes, she’s giving the EP away, but you can give her a tip if you want, also NoiseTrade will add you to their email list and they send out a lot of offers and opportunities (at least one a week). I don’t mind so much as a music lover, but you should know that going in.

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Duluth’s Breanne Marie seems like a very nice lady and I think she makes a nice addition to the local music scene.

Kickstarter is a web service that helps artists and and creatives crowd-source fundraising for projects. If the project achieves its goal within a finite window then Kickstarter cuts them a check, if they don’t realize the goal then no one is out anything. Breanne Marie has almost half of what she needs ($3,200) to record her debut album.

I think on the eve of our great Homegrown Music Festival, and the same day our Trampled by Turtles are appearing on National TV, this would be a great time to send another promising Duluth artist along on her way. The suggested pledge amount is $10, but even if you don’t pledge anything, take a few minutes and listen to her very compelling, bittersweet story of how “music saved my life.” And help spread the word, too, if she doesn’t raise the donations she needs on Kickstarter in the next two weeks she goes back to zero, which means she’ll have to resort to bake sales to gather the cash, she says.

Tuesday, April 24, 10:35 p.m., KDLH-TV 3.1
Late Show with David Letterman guests:
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show)
Trampled by Turtles (CD, Stars and Satellites)

Three years in the making, the long awaited album by Duluth band Three Song Sunday is finally coming out during Homegrown week on May 1.

I’m a little late this year, but here is the annual call. We’re looking for your Homegrown photos! The guidelines are the same as always. We’ll rotate Homegrown images in that extremely horizontal and hard-to-fit-a-photo-into space at the top of the page during next week’s festivities.

Don’t get me wrong, the Chicken is cool, but I still don’t understand how it became the mascot. If anybody has any insight into this historical mystery, let me know.

After sitting around a fire in the dark with my band mates last night instead of running through our Homegrown set because we needed to flail, celebrate, berate, challenge and lock arms, I got to thinking about bands as vehicles for journeys. How communal music can be. With Homegrown coming on quickly, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on the power of collective music making, in a band and a “scene.” How it can weave together lives and a community.

Duluth band Retribution Gospel Choir will have its song “Feel it, Superior” featured in tonight’s episode of the ABC-TV drama series Revenge. It airs locally at 9 p.m. on WDIO-TV channel 10.1.

Unsanctioned Homegrown Print Photo Show: Blue Tape. No Frames.

Just what it says. @2104 will be hosting a last-minute, non-sanctioned print photo show for Homegrown.

Opening night will coincide with 2104 Spring Series Episode Three.

Thursday Opening – May 3, 2012
Hours: 3 to 9 p.m. – times are variable … date is not

Presentation will only be photos taped to the wall … the tape will be blue.

Music by: Two Beat Band
Awesomeness = Guaranteed

If interested in participating you must contact me. Everyone is eligible to participate. However, content must be 2011 Homegrown related. No other discounts or coupons or other offers valid. Must be present to win.

You’d never know what would happen next at a Dukes of Hubbard show (circa early 2000s). On stage, they would mix Phish with Kenny Loggins, then beatbox. Or play Ween followed by a Beatles medley and other antics. Or Jane’s Addiction followed by Herbie Hancock, while trading instruments and doing shots. And with Trudy (good dog, may she rest in peace) lounging off to the side. Some nights were more of a variety show than a usual set of music.

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I forgot to mark my calendar, but yesterday was Trampled by Turtles Day in both Duluth and Minneapolis. Here’s Don and RT Rybak crowd surfing at First Ave last night after making the proclamation.

This is a Minneapolis band, but the video is directed by Nicholas Sunsdahl, and the lovely Chelsy Whittington appears in it — both of whom are locals.

CMT World Premiere Trampled by Turtles "Alone"

This was really a pleasure to see, both as a Duluthophile and a music lover. Our boys just keep getting bigger (and better). “World Premiere” music videos surely don’t have the same appointment television mystique that they did back in the early 80s on MTV, but still. This is cool.

Dave Simonett’s MN tattoo and various Duluth scenes and landscapes all have uncredited cameos. Feel free to do the “Where in Duluth?” game on them. I could only figure out a couple on my own.

What locally relevant new songs on SoundCloud are you liking? Here are my finds.

Bull Feathers — “Shake” (Cougar Conley and the Virgin Marcus!)

Emily Haavik — “Fall” (Hey, she’s a PDD intern!)

Modern Gentlemen and DZK — “Mean Streak” (Insert parental warning label here)

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Live on the PlayList, April 5.

Zoo Animal was on the Local this past Wednesday, performing some tunes and talking with DJ E about preparing for their performance providing the score for The Passion of Joan of Arc at Zinema 2 (second show is tonight at 7). Listen to the podcast here.

The Homegrown Field Guide arrived today! They will be distributed over the next week to all of your favorite venues and local businesses. An online copy will be available shortly.

New St. Paul fest starting out big

Two bands that have packed Xcel Energy Center in the past will stretch out on St. Paul’s Harriet Island this summer as headliners for the River’s Edge Music Festival, an inaugural two-day event whose organizers hope will draw 40,000 people daily.

Arty metal kings Tool and bohemian jazz-rockers the Dave Matthews Band — mainstays of the summer concert circuit — will top out the June 23 and 24 lineups, respectively. Some of the other 30 or so (mostly rock) acts assembled by concert promoter Live Nation include the Flaming Lips, Mutemath, Coheed and Cambria, Brand New, Diplo, Scissor Sisters and local bands Poliça and Motion City Soundtrack.

It’s available now on Bandcamp, and you can name your price.
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Has anyone had an antique piano restored in the Duluth area? I am looking to have a 1907 upright restored and thus far have an estimate from Master Piano. It seems to me it would be worth getting more than one estimate for such an extensive and costly undertaking. I understand Streblow is another option. I am wondering if there are any additional companies to consider or if anyone has any experience working with either of these companies.

Coyote is hard at work on a new album. Our goal is to record our latest batch of original tunes before Marc hits the road in June! We’re taking the leap and have set-up a Kickstarter page with rewards / “pre-sales” of the upcoming CD and such.

We made a little movie to tell you all about it. Check it out…

Coyote CD Project on Kickstarter

The Kickstarter campaign goes until the end of April. Please join us and spread the word!

Thanks!
Jerree Small, Marc Gartman, and Matt Mobley

Photo by Rich Narum
Video by Ryan Dahlberg

What? Yeah I started a rock band. We’re called the Ball Slashers and we’re going to open the show at RT’s next Friday. Poor Howard (Howlin’ Andy & Vince Cadillac) and Hard Feelings are in the middle, and the Blood Shot (my old band!!) are last. Come on down, we’re here to provide the blast of high octane rock and roll that this town is devoid of. Cheers!