Music
Katie Switzer – “Jen”
Katie Switzer, from the central Minnesota city of Staples, won the North of Nashville songwriting contest in Duluth in February. Production of her new music video was part of the grand prize package. It was shot in Symphony Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and Sacred Heart Music Center by Bo Allen of Bo Allen Productions.
The song was recorded as Sacred Heart and features Shane Nelson on acoustic guitar and bass, Matt Groom on percussion, and Bo Allen on acoustic guitar and background vocals.
Homegrown Music Festival 2022 Photo Slideshow
Rock and roll is complicated. But the Homegrown Music Festival made it back after two years of online events during the pandemic. I took a bunch of photos and tossed the best of them into a slideshow. I made it to 58 acts, but that means I missed 131.
The song featured here is by Cars & Trucks from the 2013 album Theatre Stardusk. The band returned from a lengthy hiatus to perform a surprise popup at this year’s festival.
Nat Harvie Live at Chicago Music Exchange
Duluth’s Nat Harvie sat down with Karl Neurauter of Chicago Music Exchange to talk sonic-vibes and writing processes and played four tracks from the new EP Married in Song. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Recovery and Smelt Parade
Select Instagram images from day eight of the Homegrown Music Festival and the annual Run, Smelt, Run! Parade and Party. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Roll Night
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdTWKooLB9K/
Select Instagram images from day seven of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Rollers win Homegrown kickball, knotting series at 11
The chant is heard sporadically throughout the annual Homegrown Music Festival Kickball Classic. “MVP. MVP. MVP.” (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Rawk Night
Select Instagram images from day six of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
MN Moder – “One Minute Murder”
New single by Duluth-based hip-hop artist Zachary Moder, aka MN Moder. Video by Montclair Media.
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Soup Town Night
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdM3veisagE/
Select Instagram images from day five of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
I love you Homegrown but I can’t do this anymore!
I played my first Homegrown when I was seventeen. My high school band opened for Coyote at Teatro Zuccone. It was the first sold out show of my music career. I got to share a green room with THE Jerree Small. I got an artist pass on a cool lanyard that let me into any all-ages show (and a few 21+ shows too). I felt like I was on the edge of something. I felt grown up and I felt seen. At the time, it seemed like that feeling was coming from my artist pass, free T-shirt, and (maybe) $50 cheque. Looking back, I understand that what I actually experienced was membership and pride in a community of practice for the first time in my young life. Homegrown gave me an invaluable jumping off point as an artist in this city. It made me proud to be from Duluth and proud of my peers and mentors for choosing to make music here. It opened Duluth to me and deepened my relationship to community and to music. That experience kept me coming back through the years and and through my development as an artist. I’m grateful for it and I always will be, but like many artists in this town my relationship to the festival has become a bit complicated. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Westside Wednesday
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLebN4uTPO/
Select Instagram images from day four of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Canal Park Night
Select Instagram images from day three of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Craft District Night
Select Instagram images from day two of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Selective Focus: Homegrown 2022 Opening Ceremonies
Select Instagram images from opening day of the Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Homegrown Music Festival 2022 Primer
The Homegrown Music Festival is back in person, May 1-8. There’s a 100-page Field Guide available as usual, with all the specifics about the 195ish bands performing at 45 venues in the Twin Ports, but what are the hot updates? Well, that’s why PDD always kicks out a primer. (more…)
Video Archive: Homegrown 2017 Movie
Sam Tuthill put together this documentary from select performances during the 2017 Homegrown Music Festival. (more…)
Homegrown on Almanac North
The Homegrown Music Festival returns to in-person concerts this year, running May 1-8. WDSE-TV‘s Almanac North program reports on what the Twin Ports has been missing the past two years. (more…)
Ian Alexy – “Teardrops in the Rain”
Ian Alexy‘s new video is for a track from the album Troubadour 21st Century. The clip uses video footage and photos that go back to his childhood in New Jersey and also documents time touring with his band the Deserters and also Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank.
LineCheck: Nat Harvie
Duluth native Nat Harvie recently performed for the Current’s video series LineCheck. Above is “Waiting Song” and below is “No Ash.” Both tracks are from Harvie’s new EP, Married in Song. (more…)
Trampled by Turtles and Elizabeth Cook – “Old Shoes”
Trampled by Turtles were joined by country singer Elizabeth Cook for a cover of Tom Waits‘ “Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)” on March 26 during a concert at GLC Live at 20 Monroe, a concert hall in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The video was shot by Justin Razmus, Heather Kanig and Cooper Baumgartner, and edited by 616 Media. The sound was mixed by Adam Krinsky.
Nelson Family Music
This documentary about the musical Nelson family was produced at the end of 2021 as part of the North by North Film School‘s Documentary Film Production class. It was directed by Carolyn Nelson-Kavajecz (more…)
Seeking information on late local musician Lew Orsoni
I recently opened up an old binder of burned CDs and came across a much loved recording I had forgotten about attributed to Lew Orsoni. It sounds like a live recording. Wonderful ballad about Lake Superior, among other great tunes. I believe I got it from Lew’s son, who used to bartend at the old Twin Ports Brewing Company (predecessor of Thirty Pagan) 20 years ago. I recall Lew had passed away recently at that time. Just looking for info on the CD, Lew Orsoni’s music, and if others have memories of his performances around here.
Sydney Hansen – “Somebody’s Nobody”
Duluth’s Sydney Hansen released this music video today, shot at Spurs on First and directed by Bo Allen of Bopro Video. Hansen cowrote the song with Nashville’s Bill DiLuigi.
Cry on Cue – “Sweetheart Like You”
The video for the first release from the fifth album in the Duluth Does Dylan series — Free Wheelin’ Duluth Does Dylan — is by Cry on Cue, featuring Bernie Larsen on vocals and various instruments, Alan Sparhawk on “big guitar” and Erik Koskinen on drums. The video is directed by Larsen and features Cassidy Linder.
Freewheelin’ Duluth Does Dylan will be released by Spinout Records on May 26 during the Duluth Dylan Fest.
PDD Quiz: Homegrown 2022
Grab your field guide and start getting (cautiously) excited about the return of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival with this week’s quiz!
The next PDD quiz rolls your way on April 24; it will cover this month’s headlines. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by April 21. (more…)