Duluth MN Music Scene News from Perfect Duluth Day

Music Posts

Between Howls – “Wascott Waltz”

Duluth band Between Howls has a new video for the instrumental track “Wascott Waltz” from the 2025 album Cabin Fever.

The video is directed by Megan McGarvey of Beyond the Birches Productions and shot by Luckie Ann Diamond and Ansley Fleming. It features Ricky Francois in the role of “The Illustrator”

Gaelynn Lea on That Show With That Midwestern Mom

Duluth musician and author Gaelynn Lea is the musical guest on the premiere episode of That Show With That Midwestern Mom, a web-only variety show hosted by Amber Estenson, aka That Midwestern Mom. The full episode is embedded above; the Gaelynn Lea segment begins at the 29:09 mark.

Northern Lights Music Festival returns to the Range

Every July, something remarkable happens just north of Duluth.

Musicians arrive from around the world. Conservatory students rehearse alongside internationally acclaimed artists. Historic auditoriums come alive with chamber music, orchestra concerts and opera. For three weeks, communities across Minnesota’s Iron Range become one of the state’s most unexpected destinations for classical music.

The Northern Lights Music Festival returns July 1–21 with a season that celebrates both artistic excellence and community tradition.

Making it Up North: Ursa Minor Brewing

From a high school teacher’s garage experimentation to launching the beloved Lincoln Park taproom in 2018, Ursa Minor Brewing has always been about more than just great beverages.

Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.

Ashe Berton – “Hello Minnesota”

Duluth folk musician Ashe Berton‘s new album Fill My Soul includes the track “Hello Minnesota,” which mentions Duluth at the start of the second verse.

Perfect Duluth Day Outdoor Summer Concert Primer 2026

Charlie Parr, sparkler in hand, travels far and wide this summer, hitting the Twin Ports Aug. 21 for a show at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior.

Large outdoor shows by traveling bigshots seem to be trending down while local bands in parks and courtyards are on an upswing. Nonetheless, there are still some heavy hitters passing through the region this summer. Perfect Duluth Day’s annual list spotlighting 15 outdoor shows mixes up a few of the big-ticket acts with highlights from free shows on the piers, porches and patios of Duluth and surrounding communities.

New NLMF season honors founder Veda Zuponcic

Following the recent passing of founder and artistic director Veda Zuponcic, the Northern Lights Music Festival board of directors announced that the 2026 festival season will continue as planned, honoring her vision and more than four decades of dedication to music education and performance.

Lee Clark Allen – “S.I.I.T. (Said I’m in Trouble)”

Duluth’s Lee Clark Allen has a new music video for a track from his 2025 album My World is Yours. It was shot primarily in Downtown Duluth and Canal Park.

Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles at Fitzgerald Theater

Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles celebrated their 2025 collaborative album with a performance at Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on Dec. 11. The Current captured the entire show on the video embedded above.

Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles — “Stranger” (Live at Fitzgerald Theater)

Clean those dashboard cup holders, the Current has released a video of Alan Sparhawk performing “Stranger” with Trampled by Turtles during a Dec. 11 concert at Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Video of the entire show will be released on Friday, May 29, to mark the one-year anniversary of Sparhawk’s second solo album, With Trampled by Turtles.

Toby Thomas Churchill – “The Bridge by the Crib”

“The Bridge by the Crib” is the third video release from Toby Thomas Churchill’s new album Nighttime.

Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-man Band – “She Taught Me How to Yodel”

Steve Solkela covers “She Taught Me How to Yodel” — a hit song for Frank Ifield in the 1960s — during a performance at the TapRoom in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Making it Up North: Northernly School for Music

Kyle Orla grew up surrounded by music, but his path to becoming an educator was anything but traditional. From playing 1990s hardcore and metal with jazz chords to traveling the country with a fiddle and no fixed address, he learned that the best education often happens outside the classroom. Today, he’s helping lead Northerly, a Duluth music school run by musicians, for musicians.

Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.

Palomino: Trampled by Turtles Live at First Avenue

Trampled by Turtles has released to YouTube a 2020 documentary featuring the band performing all the tracks from the 2010 album Palomino, with commentary on the process of writing the songs.

The documentary is directed and edited by Charlie Berg.

Selective Focus: Homegrown 2026 (The Weekend)

Select images via Instagram from the final three days of the Homegrown Music Festival.