Duluth Music in the Park: Rory Van James

Rory Van James is a 6-foot-9-inch singer/songwriter based in Duluth. After years of traveling the country as a professional baseball player, he decided to shift gears and begin a music career. After a couple years of performing for local crowds in Minnesota, he moved to Homer, Alaska, where he began to write his first full-length album, The Passage. Following four months of solitude in Alaska’s vast coastal wilderness, he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he recorded his debut album and performed in several musical groups. In 2017 he began a new solo project and traveled to Abbey Road Studios in London to begin recording Sewn Silhouettes, which was released in 2020. He is now based in Duluth.

The 42nd annual Music in the Park concert series, formerly known as the Chester Creek Concert Series, features a variety of live music on Tuesday evenings throughout the summer. This summer all shows are at Lincoln Park while chalet renovations happen at Chester Bowl Park. The series is presented by Duluth Parks and Recreation and the Chester Bowl Improvement Club. The Twin Ports Express food truck will be on site and attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.

For weather-related cancellations or updates, call the Music in the Park hotline at 218-730-4321 after 3 p.m. the night of the concert or visit duluthmn.gov/parks/cancellations.