Live Music

Giant Valley String Band is a Twin Cities acoustic group playing an eclectic mix of covers and originals in bluegrass, Americana, and other roots genres. Erika Janik – banjo, Matt Jensen – mandolin, Nate Hess – fiddle and guitar, Noelle Haland – guitar, Ted Haland – dobro and bass, Debra Pflipsen – guitar, harmonica, accordion, and bass.   Half Baked is a supergroup of some of the best musicians in the Minnesota bluegrass and old time music scenes. David Robinson – banjo, AJ Srubas – fiddle, Rina Rossi – bass, Liz Ashworth – mandolin, Clint Birtzer – guitar.

Jared Justen  Indie singer-songwriter Jared Justen is not an artist one can easily pigeonhole. He’s known for the refreshing variety and unique intricacy of his songwriting, exploring his own mind and emotional spectrum in carefully crafted, lyrical reflections. An idiosyncratic, highly introspective artist, Justen was raised on a broad mix of late-90s music, ranging from gangsta rap to underground indie rock and everything in between. That diversity still informs his stripped-down, emotionally complex sound, characterized by expansive exploration of mental and musical possibilities. Weaving together elements from a wide range of genres, his genre-defiant boldness evokes pioneering acts like Ben Harper, while his intimate vocal style draws comparisons to folk icons like Devendra Banhart, José González, and Pete Seeger. Nikki Lemire Nikki Lemire spins her life around her music, making space to perform in multiple fields and genres. Her songwriting features her expressive vocals over layered and hypnotic accompaniment. She dives deep into moving themes surrounding motherhood, love and loss. Employing modern harp techniques, loop and electric pedals, her songs sit somewhere between the old folk bedrock of Joan Baez, the musical innovation of Joni Mitchell, and the influential pop stylings of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. Nikki artfully shapes the music to her words, creating a sound that refuses to adhere to any one particular genre, somehow feeling old and new at the same time. Nikki performs as a solo artist and with her four piece all-female band of fiddle, upright bass and hand drums weaving intricate textures and harmonies within her luscious soundscape. An accomplished harpist and vocalist, Nikki has spent the past few years diving into the world of songwriting, emerging with songs that delve into her experiences with love, loss, and motherhood. With her classical mastery of the harp, combined with a modern sense of exploration through loops and electric pedals, Lemire has garnered widespread praise and radio play, solidifying her as a rising star in the indie-folk scene.