Events
« January 20, 2008 - April 19, 2008 »
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01 / 20
Music Starts:2:00 pm
 Carolina Chocolate DropsPlease join the wonderful Carolina Chocolate Drops for a free afternoon workshop at the brand new MacPhail Center for Music!
2--3pm at the Gary Sipes Performance Stage, MacPhail Center for Music
A co-presentation of the Cedar Cultural Center and the MacPhail Center for Music!
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Carolina Chocolate Drops
SOLD OUT! A LIMITED SUPPLY OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS AT THE CEDAR MONDAY EVENING.
"Dazzling in its velocity and virtuosity...defiantly ecstatic music." (David Fricke, Rolling Stone)
"Joyous, rambunctious and full of fun" (Amazon.com reviewer)
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a group of young African-American stringband musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolinas’ piedmont. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of the North Carolina Piedmont while Dom Flemons is native to sunny Arizona. Although the members of the group have diverse musical backgrounds, they draw their musical heritage from the foothills of the North and South Carolina, with help from Joe Thompson, said to be the last black traditional string band player, of Mebane, NC. They strive to carry on the long standing traditional music of the black and white communities.
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01 / 21
Music Starts:7:00 pm
Carolina Chocolate Drops A LIMITED SUPPLY OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS AT THE CEDAR FOR THE EVENING OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY. THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS WILL PERFORM ONE SET, FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION.
"Dazzling in its velocity and virtuosity...defiantly ecstatic music." (David Fricke, Rolling Stone)
"Joyous, rambunctious and full of fun" (Amazon.com reviewer)
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a group of young African-American stringband musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolinas’ piedmont. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of the North Carolina Piedmont while Dom Flemons is native to sunny Arizona. Although the members of the group have diverse musical backgrounds, they draw their musical heritage from the foothills of the North and South Carolina, with help from Joe Thompson, said to be the last black traditional string band player, of Mebane, NC. They strive to carry on the long standing traditional music of the black and white communities.
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01 / 22
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01 / 23
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01 / 24
Music Starts:7:30 pm
Even after making nine brilliant recordings, English guitar great and raconteur Adrian Legg's true home is onstage. “Playing live is the whole point,” he says. “Everyone makes a journey, an effort; we all come together – me, the audience, the people who run the venue – to share this wonderful, universal, human emotional interaction. This is where music lives.”
"To say Legg plays a good guitar is like saying Menuhin saws a fine fiddle. This man is ridiculously talented." (Music Week)
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01 / 25
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Diane Jarvi
Diane Jarvi's music can best be described as poetic cross-cultural jazzy bilingual world folk -- OK, her music is hard to describe. But it's certainly not hard to like. Dubbed the "Minnesota nightingale" by fans in Finland, Jarvi is the star of two Finnish documentary films. She's also an award-winning poet under the name Diane Jarvenpa, with a new volume of poems -- "The Tender, Wild Things" -- just issued by New Rivers Press. Best known for her sensual vocals, Jarvi also plays guitar and various multi-stringed kanteles, or Finnish zithers. Jarvi officially releases her fifth CD, "Wild Gardens," with an all-star supporting cast from the jazz, folk, blues and bluegrass worlds. And the music is as varied as their backgrounds, with detours into the British Isles ("Wild Mountain Thyme"), Tex-Mex cantinas ("You Are My Flower"), and the world of vivid dreams ("This Is Rain"). (Tom Surowicz, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
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01 / 26
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Inaugural night in a new concept for the Cedar: The 416 Club series, where The Cedar presents established AND up-and-coming artists, mostly but not exclusively local, in a relaxed evening showcase. Musicians have a chance to explore new material, to play with new combinations of line-ups, and to woo appreciative new audiences. Tonight, with Kari Larson and Lisa Schultz from the Ditch Lilies, Jon Rodine, Molly Maher, Jennifer Markey, Steve Kaul and Dave Babb, and the incomparable High 48's. This month's line-up curated by Jon Rodine!
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01 / 27
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 D'GaryInternational Guitar Night is the annual mini-festival that allows you to hear in one evening four of the best acoustic guitarists on the planet, providing an inspirational experience for guitarists and guitar-lovers alike. There are always an intriguing range of styles on display during International Guitar Night, and this year is no exception. Madagascan guitarist D'Gary headlines, and as David Lindley (co-producer with Henry Kaiser of the influential "A World Out of Time" album that first brought D'Gary to the attention of the wider world) says, D'Gary "is a monster guitarist".
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01 / 28
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01 / 29
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01 / 30
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01 / 31
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Tomorrow is the last day to help The Cedar win a grant of up to
$50,000 through facebook.com. Click here to learn more.
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02 / 1
Music Starts:2:00 pm
Support live music and The Cedar! Donate $10 to The Cedar through
facbook.com by 2pm today and The Cedar could win a grant of up to $50,000.
Click here to find out how.
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Happy AppleHappy Apple is Erik Fratzke (fender bass, guitar, composer), David King (drums, cymbals, toys, composer), and Michael Lewis (saxophones, keyboards, upright bass, composer), who have been making innovative freeform jazz together since 1996. It has been a while since the Apple last played at The Cedar, but the group has not been idle: in August 2007 they released a new record modestly titled "Happy Apple Back on Top" We're glad to hear it, and glad to have them back! Opening will be James Buckley Trio, lead by James Buckley on bass, and featuring J. T. Bates (drums), and Brian Nichols (piano). Their debut album Stitches has been praised as "a weathered and care-worn gem whose best quality is the way its resolutely lo-fi sound accents and enhances the comfortable and intimate interplay between the players." (Steve McPherson, ReveilleMag.com)
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02 / 2
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Ellis is a rising star in the independent music scene. With her joyful, unpretentious acoustic folk rock style, this Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter has been steadily building a loyal fan-base of thousands. Tonight we'll be celebrating the release of Ellis' sixth CD, Break The Spell, a few days before it becomes available to the general public on Feb 5, 2008. Ellis will perform as part of a trio featuring her long-time drummer/percussionist Jennifer "JJ" Jones, and Anne Heaton will play keys and also join Ellis on backing vocals. Anne will also do a short opening set. Break The Spell is a collection of soulful songs with complex arrangements that skillfully avoid overpowering the message. Fans and music critics alike describe Ellis' music as a journey of self- discovery and awakening. Break The Spell embodies this sentiment, featuring lyrics rich with meaning. In the songs, Ellis explores the power and complexity of loss as well as the opportunity we all have to re-invent ourselves each day.
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02 / 3
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 The perfect Superbowl Sunday show! Two excellent singer-songwriters in one evening, featuring New England's Catie Curtis, and Minneapolis' (formerly of Asheville, NC) own Brianna Lane.
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02 / 4
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Tim FinnNew Zealand legendary singer-songwriter Tim Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House, The Finn Brothers) in a smash double-bill with White Bear Lake native Alice Peacock! Tim's latest release Imaginary Kingdom is the best record of his solo career. There's something in the writing that stamps the album as a modern classic. Tunes such as 'Astounding Moon', 'Couldn't Be Done' and 'Show Yourself' become ingrained in your cranium and stay there for days. The tunes were dreamt up in New Zealand and recorded in Nashville with producer Bobby Huff (Jordan McCoy/Julian Lennon/LeAnn Rimes). Later, mixes were streamed down the internet and Finn would drive his car on roads lit by the moon listening to MP3 files. Crackling through the speakers, the mood of the new material spoke volumes. The lyrics venture towards magic realism, Finn invites the listener into a private world … his own Imaginary Kingdom. The melodies are sharp and engaging, the instrumentation serves the tunes; while the lush strings occasionally add a seductive quality rarely realized in contemporary music. 'Winter Light', which appeared in the film The Chronicles Of Narnia, was inspired during a winter photo shoot when the photographer talked of the way the light seemed to bounce back up from the ground.
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02 / 5
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02 / 6
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02 / 7
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02 / 8
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02 / 9
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Spaghetti Western String CoDon't miss the "hippest string quartet around" (Chris Riemenschneider)--there are a good supply of tickets available for purchase at the door tonight. The Spaghetti Western String Co. celebrates its third release since the group’s formation in 2003. The current lineup of the SWSCo. features founding members Michael Rossetto (banjo/guitar), Nicholas Lemme (mandolin/voice), Ethan Sutton (cello) and newest member, Paul Fonfara (clarinet). Tonight they'll be celebrating the release of their new CD with the help of a live choir (featuring former members of the Dale Warland Singers), and Fat Kid Wednesdays (Mike Lewis, JT Bates, and Adam Linz).
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02 / 10
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Dave Alvin Tim O'Brien Chris Smither A monster evening of music with three giants, and featuring
folk, certainly, but also delving deep into acoustic blues, bluegrass, and rockabilly.
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02 / 11
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Dean and Britta
 Keren Ann
A Monday evening show to both soothe and entrance, with the dreamy, languid songs of Dean Wareham (Luna, Galaxie 500) and Britta Phillips (Luna), and the lovely melodies and sophisticated arrangements of jet-setting chanteuse Keren Ann.
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02 / 12
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02 / 13
Music Starts:7:00 pm
 Bill CagleyOpen Stage with host Bill Cagley. Start the evening with a few songs from Bill, who is a regular solo performer operating with the motto, "Music of all ages for all ages." Then, take advantage of this great opportunity to put yourself on the Cedar stage, perform two or three songs, and enjoy the top-quality sound!
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02 / 14
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02 / 15
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Carrie Newcomer
“Rapturously tuneful, Newcomer's material asks all the right questions and refuses to settle for easy answers.” (Rolling Stone)
Describing Carrie Newcomer as a singer-songwriter is a little like saying Noah was a boat-builder. So much goes unsaid when we fall to easy labels. ‘I just have a great love and passion for creating music, for writing, for telling a story,’ says Newcomer, who makes no effort to separate her art from the other parts of her life such as her teaching, her family, her activism, and her spirituality. ‘Sometimes I think you don’t choose your art form; it chooses you, and it doesn’t let you go because that’s who you are. I really believe we are most effective in this world when we’re doing something that is by nature what we love and who we are. That’s when we give our best. Life is short and I want to give the best of what I am.’ Carrie lives her philosophy with her Feb 12, 2008 release on Rounder, The Geography of Light, a skillfully arranged and performed collection of folk-roots tracks with Appalachian and classical influences.
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02 / 16
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 The CopperheadsDon't miss the second in the new series of relaxed, 416 Club presentations featuring an array of local and national artists presenting the best of their material in the optimal listening environment of The Cedar. The Copperheads cruise over a wide swathe of musical territory including rootsy alt-country and Americana, blues and soul. New Jersey native, and Minnesota transplant Cooker John produces some of the grittiest, most authentic folk-blues to be heard anywhere. Nikki Matteson & Her RueMates features the great vocals of Nikki Matteson, a finalist on the Prairie Home Companion Annual Talent Contest at the ripe old age of 16, and now heard all over town with her infectious blend of folk, blues and psychedelia. The House of Mercy Band, featuring Razz Russell on electric guitar, plays County Gospel and great American Hymns every Sunday down at the House of Mercy church in downtown St. Paul, and also hold regular court at The Turf Club, presenting country, bluegrass, old time and acoustic music. The Summit Stunt Pilots cover a mix of Delta, country and roots-based folk and blues, and features three veteran Twin Cities roots/Americana/artists: from the Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs, Dave Babb (guitar and vocals) and Randy Webb (guitar, vocals and foot-stomp) and from The Brass Kings, Mikkel Beckman (washboard).
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02 / 17
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02 / 18
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02 / 19
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02 / 20
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02 / 21
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Chic GamineChic Gamine, a vocal supergroup from Winnipeg’s French Quarter, has been singing together in various formations since 1997. Most recently, three of them were members of the acclaimed World Vocal ensemble Madrigaia, and look to embellish that legacy with new, original material. “We find ourselves in a process of natural evolution, and we’re ready to put all we’ve learned over the years into one pot and give it a giant stir. "
With a solo percussionist as their main musical support, Chic Gamine use their voices as instruments, effortlessly launching into intricate string arrangements, bass-heavy rhythm sections and melodious harmonies. Together they create a sound that resounds with soul, passion and their own particular brand of humor that leaves audiences begging for more. " We love to make music, laugh and have fun, and the more people are along for the ride, the better. "
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02 / 22
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 St. VincentAnother smash double-bill, and a tremendous opportunity to catch St Vincent performing with a full band, and the Current(ly) popular Foreign Born. St. Vincent is Annie Clark, born in Tulsa, OK, the middle child of nine brothers and sisters. While most little girls were still playing with dolls, Annie preferred crafting homespun guitars from cardboard and rubber bands. By the time she was twelve, she had moved on to the real thing and fallen quickly in love. Growing up in Bible-belted Texas, Clark found music by means of Coltrane records, found people by means of Tennessee Williams plays, and found philosophy by means of her Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian, and Meher Baba-loving family. All of this finds its way, with smirks and reverence, into her music. St. Vincent makes cinematic pop epics that feel at times like Paris in the ’20s before all the fun ended. Or, conversely, an orchestra of pure modernity—a new American music, informed by jazz, gospel blues, Southern folk music, and classical composition but—in the end—an animal original unto itself.
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02 / 23
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Alasdair Fraser & Natalie HaasScottish fiddle and cello music of unrivalled beauty, eloquence, and passion.
Master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as one of Scotland’s premier musical ambassadors, presents the music of his homeland with unsurpassed eloquence, passion and energy. He links bows with vibrant young cellist, Natalie Haas, in an exciting weave of rocking, reeling rhythms, poignant melodies, and exquisite musicianship. The duo has created a buzz among Celtic music lovers at festivals and concerts across the US and Europe, and their debut release, Fire & Grace, was awarded the Best Album of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards 2004. Now they're celebrating the release of their second album, In The Moment, which features many new pieces by Alasdair, and a wonderful new composition from Natalie.
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02 / 24
Music Starts:1:00 pm
 Lost Bayou RamblersThe Cedar is proud to present a Sunday afternoon dance and concert by this year's Grammy Nominees (Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category) Lost Bayou Ramblers! With music that conveys the passions, tribulations, and elations of the Cajun people, the Lost Bayou Ramblers are the keepers of the flame, champions of Cajun music's cultural past.
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Cheryl WheelerIf your idea of a folk singer/songwriter concert is a bunch of people clapping politely after songs, and then sitting quietly while the performer says things like "This next song is about ...", well, you've never seen a Cheryl Wheeler concert before. Cheryl's concerts are more like what you would find at a comedy club than expect to find at a folk music concert. She will tell a story that has you rolling in the aisles, and then sing a song that leaves you wiping tears from your eyes. She will talk about some serious current event, and then sing a song that will have you howling with laughter. Her entire concert is a emotional roller coaster.
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02 / 25
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02 / 26
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02 / 27
Music Starts:2:30 pm
 Founded in the University of Minnesota School of Music in 2002 by Professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings internationally recognized scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes and multimedia installations. The festival has continued to expand to include submissions by choreographers, visual artists, theatre artists, and artists who specialize in interdisciplinary work. This year’s featured guest artists are sound artist Paul DeMarinis, Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu, sound designer/artist/remixer Richard Devine, music writer Simon Reynolds, and art group Graffiti Research Lab. The Cedar is delighted to be this year hosting four afternoon and one evening SPARK concerts (Feb 27–Mar 1). All SPARK concerts at The Cedar are FREE and open to members of the public.
This afternoon's works:
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02 / 28
Music Starts:2:30 pm
Founded in the University of Minnesota School of Music in 2002 by Professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings internationally recognized scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes and multimedia installations. The festival has continued to expand to include submissions by choreographers, visual artists, theatre artists, and artists who specialize in interdisciplinary work. This year’s featured guest artists are sound artist Paul DeMarinis, Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu, sound designer/artist/remixer Richard Devine, music writer Simon Reynolds, and art group Graffiti Research Lab. The Cedar is delighted to be this year hosting four afternoon and one evening SPARK concerts (Feb 27–Mar 1). All SPARK concerts at The Cedar are FREE and open to members of the public.
This afternoon's works:
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02 / 29
Music Starts:2:30 pm
Founded in the University of Minnesota School of Music in 2002 by Professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings internationally recognized scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes and multimedia installations. The festival has continued to expand to include submissions by choreographers, visual artists, theatre artists, and artists who specialize in interdisciplinary work. This year’s featured guest artists are sound artist Paul DeMarinis, Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu, sound designer/artist/remixer Richard Devine, music writer Simon Reynolds, and art group Graffiti Research Lab. The Cedar is delighted to be this year hosting four afternoon and one evening SPARK concerts (Feb 27–Mar 1). All SPARK concerts at The Cedar are FREE and open to members of the public.
This afternoon's works:
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 The Brass KingsGive some people enough rope and they'll hang themselves. Give The Brass Kings enough rope, throw in a washtub and a washboard, perhaps a tambourine and a beat-up fridge door, and an acoustic or resonator guitar, and they come up with their brilliant second album Washboard Rope Guitar. Some of the hardest-working musicians in town, the trio (Steve Kaul, Mikkel Beckmen, Brad Ptacek) won over Cedar audiences with their gutsy 2007 performances opening for David Lindley, and a memorable summer evening set on the patio at Grateful for the Cedar. Now it is their turn in the limelight. Joining the Brass Kings onstage will be a host of guest artists including, Dave Simonett (Trampled By Turtles), Mike Gunther, Grant Johnson (Bitter Spills), Nate Sipe (Pert Near Sandstone), Dave Babb (Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs), Molly Maher, Jon Rodine and Jayanthi Kyle (Black Audience).
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03 / 1
Music Starts:2:30 pm
Founded in the University of Minnesota School of Music in 2002 by Professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings internationally recognized scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes and multimedia installations. The festival has continued to expand to include submissions by choreographers, visual artists, theatre artists, and artists who specialize in interdisciplinary work. This year’s featured guest artists are sound artist Paul DeMarinis, Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu, sound designer/artist/remixer Richard Devine, music writer Simon Reynolds, and art group Graffiti Research Lab. The Cedar is delighted to be this year hosting four afternoon and one evening SPARK concerts (Feb 27–Mar 1). All SPARK concerts at The Cedar are FREE and open to members of the public.
This afternoon's works:
Music Starts:8:00 pm
Founded in the University of Minnesota School of Music in 2002 by Professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings internationally recognized scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes and multimedia installations. The festival has continued to expand to include submissions by choreographers, visual artists, theatre artists, and artists who specialize in interdisciplinary work. This year’s featured guest artists are sound artist Paul DeMarinis, Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu, sound designer/artist/remixer Richard Devine, music writer Simon Reynolds, and art group Graffiti Research Lab. The Cedar is delighted to be this year hosting four afternoon and one evening SPARK concerts (Feb 27–Mar 1). All SPARK concerts at The Cedar are FREE and open to members of the public.
This evening's works:
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03 / 2
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Po' GirlVagabond lullabies, beat poetry, inner-city blues. These urban minstrels pen harmony drenched melodies to warm your toes. Take the bellows of the blues, the wail of the gypsy fiddle,punk-rock street poetry, a Cajun love song and depression era jazz. mix it all up and add some old R&B. This music is rich with musical influences, sweetness, grit and soul. In the brief few years this group of hard travelling musical iconoclasts has released three albums to critical acclaim while touring around the world, criss-crossing the United States and Canada in their sturdy old van "Shaggy". They wowed audiences across the UK on four tours, and won over festival goers (including those attending their several appearances at the Winnipeg Folk Festival) with their powerful, passionate and spirited live show.
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03 / 3
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03 / 4
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 AltanNo Irish traditional band in the last dozen years has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than Altan. With their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard hitting reels and jigs, and with their heartwarming, dynamic live performances, Altan have moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle. Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to bringing the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences in a way that brings out all its qualities and destroys none. In fact, Altan have always believed that Irish traditional music is a modern music in every sense and its growing influence and popularity have proved them right.
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03 / 5
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03 / 6
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03 / 7
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Dervish
Music from the West of Ireland with passionate vocals and dazzling instrumentals. It's now nearly 19 years since first coming together and with four of the original members still at the helm, Dervish are more in demand than ever. Their colorful career has taken them to every corner of the globe and has seen them share centre stage with such names as James Brown, The Buena Vista Social Club, Oasis, Sting, REM, Beck and many more. Dervish' musical genius and innovative approach will ensure that they will be always be a leading force in Irish music bringing the world the joy and excitement and fun that is traditional Irish music. In October 2007, Dervish released to great acclaim their long awaited new album “Traveling Show.”
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03 / 8
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Slavic Soul Party
Fiery Balkan brass, soulful Gypsy anthems,and hip-grinding American funk in an original mix by the nastiest, nimblest, brashest brass band in NYC. Consisting of some of New York City's finest jazz musicians, Slavic Soul Party is a romp through Balkan folk music. The nine-piece band mixes the "messed-up" rhythms of the Balkans with gypsy music, funk and jazz for a sound that brings young hipsters and older immigrants together in the same room. Trained at the New England Conservatory of Music, percussionist and band leader Matt Moran sees Slavic Soul Party as "heart and feet" music as opposed to the "head" music of his jazz background. When it comes to composing the songs, Moran aims not to add extraneous sounds and rhythms, but to "take away until you're left with the bare essence," then "just put in a little cinnamon and hot pepper until you get just you're looking for," he said.
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03 / 9
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Sue FoleyGuitar woman Sue Foley is not satisfied with merely playing the guitar; she wants to write the book about it. For the last ten years, she has somehow managed to combine a full touring and recording schedule as one of Canada's best blues artists while conducting research on her project called Guitar Woman. As Foley explains, "It came as a bit of a flash as I was interviewing players like Rory Block, Sharon Isbin, Leni Stern and others that most of us felt like we were the only one. With little or no female role models the Guitar Woman has had to blaze her own trail and make her own rules." She decided to start work on a book – researching female musicians of the past and interviewing many contemporary guitarists. The book is still in the works and there are also plans for tours and a documentary. “It’s almost like a new mythology for me,” she comments, “the lives of these women are unique and inspiring. Seeing as there’s no solid literature on women guitarists, I feel an obligation to share their stories with the rest of the world.” In the meantime, with the May 2007 release of Time bomb, a collaboration CD with fellow Canadian Roxanne Potvin and American blues guitar heroine Deborah Coleman, Sue Foley has continued to solidify her place as one of the leading lights of the contemporary blues scene.
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03 / 10
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03 / 11
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03 / 12
Music Starts:7:00 pm
 Adam GrangerOpen Stage with host Adam Granger. Start the evening with a few songs from Adam Granger, a founding member of the Powdermilk Biscuit Band and an exquisite flatpick style guitar player. Then, take advantage of this great opportunity to put yourself on the Cedar stage, perform two or three songs, and enjoy the top-quality sound!
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03 / 13
Music Starts:6:00 pm
End: 9:00 pm
 Zipps LiquorsThe Zipp's Liquors/Seward Co-op Spring Wine & Food show, featuring more than 100 wines, as well as beers and spirits, along with fresh food provided by the Seward Co-op Deli. The event also will feature live music, a wine and cheese pairing, a silent auction and a raffle drawing for great prizes.
Admission is $40 at the door and $30 in advance. All proceeds will go to benefit the Cedar.
Tickets are on sale at Zipp's, Seward Co-op, The Cedar, and on line at localwineevents.com/Twin-Cities-Wine/event-162054.html.
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03 / 14
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Jonathan Richman Vic ChesnuttThe double-bill of the month, if not the season... To make it even better, each artist has a bunch of new songs since their last appearance in MN. Vic Chesnutt released last September arguably his best album ever, North Star Deserter, while Jonathan Richman has a brand new album Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild coming out on Vapor Records in March! Jonathan has been writing songs, making records and performing live for most of his life, from his early beginnings with The Modern Lovers through a long, endearing solo career. Winning fans and making friends around the world with his guileless honesty and playfully catchy compositions, he is also revered by countless fellow artists, and has built a remarkably loyal international audience through his tireless touring. His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness. Meanwhile, prolific, profound, and ever full of potty-mouthed piss-and-vinegar - Vic Chesnutt is Prometheus in a wheelchair with a battered guitar – a freak-folk trailblazer, spilling his heart and soul and spleen into the microphone, with a sly drawl, dripping humid, Southern gothic imagery in calamitous, sometimes comic songs worthy of a Greek tragedy.
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03 / 15
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Tom RussellThe Ides of March are rarely celebrated these days, but it seems somehow appropriate that on a day associated with darkness and foreboding, we welcome Tom Russell to The Cedar! One of America's greatest singer-songwriters, Russell has quietly generated over twenty albums, culminating in 2007's aptly titled compilation/tribute The Wounded Heart of America, contributed songs to a dozen movies, written three books, and made several appearances on The Letterman Show. After an early foray into the academic side of the seamy underbelly of American life with a Masters degree in Criminology from the University of California, Russell has spent the years since chronicling in song not only the lawbreakers, but also the drifters, the ramblers, the fighters, the underdogs, the marginalized--and gives them voice. Tom will be appearing with ace mandolin/guitar player Michael Martin. Local Americana hero Jon Rodine will kick off the evening with his soulful interpretations of material drawn from far-flung sources, and a tremendous line-up featuring local legend Tony Glover on harp, Adam Linz (Fat Kid Wednesdays) on bass, and Steve Kaul (The Brass Kings) on guitar.
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03 / 16
Music Starts:1:00 pm
 Mayim RabimCome enjoy the fabulous music of Yiddish Swingtime, Sunday, March 16th, 2008, at 1 p.m at the Cedar Cultural Center! This highly original show of Yiddish swing music will get you tapping your toes and dancing. Yiddish swing music seamlessly blends the soulfulness of klezmer, the rhythms of swing, and the distinctive sounds of jazz, creating an American original fusion music that took the world by storm in the late 1930s in the hands of Minnesota's own Andrews Sisters. Yiddish Swingtime features some of the region's top musicians playing such favorites as "Oy Mama, Am I in Love" "Flat Foot Floogie," "Abi Gezint," and "Bi Mir Bist Du Sheyn": Becky Clawson, vocals; Bill Hinkley, guitar and vocals; Bruce Wintervold, vibes; Marya Hart, piano; Ralph Wittcoff, bass; and Jeff Garetz, drums.
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Piper's CrowWho else but Piper's Crow to pipe in the onslaught of local celebrations of all things Irish, in this special Saint Patrick's Eve show? Piper's Crow, featuring Laura MacKenzie, Dick Hensold, Karen Mueller, and Zack Kline, specializes in traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Galicia, Cape Breton Island, and Northumberland, artfully blended with original compositions in the traditional style. The group's repertoire centers on the lush sonic blend of smallpipes, fiddle, flute and guitar, with their musical palette ranging from MacKenzie's lovely vocals to dramatic greatpipe duels.
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03 / 17
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03 / 18
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03 / 19
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Patty LarkinPatty Larkin has been redefining the boundaries of folk-urban pop music for more than 20 years with her inventive guitar wizardry, vocals and uncompromising lyrics. Acoustic Guitar hails, “her soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her “evocative vocals, and subtle sonic shading.” She has been described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly) and “drop-dead brilliant” (Performing Songwriter).
Now she has fans and fellow artists poised at the ready for her most recent endeavor, her intimate, gritty portrait of an artist in full stride, Watch The Sky on Vanguard Records. Labeled as "Profound" by the New York Times, this stream of consciousness recording is a career's best. Don't miss this opportunity to catch Larkin armed with her handmade Olson Guitar, a Fender Strat, octave mandolin, Baritone guitar and looping devices to create many of the sounds and textures of Watch The Sky, redrawing the arc of the recording on stage.
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03 / 20
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03 / 21
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Ray BonnevilleBlues for a Good Friday. Or, if you prefer, Good Blues for a Friday. Either way, Ray Bonneville is going to be celebrating the release of his latest release on Red House Records, Goin' By Feel. It has been a long road from conception through recording, production, and post-production issues, but the wait has been worthwhile. Special guest tonight: Tim O'Reagan, formerly drummer for the Jayhawks, now well established with his own blossoming solo career as a singer-songwriter and a critically acclaimed release last year on Lost Highway.
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03 / 22
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 The High 48's The DitchLiliesThe High 48s play original bluegrass in the traditional style, with a deep, driving groove and three-part harmonies sung around a single microphone. But unlike many third generation bands playing traditional bluegrass, the High 48s aren’t interested in playing the next best version of Little Maggie. They want to write the next Little Maggie. Tonight, they'll be celebrating the release of their new CD, Who Needs Love? with the help of their good friends and partners in old-time country tunes, The Ditchlilies.
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03 / 23
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 A Night in the BoxThis month's line-up includes post-folk outfit A Night in the Box, delivering an eccentric Americana sound with a punch, sweet harmonizin' folk trio The Parlour Suite, singer-songwriter Meg Ashling, sparse acoustic folk duo The Floorbirds, Texan-style songwriter Matthew Fox, and the haunting sounds of Roma di Luna, featuring the stunning vocals and violin of Channy Moon Casselle, and the beautifully complementary vocals and guitar work of Alexei Casselle, who was the guest curator for this month's line-up. Come early and stay for the whole evening, or drop in for an hour or so and sample some of the best acoustic music around in the optimal listening room conditions at The Cedar. The format tonight will be short sets from each of the artists, followed by an extended round robin session with all musicians on the stage. Highly recommended!
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03 / 24
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03 / 25
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03 / 26
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03 / 27
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03 / 28
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Guy Davis Nikki Matteson and the RueMatesDue to circumstances beyond the Cedar's control, the Guy Davis concert scheduled for March 28 has been cancelled. If you are a ticket holder, please contact The Cedar (612-338-2674 ext 0) for a refund.
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03 / 29
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Matthew SantosFormer Southwest High student Matthew Santos has gone on to record hit
songs with Lupe Fiasco (American Terrorist on the Grammy-winning Food
and Liquor, and more recently, Superstar), and landed appearances on Letterman early in
2008. He recently released a strong album snapped up by CandyRat Records, Matters of the Bittersweet, and has a number of hit videos on YouTube.
While he made his name in the world of hip-hop, his own influences run
more to the likes of Bjork, Martin Sexton, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. As Matthew succinctly puts it, "I love music with soul". Matthew's older brother Nathan will make the evening into a family affair with an opening set from his up and coming band Two Words.
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03 / 30
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03 / 31
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04 / 1
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04 / 2
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Haale: Photo by Mayy KilmerAt a time when so many bands sound painfully alike and imitative, Haale is a much needed voice. On her fresh and startlingly original album No Ceiling (released March 18, 2008) she injects classic and psychedelic-influenced rock with new life, by drawing on her dual heritage (she was born in the Bronx to Iranian parents) and resuscitating the rock music she loves with a breath of Persian mysticism.
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04 / 3
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Andy Statman2008 Grammy Nominee! A very rare opportunity to hear at The Cedar a genuine double virtuoso at the height of his powers. Andy will perform one set on mandolin and one set on clarinet, highlighting tunes from his recent pair of contrasting albums, East Flatbush Blues (bluegrass-inspired) and Awakening From Above (inspired by hasidic melodies), with help from Jim Whitney on bass and Larry Eagle on drums and percussion. Statman, one of his generation's premier mandolinists and clarinetists, thinks of his compositions as "a spontaneous, American-roots form of very personal, prayerful hasidic music, by way of avant-garde jazz." This small, modest man takes for granted that a performer might embody several worlds in his art, and seems not to recognize that his music, like his story, is extraordinary.
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04 / 4
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Daithi Sproule The HiBsTwo Irish music CD releases for the price of one! Longtime guitarist for Altan, Daithi Sproule has made his home in the Twin Cities for some years now, but his live performances are all too rare. His latest musical offering The Crow in the Sun is a collection of thirteen original compositions: stunning instrumental guitar tunes, gentle presentations of people and places and the feelings they inspire, and telling the stories that cannot be put into words. The HiBs are longtime stalwarts of the local traditional Irish music scene, headed by Kate (flute and tin whistles) and Jode Dowling (fiddle). The intimacy and depth they bring to their music comes from over 12 years of playing together. They travel the world to learn their music from masters, well-known and obscure, and are renowned for their great respect for the music, their skilled execution, their devotion to teaching, and of course, for their hospitality and great house-party sessions. They'll be celebrating the release of their debut CD The 40-acre Notch.
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04 / 5
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Bo Ramsey: Photo by Danielle ClareBorn and raised in the blue-collar Mississippi River town of Burlington, Iowa in 1951, guitar-slinger Robert Franklin "Bo" Ramsey is perhaps best known for his collaboration/friendship with revered folksinger Greg Brown. Ramsey has played guitar on nine of Brown's discs, and produced/co-produced many of Brown's best known works. Tonight, Bo will be celebrating the April 8 release of his own new solo album, Fragile.
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04 / 6
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Tift Merritt the everybodyfieldsAfter a Grammy nomination, and top 10 albums in The New Yorker and Time
Magazine, Tift Merritt took hiatus with a piano in Paris and came home
with her best and most personal songs to date: her new album Another
Country came out February 26 to broad acclaim.
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04 / 7
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04 / 8
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04 / 9
Music Starts:7:00 pm
Open Stage with host Gabriela Sweet. Start the evening with a few songs from Gabriela Sweet, accomplished slide guitarist and vocalist. Then, take advantage of this great opportunity to put yourself on the Cedar stage, perform two or three songs, and enjoy the top-quality sound!
The Cedar Open Stage offers optional critiques of the participants by the host following the last performer. The supportive environment always attracts an interesting and talented assortment of participants. All are welcome, performers and audience members. Please support this season’s sponsors MBOTMA , (Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association), Willie’s American Guitars and Hoffman Guitars, who through their generosity enable this event to be offered for FREE!
Sign up 6:45 pm Music begins at 7pm.
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04 / 10
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Meg Hutchinson Kris DelmhorstTwo of the best of the next generation of female folksingers in one night! Boston-based singer/songwriter Meg Hutchinson's makes her Red House debut with Come Up Full! At only 29, Meg has already won numerous songwriting awards in the United States, Ireland, and the UK, including renowned competitions at Merlefest, Mountain Stage New Song Folk Festival and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest. With a poet's sensibility, her songs are laced with a weathered but unselfconscious optimism, a love of language and of the natural world, while her warm alto exudes assurance that we have a universal ability to overcome life's most trying times. One of the great voices of the next generation of acoustic musicians.
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04 / 11
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Debashish Bhattacharya The Biscuit BurnersPLEASE NOTE: WE REGRET TO ADVISE THAT DUE TO ILLNESS, THE BISCUIT BURNERS WILL BE UNABLE TO PERFORM AT TONIGHT'S SHOW. THE SHOW WILL TAKE PLACE WITH DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA PERFORMING THROUGHOUT. Indian slide guitar maestro Debashish Bhattacharya, whose new Riverboat album “Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey” is set for release in the US on April 8th, initially trained in Indian classical vocal music, but after picking up a guitar, he became fascinated by the potential of the instrument to capture the nuances of the human voice, especially when played with a slide. To further this end, he developed three unique instruments that have become his trademarks: the Chaturangui (Hindustani slide guitar), which is a 24-stringed hollow neck Indian Classical Guitar; the Gandharvi, a fourteen-string guitar, and Anandi (a slide-ukelele). He is unquestionably one of the most brilliant slide guitarists of the present generation. Debashish will be performing with his sister Sutapa on vocals, and his brother Subhasis on tablas. In addition, however, tonight's show promises to be very special indeed with the addition of special guests The Biscuit Burners. Two members of The Biscuit Burners have studied guitar with Bhattacharya and
will be sharing the stage with him to display how their own brand of
"fiery mountain music," with roots that touch on bluegrass, classic
country and world music, is deeply connected to the Indian classical
music of their guru.
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04 / 12
Music Starts:8:00 pm
 Katie McMahonWe are delighted to welcome back Katie McMahon to The Cedar. Katie was the original lead singer from the Riverdance show and since leaving has carved out a successful solo career for herself. Her voice has been described by the Irish Times as "poetry, perfection and purity". Before her work in Riverdance, Katie, a born and bred Dubliner, was classically trained in voice and harp. In 1990, Katie joined the vocal group Anuna and is a featured soloist on their first two CDs. Bill Whelan (Riverdance composer) heard her perform with Anuna and asked her to sing the solo in the interval piece at the Eurovision. This, of course, went on to become the hugely successful show Riverdance and Katie toured the world with them for five years as their lead vocalist. While touring in America, she met her husband Ben Craig, and has made her home in Minnesota for the past eight years. During this time she has formed her own band and troupe of Irish dancers. They are in great demand all over the States and play Irish traditional music with a Classical/Contemporary edge.
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04 / 13
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Glen PhillipsBorn in Santa Barbara, Glen Phillips was the lead singer and main songwriter for Toad the Wet Sprocket. The band started in 1986, when Phillips was only 14. Their first LP, Bread and Circus, was recorded in 1988 and got them signed to Columbia Records. Their third album, Fear, got heavy radio play with the singles "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean." After three years away from the recording studio, Toad came back with Dulcinea, which again found one of its singles, "Fall Down," in heavy radio rotation. After six albums and a substantial amount of touring, the group disbanded in 1998.
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04 / 14
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04 / 15
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04 / 16
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Kimya DawsonIf you've seen the movie Juno, you've heard Kimya Dawson--quirky, emotionally-baring songs like Tire Swing, Loose Lips, and So Nice So Smart, and others like Tree Hugger, performed by Kimya with friends Antsy Pants, and Anyone Else But You performed by Kimya's old group The Moldy Peaches. With the soundtrack to the movie a huge commercial success (the album reached #1 on the Billboard Album charts after three weeks), the time is ripe to catch this former Moldy Peach at the peak of the crop!
Tickets SOLD OUT ALL AGES.
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04 / 17
Music Starts:7:30 pm
 Gretchen PetersSince she released her last record, Gretchen Peters, a Nashville hit songwriter with a seemingly charmed and easy life has been through the wringer. Accused at one point of having a midlife crisis, she thought about it a little while and t
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