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« April 20, 2008 - July 19, 2008 »

04 / 20 (event) Babylon Circus Music Starts:7:30 pm Babylon Circus The Circus comes to town! Who needs a big top when you have the energy and exuberance of French 10-person big band Babylon Circus? Ska, gypsy, rock, Eastern European, reggae, and afrobeat influences pepper their songs that carry a message of optimism in both English and French. In the style of musical warriors like The Clash and sonic rebels like Jimi Hendrix, Babylon Circus uses the power of the microphone to address social and political issues, providing an alternate view of what the official line claims is our reality. But their music is also a call to put your wallflower days behind and join the dance. Lead singer David Baruchel says the music of Babylon Circus is a “way to fight, to be an actor in today’s society rather than a victim”. more info
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04 / 24 (event) Hamell on Trial Music Starts:7:30 pm Hamell on TrialEd Hamell picked up the guitar at age 7 and started writing songs not long after. In his early 20s, Mr. Hamell was the front man and writer for an original band, but local bands were a dime a dozen in the tough, working class neighborhoods in Syracuse, NY. So he launched a one-man act called "Hamell on Trial." Armed with his battered 1937 Gibson acoustic guitar, Mr. Hamell toured the country, then settled in Austin, Texas, where he found a receptive audience for his esoteric mix of songs and story telling. In 1995, Mercury Records signed him straight out of the SXS Music Conference and released Big as Life and The Chord is Mightier than the Sword. A few years later, and a move to Brooklyn, NY, brought Mr. Hamell and Ani DiFranco together. He signed with Righteous Babe Records and released Tough Love in 2003, followed by Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs in 2006. Subsequently, he has toured extensively with Ms. DiFranco, and has collaborated with her on several songs. Performing in and around the New York scene prompted Mr. Hamell to rediscover the roots of his hurricane-force musical style and authentic cutting edge world view. His response, The Terrorism of Everyday Life, is a one-man theatrical show which combines story telling, comedy and songs into a brilliantly outrageous theatrical event. more info
04 / 25 (event) Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion with Tim O'Reagan Music Starts:8:00 pm Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion“Authentic.” “Timeless.” “Harmonious.” “Exhilarating.” Any or all of these adjectives could describe the folk-rock sound created by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion (eye-ree-un). The musical richness and psychological depth of their initial collaboration, the fittingly titled Exploration, is irrefutable proof that the disarming granddaughter of Woody/daughter of Arlo and the prodigious South Carolinian quite naturally bring out the best in each other. Johnny Irion recently followed up with 2007's Ex Tempore,which, as the name implies, is a spontaneous sounding recording, but with a depth that recalls the cosmic American music from the heyday of Gram Parsons and contemporaries. In perfect harmony with the evening, Jayhawks drummer, and now well-established singer-songwriter in his own right, Tim O'Reagan will open. more info
04 / 26 (event) The 416 Club featuring Black Audience, Painted Saints, Brass Messengers, Michael Rossetto & Nicholas Lemme and Jon Rodine Music Starts:7:30 pm Brass MessengersMichael Rossetto & Nicholas LemmeThe 416 Club series continues this month with a program curated and hosted by soulful singer Jon Rodine. This month's amazing line-up features Michael Rossetto and Nicholas Lemme (of Spaghetti Western String Company), Black Audience featuring the knockout vocals of Jayanthi Kyle, along with Robin Kyle and friends, a spring wake-up blast from The Brass Messengers, Painted Saints, Randall Throckmorton (Dreamland Faces), and a few choice songs from Mr Rodine himself. Some surprise guests have also hinted at an appearance... Expect some great musicians stretching out with new takes on old favorites, and mixing it up in an extended jam session/concert. 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, and meet new friends. Painted Saints more info
04 / 27 (event) Vusi Mahlasela Music Starts:7:30 pm Vusi MahlaselaOne of the hardest things to learn as a musician is when to not only recognize inspiration, but when to trust and follow it. Over a musically and socially consequential career, South African singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela has successfully followed his muse. That trust in his gift is at the root of his latest album, Guiding Star. more info
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05 / 1 (event) New Roots Duo featuring Ben Woolman and Dan Schwartz CD Release with special guest Carin Vagle and friends Music Starts:7:30 pm New Roots DuoNew Roots Duo is a unique combination of finger-style guitarists Ben Woolman and Dan Schwartz. Based in the Twin Cities, both artists have successful solo careers performing throughout the country but have now joined forces to write, record, and perform music as a duo. Together, exploring new terrain and new instruments (acoustic baritone guitar, acoustic lap-steel guitar respectively), they are creating the finest music of their careers. Tonight, they'll be celebrating their newly released CD entitled Roots Run Deep (CandyRat Records), an inspired collection described as, "Instrumental, melody driven, roots based pop music." more info (event) Lenine--CANCELLED Music Starts:8:00 pm Lenine Due to circumstances beyond our control, the entire US tour by Lenine, including the May 1 performance at Cedar Cultural Center, co-presented with The Walker Art Center, has been cancelled. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused. Brazilian songwriter, singer and guitarist Lenine took his Recife roots and added the sounds of Northeastern Brazil to the rich mix of MBP (Brazilian Popular Music). After several groundbreaking albums and a groundswell of popularity in his homeland, multiple Latin Grammy Award-winning artist Lenine (né Oswaldo Lenine Macedo Pimentel) is finally gaining the attention he deserves in North America as one of the finest songwriters working in Brazil today. more info
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05 / 3 (event) Geoff Muldaur with Charlie Parr Music Starts:8:00 pm Geoff MuldaurCharlie ParrLike two mighty rivers crossing half a continent to come together as one, The Cedar welcomes two giants from the blues world to share their tales and songs. From the East, Geoff Muldaur is one of the great voices and musical forces to emerge from the folk, blues and folk-rock scenes centered in Cambridge, MA and Woodstock, NY. During the 1960's and '70's, Geoff made a series of highly influential recordings as a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and the Paul Butterfield's Better Days group, as well as collaborations with then-wife Maria and other notables (Bonnie Raitt, Eric Von Schmidt, Jerry Garcia, etc.). He left the stage and recording world in the mid-1980's for a working sabbatical but continued, however, to hone his craft, albeit 'flying beneath radar'. He composed scores for film and television, garnering an Emmy in the process, and his definitive recording of "Brazil" provided the seed for - and was featured in - Terry Gilliam's film of the same title. And from the Midwest, no-nonsense Charlie Parr gets back to basics with a plaid shirt, a ton of hard work playing all over the region, and a tremendous repertoire of original and classic folk-blues cover songs that he delivers in the traditional piedmont style. more info
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05 / 6 (event) Mirah and Spectratone International present "Share This Place" Music Starts:7:30 pm MirahBug out, if you please; K Records songstress Mirah, along with Spectratone International-- who sometimes moonlight as Lori Goldston and Kyle Hanson of Black Cat Orchestra— has released Share This Place: Stories and Observations. The album, which explores such tried-and-true lyrical themes as the lives of insects, was inspired by French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre. The record was produced by Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Low, Beat Happening) and frequent Mirah collaborator Phil Elvrum of Mount Eerie. The Cedar presentation of Share This Place will be an unforgettable multi-media experience! The music will be accompanied by a screening of a series of twelve animated short films by Britta Johnson. Tickets on sale NOW from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Ticketweb, and Cedar outlets. $12 advance $15 day of show more info
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05 / 8 (event) Jeremy Messersmith with Johnny Hermanson (of Storyhill) Music Starts:7:30 pm Jeremy MessersmithDrawing from classic songsters like Brian Wilson to basement recording mavericks like Elliot Smith, Jeremy Messersmith writes small, thoughtfully crafted songs. Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jeremy's latest record, The Alcatraz Kid, features memorable lyrics and irresistible melodies in a bargain basement wrapper. more info
05 / 9 (event) Chicago Afrobeat Project Music Starts:8:00 pm Chicago Afrobeat ProjectAfrobeat cannot stand still. As the genre’s tempting sounds continue a resurgence across the globe, Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP) remains true to its original vision of breathing the intensity of Chicago’s rich music scene into the infectious sounds of afrobeat. Rather than become caricatures of the genre, CAbP slips a reverent nod to the tradition while delivering an energized originality different from any other band on the afrobeat scene today. At each of its 100+ live performances a year, the group’s frenzied songs hit audiences with a big enough one-two punch to tirelessly knock them onto the dance floor time and time again. LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE=PLENTY OF ROOM FOR DANCING! more info
05 / 10 (event) Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players Music Starts:11:00 am GOOD SUPPLY OF TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR TODAY! Justin Roberts enters his second decade as one of the most recognized and accomplished musicians in the Children’s genre with his sixth and latest album, “Pop Fly,” builds on Justin’s previous successes by continuing to offer catchy, contemporary hooks and his unique brand of songwriting. more info (event) New Riverside Ramblers Music Starts:8:00 pm Join the New Riverside Ramblers as they perform Cajun gems of today and of times past. All are played with flair, drive and passion. Guaranteed to make for an evening of high-energy Cajun dance music. more info
05 / 11 (event) Sara Thomsen CD release and Mothers' Day Show Music Starts:7:30 pm Sara Thomsen"Sara Thomsen has created a recording that is subtly captivating and seductive in its fragility. 'Everything Changes' is a personal record that magnetically pulls you in. Some artists write big, bold anthems that can overwhelm a listener. This record quietly beckons," writes John Ziegler in the Duluth News Tribune review of the album. "Enter this world to find a woman daring to go into those vulnerable, dark places that we all like to keep hidden. Thomsen does it with courage, eloquence and dignity, while translating the contents of her soul into musical form. She infuses these songs with the same unostentatious love and warmth that she generates in live performances." more info
05 / 12
05 / 13 (event) Laura Veirs with special guest Liam Finn Music Starts:7:30 pm Laura VeirsLiam FinnGOOD SUPPLY OF TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR TONIGHT! Two of the hottest indie singer-songwriters in one great night! Making his first trip to The Cedar, Liam Finn is touring in support of his breakout album I'll be Lightning, which has created a huge buzz at NYs CMJ music festival and at SXSW. And on a return visit to The Cedar after a mesmerizing show in 2007, Laura Veirs remains tantalized by the mysteries and marvels of the natural world, filling her work with images, both precise and poetic, of the ocean and the stars. But with her third Nonesuch release, Saltbreakers, she digs even deeper this time into the vagaries of human nature, transforming the turbulence of her own life, as well as her concerns about the hair-trigger state of the world at large, into a collection of songs distinguished as much by their emotional urgency as by their often astonishing musical inventiveness. more info
05 / 14 (event) Open Stage with hosts Curtis and Loretta Music Starts:7:00 pm Curtis and LorettaOpen Stage with hosts Curtis and Loretta. Start the evening with a few songs from Curtis and Loretta, heartfelt and outstanding musicians who have been long-time hosts and organizers of the Cedar's Open Stage series. 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! "Curtis and Loretta are in many ways the quintessential folk duo: finely honed vocal harmonies of multidimensional intrigue, abundant talent on anarray of stringed instruments, deep traditional roots, great originals, andequally strong strains of gravity and playful irreverence... It's bothmusically riveting and spiritually invigorating." ...Rick Mason, CityPages A-List (3/21/07) more info
05 / 15
05 / 16 (event) Fareed Haque Group Music Starts:8:00 pm There are guitar players, and then there are guitar players. Fareed Haque is of the later category, a virtuoso. Fareed enjoys a career that spans the spectrum of musical styles. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, sitar and even plays a hybrid guitar/sitar. The Fareed Haque Group, equipped with a DJ and a tabla player, has been described as a "tantric meditation." With diverse cultural and musical influences, Fareed Haque Group is opening new doors with a completely fresh approach to cosmic music that grooves. more info
05 / 17 (event) Asylum Street Spankers Music Starts:8:00 pm Asylum Street SpankersThe magnificently indefinable Asylum Street Spankers began in 1994 at a booze and hallucinogen-fueled party at the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, Texas. There Christina Marrs and Guy Forsyth met Wammo. During a night spent singing and playing along the banks of the Llano River they made a pact to keep the all-night-sing-along-anything-goes spirit of that party alive. Upon returning to Austin they gathered a few like-minded pals and began playing free shows at clubs and busking on the Guadalupe Street Drag. (Guadalupe was known as Asylum Street because it led to the state, um, hospital. A Spanker is someone who can play their instrument vigorously and proficiently.) more info
05 / 18 (event) A Night of Old and New World Roots: Jacky Molard Acoustic Quartet with Roma di Luna Music Starts:7:30 pm Jacky Molard Quartet: Photo by Bryan AakerRoma di Luna: Photo by Karen MoonSince his first appearance at the Minnesota sur Seine Music Festival in 2005 with singer Erik Marchand, violin virtuoso Jacky Molard, together with the Jacky Molard Acoustic Quartet, has been musically questioning assumptions about traditional Celtic Breton music. Molard has been one of the main instigators of the reshaping of Celtic music in France, willingly combining elements from several folk traditions—Irish, of course, but also Spanish and Central/East European--and also from jazz. Molard also plays with Gwerz, one of the most innovative of the Breton folk bands, and in a duo with jazz violinist Dominique Pifarély. So it is no surprise that Molard’s compositions incorporate subtle touches from this variety of inspirations. In order to work in these diverse directions, the violinist has surrounded himself with musicians immersed in tradition, yet open to other horizons. Sax player Yanick Jory and accordionist Janick Martin both play traditional music as well as contemporary music, gypsy tunes, and jazz. Acoustic bassist Hélène Labarrière brings to Molard’s quartet her wide experience in jazz, from be-bop to free improvisation. more info
05 / 19
05 / 20 (event) Th’ Legendary ShackShakers present Seven Signs Music Starts:7:30 pm Th' Legendary Shack ShakersSeven Signs* CITY PAGES A-LIST PICK! "...a dicey Dixie maelstrom of raging rockabilly, swamp-gas blues, grizzly gospel, blasphemous bluegrass, felonious folk, and preposterous punk...." (RICK MASON) Th' Legendary ShackShakers started their hell-for-leather, Penta-caustic roadshow just over three years ago and in a short time have earned quite a name for themselves with their unique brand of American Gothic that is all-at-once irreverent, revisionist, dangerous, and fun. Led by their wildly charismatic rail thin frontman, the blues-harpist J.D. Wilkes, th’ ShackShakers are a four-man wrecking crew from the South whose explosive interpretations of the blues, punk, rock and country have made fans, critics and legions of potential converts into true believers. A pre-show screening of the film Seven Signs (an absolute must-see for any fan, former or current resident, or visitor to the South!) will be featured, followed by a live set by Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers. more info
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05 / 23 (event) The 416 Club presents Molly Maher and her Disbelievers, Erik Koskinen, Twin Cities Playboys, Matt Pudas & Friends Music Starts:7:30 pm Molly MaherThe 416 Club presents the best of established and up-and-coming local artists in a relaxed evening showcase. Americana musician Molly Maher sounds like she’s had her dose of wandering. Her guitar playing is rural and soulful. Breaking all convention, she plays it upside down and in different tunings. Her most recent release Balms Of Gilead made many “Best Of” lists in the Twin Cities. more info
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05 / 28 (event) Wendy Rule with Kari Tauring and Felonious Bosch Music Starts:7:30 pm Wendy RuleAustralian visionary songstress Wendy Rule will bring her stirring and sensual dark cabaret to Minneapolis for one night only on Wednesday May 28th. Renowned for years amongst the world’s alternative spiritual communities, Wendy is now deservedly gaining a much broader following. She is about to embark on her 11th international tour. This will be a rare opportunity to experience one of Australia’s most enigmatic and prolific artists. "Dark, sensual, sonic theatre...compelling stuff" – Rolling Stone Australia Fiercely independent, Wendy has managed to carve a unique path through the musical mainstream, and has emerged with five major albums and a string of side projects to her name. The Wolf Sky, Wendy's fifth studio album, firmly established her as one of Australia’s most uniquely gifted and prolific artists. A passionate union of her incredible voice – moving from soaring heights to intimate whispers – and her beautifully dark and visionary lyrics, the album is strong, Earthy and Shamanic. More so than any of her previous studio offerings, it celebrates and reflects her unique live performances – a combination of music, ritual and story that continues to entice an ever growing audience into her otherworldy realm. more info
05 / 29 (event) "These Kids Today: A Showcase" featuring Best Friends Forever, Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, DJ Relax and Johann Music Starts:7:30 pm Best Friends ForeverThe Cedar presents a new showcase event called "These Kids Today," which for its inaugural event will be curated by 18-year old Liana Simonds of Minneapolis South High School (and the daughter of the Cedar's Executive Director). Consider this the "pilot" of a series designed to present young talent and provide an all-ages opportunity to get a peak at the future of Twin Cities music. Tonight's event with feature three bands, headlined by Best Friends Forever, a pop/indie/progressive band which features clever lyrics and comfortable vocal harmonies. Also on the bill are the unusual 6-piece Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, who describe their music as "folk/fusion/ghettotech". Opening the evening will be the beatbox duo DJ Relax and Johann. more info
05 / 30 (event) 2 Foot Yard Music Starts:8:00 pm 2 Foot Yard2 Foot Yard-(n.)1. a very small urban garden in which things grow organically, both feeding off of and defying their greater context. 2. a short-changed measurement 2 Foot Yard shatters the boundaries between art song and pop song by merging the visceral power of rock with the intimacy and warmth of chamber music. Violin, cello, voice, and drums combine to create a cacophony of harmonic (im)balance culled from an astonishing array of musical influences, from acoustic punk to the twang of old country love ballads. This trio features Tzadik recording artist Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, The Book of Knots) on violin and vocals, Marika Hughes (Charming Hostess, Vienna Teng) on cello and vocals, and Shahzad Ismaily (Marc Ribot, Secret Chiefs 3, Laurie Anderson) on percussion and guitar, and guarantees an off-kilter ride through the worlds of drama and melody. Combining the harmonic breadth of contemporary classical music and the spontaneity of improvisation, their diverse musical backgrounds come together in one cohesive and unique voice as 2 Foot Yard performs genre-breaking instrumentals and vocal miniatures. more info
05 / 31 (event) The Yoshida Brothers Music Starts:8:00 pm Yoshida Brothers Cross-cultural pioneers and young Tsugaru-shamisen virtuosos Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida-The Yoshida Brothers - have re-interpreted a traditional music style for the new generation. Superstars in their native Japan, the brothers are masters of the traditional Japanese Tsugaru-shamisen, an ancient three-stringed banjo/lute-like instrument that is plucked with a triangular pick resulting in a percussive twang. Their energetic and muscular interpretation of the shamisen has revealed the wide expressive potential of the instrument and attracted an international audience. more info
06 / 1 (event) Everest with The Pines Music Starts:7:30 pm EverestCatch Everest as they scale new heights in the musical world, and in the build-up to opening for Neil Young later in June and again in July! Everest is a group of Los Angeles music community alumni and friends who decided to create music together. The result is the album Ghost Notes, released by Neil Young's label Vapor Records on May 6 of 2008. Everest was formed by Russell Pollard (vocals, guitar, drums), J. Soda (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Rob Douglas (bass, vocals), and Joel Graves (guitar, keyboards, vocals), with the help of friend and drummer Davey Latter. Kevin Bronson of the Los Angeles Times observed that the band members “sport resumes longer than the intro to ‘Cortez The Killer’” and it’s true – these guys have spent time in bands such as Sebadoh, the Folk Implosion, Earlimart, Mike Stinson, Slydell, John Vanderslice, and the Watson Twins. more info
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06 / 5 (event) Tcheka Music Starts:7:30 pm Following hot on the trail of the “barefoot diva” Cesaria Evora, and the alluring Lura comes the newest sensational Cape Verdean musical export: Tcheka! Tcheka is well-known in Praia (the Cape Verde capital) for his work in modernising "batuque", one of Santiago Island’s more popular beats, originally played by women. He also penned the opening and closing songs on Lura's debut album, and is making a welcome return to The Cedar after a warm and passionate show early last summer, and with his groundbreaking new album Lonji due out just before his Cedar show, on May 27. The new album was produced by Brazilian superstar Lenine, and features such unusual instruments as "hubcap" and "telephone book with brushes"! more info
06 / 6 (event) Nation Beat with Batucada do Norte Music Starts:8:00 pm Nation BeatInspired by the Afro-Brazilian rhythms of maracatu, the foremost diasporic band of the Mangue Beat movement of Northeast Brazil, Nation Beat has created an infectious new sound. Which nation, and which beat? What makes this group special is that it offers no simple answers. They are rhythm gatherers, harvesting the fruit of 500 years of cultural cross-breeding, which is why the sounds of the northeast of Brazil and the southern United States blend together so seamlessly. In 2005, Nation Beat became the first North American group to collaborate and record with an authentic maracatu "Nation," the legendary Estrela Brilhante of Recife, Brazil. Their highly anticipated album “Legends of the Preacher,” produced by Modiba Productions and featuring three mesmerizing collaborations with 2007 GRAMMY award winners The Klezmatics, is due out July 15, 2008. 10% of proceeds from Nation Beat’s Legends of the Preacher will be donated to Corpos Percussivos, an organization dedicated to uplifting the underprivileged children of Recife, Brazil through music, art, education and culture. more info
06 / 7 (event) Feufollet dance/concert Music Starts:8:00 pm FeufolletFormed in 1995 when accordionist/singer Chris Stafford was 8 and fiddler Chris Segura was 11, Feufollet quickly became known as one of the most exciting Cajun bands in Acadiana, not because of their youth but because of their obvious musical ability and the vivacity with which they approached the traditional music of the area. In the thirteen years since Feufollet first began performing, they have built upon a regional popularity, becoming an attraction at folk festivals and performance venues not only in the South, but throughout the United States and French Canada. more info
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06 / 12 (event) Vagabond Opera Music Starts:7:30 pm Vagabond OperaStep right up! and witness a cabaret of rich musical improvisation, sparkling lyrics, and indomitable theatrical stage presence! 1920's European Carbaret! Balkan Wedding Music! Neo-Classical Opera! Old World Yiddish Theater! This is the six-piece Portland, Oregon group - Vagabond Opera. The ensemble delivers an eclectic mix of original and traditional compositions, unified by an old-world mood. Gut-bucket swing, tangos, Paris hot jazz, Ukranian folk-punk ballads, Arabic belly dance, Klezmer, operatic arias and vigorous originals mingle with Absurdist, Bohemian cabaret style, all played with skill, exuberance and a gritty vagabond edge. more info
06 / 13 (event) Billy Bragg with C. R. Avery SOLD OUT Music Starts:8:00 pm Billy BraggIt’s been a quarter century since Billy Bragg took the stage for his first solo gig at North London Polytechnic, a concert advertising him under the first name Billy so his family wouldn’t spot his new career move. Since then our Billy has traveled the world and spoken to everybody twice. Billy Bragg has recorded hit singles, composed Top Ten albums, penned political anthems sung at rallies, kept alive traditional English folk songs, put his own spin on America’s greatest folk catalog and sung his heart out doing so. He has appeared on both MTV and late night highbrow chat shows, singing his mind on the first and speaking his mind on the latter. The Bard Of Barking has written essays for many daily newspapers of record and several notable weekly journals of comment. Perhaps his most memorable and eloquent journalism essay was his emphatic A Genuine Expression of the Will of the People, which was but one firm voice in the greater public campaign for the reform of the House of Lords. more info
06 / 14 (event) Roma di Luna CD Release with special guests Spaghetti Western String Co. Music Starts:8:00 pm Roma di Luna In an amazing, freewheeling show back in September, acoustic duo Roma di Luna not only kicked off The Cedar's eighteenth season, but also celebrated the release of their second studio album. Now it is time to celebrate anew, with the release of the group's third studio recording Casting the Bones! Casting the Bones is as much an exploration into the group’s sound as it is a total reinvention of the aesthetics and boundaries their previous records have established. ‘Casting the Bones’ refers to fortune telling methods of old, gambling games, and can also be interpreted as a common technique for healing a broken bone. All of these definitions fit comfortably with this collection of songs that are at once familiar, intriguing, ambitious, and possess a healing quality for both listener and songwriter alike. more info
06 / 15 (event) Father's Day Special with Papa John, Pop Wagner and Daddy Squeeze Music Starts:7:30 pm Pop WagnerDoes dear old Dad really deserve another gaudy tie/car-cleaning kit/bottle of aftershave/nose-hair clippers? Why not surprise and delight the father in your life with the gift of music and a family outing, from three of the greatest musical Dads around? Pop Wagner sings, picks, fiddles, twiddles lassos, writes poetry and is a downright funny guy.He appeared quite frequently on Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion during the show's formative years and for the last four decades he has worked his cowboy magic throughout 44 states and ten countries.His cowboy anthems crackle with the warmth of a prairie campfire and his old time fiddle tunes set toes a-tappin' while he serves up spellbinding rope tricks and tall stories -- all with a good dose of friendly humor. more info
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06 / 19 (event) Yid Vicious Klezmer Ensemble with Brass Messengers Music Starts:7:30 pm Yid ViciousYid Vicious takes an innovative approach to klezmer through its incorporation of elements as diverse as bossa nova and ska, homages to the likes of Johnny Cash and George Gershwin, and even occasional solos. With seven members of Yid Vicious, and a musical arsenal consisting of clarinets, saxophones, fiddle, horn, vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, prima, drums and theremin, the potential is almost limitless, and audiences are guaranteed an entertaining evening. more info
06 / 20
06 / 21 (event) Bill Frisell with Greg Leisz, Rudy Royston and Tony Scherr CANCELLED Music Starts:8:00 pm Bill FrisellRudy RoystonThe Cedar regrets to advise that due to a serious family emergency, the Bill Frisell concert scheduled for Sat June 21 has been cancelled. Patrons holding tickets are advised to follow the instructions here for a refund. A rare opportunity to hear guitar maven (and Grammy winner) Bill Frisell in the intimate space of The Cedar. Tonight he will be complemented by the incredibly sympathetic playing of Greg Leisz (lap and pedal steel guitar), Rudy Royston (drums), and Tony Scherr (bass). more info
06 / 22 (event) Nina Nastasia and Jim White with Tren Brothers--CANCELLED Music Starts:7:30 pm Due to circumstances beyond our control this show has been cancelled. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused. Nina Nastasia Nina Nastasia's rare gift of a voice is an intimate, winged presence that is able to either freeze or melt your heart, that can powerfully soar and twist, or brush ultra-gently against you, suddenly summoning goose bumps. Mojo commented on its ability to "suck the air out of the room". Picking over themes of love, longing and loss, childhood, dreams and human dramas, her beautifully concise, hook-laden songwriting and the spare arrangements of her band have a certain gritty, rustic charm and intensity. Simultaneously tough and fragile, her songs crackle and smolder with an intimate emotional honesty and a dark undertow. more info
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06 / 26 (event) The Lovell Sisters with Nikki and the RueMates Music Starts:7:30 pm The Lovell SistersThree young sisters blend in heavenly harmony and play mandolin, fiddle and dobro. They are joined by talented collaborators on guitar and bass. The music has roots deep in bluegrass Appalachia, and branches growing ever upward and outward, towards parts as yet unknown. The Lovell Sisters Band has arrived and is making its presence felt. more info
06 / 27 (event) Hayden with Haley Bonar Music Starts:8:00 pm HaydenCombining elements of both rock and folk music, along with disturbingly personal sentiments, dark humor, and a voice able to channel both the falsetto highs of Neil Young and the wavering raspy low tones of Leonard Cohen, Toronto's Hayden Desser has spent the last 15 years creating uniquely affecting music. Hayden, who is currently finishing up a four week US tour with Feist, will be heading out next month on a full band tour to the US, and making a return visit to The Cedar on June 27, along with a handful of other premium venues around the country. These shows will mark the first time Hayden has toured with a full band in over 3 years and comes on the heels of his new album 'In Field & Town' via his new home at the legendary Fat Possum Records. more info
06 / 28 (event) Farmer Jason Family Concert Music Starts:11:00 am Farmer Jason TICKET UPDATE 6/27: GOOD SUPPLY OF TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE DOOR--PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE FUN! When internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg created his children’s music character FARMER JASON in 2003, he had no idea he was launching what would prove to be the most commercially successful creation of his storied career. With JASON AND THE SCORCHERS, he pioneered the fusion of punk rock and country that turned the music world on its ear in the mid-1980s. Their first record, LOST AND FOUND, still shows up on critics’ “best of the 1980s” lists, and there is an exhibit of them in the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME. When Jason went solo in 1999, the LONDON TIMES called him “one of the most dynamic live performers of his generation.” Jason could rest easily, assured that his place in rock’n’roll history was secure. However, with two sweet, beautiful, preschool daughters missing Daddy Jason during his 200 dates a year touring schedule, Jason wanted to make a CD that his kids could listen to while he was out globetrotting. Since they lived on a small farm near Bon Aqua, Tennessee, and Jason grew up on an Illinois hog farm, he reckoned that a roots oriented CD about farming and farm animals was just the ticket. Hence the first Farmer Jason CD, A DAY AT THE FARM WITH FARMER JASON, was born. He released it “purely for fun” in the fall of 2003, delighted to hear his daughters singing along to songs like THE TRACTOR GOES CHUG CHUG CHUG and A GUITAR PICKIN’ CHICKEN. That was the peak of his ambition for it. To his surprise, soon lots of other daughters and little sons were singing along as well. Disney’s magazine FAMILY FUN called it “one of the Top 5 kids’ CDs of 2003.” more info (event) Boiled in Lead Music Starts:8:00 pm Boiled in LeadIn the midst of their 25th year of performing their unique blend of Celtic rock'n'reel, Boiled In Lead have retained a freshness and vitality that escapes far younger bands. The current BiL lineup of Todd Menton (vocals / guitar / mandolin / bodhran / whistle), Drew Miller (bass), Dean Magraw (guitar), David Stenshoel (fiddle) and Robin "Adnan" Anders (drums / percussion) features uniformly great musicians who each bring a lifetime of far-flung musical exploration to the Boil. more info
06 / 29 (event) Open Arms presents SiYAYA Music Starts:7:00 pm SiYAYA: Photo by Kurt MosesSouth African townships are overflowing with talented young people - singers, dancers and musicians. Poverty, the lack of opportunities and HIV/AIDS often results in all of this talent going undiscovered. Rev. Spiwo Xapile, director of the Zwane Community Centre in Guguletu, South Africa and Bongani Magatyana are determined to change this. Bongani Magatyana, an accomplished musician and composer, has formed SiYAYA - a performing group made up of 12 musicians who live in the townships surrounding Cape Town. In January of 2004 Magatyana held auditions and within a month the newly formed group was rehearsing daily at the Zwane Centre. Very quickly, word got out about this exciting new group and offers began coming in for SiYAYA to perform throughout South Africa, including an invitation to perform at Cape Town's prestigious jazz festival. Within a year, SiYAYA had recorded their first CD. In May of 2005, SiYAYA made their U.S. debut in Minneapolis. The Open Arms community was overwhelmed by their talent and the wonderful response from people. more info
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