Bizhiki is Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Joe Rainey, and Sean Carey. The trio fuses powwow tradition with synthesized voice modulation, accenting hand drums with electronic samples and beats to create a unique and authentic sound. Souldies songwriter Jada Brown opens the set with her first full-band performance at The Cedar. 

Local family bands Spaceport and Robot Slide come together to co-headline an extra-special collaborative show celebrating the release of their sophomore albums Cut the Lake and CHIMPS. They’ll be playing musical chairs on stage with two mixed sets, collaborating and sharing members to bring a unique mix of weird pop and indie rock to The Cedar stage.

“Mama's Broke brings beauty out of pain” - No Depression

Canadian folk duo Mama’s Broke return to the Cedar for a special May Day weekend celebration.

Bia Ferreira is a poet and activist who describes her music as “MMP — Música de Mulher Preta (Black Woman Music).” Her music contains elements of soul, reggae, blues, funk, R&B, and gospel. The Cedar is thrilled to welcome Bia Ferreira to Minnesota for an intimate solo performance. 

Have you ever wanted to peek behind the scenes at the Cedar? Learn more about how to participate at our venue by attending our monthly Volunteer Orientation led by volunteer coordinator Jared Hemming!

Accordion-wielding Chilean songstress Pascuala Ilabaca is a true hidden gem in Latin American and World Music genres. A favorite in the new scene of young Chilean singer-songwriters, her music is rooted in traditional sounds but effortlessly integrates shades of jazz, pop, and rock, and draws on influences from distant places such as India and Mexico. Accompanied by her formidable band Fauna, her unique stage presence conveys both sweetness and empowerment, bringing her songs to life with both fragility and verve.

Canadian folk singer Garnet Rogers joins us for a night of “literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful” songwriting.

That Handsome Devil celebrates 20 years since their debut EP with support from Human Zoo. Based in Brooklyn, by way of Boston, the band blends rock, funk, cabaret, surf, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, and psychedelia. Their sound has been described as "equal parts Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, bizarre electronica, creepy hip hop, and in-your-face gonzo rock.”

Jenny Don’t and the Spurs’ sound has been described as honky tonk, country & western, garage rock, and cowpunk. Emerging from the Pacific Northwest with a fierce DIY ethos, the band independently released the majority of their 13 albums and singles on their own label, cultivating a vast international following through extensive tours across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Mexico. They’re joined by local Western dreamers Cowboy Thoughts. 

Eli Winter is a virtuosic guitar player, for fans of William Tyler and Yasmin Williams. Luke Schneider’s pedal steel has graced recordings by Orville Peck, Margo Price, and more. Deep listening and cosmic grooves abound as these two talents grace the Cedar stage for the first time. Jonah Hatten opens the show, previewing songs from his solo guitar debut, due later this year.

Sam Prekop is a pillar of the Chicago underground community, best known for his work with the Sea and Cake. In 2022, Prekop reunited with former Sea and Cake bandmate John McEntire for the release of Sons of, an album of electric instrumentals and modular synthesizer sounds.  

Philadelphia pop-folk songwriter Carsie Blanton takes her cues from legends like Nina Simone, Cleo Brown, Joni Mitchell and John Prine. She’s a ferocious wordsmith who pulls no punches on her 2024 full-length After the Revolution. This is Carsie’s second time performing at The Cedar, and we welcome her back in time when her words are more poignant than ever. 

Join the Phoenix Flight Studio students for an evening celebrating dance, community and radical joy. The night starts with explosive aerial performances on lyra, trapeze and hammock, followed by hard-hitting, and clacking, pole, floor and chair acts. Two shows, one ticket. Stay for both, or pick your preferred flavor of resistance. 

Border CrosSing transforms into a full-fledged salsa band in this joyful, family-friendly program featuring a vibrant rhythm section and our amazing vocalists, joined by members of our community chorus Heritage Choir, for an even bigger and richer sound. Under the direction of Ahmed Anzaldúa, who will also take the stage at the piano, the ensemble dives into a spirited mix of classic and contemporary Latin American dance hits, from beloved favorites to lesser-known gems, all in novel choral arrangements. This won’t be a sit-still kind of night: our dance instructors will get people out of their seats and moving their bodies! Whether you choose to soak it all in or jump right into the movement, there is something for everyone. With highlights like the timeless Como Fue and the iconic Ojalá Que Llueva Café, this celebratory program promises an evening of rhythm, nostalgia, and irresistible fun for all ages.

 Scandinavian duo Smerz “flits deftly between genres – dream pop, glitchy electro, power ballads, shoegaze, even shades of trip-hop – whipping up all these textures into a sonic soufflé that is uniquely their own.” Vogue

Celebrate the start of Summer with The Kickoff, a free Summer kickoff party on The Cedar’s outdoor patio.

Portland-based guitarist and composer Marisa Anderson’s albums meld American traditional musics from blues, gospel, country, folk, and jazz to circus music, minimalism, improvisation, and drone. She’s recorded for esteemed labels Drag City and Thrill Jockey, and performed with William Tyler, Tashi Dorji, Jim White, and many more. 

Brooklyn-based indie rocker Moon Walker explores themes of capitalism, religion, and warfare in his music, a message that has him selling out venues across the country. This is his first time performing at the Cedar, celebrating his soon-to-be-released album Wasteland Country.

Turn Turn Turn returns to The Cedar for their first full band show since the release of their third full-length album, All Hat, No Cattle, joined by the string collective Triple Fiddle. 

Joseph Arthur is a storied songwriter, first signed to Peter Gabriel’s Real World label in the mid-90s. In 2010, he joined forces with Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison to form the folk supergroup Fistful of Mercy. He’s joined by acclaimed visual artist and songwriter Abe Patriridge for this intimate seated performance at The Cedar.

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek are internationally recognized for their unique and infectious sound that combines Anatolian folk with psychedelia, pop and soul influences.

Mohanad Elshieky is a New York-based, Libyan-born comedian who made his national TV debut on Conan, has been featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Don’t Tell Comedy, Comedy Central, This American Life, and has toured with Pop Up Magazine.

SOLIDARITY IN STEREO: A benefit concert for TakeAction Minnesota's organizing featuring jeremy messersmith, Robyn Jamner, Salty Fears, and Brass Solidarity.

John C. Van Orman and Adam Helwin are singer-songwriter neighbors in the bucolic countryside of southwestern Wisconsin’s Driftless region, a place of unglaciated hills, fertile soil, and clear-running trout streams where they craft poetic songs to sing alongside traditional folk tunes and selectively curated covers. The duo is joined by percussionist and poet Marc Anderson for this special performance. 

Transcending genres and trends, the Hot 8 Brass Band have performed and collaborated with the likes of Jon Batiste, Blind Boys of Alabama, Basement Jaxx, George Ezra and Alice Russell, and provided live support for Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and Mary J Blige. The group is known for their fresh takes on hit songs like Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” and more. The Cedar is proud to welcome this award-winning New Orleans-based band to Minnesota for a special Juneteenth celebration.

Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter and former frontman of The Ugly Americans and The Scabs, Bob Schneider is one of the most-celebrated musicians in the live music capital. Combining diverse styles, Schneider’s music spans genres, blending elements of folk, rock, rap, funk, bluegrass, reggae and country with the more traditional singer/songwriter aesthetic. In short, FRUNK.

Inner Spaces invites audiences on a transcendent musical journey, blending ancestral and futuristic sounds, acoustic and electronic elements, and global traditions. Led by Amir ElSaffar and Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, this collaboration fuses maqam, jazz, raga, and contemporary classical styles into richly textured, boundary-defying performances. Their modular approach integrates improvisation and composition, creating immersive soundscapes that celebrate diversity and innovation - resonating deeply with global audiences.

Indo-Canadian songwriter and producer Alysha Brilla is a 3x Juno-nominated artist. Guided by heritage and imagination, Brilla sculpts sonic constellations where the ancestral meets the electric. 

Mexico City’s Sonido Gallo Negro fuse cumbias with psychedelic tropicalia to create hypnotic, dancefloor-ready sounds.

Best known as the frontman for indie rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Alec Ounsworth's intimate Piano & Voice tour showcases his songs in their purest form. 

Horse Lords’ lengthy, hypnotic, polyrhythmic pieces draw from Krautrock, Afrobeat, and Appalachian folk traditions. The Baltimore-based quartet formed in 2010 and has spent the last 16 years touring relentlessly in the DIY music scene.

The Fanoos Ensemble features four brilliant Afghan musicians who are unable to perform inside Afghanistan today, as the Taliban has banned all music. Now living in the US, the ensemble performs a revue of Afghan culture through music.

From the African drums to the dazzling colors of the Aurora Borealis, Aurora do Samba takes the audience on a vibrant journey through the history of samba — from sacred Afro-Brazilian ancestry and the rhythm of capoeira to the joyful spirit of the Samba Passista and Samba de Malandro to the elegance of Samba de Gafieira.

Blending live music, storytelling, and dynamic choreography, the show reveals how samba was born from resilience, transformed into art, and continues to inspire and connect people around the world. The production transports audiences on a vivid passage between the warmth of Brazil and the wonder of the northern sky.

Aurora do Samba — When the Afro-Brazilian ancestral beat awakens the resilience and meets the magical Northern Lights.

First Avenue presents Wild Child

Magic Tuber Stringband probes the undercurrents of the landscapes around them, their music reflecting time spent living across the Southeast and studying its regional folk traditions and natural histories. 

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is the most gloriously unclassifiable American band in existence. Wendy Eisenberg is a singer-songwriter, improviser, and virtuoso guitarist. From art-rock and noise metal to free improv and freak folk, this night explores sonic fringes. 

Micky and the Motorcars hail from Austin, Texas, by way of Stanley, Idaho. Brothers Micky and Gary Braun are the sons of Western Swing musician Muzzie Braun, and along with their brothers Willy and Cody (Reckless Kelly), spent their childhood on the stage. The band has averaged 100+ shows a year for nearly 20 years.

English songwriter Fink brings his trio to The Cedar Cultural Center for an intimate performance to celebrate their ninth album, the recently announced The City Is Coming To Erase It All.

Afro Dead is a musical collective formed in 2022 by Aaron Feder to reimagine the music of the Grateful Dead in Afro-Pop styles, such as soukous, Afrobeat, high-life, reggae and more. Featuring members of Chicago’s Alma Afrobeat Ensemble, Afro Dead make their Cedar debut with support from Minnesota’s Demitrious Rallis Band (Frogleg).

First Avenue presents Aldous Harding

SYML is the solo venture of Seattle artist Brian Fennell. Welsh for “simple”— he makes music that taps into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or a person.

“After a few listens to the record it becomes apparent that Chicago Farmer has a refreshingly firm grip on where he comes from. The songs are covered to the elbows in dirt from the fields and smell of the sweaty factory floors. If the Midwest is looking for a voice, the search is over.” - No Depression