Win It Wednesday – Weekly Raffle Night
Stop by every Wednesday from 5–7 PM for our weekly raffle!

Win...
– Meat packs from Grundhofer’s
– Cash
– Purses
– Yeti tumblers
– And more

Grown from traditional bluegrass roots, Blue Hazard began before any member held a driver's license. Their journey started by playing songs by many different artists. That influence has carried over into songwriting that doesn't focus on genre, but on precise arrangements, moving melodies, and stories with intrigue.

The Minnesota-based group supports a traditional bluegrass composition (banjo, mandolin, guitar, and upright bass) but strives to break the bonds that are typical or expected. All members write music that leads to a diverse original catalog of bluegrass, roots, Americana, pop, jazz, and folk.

The Bill Koncar Band plays a variety of music including polkas, waltzes, fox trots, swing, Latin rhythms (including rhumbas, cha chas, tangos & sambas), and classic rock & pop tunes.

Straight from the great Mill City comes the Pistol Whippin Party Penguins. Don't let the name fool you! This is not a violent group of flightless aquatic birds looking for a party, but rather 6 self proclaimed gentlemen, 2 guitars, a mandolin, a bucket of fiddles, a bass, a couple drums, and a 4 part vocal harmony. As they prepare to record their 5th album, this group from Minneapolis strives to maintain the original spirit of the "string band" while continuing to play new original music. The combination of folk, rock, blues, bluegrass, and the occasional stage banter will create an experience that anyone can enjoy!

The Stiffs—who hail not from the Volunteer State but that other roots-music Mecca, Austin, TX—dip their bucket deep into the well of American music. Warped lo-fi folk gives way to frenetic honky-tonk riff rock and gutbucket country; forlorn Americana anthems resound off Texas hillsides, and blazing Southern rock screeches like tires on the last lap of a cup-winning speedway run. Their third and most recent double concept album goes deeper still, dredging up minor-key Southern-gothic circus waltzes, spaghetti-Western vampire shuffles, and the kind of fuzz-drenched blues you’d hear wafting from a Detroit garage.

Formed in late 2011 and fueled by their eclectic musical interests, co-founders-turned-married-couple Ethan Lee and Cara B were determined to create something never heard before.

With 4 vocalists, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, and an optional horn section, Riverside Hitmen play all the hits.

On a winter night in northern Minnesota, a young woman encounters a stranger at a dive bar. The older woman senses she’s struggling with something and sits her down to tell of her own hard-scrabble life. Shit’s not gonna get any easier, her story implies, but grit and perseverance can carry you through just about anything.

So goes Molly Brandt’s “Old Northern Woman,” an anthemic power ballad that starts with gritty storytelling and grows into a thrilling wall-of-sound crescendo that leaves you breathless.

Brandt gives you that same feeling live on stage and in her studio recordings. You’re pulling up a stool next to her and she’s got tales to tell you—her own, other real-life stories, and fictional fables that ring true no matter how much melodrama and poetic detail they contain. Like the storyteller himself, Tom T. Hall, Brandt knows just what to tell and what to hold back to fire up the listener’s imagination.

Mean Gene and the Woodticks play acoustic interpretations of rock, blues, and folk music.  

The "Ticks" have a unique style that is a blend of vocal harmonies, melodic acoustic guitar and the creative use of the harmonica.

Corey Medina & Brothers is a blues rock band with raw emotion and storytelling, delivering powerful performances that resonate with their audience. Their music creates a space where people connect with the band, and with each other, fostering a sense of community and shared experience. WIth a sound that continues to evolve, they bring an energy that is both moving and fun, creating an atmosphere where everyone can let loose, feel the music, and enjoy the moment.

Brotherhood of Birds (BoB) is a Twin Cities-based, Minnesota progressive acoustic string band whose original compositions bring together traditional and modern styles.

After hatching in January 2021, the group released 2 EPs entitled “Caged Vol. 1 & 2”. In the same year, they played the historic First Avenue Main Room, Blue Ox Music Festival, Shangri-La Music Festival, and were featured in Bluegrass Standard magazine as well as on 88.5 Bluegrass Saturday Morning. In 2022 they were spotted on on the lineup for Revival, Pickin On Picknic, Boats & Bluegrass, MBOTMAs August Fest, Galactic Get Down, Sioux River Folk Fest, & Palisade Bluegrass Bash to name a few. The bands tag team style lineup makes every show unique while showcasing some of the premier players in the genre that the twin cities has to offer.

BoB’s core lineup consists of brothers Willie Christianson on guitar, & Cole Christianson on banjo, as well as Gavin Haskin on mandolin. The group has a number of rotating local players including fiddlers Chris Forsberg, AJ Srubas, Rachel Calvert, Danny Lentz & John Lane, multi-instrumentalists Mike Hedding, David Robinson, Olivia Quintanilla, Alex Gelking, & Zack Taur, vocalists Jon Sullivan, Hannah Mae, & Ryan Gebhardt, along with upright players Matt Blake, Taylor Donskey, Brian Garrison, Peter Whiteman, Joe Barron, & Joe Sheehan.

Inside Straight Blues Band, a popular band with Twin Cities and regional club audiences, plays Blues, and Blues-Rock in the Chicago, Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, St. Louis and New Orleans traditions. Tempered with solid Jazz, Funk, R&B, old Rock & Roll, and some Country influences, the result is a sound unique to Inside Straight Blues Band that is truly a collection of its member's experiences.

Minnesota-based singer/songwriter Tony Cuchetti is following his debut album, Hid It On The Sly (2020), and performance album, Live From Drum Farm Studio (2020), with 2023’s Freer Street, a collection of original songs punctuated by a couple of beloved cover tunes. Cuchetti returned to home turf at Drum Farm Studio in Menomonie, WI to record, joined by fellow Minnesotan Erik Koskinen, who produced and played both rhythm and lead guitar on the album, as well as co-writing many of the tracks.

Minneapolis based band, Lena & The LoveKills, exist in a musical genre all their own. The band fuses elements of Rockabilly, Danceable Swing, Jump Blues and R&B into an eclectic mix of good music and fun times that can only rightfully be described as “Swingabilly.” Their stage presence, retro look, and often quirky sense of humor delights listeners and gets folks onto the dance floor. 

With “Lena” aka Lori Carter on vocals, Tommy Love on guitar and the rhythm section of Tom Hels on drums and Dan Peterson on bass, the band promises to “get ya hoppin”!

Avey Grouws Band blends blues, roots, rock and soul as powerfully as the Mississippi River runs through their home in the Quad Cities of Iowa & Illinois. Led by powerhouse vocalist Jeni Grouws and ace guitar man Chris Avey, the two-time top ten Billboard charting band are known for their gritty sound and engaging shows. Sophomore album, "Tell Tale Heart", was recorded in Nashville, TN with Grammy award winner, Casey Wasner (Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal). Released September 2021, "Tell Tale Heart" debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. Avey Grouws Band also hit #10 on the Billboard with their 2020 debut album, "The Devil May Care". Avey Grouws Band toured the US this past year, including Kansas City, two Florida tours, an East Coast tour and a trip to Las Vegas to play the Big Blues Bender along with acts including Keb’ Mo, Beth Hart, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish and many more.

MAYFAIR 3 is the Twin Cities good time party,  Americana/Rock/Soul/Blues band that brings the excitement and fun like no one else can. Their love of the Groove propels their funky danceable music accentuated by catchy covers that are always crowd pleasers. The musicians include seasoned professional individuals from the Twin Cities best bands. They are committed to hosting the best party with the juiciest music that will make you get up and dance! 

Nick Hensley & The Love Songs For Angry Men, The Solo, Duo, Trio & occasional Full Band (with the terrible name) From Saint Paul, Minnesota (The Best City in the Twin Cities!) 

Nick Hensley is the former lead singer and co creator of The District, a regional alt rock act from the upper Midwest, co based out of St. Paul, MN and Chicago, IL.

Hensley created Love Songs For Angry Men shortly after The District called it quits in 2003. Hensley’s alias, stage name and alter ego, Love Songs For Angry Men, originated as a bad joke… similar to other shorter lived band names like Amish Puppy Mill and Billy’s Little Secret. Unfortunately, for Nick and his band members, now approaching 20 years later...THE NAME JUST WON’T GO AWAY!

Push & Turn is an energetic Reggae-Fusion band from Rochester, Minnesota that continues to explore new harmonies, melodies, and uplifting lyrics while adding funk, blues, and jam feels to their Reggae music.

A band of 5 funky freaks strummin and pickin on acoustic instruments. American | Newgrass

The Oatmeal Band is an acoustic/electric group featuring Arthur Andersen, Eric VanValkenburg, David Markson, Mark Anderson.  We play covers and originals leaning on several genres and focus on providing an interactive experience with the crowd.

The band was originally formed in 2001 by Joni (Weston) and Eric Buffalohead. Bluedog released their debut CD “From All Directions” in April of 2005.  The CD was recorded at Oyate Studios in Albuquerque, NM.  The CD received two nominations (Best Blues and Debut Recording) from the Native American Music Awards; and was also nominated for the best blues category for the Indian Summer Music Awards. Bluedog released its second CD “A Little White Lie” in December of 2006.  This CD was recorded in Minneapolis, MN. The recording received a Native American Music Award nomination for Best Blues recording. In 2010 the band released a single called “Get Up & Get Out”; and, nominated in the Best Blues category for the 2010 Indian Summer Music Awards. “Get Up & Get Out” was also nominated in two categories (Best Blues & Group of the Year) for the 2010 Native American Music Awards (NAMMY’s). “Just Living the Blues” was released in December of 2011. This CD was recorded at Untouchable Studios in Grand Forks, ND and produced by blues guitarist Little Bobby and Joni. In 2017, Bluedog’s recording, "Red, White & Blues" was released and all songs were written by Joni, Eric and Alexandra. The recording received a Native American Music Award nomination for Best Blues recording. “Take a Stand” is the latest CD from Bluedog and was nominated for the Best Blues Recording for the 2022 Native American Music Awards. It was recorded at Winterland Studios in Minneapolis, MN. The lyrics to the CD’s 11 songs were written by Joni and Eric Buffalohead with the exception of “Look to the Sky” written by Keith Secola, Eric, Joni and Alexandra Buffalohead. Additional musicians on this CD include: Keith Secola, Ted and Angie Vig, Josh Levi, Jan Michael Looking Wolf and Jordan Carlson.

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The music is influenced by life experiences of Native people.  Joni states that “Native people have experienced the blues too.  For us it reflects a significant part of life for Native people and our relationship with the U.S. government in the past, present and future. All the pain we’ve endured from massacres, boarding schools, and forced removal from our homes, etc… all attempts to erase our culture and our people.  We are still here.  Our music celebrates life, the good and bad.”
 

The band has performed across the United States in support of their original recordings in locations such as: Hollywood, FL (Native American Music Awards), Milwaukee, WI (Indian Summer Music Awards), Toppenish, WA (Yakima Tribal Jam), Minneapolis, MN (Indian Summer Music Festival), The Fargo Blues Festival (2012 & 2014); and Thief River Falls, MN (Last Ride Blues Festival 2009 to 2015). The band has fronted notable blues acts including: The Robert Cray Band, Indigenous, Los Lonely Boys, Corey Stevens, John Mayall, Kenny Neal Band, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Coco Montoya, Ana Popovic, Walter Trout, Shannon Curfman, and the Jerry Garcia Band. The Bluedog band is a five member blues/rock band out of Minneapolis, MN.

The Limns were formed in January of '07. Since its humble beginning in St. Paul, MN, The Limns have entertained crowds of all ages, including a performances at outdoor festivals such as Project Earth and Fricke's Freedom Fest in Minnesota; to private parties, philanthropy events and political functions. The Limns have toured around the Midwest and even made it all the way down to Austin, TX to compete in the international talent contest called Famecast. The Limns were the first band in 23 years to win the 2007 MN State Fair Amateur Talent Contest. They have been featured on abc Eyewitness News and were the cover story of St. Paul Illustrated Magazine. The Limns are currently working on their first album and hope to start branching out of the Midwest this year.P.S. We only have two songs up right now but I think you'll really like them. Thank you so much for giving our music a chance. sincerely, The Limns

Singing, songwriting, sass-bringing Erin McCawley and her Harrison Street Band know how to entertain and energize the crowd with blues styles from Chicago to Louisiana and everything in between. Erin sings with the confidence and soul as if each song was the story she was born to tell and with a voice that seem to rise up from the soles of her feet. Her genuine sense of personal freedom empowers her audience and draws them in to each performance; then with clever lyrics, radiant joy, and raw emotion, she holds them there. She is backed by an incredible band of talented musicians: Tony Houle on Guitar, Robb Stearns on bass, and Bill Whelan on drums. They are often joined by Joey Gagliardi on harmonica, and Paul Wigen on keys. Together, they have released a third album of original music; “Live at A440.” Listen, and you may hear the blues, but you won’t leave with ‘em!”