The Sunset Series Outdoor Concerts
June 10 – Annie Mack (Blues / Soul)
Lauded by artists like Taj Mahal, visionary blues and roots artist Annie Mack branches out on her new EP Testify, mixing folk, rock and country gospel into her unique soulful sound. Digging deep, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment as she takes the reins as songwriter and producer. Although only 5 tracks, this power-packed release features Mack at her finest, singing her truth with strength, conviction and unflinching honesty. Confirming her status as "Minnesota's heir to the Mavis Staples throne" (Star Tribune), Testify is indeed the album we need right now - honest, soul-filled songs to lift our spirits and spring us into action so we can make ourselves and the world a little more loving.
June 17 – Annie Humphrey (Folk / Singer-Songwriter)
Annie Humphrey is from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Northern Minnesota. She is a musician, visual artist, grandmother, mother, Marine Corp Veteran...she has chickens and little horses. Annie has a goal: to teach her grandchildren to live without Walmart. All we need is provided for us in the natural world.
June 24 – Humbird (Experimental Folk / Americana)
Combining a wintry longing with the warmth of a familiar folktale, Humbird stretches between experimental folk and environmental Americana to embrace the unexpected. This music invites a refreshing dissonance into the house, it leaves breadcrumbs along the path and reflects light back at the stars. Humbird’s debut album Pharmakon (Aug. 2019) is a “...an absolutely hypnotic listening experience” according to Folk Alley. Atwood Magazine describes it as music wrapped in “gentle rebellion”.
Months after its initial release, Humbird’s debut continues to resonate with listeners, wracking up online streams and (more importantly) connecting with listeners all over the world. Inspired by artists like Joni Mitchell, John Prine and Big Thief, Humbird crafts songs of American mysticism rooted in the grit of the upper midwest.
July 8 – Society 101 and the Center present Blank Canvas Arts Youth Showcase feat. Baaby Xeno, Mae Doll, Enzy Rose (Hip-Hop / R&B)
The Center has teamed up with local youth consulting group Society 101 to present a concert showcasing various up-and-coming musical acts to come out of Hopkins. This evening is dedicated to celebrating the immense talent to come out of Hopkins.
July 15 – Alive and Kickin (Rock n’ Roll)
Alive & Kickin is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that features a talented ensemble of rockin senior performers ages 60-99+ that entertain multi-generational audiences through popular contemporary music and personal stories. Each performance, whether a large, full-scale production, a corporate event or (our favorite) senior community gig, promises to surprise, move and inspire audiences of all ages. The group is managed and directed by award-winning performing arts professionals.
July 22 – Daisy Dillman Acoustic (Country Rock)
The Daisy Dillman Acoustic holds a well deserved place in Minnesota music history. With a small handful of others, they dominated the music scene in the late 70's - and more than most, they went on to play in the majors with two nationally released, charting records. Along the way, they earned a place in the hearts of loyal audiences across Minnesota and the entire country. They did it by bringing everything they had... to countless nights of unforgettable music.
Having grown together, it's safe to say that the band and its fans have a special bond. DDB has always been an authentic rock & roll celebration. Recent concerts are also a poignant reminder of those who are no longer here. At shows now, it's not surprising to find long lost familiar faces from younger days, dancing and grinning... old & new friends, family, musicians, fans, road crew, neighbors, grown kids and parents... all coming together over the band's familiar kick-ass country rock and sweet harmony.
July 29 – Gini Dodds and The Dahlias (Rock n' Roll)
So what happens when the British invasion meets alternative twang? Fox-hunting jackets and cowboy hats? No, that was The Village People. An eclectic style with the potential for wide appeal? Right-o, partner.
Gini Dodds, chief songwriter for The Dahlias, has been inspired by The Who, Neil Young, The Kinks, The Band, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, Lucinda Williams, The Hollies, The Byrds, Warren Zevon and The Raspberries to name a few. But it's what she's done with those influences that tells the real story. After taking a songwriting course taught by Ray Davies, Gini began putting her nose to the grindstone and found her own voice.
Although Gini's songs are as diverse as the genres she pulls from, her use of sophisticated melodies and arrangements is a unifying theme. Her lyrics are intelligent and soulful; a rare case when an artist was actually ready to record a first album that was bursting at the seams with great songs. Sweet Christine, a song off her first CD, Mellowdrama, was a winner in the 2001 Nashville Songwriters Assocation songwriting contest. She has also been a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition on more than one occasion.
Gini Dodds sings from a woman's point of view, but her stories have such a timeless and universal quality that anyone who listens gets pulled in. The melodies alone, along with the sound of her distinctive voice, are enough to make you listen to what she has to say. Stylistically and vocally, she has been described as a cross between Chrissie Hynde and Lucinda Williams. The Dahlias perform around the Twin Cities and are just finishing their third album, Jangle Twangle. Gini also does solo acoustic shows featuring both her Brit pop and alternative country material.
The Dahlias are Gini Dodds (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Jeffrey Willkomm (bass), Jon Larson (keys), Terry Isachsen(lead guitar), and John "Bongo" Haga (drums).
August 5 – Joyann Parker (Blues)
After singing in church most of her life, Joyann Parker embraced the blues. A classically trained pianist with a degree in music from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Parker loves the music’s heartfelt honesty.
Because she sings and composes songs that have emotional honesty, Parker is very much in the great American blues tradition.
“I love the realism of blues so much,” she says. “It’s so earthy. Blues doesn’t pull any punches. I can’t help but be moved by that.” Parker wants anyone who doesn’t know the blues genre to experience the indigenous American music that’s been so influential on the world’s music.
August 12 – Power of 10 (R&B Horn Band)
Power of 10 features dynamic vocalists, an awe-inspiring horn section and a superb rhythm section performing a mix of timeless and current hits. This 10 piece band brings the freshness of Bruno Mars, the passion of Stevie Wonder and the electricity of Earth, Wind and Fire.