The Homegrown Music Festival is pretty much all online again this year, but things are a bit more organized this time around, with planned video releases and livestreams every day, May 2-9.

For the full schedule visit duluthhomegrown.org/2021-virtual-schedule. Homegrown’s online content can be viewed as a livestream at duluthhomegrown.org/live-stream and is available live and archived on Homegrown’s YouTube channel.

The music starts at noon on opening day with the Children’s Music Showcase. Mayor Emily Larson gives the Mayoral Proclamation at 6 p.m., immediately followed by the New Band Showcase, a selection of performances featuring emerging bands from the region. At 7 p.m., Homegrown’s stream features three performances from the Minnesota Music Coalition’s 2021 State of Minnesota Music Summit. Performing live from Sacred Heart Music Center in Duluth are Cory Coffman, Superior Siren and AfroGeode.

Monday‘s programming begins at 7 p.m. with the Homegrown Poetry Showcase, followed by a short film made by Teague Alexy. The Homegrown Photo Showcase and Video Showcase wrap up what Homegrown generally refers to as “Ancillary Arts Night.”

Tuesday features a giant block of music from the Embassy, Duluth’s friendly neighborhood art cult. From 7 p.m. to midnight the livestream includes sets by a variety of local DJs. The Crunchy Bunch, remotely connected from a separate location, will fill in the gaps with more music and take calls from the community between Embassy acts.

Wednesday is dedicated to a digitally remastered deluxe reissue of the Homegrown Winter Fiasco. Compiled and originally released in January, the updated cut of the Homegrown’s annual off-season festival starts at 7 p.m. and features four hours of online performances, interviews and archival footage.

On Thursday, the party is at Richard Narum’s house. Don’t go there; Homegrown will bring the action to your physically distant living room … or wherever you watch digital content. This is the eleventh year Narum will cook soup and host music at his home. The event is an unofficial Homegrown tradition, and Homegrown is piggybacking on Narum’s Thrusday night livestream of performances this year. The three sets of music are: Aurora Baer at 6 p.m., Alex Hecker and Ryann Daisy Swimmer at 7 and New Salty Dog at 8.

The first big block of curated music is on Friday at 7 p.m., when Homegrown releases three hours of pre-recorded artist performances.

Saturday‘s programming begins at 7 p.m. with the full broadcast of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s season-ending program From Beethoven to Milhaud. Another block of new content from Duluth bands follows at 9 p.m.

Closing day begins with the traditional Sunday Brunch at 1 p.m., when Homegrown streams a pre-recorded concert by Charlie Parr at Duluth Cider. At 2:30 p.m., Homegrown’s livestream kicks out an encore presentation of a solid five or six hours of performances from the week.

Outside of the Homegrown Music Festival steering committee’s efforts are a wide range of other local music happenings tied to the festival.

All week long, Kala Moria is leading the Unofficial Homegrown Music Festival Scavenger Hunt. Beginning Sunday at 11 a.m., local music fans compete in a variety of challenges and post their accomplishments on the Facebook event page. Moria judges, awards points and announces the winner at the end of the festival.

KUMD 103.3 FM is planning Live from Studio A sessions for throughout the week. The schedule is as follows.

Monday, May 3, 1 p.m. – Danny Frank
Monday, May 3, 2 p.m. – Lyla Abukhodair
Tuesday, May 4, 2 p.m. – Laura Sellner of Superior Siren
Wednesday, May 5, 2 p.m. – Gavin St. Clair
Thursday, May 6, 2 p.m. – Misisispi Mike Wolf
Friday, May 7, 2 p.m. – Cyr

The Current, Minnesota Public Radio’s Twin Cities-based music station, is changing its programming for Homegrown’s opening night. Brittany Lind, host of The Duluth Local Show is taking over the Minnesota-music-focused program The Local Show to showcase three hours of Duluth tunes beginning at 7 p.m. The Current can be heard in Duluth on 104.3 and 90.9 FM.

Already mentioned above is Rich Narum’s Thursday SoupB4Soup livestream, but Narum is independently steaming live music from his home at 2104 from Sunday through Thursday. Those programs can be viewed on the duluthiscool YouTube channel. The schedule is below.

Sunday, May 2
6 p.m. – Kaylee Matuszak
7 p.m. – Bill Flannagan
8 p.m. – Sugar on the Roof

Monday, May 3
6 p.m. – Grains of Stars
7 p.m. – Cory Coffman
8 p.m. – Feeding Leroy

Tuesday, May 4
6 p.m. – Lanue
7 p.m. – Sonofmel
8 p.m. – Father Hennepin

Wednesday, May 5
6 p.m. – Woodblind
7 p.m. – Zeb or Zeke and the Run Away Screamings
8 p.m. – Boxcar

Thursday, May 6
6 p.m. – Aurora Baer
7 p.m. – Alex Hecker X Ryann Daisy Swimmer
8 p.m. – Jacob Mahon and the New Salty Dogs

The Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide is back in printed form this year, but is also available online as a PDF.

As for social media goods …

Facebook: facebook.com/duluthhomegrown
Instagram: instagram.com/dhgmf
Twitter: twitter.com/dhgmf

… or follow #hgmf2021 on any social media platform.

And planning ahead to a future where people gather in the same room for sweaty shows, Homegrown has a fundraiser going on gofundme.com.