Music Posts

Chuck Haavik – “Still Raining”

Duluth’s Chuck Haavik has released his second song. “Still Raining” is “a lament from the Summer of 2020,” Haavik said. It’s available for download on Bandcamp.

The track is mixed and mastered by Dave Mehling, who also plays Hammond B3 Organ, bass and drums.

Northern Rhythms

Explore natural landscapes of the Duluth area through music with this new WDSE-TV production. Northern Rhythms features local musicians playing everything from country to jazz to classical, in places that inspire them, from deserted mine pits to soaring vistas to popular beaches.

Low – “Days Like These”

Duluth band Low has a new album on the way. Hey What is schedule for release on Sept. 10. The video for the first single, “Days Like These,” was directed, produced and edited by Karlos Rena Ayala.

Perfect Duluth Day Outdoor Summer Concert Primer 2021

A Band Called Truman, seen here performing as part of the Chester Creek Concert Series in 2017, returns to Chester Bowl on Aug. 10 as part of the 2021 series. (Photo by Brian Barber)

Last summer was such a bummer, Perfect Duluth Day didn’t even bother publishing its annual preview of outdoor concerts. There was nearly nothing to report. With the pandemic seemingly under control in 2021, however, the list of options is lengthy. Rock, however, seems to have barely survived the pandemic. Bluegrass, folk and country dominate the concert scene.

June of ’71: Concert Under the Sun

A rock concert staged on a farm field about 20 miles south of Duluth was in the news 50 years ago. The June 21, 1971 Duluth Herald reported that “about 300 young people” attended what was called the Concert Under the Sun, “along with 30 sheriff’s deputies, reserve offices, rescue squad personnel and state game wardens.”

Charlie Parr-king Lot

Charlie Parr performed in the parking lot outside Wussow’s Concert Cafe during Pete Fest Tuesday night, playing his unique brand of Dumpster blues. The festival continues through Saturday.

Superior Siren – “Darkness and Light” (Lyric Video)

Laura Sellner of Superior Siren has released a lyric video for the first single from the recently released solo EP Kill Your Darlings. The video was created by Sarah Jordan.

Mary Bue – “I Don’t Need”

Another track by Mary Bue from her 2020 album The World is Your Lover, captured on video by Richard Medek in April for the Homegrown Music Festival. Steve Price and Jeremy Ylvisaker accompany Bue.

Mary Bue – “Gemini Eyes”

Former Duluthian Mary Bue‘s latest video is a stripped down version of “Gemini Eyes” from her 2020 album The World is Your Lover. The video was shot by Richard Medek in April for the Homegrown Music Festival.

Superior Siren – “Alive” (Live at Sacred Heart Music Center)

Eerie folk band Superior Siren performed a livestream from Sacred Heart Music Center on May 2. Wherehouse Productions has now released this video single from the show, featuring the song “Alive” from the band’s self-titled 2018 release.

The performance was part of the Minnesota Music Coalition‘s Minnesota Music Summit and also was integrated into the Homegrown Music Festival.

Video Archive: Bob Dylan’s childhood home in Hibbing, 1988

WDIO-TV has pulled this relic from its archive to share during Duluth Dylan Fest week. The news clip is from Oct. 10, 1988. Dylan’s boyhood home was on the market at the time. Reporter Leonard Lee went inside the house and into the former bedroom of the music icon where a shrine of sorts had been displayed. Items of note: an autograph from a pre-fame Bobby Zimmerman and a mezuzah shaped like a guitar.

The moments where the video briefly drops out are glitches in the 3/4-inch tape.

R.I.P. Duluth Electric Fetus

View through the glass door to the Duluth Electric Fetus store on April 13, 2021. (Photo by Paul Lundgren)

Duluth’s Electric Fetus store, 12 E. Superior St., announced today it will not reopen. The store was best known for selling compact discs and other music products, though items like jewelry, clothing and gifts made up a larger chunk of the sales. The company’s Minneapolis location will remain open.

Cities Never Sleep – “Kokomo”

Duluth band Cities Never Sleep has taken a musical trip off the Florida Keys to the magical fictitious land of Kokomo. Joined by saxophonist John James Ryan Jr. from Keep Flying, the band perfects its chemistry by turning a Beach Boys hit from 1988 into a post-pandemic, pop-punk chroma-key party.

Steve’s Overpopulated One-Man Band – “Oatmeal Raisin”

Just in time for prom season, Steve Solkela and his Iron Range friends have a new music video for those left feeling alone on the shelf, like an oatmeal raisin cookie. Hey, sometimes the healthiest option gets picked last.

Anthony Bennett – “I’m a Politician”

Duluth’s Anthony Bennett has a new album set for release on May 28. Fun’s Over contains 12 tracks recorded during the pandemic, including the first single, “I’m a Politician.”