Check out a short writeup and an extended photo gallery from Jam in the Stream editor Javier Serna on the second day of King Gizzard’s Field of Vision festival in Buena Vista, Colo., August 16, 2025.
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East L.A. legends Los Lobos play a pair of free shows at the State Fair starting tonight.
PHOTO BY PIERO F. GIUNTI; COURTESY OF LOS LOBOS
Live in MN: State Fair ups the live music options this week, Saltydog closes out High-Key Mondays
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East L.A. legends Los Lobos play a pair of free shows at the Minnesota State Fair tonight, and Saltydog wraps up their month-long Monday residency at Bent Paddle. But there’s much more including gigs from Los Lobos, Joe Scarpellino, Mark Joseph & The American Soul, Jaybee and The Routine, Ozomatli, Hiahli, Socktopus, BZ3 Organ Trio, TWINE, Boss Mama and The Jebberhooch, Camille Baudoin & Friends, Dream of the Wild, Will Effertz, Reed Grimm and Friends, Emma Jean of Yonder, International Reggae All-Stars,. Dylan Salfer, Shotgun Ragtime Band, Dr. Mamno’s Combo and more.
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Organ great John Medeski and guitarist Todd Clouser have played several shows together in Minnesota since 2016, mostly at Icehouse in Minneapolis. This time the setting is an intimate backyard in St. Paul.
PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Low ticket alert: Medeski to play St. Paul backyard benefit Sept. 15
in live events, interviews, blog
Organ great John Medeski rekindles his musical friendship with Minnesota native Todd Clouser, this time in an intimate backyard setting in St. Paul. The Big Wu’s Mark Joseph is special guest. Both Clouser and Joseph chatted briefly with Jam in the Stream about this special show, which is limited to about 70 attendees.
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PHOTO GALLERY: FIELD OF VISION DAY ONE
Check out a photo gallery from the first night of King Gizzard’s Field of Vision festival in Buena Vista, Colo. King Gizz played a three-hour marathon set that included a sit in from Jello Biafra, the former Dead Kennedys singer.
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TWINE’s Will Effertz. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Live in MN: Will Effertz returns to TWINE tonight
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Will Effertz’ return to TWINE at Bunkers tonight tops my weekly roundup of live, psychedelic music around Minnesota.
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Billy Strings headlines Minneapolis’ Target Center Saturday, just a week after participating in Dead & Company’s Golden Gate Park shows commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. There’s a pair of free, unofficial pre- and post-show options downtown at Kieran’s Pub and Gluek’s, featuring Buffalo Galaxy, WE Collective and others.
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MORLEY/ COURTESY OF WARNER RECORDS
LIVE IN MN: Billy Strings coming in hot in loaded week of music
in live events, blog
Lots of live music options this week in Minnesota, with Billy Strings returning to Minneapolis and playing his first show at Target Center Saturday. Read on to find out all of the psychedelic music options around the state from Grand Marais, down to Duluth and the Twin Cities.
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Live in MN: Glass Beams hit First Ave tonight
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This week’s Minnesota psychedelic and live music roundup includes shows from: Read on below for shows from Glass Beams, Pixies, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Sierra Ferrell, Jumpsuit, TWINE, Saltydog, BZ3 Organ Trio, Boss Mama and the Jebberhooch, Alex Rossi, Mango Jam, ELnO, Apollo Cobra, Mossonello, Barefoot Bluegrass, New Primitives, Buffalo Galaxy, China Rider, Shotgun Ragtime Band, Teague Alexy and the Common Thread, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Dr. Mambo’s Combo.
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A few members of Duluth’s Saltydog sat in with TWINE during their Wednesday night Bunkers residency back in March. This week, they are scheduled to bring the same love to WE Collective’s Thursday night gig at Gluek’s in downtown Minneapolis. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Live in MN: Saltydog's Mahon brothers hit Gluek's and Bunkers this week
in live events, blog
Members of Saltydog will be playing in the WE Collective at Gluek’s in downtown Minneapolis Thursday. That’s one highlight in a local music-heavy week of live music in Minnesota.
Find out what else is happening around the state in psychedelic music.
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Duluth’s Saltydog plays the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis tonight at 7:30 p.m.
PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Live in MN: Duluth's Saltydog play free show at Lake Harriet tonight
in live events, blog
Another busy week of live music in Minnesota kicks off with a free show tonight from Duluth’s Saltydog at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. Find out what else is happening in psychedelic music.
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Los Bitchos opening for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands back in March 2023.
PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Live in MN: Los Bitchos a highlight in a busy week of music
in live events, blog
Los Bitchos’ gig at 7th Street Entry Thursday is a highlight in a very busy week in Minnesota psychedelic music from the Twin Cities to Duluth down to Winona. Find out what all else is happening from weekly residencies from TWINE and Jumpsuit to some killer jazz options at Icehouse and Berlin.
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The Swongos are a three-piece instrumental band that sometimes adds a player or two.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SWONGOS
Five (or so) questions with Brian Liggett of The Swongos
in interviews, blog
The Swongos, a psychedelic instrumental band, from the St. Croix River Valley near the Twin Cities, will be opening for cumbia-influenced London outfit Los Bitchos at 7th Street Entry July 10. Jam in the Stream caught up with Swongos drummer Brian Liggett.
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Boss Mama and The Jebberhooch perform at The Rugged Spruce Golf Club in Mahtowa on Saturday, which is a very busy day for music “Up Nort” in Minnesota. Pictured: Boss Mama sits in with Saltydog at Zen Arcade March 27. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
MN Music Roundup: Duluth Heats Up
in live events, blog
In Jam in the Stream’s weekly Minnesota live music roundup, a big music weekend in Duluth is outlined, as well as Mark Joseph’s plans up north following The Big Wu’s big Zoo show last Friday, and the options around the Twin Cities, including some of the weekly residency shows worth checking out.
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The Big Wu packed a lot of music into a pair of 45-minutes sets at The Minnesota Zoo Friday.
PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Photo Gallery and Review: The Big Wu covers The Who at the Zoo
The Big Wu, Minnesota’s legendary improvisational rock band, delivered a pair of sets while headlining The Minnesota Zoo’s “Wild Nights” series in Apple Valley Friday. Read a review of the show and see a photo gallery of the show from Jam in the Stream.
Read MoreDaniel Donato drops fall tour dates, returns to First Ave Oct. 30
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Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country announced an extensive fall tour with stops in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest in September and October. The first round of pre-sales (via his fan club) went live today (June 25), venue presales are Thursday (June 26) and the general sale is Friday (June 27). The tour concludes in the Midwest with a return to First Avenue in Minneapolis Oct. 30 and Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom on Halloween.
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The Big Wu keyboardist Al Oikari at First Avenue last December. The Big Wu headlines the Minnesota Zoo Friday. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jamithestream
MN Music Roundup: The Big Wu, Mikaela Davis, Stanley Clarke and Saltydog
in live events, blog
It’s another packed week of music in Minnesota. The Big Wu headlines the Minnesota Zoo “Wild Nights” series Friday, one of the top jazz bassists ever plays the Dakota Wednesday and Thursday, mesmerizing harpist Mikaela Davis plays the Icehouse Courtyard Saturday and Saltydog has a pair of shows at Up Yonder in Grand Marais. And there’s more.
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Dave Simonett brings Dead Man Winter to Bent Paddle July 4 to benefit Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. Simonett has been an outspoken advocate for conservation groups such as Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and Pheasants Forever. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Dead Man Winter to play Boundary Waters benefit July 4
in live events, blog
Trampled by Turtles annual Bayfront Festival Park show in Duluth (July 5) has been expanded into three nights of music, with side projects Dead Man Winter playing a Boundary Waters benefit show at Bent Paddle Brewing (July 4) and LazyLightning420 paying tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound at Jade Fountain (July 6). Get the details.
Read MorePHOTO GALLERY: Azymuth delivers the samba funk in St. Paul tour opener
Azymuth, the latest Jazz is Dead show to hit Minnesota, showed they were far more than a nostalgia act 50 years into their existence. The band delivered the heavy psychedelic samba funk at Amsterdam Bar in Saint Paul. Jam in the Stream was granted photo credentials for the show. Check out editor Javier Serna’s photo gallery.
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After 50 years, Azymuth continues on with original guitarist Alex Malheiros (far right).
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAZZ IS DEAD
MN Live Music Roundup: Azymuth brings Brazilian funk to Saint Paul
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Minnesota Live Music Roundup: Lots of options, including the latest legendary funk band to hit the Twin Cities: Azymuth, which plays Amsterdam Bar Friday. But other highlights include Gary Clark, Jr., an Enormous Quartet reunion show, Chinese American Bear, In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel tribute) and a Buffalo Galaxy show a stone’s throw from Duluth.
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Mikaela Davis has brought the harp to psychedelic music. PHOTO BY WYNDHAM GARNETT, COURTESY OF MIKAELA DAVIS
Five (or so) Questions with harpist Mikaela Davis
in live events, interviews, blog
“I felt like I was in a dream being up there with all of those greats,” harpist Mikaela Davis on her appearance with John Scofield, Christian McBride, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2021.
Davis, who heads out on tour with her band Southern Star in June — including a date at the Icehouse Courtyard in Minneapolis on June 28 — took five (plus) questions from Jam in the Stream editor Javier Serna, including how she wound up playing with jam bands and that 2021 Newport Jazz Festival “Jam Jawn.”
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Feed the Dog supports Mae Simpson at The Hook’s Under the Canopy stage on Saturday. The Rebel Queens also open.
Live in MN: Lighter week still not weak with options
in blog, live events
This week’s Minnesota live music roundup includes the likes of Mae Simpson and Feed the Dog at The Hook and Ladder’s Under the Canopy stage, and, as always, there are a lot of options around the state for live, psychedelic music.
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