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

June 30, 2025 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.

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

June 28, 2025 in reviews, photo galleries, live events, blog

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.

Daniel Donato drops fall tour dates, returns to First Ave Oct. 30

June 25, 2025 in live events, blog

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.

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

June 23, 2025 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.

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

June 22, 2025 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.

PHOTO GALLERY: Azymuth delivers the samba funk in St. Paul tour opener

June 21, 2025 in reviews, live events, blog, photo galleries

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.

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

June 16, 2025 in live events, blog

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.

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

June 14, 2025 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.”

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

June 10, 2025 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.

The Big Wu's Mark Joseph talks about new material and current tour plans

June 04, 2025 in blog, live events, interviews

The Big Wu’s Mark Joseph chatted with Jam in the Stream editor Javier Serna regarding the band’s summer touring plans in the Upper Midwest, upcoming live releases, current studio efforts, and the love the band has nurtured among its fans in places such as Wisconsin and Colorado. He also told a tale of a white-knuckle drive over Rabbit Ears Pass in Colorado last March.

Confucisaurus is one of four performers this Saturday afternoon at Pimento on the Lake, part of a recurring series next to Lake Bde Maka Ska that is being curated by Geoffrey Fischbein of Only Every Monday. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

Live in MN: The list of options goes on

June 03, 2025 in live events, blog

It dawns on me every week, when I write this live music column, how lucky Minnesotans are to have such an incredible amount of varied styles of music, which I know extends well beyond my own almost narrow interests — ya know, my love for improvisational and psychedelic music of so many stripes.
But forgive me for rambling — below I’ll give details for Eddie Christmas, Dr. Mambo’s Combo, Ice Horse featuring Mikkel Beckmen, the Jones Gang, the TC Gumbo Jam, Confucisaurus, Kung Fu Hippies, Chase & Ovation, JoJo Green, Saltydog, The Big Wu, Dylan Salfer , Boss Mama and The Jebberhooch, and more.

The New Orleans Suspects (pictured from left to right: Eddie Christmas, Jake Eckert, Brad Walker, CR Gruver, Chris Senac, bring that NOLA funk to The Hook and Ladder’s Under The Canopy this Saturday. PHOTO PROVIDED

Live in MN: New Orleans Suspects, Dope Lemon, Leo Kottke and Primus visit

May 27, 2025 in blog, live events

The New Orleans Suspects, Leo Kottke, Dope Lemon and Primus bring an eclectic mix of music to Minnesota this week. But there’s also a lot of incredible local music happening this week, including a pair of free mid-week, lakeside shows in Minneapolis and a pair of residencies from TWINE and Boss Mama and The Jebberhooch.

Mik Bondy on his Jerry Garcia guitar replicas

May 22, 2025 in live events, interviews, blog

Mik Bondy of The Garcia Project chatted with Jam in the Stream ahead of the band’s two-night run at the Granada Theater in Minneapolis this Friday and Saturday. Bondy talked about one of the ways the band attempts to emulate the sound and feel of the various eras of the Jerry Garcia Band.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry at Hellfest (2017) in Clisson, France. The Chicago industrial metal band plays Saint Paul’s Palace Theatre Tuesday. PHOTO BY STÉPHANE MAHOT (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS USER SELBYMAY) via CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

Live in MN: Ministry, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Garcia Project top another busy week

May 20, 2025 in blog, live events

Chicago’s Ministry hits the Palace Theatre in Saint Paul Tuesday, one of several shows making Jam in the Stream’s weekly list of live music options in Minnesota.

Other highlights include but are not limited to George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, The Garcia Project, and TWINE, which is taking their improvisational magic up to Grand Marais for the holiday weekend.