Organist Cory Henry sat in with Dr. Mambo’s Combo at Bunkers Sunday night. Henry headed over to North Loop following his show at the Dakota — and Combo organist Brian Ziemniak said he finally got to meet his favorite organist. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN ZIEMNIAK

MN Weekly Roundup: L.A. Buckner kicks off Monday night residency at Brownstone

February 16, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

L.A. Buckner’s Monday night residency at the newly opened Brownstone Jazz Club in Uptown at 2756 Hennepin Ave. tops my weekly roundup.

Buckner is joined by the Homework House Band and the flyer for the residency promises special guests sitting in.

Local musicians keep the live music alive in Minnesota this week, and read on below for more including the likes of Saltydog, Skarlett Woods, International Reggae All Stars, Gavin St. Clair, Bruce Woodman, Poliça, TWINE, Jay Bee & the Routine, Grateful Gals, Dead Guys, Bigfoot County, Debbie Center, Erik Koskinen, Amy LaVere, Will Sexton, Efmi, The Black Atlantics, Obi Original, Shotgun Ragtime Band, and Dr. Mambo’s Combo.

Sierra Hull at MerleFest in 2024. PHOTO BY FORREST L. SMITH, via Creative Commons

MN WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Sierra Hull hits Hopkins; Saltydog members guest in Duluth and Minneapolis

February 10, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

Sierra Hull brings her blazing mandolin to Hopkins Friday night, topping a local heavy week of music from Minneapolis to Duluth. Saltydog members Jacob Mahon and Gavin St. Clair venture down to Minneapolis this week, as well.

The Headhunters return to Dakota Wednesday. PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA

MN Weekly Roundup: The Headhunters and Eric Gales return to Dakota

February 02, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

The Headhunters and Eric Gales grace Dakota, and local musicians dominate the options around Minnesota this week.

Monday, Feb. 2

Duluth’s Saltydog resumes their Hi-Key Monday residency this month at Bent Paddle, with Four Mile Portage opening up the free event at Bent Paddle in Duluth. Music goes from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saltydog’s Jacob Mahon feels right at home at Bent Paddle’s Cosmic Lounge stage, where the band plays every Monday this month.

Tuesday, Feb. 3

Graydon Peterson’s free Old Town Tuesday Night Jam continues at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon in Northeast from 10 p.m., past midnight.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

The Headhunters, a legendary jazz-funk outfit, originally formed with Herbie Hancock, returns to Dakota, Minneapolis for one show, with doors at 5:30 p.m. and show 7 p.m.

Minneapolis alt-indie pop band Poliça has a residency on Wednesdays this month at Icehouse, Minneapolis, with doors at 6 p.m. and show at 8 p.m.

Minneapolis jamband TWINE keeps dropping ridiculous jams during three sets at Bunkers in North Loop. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. and continues to 1 a.m.

TWINE always brings the deep jams to Bunkers on Wednesdays late.

Thursday, Feb. 5

Duluth-based bluegrass trio Tres Osos is joined on the bill by The Big Wu’s Mark Joseph and Minneapolis jamgrass outfit Buffalo Galaxy at Bent Paddle with the doors at 6 p.m., Tres Osos at 6:30 p.m.,Mark Joseph at 7:20 p.m., and Buffalo Galaxy at 8:30 p.m.

Buffalo Galaxy joins Tres Osos and Mark Joseph at Bent Paddle in Duluth.

The all ages show is ticketed.

Will Effertz’ weekly WE Collective free show continues at Gluek’s in downtown Minneapolis at 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 6

Alex Rossi plays its periodic Bunkers show starting at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7

Phish tribute About to Run performs at Icehouse on Eat Street, a block from where Alex Pretti was executed, starting at 8 p.m.

Down in Lanesboro in Southeast Minnesota, troubadour Charlie Parr plays St. Mane Theatre, with music 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 8

Legendary jazz guitarist Eric Gales plays an acoustic show at Dakota, with doors at 5:30 p.m. and show 7 p.m.

As always, Shotgun Ragtime Band keeps their Dead residency going with show No. 764 at Driftwood, music starting at 6:30 p.m.

And Dr. Mambo’s Combo keeps one of the longest-standing residencies in the country going at Bunkers at 9:30 p.m.

For ticket links and more info, head to Jam in the Stream’s Minnesota Music Calendar here.

Tyler of Soop Lights lit the Turf Club beautifully all night. PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

PHOTO GALLERY: Turf Club's Acid Test Reunion

February 02, 2026 in live events, photo galleries, blog

So it wasn’t 60 years to the day, but Dream of the Wild’s Jay McKinney made sure Turf Club’s “Acid Test Reunion: Celebrating 60 Years of Pranksters” was an otherwise proper commemoration of the Merry Pranksters and Grateful Dead.

Read a writeup of the event and see a gallery of pictures deeper than those posted on Facebook and Instagram.

Colorado bluegrass quartet Big Richard, which plays Turf Club Wednesday, will bring the kind of big dick energy Minnesota needs right now.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CROSSOVER TOURING

MN Weekly Roundup: Live music continues in the face of occupation

January 27, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

There is music this week in Minnesota despite some shows late last week being rescheduled and postponed due to the statewide general strike Friday and even more Saturday in the aftermath of the mob-like execution of Alex Pretti.

Big Richard, a Colorado-based all-female bluegrass quartet named to make misogynists uncomfortable, will grace Saint Paul’s Turf Club Wednesday — which tops my list of national touring acts coming through this week.

But most of the shows on my list are from local musicians: International Reggae All Stars, The Old Town Tuesday Night Jam, TWINE, Creekbed Carter Hogan, EFMI, Dream of the Wild’s Terrapin Stallion, The Jones Gang, Majoon Travelers, Ditch Pigeon, Hunny Bear, Wandering Eye, TH3, Uff-da!, Mikel Wright and the Wrongs, Atmosphere, Shotgun Ragtime Band and Dr. Mambo’s Combo.

It’s been a scary time in Minneapolis for the past several weeks, but I’ve never been more proud of this place — and really its people — that I relocated to 15 years ago.

Will Effertz and Toni Li both grace Bunkers’ stage regularly — Effertz with TWINE on Wednesdays and Li with Chase & Ovation on a near monthly basis. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

MN Weekly Roundup: Umphrey's, Charlie Parr and Dead and Last Waltz tributes

January 19, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

Umphrey’s McGee hits First Avenue Saturday and local options include the finale of Charlie Parr’s month of Sundays at Turf Club, Dead of Winter Festival at The Hook and The Last Waltz tribute show at Fitzgerald Theatre among many other great local options.

Read on below for all of the details.

Scroll to the very bottom of this brief show writeup and album review to find more pictures.

REVIEW and PHOTO GALLERY: Saltydog fills Turf Club, drops LP 'Runnin' Again'

January 14, 2026 in reviews, photo galleries, live events, blog

It was freezing cold outside in Saint Paul Friday — but Duluth’s Saltydog kept it red hot inside the Turf Club as they released their third LP Runnin’ Again and brought Chicago’s Hot Like Mars and Duluth folk duo Between Howls.

Read a brief review of the show, a lengtier review of the band’s new album and check out a photo gallery.

A bigger than typical crowd came out for Shotgun Ragtime Band’s weekly Sunday residency following the news the day before of the passing of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. Portraits of both Weir and Renee Nicole Good were placed in front of the stage. PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA

WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Live music continues in face of ICE invasion

January 12, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

It’s certainly an uneasy, scary time in Minnesota thanks to the illegal invasion of our state and execution of Renee Nicole Good.

There is still a lot of live music planned in Minnesota this week, including the three-day Hotel Minnesnowta festival in Plymouth, as well as shows from Chicago’s Terrapin Flyer, Wisconsin’s Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Charlie Parr’s Sunday residency and Punch Brothers’ Chris Tile.

Saltydog will be returning to Bent Paddle for a month of Mondays in February.
PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

Interview: Saltydog's Owen Mahon chats ahead of Turf Club show, album release

January 06, 2026 in interviews, blog

Saltydog, Duluth’s funky psychedelic improvisational sextet, has one of its biggest shows yet this Friday, headlining Turf Club in Saint Paul with Chicago’s jam rockers Hot Like Mars and Duluth duo Between Howls.

Owen Mahon, the band’s singing drummer, chatted with Jam in the Stream via FaceTime Monday about the band’s upcoming plans, which include dropping the band’s third LP at Friday’s show, efforts already underway to plan their next album, and confirmation that the band would be restarting a month of Monday night shows at Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing in February.

Charlie Parr opened the first of four Sundays at the Turf Club with jazz drummer Dave King, and Chicago-based guitarist Eli Winter in support. That show ended with Parr joined by King, Winter and Hüsker Dü bassist Greg Norton. He’s got a pair of guitarists joining in support this week; Keep reading for the details; PHOTOS BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

MN Weekly Roundup: Charlie Parr, Saltydog, TWINE and much more

January 05, 2026 in weekly roundup, blog

In the aftermath of holidays, there’s still lots of great local music options, despite it being a light week for touring bands coming through Minnesota.

Three highlights include TWINE resuming their weekly Bunkers residency Wednesday night, Saltydog’s headlining spot at Turf Club Friday with Chicago’s Hot Like Mars and Duluth’s Between Howls, and Charlie Parr’s second of four Sundays at the Turf Club.

Listen, there’s a lot of great music coming this week, as I’ll point out, but if you’re not surprised that I led with those three artists, then you just know my taste.

Mentioned below are the following performers or jams: International Reggae All Stars, the Old Town Tuesday Night Jam at Whitey’s Old Town Saloon, Bruce Woodman’s Open Jam at Carmody’s Irish Pub in Duluth, Jay Bee & the Routine, Kung Fu Hippies, Greg Schutte, Katie Gearty, Max Krauth, Jason Dixon Line, Brandyn Lee Tulloch, Poetic Roots, Obi Original, Singing Tony, Jackson Hurst, Chase & Ovation, EFMI, Greater Goods, Sean Anonymous, a David Bowie Tribute featuring Audrey Robinson with Clay Fulton & The Lost 40, Hair of the Dog, Jo Jo Green and Faith Boblett, The Jambronies, The Daily Norm, Ced Ba’Etch’, The Infidels: A Bob Dylan Tribute featuring Dan Isreal, Terry Walsh and Steve Brantseg, Shotgun Ragtime Band, Dr. Mambo’s Combo and the Open Jam at the White Squirrel in Saint Paul.

The background for the above image is an out-of-focus picture taken from TWINE’s residency at Bunkers.
ALL PICTURES BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

Part III: Wrapping up the most memorable shows from 2025

January 04, 2026 in live events, blog

All right, I’m wrapping up my most memorable shows from 2025 here in one last post.

I saw a lot of incredible music this past year, hundreds of shows, so it wasn’t easy narrowing down the list to a dozen or so that I found the most memorable. There were many that didn’t make the list that were also quite special.

A reminder, I didn’t rank these — they are simply arranged chronologically.

Karl Denson is among the most accomplished saxophonists ever to emerge from the jam scene. He, along with his band Tiny Universe, make a rare Minnesota appearance this week. PHOTO PROVIDED

MN WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Karl Denson, Charlie Parr and NYE shows brighten week

December 29, 2025 in weekly roundup, blog

On this Holiday week, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe makes a rare appearance at the Dakota Friday. Troubadour Charlie Parr also kicks off his month of Sundays at Turf Club in Saint Paul.

Otherwise, New Year’s Eve offers some really enticing shows around the state, with TWINE joining Saltydog and Boss Mama at Bent Paddle in Duluth, Dr. Mambo’s Combo playing at Bunker’s in North Loop, Dream of the Wild’s Terrapin Stallion at Zhora Darling in Northeast, The Dylan Salfer Band at Midway Saloon in Saint Paul, and a full day of music at Wesson’s Concert Cafe in Duluth.

Get the details, including for shows from Red Eye Ruby, Sam Licari, Sweet Tease, Mahon Brothers, Greater Goods with Jason Fladager and Jon Ross, Alex Rossi, Twin Citizen, JoJo Green, Pity Party, Sleeping Jesus, Sugar Lads, JT Bates, Chris Castino, Joe Dunn, Beth Supple, Eli Winter, and Shotgun Ragtime Band.

Counting down from 6 to 1 (or so) shows from 2025

Part II: A dozen or so shows to remember from 2025

December 25, 2025 in live events, blog

So I’ve been counting down a dozen (or so) of my favorite shows I caught this year around the country and I decided to break this into two parts, just to make it easier to navigate.

Here I’m counting down from 6 to 1.

This post will be active until I get down to 1 — or, as I’ve teased, one last show, completing a Baker’s Dozen — so come back or look for updates on my social media channels at Instagram and Facebook. I’m trying to rap up this countdown by the end of the year.

No. 5 Herbie Hancock, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Oct. 22

I tried to be transparent about this list. It is not a ranking of what I thought were the best shows, but it is simply the shows that were most memorable for me personally, and it’s being presented in chronological order.

Herbie Hancock was backed by a high-powered jazz lineup, including trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, bassist James Genus, guitarist Lionel Loueke, and 27-year-old phenom drummer Jaylen Petinaud.

(Continued…)

Minneapolis jam band Dream of the Wild is led by Jay McKinney, who has the band down at 331 Club Tuesday — and covering Ween and Grateful Dead as “Terrapin Stallion” at Zhora Darling Dec. 31 and at Turf Club Jan. 29. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream

MN WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Local music keeps the beat into the Holidays

December 22, 2025 in weekly roundup, blog

There’s some solid options for local music around the state even with most venues shut down Wednesday and Thursday for Christmas.

This edition of Weekly Roundup includes shows from Dream of the Wild, Old Town Tuesday Night Jam, Mahon Brothers, TWINE, Mae Simpson, Heatbox, JayBee and The Routine, China Rider, Shoeless Revolution, Caballo Cosmico, Tres Osos, Barefoot Bluegrass, Cats Under the Stars, Shotgun Ragtime Band, Mark Joseph & American Soul with Ryan David Young, and Dr. Mambo’s Combo.