Vetter Stone Amphitheater in Mankato. Has Glen Taylor ever taken acid here?Impossible to say.
For more than a dozen years, the list of victims of music festivals in the Twin Cities region has continued to grow. To name a few. . . *deeply inspires*: Rock the Garden, Basilica Block Party, SoundTown, Soundset, Summer Set, 10K Sounds, 10K Lakes, Palomino Festival, Eaux Claires, River’s Edge – ugh!
But we are not here to live off the angels who occupy the paradise of regional music festivals; we’re here to fill your Google calendar with vivid and breathable entertainment options, from Mankato to Duluth. Fill up your compact SUV, grab oxybenzone-free sunscreen, and turn on the preverbal amplifier at 11am: it’s summer concert season, baby!
When: May to October 13
Where: Hook and Ladder Theatre
Featured events: 96th B-Day Party Cornbread Extravaganza (May 11), Jeremy Messersmith (June 29), SUSSED-TACULAR: Celebrating New Music on Ed Ackerson’s Birthday (July 16) and Turn Turn Turn (August 19)
Gist: “This is the most exhibitions we’ve announced at the same time,” booker Jesse Brodd of Nobool Presents told Strib earlier this year. In fact, The Hook outdoor asphalt area is filled with music this year, from mini reggae festivals to John Prine tribute nights.
Tickets: $15 to $35; Click for more information.
When: May to August 4
Where: Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave. N. #700, Minneapolis
Featured Acts: The Wood Brothers (May 12), Michael Franti
Gist: A fun use of the area from a cool brewery near Theodore Wirth Regional Park.
Tickets: $36, but two of the 3 announced are already sold out. I hope you like Guster! Find more data here.
When: May 18-21
Where: Harmony Park Music Garden, 79503 298th St. , Clarks Grove
Main acts: Mickman, Moonsplatta, M. Carmack
Gist: Do I recognize a single act in the voluminous programming of this obvious rave?No, but I don’t know how to dance either and I’ve never done molly. Visually, enthusiasts of laser lighting fixtures and color projections will find their happiness. .
Tickets: $100 to $220; Find more here.
When: May 25 to September 14
Where: Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd. , Apple Valley
Highlights: Yam Haus (May 25), Malamanya (June 8), Chastity Brown (June 22), Cactus Blossoms (July 6), Joyann Parker Band (July 20), Nur-D (August 3), Information Society (August 17), Frogleg (August 31), Kat Perkins (September 14)
Gist: local themed storefronts, i. e. Indie Rock Night, Hip Hop Night
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: May 26-29
Where: Palmer’s and Mortimer’s
Featured events: Pinball, Cherubs, Hands up Who wants to die, Whores, Multicult, Language Festival
Gist: “With Caterwaul, you know you’ll get cutting-edge, under-the-radar music made with hobby and commitment,” organizer Rainer Fronz of Learning Curve Records said of the timing of the annual noise-rock eruption. The Bay Area punks, Flipper, are worth the entrance fee.
Tickets: $30 to $40 (4-day passes to $140); Find more here.
When: May 27 to September 23
Where: Vetter Stone Amphitheater, 309 W. Rock St. , Mankato
Featured Performances: Gary Allan and Tracy Lawrence (May 27), Barenaked Ladies with Semisonic (June 10), Gov’t Mule (June 23), Russell Dickerson (June 30), Blues Traveler with Big Head Todd and the Monsters (August 15), Kip Moore (August 26), Goo Goo Dolls with Fitz
Gist: This riverside spot is home to a total group of 90s rock and roll nostalgics and country guys. The first category would have suited Basilica Block Party, the drunken collector’s dish of yesteryear.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: June 1 to August 24
Where: Mears Park, 221 St. E. , St. Paul
Featured events: Kiss the Tiger (June 15), Nur-D (June 22), Run Westy Run (August 17)
Gist: The cities that serve so well deserve to change. With the annual, free, weekly and outdoor program Lowertown Sounds, St. Paul is aware of this in a way that Minneapolis can learn. Organizers shared this year’s 11 dates last month and noted that more than a portion of the events are new. this summer.
Tickets: Free; Find more here.
When: June 3
Where: Loring Park, 1382 Willow St. , Minneapolis
Featured events: Zoë Says Go, Vittorio and the Bridges, Orange Goodness, Creeping Charlie, D’Lakes and Carnage the Executioner
Gist: This alcohol-free family park party promises to celebrate “spring in the great city of Minneapolis and the renaissance of outdoor live music in 2023. “We can be! Bonus: My favorite taco truck in town, Taqueria Victor Hugo, will be there.
Tickets: Free; Find more here.
When: June 10 to September 16
Where: Treasure Island Casino, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd. , Welch
Featured acts: Matchbox Twenty (June 10), Carrie Underwood (July 21), Jason Aldean (August 19), Staind (September 9), Trampled through Turtles (September 16)
Gist: Many types of middle-aged white music enthusiasts will be thrilled by this lineup that includes old-fashioned rock, fresh country, and pride in Duluth’s bluegrass scene.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: from the thirteenth of June to the 17th of August
Where: Bauhaus Brew Labs
Featured events: Grace Potter (June 13), Shaky Graves and Lucius (July 28), St. Paul
Gist: Stylistically, those acts approved by 89. 3 the Current would have made sense in the middle of any Rock the Garden rank. Consider the fact that the existing one is sponsoring this logo new brewery concert series, buddy!
Tickets: $45 to $135; Find more here.
When: June 16 and 17
Where: Winstock Festival Grounds, 3233 230th St. , Winsted
Best Acts: Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Gabby Barrett, Jordan Davis
Gist: The twenty-somethings’ dream of dressing up in cowboy hats is rarely very exclusive to WE Fest (see below). No, thrive together at this 30th annual liquor and camp festival located about an hour west of the subway.
Tickets: $155 (plus camp); Find more here.
When: 22-24 June
Where: The Pines Music Park, 5024 Crescent Ave. , Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Best Acts: Pert Near Sandstone, The Avett Brothers, Sam Bush Band, Mike Gordon, Charley Crockett
Gist: Now in its eighth year, the Blue Ox Bluegrassy Festival is a story of wellness and good luck. Also workshops of yoga, meditation, disc golf, tools and composition of songs, jam sessions and artistic installations.
Tickets: $250 three-day pass (includes camp without reservation); Find more data here.
When: 22-24 June
Where: Brainerd International Raceway, 5523 Birchdale Rd. , Brainerd
Best Acts: Hardy, Skillet, Dustin Lynch, Mitchell Tenpenny, Chris Lane, Soul Asylum
Gist: Billed as “the Midwest’s best music festival experience,” the tenth edition of Lakes Jam will bring together more than 30 bands on five stages. If you have UTVs, mountain bikes, golf carts and/or pit bikes, this Busch Light-sponsored festival says it’s the only one in the domain that allows them. Stay there. . .
Tickets: $109 consistent with the day or $149 for 3 days; Find more here.
When: June 23 to September 17
Where: 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth
Best Acts: Jon Pardi (June 23), Hippo Campus (June 24), Flo Rida with Twista (June 30), Hairball (July 3), Trampled through Turtles with Jenny Lewis (July 8), Bayfront Reggae
Gist: As Duluth musician Kaylee Matuszak pointed out, there’s rarely a 23-year-old single female headliner at this charming amphitheater on the shores of Lake Superior. Not good, seeing the wonderful Jenny Lewis in front of Trampled through Turtles deserves to be spectacular.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: June 23 and 24
Where: Mears Park, 221 5th St. E. , St. Paul (closer to 20 affiliated sites)
Highlights: Paquito D’Rivera and the Afro-Latin Experience Dizzy Gillespie, Camille Thurman, Christian McBride, Davina and the Vagabonds, Lucia Sarmiento, Nabaté Isles
Gist: Now in its 25th year, Twin Cities Jazz Fest has become a true regional treasure. Show up, have fun, and complain about notes that aren’t played like a piece that won’t possibly age.
Tickets: Free; Find more here.
When: June 23 to August 29
Where: Somerset Amphitheater, 495 Main St. , Somerset, Wisconsin
Featured acts: Outlaw Music Fest Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and Trampled through Turtles (June 23), Fall Out Boy (July 13), Sublime with Rome and Slightly Stoopid (July 27), the Lumineers (August 29)
Gist: Sign us up for the outlaw music festival!Catch us going down the Apple River and other activities!
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: June 27 to September 11
Where: Surly Brewing Co. , 520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Best Acts: Young the Giant (June 27), Nathaniel Rateliff
Gist: Lord, help us, there’s something darkly funny about the fact that Train crashes on September the 11th. Elsewhere in this year’s itinerary: much bigger bands pull off much happier calendar dates, adding elite rockers Ween.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: July 1 to September 8
Where: Grand Casino, 777 Lady Luck Dr. , Hinckley
Best Acts: Grand Country Nights with Gary Allan and Justin Moore (August 11 and 12), RockTember Fest with Brett Michaels and Queensrÿche (September 8 and 9)
Gist: We dare you to make a deliciously stupider call than “RockTember Fest. “Rocktober only works because “rock” sounds like “Oct”! Other than that, those two occasions are within our aesthetic competence, but God bless them. you do need to attend.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: July 2-3
Where: Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Best Acts: Third Eye Blind, Big Boi, Uncle Kracker
Gist: The two most prominent artists, in terms of sweepstakes, are more like First Avenue headliners than festivals, but who are we to object to a loose event that city leaders tout as the return of downtown Minneapolis?
Tickets: Free; Find more here.
When: July 8
Where: Mystic Lake Casino, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. Northwest, Lake Prior
Most acts: Rob Zombie with filter
Gist: Rob Zombie is good, but is he a “rock icon”?According to the press release that arrived in our inboxes this morning, it indeed is. We are told that Mr. Zombie will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut album. , Hellbilly Deluxe, as well as the 20th anniversary of his first horror film, House of 1,000 Corpses. Except that other artists for the Mystic level will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets: $59 to $100; Find more here.
When: July 14 and 15
Where: Target Field, 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis
Featured acts: The Killers, Flaming Lips, Deathcab for Cutie, Imagine Dragons, AJR, Chealsea Cutler
Gist: I’m old enough not to forget the short-lived 2014 “Indie Night,” sadly named but a lot of fun, at Target Field. This reserved mini-festival takes on a similar appeal and thankfully uses one of the top underutilized and maximally productive large-scale outdoor concert halls in the metro. Friday’s lineup (Killers, Lips, Deathcab) is the one to catch (baseball term). However, you may want a bank account the size of Carlos Correa to attend (baseball analogy).
Tickets: $74 to $406; Find more here.
When: July 14 and 15
Where: Lakefront Park, 5000 Kop Pkwy. , Prior Lake
Best acts: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Darius Rucker, REO Speedwagon, Tyler Hubbard
Gist: If you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift, this affordable festival benefits your local Rotary club. Unfortunately, after the March death of guitarist Gary Rossington, Skynyrd had only one member of the golden age, drummer-turned-frontman Rickey Medlocke.
Tickets: $65 consistent with the night, $80 on weekends; Find more here.
When: July 20-22
Where: Moondance Events, 7050 Turtle Lake Twsh 46, Walker
Featured Performances: Hairball, Stone Temple Pilots, Spin Doctors, Rick Springfield, Gin Blossoms
Gist: Speaking of boomer rock dad, Moondance Jam has been them since 1992 with “the summer camping and playing occasion. “
Tickets: $100 consistent with the day, $125 for 3 days; Find more here.
When: July 28 and 29; August 5
Where: Hilde Performance Center, 3500 Plymouth Blvd. , Plymouth
Best Acts: Lauren Alaina (July 28), Andy Grammer (July 29), Indigo Girls (August 5)
Gist: Twin Cities Sue McLean Corporate Reserve
Tickets: $40 to $225; Find more here.
When: July 28-30
Where: Minnesota River Valley Sanctuary, 62657 430th St. , Franklin
Best acts: AAmotik, Aurora Halal, Carlos Souffront, Marijuana Deathsquads
Gist: It’s like a techno festival. . . I recognize Marjijuana Deathsquads. . . Feel free with me in the comments section. Of this, we are almost certain: the festival grounds seem wooded and pleasant.
Tickets: three-day pass at $250; Find more here.
When: August 3-5
Where: So Pass Ranch, 25526 Co. Hwy. 22, Detroit Lakes
Best Acts: Morgan Wallen, Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, Chase Rice, Brothers Osbourne, Gabby Barrett
Gist: Wallen emerged from his racial slur scandal in 2021 as the country’s biggest undisputed star. Personally, I don’t see what sets the recently injured Tennessee apart, and that might be one of the reasons I’m not a type A.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: August 10
Where: Target Field, 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis
Best acts: pink!
Essence: you get the idea. The opening act is Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo, Grouplove and DJ Kid Cut Up.
Tickets: $120 to $1,000; Find more here.
When: August 2 to September
Where: Fairgrounds Grandstand, 1265 Snelling Ave. , St. Paul
Top Acts: The Black Keys (August 24), the Chicks (August 25), Keith Urban (August 26), Boyz II Men and Chaka Khan (August 27), Happy Together Tour with the Turtles (August 28), Brandi Carlile with Wynonna Judd (August 29), Yung Gravy (August 30), Duran Duran with Bastille and Nile Rodgers (August 31), Jonas Brothers (September 1), Hold Steady with Bob Mold and Dillinger Four (September 2)
Gist: A fake show this year! We’re stupidly excited about the Hold Steady/Mould/D4 line, and we’re curious about Yung Gravy, the Racket cover guy introduced via Rochester. Minnesota’s deep fascination with Brandi Carlile continues to confuse me.
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: August 31 to September 3
Where: Harmony Park, 79503 298th St. , Clarks Grove
Best Acts: Wookiefoot, Collie Buddz, Opiuo
Gist: Jam-heads: it’s his jam.
Entrance fees: two-day pass at $164 (camping included); Find more here.
When: from September 14 to 16
Where: Buck Hill, 15400 Buck Hill Road, Burnsville
Best Acts: Jameson Rodgers (September 14), Drive-By Truckers (September 15), George Thorogood
Gist: Did you know that Racket’s de facto music publisher, Keith Harris, was unaware of Buck Hill’s existence, even though it was the call of a damn Replacements song?We wonder about this guy. In any case, promoter Sue McLean
Tickets: Varies; Find more here.
When: September 16
Where: Blakeslee Stadium
Best Acts: 38 Special, Elle King, Tim Montana
Gist: Elle King comes to Rob Schneider’s daughter, possibly SNL and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. So ends our review of the larger-than-expected outdoor summer concert.
Tickets: $48 to $98; Find more here.
Co-owner/editor of Racket.
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