The Dakota will celebrate its 40th anniversary with free block party in Minneapolis
The indoor/outdoor fest will feature 10 artists including the Suburbs and Jamecia Bennett.
By Jon Bream
The Minnesota Star Tribune
Dakota proprietor Lowell Pickett in 1987, in the early days of his music club/restaurant that’s now celebrating its 40th anniversary. (Rita Reed/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The Dakota, the Twin Cities’ internationally renowned intimate music and dining club, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Sept. 20 with a free daylong block party.
Ten acts, from the Suburbs to Jamecia Bennett, will be featured, with performances alternating between indoor and outdoor stages in the Dakota and on Nicollet Mall.
Like the Dakota’s nightly musical menu, the anniversary lineup will be eclectic, embracing rock, Americana, soul, funk and, of course, jazz, the club’s mainstay.
“This anniversary is a celebration not only for Dakota but also for the incredible Twin Cities music community that has contributed so much to reaching this historic milestone,” Dakota proprietor Lowell Pickett said in a statement.
Performers include such local favorites as Davina & the Vagabonds, L.A. Buckner, Pat Donohue & the Prairie All Stars and Patty Peterson’s Jazz Women All Stars as well as New Orleans party starter Glen David Andrews.
A New Orleans-inspired food menu will be available.
The Dakota Bar & Grill was founded in August 1985 at Bandana Square in St. Paul by restaurateur and music promoter Pickett. In the early days, the club presented jazz stalwarts Ahmad Jamal, Betty Carter and McCoy Tyner as well as a rising Harry Connick Jr.
In 2003, the renamed Dakota Jazz Club relocated to the ground floor of Target headquarters on the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.
The 275-capacity room began expanding its musical menu to include Tower of Power, Béla Fleck, Graham Nash, Judy Collins, Dr. John and Bobby McFerrin, among others.
In 2013, Minneapolis icon Prince played six shows over three nights at the Dakota. He also occasionally attended performances at the music club.
Rebranded simply as the Dakota because of its eclectic lineup, the downtown Minneapolis institution has been celebrating its anniversary with signage and marketing materials all year, but the big event is set for Sept. 20.