Dakota

Mavis Staples w/ Special Guest Lucius at The Ordway
2026-06-16 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-06-17 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago)
“an eternal voice… which still informs pop music today” – Billboard

Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, lays it down. 2025’s Sad and Beautiful World marks the fifteenth solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Here, Mavis stands side by side with us in the face of dangers she knows all too well. The record spans seven decades of the American songbook, a range nearly as vast as Mavis’ career. On it, she reinvents timeless songs as well as including original music.
Now 86, Mavis has performed since the age of eight. After starting out in the Staple Singers more than seventy years ago, she remains the group’s lone surviving member. Here, she still carries her family’s gifts and knowledge with her as a living heritage.
She considered retiring in 2023 but found she has too much left to express through music. And now, despite our dark days, as she said in the wake of her 85th birthday party last year, “You have to stay hopeful and have faith that things are going to get better.” She can’t keep us from the danger facing the country or magically restore the progress that’s being undone. However, she knows from her own experience that people can find a path through, a way to keep going.
Thus, Staples may be one of the last true ones standing. Now, she isn’t waiting around to be revered for the wisdom she brings. Here, she’s too busy still leading the charge, still showing us how it’s done. Steadfast in triumph and adversity, Mavis Staples still makes music—and history—just when we need her most.

Grammy-nominated indie-pop band Lucius delivers a mesmerizing experience of mirrored kinship and honesty. Also, they have earned a reputation for their engaging live performances and spellbinding harmonies. In 2025, the band released their fourth studio album, Lucius, which Rolling Stone called “the best album of their career.” Lucius’ most personal and purposeful album to date explores relationships, motherhood, and life’s complexities with a unique vulnerability that the band’s familial nature made possible. The New Yorker praises, “The band’s new self-titled album reaches the pinnacle of a vibrant, harmonic enterprise,” while Paste describes their sound as “girl-group revivalism, cosmic pop, and a kind of bicoastal harmonizing that once echoed through western canyons.”
Throughout their acclaimed career, Lucius has performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”. Also, BBC’s “Later! with Jools Holland”, PBS’ “Austin City Limits” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show”. Lucius are Holly Laessig, Jess Wolfe, and Peter Lalish.
Recommended for fans of The Staple Singers, Bettye LaVette, Steve Earle and Blind Boys of Alabama.

Rodney Crowell
2026-06-17 19:00 - 21:00
“the King of Country Music” – Pop Matters

On his vibrant twentieth studio album, 2025’s Airline Highway, Rodney Crowell explores love, memory, and musical kinship. Furthermore, he does so with a new generation of roots artists. Here, the album captures a spontaneous spirit—blending Crowell’s storytelling prowess with contributions from his talented band. Thus, Airline Highway reflects on the past while celebrating the present. The album is inspired by the swamp-pop sounds of his youth and was recorded in the heart of Cajun country. From rollicking barnburners to haunting ballads, Crowell delivers a wise, joyful meditation on legacy and letting go. Thus, the album has been described as “a document of falling in love with music all over again”.
Crowell has long represented a bridge between classic outlaw country, Americana, and contemporary songwriting craft. This is evident on his debut album from 1978 as well as on Airline Highway.
Crowell’s C.V. is nothing short of astonishing. A songwriting legend, he’s penned hits for Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Rosanne Cash, Keith Urban, and more. He has earned two Grammy Awards, including Best Country Song for “After All This Time”. Furthermore, he has seen success as a recording artist, too. 1988’s Diamonds & Dirt produced an unprecedented five consecutive Number One singles on the country charts. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Crowell in 2003.
Recommended for fans of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Rosanne Cash.

Kevin Kling & Larry Long
2026-06-20 19:00 - 21:00
“The interplay of song and story between these two longtime friends is magical. They build off of each other to share personal history that powerfully evokes time, place, and community.” –John Crippen, Hennepin History Museum

Given the number of “World’s Greatest Dad” coffee mugs, there seems to be a fair bit of elasticity in the voting process. Larry Long and Kevin Kling are two of Minnesota’s prodigal sons. Here, they celebrate in story and song some of the fathers and father figures that helped sculpt their lives. Larry also brings the perspective of a father and grandfather. An evening to share a laugh, maybe shed a tear, as they remember the men who gave it their all. If you are a dad, a future dad, have a dad, know a dad… Or none of the above and just want to have a great time, this is the show for you.
Kling and Long have been friends since they traveled the Mississippi River together in 1983. Then, Kevin worked with Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater’s Circle of Water Circus. Also, Larry was with the Misissippi River Revival. Moreover, both share a deep connection to community, family and this incredible region.

“they were both at their best – their wisdom, their performance, their humanity.” – Marge Ostroushko

Larry is a force in the folk music world. There, he works with First Nations, farmers, Labor, the environment, elders and kids, royalty and paupers. Furthermore, his voice and guitar are at times a beacon, a eulogy, battle cry, a comfort, a prayer, a celebration.
Kevin is a storyteller, performing in libraries, gymnasiums, hospitals, and VFWs. Additionally, off-Broadway, The Guthrie, PBS, the National Storytelling Festival. He is known for stories with humor and heart.
Recommended for fans of Mark Twain, Pete Seeger, Garrison Keillor, Arlo Guthrie, Bill Evans, and John Prine.

Suzy Bogguss
2026-07-08 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-07-08 21:00 - 23:00
“a voice as soothing as summer rain” – Rolling Stone

During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s Suzy Bogguss sold 4 million records. Here, she did this with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane”, “Someday Soon”, “Letting Go”, “Drive South”, and “Hey Cinderella”. But you can’t peg Suzy that easily…
Amid her country popularity she took time off to make a duets album with the legendary Chet Atkins. Then, in 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. Furthermore, she recorded an album of original music in 2007 that landed at Number Four on the jazz charts. Her folk music roots show through in many ways: she made frequent appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. Also, she won a Grammy for her work on Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster. She received acclaim for 2011’s American Folk Songbook, her critically acclaimed album and book project. Then, in 2014 she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s crystal vocals from the female point of view.
Her latest offering, 2023’s Prayin’ For Sunshine, is an Americana tour de force with all songs written by Bogguss. She continues to tour the world. There, she tours solo and with fellow country radio divas Terri Clark and Pam Tillis as “Chicks With Hits”. Also, she recently joined Kathy Mattea on their Together At Last tour. So yes, you can call her a country singer if you want, but really that’s just the beginning.
Recommended for fans of Allison Moorer, Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Allen Stone
2026-07-28 19:00 - 21:00
“committed to vintage soul… old-fashioned grooves” – New York Times

Soul/R&B luminary Allen Stone has enraptured global audiences with his electrifying performances and soulful melodies. Here, he embodies the essence of classic soul legends. Moreover, his genre-defying style, blending funk, gospel, folk-rock, and soul, has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following.
Stone’s journey to musical stardom commenced in Chewelah, Washington. There, his upbringing immersed him in gospel music as a pastor’s son. Relocating to Seattle, he tirelessly toured the West Coast in his ’87 Buick, swiftly gaining acclaim for dynamic live shows. Soon, he was playing up to 200 dates annually alongside luminaries such as Stevie Wonder and Al Green. Also, Dave Matthews Band, Erykah Badu, Gary Clark Jr. and Chris Stapleton. Thus, he further solidified his status as a tour de force in the music industry. Alongside his prolific touring schedule, Stone has graced national television screens. His appearances include The Kelly Clarkson Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Today show, and a Celebrity Mentor on American Idol.
Stone continues to garner critical acclaim with his latest body of work, 2024’s Mystery. Furthermore, he composed the title track in collaboration with PJ Morton. This release brings infectious rhythms and emotional depth, solidifying Stone’s place as a powerful voice in modern soul music.
Recommended for fans of Mayer Hawthorne, PJ Morton, Gary Clark, Jr. and Lake Street Dive.

Judy Collins: Sweet Judy Blue Eyes - Farewell
2026-10-27 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-30 19:00 - 21:00
“One of the most beautiful and moving voices” – Rolling Stone

Judy Collins inspires audiences with her sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and unwavering commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly. Here, new generations bask in the glow of her iconic fifty-five-album body of work. Also, they draw inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
Fans and critics highly esteem the award-winning singer-songwriter for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards. Moreover, she also receives acclaim for her own poetically poignant original compositions. For instance, the Grammy Hall of Fame includes her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Judy’s dreamy, intimate version of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammys. Furthermore, she’s garnered several top-ten hits and gold- and platinum-selling albums.
The cultural treasure’s fifty-fifth release, 2022’s Spellbound, documents Judy’s artistic renaissance. Additionally, the album is a special entry in her oeuvre. It marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums. Here, Collins showcases twelve new recently-written modern folk songs, and a bonus track of her evergreen, “The Blizzard.” Thus, Spellbound is an introspective and impressionistic album.
“They say after the plague came the Renaissance,” Judy says with a good-natured laugh. “The truth is, I didn’t do an album like this sooner because I had other projects on my mind. Now felt like the perfect time to make this record because, after all that’s happened in the world, we need something beautiful and inspirational to lift us up.”
Recommended for fans of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
