Dakota

Keb' Mo'
2025-11-06 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
“soul and passion… consistent good vibes” – American Songwriter

It’s a little over 2,000 miles from Compton to Nashville. Drop the needle on Keb’ Mo’s latest album, 2022’s Good To Be, and you can make the trip in under four minutes.
“I’ve lived in Nashville for the last eleven years,” says Keb’, “but Compton has always been my home. Finding a way to connect those two places on this album was a powerful thing for me. It felt like something I needed to do.”
Good To Be is a celebration of roots and resilience, of growth and gratitude, of hope and memory. Here, the songs draw on country, soul, and blues to forge a sound that transcends genre and geography. Then, he weaves together past and present into a heartwarming tapestry spanning more than forty years of sonic evolution. Though Keb’ worked with a wide variety of collaborators on the project, it remains a deeply cohesive work. Additionally, it is anchored by the five-time Grammy winner’s magnetic vocal delivery and relentless optimism.
“I believe that music has the power to heal,” Keb’ explains, “and I wanted this album to make people feel good.”
For Keb’ Mo’, that journey began nearly half a century ago. Then, he landed his first major gig in Papa John Creach’s band at the age of twenty-one. Over the next twenty years, Keb’ would go on to establish himself as a respected guitarist, songwriter, and arranger. Though he recorded a one-off album in 1980 under his birth name, Kevin Moore, it wasn’t until 1994 that he would introduce the world to Keb’ Mo’ with the release of his widely acclaimed self-titled debut. Critics quickly took note of Keb’s modern, genre-bending take on old school sounds.
Recommended for fans of Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Tab Benoit and Ruthie Foster.

Sam Grisman Project
2025-11-05 19:00 - 21:00
“authenticity, originality, and passion” – The Bluegrass Situation

A Note From Sam: “The music that my father David Grisman and his close friend, Jerry Garcia, made in the early 1990s (in the house that I grew up in) is not only some of the most timeless acoustic music ever recorded, it also triggers my oldest and fondest musical memories. What I find most inspiring about this material is their camaraderie. Their love and joy for the music simply oozes out of each recording. It is also impressive how deeply they get beneath their favorite songs. Whether they are originals, covers, or traditional/old-time tunes, the material was curated expertly.
“My goal in starting Sam Grisman Project is to build a platform for my friends and me to showcase our genuine passion and appreciation for the legacy of Dawg and Jerry’s music. By playing some of their beloved repertoires and sharing the original music that our own collective has to offer, we will also show the impact that this music has had on our own individual musical voices. Ultimately, there is nothing that makes me happier than playing great songs with my best friends. My hope is to share that happiness with audiences all over!”
Recommended for fans of David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Béla Fleck and Sierra Hull.

Private Event
2025-11-04 00:00 - 23:59
We will be closed on NOV 4 for a private event. BOOK YOUR EVENT HERE:

Kenni Holmen
2025-11-03 19:00 - 21:00
“Kenni Holmen is a musical freak of nature” –Vulfpeck

Kenni Holmen is one of the most active recording and touring musicians from the Twin Cities area. He performed and recorded with many local, national and international artists over his thirty-year career.

Kenni has performed with Prince, Cory Wong, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, T.C. Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie. Also, Donny Osmond, The Rev. Billy Graham Crusade, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Doc Severinsen, and Garrison Keillor. Additionally, The Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, just to name a few. Kenni has recorded with Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Prince, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Ben Sidran, Babyface, Mandy Moore, and more.

Holmen remains busy recording album projects and jingles. Also, he writes, co-produces and performs with New Age artist Lorie Line, a role he has held since 1993. This includes a performance at The White House in the fall of 2000. Twin Cities Reader magazine voted Kenni Best Tenor Sax Player. Moreover, Kenni is also featured with Prince’s long-running horn section, The HornHeads. With them, he has toured throughout the United States and Europe since 1992.
Recommended for fans of Dave Koz, Cory Wong, The Hornheads and Prince.

Joshua Radin
2025-11-02 19:00 - 21:00
“Radin may be America’s best-kept secret” – American Songwriter

Joshua Radin emerged in 2004 as an empathetic, engaging, and often enthralling troubadour. Over the years, he’s tallied north of 1 billion streams and moved 1 million-plus albums worldwide. Also, he scored a gold certification for the single “I’d Rather Be With You.” His music has appeared in over 200 films, television series, and commercials. He made multiple showstopping appearances on Ellen (who also enlisted him to perform at her wedding) and Today Show. He has also performed on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and Conan. Additionally, he contributed “Brand New Day” to a commercial in support of the troops. This came at the request of First Ladies Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.
He’s played to sold out crowds around the globe. He has shared the stage with Ed Sheeran, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos and more. Not to mention, he’s a staunch philanthropist who supports Little Kids Rock and North Shore Animal League America (NSALA).
Following the release of his 2021 acclaimed album The Ghost and The Wall, Joshua left his material existence behind. Here, he grabbed a backpack, packed his guitar, and hit the road in search of new stories to tell. Those stories comprise though the world will tell me so, volumes one & two which were released early 2023. During 2025, he turns the page on the next chapter of his career and life with his tenth full-length LP. Immersing himself in the process mind, body, and soul, he pored over these thirteen tracks, perfecting each moment. Musically, he taps into two sides of his sonic palette, leaning into soul and singer-songwriter stylings while tracing the journey of a romantic relationship.
Recommended for fans of Amos Lee, Ingrid Michaelson, Ray Lamontagne and Brett Dennen.

The Shabby Road Orchestra Performs "Revolver"
2025-11-01 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-11-01 18:30 - 21:00
The Shabby Road Orchestra is a 13-piece Minneapolis band dedicated to the live recreation of the Beatles’ iconic recordings, note-for-note. No wigs, impersonations or costumes, just the music. This is their second annual performance of Revolver at the Dakota. They will also play a mix of Beatles bangers, deep cuts and curiosities.
Now in its eighth year, The Shabby Road Orchestra is: Adam Levy, John Eller, Joe Carey and Brandon Sampson on guitars and vocals; John Fields on bass; Ken Chastain on drums and vocals; Tom and Paul Scott on keys; Jacqueline Ultan on cello; Dave Foley, Andy Nelson and John Sievers on horns; Mark Ilaug on sitar.
Recommended for fans of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Who and The Monkees.

Forever, For Always, For Love - A Celebration of the Life & Music of Luther Vandross
2025-10-31 21:30 - 23:30, 2025-10-31 19:00 - 21:00
20th Annual Show!

Luther Vandross lives on as one of the greatest R&B/soul singers of our time. Hailed for his ballad work, Vandross sold over 40 million albums and won eight Grammy awards. Here, an all-star lineup assembles to pay tribute to the premier male R&B vocalist of the last several decades.
The show will include live performances of all of Luther’s greatest hits by some of the Twin Cities’ finest vocalists and musicians. These include vocalists Jay Bee, Lamont Keten, Darnel Alexander, Patricia Lacy, Monique Blakey, Carrie Harrington, Chreese Jones, Angela Henderson, and a few very special guests.
The band:
Tony Axtell, bass
Brian Ziemniak, keyboards
David Feily, guitar
Brian Kendrick, drums
Daryl Boudreaux, percussion
And some very special surprise guests!
Recommended for fans of Luther Vandross, Peabo Bryson, Patti LaBelle and Teddy Pendergrass.

CANDY-OH! – The Cars Tribute
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:00
“Let the Good Times Roll” with Candy-Oh!, the premier tribute to the music of The Cars.
Join us for this polished show that nails the sound of one of the most popular bands of the ’80s with an incredible array of great songs known by all. Hits like “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friends Girlfriend,” “(Let The) Good Times Roll,” “Shake it Up,” “Magic,” “Drive,” “Touch and Go,” “You Might Think ” and many more make this an incredible feel-good show.
It’s like the ’80s all over again! From Live Aid to MTV, The Cars were everywhere, selling over 23 million records. So grab your RayBans and join this group of tribute show veterans for one of the most fun concerts of the season!

Tab Benoit at Pantages Theatre
2025-10-29 19:30 - 21:30
“Benoit is a muscular player, one heck of a string bender with aggressive vibrato.” – Rock & Blues Muse

I Hear Thunder marks the long-awaited return of four-time Grammy-nominated artist Tab Benoit. Benoit is a captivating figure in the roots music world. He is renowned for his distinctive guitar tone and Otis-Redding-esque voice.
Benoit’s personal growth and advancement as a songwriter and musician have culminated in a benchmark recording. 2024’s I Hear Thunder testifies to the fiery exuberance that first marked his career in 1992. The record not only showcases his artistic brilliance but also his profound commitment to environmental advocacy. Here, this legacy extends beyond the stage into the heart of the land that inspires his bluesy soul.
On Benoit’s forthcoming tour, fans will hear new songs alongside selected tracks from his vast catalog. Furthermore, Benoit does more than play the blues; he defines its future while paying homage to its rich past.
Tab Benoit is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable thirty-plus year career. Here, he has accomplished this on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta swamp blues. Thus, he has acquired a devoted legion of fans along the way. Further, Benoit has won five Blues Music Awards, including B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (twice). Also, he was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
He has worked with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. Also, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, and Charlie Musselwhite. Tab’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands.
JD Simo’s talent has no boundaries. His love of music is just that – a love of ALL music – and he has mastered every genre he’s explored. His remarkable talent led to recording sessions with Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Tommy Emmanuel, Jack White, and more. Further, JD was chosen to flesh out and perform every single guitar note on the soundtrack to Baz Lurhman’s film Elvis.
Recommended for fans of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Keb’ Mo’, JJ Grey & Mofro and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
📸: Jean Frank

Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra feat. Jennifer Grimm
2025-10-29 19:00 - 21:00
“wonderful arrangements” – Aretha Franklin

When the artistry of vocalist Jennifer Grimm met the mastery of composer-arranger Adi Yeshaya, a new sound was born. Don’t miss this thirteen-piece jazz orchestra in a night of compositions and new arrangements of jazz and pop favorites.
Composer, arranger and jazz pianist Adi Yeshaya was born and raised in Israel. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Adi has been active as a musician and educator for nearly four decades. He has arranged and orchestrated shows for many artists. These include Prince, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne and Burt Bacharach. Also, Adi has arranged for the Swiss Jazzaar Jazz Festival and NBC’s The Voice. As a resident of the Twin Cities, he served as a pianist and musical director for Debbie Duncan for nearly three decades until her passing. Moreover, he has performed and arranged for the Minnesota Orchestra with conductors Sarah Hicks and Doc Severinsen. Further, he’s worked with countless singers and ensembles like Bruce Henry, Cookie Coleman, the Guthrie Theater and Jack McDuff. Also, he plays with JazzMN Orchestra and of course his own Big Band. Adi is an active educator, as well. To that end, he has taught at the University of Minnesota, McNally Smith College of Music and Berklee College of Music.
Jennifer Grimm was born into one of America’s last-standing traveling vaudeville families. She continues to choose music and entertainment as her profession. Moreover, she regularly appears in concert halls, theaters, jazz clubs, and performing arts centers nationwide.
Jennifer has landed many TV spots for her original music: whether singing, songwriting or producing. Additionally, she works in the voiceover industry and has been the voice of many national companies and numerous audiobooks.
Recommended for fans of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thad Jones and Maria Schneider.

Flor de Toloache
2025-10-28 19:00 - 21:00
“Flor de Toloache stuns at the crossroads of fusion and mariachi girl magic.” – NPR

Flor de Toloache is a Latin Grammy-winning and two-time Grammy-nominated group lead by Mireya Ramos and Shae Fiol. Here, this duo has revolutionized mariachi with fearless artistry, magnetic vocals, and genre-blending brilliance. They founded the group in 2008 as New York City’s first all-women mariachi band. Then, the group began with traffic-stopping performances in subways, dive bars, and music clubs. Moreover, they quickly rose to national acclaim with appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk, the White House, and the Kennedy Center.
Known for fusing tradition with modernity, Flor de Toloache has collaborated with many legendary artists. These include Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Miguel, Mon Laferte, and Natalia Lafourcade. Their genre-defying sound has electrified audiences at iconic festivals such as Coachella, Austin City Limits, Osheaga, Montreal Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Their magnetism also garnered them a recurring role as themselves on Apple TV’s “Little Voice”. There, they performed original songs on the J.J. Abrams-Sara Bareilles creation, and brought mariachi to mainstream television.
Internationally, their tours have spanned the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, India, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, Lithuania, Japan, and New Zealand. There, they share mariachi with the world while challenging expectations at every turn. Also, their discography has earned accolades from Pitchfork, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, and Oprah Magazine. With Las Caras Lindas, they became the first all-women group to win Best Ranchero Album at the Latin Grammys. Then, they became the only independent act nominated in the Best Música Mexicana Album category at the 2024 Grammys.
Through bold storytelling, virtuosic performance, and unapologetic creativity, Flor de Toloache doesn’t just honor mariachi. Moreover, they propel it forward with unstoppable force, captivating audiences across borders and generations.
Recommended for fans of La Santa Cecilia, Marissa Mur, Adrian Quesada and Debi Nova.

Brandee Younger Trio
2025-10-27 19:00 - 21:00
“modern harp traditions… with such strength, grace and commitment” – New York Times

Brandee Younger is revolutionizing the harp’s role in modern music. She has worked relentlessly over the past fifteen years to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpists. In 2022, she made history. Then, she became the first Black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she also earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. Later, she won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for her latest, Brand New Life. Also ever-expanding as an artist, she has worked with Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders and Christian McBride.
Her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix concert-documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming. Also, Brandee performed her original music for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America”. Here, Brandee stands on the shoulders of the very women who ushered in the harp as a clear and distinct voice in jazz & popular styles. These include Detroit natives Dorothy Ashby & Alice Coltrane.
Her latest album, Brand New Life, builds on her already rich oeuvre, and cements the harp’s place in popular culture. As the title of the album suggests, Brand New Life is about forging new paths–artistic, personal, political, and spiritual. Younger imbues her music with a sense of purpose and respect of legacy. There, she creates a larger platform for the harp to reach newer and wider audiences than ever before. Additionally, Younger serves on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School and The New School College of Performing Arts.
Recommended for fans of Alice Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby, Gregoire Maret and Ravi Coltrane.
📸: Erin O’Brien

Johnnie Brown
2025-10-26 19:00 - 21:00
Johnnie Brown was born in Mississippi. He began singing as a child in his father’s church choir. As an adult, Johnnie’s sibling and friends encouraged him to take singing more seriously.
Brown decided to take his vision as a performer to the next level and formed a band. Since, he has established a reputable name for himself and performs locally around the Minneapolis area. He attributes his love of music to many great legends of R&B, soul, pop and the great “sounds of Philadelphia”.
Brown performs regularly at the Dakota, Crooner’s Supper Club, Ordway, and Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Additionally, he has played Chicago’s Epiphany Center for the Arts, the Ujamaa foundation, community benefits and other celebrations. Furthermore, Johnnie continues to strive to make a difference in the entertainment community.
Brown is lauded for his tribute performances, shows that honor the legendary performers who inspired his singing career. Additionally, he aims to enhance the substance of music and its relevancy, to develop and broaden a more diverse audience. Then, he connects with audiences on an emotional level, leading them on a musical journey they can relate to.
Recommended for fans of The O’Jays, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson.

Chris Botti
2025-10-25 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-25 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-24 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-24 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-23 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-23 18:30 - 21:00
“A jazz-pop powerhouse” – The New York Times

Chris Botti – Trumpet
Lee Pearson – Drums
Daniel Chmielinski – Bass
Anastasiia Mazurok – Violin
John Splithoff – Vocals
Julian Pollack – Piano
Veronica Swift – Vocals
With a solo career spanning two decades, Chris Botti is the highest-selling instrumental artist in the United States. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music. Additionally, his ongoing association with PBS has led to four Number One jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.
He performs worldwide and sells millions of albums. Further, his form of creative expression is rooted in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music. He’s worked with Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé and Paul Simon. Also, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra.
Furthermore, his touring schedule is ambitious, often on the road for as many as 300 days per year. The trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. His live performances are inspiring and moving.
However, his recorded output has firmly established him as a clarion voice in the American contemporary music scene. Moreover, his recordings highlight his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination.
Botti also showcases his softer side, in a warm, intimate celebration of melodic balladry. The Chris Botti experience can be felt on recordings, in concert with his band, or with a symphony orchestra. Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Recommended for fans of David Sanborn, Kenny G, Rick Braun and Boney James.

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap
2025-10-22 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:00
“[Bridgewater] has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation.” – Guardian

“Charlap is masterful… rollicking stride piano, bebop virtuosity and harmonically opulent modernism.” – New York Times

Effortless. Spontaneous. Inimitable. The convergence of two of jazz’s most legendary forces of nature.
Moreover, their virtuosic interpretations traverse the musical spectrum. For example, they draw on the canons of luminary composers: Ellington, Porter, Sondheim, LeGrand, Simon, and others. Here, they range from intimate ballads to soulful grooves, delivered with daring expression born of their musical chemistry.
Each performance is a sublime tour-de-force.
2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater is a restless explorer. Moreover, she has collaborated with master musicians of Mali, interpreted the cabaret of Kurt Weill and embraced the hard bop of Horace Silver. Here, she is joined by Grammy-winning pianist Bill Charlap for these intimate duo performances featuring jazz classics and songbook standards.
Dee Dee Bridgewater first gained recognition in the early 1970s with the great Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Since then, she has thrived wherever she’s landed. On Broadway, she earned a Tony Award for her work in the original production of The Wiz. Then in Paris, she spent more than a decade as France’s greatest champion of jazz.
Pianist Bill Charlap is a consummate soloist and bandleader. Additionally, he is known for work with Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, Barbra Streisand, and his own superb trio. Further, Charlap is one of the most respected keyboardists in jazz and leader of one of its great piano trios. His newest release, Street of Dreams, was released in 2021.
Recommended for fans of Dianne Reeves, Bill Evans, Cassandra Wilson and Benny Green.

An Evening with Herbie Hancock
2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:00
“Herbie Hancock stands as our greatest living jazz artist.” – Washington Post

Herbie Hancock – Keys
Terence Blanchard – Trumpet
James Genus – Bass
Lionel Loueke – Guitar & vocals
Jaylen Petinaud – Drums

Now in the seventh decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Herbie Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 70s — with record-breaking albums such as Headhunters — that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. Rockit and Future Shock marked Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period, he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P.
Hancock received an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters, and two 2011 Grammy Awards for the globally collaborative album The Imagine Project.
Hancock serves as Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and as Institute Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2011 Hancock was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and in December of 2013, received a Kennedy Center Honor. His memoirs, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, were published by Viking in 2014, and in February 2016 he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Hancock is currently in the studio at work on a new album.
Recommended for Fans of Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis.
📸: Danny Clinch

Pat Donohue & Prairie All-Stars
2025-10-21 19:00 - 21:00
“one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world.” – Chet Atkins

From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Pat Donohue plays it all. He does this with a flourish of artistry and melodic inspiration. Chet Atkins called Pat one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo Kottke called his playing “haunting.”
Pat is certainly one of the most listened-to finger pickers in the world. He was the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. There, Pat got to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week.
His decade-long association with Prairie Home Companion led to some unusual gigs. There was the after-show club date in Berlin when Wynton Marsalis showed up to sit in with Pat and the Prairie Home band. Or playing music on camera for the Prairie Home Companion movie with director Robert Altman and stars Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson and Tommy Lee Jones. Additionally, Pat plays nationwide and teaches at such popular music camps as Augusta Heritage Center and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp.
Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, Pat’s influences are rooted in bluesmen Blind Blake, Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and Miles Davis. He manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless.
Honors include a 2005 Grammy for his participation on Pink Guitar, a compilation of Henry Mancini tunes on acoustic guitar. Also, several Minnesota Music Awards, and the title of 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion. His original tunes have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers.
Recommended for fans of Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, Michael Johnson and A Prairie Home Companion.

Private Event
2025-10-20 00:00 - 23:59
We will be closed on OCT 20 for a private event. BOOK YOUR EVENT HERE:

Davina and The Vagabonds
2025-10-19 19:00 - 21:00
“Davina and the Vagabonds combat heartache with sugar and sass.” – Downbeat

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene. Their high-energy live shows feature level-A musicianship, sharp-dressed professionalism and Sowers’ commanding stage presence. Also, their influences range from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits. Moreover, the band is converting audiences one show at a time, from Vancouver to Miami and across Europe.
Much like the music, the story spurns era, expectation and classification. The often unbelievable, sometimes harrowing, and wholly inspiring journey of Davina Sowers gave birth to her eponymous band in 2004. As the tale goes, she grew up in the economically depressed Allegheny town of Altoona, PA. She now describes the town as “awesome in the industrial era, but horrible for high school.” Then, she was adopted by her stepfather when he was in his 80s; he passed when she was just 13. Through him and his Edison phonograph, she first heard the music that would start her journey. For example, The Ink Spots, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and many others. “Great man. He was my angel and still is,” she says.
On her own, she vividly recalls hours in front of the record player at home. There, she religiously spun Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Simon and Garfunkel records belonging to her folk singer mom.
To this day, Davina still refers to music as “my first and eternal love.” Despite early dalliances with classical piano and guitar, she developed a heavy drug habit in high school. Further, this morphed into heroin dependency, left her homeless, sent her in and out of jail and brought on all manner of trouble. Kicking dope on the streets, she “got clean, started the band and worked [her] ass off every day since.”
Recommended for fans of Pokey LaFarge, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Hot Sardines and Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Kenny Garrett
2025-10-18 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-18 19:00 - 21:00
“genre-blurring, spiritually deep sounds” – Glide Magazine

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, 2021’s Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom. Here, this is not surprising: the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights – James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. Then, Davis crafted his own unique, polyrhythmic, groove-laden, improv-heavy universe. Thus, Sounds from the Ancestors occupies its own space with intellectual clarity, sonic ingenuity and emotional heft.
“The concept initially was about trying to get some of the musical sounds that I remembered as a kid growing up. Sounds that lift your spirit, like John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. And the spiritual side of the church,” Garrett explains. “When I started to think about them, I realized it was the spirit from my ancestors.”
Indeed, Sounds from the Ancestors reflects the rich jazz, R&B, and gospel history of his hometown of Detroit. More important though, it also reverberates with a modern cosmopolitan vibrancy. Notably the inclusion of music coming out of France, Cuba, Nigeria, and Guadeloupe.
Garrett is easily recognized as one of modern jazz’s brightest and most influential living masters. His illustrious career includes hallmark stints with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd, and Freddie Hubbard. Also, Woody Shaw, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Moreover, he has enjoyed a heralded career as a solo artist that began more than thirty years ago. And with the marvelous Sounds from the Ancestors, the Grammy-winning Garrett shows no signs of resting on his laurels.
Recommended for fans of Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Branford Marsalis and Miguel Zenón.

Andrew Walesch & His Orchestra
2025-10-17 19:00 - 21:00
“fresh and classic at the same time” – Jon Bream, Star Tribune

Singer/pianist Andrew Walesch encapsulates the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy, like many before him. Leading his all-star big band, showman Walesch kidnaps the Blue Eyes tradition and makes it his own. With this ten-piece band, Walesch embodies both a traditionalist and an iconoclast with his jazz-bent Sinatra revue.
Walesch is busy and versatile. Here, he composes and arranges, appearing in settings ranging from solo artist to big band. Moreover, this St. Cloud native is as respectful of his predecessors as he is ready to chart a new course. Andrew routinely jams venues all over the Midwest and beyond with a uniquely cross-generational audience. Walesch’s fans include jazz enthusiasts of a certain age, as well as a younger crowd compelled by his down-home insouciance. Also, all are drawn in by the knowing irreverence of a tried-and-true American nightclub entertainer.
“Although they are my idols, I don’t attempt to imitate the great pop and jazz artists of the 50s and ’60s,” says Andrew, “but I go for broke when we do our shows – vocally and musically – which is what they all did best and why they were in a class of their own.”
He possesses fine vocal and piano chops, along with a keen sensibility to find and interpret a great lyric. These have led to some great opportunities for Walesch. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated NPR broadcast Mountain Stage. Additionally, he performed at the 33rd Annual Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Walesch resides in Phoenix, AZ, where he has been elected as the new Artistic Director for the world-famous Musical Instrument Museum.
Recommended for fans of Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr., Kurt Elling and Diana Krall.
