Day 5 of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival was Souptown Night, focusing on venues in Superior, Wisconsin and then, as usual, circling back to The Reef Bar in Duluth to close out the night.
Four Mile Portage was already underway at Empire Coffee when Superior Mayor Jim Paine read a Homegrown proclamation to get things started at the Earth Rider Brewery Festival Grounds. Janie & the Spokes took the stage immediately after.
Although the chilly temps made it tough to both stay warm and follow the night's dress-up theme, Thursday Trip to the Tropics, many Homegrown participants dressed the part, with flowered shirts and leis scattered through the crowds.
Lioness was the first act of the night at a packed Cedar Lounge. Guitarist Bella Hanson and mother and daughter Jane and Inga Aleckson harmonized their way through originals and covers like Labelle's "Lady Marmalade."
Sarah Krueger, looking both warm and stylish in a long quilted coat, performed songs from her two Lanue albums with a full band that included what she jokingly referred to in her interview on The North 103.3's The Local program as "relics" of Duluth's music scene. It was a treat for longtime Duluth music fans to see former Low bassist Matt Livingston on saxophone and Sean Elmquist and Ben Larson of beloved groups Crew Jones and Southwire backing her. Larson even picked up the mic to add some rap verses to “Nothing Hurts Me", and “What’s It Gonna Be Child.”
Meanwhile, Jerree Small was performing a set on the DTA Trolley carrying patrons between venues all evening, accompanied at first by just Jamie Ness. Clancy Ward hopped on at the Spirit Room to add fiddle, Tom Maloney of Four Mile Portage came aboard to add trumpet for a song, and former Mayor Don Ness' child Leo joined in with a hand drum. "Have you ever played on a trolley before?" asked her uncle Jamie. "I've never played anywhere before," Leo replied.
New Salty Dog was next, with Teague Alexy and Boss Mama Colleen Myhre joining in on the party on wheels.
The Cedar Lounge remained a tight squeeze for the Adjustments; a good crowd was also gathered at Izzy's BBQ Lounge and Grill for Dance Attic followed by MorningBird and The Slamming Doors.
Woodblind brought a full crew for their second show of Homegrown, at the Main Club.
The evening ended at the Reef Bar in Duluth with local stalwarts Boku Frequency, who can always be counted on to lay down a solid blues-rock groove.
Coming up Friday:
Kat Fox, who was supposed to play on the Trolley at 9pm tonight and with her band Honeydick on Saturday, announced she had to bow out due to illness.
Tonight's sets stretch from the Owl's Club (a first-time venue) to Wussow's in West Duluth; the DTA Trolley will be connecting the downtown Duluth venues.
