On Day 5 of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival 2024, a couple of unofficial events (morning music at Duluth Coffee Company and SoupB4Supe at 2104) happened in Duluth, but all official events happened across the bridge in Superior, Wisconsin. The weather turned gloomy again, with evening rain pushing the planned outdoor sets at the Earh Rider Brewery Festival Grounds into the Cedar Lounge later in the evening. A few hardy souls chose to linger on the grounds gathered around a fire, listening to the music being piped through speakers from inside the Cedar, and the outdoor Spin Collective performance went on as planned. The Rambler food truck was on hand outside the Cedar, and starting at 7 the Homegrown trolley made the rounds between the night's six venues.
The Trash Cats opened the night at Superior Tavern, playing their originals and favorite covers including fun.'s "We are Young."
Following Superior Mayor Jim Paine's brief opening reception, which included a special welcome for the Minnesotans in the crowd, The Old Smugglers took the stage for a typically rousing set.
Back at Superior Tavern, local hip-hop artist Brinn Major (backed by DJ Jaze, who's made multiple supporting appearances already this week) performed. Their set included tracks from their new album, Manifest. They referenced one song as their favorite they've ever written, saying, "It's sappy as sh*t," and joked, "What do you want from me, I'm an angsty sonofabitch from St. Paul." . The music wasn’t exactly danceable, but the message was delivered with precise rhythm and rhymes with a sick beat.
At Havanas, patrons were overheard remarking they hadn't been in the space since it was the old Thirsty Pagan. Teague Alexy and the Common Thread held court in a packed house with a rip-roaring, hard-driving set. Teague’s musical evolution over the years truly mixes well with a full band as his Dylan-esque lyrical waltz and subtle storytelling had the crowd wishing for more room to dance.
Another rip-roaring, hard-driving set was happening at Superior Tavern, but more with a backyard stomp feel as Misispi Mike Wolf and his band took the stage. It could have turned into a hootenanny or even a hucklebuck at any moment, but Misisip Mike Wolf knew how to manipulate the crowd and maintain a level of decorum that was appropriate to his musical style.
At Cedar Lounge, singer/songwriter Thor Leseman kicked off his set with a rousing "Ziggy zaggy, ziggy zaggy, oi oi oi" toast. He identified himself as an Iron Ranger, and called out some familiar faces in the crowd; those fans seemed especially excited when Leseman introduced a tune that is apparently a favorite: "This is a song about a tree. A ponderosa pine."
Over at Tower Avenue Tavern, hard-rock band Sorrows Never Die took the stage, with frontman Nicolas Quinones' eight-string guitar front and center and the drummer wearing a shirt that said "Mom Pleaser." A man connected to the band kept bringing a steady stream of beers for the them, inspiring one crowd member to ask a friend, "If we started a band, would you be my beer guy?"
The EmbalmingEva set at the Main Club was clearly one of the night's most anticipated, with the venue at capacity almost immediately. The duo reminded the crowd that they'd first played Homegrown together as 11-year-olds. Accompanying themselves with backing tracks played from a phone, they shared some new songs, including one called "Hit Me in the Face," and invited a member of the audience onstage to hold a small blackboard so they could play tic-tac-toe during another song. In honor of being described as "rock-and-roll vampires" in the Homegrown Field Guide, they ended with a cover of a song from the Twilight soundtrack.
Despite the drizzle, the show went on for the Spin Collective, who showed off their fire spinning and breathing skills for a good-sized crowd.
Kaylee Matuszak, who played with Berserk Blondes! the previous night, did a solo set at Cedar Lounge. Introducing a couple of "downers," she promised a fun song after that, remarking, "Wait, they're all fun. It's me!"
Back at Tower Avenue Tavern, Boxcar squeezed seven band members onto the smallish stage and blew threw a rollicking set of roots-rock originals with ease, ending with an epic version of Led Zeppelin's "Going to California."
At Havanas, indie rockers Nvr Tgthr took the stage, while back at Tower Avenue Tavern it was Born Too Late.
At The Main Club, The Gemstones did primarily originals, including and unreleased song called "Streetlights." They ended the set with a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," getting the crowd clapping, whooping, and hollering.
Twin Ports music veteran Greg Cougar Conley has played Homegrown sets through the years in a variety of bands, but never in a country band. He performed songs from his recently-released album Cougar Country with his band, originally intended to play outside on the big stage, packed tightly on the stage with Jake Larson playing steel guitar out on the main floor.
By the time 10:45 rolled around, the audience at The Main Club was chanting "Torment, Torment!" and the moshing started the minute the heavy metal band started playing. They came prepared, with props including a box of pool noodles that was hurled out into the crowd at one point. It was a perfect, cathartic end to Homegrown Day 5.
Coming up:
It's Friday, with venues stretching from Sir Benedict's on the east central part of town to Wussow's Concert Cafe out in West Duluth.
The dress-up theme is Superhero Night
Coverage of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival is supported by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
