Much like last year, Day 2 of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival 2026 was gloomy and rainy, with puddles on the sidewalks of the Lincoln Park Craft District where the action happened.Homegrown announced on social media that the outdoor performance of the fire spinning group Spin Collective would be canceled due to the weather, with the possibility of rescheduling later in the week.
The metalliic dress-up theme was a big hit, with creative music fans sporting everything from slinky sparkly dresses to sequins, chain mail, and home-made tin foil hats. Some clever souls even wore Metallica t-shirts. As always, Homegrown committee members were handing out tiny buttons to folks who followed the theme.
Craft District night started out with a full house at the Duluth Folk School. Patrons were piling in as showtime grew near. At 5:30, Duluth duo Salt and Pine (Charity Huot Benedict and Nate Weiler) took the stage with guitar, banjo, and seamless vocal harmonies. Between songs, Charity noted that her uncle is legendary news anchor Denny Anderson known for his signature sign-off phrase; she closed the set with a requisite “Goodnight, and be kind” in a lower register.
As an unofficial handoff to the next act, Salt and Pine invited Wetland Willows to the stage for a resounding cover of “Seven Bridges Road” by The Eagles.
Across the street, another guitar and banjo duo could be found. The Lindula Brothers got the music started at Legacy Cannabis with bluegrass takes on The Grateful Dead and a Finnish drinking tune. Longtime musician Stel followed with comforting sounds and familiar tunes; a steady and ornate version of “Tangled Up in Blue” was a particular crowd pleaser.
At Wild State, the crowd poured in for The Trash Cats as it poured outside. The duo shared that they thought it was "a bummer that it's raining on the most walkable night of Homegrown," but they thanked people for showing out despite the inclement weather.
They joked that "this is our 53rd Homegrown, give or take," quite the feat for a festival that has only been running for 28 years. The pair played several originals that were self-described as being about loss, love, and sadness in addition to a mix of covers, such as "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift and Oasis' "Wonderwall." A highlight of the set was a guest spot featuring local singer/songwriter Hannah Rey.
At Ursa Minor, John Louis opened the night, making his first Homegrown appearance. In another first, he mentioned he asked the Cactus Blossoms to do harmonies on a song, and they agreed, saying he was the first person to make that request of them. He played the song in question, "I’m So Sorry." His set had a cozy atmosphere, a perfect contrast to the gloomy weather outside.
Duluth Cider was packed to the gills for a rocking time with Gnarwals. Fans lucky enough to wiggle in were in for some cathartic indie rock. The three-piece's set featured an original called "Bar Song."
Electronic duo Remote Viewfinder’s set at Wild State Cider was in-your-face performance art and protest, with a Wanted poster of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu prominently displayed behind them and a screen showing scenes of conflict at the front.Both members were wearing black head and face coverings. Driving synths and a song titled “Genocide”drove the message home; surprisingly,in the midst of it all was a song featuring the delicate sounds of an electric hammered dulcimer.
Over at All American Club, there was a line to get in for Sugar on the Roof. The retro group shared original songs, such as "Dime Back" as well as a couple covers from The King of Western Swing, Bob Wills:"Who Walks In When I Walk Out" and "San Antonio Rose". Guitarist and vocalist, Megan Reynolds,shared that although "San Antonio Rose" is a Wills tune, Patsy Cline "sings the hell out of it," also mention that she, Megan, played Patsy Cline in a show three years ago.
The show started with toe-tapping, but the melodies soon compelled a pair to start swinging on the dance floor.
After two acoustic acts, Legacy Cannabis hosted hip-hop artist EddieDition doing a solo set.
At Bent Paddle, polka-flavored party band Winzige Hosen brought Saturday night vibes to a Monday night show, amping up the tightly packed crowd.
WICKIE, aka Reece Wickland of the UMD Techno Club,kept the dance floor full at Wild State Cider with his techno beats. Dancers dressed in silver from head to toe grooved to the rhythms, while other dancers waved their hands in the air.
Back at the All American Club, the Jambronis took the stage. This jam crew's forty-five minute set included six songs "The Change", "I Know That", "Walk Me Down", "Ghost Whip", "You're Just a Punk" and "Haven't a Cell in my Brain" in that order and the group never plays the same show twice. Lead singer and guitarist Col DiMeglio shared that "We know what songs we are playing, but not what we are playing… If you know what I mean" to which a crowd member chanted back "I know what you mean!". DiMeglio also shared that they had submitted their song "Walk Me Down" to the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Contest. Despite the lights turning on in the middle of the set, the crowd kept right on grooving.
Life Parade played an indie pop-rock set to an enthusiastic audience at Duluth Cider. At one point, a group of fans up front whipped out their phones and waved them in the air during the original tune "A Little Bit Longer." After playing mostly originals, the band wrapped up with a cover of Weezer’s “Buddy Holly.” The crowd cheered for one more song, and the band was ready to oblige, but the sound guy reminded them of the tight Homegrown schedule designed to keep things on track.
Last year, a couple got engaged at Stardust Collective's Homegrown set. That didn't happen this year, but said couple was in the crowd and got a shoutout from the band during their set at Bent Paddle.
Big Wave Dave and The Ripples took the stage exactly at 9:00 PM at All American Club, which, considering the large crew, is a true testament to the Homegrown band change efficiency. It was jam packed inside, with a line going around the corner of the building outside waiting to get in. Dave and his seven Ripples played several originals such as "Hold On," written by sax player, Matt Wasmund, and popular covers including the Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime".
So What closed the evening at Bent Paddle, laying down a groovy set that included a song they announced they'd just released that day, "Bar Fly," They teased a new album due out on May 29th. They slowed things down for last two songs, inspiring
audience members to slow dance, ending the evening on a tender note.
The last act of the night, country rockers Boxcar, started their set at the Caddy Shack a little early, which was probably just fine for a Monday night show. The venue was still buzzing from previous act C U Next Tuesday’s at-capacity performance, and Boxcar kept up the energy with a mix of originals and covers. The band called Nate Weiler, who opened the night with Salt and Pine, up to play banjo on a cover of Sierra Ferrell’s “American Dreaming." Frontman Blake Shippee accepted a whiskey shot from his nephew in the front row and guitarist Andy Lipke hopped up on a table for a guitar solo. Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert was spotted in the crowd, keeping a low profile but clearly enjoying the show.
Coming up:
Tuesday is Canal Park night, with free parking at the DECC. The dress-up theme is Animal Print Tuesday.
Our Tuesday Homegrown Live from Studio A session features Rocking Rodents at 3pm.
