The Homegrown Music Festival is Duluth’s annual showcase of rawk and/or roll devil music.
It began as a simple birthday party with a handful of bands and a bunch of beer.
Now it’s a complete bureaucracy, run by a volunteer steering committee and a fiscal agent,
featuring well over one hundred musical acts, along with a few filmmakers and other artists — and a bunch of beer.

Congratulations to Susan Anderson, Tom Ballinger and Brittany Hansen all of Duluth...
They each won a pair of week long passes to this great event courtesy of TwinPortsNightLife.com!

2010 Final Schedule
Note: As with all concerts, events & festivals- the performance line-up is always subject to change.

The 2010 Homegrown Festival Bands
(in alphabetical order)

The Acceleratii
12:30am Thurs 5/6 | Norm’s Beer & Brats
As far as methhead police-chase music goes, the Acceleratii are the best in the business. Frontman Chad Lyons (a.k.a. Bo Bandit) says his group works and parties harder than any other Duluth band. “We’re not the most artsy or innovative, but fuck that,” he said. Along with bassist Ben Marsen, guitarist Steve “Gomez” Mahlberg and drummer Scott “Razzamatazz” Millis, Lyons has been “playing car shows, biker rallies, trailer trash bashes, New Year’s Eve parties, weddings, basement parties, bowling alleys, bars you wouldn’t enter without a gun, gigs in front of City Hall and at least one bris ceremony ... and that was just in one month.”

Teague Alexy Trio
9pm Mon 5/3 | Carmody
Teague Alexy broke into Duluth’s music scene 10 years ago, making a name for himself playing solo and with backing groups Medication and the Feelin’ Band. He’s perhaps best known as a member of Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank, which continues to tour extensively to promote its 2009 album Traveling Show. Alexy continues to pile up accolades as a solo artist, though. Last summer he took Best Song honors at the Just Plain Folks Awards in Nashville for his tune “A Good Clean High (Off a Dirt-cheap Bottle of Wine)” from his album The New Folklore. At Homegrown he’ll be backed by Matt Mobley on standup bass and Bryan “Lefty” Johnson on percussion.

The Alrights                                                   
12:30am Fri 5/7 | R.T. Quinlan’s
The Alrights formed about seven years ago when Toby Churchill, Danny Cosgrove and Chad “Chavo” Amborn split from their previous band, Crazy Betty. Their well-crafted pop, highlighted by Cosgrove and Churchill’s tight harmonies, earned them a deal with City Canyon Records in 2005. The Alrights have two albums, High School and Meeting of the St. Louis County League of Volunteer Astronauts: Excerpts from the Keynote Address.

A.M. Herculis
10pm Thurs 5/6 | Thirsty Pagan Brewing
A.M. Herculis is a power trio comprised of Chad Salmela on vocals/guitar, Josh Tesch on bass and Tim Nelson on drums. The sound is thumping, riff-heavy and distortion-soaked, yet can move up and down to invoke moodiness and is at times haunting with Salmela’s cryptic lyrics intertwined with rising and falling vocal phrasing. Salmela has been performing for about a decade and has released several solo acoustic albums. Now he has crossed over to the rock world with A.M. Herculis’ self-titled, nine-song debut, recorded at Sacred Heart Studio.

Dan Anderson & His Silk Sheiks      
10pm Wed 5/5 | Rex Bar at Fitger’s
Dan Anderson is best known for his humungous organ and his gentle touch. He played his first Homegrown in 2001 with the West Duluth funk band American Hip. He later joined the Black Labels and still plays keyboard for the irrepressible Fred Tyson. His Silk Sheiks, formerly known as the Silk Sheet Quartet, is made up of Ethan Thompson on bass, Ben Marsen on guitar, Ryan Jazdzewski on drums and Matt Livingston on saxophone. The group specializes in 1960s esoterica, with neckties, cocktails and low lighting setting the mood.

Mark Anderson Trio
6:30pm Mon 5/3 | Harbor City
Guitarist and jazz trio namesake Mark Anderson says his band plays a few standards, but doesn’t stop there. “I find it more interesting to play songs in a jazz manner that aren’t normally associated with jazz,” he explains. So expect to hear some well-known classic rock and pop gems arranged for a jazz guitar trio. Drummer Marvin Pomeroy and bassist John Thorene round out the trio, giving the band a combined 75 years of playing live music.

The Antmen
11pm Mon 5/3 | Carmody
Over the past five years, the Antmen have played extensively in the Twin Ports and across the state, bringing their original folk/funk/rock to the masses. Even though singer/songwriter Brendan Flynn moved to Fargo a few years back, the band is still holding together with a solid lineup featuring bassist Karl Anderson, renowned guitar player Andy Lipke and drummer Matt Duea.

Atlas Mts.
11pm Tues 5/4 | Twins Bar
Atlas Mts. was born from the ashes of guitarist Jesse Hoheisel’s previous recording project, Holding Pattern. Mixing modern conventions such as keyboards and samples with classic flavors resembling the likes of Pink Floyd and Neil Young, Atlas Mts. is bringing its sound to Homegrown for the first time. That’s not to say the members are fresh to the scene. Though they’ve been “unintentionally shifting,” the Homegrown lineup includes solid veterans Jason Kokal and Mat Milinkovich.

Aurora Baer   
9pm Sat 5/8 | Twins Bar
It’s hard to believe Aurora Baer is only 21 years old. Her sound is rich and soulful beyond what you would expect of someone of this generation. Playing renditions of traditional blues, plus a blend of her own tunes, her voice wails with equal parts Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin, or in her own words, “velvet and whiskey.” A recent show at Carmody Irish Pub featured the whole bar singing and pounding the bar in rhythm. Her shows are high-energy and engaging. And by the way, she plays a mean harmonica.

Ballyhoo
9:30pm Sat 5/8 | R.T. Quinlan’s
From 1998 to 2002, you could noodle-dance your ass off to Ballyhoo almost anywhere in Minnesota. In addition to its four CDs, the band also put out a bouncy, earthy cover of “When I Paint My Masterpiece” on the Duluth Does Dylan compilation. Kids and jobs and whatnot have kept Ballyhoo idle for eight years, but now singer and guitarist Leon Rohrbaugh and his feel-good boys have been called out of retirement by fans and friends for a reunion show at Homegrown. The rest of the crew includes Nate Heydt on congas and other percussion, Andy Krubsak on bass, Sean Erspamer on guitar and Dan “Fitty” Fitzpatrick on drums.

Batteries
7:45pm Sat 5/8 | Teatro Zuccone
Fresh from releasing their second album You’re So Excited, the boys from Batteries are back for more Homegrown ruckus. The band has been playing stompy, cryptic rock since singer/guitarist Dave Frankenfeld and drummer Joseph Paul formed it in 2006. Since then, they’ve added local veterans Greg Cougar Conley on keys and bassist Bryon Gaynor to round out the group. Frankenfeld says “folk, noise, soul and 1960s garage rock” sounds can all be heard in Batteries’ music.

Biochemical Characters
10pm Fri 5/7 | Pioneer Bar
Biochemical Characters play an aggressive style of Americana roots rock that is much in the vein of the Rolling Stones at their loosest. Not afraid to harmonize the vocals, they also have the audacity to add accordion courtesy of Michael Gabler (who also adds bass when needed). Jay Sandal and Jay Walker play guitar and drums respectively, while all three sing. They have played around town for the past five years or so, including the Duluth Does White tribute to the Beatles’ White Album.

The Bitter Spills
9:45pm Sat 5/8 | Teatro Zuccone
With various guitars and their voices, Rich Mattson and Baby Grant Johnson perform original and traditional folk, blues and country tunes, rags and hollers. Mattson is from the Iron Range, by way of Minneapolis. Baby Grant Johnson is from Minneapolis. They’re both big city rock legends — solo and in bands like the Glenrustles, Beyond Zebra, and Ol’ Yeller — who have become adopted Duluth sons. On an average night, they might fingerpick, flatpick or use bottleneck slides on six- and 12-string guitars or Dobros. They perform ancient songs with respect, and new songs with ancient souls.

Blue Water Dance
8:45pm Sat 5/8 | Teatro Zuccone
Blue Water Dance plays music that could soundtrack the upcoming apocalypse. Led by singer and guitarist Ashton George, the band deals in epic minor-key metal — sort of a modern day Black Sabbath with punky undertones. Blake Pekkala’s basslines keep things slow and ominous, while Nate Rendulich’s propulsive drums prevent the songs from growing stagnant. The band is recording and hopes to have an EP out soon.

Boku Frequency
10pm Sat 5/8 | Beaner’s Central
Playing a heady mix of funk, soul and classic rock, Boku Frequency has been getting Duluth hipsters to dance since its debut at the Red Lion on Halloween night of 2002. The band claims Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone as influences, and guitarist Terry Gum plays like a mashup of the two — funky and rhythmic, occasionally launching into a molten, rock-oriented solo. In the rhythm section, Tom Harris sets the groove with melodic bass lines, and Tony Dashel’s clattering freestyle drums keep things spontaneous.

Bone Appetit
12:45am Fri 5/7 | Rex Bar at Fitgers
Through puke breath and a Night Train slur, singer Hot Rod Heartthrob mumbles that Bone Appetit is a “booze-drinkin’, ass-slappin’, sleazy rock-and-roll band that only plays anthems.” Those anthems can be sentimental, like “Drive Away” or “Alyssa,” but are usually hardcore, like “Hepatitis A (Spring Break)” and “Fight to Kill.” “If the crowd doesn’t sing it,” Hot Rod growls, between vurps, “We don’t bring it.” Richie Gunns and Jizzy Young shred guitars, Double Barrel brings the drum thunder and Suddendeath holds a bass guitar and occasionally attempts to keep up. Free MP3s from the band’s 2002 release Love, Lust, and Rock ’n’ Roll are at sexiestband.com.

The Boomchucks
12am Thurs 5/6 | Thirsty Pagan
Jamie Ness and Brad Nelson first teamed up in 2000, when Nelson drummed on Ness’ cover of “Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands” for the Duluth Does Dylan compilation. But they didn’t get together at Homegrown until 2008, when Nelson’s duo Los Besos needed a fill-in for Alan Sparhawk. “Brad and I were rehearsing for quite a while before we had that gig together,” Ness said. “So this was in the works.” Ness and Nelson soon inherited Los Besos’ weekly gig at the Brewhouse, where they’ve been honing their two-piece country/rock sound for almost two years. Last fall they named their band — the Boomchucks — and they released a self-titled debut album in February.

Bradical Boombox
9:45pm Fri 5/7 | Rex Bar
Brad Fernholz farms organic strawberries, vegetables and livestock near Appleton. “The soil out here is awesome,” he says, “yet my art and music family still reside in the Twin Ports.” His music in Bradical Boombox “can be all over the place really: garage opera, folk, indie rock, punk country, electronica. The sound we will have for Homegrown I would describe as experimental folk rock, maybe.” Fernholz expects his Homegrown band to be an assemblage of his sister Diane, friends from Hotel Coral Essex, and other guests (such as Ryan and Patrick Nelson and Amanda Woidyla). No word on whether they’ll sell produce at the merch table.

Bratwurst
12:30am Thurs 5/6 | Main Club
Bratwurst is Tyler Scouton, Ben Tryon and Jason Ratajek — three Krautrock-influenced industrial-punk weirdos who’ve been bewildering the local scene for 11 years now. Fresh from headlining a couple of gigs at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon, the band is ready to “rock your pants off” this Homegrown. Expect lots of jarring samples, pummeling drum loops and noises you didn’t know could come from a keyboard.

The Bricks
9:30pm Sat 5/8 | The Play Ground
After winning Duluth’s Battle of the Bands in 2008, the Bricks went on hiatus, but now they’re back at work. According to bassist Nick Spielman, the group’s sound ranges from heavy funk to something approaching heavy metal, and “is characterized most obviously by Lauren Verhel’s soaring vocals and the sublimely harmonic guitar work of Jason Munns and Reuben Verdoljak.” Spielman teams with drummer Chad Erlemeier to produce the band’s subtle rhythms. They claim Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, Opeth, Dream Theater and Steve Vai among their many influences.

The Brothers Band
8pm Fri 5/7 | Beaner’s Central
Since forming in Fall 2008, the Brothers Band has been spreading its fuzzy doom generously around the basement punk scene (along with the occasional bar gig). Brothers in rock ’n’ roll Colin Sinz, Brian Wells and Jake Paulsrud grew up together in Eau Claire. After high school they all happened to find themselves living in Duluth and decided to start a band to showcase their dynamic music backgrounds. Their sound includes very heavy blues-driven psychedelic doom-metal guitar riffs accompanied by grooving, heavy, dynamic bass lines backed with drums that are loud as hell, super-tight and not afraid of solos.

Cancer Romancer and the Fortune Friends   
10pm Sat 5/8 | Twins Bar
Raphael Tiller — the Cancer Romancer — returns for his third Homegrown appearance, this time backed by a pair of friends. Guitarist Andy Stern of Fearless Moral Inventory fame, and drummer/guitarist Rich Kangas of Iron River, Mich., complete this new indie-Americana trio. “We’re kind of like your favorite band, but just a little bit better,” says Tiller, who came to Duluth for college and never left, discovering “it’s an awesome place to write awesome music.”

Canine Heart Sounds
12am Tues 5/4 | Twins Bar
Canine Heart Sounds is a four-piece experimental band with roots in Eau Claire, but three of its four members — Zach Hegg, Matt McElroy and Matt Peterson — live in the Twin Ports. Drummer Dan Westerlund will be joining the group for Homegrown after finishing a tour with the Bowerbirds. Canine Heart Sounds combines instrumentals and songs with vocals into an ambient mix that is rich in texture and layers. The band’s first full-length album is in the works.

Cars & Trucks
11:45pm Fri 5/7 | Rex Bar
“We play rock-and-roll you can bob your head to,” says drummer Mat Milinkovich, who since the mid-1990s has been in more good Duluth bands than almost anyone except for his mates, singer-guitarist Tony Bennett and bassist Mat Osterlund. “Try to picture the love child of the Kinks and Led Zeppelin,” Milinkovich says. “We play pop music that’s not afraid to kick a little ass.” The band’s second release, Mere Mortals, came out in October. It’s a concept album about death.

Cellodreams
10pm Fri 5/7 | Fitger’s Brewhouse
Cellist Kathy McTavish’s early classical training and studies of composition and musical theory have served as a jumping-off point for the improvised pieces she creates today. An in-demand local performer, she has lent her talents to local band Yeltzi, performs with guitarist Richie Townsend as Cosmic Pit Orchestra, and collaborates with poet Sheila Packa in the project Wildwood River. In 2009, McTavish was awarded an American Composers Forum/Jerome Foundation commission to compose and perform a work for electrified solo cello called “River Icarus: Rusted Bridge/Deep Water.”

Circa A.M.
12am Fri 5/7 | Twins Bar
The hardcore industrial band Circa A.M. brings an original blend of technologically advanced patterns and hard-pounding garage metal. The members — Kent Paulsen on drums, Don Lisdahl on bass and Allen Cragin on guitar and programming — all share vocal duties. Circa A.M. has a few very interesting songs to listen for, including “He Stepped Down” and “Fear of Collecting,” which join the techno and basement party band worlds in an unholy matrimony.

Circadian Nations
9:30pm Thurs 5/6 | Norm’s Beer & Brats
The members of Circadian Nations have been playing together at parties and coffee shops for a few years, but finally decided to form a proper band in 2009. “We tried to meld our common influences — old-school goth like Joy Division, Nick Cave, Cure and Sisters of Mercy, and old-time country like Johnny Cash, Roger Miller and Hank Williams — and ended up with something we find interesting and unique,” says guitar player Rob Fernquist. He teams with David Aldridge to produce the band’s fluid, folky guitar playing. Joshua Jordan adds deadpan vocals and Luke Olson rounds out the group on bass guitar.

Clyde Iron
11pm Fri 5/7 | Burrito Union
Jessica Myshack and Jason Koski have been playing folk music together as Clyde Iron since 2007. Myshack handles rhythm and bass guitars and Koski plays the lead. Their group has been through a few lineup changes, but remains a trio with the recent addition of guitarist Nick Hanson. Myshack and Koski have been working on solo albums in addition to their work in Clyde Iron.

Coal Car Caboose
10:30pm Fri 5/7 | R.T. Quinlan’s
Lead singer and guitarist Brian Schanzenbach calls his ska band’s sound “very upbeat reggae meets punk rock, with three horns. Very danceable and high energy!” If a band with seven members can’t whip up some energy, what band can? Dave Adams and Patrick Sunderland sing and play trumpet. Alex Nordehn sings and plays trombone. Keith Yanes plays bass. Luke Nyen sings and plays guitar. Steve Lueck drums. “Homegrown is very different than our normal gigs,” says Schanzenbach. "We get to play to crowds that may not normally come to our shows, and the energy of the whole event is amazing and we absolutely feed off of that.”

Coyote           
8pm Wed 5/5 | Amazing Grace
Banjo player and singer Marc Gartman says Coyote plays “hypnotic acoustic folk songs.” His perspective on Homegrown is unique: “We’re all part of a larger beast,” he says. “Like Voltron.” Which isn’t to say Gartman and his mates — singer and guitarist Jerree Small, stand-up bass player Matt Mobley and percussionist Bryan “Lefty” Johnson —sound like 1980s animated robots. Coyote’s second album, When it All Comes Down, builds on acoustic folk and its 20th Century backwoods Americana flavors, with strains of Middle-Eastern harmony and other elements. Expect a hushed crowd, meticulous harmonies and a pleasant, rustic vibe.

Crew Jones
2am Sat 5/8 | Pizza Luce
Ben Larson and Sean Elmquist have “outsized egos stemming from outsized talent,” according to Larson, who raps by the name Burly Burlesque. Elmquist, who provides the beats under the name Mic Trout, provides the signature barncore hip-hop sound behind Larson’s bizarre rants. “We are sure that art is not the ‘excavation of the self,’” Larson says. “That is, there actually is no self — no tiny you-ness hidden somewhere inside like a tiny homunculus. You are merely a network of texts. Art, then, is the successful combinatory recapitulation of these texts in a world that is always already full, as is the ‘canvas’ upon which one is shuffling, rehabilitating and revivifying previously existing texts.”

Shana David
9pm Fri 5/7 | Red Star Lounge
Shana David arrived in Duluth about a year and a half ago via Jacksonville, Fla. She will be lending her minimalist pop style and wry sense of humor the Associated Press calls “absurd, yet poignant.” Though she can be heard with a mini moog on her debut EP Terminally Bourgeoisie she pairs her voice with a piano in the live setting. Her moog-laden track “I Fucked Up” (which has garnered the attention of Minor Threat/Fugazi/Dischord mastermind Ian MacKaye) can be heard on her page at shrugrecords.com.

Dead Man Winter
10pm Fri 5/7 | Twins Bar
Dave Simonett, best known for his work with Trampled by Turtles, is the frontman of this Americana folk-rock side project. Dead Man Winter’s lineup is a bit inconsistent, but generally features Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank drummer Paul Grill, multi-instrumentalist Erik Koskinen of Erik Koskinen Band, and Ryan Young and Tim Saxhaug of Trampled by Turtles. The band released an EP called Wolves in February.

Dewskiwater Grooves           
10pm Wed 5/5 | Lake Avenue Café
Dewskiwater Grooves is a new quintet that’s quickly carving itself a niche in Duluth’s crowded jam-band scene. The emphasis here is on groove: Ian Kvale’s bass and Matt Reed’s drums lay the rhythmic groundwork, while guitarists Kai Goellner and Dewey Poncelot trade melodic solos and Jamie Varner wails away on harmonica. Imagine a mash up of Led Zeppelin, Phish and new-age philosophy to get some idea of the group’s sound.

Die[ode]
9pm Sat 5/8 | Beaner’s
The members of Die[ode] pride themselves on “staying true to the fundamentals of hip hop,” according to emcee Brandon “SikCense” Hermsen. But he says they’re also “not afraid to branch out and take influences from all genres of music.” Fellow emcees Doug Lefebvre and Jon “Former Fetus” Peterson meld their individual styles into a cohesive form that Hermsen says is “believable and refreshing.” They’ve shared a bill with Twin Cities rap heavyweights Heiruspecs and Unknown Prophets, and they’re working on a mixtape and a full-length album.

Dios Mio
1am Fri 5/7 | Pizza Luce
Punk quintet Dios Mio plays thrashy, anthemic hardcore songs about touring, drinking, and fishing pizzas out of trash containers. Colin Sinz and Chito McFlurry slash at their guitars, Jack Gribble pummels his drums, Isaiah Davis keeps a sort of order on bass, and Ryan Sinz screams about life among the young and inebriated. Think the Replacements before they found maturity, or the Dead Kennedys without all the politics. Also, if you get Dios Mio drunk, they’ll play songs by British reggae-hitmakers, UB40.

The DTs
9:45pm Sat 5/8 | Rex Bar
Spawned in Willmar in 1996, this punk trio has been rocking the Twin Ports since 2001, playing its first Homegrown in 2003. Guitarist and vocalist Jedd Olson and drummer Seth Gronli are founding members; Jeremy Ehlert, who joined the band before last year’s Homegrown, is bassist number three. The band has released a full-length album and a split 7-inch with the Keep Aways.  Olson is also a member of Mr. Kickass, and Ehlert plays in Total Freedom Rock.

Duck Duck Punch      
8:30pm Sat 5/8 | The Play Ground
If you like keytars, synthesizers, drum machines and screen savers, there is a good chance you will like Duck Duck Punch. Bryan Rudell and Trent Waterman met several years ago while attending UMD. They both felt 1980s synth pop needed a revival, so they started a band with that goal in mind. Duck Duck Punch made its debut opening for famous keytar-heroes Freezepop at UMD last year and have been keeping busy ever since. The band’s live setup is unlike any others at Homegrown, with six large video monitors running behind them during their set.

Duray and Green
9pm Fri 5/7 | Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake
Paul Duray and Thomas Daniel Green are an acoustic duo that blurs the lines between alt country, blues and folk. “We’re kind of ‘adult alternative’ for the 40-something crowd,” Duray says. He and Green got together in 2007 as a couple dads “who like to perform and write songs about life, love and family.” They played some open-mic nights at Beaner’s Central and released a self-produced CD called Anything and Everything. Duray said he appreciates that Homegrown provides an opportunity to “be placed in an unfamiliar, non-hostile environment with a totally new audience. That keeps things exciting.”

Eeriearq
10:30pm Thurs 5/6 | Norm’s Beer & Brats
Eleven years and ten albums later, Eeriearq is still going strong. The band’s main musical focus has been on writing and recording original, dark-tinged alt-rock music. “Although our general genre is rock, we don’t stick to one style,” says drummer Amy Ugstad. “Our tunes range from edgy rock to melodic mope to old-school punk.” Ugstad says her bandmates — singer/guitarist Bret Walczynski and bassist Jason Szumowski — each bring their own diverse musical tastes into the band’s sound. “A common thread is the darker punk/pop/rock sound from the late 1970s and ’80s to the harder rock of the ’90s,” she says.

Equal Xchange
10:45pm Sat 5/8 | Rex Bar
It’s been a tough year for Equal Xchange. Three weeks after playing the 2009 Homegrown, drummer Brad Rozman died unexpectedly. “But the Xchange is coming back together,” says frontman Rain Elfvin. “We will be using a Dr. Sample, which will provide break beats for nine brand new songs. That is my Homegrown guarantee — a set of nine brand new songs.” Joining Elfvin and Dr. Sample will be guitarist Jesse Hoheisel and bassist Jason Kokal. “Just don’t call us hip-hop,” Elfvin cautions. “It’s rock music with rapping. Kind of.”

Excuse Me Princess
6:30pm Sat 5/8 | The Play Ground
Jack Campbell and Sam Wattrus of the band Completely Random formed Excuse Me Princess last summer as a duo playing nuanced chamber-pop music. Their first show was at the Acadia Café in Minneapolis with musical friends Courtney Yasmineh and Bill Mike. In December, Greta Konkler joined the group on vocals. For Homegrown, they’ll be adding keyboardist Andrew Florestano and drummer Beau Raymond. Band members are ages 15-17.
                       
Father Hennepin
12:30am Sat 5/8 | R.T. Quinlan’s
Homegrown is not only Scott Lunt’s birthday party, it’s the anniversary of his band Father Hennepin’s first gig. Since the alt-country group only performs about once a year, they tend to go all out. Last year’s Homegrown show featured numerous cameos and unrestrained revelry. The regular cast includes Ted Anderson, Bob Olson and Suzie Ludwig, with either Brad Nelson or Jim Hagstrom on drums.

First Class Failure
8:30pm Fri 5/7 | The Play Ground
Guitarists Zac Abukhodair and Grant Murray are both fulltime students who have succeeded in touring the upper Midwest while consistently playing local venues as First Class Failure. They will bring their brand of blithe, acoustic pop to this year’s Homegrown with new songs and their familiar, amiable attitude. A new EP is in the works, tentatively set for a release in the summer. The band is planning to hit the road again in June.

500 Million Society    
9:30pm Fri 5/7 | R.T. Quinlan’s
The group formerly known as the 550 Million Society is now 500 Million Society. What happened to the other 50 million? “It went to the banks to keep them ‘afloat,’” says keyboardist Paul Broman. Led by Tim Nelson’s Zeppelinesque guitar and Broman’s burbling synth, the band’s songs are a noisy blend of 1960s pop and ’70s stoner rock. Anchoring the rhythm section are Jim Hagstrom, who batters his drums as though he’s nursing a grudge, and Dicky Brooks, whose nimble, nuanced bass lines keep the group from drifting into the stratosphere. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in February.

The Fish Heads
10pm Fri 5/7 | Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake
The Fish Heads mix 1970s and ’80s rock with traditional bluegrass music. “You’ll hear everything from the Doobie Brothers to the Beatles, as well as Old Crow Medicine Show and Gillian Welch, mixed with original and high-energy traditional bluegrass music,” says Kim Curtis-Monson, who fronts the band with her husband, Mike Monson. The multi-instrumentalist couple is joined by Brian Ford on banjo. The Fish Heads have produced one album, 2004’s Tales From the Dock Side.

Bill Flannagan
10pm Sat 5/8 | Fitger’s Brewhouse
There’s nothing much complicated about Bill Flannagan, but don’t misunderstand him. “I play rockin’, honky-tonkin’ blues,” says the local-scene vet who has played almost every venue from Superior to Two Harbors and is recording a CD with Eric Swanson at Sacred Heart Studio. “Even though this is a solo acoustic show, think loud, not quiet. The guitar is plugged in and it ain’t no folky hummin’ and strummin’ stuff.” This is Flannagan’s eighth Homegrown. He says a few friends might sit in “if they’re in town.”

The Fontanelles
1am Sat 5/8 | Pizza Lucé
The Fontanelles will be making their Homegrown debut this year, though most of them are familiar faces in the Duluth music scene. The band’s formation sounds more like an awkward hookup — members Gabe Douglas, Dave Mehling, Darin Rieland, Woody Sulberg and Dano Sauter had several drunken encounters at bars with each other and decided to form a band. The result: lots of dirty rock and roll and lots of empty beer cans. Show goers can look forward to hearing the debut of two new songs “You Can Call Me Al — Sparhawk” and “The Duluth Homegrown Rock.”

The Fractals
11pm Fri 5/7 | Roscoe's Pioneer Bar
Although everyone in the Fractals has played Homegrown, and the band has been around since the fall of 2003, this year marks the group’s first entry into the festival. Led by guitarists Barry Pirkola and Jimi Cooper, the Fractals play a wide variety of original music and classic rockabilly, rock, surf, old-time country and nearly everything in between. The rhythm section is made up of bassist Larry “Lefty” Sandmann and drummer Marvin Pomeroy. They’ve held a standing gig as the Thursday-night house band at Thirsty Pagan Brewing Co. for over six years.

The Fromundas
10:30pm Sat 5/8 | R.T. Quinlan’s
Pioneers of the Duluth music scene, the Fromundas haven’t been heard from much in the past 13 years, but the band’s reunion is sure to be regarded as welcome and triumphant. With a stellar staff of seasoned musicians, including Tina Ludwig-Laxen on vocals, Scott Cover on rhythm guitar, Jimmy Myers on lead guitar, Paul Wilson on drums and Chris Bacigalupo (of Tangier 57 fame) on the bass, the electricity these folks generate is off the grid! Expect to hear a mix of old favorites and new inflections for a new century.

The Good Colonels
8pm Sat 5/8 | Beaner’s Central
Codie Leseman and Curtis Mattson formed the Good Colonels in 2008 as a duo and expanded in 2009 to include bass player Joe Conaway. The band is influenced by musicians such as Modest Mouse, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Battles. The Good Colonels combine these influences to create a unique blend of post-rock, indie and psychedelic rock, performing with an upbeat party attitude.

Group Too
7:30pm Thurs 5/6 | Red Mug Coffeehouse
Blues band Group Too was formed nine years ago by guitarist Bob Flatt and bassist Carol Flatt. Drummer Greg Tiburzi joined in 2009. The group has produced one album, Life and Marriage and is working on a follow up. Tiburzi can also be found at Homegrown performing with Wes Hadrich and Sweetgrass.

Wes Hadrich & Greg Tiburzi
12pm Sun 5/9 | Pizza Luce
Attention fans of alt-country, Uncle Tupelo and Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album: Wes Hadrich and Greg Tiburzi’s songs are plaintive and sad, rife with drunks and drifters and hard-luck women. But Hadrich’s fluid guitar playing and emotive vocals keep even his most desolate stories anchored in hope. The new duo is working on its first album.

Healthy Band Music Club
10:30pm Thurs 5/6 | Main Club
Three members of the now-defunct Deathblade Epic’s Champions — Luke Holden, Nick Sunsdahl and Chelsy Whittington — teamed up with Molly Josefson to form Healthy Band Music Club last year, playing Deathblade’s slot at Homegrown. Since then they’ve added Grace Holden on trumpet. “She just moved to Duluth a few months ago and we snapped her up to do trumpet and ukulele — and dancing,” says Whittington. “We’re just your really average band/music club. We play together every week. Sometimes twice a week. We really love playing.”

Shaunna Heckman
9pm Wed 5/5 | Amazing Grace & Café
Shaunna Heckman has been involved with the Duluth music scene since 2000. She has collaborated with a number of local artists over the past decade in the singer/songwriter format, but she has also dabbled in trip hop, down tempo and electronica. Recently, Heckman has reworked her act and is sporting a new, simpler sound that features Kyle Keagan on drums and Matt Mobley on bass. Assisting Heckman with vocal effects is Dan Nelson of her former project, Gleam. Her new music is best described as piano-based chill, with ambient vocals. Fans of Imogen Heap or This Mortal Coil should take note.

Hidden Roots
2pm Sun 5/9 | Sacred Heart
Adam and John Sippola have been fixtures in the Duluth music scene since 1981. The father-and-son duo has been making music since Adam was 5 years old. As the experimental-folk duo Hidden Roots they connect their structured songs with rich, operatic vocals and improvised bridges. Adam also performs solo and with his rock band, Cold Current.

High Volt Rustler
10pm Sun 5/2 | Pizza Luce
Utah native Pauline Russell’s dad encouraged her to play and sing from a young age. She performed as a solo artist after moving to Duluth in the late 1990s, but single motherhood gave her limited time to pursue music. After she married guitarist Allen Klingsporn, the two started jamming together at home, then invited good friend Rich Taylor to join on bass. Russell recruited co-worker Brad Rozman to play drums, and High Volt Rustler was born. The band recorded its first album, No Longer Blue, at Sacred Heart Music Center. Sadly, Rozman never heard the finished product; he died in 2009, well before the disc’s release this past March. Veteran Duluth musician Christopher Modec-Halvorson now rounds out the rhythm section.

The Hotel Coral Essex
10:45pm Fri 5/7 | Rex Bar
Hotel Corral Essex was formed by former Giljunko members Tony Derrick and Patrick Nelson in late 2006. Drawing from their shared love of 1960s psychodelic music as well as ’70s power pop à la Big Star and the New York Dolls, the two soon recruited Nelson’s brother Ryan to play drums and Derrick’s longtime friend Jason Kokal to play bass. Soon after, the band recorded its debut album Glisten, which helped expand on an already growing fan base. The band briefly disbanded in 2008 while Derrick and Kokal formed the Tisdales, but they marked their return with the addition of saxophonist Brad Fernholz in 2009.

Humanoid
10:15pm Sat 5/8 | Carmody
Humanoid began its musical journey in 2001. What started as an acoustic solo act for Kyle Alan Maclean eventually turned into a full-fledged rock and roll band. Humanoid has since been stripped back down to a solo act, with Maclean returning to his roots of playing solo, quiet pop-rock songs as he once did not only with Humanoid, but also his old band Sleepfarmer. Drawing inspiration from daily life, love, lost love, struggle and peace, Humanoid has something to say that just about anybody can relate to and enjoy.

Charity Huot
11pm Sat 5/8 | Burrito Union
Singer/songwriter Charity Huot grew up in a home filled with music and has been a writer since she was in middle school. She learned how to play guitar in college and quickly combined her love for all things creative. Her debut album, Tangled Directions, contained 10 songs about 10 distinct life experiences. Her music is influenced by jazz, alternative folk and bluegrass. Charity has performed around much of Northern Minnesota and is currently writing music for her sophomore album, which she hopes to record later this year.

Indulge
11pm Sat. 5/8 | Pizza Lucé
Indulge made its debut at last year’s Homegrown, pummeling the audience to near submission with sludge- and speed-fueled hardcore. The band, which consists of Mike Wilson, Kyle O'Leary and Ryan and Colin Sinz, often engage in, well, indulgent rituals of food and drink prior to brutalizing the often unsuspecting crowd. On one occasion, drummer Ryan Sinz shotgunned five Mountain Dews before their 10-minute set was over. Rumor has it he will be attempting to down an entire 12-pack in half the time at this year’s festival. Paramedics will not be standing by.

Iron Range Outlaw Brigade
11:15pm Sat 5/8 | Carmody
The sound of Iron Range Outlaw Brigade recalls a time when country music wasn’t sung by men with gelled hair. This is gutbucket country — rowdy, hard-luck songs featuring banjo by Bearclaw Jay and petal steel guitar by John Peterson. Rounding out the group are Kirk Kjenaas on acoustic guitar, Dustin Savela on bass and Dave Stickney on drums. Go to the show, down a shot of Wild Turkey and pretend that Rascal Flatts never existed.

Steve Isakson
10pm Sat 5/8 | Burrito Union
Steve Isakson has been a fixture in the local scene since the mid-1990s. Aside from recording and playing guitar with artists as diverse as Sara Softich, Lookdown Moon and Max Dakota and Modern Life, Isakson has been busy honing his own material. In 2008, he won the Beaner’s Central singer-songwriter competition, and has lately recorded more than 20 demos. He describes his style as bluesy folk-rock, and lists among his influences Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen. Backing him at Homegrown will be John and Rory Isakson on bass and percussion.

James and Younger
11am Sun 5/9 | Pizza Luce
The members of James and Younger have known one another or have played music with one another for many years, being parts of such bands as the Alrights, Port Authority, Crazy Betty, the Very People, Accidental Porn and Knockout Jones. The group features Rochelle Luoma on vocals, Ethan Thompson on bass, Chad Chavo Amborn on drums and Nate Mattson on guitar. They play soul and rhythm and blues, and cite a long spectrum of influences that includes artists, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, Thelonious Monk and J.J. Cale.

Rory James
10pm Tues 5/4 | Chester Creek Café Wine Bar
Rory James’ rough baritone voice and old-time songs sound like they are sung from a lost northwoods cabin. A singer/songwriter whose guitar work ranges from intricate finger picking to rumbling acoustic blues riffs, James occasionally augments his songs with dobro, drums or bass guitar. He performs regularly at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake and Fitger’s Brewhouse, and recently returned from a stint of gigs in Oregon and Washington.

Kip Jones
10pm Wed 5/5 | Fitger’s Brewhouse
Violinist Kip Jones describes his music as “traditional fiction” — that is, “traditional music from regions or people that don’t exist.” Having dragged his violin across the Americas from Cape Breton to Tierra del Fuego, and across Asia from Kanyakumari to Jeollanamdo, years of travel have shaped Jones’ music into something structurally foreign and profoundly American. He fiddles, stomps and sings, handing off the responsibility of melody from his voice to his violin. This style pervades almost all of his original material, to say nothing of reinterpretations of Foo Fighters, Björk or Mississippi John Hurt, among others.

Tim Kaiser
6:45pm Sat 5/8 | Teatro Zuccone
Born and raised in Duluth, Tim Kaiser has been creating music for for 30 years. As a “crazy Frankenstein” instrument builder, he has been profiled in various publications as well as the nationally broadcast PBS series, Make TV. Reviews have depicted Kaiser’s work as “atmospheric,” creating “sonic landscapes” with his unique sound. Musically, Kaiser has presented his electro-acoustical/experimental music all over the world, including Brazil, Germany and Hong Kong. He has various projects with record labels Canada Goose, Housepig and Innova.

Lisa Kane
11pm Fri 5/7 | Fitger’s Brewhouse
Lisa Kane sings her plaintive, no-fuss songs with the authority and grace of a born storyteller. Since breaking from funk/fusion band Zelpha Trippe in 1997, she has made a name for herself as a solo performer, releasing three albums. Kane has been nominated for a Minnesota Music Award and had her songs featured on Minnesota Public Radio. Think Lucinda Williams or Kathleen Edwards — rootsy, acoustic rock with lilting melodies and smart lyrics. Joining Kane for Homegrown will be violinist Rachel Nelson.

The Keep-Aways
9pm Fri 5/7 | Twins Bar
At last year’s Homegrown, the Keep Aways rocked the late-night slot, bringing out special guests Maya Galvin and Cory “Hot Rod” Ahlm at around 3 a.m. to rip out a version of “Hepatitis A.” This year, they’re helping get the Friday night party started at the Twins Bar. The power punk trio of Mindy Johnson, Nikki Moeller and Chris Warne haven’t played much lately, but are considering Homegrown their launch into a busier summer. They’ve been working on new songs for the follow up to their 2008 album, Decay.

Rachael Kilgour
3pm Sun 5/9 | Sacred Heart
Rachael Kilgour sings about love, heartache, family and social justice with determination and charm. Born and raised in Duluth, she is a multi-instrumentalist who has toured throughout the Midwest as a backup singer and violinist for Catie Curtis. Kilgour released her self-titled debut CD in December 2008. Produced by Haley Bonar, the album has received considerable radio play in the region. Kilgour will be joined on stage by backup vocalist Adeline Wright and bassist Matt Mobley.

Kritical Kontact
12am Thurs 5/6 | Rex Bar at Fitger’s
Kritical Kontact has been bringing its brand of spiritual, positive and occasionally political hip hop to the masses for seven years. Concerned more with having fun and sharing their music with the masses than ego stroking and chest thumping, MCs Jesse “Jaze” Unger, David “Bliss” Kittelson, Larry “Legitimit” Letourneau and DJ Derek Delgado have spent much of the past year touring the country, including a memorable benefit show for first responders in New York City on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Their most recent album is 2008’s Evolution of Revolution.

Sarah Krueger
8:30pm Thurs 5/6 | Red Mug Coffeehouse
Sarah Krueger may be best known for her performance on American Idol. The Eau Claire native made the trip to Hollywood in 2007 for the Fox TV show. She broke into Duluth’s music scene shortly after, as a vocalist for Heavy J and the Fantastics. Lately she’s been honing her skills as a solo folk-based acoustic artist. “The band is still together, but everyone kind of has their own projects now,” she said. “Some of the guys are in Two Beat Band, some of them are in Bigtree Bonsai … a bunch of different things.” Kruegar might not be totally solo at Homegrown, however. “Maybe some friends will join me on banjo, bass, mando, other guitars, or some occasional spoons and trinkets,” she says.

The K-Tones  
9:15pm Sat 5/8 | Carmody
A K-Tone’s set reads like the playlist of a classic rock station too good to actually exist. “Broken Flowers” followed by “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” followed by “Jenny Jenny Jenny” and on and on until the end of the night. Expect a wide variety of songs, lots of boozy sing-alongs, and a sound the band describes as “old vinyl playing on a jukebox in a small-town bar.” Guitarists Steve Malberg and Jan Miller trade fiery solos while Tom Kiminski handles rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Steve Jankowski and Chris Wellumson anchor the rhythm section at drums and bass, respectively.

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