Dipping our toes in to Midwest Music Fest 2013

Midwest Music Fest feels like ages ago now but I didn't want to miss posting about this fantastic festival in nearby Winona, MN.  With family commitments and a busy weekend ahead of us, we only made it to a few shows but it was well worth the effort. My husband and I started at the Acoustic Cafe for Mike Munson's show.  Mike is referred to as an "afficianado of the blues".  I have to confess my lukewarm interest in blues music but I love Mike's music. He has great vocals and just a nice, cool style about him. A perfect way to start the fest in a busy, homey cafe with a lot of attentive adults mixed with little kids running around dancing.

    His guitar case offstage caught my eye. I'd love to do a photo montage of 

musician's guitar cases.  

So onward we walked to Ed's No-Name Bar.

I do love the Midwest Music Fest theme: Where music and community meet. The music brings the community together and all those who love live music come out and revel in the good sounds all over town.

Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps

And then we walked over to the Masonic Temple and listened to The Pines.
The lead singers are David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, Bo Ramsey's son.

David opened their show by saying how excited they were to play at the Masonic because they loved haunted places. And that is the best way to describe their music. Haunted. I had goose bumps.

We didn't see as much of you this year, Midwest Music Fest, but we love you all the same. Keep it up. You're doing it.

Great films riverside at the Frozen River Film Festival

I watch the icy river roll by my window as we wind our way up Highway 61 to Winona.  Icicles hang off of the bluffs. The brown, snowless landscape just looks stark and barren.  We turn at Sugar Loaf Bluff and chug along toward Winona State University. Covered in goose down, we climb out of our warm little car.  Every breath hangs in front of us. I imagine myself sitting in Blue Heron, a steaming cup of coffee in front of me. It is always arctic cold when we head up to the Frozen River Film Festival. With over 50 documentaries airing over the course of 7 days, the film festival topics stretch from Shakespeare to melting glaciers to eco ninjas. Cozy chairs, warm & tasty food and a great film were on our agenda as we wandered in from the cold.

My little niece coming up the stairs. She was proud of herself for making it to the top. 

She said, "I come  up."

We watched a fantastic film, looked at the exhibits, had some lunch and went for a walk by the 

frozen river.

We'll be back next year, Frozen River. Next time we'll buy a weekend pass, stay over and take advantage of your incredible documentary offerings.  To see the diverse line-up of films, check out the FRFF film schedule.

Boats & Bluegrass 2012

"The bluegrass is just smoke & mirrors", he said. Boats & Bluegrass ia a Winona, MN festival on the Mississippi River, 50 yards from a campground with 40+ bands playing from morning to night. We set up camp and relaxed in the afternoon sun, moved from stage to stage filling up on fiddles and banjos and harmonies and we even made it through the smoke and mirrors and found our way to the boats. Starting a festival to get people on the river and then stocking it with grade A bluegrass bands, now that is some artful deception. The only problem is finding the time to soak it all in.

The entrance to Boats & Bluegrass. 

Dr. Bob's Midway Show

Corpse Reviver

Aerial dancing with Jess & Jess

Steve Kaul & the Brass Kings

Hanging out with my husband at camp

My cuddly niece, Tula. 

She's really into saying names right now so I got to hear 

"Hi Pol Pol" all weekend.

My brother and his gals

Sometimes we'd have the whole river to ourselves for the longest time.

Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water;

and maybe a spark--which was a candle in a cabin window;

and sometimes on the water you could see a spark or two--

on a raft or scow, you know, 

and maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song 

coming over from one of them crafts.

It is lovely to live n' a raft.

--Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn

Nicholas Mrozinski

Driftless Fire Tribe

Paper Bird

Good morning campers. Time for coffee and more bluegrass.

I loved this band but I don't know who they are. They shall remain nameless. She had a big husky, country voice that you don't hear a lot of in these parts.

Something going on around every corner

Paddling out to a sandbar for a surprise musical guest

A nice calm day on the river.

Nice B&B sand art

Surprise! It's Pert Near Sandstone!

Pert Near Sandstone from Polly Scott on Vimeo.
After some bluegrass on the beach and a nice paddle back to shore we ended up with a dead car battery.  One of the guys from The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank ended up jumping our car. Perfect ending to a great weekend. I'm not sure if the bluegrass brought us to the boats or the boats brought us to the bluegrass. It was all one beautiful, loud, chaotic, exhausting and exhilarating blast of a weekend. And we didn't even see the half of it. I guess we'll need to go back next year.

For more information visit: http://www.boatsandbluegrass.com/Home.html

Downtown Sound Music Festival

As part of the La Crosse Bicycle Festival, Downtown Sound is a festival powered by bikes.  Though I'm late in posting this, the festival was Friday, August 31st through Sunday, September 2nd. We went to the live music on Saturday but there were a lot of fun things going on all weekend.  A 50-mile Norski ride, a 35-mile Apple Blosson loop, an Architectural Tour an Archaeological Tour, a Skull-Splitter ride around southeastern Minnesota and then a lot of live music. That's where we came in.

Nicholas Mrozinski, & The Feelin' Band from St. Paul, MN with his alternative soul music.  He was just on The Voice and will be coached this season by none other than CeeLo Green. Here's the video of Nicholas on The Voice http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/nicholas-davids-blind-audition-stand-by-me/1417237/

Bicycles powered the stage so there were riders for the entire outdoor concert on Pearl Street.

Chastity Brown with some excellent soul music.  Tennessee native now living in the Twin Cities. I would love to hear more from her.

We cooled off with a beer at Bodega.

My brother with his two favorite ladies.

My husband getting interviewed while helping power the stage.  

We only attended a small part of this bike festival but it seemed like a great event.  Next year we'll have to join in on some of the driftless bike rides.  For more information about this event: http://www.bicyclelacrosse.com/bikefest/