A Handful of Bands I Don’t Want to Miss at 2013 Mid West Music Fest

Let’s face it, 130 bands over three days in multiple venues – better have a strategy. Mine this year – in between other family commitments – is to focus on bands I haven’t seen from town and the out-of-towners that have caught my ear through the Noisy Neighbor/MWMF mix or my own online adventuring. With a festival as rich in music as MWMF, my tendency is to graze the entire menu – catching parts of several band’s sets, but there are a few bands on my shortlist.

Thursday

There is a reason the new Son Volt record “Honky Tonk” has been on my car stereo for weeks - I love alternative country. A genre essentially invented by Jay Fararr’s Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks of Minneapolis. Well friends, we have are own alt. country purveyors these days – Jaybone Bell & Restless Light (9:45 PM at Ed’s No Name Bar). A gift of the fact we have two university music departments and from year to year we are fortunate to have students busting their chops in the local music scene. Jaybone is one Jason Ziebell, and the guy can write some pretty good tunes. Heck, he’s playing with Bozeman, Montana’s Kitchen Dwellers during the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Another act I am sure to catch is Kendl Winter (9 PM at Winona Arts Center) (http://youtu.be/oPw3obDVHiY). Kendl is from Olympia, WA and is the former banjo playing songwriter for the Blackberry Bushes who have graced stages numerous times in Winona. She is now doing solo work for Olympia’s K Records label and honing her lilting, warble while touring the country. The first time I saw Kendl, I thought she must be from Appalachia somewhere – sweet, twangy little voice cascading over crisp banjo. Turns out she’s more urban riot grrl than hill country crooner – but you be the judge.

Friday

Sandwiched together on Friday are three acts that I am anxiously waiting to sample. Cuddle Magic is back-to-back with Daredevil Christopher Wright (8:45 PM and 10:00 PM at Winona Arts Center) (http://youtu.be/YlEhUmxh5QE)– these bands share some history (and a 7 inch recently getting airplay on NPR’s All Things Considered) and for the lucky few, were last seen in Winona together at a kind of living room show at Some Sum Studio back in October. Daredevil Christopher Wright hails from that newly minted music hotspot Eau Claire, WI (spawned national touring acts as Bon Iver and Megafaun) and delivers catchy, indie pop along the lines of Here We Go Magic – imagine if Simon & Garfunkel took a bit of the sugariness out of The Postal Service. Cuddle Magic is a collective of sorts, with musicians from Philly, Boston and New York (http://youtu.be/GlhoZzoyXgk.) The band is comprised of woodwinds, strings, horns, xylophone, drums, guitar – in other words a lot of sounds. There is a twisted, circus feel to their music, a kind of wayward ground for music students. If chamber music can be indie and hip, these folks are leading the new genre.

In between these two unique performances is Halloween, Alaska (9 PM Ed’s Block Party.) Minneapolis-based, these guys have hit all the right buttons in crafting ambient electronic, alternative pop stunners. There music has been featured on television’s The O.C. and found play on college radio throughout the U.S. I’m not usually one for this much electronic sound, but in these guys hands it feels pretty grooving.

Saturday

I have to say that one of the most interesting gigs of the night is the back-to-back battle of the high school bands Neon and Bomba de Luz (9:30 PM and 10:45 PM at Dibs Cloud Nine Union Theater). I’ve never heard of Neon (http://youtu.be/zuZMYMdSej0) from La Crosse, WI, but their cut was infectious on the MWMF sampler (my daughter was laying down her groove step, which is only reserved for a very few bands). If I hadn’t read the promo I would have guessed these guys were from California – drinking up the Cali sun and listening to a lot of Dawes. They will have their hands full opening for Bomba de Luz – check out their live in-studio cut on 89.3 Current (http://youtu.be/yKueFp4nz78.) Lydia Hoglund, songwriter and front woman, is a force that has the talented and experienced Minneapolis musicians pool clamoring. The first time I saw them I was speechless – a high school band, this must be a tall tale. Well, it’s not, Lydia, along with her crack band are going to blow some minds.

In a jam packed three days, there is also the Winona Park District’s Earth Day Celebration (12 PM to 5:15 PM in Levee Park) in conjunction with Midwest Music Fest. What? How could the park district be so down – might have something to do with Julie Fassbender, who in her spare time co-directs with her husband Tom, Winona’s Boats & Bluegrass Festival each September. This should help explain why the line-up is jam packed – San Souci Quartet and Steve Kaul & the Brass Kings (B & B veterans). Also don’t miss EMMY award winner, Jack Norton and the Zinghoppers, a children's band with a television series airing on over 100 PBS member stations nationwide and in 175 countries. I’m also excited to catch a bit of a new local band (of Winona music scene veterans) Jake Ilika & The Heavy Set playing a blend of blues, Americana, and country - it will be extra special to catch a glimpse or glimmer off Jamie Groth’s sparkling bass.

Hard to believe that this is only a handful of the talent that is going to be showcased this week in venues throughout Winona. I am hoping to lose several pounds getting to much more of this “stars of track and field” schedule – including several of the artist management workshops also being hosted in venues on Saturday. Get your running shoes on folks.