On Saturday, February 25th, Caravan du Nord will be at Paramount Theatre in Austin, featuring Mae Simpson, with Maygen & The Birdwatcher and Amanda Grace.
This multi-genre musical experience will be an unforgettable showcase of amazing Minnesota talent in the beautiful historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and is sponsored by The Current and Explore Minnesota.
Caravan du Nord features Minnesota musicians of different genres and backgrounds from across the state. This year’s showcase series launched in October 2022 stops in St. Paul and Red Wing, and will continue January-March, 2023 with tour stops in Rochester, Northfield, Austin, and Duluth. Each tour stop also features a workshop and networking event for any local musicians. Learn more about all Caravan du Nord events at https://www.mnmusiccoalition.org/caravan-du-nord/
7:00PM Doors / 7:30PM Show: Caravan du Nord concert, featuring Mae Simpson, with Maygen & The Birdwatcher and Amanda Grace
Paramount Theatre, 125 4th Avenue NE, Austin, MN
Purchase tickets HERE
About the Artists
Mae Simpson shook up the Twin Cities' scene in 2019, Winning battle of the bands, and City Pages reader’s choice “Best New Band” along with being named a nominee for “Best Live Concert”. Mae and her seven piece band including a horn section, blur the lines between a wide range of influences. From the depth and energy of funk and rock, down to the melodic edge of R&B and folk. Led by Mae Simpson, who's '...voice is larger than life — but not as large as her uncontainable energy that radiates from the stage." Helen Teague - Minnesota Public Radio. Known for their Intense and exciting live shows, the band has an immediate impact that favors the human connection between the musicians and the audience. Opening up for acts like Dermot Kennedy, Karl Denson, Rubblebucket, Robert Clay, Langhorn Slim, Pert Near Sandstone and Playing many notable stages across the Midwest like First ave main room, The Fillmore mpls, Basilica Block Party, Live On King Street, and Blue Ox. If you are a fan of artists such as Alabama Shakes, Lake Street Dive and Bruce Springsteen, Mae Simpson is right up your alley. https://www.facebook.com/MaeSimpsonMusic/
Maygen & The Birdwatcher - Coming off the successful release of their award-winning "stunning" (Americana UK) debut full-length album, Moonshine, Maygen & The Birdwatcher are off and runnin’. The folk duo-turned 6-piece adventurously blur the sounds of country, bluegrass, folk, and blues - keepin' it all fresh. With the versatility to play in a number of stage configurations ranging from an intimate duo to their boot-stomping full band, the group can charm a broad range of audiences. From beauty to grit, sadness to silliness, the common thread is that this group loves music, and playing it together. It shows. To ensure the full spectrum of their sound is available to listeners, the band is releasing a 6-song EP Sept 9 called Bootleggin’ At The Flower Shoppe. They went right back to Flowers Studio (The Jayhawks, Mason Jennings, Soul Asylum, Jeremy Messersmith, Lizzo) with Kris Johnson, who was their engineer on Moonshine, and recorded the more energetic and good-timin’ songs that were written around the same time as Moonshine, but hadn’t gotten the chance to be properly recorded and shared with their fans. They like to think of Bootleggin’ as Moonshine’s companion, released less than a year from each other, with many different things to offer listeners that have grown to look forward to their diverse approach to songwriting. The band has only been playing together for two years but has already landed opportunities to join festival stages with bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, Paul Cauthen, Grace Potter, and even support a childhood favorite, Travis Tritt. "In many ways, Maygen & The Birdwatcher feel like a collaboration between two distinct artists versus a more seamless band-- but it's that individuality, those visible seams, that make them such a fascinating act." - Adventures In Americana www.MaygenandtheBirdwatcher.com
Amanda Grace - Amanda is a Minnesota born and raised singer-songwriter producing music drifting between folk and rock with an emphasis on melody and ballads. With roots as a pianist her writing is thematically varied with an emphasis on melody; with ballads wrapped in warm vocals. In 2016 she received a "Front Of The Line" pass from The Voice. She’s released 7 albums and travels regionally. Her latest album, "Please Dear Sun" was nominated for "Blues & Roots Album Of The Year." https://musicbyamandagrace.com Joining her this evening: Jim Trouten, Dave Casey + Jake Allen
Schedule for the Day
3PM Music Careers in 2023, Presented by Scott LeGere
Paramount Theatre Annex, 125 4th Avenue NE, Austin, MN
Creating a career in music is a constantly changing and sometimes challenging endeavor. In order to empower your next steps, this workshop will cover topics including digital distribution, revenue streams, and resources for Minnesota musicians to help you broaden your potential opportunities in our exciting music environment.
4PM Musician Panel: Making it in Minnesota - How Musicians Build Successful Career Paths
Paramount Theatre Annex, 125 4th Avenue NE, Austin, MN
A panel of musicians will discuss how they have built their careers, what they learned along the way, and how those lessons can translate to your musical journey. Panelists include: Mae Simpson, Josh Whalen, Maygen Lacey, Jae Havoc.
5:30PM-6:30PM Networking Social Hour Dusty’s Bar and Lounge, 422 N Main St, Austin, MN 55912
Register for networking and workshop events HERE