Entertainment Briefs - Aug. 24

Grassroots Concerts fall schedule announced

NISSWA-Five Friday night concerts have been scheduled for the fall 2017 season of Grassroots Concerts in the Live Well Night Club and Coffee Bar of the Journey Church in Nisswa.

They are:

Sept. 22 - CHARLIE PARR

Born in Austin, Minn., Duluth-based Charlie Parr is a roots musician like no other

today. "Parr is a folk artist for new American Dust Bowl, a resonator-ready troubadour

with well-worn satchel of troubled tales that cut to the heart of a nation mired in fear and

in dire need of a roots revival." - Acoustic Guitar

Oct. 13 - RITA HOSKING

California-based Rita Hosking's fierce and captivating country-folk voice sings of

culture clashes, dishes, forest fires, black holes and hope. Rita's stories and soul-stirring

delivery blend with husband Sean Feder on sparkling dobro and banjo to deliver

"authentic American folk-music that stirs the soul." - No Depression

Oct. 27 - JILLIAN RAE

Jillian Rae is a multi-talented violinist, and songwriter whose creative and

dynamic style of violin playing underscore her stage presence. Reared in the music-rich

Iron Range of northern Minnesota, Jillian has become "a triple treat on vocals, fiddle and

composition...a joyous expression of strength and resilience." - Star Tribune

Nov. 17 - ACTUAL WOLF

Actual Wolf, aka Eric Pollard, is a Grand Rapids, Minn. native. He is the dude

with red glasses who blends the grit and soul of country music with the rhythm of rock

and the twang of Americana. "Listening to him is like hearing a wolf trying on a sound; a

vocal chameleon, channeling Roy Orbison, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, or a nameless

country singer drifting in on AM signal." - MINNESOTA BROWN

Dec. 8 - SALLY BARRIS

Sally Barris is a Nashville songwriter whose songs have been covered by many

top-level artists. Fans are equally impressed with her song writing and expressive

mountain soprano conveyed in a bright spirit. "Barris knows how to write lyrics that are

forthright as a stream of clear water." - Dirty Linen

The Live Well Nightclub and Coffee Bar is located in the Journey Church next to

the school in Nisswa. Doors open at 6:30p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m. General

admission is $10 at the door.

Grassroots Concerts are made possible in part by a grant provided by the Five

Wings Arts Council with funds through the Minnesota State Legislature.

For more information go to grassrootsconcerts.org or visit Grassroots Concerts on

Facebook.

Railroad Days Celebration planned in Staples

The Staples Motley Chamber of Commerce will be having the 2017 Railroad Days Celebration Thursday through Sunday in Staples.

Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union will be having a medallion hunt with new clues every day until it is found. There will be community-wide garage sales and the Sacred Heart Church's annual garage sale all three days to get the celebration started.

The celebration will start Thursday with the Lakewood Health System's Golf Classic, and the Little Red Caboose Variety Show to be held at the Centennial Auditorium at 7 p.m. Each day is packed with many activities planned for all age levels.

Friday's events include fireworks, Twisted Sisters Car Show, Legacy Garden's Ice Cream Social and the Ag Center Field Day.

Saturday's events will be kiddie tractor pull, vendors, entertainment on the stage with Wadena

Whirlaway Square Dancers, The Slew Foot Family, Cabin 10, the street dance featuring SSCB and the chili cook-off.

Other activities include the Sacred Heart Church children's games, water wars, Alliance

Church corn feed, Friends of the Library root beer floats, Trinity Lutheran Church pancake breakfast, a beer garden, Lions 93 Wings Booth, a parade, hair braiding, Kinship

Partnership 5K Dash, and the Railroad Days Car Show to be held at the Staples Elementary

School from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts and the Staples Motley Area Women of Today.

The Leader Area Pig Races will have two shows: from 1-2 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. Saturday at the parking lot of the Sacred Heart Catholic School. Businesses and individuals will be sponsoring the pigs to be showcased in these races.

This is the fourth year for the Staples Sings contest featuring singers from ages 15-25 years of age to be held noon Saturday. Winners of this contest will represent Staples-Motley in St. Paul at Minnesota Sings in September.

For more information, check out the website at https://staplesmotleychamber.org/ , Facebook or call the chamber office at 218-894-3974.

Aitkin's fourth annual Harvest Moon Brew Fest returns

AITKIN-The Harvest Moon Brew Fest, now in its fourth year, returns to downtown Aitkin, Sept. 9, with 60-plus beer brands.

Rain or shine, this year's Harvest Moon Brew Fest, hosted by Glacial Lakes Brewers, will take place in the parking lot of the historic Butler Building (301 Minnesota Avenue North, Aitkin) from 3 to 6 p.m., with a special 50 person only VIP Session from 2-3 p.m.

Some of this year's beer companies featured at the event will include: Surly Brewing Company, Castle Danger Brewery, Gull Dam Brewing, Jack Pine Brewery, Sociable Cider Works and Cuyuna Brewing, many returning for the fourth year in a row.

Ross Otto will be there with Hammerschlagen, a German game reportedly dating from 1940, in which several contestants try to hammer a nail into a stump. Proceeds from the game go to Sylvia's Children, a nonprofit supporting a school in Uganda.

Acoustic artist Larry Fontaine will again be making an appearance at this year's festival with his spin on songs from the '60s and '70s, as well as performing original songs. Fontaine, on guitar and harmonica, will be performing songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young and other various artists, including The Band and Van Morrison.

New this year will be the French Hillbillies who have performed at many Aitkin events, including the Farmers' Market and in the Opera House. The pop, rock, folk, country and occasional French musical duo is made up of Sandy Lehman and her musical partner Alexandrine Harris. One half from France, and the other from Minnesota, the French Hillbillies enjoy poking fun at the clash of the two cultures of two vastly different worlds, leading to great music and fun.

There will also be an array of food selections available for purchase, live entertainment and games. Paulbeck's County Market will feature their various homemade bratwursts as well as having coffee for the designated drivers. (This year, designated drivers get a coffee mug from Brandl Motors as well as free coffee and bratwurst.) The Beanery will also be participating again this year with their annual specials.

The cost for the general public to attend from 3 to 6 p.m. is $20 in advance or $30 at the gate on the day of the event. Designated drivers will pay $7.50.

Tickets to the VIP Session are $40 in advance or $50 at the gate. All VIP tickets will include entry, at no additional cost, to the general admission portion of the festival from 3 to 6 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at the Aitkin Independent Age, The Beanery, Security State Bank and online at https://tickets.beerfests.com/event/harvest-moon-brewfest .

All net proceeds from the event will go to the official beneficiary of the event, Sylvia's Children, a 501(c)3 non-profit working to improve the lives of more than 1,000 children living in Uganda, Africa.

For more information on the Harvest Moon Brew Fest, contact Sylvia Allen at 218-678-2441, www.glaciallakesbrewers.org/hmbf.html or visit www.thebutlerbuilding.org .

Chicago musician to play in Nisswa

NISSWA-Big Axe Brewing in downtown Nisswa will host Chicago musician Tommi Zender for a free patio concert at 6 p.m. Saturday.

He is a singer-songwriter, producer/arranger, and teacher with over 30 years of experience.

Zender is well-versed in most electric and acoustic styles. He is proficient in finger styles

ranging from Nick Drake to the Beatles, hybrid picking, funk/R&B, as well as all hard and soft

types of rock and roll. He has released three albums of original music and played on numerous

others.

Zender studied music performance at Columbia College. He teaches at Northwestern

University and Old Town School of Folk Music. He resides in Evanston, Ill.

For more about him go to https://tommizender.wordpress.com/ and to see Big Axe events, visit https://www.facebook.com/BigAxeBrewingCo/ .

Fall music lessons at St. Francis Music Center

LITTLE FALLS-Private lessons are available for piano, organ, guitar, bass guitar, banjo, ukulele, percussion, trap set, all band instruments, violin, viola, cello, bass, accordion and voice at St. Francis Music Center.

All ages and all levels of ability, from the very beginners to advanced students, are welcome.

The Music Center also offers gymnastics classes and dance classes. Dance classes are for

ages 3 and up and will be Saturday mornings. Gymnastics classes start at age 4 and will be Thursday evenings.

Students can sign up for composition and recording sessions. Dr. Turley from the College

of St. Benedict/St. John's is available every other Monday for piano lessons.

The St. Francis Preparatory Orchestra, St. Francis Concert Orchestra and St. Francis

Chamber Orchestra begin rehearsals on Sept. 12. All area string players are invited to

be a part of the orchestras. Call the Music Center for more information.

The St. Francis Community Chorale will meet on Thursday evenings beginning

Sept. 21. This group is open to all teens and adults who love to sing; no auditions are

necessary. Rehearsals for Kids Sing! will begin in October. This singing group is free and open

to all children ages 5-12.

The Music Center has new classes for adults. Bucket List Piano is a group piano lesson to

give you a fast track start to playing piano. In six weeks, the class should be able to learn 4-5

songs and be ready to move on to more. This class will be offered 1 p.m. Wednesdays.

Garage Band Revisited is geared for grown-ups who have been, or want to be, in a garage

band. Connect with new band mates and jam together. All sound equipment is provided-just

bring your instrument or drum sticks. Garage Band will meet every Thursday evening at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the Center at 320-632-0637. To register for lessons and classes, visit the web site at: www.sfmusiccenter.org and click on register now.

St. Francis Music Center is a community school for the arts located on the campus of the

Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. The music school is open to all and offers a wide variety of

lessons and programs. Financial aid is available.

Heartland Symphony Orchestra program announced

Heartland Symphony Orchestra has scheduled a great line-up of music for their 41st season. The themes for 2017-2018 include "The Great Romantics" for the fall concert series, "Holiday Voices" for winter and "The Essence of Spring" for spring.

The first concert of the season will be held in Little Falls on Oct. 14 and Brainerd on Oct. 15 and will feature the music of Brahms, Saint-Saens and Wagner. Cellist Scott Lykins will be the featured guest artist. He will perform the Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op 33 by Camille Saint-Saens. Lykins is an accomplished performer and also the founding artistic and executive director of the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd.

Heartland Symphony Orchestra will present its winter concert season in Little Falls on Dec. 2 and Brainerd on Dec. 3. "Holiday Voices" is the chosen title of the winter concert series. The HSO will be joined in the second half by the heavenly voices of the Legacy Chorale for a program full of holiday music including the "Hallelujah Chorus."

The spring concert series, "The Essence of Spring" will be held April 7 in Little Falls and April 8 in Brainerd. The music includes work by Gabriel Faure and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The feature of the spring concert series will be the performance of music by the winner of the Composer's Competition.

Heartland Symphony Orchestra is a 50-piece volunteer, nonprofit, community orchestra serving the communities of Brainerd and Little Falls.

These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and by a generous grant from the Laura Jane Musser Fund.

Visit www.HeartlandSymphony.com for season tickets.

Great River Arts to host author Roger Storkamp

LITTLE FALLS-Great River Arts will host author Roger Storkamp for a book signing and book giveaway event from 1-3 p.m. Friday.

Storkamp will be signing his recently published memoirs, "Pvt. Richard Lee Leslie" (2017) and "Showgirl Memoir." (2016). Storkamp will generously be giving away copies of his rural Minnesota trilogy at Great River Arts.

Storkamp's most recent book, "Showgirl Memoir," is the story of Mikel Peterson, a dancer and showgirl on and off the Las Vegas Strip. Mikel describes her memoir as a "personal experience of a small-town girl who fulfilled her dream but awoke to the harsh realities of show business, how (she) survived and thrived in a world of glamour." This memoir includes 48 pages of photographs highlighting her career and the stars she encountered.

The memoir "Pvt. Richard Leslie," is written about Storkamp's father-in-law. Pvt. Richard Leslie served in the Army Airborne under General Douglas MacArthur throughout the Philippine Islands Campaign during WWII. Storkamp explains "I have had the privilege of writing this memoir of his war experiences and a life time of post-traumatic stress disorder. His only restriction to the publication of Pvt. Richard Leslie; not until my ashes are dusted in the breeze."

A Pierz native, Storkamp spent his career teaching in White Bear Lake. His love of Minnesota is displayed elegantly in his Minnesota trilogy that takes place in a fictional town loosely patterned after Pierz and Little Falls. Thelma's Quilt, 'Neath a Crescent Moon and Miss West describe the lives of rural Minnesota residents and their journeys to finding connection and purpose. These works will be available for giveaway.

Great River Arts is located at 122 SE First St., Little Falls, and funded in part by the Five Wings Arts Council and Legacy Amendment. Gallery and gift shop hours are Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Visit www.greatart.org or like us on Facebook to be notified of other upcoming events.

Jack Franzen and the Muddy Water Band to perform

Jack Franzen and the Muddy Water Band will perform 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at Gregory Park.

Franzen has been playing music for more than 50 years. The Muddy Water Band began playing together 38 years ago. The members of the band are Tim Richardson and John Franzen. The style of music played is old-time country-'50s to '80s. Many original songs were written and recorded by Franzen.

Concerts in the Park are free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concerts are in collaboration between the City of Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department and The Center. Sponsorship of the concerts is being provided in honor of Helen K. Mills. Additional supporting sponsors are the Brainerd Community Foundation, Brainerd Lions, Mid-MN Federal Credit Union and the BN Credit Union. Rain out site is The Center, 803 Kingwood St., Brainerd.

Trivia contest/Bay Lake Environmental Fund Benefit planned for Sunday

A trivia contest/benefit for the Bay Lake Environmental Fund will be Sunday.

Registration will be 6:30 p.m. Contest begins at 7 p.m. at Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge.

Cost: $20 and includes appetizer buffet. Cash bar will be available.

Form a team of up to eight or choose to be assigned to a team upon arrival. Drop-ins welcome. Prizes will be awarded.

To register or for more information, contact Peggy Blistain at 218-851-1208 or pegblistain@gmail.com .