Northrop Concerts & Lectures Announces Summer Music Festival at Northrop

Northrop Concerts and Lectures at the University of Minnesota presents the Summer Music Festival at Northrop 2011 (SMFN). Previously called Summer at Northrop, SMFN is a free, outdoor summer concert series featuring well-known local musicians and DJs, alongside U of M student bands as a way to support emerging University talent. This edition of the festival comes with "new thinking, fresh ideas, and exciting directions," states Director of Northrop Concerts and Lectures, Ben Johnson. "It was important to make dramatic new changes to our festival format, and it started with inviting noted local musicIan Grant Cutler to be the Guest Artistic Director. Cutler (Gorgeous Lords, Lookbook), and an energetic Student Advisory Committee (a team of volunteer, motivated, music and PR savvy U of M students) curated the transformed series."

Musical Highlights include:

A major Friday evening concert called "Friday Night Live" featuring local hip hop superstar Sims (Doomtree) and Bight Club.
Three concerts in a Movies and Music Series pairing popular films and the hottest musical acts in the Twin Cities.
A special Noontime Concert Series of three concerts that features new and classic Summer Music Festival at Northrop artists.
Our first collaboration with First Avenue, bringing the ever popular DJ Sovietpanda (Too Much Love) to the campus mall featuring three noontime dance parties devoted to international dance, techno, and house music.
A Northrop commission of the kick-off event of the inaugural Northern Spark Festival by composer Chris Kallmyer called dawn or dusk // homeward featuring 100+ professional and amateur musicians.
A roster of noon time singer-songwriters on the St. Paul Campus featuring the best emerging talent from the U of M, presented by Student Unions & Activities.
An evening of spoken word/open mic by U of M student group Voices Merging.
Flash Mob Raucous and radical, yet talented, student musicians and performers take over central campus and the mall. Date TBD.
"I loved being a part of this festival, and working with students and connecting this festival with the vibrant music scene of the Twin Cities. This festival will feature some of my favorite artists working on their latest projects," say Cutler. The line-up is an eclectic taste of everything including hip-hop, dance music, singer-songwriter, folk, Latin, and spoken word, and is a combination of both noontime and evening shows.

Spanning across the months of June and July, the events of Summer Music Festival at Northrop (celebrating its 57th Anniversary), all take place on the Northrop Plaza, unless otherwise noted in the schedule. Times vary, depending on the performance. For more information, visit Northrop's website or call 612-625-6600.

Free food giveaways will be featured throughout the summer from University of Minnesota Dining Services, Jimmy Johns, and Qdoba, and raffles for area gift cards and other prizes-including an iPod Touch. Check the online schedule for specific dates and more information.

The University of Minnesota Farmers Market, located on Church Street, starts July 13 running every Wednesday throughout the summer from 11 am to 2 pm.

2011 New Programming & Line-up:

Friday Night Live
A blow-out event, featuring the hottest names in Twin Cities hip-hop with Sims from Doomtree and Bight Club.

Fri, July 15, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Northrop Plaza
Headliner: Sims
Opener: Bight Club

Featuring the clever unflinching raps of Andrew Sims, one of the voices from the well-known hip-hop collaborative in the Twin Cities, Doomtree. Having just released his second album Bad Time Zoo in February on Doomtree Records, Sims chronicles his "ongoing quest for solid understanding in a society on the brink of dystopia."

Bight Club MC Jeremy Nutzman and beat-smith Tony Rabiola bring their high-energy beats with influences from funk and both new and old hip-hop.

First Ave: TOO MUCH LOVE on Campus
Featuring beats from DJ Sovietpanda from this popular downtown dance party on the Northrop Plaza.

Wed, June 8, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Wed, June 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Wed, July 13, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

DJ Sovietpanda spins his trademark dance party Too Much Love right here on the U of M campus. Come and burn off some energy at this lunchtime dance party. Too Much Love dance party held Saturday nights at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis is thrown by resident DJ Sovietpanda, aka Peter Lansky, and features guest DJs from the Twin Cities and all over the world.

Movies and Music Series
The night begins with a concert on Northrop Plaza, and ends with a movie on Coffman Plaza. Presented in partnership with Student Unions and Activities.

CONCERT 1: Headliner: Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles
Opener: U of M band Ryan Flannery & The Night Owls
Wed, June 15, 7:00 - 8:30 pm (concert) 9:00 pm (movie)
Movie: Superbad

Freak-folk sweethearts Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles are making appearances all over the Twin Cities music scene. The band works collaboratively when writing songs, and has released three independent albums. The band members are: Lucy Michelle - whistling, ukuleles, singer; Geoff Freeman - "drums"; Chris Graham - acoustic guitar; Ashley Boman - accordion; Jesse Schuster - standup bass; and Eamonn McClain - cello. They're bound to make you fall in love with their irresistible tunes with punk, rock, and folk influences.

Ryan Flannery & the Night Owls are an indie rock band consisting of Ryan Flannery on keys and vocals, John Burgess on drums, and Tom Kallio on guitar. Self described as an "energetic sound that still incorporated jazz-based influences."

CONCERT 2: Headliner: Kill the Vultures
Opener: U of M band Peregrine Perspective
Wed, July 20, 7:00 - 8:30 pm (concert) 9:00 pm (movie)
Movie: Jurassic Park

Kill the Vultures (Alexei Moon Casselle and Stephen Lewis, a.k.a. MC Crescent Moon and DJ Anatomy) lay social commentary rap over soundscapes derived from the city night. Crescent Moon on vocals drops imagistic and gritty realism, while Anatomy curates the beats, with drums, brass, bass, and strings, complemented by live instruments.

Peregrine Perspective is a psychedelic jazz ensemble including Kevin Kalligher, Jake Rohde, Kellie Reichert, Clifford Newton, Rosalyn Murphy, and Eston Bennett. Their self-described sound is "experimental guitar work, soulful singing, and funk-soaked rhythm."

CONCERT 3: Headliner: A. Wolf & Her Claws
Opener: U of M band Absolute Grüv
Wed, Aug 3, 7:00 - 8:30 pm (concert) 9:00 pm (movie)
Movie: Rango

A. Wolf & Her Claws is a new vocal/electronic project that blends the soulful pipes of Aby Wolf with the synthesized sound of Jesse Whitney (formerly of Dance Band), Linnea Mohn (Rogue Valley, The Alpha Centauri) on vocals, keys, and bass, and Joey Van Phillips (Mystery Palace, Volcano Insurance) on drums and vibraphone.

"The hip-hop-spiked folk of Aby Wolf combines her rural upbringing and current urban lifestyle." - Star Tribune

Absolute Grüv is a jam band with roots in jazz, blues, and soul music. They are influenced by Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, and Johnny Cash, among others. Sam Hankey is on lead vocals, Hammond b3, keyboards; Ian Wilson on guitars, vocals; Brandon James on bass, vocals; and Clay Whitney on drum set, percussion, vocals.

Noontime Concert Series
The historic hallmark concerts held on Northrop Plaza for a refreshing mid-day break.

CONCERT 1: Gramma's Boyfriend
Wed, June 1, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

The playful nature of Gramma's Boyfriend comes through with their "80's throw back pop with an experimental vibe." A side project for well-known Minneapolis musicians, including Jeremy Ylvisaker (Andrew Bird, Alpha Consumer, Guitar Party), Jacob Hanson (Halloween, Alaska, Guitar Party, Minneapolis Dub Ensemble), Haley Bonar, Luke Anderson (Rogue Valley, Alpha Centauri), and Mike Lewis (Happy Apple, Fat Kid Wednesdays, Andrew Bird, Gayngs), the main trio consists of Bonar, Ylvisaker, and Anderson.

CONCERT 2: Food Pyramid
Wed, June 22, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Food Pyramid describes themselves as a "Minneapolis based group of musicians and guest performers who operate in the spirit of an open system to create music grounded at the intersections of 70s German electronica, 80s Chicago house, and modern live electronic performance."

CONCERT 3: Charanga Tropical
Wed, July 27, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Nine-piece salsa band, Charanga Tropical, is a favorite of Summer Music Festival at Northrop in previous years, and plays widely throughout the Twin Cities and internationally. With a modern spin on influences of Cuban, danzones, salsa, cha cha cha, and timba, this fun group is what City Pages described as "a musical delight and a visual spectacle." Dancing is a must!

Charanga Tropical includes: flute player Douglas Little, violinists Kerri Fabyanske and Latannia Ellerbe, violist Kirsti Petraborg, Brazilian percussionist Eliezer Freitas-Santos (congas), Mexican percussionist Mariano Flores (timbales), bassist Mark Haynes, and Cuban musicians, Viviana Pintado as the star pianist and vocalist Damian Rodríguez.

Northern Spark Festival - Festival Kick-Off Event
for dawn or dusk // homeward

Sat, June 4, 8:55-9:15 pm, Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis

Northrop presents Chris Kallmyer's for dawn or dusk // homeward as part of the opening kick-off event of this new all-night arts festival on the Mississippi River Flats.

for dawn or dusk // homeward is a 10-15 minute sound work for 100+ local amateur and professional musicians playing brass, percussion, woodwinds, and tiny whistles. The performers will stand on the Stone Arch Bridge, stretching across the Mississippi playing overlapping melodies derived from the route of the River.

Chris Kallmyer is a performer, composer, and sound artist living in Los Angeles, CA who works in sound installation, composition, trumpet, and electronic music. He is influenced by a sense of place, architecture, field recordings, and outdoor listening. He has presented work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Hammer Museum, REDCAT, and Machine Project where he is the Curator of Sound Programming.

Voices Merging: Summer Open Mic
Fri, July 29, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

A special evening of timely, political and creative spoken word curated by Voices Merging.

Voices Merging is a University of Minnesota student group that promotes the Urban Arts right here in the Twin Cities, and they are committed to organizing, supporting, and building an academic, social, and culturally understanding community of artists and those appreciating art at the University and in the Twin Cities community through cultural awareness, education, and written and performing arts.

Flash Mob
Date: TBA
Artists: TBA

Organized by musicians at the School of Music, a special Campus Takeover will happen when everyone is least suspecting. Featuring a diverse array of musicians, singers, performers and radicals, this special event is meant to inspire the campus to be a place of musical celebration and creativity.

Keep your phones at ready for a surprise noontime flash mob this summer. If you happen upon it, take videos, photos, and upload with your comments to Northrop's Facebook to win a free iPod Touch from the U of M Bookstore!

St. Paul Concerts
U of M students perform over the lunch hour at the St. Paul Student Center Garden Terrace. Listen to acoustic performers outside on the Garden Terrace while you relax and grab a bite to eat. Rain backup location is the Terrace Café.

Thu, June 16, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Micah Macaulay

Thu, June 23, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Hannah Connolly

Thu, June 30, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Nicholas Nobbe

Thu, July 14, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Tyler Hogan

Thu, July 21, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Heidi Chung

Thu, July 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Ellen Forst

Thu, August 4, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
TBA

Goldstein Exhibit: Beyond Peacocks & Paisleys
June 10 - Sept 25

Beyond Peacocks & Paisleys: Handcrafted Textiles of India and its Neighbors explores the broad variety of surface design and weaving techniques employed in South Asia. This exhibition will also reveal the connections of South Asian textiles to American fashion and American handcraft of the studio arts and DIY movements.

Curated by Hazel Lutz and Anna Carlson, from Donald Clay Johnson's Paritosh Collection of South Asian Textiles.

About Grant Cutler, Guest Artistic Curator for Summer Music Festival at Northrop 2011

"The Minneapolis music scene is wonderfully diverse, accepting, and enthusiastic about what they're doing, and I feel privileged to help bring that special talent to the SMFN." - Grant Cutler

You could say that Grant Cutler's whole life is a constant composition-- whether at the computer, on the guitar or at the piano, Cutler tries his best to eschew predictability and intentionality, while allowing the supremacy of sound to reign true. Whether exploring ambient soundscapes in recent electronica project 2012 or baring his soul and more in the cavernous, ethereal anthems released with the Gorgeous Lords, the frontman and songwriter of acclaimed local synth pop heroes Lookbook has honed the art of experimentation begetting memorable, emotional music. Citing a battery of influences that range from Steve Reich to Kanye West, Cutler has toured across the country and continues to jump head first into numerous projects, from writing movie scores and heavy metal musicals, to producing local favorites Solid Gold, Zoo Animal, Halloween, Alaska, Jeremy Messersmith, and Idle Hands. A native of Aberdeen, SD, not yet 30, Grant Cutler has been described as "golden" by critics, yet insists he's still just figuring out his role in the musical world.