Koskinen’s songs are stripped-down, breathe the Midwestern air, paint character portraits, and have a deceptively haunting quality.”
Erik Koskinen is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, whose music is not categorized by sub-genres. Stylistically he is on his own while heavily influenced by American roots music. The rhythmic integrity and musical tone is as important as the lyrical content and the artistic intent. Koskinen has reverently entered the anthology of uniquely crafted wry songs with the likes of Woody Guthrie and Ry Cooder while speaking as plainly as your neighbor. It is difficult to place a label on Koskinen’s music… and well, the man himself. From a young age, music and travel were in his blood. From the rural corners of the U.P. to the mountains and valleys of Colorado Springs, regardless of where he was at or what he was doing – music remained a constant part of his life. This life of music and travel eventually settled him down in the rural farmlands of southern Minnesota. Something about his music hits home for us. A little country, a little rock ‘n’ roll, folk, Americana – it all comes together seamlessly on each album. His music paints a picture, one of wide-open spaces, beer joints, heartache and being unapologetic for relishing in a simple(r) life. We often find that songwriters can be extremely honest, which is what makes their music so damn good. The song puts it all out there and you can find yourself in the story, stomping your feet along with the narrative, at times maybe even crying. In all of Erik’s travel and experiences, he has been picking up the right pieces along the way. Throw in a top shelf cast of sideman and you have an incredible night of live music!
“Among the most inspiring southpaws to ever pick up a six-string…Cannon shows the Windy City is not done teaching us about electric blues. He’s a real deal blueser, combining social commentary in his songs with heartfelt guitar playing topped off with killer vibrato.”
Toronzo Cannon was born in Chicago on February 14, 1968, and grew up in the shadows of the notoriously tough Robert Taylor Homes. Theresa’s Lounge, one of the city’s most famous South Side blues clubs, was close by. As a child, Cannon would stand on the sidewalk outside the club’s door, soaking up the live blues pouring out, while trying to sneak a glance inside at larger-than-life bluesmen like Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. He also heard plenty of blues records growing up in his grandfather’s home, and listened to soul, R&B and contemporary rock on the radio. Cannon has performed at clubs and festivals at major cities all over the U.S. and continues to bring his music directly to his fans. He’s toured Canada, the UK, made his way across Europe and even to Japan. He has played the Chicago Blues Festival on ten separate occasions, bringing tens of thousands of his fellow Chicagoans to their feet. His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes of wildly enthusiastic new fans. “Listen to a master bluesman at work,” declared the UK’s Blues & Rhythm magazine. “This is modern blues at its creative best.” His Downtown LIVE performance is part of his CD release tour for his latest album “Shut Up & Play”!
Angie and Shawn Blomberg of Ultra Violet Fever are a power duo you will be glad you witnessed first-hand. Angie is a one-woman band on her own: rockin a suitcase kick with her right foot, trashy tambo with her left foot, strummin’ guitar, rippin harmonica, and beltin’ smokey soul inspired vocals all simultaneously. But just wait till Shawn matches her fire with his own smooth guitar stylings or perhaps groovy bass lines with honey sweet harmonies blended perfectly. Shawn patiently waits for prime opportunities to sling the guitar behind his back to wail on his sax sending this power duo into hyper drive straight out of this stratosphere. Sprouting from the Heartland of America, these Midwest Musicians know how to tie it all together in a song and leave you wanting more. The power duo will be accompanied by groovy and eclectic musicians to house a full band level of energy to the performance for Downtown LIVE! This is Americana Soul at its finest.
For the past seventeen years, The Hooten Hallers have been crisscrossing the country as inveterate road warriors, bringing their peculiar vision of Americana: a fiery, bluesy, rock and roll fever dream birthed in Missouri’s fertile musical heartland. They’ve put so many miles into the road that they’ve burned through multiple tour vans and left twisted metal and frayed rubber strewn across the road behind them. The Hooten Hallers are known for their incendiary live shows that must be experienced to be believed, taking the listener on a dynamic journey from explosively raucous blues to expressive three-part vocal harmonies to danceable grooves. The enduring hope and tinges of madness from this power trio are driven by the infernal vocal growl and swirling electric and lap steel guitars of John Randall, the powerful drumming and falsetto howl of Andy Rehm, and the burning baritone and bass saxophone lines of Kellie Everett. The Hooten Hallers have always been musical colliders, smashing together blues, garage rock, country, punk, and a hint of jazz into a refreshingly unique sound. It’s Morphine meets ZZ Top mixed with a dash of George Thorogood and Tom Waits. But anyone who has seen this band live knows that this group is unlike anything they’ve experienced before. When The Hooten Hallers come to town, you know it’s gonna be a party!
Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in an Italian-American section of Chicago and started playing harmonica at age 7. Under the spell of music he heard on Maxwell Street, Chicago’s famed blues melting pot, Grimaldi began performing as Studebaker John and the Hawks in the ‘70s. The band referenced the Studebaker Hawk, a car Grimaldi still owns today, and was also intended as a tribute to his friend, J.B. Hutto and the Hawks. John began playing guitar after a life-changing experience of seeing Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers perform. “…Hound Dog started playing, hitting notes that sent chills up and down my spine. He was versatile and powerful and would play rhythm as well as leads. I left there knowing what I wanted to do. I had to play slide guitar.” Through the 70s and 80s John recorded several albums and was fast becoming a rising star in the Blues world. In 1994 he recorded the first of 4 albums on Blind Pig Records. John’s unique songwriting talents, and his blazing guitar and harmonica technique, create a new sound that transports the blues genre into the 21st century. His music can be heard in movie soundtracks, TV series and national TV commercials. Studebaker John & the Hawks have continued to perform at top venues and festivals around the world with their steamy blues and smokin’ blues-rock, incorporating Chicago, boogie, swamp, swing, and harmonica blues.
High velocity bluegrass ground out of Kansas City, MO. The new-found ensemble thrives on improvisation and genre-bending around core bluegrass instrumentation: guitar, mandolin, (bumpin’) upright bass and fiddle. At a live performance, expect to see them effortlessly step in and out of a mix of Americana, country, traditional, R&B, blues and psychedelic music. The group draws on their collective musical inspirations and aspirations to put together an energizing, unique and fun performance fit to turn any occasion into a once-in-a-lifetime party. The band is led by Billy Brady, who was given his nickname ‘Bluegrass’ by his close family and friends after hearing his killer guitar skills at a young age. Raised in Dearborn, MO. until his parents moved back to Kansas City when he was about 5 years old, Billy began playing guitar at age of 16, learning from his close friends in the neighborhood. The band also features award-winning mandolin player Johnny Gleason, thumpin’ stand up bass player Dan Perez and fiddling fool Stas’ Heaney.
Growing up in South Carolina, Mae Simpson remembers her mother wearing out the records of Tina Turner and Patsy Cline. You can hear their echo in the music of the Minneapolis-based artist. Turner can be felt in Simpson’s fiery soulful voice, stage energy, and rock and soul feel on songs like Tryna be Right and Why. The timeless lyricism of Cline finds its home in nostalgic ballads like Cap Guns and Monsters.
Simpson has been singing and creating music her whole life. It remained a personal passion as she bounced from South Carolina to Omaha in her teen years and then to the Twin Cities. In 2018, she formed a band and began to share her gift with the world.
End your week with the best line-up of music from downtown Sioux City’s premiere summer concert series, Downtown Live*. Now back on the best day of the week “Friday.”
Bring your lawn chairs because the weekend starts here. So get there quick…you don’t want to miss a beat.
*Formerly Fridays on the Promenade, which moved to Thursdays in front of the Sioux City Public Museum**. It’s still at the Sioux City Public Museum but now on Fridays. Sorry for the confusion, we promise not to change it again…unless we have to because of unforeseen circumstances but know deep down that we aren’t doing this because we want too, its just that things happen…but we digress. Just come and enjoy yourself. We promise you’ll have a good time.
**The name “Thursdays in Front of the Museum” just didn’t have the same emotional pull as “Fridays on the Promenade” so we just came up with something that sounded as fun and as exciting as “Fridays on the Promenade”. Honestly we’re glad we didn’t call it “Thursdays in Front of the Museum” now that we changed the day back to Friday. If you have a better name please feel free to call and let us know.
Chesterman Co. | Stan & Amber Sherman Foundation | Al Sturgeon Law Firm
American Pop Corn Co | Glazers | L & L Distributing | Aggies | Farrell’s Heating & AC
Nichols, Rise & Company | Northwest Bank | Prestige Collision Center | SuBSurfco
Jackson Street Brewing | Jitters | Roto Rooter | Bookspring