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The Hopefuls

Minnesota Music Festival

It’s our very own little Lollapalooza – of sorts. Forget the Taste of Minnesota, and forget the sub-par acts booked summer after summer at the Grandstand – the Minnesota Music Festival knows how to draw a band…and a crowd. Hosted by everybody’s favorite local hipster rag, City Pages, and the McNally Smith College of Music, the MMF draws from the best of the local pool.

The crowds will convene this weekend down in St. Paul along the Mississippi at the ever so beautiful Harriet Island. Included in the weekend’s highlighted acts are major label pop-punk crooners Quietdrive and local mainstays Soul Asylum. Hmmmm. To each their own, but I’ve got other reasons for attending. Among these are the previously profiled Romantica. Fresh off the release of their sophomore disc “America”, the band has been concentrating their efforts locally after the past summer’s national tour.

Even more exciting is the appearance by Jayhawks frontman Gary Louris and his Golden Smog crew. Unfortunately, I’m assuming the band will be play sans Tweedy. We could never be so lucky. Also, brothers Noah and Adam Levy will also take the stage as the Honeydogs are set to play on Friday evening. Lastly, our favorite local power-pop outfit the Hopefuls, featuring Darren Jackson and Erik Applewick (as I said last week, every good band in Minneapolis can be connected through Erik Applewick), will “rock the crowd” with tracks from their album The Fuses Refuse To Burn.

Golden Smog

The Festival is a two-day event that takes place Friday evening and picks up again early Saturday afternoon. Should be a great weekend to enjoy some local music and some local brew (Summit is somehow always invited).

The Honeydogs

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