Tag: Red Wing

Big Turn Music Fest – 2020

I had volunteered at Big Turn last year, and it was a good experience.  I discovered new music and met a ton of musicians.  I knew I had to come back.

One of my favorite things about this festival is that many of the acts are lesser-known, Minnesota locals.  They have a great lineup of successful artists (Lydia Liza, We Are the Willows, Mason Jennings, Jeremy Messersmith, Charlie Parr, ect), but they also showcase artists who don’t have a big following.  Some performers had fewer than 100 likes on their socials, and it’s cool that they were included.

Big Turn hosts a wide variety of music from pop, hip-hop, folk, funk, reggae, blues, EDM, bluegrass, and more.  The audience is diverse, too.  It’s not all young adults, but an age range from tweens with their parents, to couples in their 60’s.  Given the range of audience, you’d expect the older folk to be turned off by metal or rap, but I generally saw age diversity in nearly every venue I visited.  These people, like me, wanted to check out new music, regardless of genre.

My first stop was ArtReach, a visual arts non-profit.  Glitch and electro-pop artist SYM1 was performing with EDM producer Eye Dyed.  They had a fun, high-energy show with lots of dancing and dope beats.

After that I went to Mandy’s Coffee & Cafe where singer-songwriter, Noah Short, was performing.  He is a classic, coffee shop, singer-songwriter: acoustic guitar, pretty melodies, and emotional lyrics.  He was accompanied by a guy playing a cajon-type instrument, and a girl who sang and played piano.  It was lovely.

After that I explored more, checking out random bands from their descriptions in the logbook.  Beth Kinderman & the Player Characters stuck out because their bio boasts songs about video games and nerd culture.  When I first walked in, they didn’t thrill me, but as I stuck around (not wanting to leave after one song) I started to like it.  Having the songs be about nerdy things made me more attentive to lyrics than I normally am; and a few of the songs were pretty catchy.  I recommend “Refusal of the Call.”

After that I started my volunteer shift at the Barrel House.  My job was to check wristbands and make sure we didn’t exceeded our 75 person capacity.  The worst part of the job is explaining to drunk people that, yes, the fire marshal comes through counting people, and my one job is to make the fire marshal happy.  However, I did get a brush with Minnesota music royalty from the experience!  Apparently one of the guys wanting to get in was Greg Norton of Porcupine and Hüsker Dü.  The person he was with kept asking me if I knew who he was.  I kept saying no, and eventually she told me.  At that point, he had already slipped in the back where there was no volunteer.  I’m gonna call that networking.

My time at the Barrel House was all right.  Volunteering is awesome because you get to hear music for free, and the only downside is being tied to one venue.  Aside from having to argue with drunk people from time to time, it’s a good deal.  I would definitely do it again.

 

Notable Acts (that I actually saw)

SYM1, Eye Dyed – electro-pop, EDM, high energy.  Dance-able.

Noah Short – Soothing singer-songwriter, pretty melodies, thoughtful lyrics.

Beth Kinderman & the Player Characters – Nerd narrative.  Catchy songs.  Intricate lyrics.

Soultru -R & B, solid voice.  Soul vibes.

Big Turn Music Fest – 2019. My Volunteer Experience.

I was already planning on attending Big Turn.  Their lineup boasts some of Minnesota’s most well-known acts: Charlie Parr, Dessa, Gaelynn Lea, the 4ontheFloor, Dosh, Chris Koza, and Lydia Liza, among others.  I’m required to do 16 hours of volunteer work for school, so I decided to kill two loons with one stone.

Red Wing is a cool town.  They’re famous for their shoes, the first established bar in Minnesota, and (now) the Big Turn Music Festival.  The festival involves 23 venues, and over 100 bands and performers.  It’s small enough that it doesn’t suffer from the corporate saturation of SXSW, but big enough to host a lot of artists you’ve heard of.  Nearly all the bands are Midwestern, and there’s a distinctly Minnesotan vibe to it.  Fans of all ages attend, and the crowds remind me of a local bar in a small town.

I had never volunteered at a festival, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  When filling out my volunteer form, there was a checkbox to be considered for Venue Captain.  I checked it because I wanted people to salute me.  I was assigned to 223 Barrel House (the first established bar I mentioned earlier).  We had to check wristbands, answer questions, count guests, and stop letting people in once we reached capacity (75).  My role as VC was to be the main point of contact between the volunteers, the sound guy, the venue owner, the bands, and the volunteer coordinator.  I had to make sure people stuck to their set times and ensure it all went smoothly.  It was a lot of fun!  It was a great excuse to introduce myself to bands and talk about music.  Due to the snow storm, I only volunteered the one night, but it was a good experience.

Before my shift, I had the opportunity to check out some shows.  I wandered into Artreach, a visual arts non-profit, where singer-songwriter Sterling Haukom was performing for about five people.  I took a seat in the back.  Among the attendees, I spotted Charlie Parr in the front row.  Earlier that day, I overhead Dosh introducing himself to someone at the Artist Check-in Hub.  I couldn’t go to their shows because of my shift, but it was exciting to catch them out in the wild.

I only got a small taste of Big Turn, but it was a good time.  Talking with the bands, listening to music, and hanging out with the other volunteers was great.  The community of music lovers was alive and well, and it was an honor to be a part of it.  I recommend volunteering if you get the chance.  It’s a fantastic way to support the arts, and it’s not hard.  You get to meet a lot of cool people and be part of something meaningful.

 

Notable Acts (that I actually saw)

Savannah Smith – Singer-songwriter.  Dope vox.  Telecaster.  Former Ukulele-star.   Soundcloud.

Spaceheaters – Brass-based funk rock.  Great for dancing.  Groove city.  Bandcamp.

Sterling Haukom – Singer-songwriter.  Folk.  Powerful, high voice.  Dynamic.  Had Charlie Parr watch his set.  Spotify.