Bedlam Theatre

3pm Fireplace lounge: Cornbread Harris
4pm-7pm on the Patio: Anti-Civ Records Showcase
7:30pm Mainstage: Million Dollar Museum ($5 tickets w/WBR wristband!)
10:30pm Fireplace Lounge: Martin Devaney, Painted Saints and the Knotwells

The Front Porch Sitters, a volunteer run community group dedicated to supporting local, independent artists and locally focused independent businesses, are throwing the Twin Cities a party!

The West Bank Revival, a music festival showcasing over 40 local acts and heralding the diverse, multi-generational legacy of the Twin Cities’ music scene. Acadia Café, The Nomad Pub, Red Sea, and the Bedlam Theatre will all open their doors to support a weekend of hootenanny’s, jams, story-telling, and concerts. And it’s only $5 / Day!The headliners, each to receive a two-hour set, are some of highest acclaimed, long-standing musicians in Minnesota’s history.

Willie Murphy – Willie Murphy’s cranked up form of R&B inspired an entire generation of would be blues-rockers including Bonnie Raitt. He is the former leader of Twin Cities’ favorite Willie and the Bees, and long-time collaborator with Spider John Koerner and many others. This mainstay of the West Bank music scene turned down job offers from Elektra Records in order to remain in the community he loves. Willie Murphy was one of the three original inductees into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (the other two? Bob Dylan and Prince).

Cornbread Harris – A true legend of boogie woogie and blues piano, Cornbread has, since the late 40s, shared the stage with the likes of Fats Domino & Jerry Lee Lewis. This father of the Minneapolis music scene (his record ‘Hi Ho Silver’ is said to be the first rock & roll record to come out of the Twin Cities) has garnered numerous awards and has only seen his popularity with the crowds grow each year of his 60+ year career.

Dakota Dave Hull – World renowned folk, jazz, blues, & ragtime guitarist has made his home on the West Bank of Minneapolis since 1969. He has performed regularly on Prairie Home Companion since 1975 and has collaborated with other national favorites such as Utah Phillips, Doc Watson, Dave Von Ronk, and Peter Ostroushko. While continuing to regularly perform his own music, his most recent career as host of ‘The Dakota Dave Hull Show’ has made him the one of the most recognizable voices on 90.3 KFAI Community Radio.

Pop Wagner – A one man Rodeo without live-stock. A day trip to the Hennepin County Fair in an hour long set. Pop is a Real Life Authentic cowboy poet and folk-singer, world-class fiddle player & guitar-picker, renowned story-teller, lassoer extraordinaire, and all around amazing performer. 44 separate states can attest to that and he still chooses to call the Twin Cities his home.

Papa John Kolstad – Arguably one of the kings of the original West Bank music scene. Papa John is a nationally known for his jazz and blues guitar stylings and was a founding member of The Sorry Muthas with Bob Stelnicki. He now leads The Hot Club of East Lake Street featuring world-renowned harmonica player Clint Hoover. The latest feather in his cap was his contributions, along with other members of the Sorry Muthas, to Rosalie Sorrels 2009 Grammy Nominated album, ‘Strangers In Another Country’.

Jerry Rau – Since returning home from the Vietnam War and joining the ranks of the lions of the West Bank, he has lived the fabled life of a folksinger, experiencing all the highs, lows, & worn out shoes of the open road. His well crafted lyrics & humorous anecdotes leave audiences from the Winnipeg Folk Festival to packed theatres & crowded coffeehouses hanging on every word. Yet the “Minstrel of Dinkytown” still feels most at home singing and strumming on the street-corners of Minneapolis.

Mississippi Drift Wood – The current project of Tom Burns (Lazy Bill Lucas’ harp man, and long-time member of the Joel Johnson Band), John Beach (An original member of Willie and the Bees, co-founder of the Mill City Hearts), and Larry Hayes (of the Lamont Cranston Band) combine powers with their mix of country, rockabilly & delta blues. You’ve seen these fellas year after year at blues festivals around the country, now’s your chance to see them on their original turf.

International Reggae All Stars – A dynamic and truly international group featuring amazing voices from Jamaica, Tobago, Venezuela and Minneapolis. Their earth-shaking reggae rhythms will keep you dancing through the night. Among this stellar line-up is Tony Paul, an original member of Shangoya, and long-time West Banker, now known perhaps as well for his 90.3 KFAI radio program, ‘The Shake and Bake Show’ (airing now for 19 years) as he is for his amazing musical talents.

Glen Hanson – Glen Hanson, lead guitarist for late local blues legend Lazy Bill Lucas throughout the 70s & 80s, now leads his own outlaw-country project backed by a rotating cast & crew of local favorites. This Zen bead worker seams flawless rhythms and laidback melodies with a gravelly workingman’s croon that keeps nostalgic seekers of the old fabled honky-tonk packing bars across the Midwest.

More than 30 other fantastic local bands are joining together to celebrate the road paved by these Godfathers of the Twin Cities music scene.

Your browser may not support display of this image. Your browser may not support display of this image.

$5/Day provides access to all shows and excellent food specials at The Weinery and Hardtimes Café, so it’s sure to be an affordable weekend of community fun with music for everyone. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more bands and full schedule!