FRIDAY AUG 19
DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST FOR AUG 19, FRIDAY NIGHT'S PORTION OF THE FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE RIPPLE CENTER (FORMERLY THE BUTLER BUILDING) LOCATED AT 301 MINNESOTA AVENUE, AITKIN, MN. A FULL-SERVICE BAR WILL BE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS A FOOD TRUCK OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AND BLOCK NORTH BREW PUB ACROSS THE AVENUE.
SATURDAY AUG 20
WE ARE STILL PLANNING TO HOLD SATURDAY'S PORTION OF THE FESTIVAL OUTDOORS, AND WILL MOVE THE FESTIVAL INTO THE RIPPLE CENTER IF INCLEMENT WEATHER ARRIVES.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE PERFORMING ARTS IN AITKIN, MN!
AITKIN COUNTY'S ONLY MUSIC FESTIVAL!
RippleSippi Music Fest is back, and it's bigger & better than before! Two days & nights, four stages, and 26 acts doing nearly every genre of music. Think of it as a giant live music mix tape... Is it Rock & Roll? Country? Blues? Punk? Roots? It's all of those and so much more – read the short artists bios below and you'll see what we're talking about. There's something for every music taste at RippleSippi Music Fest, where we give you more band for your buck!
YOUR DOLLAR COUNTS – all proceeds from the festival are donated to Aitkin County Friends of the Arts to keep the performing arts alive and continuously growing in Aitkin County.
TICKETS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE LOCALLY at Block North Brew Pub, Green Owl Gallery, and at the ticket tables on both Saturday & Sunday.
MANY MANY THANKS TO OUR GREAT SPONSORS: Cancion Tequila, Kay Hill w/Edina Realty, Amy Wilson w/American Family Insurance, CTC Communications, C&L Distributing, Block North Brew Pub, The Ripple Center, Sampaguita, and Green Owl Gallery.
~ 2022 ARTISTS ~
Deke Dickerson & The Tinglers. Legendary rockabilly, surf & roots artist, Deke Dickerson, headlines RippleSippi 2022 with his band, The Tinglers. Deke is one of America’s musical treasures. He's one of the most respected guitarists in the roots rock scene, and melds top-notch chops with an encyclopedic knowledge of vintage country, rockabilly, surf, blues, and garage rock styles, all informed by his trademark sense of humor. Dickerson was born in Columbia, Missouri, in the summer of 1968. Raised in a farming family, Dickerson grew up listening to classic country sounds, and once told a reporter the first two concerts he saw were by bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe and by blues icon Willie Dixon. Dickerson began playing in bands when he was only 13 and was a seasoned veteran when in 1987 he formed the Untamed Youth. He is also a well-respected author and soundtrack artist.
– Deke Dickerson is the best rockabilly guitarist in the world! (Reverend Horton Heat)
Music Sample 1
Music Sample 2
Brothers Burn Mountain. Based out of Duluth, MN, The Brothers Burn Mountain are a soulful, energetic, eclectic duo of real-life brothers, Ryan and Jesse Dermody. They've been playing music together every day as a duo for more than 20 years. They've released 10 full-length albums of original music, and have toured across the country over the years, though especially in the Midwest, having played more than 1,850 live shows. Their sound is a roiling melting pot of so many musical influences that it's hard to describe, except as energetic and eclectic; with afro-cuban rhythms, Zappa-esque spontanaeity, grittiness, bluesyness, tenderness, and a singer-songwriter, folky flair.
– They've found a very deep-vibe way to record and it sounds amazing. It's vivid, mystical, and pure from the heart... I hope lots of people hear it. (Alan Sparhawk, from the band Low)
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Luke Hendrickson & The Crop Circles. After getting his start as a heavy metal bassist, Luke Hendrickson found his voice in country music, particularly that of the "outlaw" variety. Eventually, 7 years with the Rochester, Minnesota-based group "Luke 'n Bob Texas" gave Luke a sizable set list - including tunes from legends like Haggard, Jennings, Cash, and Jones, as well as his own songs dealing with drinkin', lovin', and inescapable wanderlust. He now tours the midwest near non-stop, providing audiences with his brand of the most honest music he can muster.
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J Bell & the Lazy Susan Band. J. Bell was born, raised and honed his musical and songwriting chops on the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. Always drawn to music, he has played nearly every instrument over the course of his life, but was never drawn to anything like he was drawn to the guitar. He can’t quite remember when he started playing in bands, he has lots of memories of gathering in neighborhood garages and making noise with countless groups of kids. Eventually he started writing songs when he discovered Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Willie Nelson. Later he found the same draw in bands like the Counting Crows, Soul Asylum, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, and the Jayhawks. He & his band have been called “twang rock”, “alt country”, “roots rock”, “Americana” and just about everything else you’d imagine. j. bell and the Lazy Susan Band (aka the LSB) simply think of it as straight up rock & roll.
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Broken Spoke are a Minneapolis-based high-energy Americana trio highlighting the sweet stringed sounds of the fiddle, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, and harmonica. They've become fast favorites in the burgeoning performing arts scene in Aitkin in the past year, deftly weaving through orginal music and covers alike.
Kelley Smith is an indie-folk artist based in Minnesota. She’s hitched to a Canadian mountain man and has 4 kids. Raised in the woods by musicians, she is most at peace when connected with nature and song. Some of her influences include Gillian Welch, John Prine, Doc Watson, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and Iris Dement. Kelley is a guitar picker who dabbles in several folk instruments as well as the piano. She has battled with depression and anxiety, particularly social anxiety throughout her life, and finally found the courage to tap into her musical roots when 35 and ready for something different. She began teaching herself guitar late at night when the kids were asleep. As an insomniac, her first batch of songs were written by moonlight. She brings an aching, raw and whimsical energy to her music when she’s crooning about mid-life, mental health, love and family, identity, daydreams, and her fascination with the moon. Kelley’s first EP will be released in the fall of 2022. She opened for Dave Simonett in May 2022 at the Butler Building, Aitkin.
– Kelley Smith is amazing. (Dave Simonett from Trampled by Turtles)
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Rusty Crayfish Brass Band An acoustic invasive species of the upper MIssissippi. RCBB covers music music from some of the great original New Orleans Brass Bands and adds some of their own original tunes and arrangements to make a show they guarantee you haven't heard before - and guarantee that you will LOVE!
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Skal Klubben Spelmanslag (The Ripple Center Opera House - Saturday only 3:30-5:30pm) is a traditional Scandinavian “folk orkestra,” founded in 1990, that plays “gammaldans” (old dance) music of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark on fiddles, accordion, guitar, pump organ, and double bass. The orkestra is comprised of 14 traditional folk musicians from central Minnesota.
Music Sample
Sam Sadlowsky Sam Sadlowsky is a vocalist and multi instrumentalist who shares a variety of music, primarily in the acoustic setting. He is currently attending Concordia College in Moorhead for vocal music education, and looks forward to teaching and making music throughout his career. With a formal background in piano (being self taught on various instruments), and many experiences in music ensembles and musical theatre, Sam is sure to deliver an eclectic set aiming to please.
Aurora Baer Aurora is an Aitkin-born artist who dropped out of UMD in part to pursue a career of live music entertainment in dive bars. Having succeeded in this realm, she now hides in a small town in Central Minnesota living the simple life. Her original music used to be folksy, but nowadays she writes rock and roll about the military industrial complex and outer space.
Sound Sample
JPack A truly Aitkin original band made up of friends, playing an eclectic selection of modern and folk rock. If you find a tune worth playing this band can JPACK-it by providing sweet harmonies into a mixture of instrumental talents on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, uke, and upright bass.
3 AM Bob Zelenka will perform with his band 3 A.M. (3 Altar boys from Montgomery, MN), consisting of childhood friends. The band was heavily influenced by the American folk-rock scene of the mid-60s and brings with it a unique blend of folk and roots music, reminiscent of a period when harmonies and jangly guitars ruled the airwaves. 3AM has been performing together for over 40 years and havent strayed too far from their musical roots..
Songbridge is comprised of four talented local artists who perform covers from the 60's - current day with the magic of amazing harmony. The band members are Pete Lowe Sr on guitar and vocals, Dennis Westlander on bass and vocals, Jill Sadlowsky on tambourine and vocals, and Christian McShane on guitar andvocals.
The French Hillbillies The French Hillbillies are a musical duo consisting of Alexandrine Harris and Sandra Lehman, residents of Aitkin. The music genre they play is Americana with a pinch of French flair.
Amanda Standalone Amanda Standalone is a writer, folk musician and multi-instrumentalist from Minnesota. Standalone has released two albums, Millions of Blackbirds (2010), which bears the title track "Bird flew Hard" for the HBO documentary Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert, and Trouble (2014), funded in part by a grant from the Lakes Region Arts Council. Her music is a soulful blend of acoustic folk/blues strongly influenced by American Roots music. She skillfully attacks the guitar, banjo, and her single stringed washtub, while packing an extra punch with her rich vocals. Currently, Standalone is working on her 3rd album, a concept album based on ghost stories and stories from the other side. Amanda has traveled abroad iwth her music, but currently resides in Crosby, MN.
Sound Sample
Christian McShane Originally from a tiny farming community in southern Wisconsin, Christian has performed music around the world and currently calls Aitkin, MN home. Known mostly for experimental music and soundtrack work with his band "if thousands" over the past 20+ years, he decided to return to vocal music three years ago as a form of therapy after a traumatic experience. He's recorded and performed with Charlie Parr, Alan Sparhawk, Haley Bonar, Paul Metzger, Mary Bue, and has shared the stage with the likes of Trampled by Turtles, Low, Pedro the Lion, Cloud Cult, A Whisper in the Noise, Martin Dosh, Kid Dakota, All the Pretty Horses, and many, many others. His influences range from 1920's country, 1940's jazz, r&b and doo-wop... to heavy metal, industrial, experimental, and middle-eastern music. You never quite know what to expect from Christian. He's also the festival's manager, organizer, promoter, soundman, and fill-in musician.
Sound Sample 1 (if thousands)
Sound Sample 2 (Devil's Flying Machine)
Mike & Jan Cherry Mike & Jan Cherry are a husband and wife duo who play a variety of 60s & 70s tunes. They're one of the oldest musical mainstays in Aitkin County. If you never heard of them or seen them perform, you probably haven't been to Aitkin County.
BigShiv Productions (multiple acts at Sampaguita - Saturday only 1pm-10pm) BigShiv is Thomas Mizner, who provides an electronically-generated backdrop blend of Hip-Hop, Soul, and Chill Jazz. He and many of his friends will perfrom at Sampaguita, located down the street from RippleSippi Music Fest at 204 Minnesota Ave N, Aitkin. On the schedule so far: Shunna Redd • Tornado Da Kang • Bombay Jay • Mae Doll • LSO Migo • Sickboy Slick • The Real Alex Harmony • Gunna Black
