DULUTH — In addition to the event highlights here, be sure to watch for the News Tribune's separate stories on this week's Minnesota Film Festival and the return of theater to the College of St. Scholastica.
Dwight Yoakam
It's appropriate that Dwight Yoakam is touring with a band called the Mavericks, since the 68-year-old singer-songwriter has been a maverick for his entire career. A larger-than-life contemporary figure in the Bakersfield sound tradition, Yoakam has won fans among both country connoisseurs and people who don't usually listen to records made by people wearing cowboy hats. He'll be at Amsoil Arena on Saturday, March 22, on a tour supporting his 2024 album "Brighter Days."
And don't miss that opener: the Mavericks are a seasoned Grammy-winning band known for their integration of county music with Tejano and Latin styles. Up-and-comer Noah Rinker is also on the bill (decc.org).
Legendary Voices for Sister Cities
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding? Duluth Sister Cities International fosters our relationships with communities in Canada, Iraq, Japan, Russia and Sweden. On Friday, March 21, the organization is presenting a benefit concert at the College of St. Scholastica's Mitchell Auditorium; the theme is "Legendary Voices." Aurora Baer and Todd Eckart "will lend their voices to classic duets from Johnny Cash and June Carter, Frank and Nancy Sinatra and others," according to a news release.
No "Beauty and a Beat," in honor of the U.S.-Canada connection? OK, fair enough (eventbrite.ie).
Happy birthday, dear Johann
Schroeder, the piano-playing character in the comic strip Peanuts, never misses a chance to celebrate the birthday of his musical hero Ludwig van Beethoven. But what about Beethoven's Baroque predecessor, regarded by many as the greatest composer in the history of European classical music?
The Friends of the Felgemaker, at Sacred Heart Music Center, have not forgotten about J.S. Bach, whose 340th birthday is Friday, March 21. The organization is hosting a concert celebration that also marks the 75th birthday of David Tryggestad, who will be among the musicians performing. There will be cake, but who's going to blow out 415 candles? (sacredheartmusic.org)
12 Angry Men
"12 Angry Men" began as a 1954 episode of the CBS anthology series "Studio One." It has since become a standard of the American stage, with its searing examination of conscience among members of a jury deciding a capital murder case.
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Time Arc Theatre is staging a production at the Old Post Office in Superior, opening Friday, March 21. The show will have an added layer of poignancy for Twin Ports theater fans: It was originally slated to be directed by the late, beloved Liz Larson (timearctheatrellc.com).
Nic Lincoln
A dance artist based in the Twin Cities, Nic Lincoln is bringing his show "Escalade" to Duluth on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23. It's described as "a dance and music performance celebrating human rights." The performance, at Studio Four in the St. Louis County Depot, features a solo performance by dancer Gemma Isaacson, with choreography by Lincoln. Venus de Mars, a Minnesota rock legend who originally hails from Duluth, will also perform.
"It prepares my heart to do this work," Isaacson said, about the music of de Mars, in an Instagram video (eventbrite.com).
R.T. Lund
Author R.T. Lund, who now lives in the Twin Cities area, grew up in Duluth and channeled that experience into an in-progress "Lake Superior Mystery Trilogy." The third volume in that trilogy is still in progress, but you can start reading with "Who Are You?" (2022) and "The Ghost" (2024). Lund will be at The Bookstore at Fitger's on Saturday, March 22 from noon to 2 p.m., signing both books among others (fitgersbookstore.com).
The Trust Project
