There’s Still Time to Enjoy These Summer Music Series in the Northwoods
Got the end-of-summer blues? There’s no better remedy than singing, dancing, or tapping your toe along with the talented musicians Up North. Summer might be winding down, but the beat goes on—at least for a couple more weeks—at these unique summer stages at three community arts organizations in northern Wisconsin.
ArtStart – Rhinelander: Eat To The Beat
ArtStart is a hub of community arts engagement located in downtown Rhinelander. ArtStart brings gallery exhibitions, workshops, and concerts to the Northwoods. In addition to year-round programming, they host Eat To The Beat, a lunchtime concert series, on summer Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at their outdoor stage. Even better, there are still six shows left for you to enjoy. For some of the performances, ArtStart has made arrangements with some of the great local eating establishments to offer a box lunch if you call ahead to order. Here's the lineup for the remainder of this series.
- August 16: Michael J. Fox. For this show, you can call ahead to place a box lunch order, provided by Crimson Cafe.
- August 23: Boat Patrol & Friends
- August 30: Brian McLaughlin
- September 6: Scott Kirby. For this show, you can call ahead to place a box lunch order, provided by Pat’s Tavern & Grill.
- September 13: Nate Sheppard
- September 20: Stovepipe Stephens
If you can't make these shows, make sure to put the inaugural Project North Festival, hosted by ArtStart in collaboration with several other Rhinelander organizations, in your calendar now. Taking place September 26–29, Project North Festival will permeate several downtown Rhinelander venues with great live music, interactive art, and environmental education opportunities.
Warehouse Art Center – Eagle River: Music on the Porch
The Warehouse Art Center provides the Eagle River area with quality education, programming, and events that promote creativity for all. In addition to the arts classes and workshops they offer throughout the year, the Warehouse also provides Music on the Porch on Friday evenings during the summer. So drop by the Warehouse from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following Fridays to enjoy these family-friendly events and enjoy a beverage at Inspiration Bar.
- August 16 and August 23: Brett Schwartz. Schwartz’s style is influenced by folk musicians such as Paul Simon as well as bands with a darker, layered style, such as Radiohead, Bon Iver, and Sigur Rós. His lyrics and harmonies reawaken the senses, evoke the esoteric, and inspire healing in the listener.
- August 30: Beth Hassler. Violist and violinist Beth Hassler will grace the stage to perform music from a mix of genres on her viola.
Are you inspired by Brett Schwartz and Beth Hassler to share the music you've been working on? The Warehouse hosts an Open Mic Lab every second Wednesday of the month (making the next Open Mic Labs August 14, September 11, and October 9). Each of the Open Mic Lab events is limited to eight performers, so sign up today!
Land O' Lakes Area Artisans, Inc. (LOLA) – Land O' Lakes: Porch Songs
LOLA is a nonprofit community arts center that helps local artists thrive while providing beautification, arts education, and enrichment to northern Wisconsin and the U.P. In addition to their initiatives, classes, and events taking place throughout the year, they provide the community with quality live music in a relaxed atmosphere with their Porch Songs series, which you can enjoy from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday evenings during the remainder of the summer. Don't miss their last three performances of the summer:
- August 15: MeMo. The sonic style of this guitarist duo (Trevor Moore and Jim Meiers) has its roots 1970s, inspired by greats such as Neil Young, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie.
- August 22: Woodland String Band. Based in Three Lakes, the Woodland String Band is a small ensemble of members a larger group—Woodland Strings of the North, a unique string band that started as a quartet 20 years ago. The Woodland String Band and the Woodland Strings of the North play a wide variety of music, “from Bach to the Beatles and beyond!” Their performance at LOLA will include American and Celtic fiddle tunes, Mariachi music, Broadway show tunes, light jazz, classical music, and pop.
- August 29: Eclectic Duo & Friends. The final Porch Song of Summer 2019 will star Cindy Pesek, John Oliver, and Mark Hovel: good friends playing guitar and singing a varied selection of music.
Can't stop dancing along to the music? Sign up for one of LOLA's line dancing classes! Beginners' classes are held on Tuesday mornings until September 10, and improvers meet on Thursdays until September 12. No registration is necessary; you can just show up, ready to dance!