Main Stage @ 8:30 p.m. Photo by Marina Chavez

During their heyday in the first half of the 1990s, The Jayhawks perfected a captivating sound that seamlessly blended the elegant folk-rock of the Byrds, the adventurousness of Buffalo Springfield, the hippiebilly soulfulness of the Flying Burrito Brothers and the soaring harmonies of the Beach Boys. So it’s richly ironic that their reappearance coincides with a dramatic resurgence of the musical approach they played such a central role in perpetuating—but this time around, The Jayhawks themselves are revered as icons by the young bands carrying on those same traditions., and it’s their own legacy that they’re advancing.

On Mockingbird Time, the Minneapolis-based band’s eighth album, and the first since 2003’s Rainy Day Music, they’re once again pushing the envelope in songs and performances of rarefied dynamism and grace, forming boldly intriguing stylistic and thematic combinations while retaining their unmistakable sound. This is classic Jayhawks, the ultimate lineup of this great American band in full flight.

Official Release:

DULUTH, MN:  Laughingstock Design is excited to announce that the Twin Ports Bridge Festival, a multifaceted community celebration, is officially set for July 7 at Bayfront Festival Park this year.

Building on the community theme of the event, all of this year’s acts have roots in the region. Headlining the daylong event are The Jayhawks, one of Minnesota’s most popular acts over the last twenty-five years. Tickets for the entire festival will be $29 through May 31, and will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 30 at TwinPortsBridgeFestival.com. Tickets for children ages ten and under are $10. In place of added fees and convenience charges, ticket buyers are simply asked to make a donation to this year’s fundraiser for the Music Resource Center – Duluth.

Also slated to perform at the Twin Ports Bridge Festival are The Honeydogs, Caroline Smith and The Goodnight Sleeps, Charlie Parr, Moors and McCumber, Sarah Krueger, Sara Thomsen and Michael Laughing Fox Charette, batteryboy, students from the Music Resource Center and more. A second stage and more family-oriented attractions like The Bunny Clogs, Magic Mama and Amazing Jeffo (a blind magician) are planned for the event’s second year. Adam Levy of The Honeydogs will be a speaker, offering insight into mental illness with acoustic accompaniment. Other activities returning from last year include community yoga on the waterfront, Positive Energy Outdoors with their popular climbing wall, expanded entertainment for the kids, food and craft vendors, and a nonprofit showcase of organizations doing great things in our community.

The goal of the Twin Ports Bridge Festival is to unite the community under a dynamic entertainment experience. “With everything happening in our community right now, the festival is a timely way to remind people that we all started in the same place,” says Shane Bauer, owner of Laughingstock Design and organizer of the event. “We’re all human, and if we can remember to always see each other as such, then empathy, respect and positive relationships come forward.”

Those interested in being involved through sponsorship, exhibiting or any other capacity are invited to contact Laughingstock Design or visit TwinPortsBridgeFestival.com.

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