Charlie Parr headlines this first-ever music festival with support from a plethora of local talent from the Aitkin, MN area. Join us in historic downtown Aitkin, MN for a beautiful summer afternoon & evening chock full of great music, food, games, craft beer, a farmer's market and craft fair... and fun for the whole family. Children under 16 free admission. All proceeds benefit Aitkin Friends of the Arts.
Sponsors: RippleSippi Music Fest is sponsored by Block North Brew Pub, Cancion Tequila (formerly Mexican Moonshine), Kay Hill (Edina Realty), and Aitkin County CARE.
Full schedule available at ripplesippimusic.com.
• Vendors: Aitkin Farmers Market (7-10 individual vendors), Mama's Craft Fair (7-10 individual vendors), Cancion Tequila, Little Round Still, Beer Tent (Aitkin Fire Dept.), Hot Dogs & Brats (AitkinMasonic Lodge), Block North Brew Pub, Ya Sure Kombucha, and more.
• Seating? Chairs? There will be approximately 10-12 picnic tables placed throughout the festival for seating, but you are welcome to bring your own chairs. Be aware that there is only so much room for us to fit everything in the festival area, and please observe kindness and courtesy if asked to move to a different location or make space for others listeners at the fest. Thank you.
• Lodging: Ruttger's Lodge, 40 Club Inn, Country Meadows Inn (218) 768-7378,
Country Inn
• Camping... but can't find anywhere to pitch a tent or park your camper? Contact Christian McShane at [email protected] for inexpensive camping options on his 80-acre farm.
ARTIST BIOS (click on artist's name for audio and/or video samples)
~ CHARLIE PARR ~
Charlie Parr is an American country blues musician. Born in Austin, Minnesota, he spent part of his childhood in Hollandale before starting his music career in Duluth. His influences include Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk, and Mississippi John Hurt. He plays a Mule resonator, National resonator guitar, a fretless open-back banjo, and a twelve-string guitar, often in the Piedmont blues style. His song "1922" was featured in an Australian and New Zealand television advertisement for Vodafone. As a consequence, his album 1922 was re-released in Australia on the Level 2 record label in Melbourne. Several of Parr's songs were featured in the Australian drama film Red Hill, including a full rendition of "Just Like Today" in the closing credits of the film. His music was also featured in the background of a commercial for Gerber Gear entitled "Hello Trouble". It features the song "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down".
Charlie writes novelistic, multi-layered stories that shine a kaleidoscopic light on defiant, unseen characters thriving in the shadows all around us. He's released 13 albums, regularly tours & performs 250 shows a year or more.
Charlie’s new full-length record, Last of The Better Days Ahead, is out July 30th, 2021 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. It isn’t shiny and perfect and commercial and catchy. It’s him. It’s pure Charlie Parr and that’s enough. He hasn’t moved to LA or Nashville; he’s stayed in the cold grey north of Minnesota, because that’s his home.
~ THE CHMIELEWSKI FUNTIME BAND ~
Since 1882, the Midwest’s most well-known entertainers, the Chmielewski Family, have been synonymous with polka music. Over 100 years later and into five succeeding generations, the Chmielewski Family music has never stopped. In 1989, the “Chmielewski Family Funtime Band” swept the Minnesota Music Academy and for three consecutive years dominated by winning nine out of the eleven awards in the polka field. They produced over 1800 television shows broadcast throughout the U.S. and Canada. The leader of the band, Florian Chmielewski was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (New Ulm, MN) in 1994, and into Ironworld Discovery Center Polka Hall of Fame (Chisholm, MN) in 1995. They'll be performing in the opera house on the top floor of the Butler Building 1-4pm.
~ AURORA BAER ~
Aitkin's own Aurora Baer is preparing to release her second ep of five tracks called Out of my Mind. The new material shifts in a rock/pop/punk direction and focuses on electric guitars. This festival will likely be played solo, but there's always a chance of some friends joining... Al Sparhawk, Kat Hansberry A.K.A. Kat Fox and Veikko Lepisto round out the regular crew these days.
~ 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 his 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 divorce. 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, 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.
~ RUSTY CRAYFISH BAND ~
If you like jazz and big brass, come and check out this New Orleans brass band! Rusty Crayfish is a 10-piece New Orleans style brass band led by Aitkin musician Chris Halvorsen.
~ SAM SADLOWSKI ~
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.
~ 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.
~ DENA'S DANCE COMPANY ~
Dancers are made, not born. (Mikhail Baryshnikov)
Dena’s Dance Company, doesn’t just teach dance, they create dancers. So much more than a sequence of choreographed steps, movement communicates where words fail. Their goals include teaching technique, precision, and poise, while simultaneously instilling teamwork, confidence, and passion. Dena's dancers will hit the stage on the main level of the Butler Building during the early afternoon.
~ J-PACK ~
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.
~ 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 before.
~ 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.
~ BIGSHIV PRODUCTIONS ~
BigShiv is Thomas Mizner, who plays an electronically-generated blend of Hip-Hop, Soul, and Chill Jazz. His music will be featured between the sets for each performer, he may even make a surprise live performance. Born in India, raised in California, Minneapolis, and Aitkin – BigShiv currently calls Aitkin home.
~ 3AM ~
Bob Zelenka, a frequent solo entertainer at the Aitkin Beanery, will perform with his band 3 A.M. (3 Altar boys from Montgomery), consisting of childhood friends from Montgomery (MN). The band was heavily influenced by the American folk-rock scene of the mid-60’s 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 haven’t strayed too far from their musical roots.
